Derryck Plays - GB Online: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages/Oracle of Seasons [Nintendo Switch]8/30/2023 Last month, Switch Online's Game Boy emulator got a two-for-one special, and I'm talking about both games in one go. BACKGROUND:
This is another one of my Zelda blind spots, so I was quite excited to hear that it was coming to the Switch Online emulators. I've read all about the unique gimmick of the games having cross-game functionality, and I'm naturally curious about seeing that in action for myself. Interestingly, I have read the Oracle of Seasons manga (I talked about that here), so I have an idea of what I'm getting into for that game in terms of plot. SUMMARY: In Oracle of Ages, Link is transported by the Triforce to the land of Labrynna, which is plunged into chaos when Veran, Sorceress of Shadows, possesses Nayru, the titular Oracle of Ages. Veran's endgame is to disrupt the flow of time by spreading sorrow in the past, and Link must travel between the past and the present to collect all eight Essences of Time to defeat Veran. Oracle of Seasons isn't much of a deviation overall, as the story for that is Link having to rescue Din (the eponymous oracle) from the clutches of the Dark General Onox. This one takes place in the land of Holodrum, and Onox's machinations cause the seasons of the land to go haywire, causing all sorts of problems for the area's inhabitants. Played as they are, you get a pretty basic ending where you successfully rescue the game's respective Oracle and restore peace to the land. However, near the end, it's revealed that there are more malevolent forces pulling the strings, and while things end all right for the most part, the game makes clear that the fight is far from over for Link. You can leverage the fact that these two games can be connected (achieved in this version with a passcode system) and connect a finished game to the other one you haven't played. Doing so makes the other game you're playing a sequel to your first adventure, and that ends up fleshing out and paying off that dangling plot thread. You even encounter characters you met in the first one you play as you take on the second. Granted, most of the base story is unaffected by this gimmick (the actual sequel bits only come in the form of very brief cutscenes until you get the payoff in the finale), but I nonetheless appreciate the novelty of this system. Again, it's a treat to see a Zelda game set somewhere other than Hyrule with unique characters and locales. What surprised me going into this was seeing elements that I typically associate with 3D Zelda games (Gorons, friendly Zora, even specific characters and music tracks) present here. The stories themselves aren't going to win any screenwriting awards, but the ability to link the two games and make the second one you play a sequel with a whole different ending was cool to me. It doesn't really matter which game you start with, as which adventure goes first can easily be interchanged without causing any continuity problems. And regardless, the core gameplay of classic 2D Zelda (top-down perspective, exploration, dungeons and bosses) is the same in both games. You get all your usual ingredients like puzzles, combat featuring classic enemies, and secrets in the overworld, so if you've played one of these before, this will feel very familiar. A lot of what Link can see and do in these games is pretty similar to Link's Awakening (discussed in this blog entry), from most of the item selection (plus the ability to unequip the sword for something else), a few minigames, occasional side-scrolling sections, and a whole item trading sequence. There are, of course, items unique to this game, like the equippable rings that provide either helpful buffs or are completely useless, and unique offerings such as the Seed Shooter (which let you shoot one of five types of seeds with different effects) and the Magnetic Glove (which lets you attract or repel objects by toggling the polarity). There are also unique mechanics like the three animal companions (which allow you to traverse specific terrain), as well as the ability to plant Gasha Seeds in specific spots to acquire Gasha Nuts for a random goodie (the fact that it's called "Gasha" may give away the very nature of this mechanic). The animal companions are fun, but you only really use them for one or two sections. Naturally, the maps for the two games are distinct since they take place in different locations, but the main difference I noticed in terms of gameplay is how each one focuses on a differnt aspect of gameplay. In Oracle of Ages, I noticed how involved the puzzles were in the dungeons (there were some really tricky ones in there), while Oracle of Seasons has more combat sections (but still has respectable puzzles). I also liked the fact that there are items that are exclusive to one game, which allowed both games to have unique puzzles (e.g. Magnetic Glove is exclusive to Oracle of Seasons, Switch Hook is exclusive to Oracle of Ages). Both games take inspiration from A Link to the Past by letting you explore parallel versions of the same map. Ages is the more overt facsimile, as you use the Harp of Ages to move between the past and the present in a very similar fashion to the Mirror as it's used in A Link to the Past. There are actually more instances of the past affecting the present in this game (between certain interactables and NPCs in the present hinting at what you can do), which I appreciate. Oracle of Seasons instead has the Rod of Seasons, which you can use to cycle through each of the four seasons to change parts of Holodrum's environment. Some paths are locked off as they are the first time you get there, but as you slowly upgrade the Rod of Seasons, you're able to manipulate elements in the environment to get you across (e.g. lakes becoming walkable in winter, climbable vines only appear during summer, among other examples). Most of the time, you simply use the Rod of Seasons to navigate Holodrum, but at certain points, it'll let you access the subterranean land of Subrosia. It's not really a parallel world like the Dark World since it's significantly smaller and there's not a lot to do, so while I like the idea of exploring the overworld and the underground, I feel like there's some untapped potential here. Both the harp and the rod kind of suffer from the fact that you can only use them on specific spots, and while that adds a neat puzzle element to exploration, I did find myself wishing that you could go all out with both items. While I found the Rod of Seasons significantly more limiting (because the Harp of Ages at least loses its restrictions in the latter portion of the game), I found it the more interesting of the two gimmicks. That may just be because I've seen the Harp of Ages' gimmick before, but I thought changing the seasons to alter the environment was really cool. The linked game gimmick extends beyond turning the second game you play into the sequel with a true ending, as a linked game lets you access exclusive secrets like special items and allows you to transfer Rings to the other game (giving you a significant edge when you unlock the ability to equip Rings). After decades of Pokémon, I'm kind of over the "two versions of the same game" gimmick where you trade exclusives between games, but the story actually evolving when you connect the two is what makes this particular instance special for me. VERDICT: Both Oracle games offered what I've come to expect and enjoy from 2D Zelda games while also adding a fair share of new mechanics that set them apart from the others I've played (mostly in the form of Link's items). I thought the ring mechanic was interesting (though a lot of them are locked behind Gasha Nut RNG), and while linking games doesn't add a whole lot to the gameplay other than better items, I liked the idea of choosing which to play first and which to turn into the sequel. I feel like the main gimmicks of each game could have seen more mileage, but other than that, I had a fun time playing through both games. For reference, I played Oracle of Ages first and linked my save to Oracle of Seasons after beating it. If you're going to play these games (which I'd recommend if you enjoy the 2D Zelda formula), I suggest picking the order based on things like what gimmick sounds more fun to you (time travel or changing the seasons) or what you usually enjoy from games like this (more combat like in Seasons or more puzzles like in Ages). Whichever one you choose to start with first, just remember the passcode you get at the end of the playthrough so you can use that while setting up your save for the other game. - end -
