This Week In Games, September 14 - 20, 2014: Wasteland 2! Mursaki Baby! Plus Reprisal Universe, ArcheAge, Fairy Fencer F, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, Life Is Feudal: Your Own, Shadowrun Returns: Dragonfall (Directors Cut), Endless Legend And More!

Written By: Tyler

Herrow everybody, and welcome to another edition of This Week In Games, a weekly feature where I tell you who Jack the Ripper was.

Every week I go on Gamespot.com and look at what games are coming out. From there, I pick some of the more interesting (for better or worse) games that are seeing a release this week. Then I do a little research, wave my magic wand, and tell you a little bit about each game.

The release dates are North American because that's where I'm from. Generally you'll see similar release dates in other major gaming countries, but I'm not from there so I focus on where my hood is. You feel me? I promise I won't talk like this anymore. Let's get on with the fun.


September 14

Notta.


September 15

Reprisal Universe

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Strategy
Gameplay: http://store.steampowered.com/app/319560/

Think Populous when you think of this game. You raise your land, develop your tribe, take on other tribes, master Totem Powers to do battle... all that good stuff. If you're into this kind of thing, then this is something you should check out. It's already technically out, but it's hitting Steam this week.


The Masterplan

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Strategy/Action
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFF3iQbBOF8&list=PLHVUIGUZ1rjerc6W8XTIOREYf4IszGZ0n

The Masterplan is a game where you pick the perfect team to commit heists. It has a top-down view like Hotline Miami, but it is a different game because it's all about planning and perfecting your mission. Think Hotline Miami meets Payday, and you have a pretty good idea of what this is offering. It looks awesome, and it hits Early Access this week.



September 16

ArcheAge

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: MMORPG
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ9AnXZGKYs

ArcheAge is a free-to-play sandbox MMORPG. Don't leave just because you saw f2p and MMORPG, because not all of them are bad. For example, I think Neverwinter got an undeserved bad reputation. So does ArcheAge look like something that you should invest your time in?

I would say yes. I am probably going to give it a try, but read this blurb from their website and make your own mind up: "Adventure in an open-ended MMORPG freed from predefined paths and progression. Build massive castles and lay claim to lands whose riches fuel a deep, player-driven economy. Band together to protect your fortune in epic siege battles and naval combat – or live the life of an outlaw, prying glory and coin from foes left in your wake."


Mursaki Baby

Coming Out For: PS Vita
Genre: Platformer/Puzzle
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc3rV2U9HFY

I'm really excited for this, but unfortunately I don't own a PS Vita and can't afford one. I've been into this since I first saw it at, I think, E3 because I absolutely love the visuals, the art design and the trailer. You basically use the touch screen to make the main character move and solve puzzles in a terrifying, surreal world. I don't know if the game is going to be anything special from a strict gameplay perspective or not, though I'm inclined to believe it will be. However, the art alone makes it worthy of a pickup. 


Fairy Fencer F

Coming Out For: PS3
Genre: JRPG
Gameplay: http://www.gamespot.com/videos/fairy-fencer-f-official-trailer/2300-6417275/

Truthfully I don't know a lot about Fairy Fencer F, but it was already released in Japan and is now coming over here this week. It looks to me to be like a normal JRPG, so if you're a JRPG nut then you can check it out. It probably won't get much of a following otherwise, simply because JRPGs have a more niche audience than they did when I was growing up.


Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call

Coming Out For: 3DS
Genre: Rhythm
Gameplay: http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/avj8hm/theatrhythm-final-fantasy--curtain-call-review

The video above does a really good job of describing everything, but in case you don't want to click it, here's Theatrhythm in a nutshell: it's a rhythm game starring Final Fantasy characters where you get to listen to classic Final Fantasy songs and in typical fashion for the genre, hit buttons at the right time. I'm not huge into rhythm games, but this one is interesting to me because I love Final Fantasy music and that alone makes the game somewhat enjoyable. It has light RPG elements but they appear to be insignificant.


Cooking Mama 5: Bon Appetit! 

Coming Out For: 3DS
Genre: Simulation
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-qjZ_OvMLU

Cooking Mama 5 was released in Japan earlier this year, and now it is coming over to North America. If you're interested in this, you probably are already familiar with the game, but in case you aren't... here's a description from somebody who has no interest or experience with the game: it's a cooking simulator where you use the touchscreen to prepare food. There must be an audience for this.