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I got a little carried away again and stayed up a couple of nights playing this, so I ended up beating this game way faster than anticipated. BACKGROUND:
I learned of this game via one of the streamers I follow, and I liked the concept enough to put it on my wish list. It went on sale a while back and I bought it then, but I've only gotten around to playing it now. PLOT: Moonlighter follows the story of Will, a young merchant who runs the eponymous shop in the town of Rynoka. Will has the spirit of adventure and is adamant about exploring the Dungeons on which the town is built, much to the chagrin of his old mentor Zenon. The Dungeons were once open to all, which brought in explorers and merchants alike with its promise of riches unlike anything else in the world. However, many people died over the course of many expeditions, which led to the town closing all but one Dungeon entrance. Undeterred, Will explores what he can while also juggling running Moonlighter, and as he succeeds, the town opens up more of the Dungeons for everyone to explore. The Dungeons' origins are shrouded in mystery for most of the game, and as you explore them, you'll encounter notes left by "Crazy" Pete, an explorer obsessed with the Dungeons... and Will's grandfather. Pete's insights, while limited, reveal key aspects of the Dungeons' true nature, but the truth isn't revealed until you accomplish Will's main objective, which is to open the Fifth Door of the Dungeons (which can only be done by acquiring four keys from the other doors). The truth is interesting (at least to me), though it leads to a weird ending for the denizens of Rynoka. You won't get much in the way of characters, as Will is a silent protagonist, the few other prominent NPCs get one personality quirk and nothing else (if they get anything at all), and random NPCs have little more than generic dialogue. I will say that Zenon's a solid character whose constant worry over Will's antics helps give an otherwise blank slate a hint of a personality (a stubborn idiot determined to discover what secrets the Dungeon holds), and Pete's enthusiastic notes put that personality into words. PRESENTATION: This is another one of those games that opts for the retro pixel art style, but as opposed to actual retro games, the sprites here boast way more detail and color, the animations are more fluid, and there's an impressive attention to detail. While there are a lot of lovely character sprites and portraits, most of the cool designs are within the Dungeons themselves, with distinct aesthetics for each individual Dungeon and dozens of unique enemy designs for each theme. The music doesn't go for a chiptune sound and feels more modern overall, and most of the tracks are pretty chill to listen to. I enjoyed the variety of instruments used, and I liked how each dungeon's music was just as distinct as their visuals. The battle themes for the bosses were great, too; they had this epic vibe to them while still maintaining the overall serenity of the rest of the soundtrack. GAMEPLAY: Moonlighter is a fusion of two genres: a top-down action RPG with roguelike elements, and a management game where you run the shop. In order to succeed, you'll have to balance both these aspects to earn money (to finance your gear for trips to the Dungeons) and procure items by adventuring to sell in the shop (completing the gameplay cycle). The main goal of the action RPG aspect is to explore the game's four main Dungeons. Each one has three floors (each with a boss at the end), and if you clear every boss, you're rewarded with one of the keys for the Fifth Door (where the game's final boss resides). At first, you start with only the Golem Dungeon unlocked, but as you gather keys, you'll unlock the others (Forest, Desert, and Tech). Like I said, each Dungeon is completely distinct from the others between its enemies, loot, and hazards, making runs between them a unique experience. No two runs are quite alike, as every time you enter a Dungeon, the layouts are procedurally generated. You'll get different maps each run, but they'll reuse the same set of specific room layouts to create those maps, so the experience is not fully unique. As you explore, you'll kill enemies, open chests, and break containers. As you do, you'll get all sorts of drops and loot that'll be useful when you make it back to town. The caveat here is that if you die, you lose all but the top five slots of your inventory, so you have to be extra careful if you don't want to waste any time collecting loot again. Collecting in itself is an ordeal thanks to your painfully limited inventory slots, so there's a lot of weighing which drops are worth taking back. Some items will have curses on them, which makes inventory management even more involved. These curses include position restrictions (e.g. item can only be placed at the top/bottom or leftmost/rightmost slots), destroying adjacent items, transforming adjacent items into duplicates (which can be a boon if it's on a rare item), mystery items (i.e. you don't know what they are until you get home), and items that are lost if you take damage. There are good effects, too, like a curse that sends adjacent items to your home chest (really nice), or a curse that removes an adjacent item's curse. I actually enjoyed the challenge of arranging my loot to get around or take advantage of these curses, and I would have enjoyed it more if you could increase your inventory slots in some way. The fact that you can only carry so much kind of forces you to keep repeating dungeons to build up your stockpile, which naturally constitutes grinding. What makes this grind somewhat bearable is the ability to warp out of the dungeon using the pendant, a special item that costs a small sum of money to use. You can spend that gold in a safe situation to return to town with all your loot in hand, so if you just want to take a quick jaunt to pick up what little you can, you can do so (provided you have the cash). It's an interesting mechanic that lets you loot at your pace, but at the cost of actual progress in the dungeon. If you're short on money for that return trip with the pendant, you do unlock a mirror that lets you recycle the loot you have on you for a bit of money that you can then use to warp out. The cash you earn depends on the item you recycle, and you can get a rough idea of what stuff costs with the in-game items list. Eventually, you'll also unlock a portal that you can use in place of the pendant to warp back to town. The main difference (other than the fact that this costs money to use) is that you can then take the portal in town back to the exact point you left, allowing you to continue your progress in the dungeon. This is quite great if you're actually gunning to beat the dungeon's main boss and get the key, as you can drop off your loot, make preparations in town, then go back in with full health. Chests will occasionally appear in some rooms, and you'll have to clear the room of enemies before you can unlock them (sometimes you have to do so under a time limit). Chests come in different tiers denoted by color, which determines the loot they'll have inside. It's also in chests where you'll find the cursed items I mentioned. Many of the rooms in the dungeons have pits that you can fall into (doing so will damage you), but sometimes, they'll lead to one of a few secret rooms. There aren't many types of these, but they all lead to some sort of reward, like extra loot, multiple chests (though you have to clear waves of enemies first), and a magic chest that warps everything you put in back to your house (provided the chests in your house have space). The last one is amazing, and finding it guarantees that you can keep looting. Be wary of exploring the Dungeon for too long, as eventually, a terrifying entity called the Wanderer will spawn. This thing will chase you relentlessly (though it is slow), and if you manage to get hit by it, you die instantly. What makes it frustrating is that it will destroy loot on the ground as well as chests (robbing you of goodies), and barring a specific circumstance, they can follow you into a boss room, making the fight significantly worse for you. It's an interesting mechanic, though I'm not sure what purpose it serves other than to force you to warp out. Combat is pretty basic overall, as the most you do is swing your weapon and occasionally dodge roll out of enemy attacks. It's not much, but the enemies and the weapon types keep things from devolving into mindless hack-and-slash (well, at first). You can carry two weapons at a time, and you can swap out with one input whenever you want. Each weapon class is sufficiently distinct from one another, with different ranges for the normal attack and a unique secondary action. Classes include the sword and shield (short range, but you can block with the shield), the "big" sword (better range but slower, has a spin attack), the spear (great for poking quickly at a distance, has a charging attack), the gloves (very quick and up close and personal, also has a charging attack), and the bow (your only long range option, has a double damage charge shot). As far as unique instances of weapons, this game sadly doesn't have a lot of options. You can either go for raw damage, or you can mess with weapons with status/elemental damage, which would have been neat if they didn't feel so outclassed by raw weapons. It would have been cool to have more variety here, so I'd call this a missed opportunity. Armor (split into three pieces) is even more limited, sadly. You really only have three choices: armor pieces with lower defense but with a movement speed bonus, the middle-of-the-pack armor, and armor with higher defense but a speed penalty. Again, would have been cool if there were more varied options available, because the strategy of simply maxing out your HP is enough. Both weapons and armor are crafted with the drops you find in Dungeons, so you'll have to make the effort to secure those goods on top of having enough gold to pay the Forge. I think it's really neat how the loot you get is used in this way, but it becomes clear early on that only a handful of loot actually serves a purpose (i.e. everything else is simply meant to be sold). Personally, I'd have loved if more items had another use instead of simply being things you sell to make a profit. Weapons and armor can be upgraded with Empowering Crystals at the Enchantress's store, adding bonus stats at a price. This is a solid way to close the gap between tougher dungeons while you're still working towards buying the next tier of gear. You can also carry five potions on your person, allowing you to heal with a specific input in a pinch. These are crafted using gel dropped by slimes with the help of the Enchantress, and more potent potions with more healing become available over time as you play. I wish there were a greater variety of potions that used other materials and provided other bonuses (here I am again wishing for more options...). In addition to your armor, you can equip two amulets, each giving you a passive bonus. Other than the boss amulets (which are guaranteed), acquiring most of the amulets is down to luck; you'll have to run into special purple chests in a dungeon, and you'll have to also hope what you want is in there. These amulets provide a little bit of the build variety I was looking for, but that experimentation is unfortunately locked behind RNG. There are plenty of enemies to fight, with each dungeon having a unique roster. A lot of them have distinct behaviors, but none of them are particularly difficult to figure out or to fight. Bosses aren't as varied, as each dungeon only has three bosses (and the second boss is just a variant of the first boss with extra moves), but they are engaging fights for what they are. Some enemies and hazards can inflict status effects like stun, burn, shock, and poison, which are as unpleasant as they sound. As mentioned before, there are ways you can inflict these yourself, but there aren't many options for doing so. On rare occasions, killing regular enemies will drop an egg, which, if you take home, will hatch after a few days. Once they've hatched, you'll now have a pet version of the regular enemy, which will fight alongside you and provide you with neat bonuses (like inflicting status). The game didn't really teach this mechanic (so it actually took me until close to the endgame to realize this was even a thing), but some of the pets really change the game in a fun way. Sadly, it's up to RNG if you get to have fun with this mechanic. The other half of the game has you take all your hard-earned loot and sell it at your shop. You can display your goods, open up (only during the day), and the customers will roll in. Your store will only be open during the day until the sun sets, and you'll be free to go to the Dungeons at night (exiting which will move the day-night cycle forward). The game leaves it to you to decide how much your goods should go for, but the customers will make it known how they feel about your prices. Sell too high and they'll be pissed, but if you sell too low, they'll snatch your goods up (but you miss out on potential profit). It's a bit of trial and error to figure out the Goldilocks zone of prices so you get the most bang for your buck without angering any of your customes. Supply and demand is a major factor in determining prices. Some items will naturally be in high demand, which will allow you to bump their prices up slightly. The more you sell of something, the more likely its demand will fall, which will force you to lower prices. I found that as long as you sell a wide variety of goods, you don't really have to worry about high supply/low demand affecting your profit. Money is obviously used for purchasing your gear, but you can save up a ton of cash to upgrade your shop. Doing so will expand the shop itself (allowing you to sell more goods at once), add more item storage (extremely important as you amass more loot), and add bonuses like customer tips or a better bed that'll give you extra HP for your adventures. Based on my experience, going for these upgrades first was worthwhile, because being able to rake in more cash by selling more goods at once will more than make up for the investment. One of the shop upgrades unlocks a shop assistant who you can pay to run the shop for you during the day if you wish to do more dungeon crawling. Otherwise, they'll patrol the shop as you run things, though they don't really do much. Your cash can also be spent to unlock town facilities (including the aforementioned Forge and Enchantress, which you will absolutely need for the dungeon crawling). The others include the Hawker (whose goods give your shop helpful bonuses like more tips or faster customers), the special merchant (which lets you simply buy the loot you get from dungeons, allowing you to save time instead of going on a run), and the Banker (who is more of a swindler than a reputable handler of finances). The day-to-day of shopkeeping isn't really exciting, but there is something therapeutic about juggling attending to customers and keeping your shelves stocked. Occasionally, you get thieves trying to run off with your goods (or the cash in your register), but you can beat the shit out of