The Waste Land

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Metroidvania/Platformer/Action
Gameplay: http://www.indiedb.com/games/the-waste-land (there's a video on the main page)

Indie developers seem to really love Metroidvanias (which is a combination of Metroid and Castlevania if you've never heard the term). Players also seem to like the organic exploration in these games because they often don't really tell you what to do, but with smart game design can be fun. It can be a real blast figuring out where to go once you get the right item or talk to the right person. This game looks like a worthy addition to the genre, so make sure to pick it up if you can.


September 17

Spacecom

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Strategy
Gameplay: http://www.polygon.com/2014/8/27/6074767/spacecom-4x-strategy-fast-and-made-for-multiplayer

Spacecom is a 4X strategy space fleet command game with a focus on multiplayer. Use your tactics that are up in your brain to do battle with rival fleets when this game drops this week.


Cosmonautica

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Simulation
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHpyxIW7deo
 
In Cosmonautica you manage your space ship, trade and do battle. The game looks to have a sense of humour and this looks like a neat little simulation game so it's worth a play.



September 18

Endless Legend

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Strategy
Gameplay:  http://ca.ign.com/videos/2014/04/18/endless-legend-video-preview (Alpha footage)

Endless Legends exits Early Access and gets a full release this week. It looks like a gorgeous 4X strategy game with a lot of depth. There are a bunch of side-quests to do along with the main game, and some RPG elements to go along with it, with customizable skill trees, crafting gear and level-ups. There's more to it, but I will end this by saying that this game could be something special.


Shadowrun: Dragonfall (Director's Cut)

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: RPG
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyUktyFHrb4

I haven't played the Dragonfall expansion, but I can speak from experience that Shadowrun Returns is a welcome... rebirth of Shadowrun. It's not as good as the old SNES one, but it's pretty damn good on its own merits, so I can only imagine Dragonfall is great too. The Director's Cut expands on it with new missions, music, endings, etc. If you already have Dragonfall you get the updates for free.


Elminage Gothic

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: RPG
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYbOLrnHLtM (it's in Japanese)

Released on PSP originally, it is now making its way to PC. Part of a neglected genre, the old-school dungeon crawling RPG, Elminage Gothic hopes to make enjoying big dungeons enjoyable again. These types of games were so popular at one point, and it's nice to see them still being made here and there.


September 19

Wasteland 2

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: RPG
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYtc5Y96coM

Did you play the original Wasteland? Do you like classic computer RPGs? Do you like RPGs where your choices in conversations directly impact the world around you? Do you like RPGs with tactical combat? Do you like post-apocalyptic RPGs? If you answered yes to any of these, then this is an important release for you.

I haven't actually played the original Wasteland, but I'm incredibly excited for this to finally see a full release. I can't wait to sink my teeth into this RPG that is going to take up dozens of hours of my time. I can't wait to experience the rich story where what you do actually has an effect on things. This is the biggest release of the week for me, along with Murasaki Baby.



Life Is Feudal: Your Own 

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Sandbox MMORPG
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMzMLo0hQ_c

I've never heard of Life Is Feudal before, but it seems ambitious, and definitely a lot different than other MMORPGs. When you think of MMORPGs, you no doubt have a certain idea in your head because for the most part, they're pretty similar to one another. There are differences between games like World of Warcraft and Guild Wars 2, for example, but they still follow pretty similar models.

From my understanding, Life is Feudal doesn't have level caps or levels at all, no grinding, quests that are more about becoming familiar with game mechanics rather than being something you do daily. The gameplay consists more of terraforming, meaning you can dig tunnels, manipulate the terrain, build cities underground or above ground, or build walls. The combat is different than other MMORPGs, and the gameplay seems to consist of doing medieval things like sieges and wars. There is crafting, and other game features that I'm not getting into.

The first thing that comes to my head when I think of this game is a game like Rust. They're quite different than one another and it appears that Rust has more emphasis on survival, but the idea of basically just being in a world populated by other people and living, while occasionally killing each other, seems very similar to this influx of games of this type. I'm not trying to say Life is Feudal is copying because they're a lot different, but there are similarities that I enjoy. Still, they'll offer very different experiences.