them and get your stuff back if you're quick enough. I found this amusing, because these thieves have no eye for subtlety. The gameplay loop is obviously repetitive and grindy (go to dungeon, get loot, sell loot, buy gear, repeat), but the part where you're rolling in gold after a hard-fought dungeon run makes the loop satisfying for me. The combat aspect also isn't difficult overall, and it's trivialized if you play in a way that lets you get the best gear early (at which point you have carte blanche to go hack-and-slash without a care in the world). I also found the game to be quite short, given there are only four Dungeons, all of which aren't expansive at all. If it's any consolation, there's a New Game Plus after beating the final boss, and you can buy DLC (which I believe adds an extra dungeon). VERDICT: Moonlighter's mix of dungeon crawling action and fun shop management complement each other and deliver an experience I quickly became addicted to. That said, I wish the combat aspect had more depth and challenge to it, and that there were more things you could do. I felt like the experience petered out after I got to the point where I could go through dungeons mindlessly and I ended up with more money than I know what to do with, but I did enjoy the journey of getting to that point. As far as dungeon-crawling roguelikes go, I think this is one of the easier ones you could get into, so I highly recommend this for newbies to the genre since you're not worrying about builds as much. I can see the shopkeeping aspect adding to the feeling of the grind, but I think many people may find it as chill as I did. If that sounds appealing to you, give this game a go, too. This game is available on Steam: Moonlighter on Steam (steampowered.com) - end - Don't mind me, just crossing another manga off the backlog. BACKGROUND:
To no one's surprise, this is completely new to me. I picked it out because the title reminded me of Heroes for Hire (classic Marvel group), and the premise itself seemed silly. SUMMARY: Shuko Kodakamine is a gifted judoka (a practitioner of judo), and while she's always enjoyed pursuing this childhood hobby of hers, she finds herself longing for a "normal" high school life where she just gets to be a girl who goes on dates and such. It doesn't seem like Shuko was going to get her wish anytime soon until an accidental run-in with Masaki Serizawa, a fellow student whose good looks has made him quite popular (or infamous) amongst his peers. After a few misunderstandings that almost resulted in someone getting suplexed, Serizawa comes to Kodakamine with a proposition: he'll help her with her desire to have this high school life she's been seeking if she becomes his bodyguard. Kodakamine doesn't agree to this at first, but Serizawa's persistence eventually wins her over. The rest of the volume sees the beginning of their new arrangement, as one chapter sees Kodakamine go out of her way to fulfill her end of the bargain (which is to protect Serizawa) no matter what the circumstance. Another chapter has Serizawa try to figure out how to show Kodakamine a good time by taking her out on her first "informal" date. In both chapters, they each go the extra mile for the other, which makes it seem like there's something brewing between the two of them. This builds on their early encounters as well, which have their fair share of somewhat tense as well as awkward moments. I can definitely relate with Kodakamine with regards to having a sense of longing for something "normal" people have despite otherwise being content with less orthodox interests. Though what she and I want aren't exactly the same, I totally get the feeling of looking at what my peers have (which is my baseline for what "normal" is) and wondering if I could ever have something similar. Outside of that, the juxtaposition of her reserved yet kind demeanor and her ability to take any unsuspecting motherfucker to Suplex City is hilarious to me. Also, her determination to be helpful in one chapter despite having no clue on what to do is admirable. Serizawa, on the surface, seems to be a bit of an airhead who acts carelessly when acting around girls (a lot of his early interactions with Kodakamine come off as him being rather forward with his advances). However, it's made clear that he's more considerate and compassionate of a person than he lets on, as he's more than willing to go out of his way for Kodakamine's sake even if it's at his own expense. He definitely doesn't think things through all the time (his awareness of this is why he wants Kodakamine to be his bodyguard in the first place), but he's willing to put in the work, and when he does, the results speak for themselves. I'm not exactly sure if this story is building towards the obvious route of the two main characters ending up together, but their dynamic so far is entertaining. Something about Kodakamine being hyper-conscious about things that can be interpreted as romantic while Serizawa does said romantic things with zero awareness that they could be misconstrued is hilarious to read about. Thankfully, nothing about what Serizawa's doing comes off as creepy or anything like that, but the fact that he appears to be completely oblivious while Kodakamine's thoughts are going haywire is a level of unaware that even I can't hope to match. As far as the art style, I noticed how it mostly used lighter tones overall, and that combined with the texturing (which is usually in the form of Ben Day dots or some other similar geometric pattern) gives everything a kind of "soft" appearance. The book keeps it simple in terms of level of detail, so certain elements like characters' eyes stand out with how more intricately they're drawn. VERDICT: The jury's still out on whether Heroine for Hire is a romance story between Kodakamine and Serizawa (in my eyes, it feels like it can go either way), but I'm enjoying their dynamic thus far regardless. They're both good-natured characters, but the way they show that can be weird, and that's both funny and endearing. I'm curious as to how far their little arrangement will go (I personally want to see Kodakamine beat the shit out of someone in defense of Serizawa), as well as if other characters outside the main duo will have a stronger presence in later chapters. Overall, this was nice and wholesome, and I definitely wouldn't mind more. - end - While my usual modus operandi for Five Comics is to put together a theme that feels topical for something going on in the week, I'm always trying to workshop more out-there themes with more experimental groupings. Here's one that I'm very excited to explore. THE THEME: Comic books as they're known now are generally accepted to have truly begun when Action Comics #1 (Superman's debut) came out in 1938, officially kicking off the Golden Age of Comics. However, vigilante characters like Batman that most people alive today associate with comics predate comics themselves, appearing in pulp magazines (which themselves can be considered the predecessors of modern comics) and even radio shows. My selection of five today will feature such characters from before the age of comics, all of which have been reimagined by Dynamite Comics for the modern day. Now, my familiarity with this era of literature is extremely limited (I know a bunch of characters, but only through adaptations), so this is as much a learning experience for me as I'll be taking the time to look some of these names up. THE COMICS: THE BLACK BAT #1 Publisher: Dynamite Comics Writer: Brian Buccellato Artist: Ronan Cliquet Not to be confused with DC's Batman, this Black Bat came along right around the same time as the Dark Knight (and that apparently led to legal disputes back then). This guy is a lawyer named Tony Quinn who went blind (that sounds familiar...) after a case gone awry. He now moonlights as a vigilante out for revenge against his corrupt former clients. You only get bits and pieces of this origin in this issue, and there's an interesting twist at the end that I don't think was a thing in the original stories. GREEN HORNET (2018) #1 Publisher: Dynamite Comics Writer: Amy Chu Artist: German Erramouspe Odds are you might be familiar with the Green Hornet by way of the 2011 movie starring Seth Rogen, but the character has existed since 1936, having debuted in a radio drama. This particular comic is set in the modern day, as it's Britt Reid Jr. who's taken up the mantle. Unfortunately, he's gone missing, so it's up to Kato (the original Green Hornet's partner, who's now an old man) and his daughter to find him. It doesn't seem like they're about to find him anytime soon, though, so in the meantime, someone has to step up as the new Green Hornet before all the criminals take notice. THE LONE RANGER #1 Publisher: Dynamite Comics Writer: Brett Matthews Artist: Sergio Cariello Like the Green Hornet, you've probably heard of the Lone Ranger thanks to a movie that came out in the early 2010s, but he got a similar start as the lead of a radio drama that debuted in 1933. This comic follows the classic origin story almost verbatim, as John Reid, a young Texas Ranger, manages to survive an ambush set up by outlaws thanks to the intervention of Tonto, a Native American who eventually becomes the Lone Ranger's companion. THE SHADOW #1 Publisher: Dynamite Comics Writer: Garth Ennis Artist: Aaron Campbell The Shadow has an interesting history, with origins going back as the narrator of a radio show and eventually starring in his own magazine all the way back in 1931. In this one, we see a tiny bit of the titular character using some of his almost supernatural abilities to take down a whole crowd of criminals, as well as his alter ego Lamont Cranston talking to bigwigs. THE SPIDER #1 Publisher: Dynamite Comics Writer: David Liss Artist: Corton Worley The Spider is kind of the same style of vigilante as the Shadow (similar aesthetic, gratuitous use of guns, morally gray), though he came along two years later, and borrows from Zorro in that he brands his victims. This version retains some elements of the original (name, associates, origin), but the setting is now in modern day, and the story's building up an encounter with a mysterious villain. Though a lot of what I read here are reimagined versions of characters who are nearly a century old, it was still a fun exercise to read about them and then look up their decades-long histories (including aspects of their stories that carried over to these versions). Seeing how the superhero tropes of today were present/got their start from characters like these was a really enjoyable and informative experience, especially as a lifelong fan of comics. Hopefully this selection was as interesting to you as it was to me; I don't know about anyone else, but I love reading about stuff I know very little about, and I like digging up obscure trivia. PANEL(s) OF THE WEEK: - end -
The 3DS eShop may be long gone by this point, but I still have purchases from its twilight I can play. Here's the last of the games I bought during that time, and it's quite the package deal. BACKGROUND:
I've explained my background with the Ace Attorney series when I originally talked about the first Great Ace Attorney game, so I'll just direct you to this link instead of repeating myself. I suppose the only real question worth answering here is why I bought the 3DS version of this instead of getting it on Switch or PC. There are two reasons for that: it was significantly cheaper on the 3DS eShop, and the 3DS version has an exclusive case that isn't playable in the modern releases. Whereas I felt the need to split The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles into two separate blog entries for each game, I'm going to elect for the opposite approach this time since the plot is the only real aspect that differs significantly across each title. PLOT: Each game in the Ace Attorney Trilogy is split up into chapters revolving around whatever case our main character, Phoenix Wright, is tackling. The connective thread between chapters in each game varies greatly depending on the specific title, and surprisingly, seemingly one-off characters from previous games can show up in the sequels. There was something pleasing about the number of callbacks to previous cases in the second and third games; seeing characters I thought I'd never see again in new situations made everything feel more connected even though most cases usually have nothing to do with each other. For the rest of this section, I'll split up my discussion per game. Before I do, however, the trilogy as a whole is chock-full of memorably over-the-top characters, absurd situations and plot twists, equal parts melodrama and hilarity for the tone, plenty of instances where the localization team is clearly having a blast with the dialogue and the character names, and a hysterical disregard for how the legal system actually works in real life. I enjoyed all these elements in pretty much every game, though some cases stood out to me more than others based on how balanced (or unbalanced) said elements were juggled. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney The first game naturally sees Phoenix Wright's start as a defense attorney. In the first case, he is guided by his mentor Mia Fey, but for the rest of the game, it's him against the world. Early on, we meet Mia's sister Maya, who becomes Wright's silly partner-in-crime. It's in this game that the duo's dynamic is established, and it's also here that we become familiar with Wright's greatest rival: the prosecutor Miles Edgeworth. Other recurring characters are introduced here as well, like the bumbling idiot detective Dick Gumshoe, Wright's dumbass friend Larry Butz, and the Judge, whose easily impressionable behavior should have gotten him disbarred decades ago. Case 2 and 4 are probably the most pivotal cases in this game due to their impact on the main cast of characters (with 4 fleshing out Miles Edgeworth's character beyond simply a foil to Wright), but I think Case 3 is my personal favorite since it introduces one of my favorite side characters and really dials up Maya's weird personality. In terms of hilarious absurdity, Case 1 and 4 stand out for the weirdest murder weapon and most absurd witness cross-examination respectively. Introduced in the original DS release of the trilogy is an exclusive fifth case set a number of months after Case 4's resolution. Here, Phoenix Wright is flying solo to tackle a murder revolving around a brand-new cast of characters (with the most prominent being the aspiring scientific investigator Ema Skye) and tackling some serious themes. This case is definitely on par with the rest in terms of ridiculousness and drama, though I was taken aback by how much longer it is compared to the other cases. Ema doesn't show up at all in the other games in the trilogy, but I heard that she's in the Apollo Justice games, so now I'm curious about those. Ace Attorney: Justice For All The second game changes up the formula a bit by introducing a new rival for Phoenix Wright. For majority of the cases, the lead prosecutor is Franziska von Karma, a young whip-wielding prodigy whose backstory ties into Case 4 of the last game. She's probably one of my favorite characters in the entire series because of how entertaining it is to see her argue with Wright. Edgeworth's absence is not ignored, either, and it's addressed in a way that builds on his complicated relationship with Wright. We're also introduced to Pearl Fey, Maya's young cousin, at the beginning of the second case. As she is, Pearl brings her own silly charm as her minimal understanding of what's going on leads her to say weird things. What stood out more to me about the second case is how it fleshes out the history of the Fey family. Throughout the first game, it's established that Maya is a spirit medium who can let the dead speak through her, but the history of her clan is only briefly touched upon in that game's fourth case. Case 2 brings that history front and center, though it doesn't answer every question raised by the first game. Case 1 and 3 have some amusingly notable absurdities to them, with the former presenting an extremely contrived way to justify a tutorial case for the player, and the latter having among the most batshit murder situations I've seen in the entire trilogy. Case 4 is extremely interesting not only for bringing back a number of characters from the first game I thought I'd never see again, but also by adding nuance to the nature of the defendant Wright is representing. It also raises the stakes in an unexpected way by imperiling one of the main characters in a way that isn't just accusing them of murder, so that was a surprise. Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations Here's where things got interesting for me. In a few of the cases, you don't actually play as Phoenix Wright. I'm not going to spoil who you play as, but let's just say it's really exciting to play as them for a change. In this one, it really feels like things come full circle, especially with the game's final case. Characters from across the series and plot threads from big cases come together in this case in what felt like an Endgame-style finale that built a dramatic story out of the stuff that's come before. What I appreciated about this case the most is how it seamlessly pays off the mysteries set up in Cases 1 and 4 of the game; up until this point, each case didn't really build on one another, but here, it felt like there was an actual overarching plot for once. Now, I don't mind the overall episodic formula of the series, but I was satisfied with how they put this one together. Cases 2 and 3 had their memorable moments, too. The former was most notable to me for actually giving Phoenix Wright a case that wasn't murder (it made me wish the series had more instances of this), but it also had interesting tidbits like returning elements from Justice For All as well as introducing elements that actually factor into the final case. Case 3 also had its fair share of surprise returns, but my favorite thing about it is how it is emblematic of the wacky shit that I've come to expect and enjoy from this series. PRESENTATION: The art style is consistent across all three games, as the visuals feature upscaled 2D pixel art compared to the original GBA release. There's still an old school feel to all the character sprites thanks to the limited (but still quite expressive) animations, but looking at the art, it's almost indistinguishable from hand-drawn digital art in terms of quality. Pretty much all the character designs are memorable, and their over-the-top expressions/animations add to their charm. Across the board, I loved the music of the trilogy. From the various renditions of the cross-examination theme (which all feature a version with a higher tempo when you're close to the climax of the case), the exciting objection and pursuit themes (which add to the satisfaction of exposing contradictions), and even out-of-court themes (like the catchy-as-hell Steel Samurai theme), there's no shortage of delightful tunes in each of the three games. Personally, I feel that the first game's soundtrack can't be beat, as out of the three games, I found its signature tracks the most memorable and iconic. Voice acting is limited to the signature lines of the lawyers (like the iconic "Objection!"), but that's more than enough for me. It never gets old hearing Phoenix Wright blurt it out as you get the equally iconic text bubble to go along with it. GAMEPLAY: All three games in the trilogy feature the same gameplay: you have a visual novel where you do a lot of reading, but you have two main segments that require your brainpower in order to solve the cases and move the story forward: investigations and trials. A lot of the action is in the trials, where you listen to witness cross-examinations, review all the evidence and testimonies you have access to, press specific statements for more information, and eventually present the correct piece of evidence to expose a contradiction. It's the bread and butter of this series, and in the trilogy, the action in the courtroom is boiled down to these bare essentials. Occasionally, you'll get a multiple-choice question, but those typically precede presenting evidence anyway. While I liked all the additional stuff The Great Ace Attorney introduced to add to these core mechanics, what little you have here actually gets a lot of mileage. Sure, most of the time it's straightforward (just find the contradictory statement and present the evidence that disproves it), but sometimes you have to press a specific statement to arrive at the contradiction. Other times, pressing leads to red herrings, and there's even an instance where you have to press a statement again after pressing other statements beforehand. It can get a bit confusing when the answer's not obvious, but I like that it's not always simple to arrive at the truth. Investigations function more like your point-and-click games, and you have to interact with key points to acquire new information/evidence or simply encounter some amusing dialogue. In these segments, you can also talk to NPCs and get additional information. All these will be useful in the trial portions of a case, so it's highly recommended that you pay attention. I will say that The Great Ace Attorney has greatly improved the investigation portion of the gameplay. Navigating between areas is a pain in the ass in these games (instead of a full list of locations, you have to move between each area one by one), and points of interests aren't immediately identifiable until you hover the reticle over them. I also observed that between this trilogy and The Great Ace Attorney, investigations are what really kill the pace of the game. You have to exhaust every dialogue option and interact with all the relevant points of interest to proceed to the trial, and sometimes, you have to take specific steps to unlock everything (which can include presenting evidence to the right NPCs and revisiting specific areas at specific times, among others). These steps aren't always immediately obvious, so there may be times where you're just wandering around the areas trying to figure out what you're missing. The Great Ace Attorney at least mitigates the tedium by making navigation easier and providing a more accessible UI, but in this trilogy, I could feel the "grind" of these segments. What I do like about investigations in this trilogy is related to a mechanic introduced in Justice For All. At some point, you'll be able to detect whether NPCs you're questioning are withholding information, and you have the opportunity to play a sort of mini-trial where you force them to tell the truth by presenting evidence contrary to what they're saying. For as tedious as collecting evidence can be, getting to the point where you've collected enough to make an NPC talk is quite satisfying. Strangely, the strike system in the sequels differ from the first game. Whereas the first game simply gives you five strikes, the second and third games give you a life bar where different mistakes take away a specific portion of the meter. It's functionally similar, but it allows the game to present situations where some mistakes can cost more than others. I'm not really sure which is better in terms of leniency towards players, but I like the variance that the life bar provides. A few cases have gimmick mechanics, some of which involve interacting with the investigation area with specific items (luminol for detecting blood, moving a metal detector around), as well as gimmicks like inspecting evidence items and applying powder to identify fingerprints (both exclusive to Ace Attorney 1's bonus fifth case). I really wish there were more forensics-related mechanics in the investigations, though I suppose The Great Ace Attorney did already give me that. One highly entertaining gimmick is the ability to use the microphone to yell "Objection!" or "Hold it!" to present or press in trials. It doesn't