It hits open Early Alpha this week.



September 20

Nothing.


There are a lot of releases this week, especially from smaller studios, or at least from studios developing games that may not get the mainstream recognition that they deserve. Surely there is something this week that you are interested in.

Did I miss anything of importance to you? Let me know in the comments below or tweet me on the twitter thing @ArtBathednCrime

This Week In Games, September 7 - 13: A Little Game Called Destiny Gets Released, Plus NHL 15, Velocibiox, Teslagrad, Fable Anniversary, The Keep, Worlds of Magic and A Weird 90s Bible Game Called Uriel's Chasm

Written By: Tyler

Hello everybody and welcome to another addition of This Week In Games: a weekly feature I do where I tell you why "indie" is not a genre.

Every week I go onto Gamespot and find out what games are coming out this week. Then I do a little write-up about the ones of interest, and ta-da, I get lots of money (or none at all). All release dates are North American because that's where I'm from. Sorry rest of the world.


September 8

Velocibox

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Action
Gameplay: http://store.steampowered.com/app/317710/

Strap yourself in for this game. It is supposed to be incredibly difficult and the gameplay, from what I understand, is essentially running through corridors, dodging things and collecting items. It is fast and it does look hard.


September 9

Destiny

Coming Out For: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4
Genre: Greatest Game Ever, MMORPG/FPS
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUHCO-qyA1A

There's this little game that finally sees a release this week: It's called Destiny, and it's developed by Bungie. You may know Bungie from their other small franchise, Halo. If you follow games I probably don't need to sell you on Destiny but that's kind of the point of this part, so here goes:

It's a first-person shooter/MMO/RPG hybrid, that is supposed to be epic in scope. You play as one of three different classes, and there is competitive multiplayer that goes along with the normal campaign. It feels nice to shoot, it looks gorgeous, and it's Bungie... they have a good track record. Just get Destiny.



NHL 15

Coming Out For: Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: Sport
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbskn16gpQE

I haven't played an NHL game since '12, but hey... hockey games have come a long way since I started playing them. This looks more realistic, feels more realistic and I'm sure any hockey fan will be able to appreciate the depth of the experience. There was a time when hockey games didn't really feel like hockey games, but now you have to use the same kind of strategy that real players would use.


September 10

Nothing on this day.


September 11

Worlds of Magic

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Strategy
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=magRrO535gY

Worlds of Magic is hitting Steam Early Access on September 11. It is a 4X strategy game with randomly generated maps and big heroes. You have to kill enemies and expand your empire. There are over 300 spells as well!


Teslagrad

Coming Out For: Wii U
Genre: Platformer
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYKEtHHyvgA

Teslagrad is a platformer coming to the Wii U. It was originally released on PC. The basic premise is that you have to explore a tower and you use things like a Teslastaff or Magnet Glove to solve the puzzles and defeat the enemies. It has a charming art style, and it looks like a lot of fun so if you're hankering for a game on Wii U -- which most Wii U owners are -- then maybe check this one out.


The Keep

Coming Out For: 3DS
Genre: First-Person Dungeon Explorer
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puDJWHvcpVQ

The Keep is a first-person dungeon crawler, and although the footage above is only Alpha, it gives you an idea of what the game has in store. It's influenced by the classic games in this genre. Explore and defeat enemies on your 3DS.


September 12

Fable Anniversary

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: RPG
Gameplay: http://store.steampowered.com/app/288470/

Are you like me and missed out on Fable? Well, if you're a PC owner, here's your chance to catch up on the first installment in the series. Everything is upgraded here, so if you want a good RPG to play, I've heard good things about the first Fable.



Uriel's Chasm

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Platformer/Action/Adventure
Gameplay: http://store.steampowered.com/app/292630/

So.

I guess there was an unlicensed Bible game released in the 90s that I've never heard of, and Uriel's Chasm is it. It's... something. In this game you go on a quest that features the metaphysics of the KJV Bible, and you explore what God and Death means. The game seems to blend a couple genres, and the gameplay that I linked above makes it look kind of terrible and awesome at the same time. It's surely one of those games that may not actually be good but it's so insane it might be entertaining. Without getting too religious here, the Bible is pretty twisted and weird, so it needs a twisted and weird game to properly represent it.