really add anything, but it's fun to actually do the yelling alongside Phoenix Wright. I'm not sure if this mechanic is exclusive to the DS/3DS versions of the trilogy. VERDICT: I had a blast playing through the entirety of the Ace Attorney trilogy. Between the sheer absurdity of nearly every case, ridiculous dialogue and personalities, and over-the-top courtroom drama, pretty much all the cases had something memorable to them that I enjoyed. I also really appreciated how the sequels weren't shy about calling back to past events and bringing back old characters, and of course, the signature logic-based gameplay of the series never failed to deliver its fair share of eureka moments and cathartic objections. Plus, the music is awesome; a lot of Ace Attorney 1's tracks are still stuck in my head. I hope that the Apollo Justice Trilogy has more of everything I enjoyed here, because I think I want to pick that up, too. Again, I must mention the caveats I noted when I talked about the Great Ace Attorney games. A lot of this is reading (and paying close attention to what you're reading), and the overall tone of the series isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. All that aside, if you want to get into this silly little niche series and make believe you're a lawyer, this trilogy is the exact place to start. I will recommend that you pace yourself when playing this trilogy; while I enjoyed myself just fine when I played through as much of Great Ace Attorney as I could in a short span of time, spacing out my playthroughs of each case for every game did a lot to keep me from burning out. I think I would have turned myself off from finishing the entire trilogy if I powered through several cases (each with lengthy investigation segments) in one sitting. You can play the entire trilogy on Steam: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy on Steam (steampowered.com) Or perhaps you'd rather play on mobile? - end - Apologies for missing the usual Friday upload, but don't worry, I had this already on deck before I set plans for my evening. BACKGROUND:
Once again, I don't know anything about this manga, but the fact that the creator of Full Metal Alchemist (an anime I've seen a bit of) is involved certainly raised my eyebrows. I also did a bit of reading and learned that this manga is itself an adaptation of a Japanese novel. SUMMARY: Arslan is the crown prince of the kingdom of Pars (meant to be equivalent to the real-life kingdom of Persia), a prosperous land with a fierce, unstoppable army and a ferocious warrior king. It seems like he's living the best life, but between his self-doubt regarding his ability to be a warrior and his parents not seeming to care for him all that much, that doesn't seem to be the case. Arslan's world view is changed after his father Andragoras III returns victorious from a battle against the Lusitanians. In that battle, they captured a number of soldiers to be sold as slaves, with one of them being a young boy the same age as Arslan. This boy manages to escape and holds Arslan hostage, and as the two are chased around the city, they get to talking. In these talks, it becomes quite clear that Arslan's privilege has shaped his perception of slavery, while the other kid, despite possessing the religious fanaticism of his people, is well aware of how unfair Pars's treatment of slaves is. After that harrowing experience (which ends with no casualties), the story skips ahead three years later. Arslan, now 14, is now about to head to his first ever battle. During this time, Lusitania has managed to amass power (managing to conquer Maryam, an ally kingdom to Pars, in the process), and is now planning to invade Pars. King Andragoras III personally oversees the conflict at the plains of Atropatene and assembles his army, but his hubris ends up leading everyone into a trap. The Lusitanians manage to slaughter a significant portion of the Parsian army (though not without heavy losses), while managing to separate many of the named characters. Andragoras is forced to retreat, which further demoralizes the Parsian army (who look to their king as a fearless leader). It becomes clear that the Lusitanian victory didn't just happen by chance, and when the truth is revealed, Arslan and Daryun are forced to flee. Daryun suggests they seek out an old friend of his in hopes of getting back to the capital city. The book ends just as this new character is introduced, but his history as a skilled tactician and the circumstances of his exile are laid out a little bit on the way. There are plenty of interesting tidbits that I was intrigued by as I read the book. I found myself most curious about seeing how later chapters handled the themes of slavery (as Arslan's correlation of the kingdom's prosperity with this system is challenged) and religious fanaticism (which is challenged when one Lusitanian soldier in a later chapter questions their methods). King Andragoras III is also an interesting way to explore topics like the desire to maintain a certain image trumping common sense or the welfare of your people. Most of the other characters don't get as much to do in terms of exploring the manga's themes, but they do have strong personalities that make them stand out otherwise. The most prominent to me are Daryun (who loyally serves Arslan) and Vahriz (who patiently tutors Arslan in swordsmanship), as they get to interact with the main character a lot. There's also the mystery of who's leading the Lusitanian army during their critical victory, but apart from a single line that hints at their connection with the kingdom of Pars, there's not much to go on from their presence. It's certainly something I'm curious about. For the most part, the art keeps the tone and shading on the lighter side (making darker elements stand out as a result), while finer details are more prominent in elements other than character faces (e.g. clothing, elements in the environment). Action scenes look pretty intense between linework that gives a lot of weight to moving elements, a heavy serving of blood splatters, plenty of grimacing facial expressions and aggressive stares, and onomatopoeias in striking bold letters. There's also an impressive sense of scale to the big battles, with wide shots of the battlefield that show how massive each army is. Although I've only really seen the anime for Full Metal Alchemist, I definitely noticed some similarities in the art style for that here. That said, that might just be because Arslan's design reminds me of Edward Elric. VERDICT: Vol. 1 of The Heroic Legend of Arslan sets the stage for a fantasy epic that I'm more than willing to read more of. I want to see how Arslan's views on how to be king are changed as his father's leadership and learning of the truth behind slavery challenge what he grew up learning, and I'm curious about whether the fanaticism of the Lusitanians will be explored further. Of course, I am wondering about how the kingdom of Pars will be reclaimed by the main characters and who the Lusitanian's leader really is, but for me, the reason to keep reading is seeing how the overall themes are explored through the characters and the imminent war. As far as fantasy epics go, this didn't shy away from the uglier sides of war and monarchy, and if you like serious stuff like that, I recommend checking out this manga. It does have epic battles and such, but that's mostly secondary to the political drama and the exploration of the aforementioned themes. - end - The Disney+ series side of the MCU has slowed down considerably this year, so this will be the first of 2023 that I'll get a chance to talk about. Secret Invasion finally puts Nick Fury in the lead role of an MCU story, as he returns from space (where he's been busy setting up SABER) to deal with a personal mission. It appears that a faction of Skrulls have turned and decided to use their shapeshifting abilities to destabilize the world's geopolitical state, and they hope to use the ensuing chaos to take over the Earth.