That's it for this week people. If there was a game I missed, and you are able to pull yourself away from Destiny, then make sure to let me know in the comments below or tweet me @ArtBathednCrime. Or you could just write in the comments and say hi because it gets lonely over here. Peace out.

Everyone Is Out Playing Sims 4, Getting Ready For Destiny... And I'm Just Sitting Here Playing Hatoful Boyfriend (A Review)

Written By: Tyler
Platform Played On: PC

Visual novel games aren't something I'm entirely sold on most of the time. I'd rather just read a comic book more often than not, which I know means I miss out on some really good examples of the genre. If a visual novel offers me a lot of choices and I feel like I'm truly impacting the story, then it's fine. If I'm just sitting here clicking to read, that's more of a chore than anything.

Hatoful Boyfriend is a visual novel that has gotten a lot of attention since its original release in 2011, and even more now in its 2014 remake, because of its premise: You are a human girl in a school full of pigeons and you try to date them. Originally I thought you were pigeons dating pigeons, but no, the game has to make you question your own sexuality by slowly revealing your hidden desire to date birds.

I'm not different than a lot of other people. I know a weird concept is enough to draw me in. I'll buy into the hype, I'll eagerly anticipate something that's different than other things you see. That's the kind of person I am. I'm not entirely sure if I expected to like Hatoful Boyfriend or not, but it didn't really end up grabbing my attention when I finally sat down to play it.

Ignore the fact that you're dating pigeons and it becomes just like other dating sims. You make choices to try to date the pigeon that you've decided you like. This may or may not succeed. There are stats to manage like Wisdom, Vitality and Charisma but it's pretty unimportant and is more of an illusion to gameplay rather than truly being gameplay. I know it affects the game in a very miniscule way, but don't spend much time really thinking about that.

Hatoful Boyfriend consists mostly of putting you in places and making you decide what the best course of action is. Your choices do impact the game somewhat, and there are multiple endings to uncover, but was the plot really interesting enough to indulge in it numerous times?

That's the thing about Hatoful Boyfriend: Its narrative is deeper and more rich than one might think when looking at the game. The stock photos of birds and amateurish art work do a lot to try to hide the darker themes behind the cutesy visual style. This is not just a game about dating pigeons, after all.

You have to play through the game a bunch of times in order to unlock the true story. You may notice, even if you only play through once, that some things are odd and out of place, such as destroyed buildings or the fact you're a human (the only human by the way) and you live in a cave. Maybe you chalk these up to just being silly elements in a silly Japanese game, but they aren't, and once you unlock the final branch of the storyline, the game will clear up these issues and it becomes more intriguing than just being an adorable pigeon dating simulator that may or may not make you feel comfortable with your beastiality.

I also secretly want to be a girl so this game satisfies me.

I can give props to a game that takes a concept and then completely changes it around and gives us something we didn't expect. The plot does get more interesting and does show some good writing, and the parody leads into a legit complex plot about the school you're going to.

But if you're like me, then getting to the point that the plot unloads itself onto you is more of a chore than anything. It's simply not that much fun to play. You spend most of your time watching, and since you're expected to cover all the branching storylines, you end up slogging through it just to get to the good stuff. Why could they not just give us a way to unlock the story without doing this? It's lazy and and it's a poor excuse to force us to put more hours into the game than we might want to. Though I said above that you have choices, it's more superficial than a game like The Witcher 2 where your choices have impact... you do have choices but you have to end up making certain choices in order to progress in the game, ultimately. If I don't feel like I have real control in a game like this, it's simply not amusing to play.

It's not that Hatoful Boyfriend is terrible, it just seems more like a game you could get the same amount out of by simply reading a detailed plot synopsis on Wikipedia or something. I give respect for setting it up like a dating sim and then ripping the carpet out from underneath us to showcase something more expansive, but it's not a fun game. Defenders of the genre may take offense to that, but there are really good examples of this type of game out there.


Rating: 4/10
Verdict:  Has a plot that is darker and deeper than you may originally think, but it isn't an entertaining Visual Novel to play.

A Lethal League Review -- If Only This Title Had As Much Creativity As This Game People Would Like Me

Written By: Tyler
Platform Played On: PC

Anybody who knows me knows that I appreciate innovative games, or at the very least games that take an old idea and re-imagine it in original ways. It could be a terrible game and I would still give it props for trying something new. A unique idea is grounds for at least a three or four out of ten, regardless of how crappy the rest of the game may be.

With Lethal League, we have a new multiplayer based game that is an intriguing mixture of Pong and fighting games, with a hip-hop paint job all over it. And luckily, it is not a terrible game.

You can play with up to four players, but you can't actually hit each other like you would in a normal fighting game. Instead, there is a ball and you have to hit your opponents with it like you're playing dodgeball. The ball will fly around the screen, getting faster and faster, until eventually it's basically just a blur. Your basic attack is a normal swing, a volly swing that hits it up in the air, and a smash.

The core mechanics may seem simple, but don't think that there isn't depth here. Each character has a special ability, and there are a couple moves -- like parrying -- that you may not even know exist unless you read a tutorial (like me). You can power up your swings, and using the variety of attacks is key to being successful. It has a lot in common with Super Smash Bros in the sense that it may seem like it's just chaos on screen, but don't confuse dynamic with confusion. This game isn't about button-mashing, and a skilled player who is aware of their surroundings and the trajectory of the ball will beat someone less familiar with how things work more often than not. But at the same time, there is always a chance you can win.

You're going to want a controller if you play it because I found the PC controls really awkward. I generally don't think they work with fighting games anyway, but maybe some strict PC gamers will be able to handle it more than I could.

Lethal League is a little light on content, but unlike a game like Titanfall, it is not a full-priced game either. You can choose between five characters, each with their own ability, look and feel, and there are different skins for each that you acquire as you level up.

There are only two match types; one-on-one and a free-for-all with up to four players. The four player mode is infinitely more fun because I appreciate the organized ridiculousness of it all. It gets fast and hectic in a hurry, and it's when Lethal League is at its best.

There's a challenge mode that acts as a story only there isn't really a story, so you just go through a series of different fights, against the characters in the form of singles competition or even handicap matches. I do have to admit, that the final boss was a nice touch, but ultimately you play this once and then there's no real need to play it again.

I'm more forgiving of the lack of content because they're an indie studio, it's a cheap game, and I love the premise so much, but unfortunately it already seems to suffer from the same thing a lot of online indie games do: a lack of community. There are people who play it, but I tried connecting to a game for two minutes today and couldn't. This will only get worse as time goes on because it is not Call of Duty and sustaining a fanbase will be difficult. It's a real problem, but it's not one that detracts from the talent of the team or the game itself... it's just the reality of popularity or lack thereof.

Lethal League oozes style, and is one of the best games of the year in that regard. The way it blends music and visuals is a sight to behold.

Firstly, the music is incredible. It's an awesome mash-up of 8-bit chiptune and hip-hop, and sounds much cooler than that may seem. Or maybe you're the kind of person who likes Nerdcore and that sounds great to you anyway. It's not like that, but it's legitimately awesome and some of the music -- such as a track that starts with, I think (but could be wrong) Bulgarian chants -- really gets you in the mood to fight. I don't know if there's even been a fighting game with a soundtrack this good. That could be hyperbole, so maybe I should pull it back a little: there hasn't been a fighting game with music this good in at least five years. Maybe ten. Regardless, the soundtrack is awesome.

The visuals follow suit, with a sort of graffiti tinged animation style, also helping with a hip-hop feel. If you haven't noticed, rap is clearly an influence here. This is even more evident when you look at the bottom of the screen and there is a boombox. The Lonely Island would be proud.

There is a lot of variety in the few stages that you fight in. Be it a street, or outside of a factory, there is a lot of detail put into the environments that you Pong each other to death in. Look into the background and you will see buildings, or a sunset, all drawn carefully and lovingly. The developers knew what they were doing with the visuals. Luckily, everything flows together well, and character animations are fluid.

Lethal League is the type of game you should definitely seek out. While it is low on content, it is still an enjoyable game and I hope the developers end up adding more at a later date. It's a special game, one that messes with genre conventions to present a slightly twisted, stylish, unique take on the games it was influenced by.


Rating: 8.5/10
Verdict: Low on content, but the gameplay, visuals and music are all outstanding and interesting. Unfortunately the strength lies within the online realm, and it's an indie game, so the community will not be big for very long... if you can even call it big now.