It's made clear that the Nick Fury we got here is far from the badass we know, as he struggles both physically and mentally to see his mission through. Thankfully, he's not alone, as he has the backup of loyal lieutenant Maria Hill and his old Skrull buddy Talos, who also feels a sense of responsibility for the events of the show. Talos is an excellent foil to Fury, adding an entertaining buddy cop dynamic that plays into the 30-year in-universe history the two have together. Hill, on the other hand, was completely wasted, and I say that with unwavering conviction. Fury himself is a mixed bag to me. I liked the angle of him not being perfect (as it's his mistakes that kick off the events of the show), I was pleasantly surprised that they showed a new corner of his character by introducing a certain someone with whom he has a special relationship with, and I appreciated that they touched on the trauma he's dealing with after the calamity of Thanos's snap. These are the makings of new, interesting layers to a storied character, but I felt like they never had the time to fully come together. Plus, he makes a lot of uncharacteristic choices throughout the series, from failing to be the super spy we know him to be (which, to be fair, can be chalked up to him being out of the game), to actively refusing to call the Avengers even though he's faced with a situation that absolutely calls for it. We meet a handful of new characters as well, like British Intelligence operative Sonya Falsworth (a hilarious show-stealer), G'iah (Talos's daughter, played by Emilia Clarke), and Gravik (the leader of the splinter Skrull group with a chip on his shoulder). I wish I could say they were all amazingly compelling and worthwhile new introductions, but this was a mixed bag to me as well. I really felt like G'iah as a character did not get nearly enough to do to justify the casting of a renowned and talented actress who could have been given more to chew on. Gravik had sensible motivations rooted in Fury's failure to keep his promise at the end of Captain Marvel, but his plans felt all over the place. Sonya is mostly a fun contrast to Fury's type of spy, and she's a delight to watch onscreen. If there's one good thing to come out of this show, it's her, and I want more of her. When this show was first announced, many fans were highly skeptical of a show called Secret Invasion that doesn't quite follow the comic it's named after (my thoughts on that here). I will admit I shared a similar skepticism (though not to the extremes of the Internet), but I gave the show the benefit of the doubt when they presented this show to be a "grounded" spy thriller with shapeshifting aliens that leans into the paranoia of not knowing who is or isn't a Skrull. The actual execution of this left a lot to be desired in my eyes, as I can only name a handful of moments where that sense of paranoia felt prevalent, and the show's pacing was way too quick and all over the place to let that feeling even ferment to begin with. Another thing I had high hopes for was how the show seemed to focus more on the geopolitical ramifications of shapeshifters taking over powerful people for their own ends. The only moment I recall that felt remotely close to tackling something interesting on that front happened in the finale, and that being the case really hammered home how this show missed the mark for me. The feeling of utter dissatisfaction I felt upon seeing what the show could have been right at the very end of the series is a feeling I have no interest in reliving anytime soon. One narrative hurdle regarding the Skrulls that I've observed over the years of my enjoyment of comics is how their very nature can get in the way of the characters they shapeshift into. There are a number of instances here where a character has a compelling speech that really builds on or serves their character well, but then it's revealed that they're a Skrull. Moments like these end up feeling cheap because now you don't know if that's something the actual character truly feels. Plus, the fact that you don't know exactly when the characters were replaced with impostors also threatens to ruin compelling character moments from other MCU projects. The worst offender of this is how they imply that a certain character has been a Skrull for much longer than viewers expected, and accepting that as fact ends up completely ruining the entire Phase 3 presence of that character. Despite the espionage angle of the show, I still expected there to be some manner of superhero action to take place, which does happen when they introduce a classic element of Skrull lore into the story. I really liked the idea at first, and then they ruined it with the nonsense that was the final battle. I'm not going into detail since those would constitute spoilers, but the finale is the first time in a long time that something from the MCU has left me shaking my head in disappointment, and that fight is one major reason behind that feeling. They bring in a couple of guest stars from other MCU projects to participate in the action, and it's impossible to really talk about them without giving away too much. I suppose I'll just say what they were going for with them is so obvious, you could figure out what that is even with me dancing around the fact. It's one of those "cool in theory, horrendous in practice" situations. When it comes to TV shows and movies, I'm relatively easy to please (which apparently is a crime to many film snobs I encounter), so what I'm about to say next is not something I say lightly. Between this show and Quantumania, this is the first time in years that I've really called the MCU's direction into question. Speaking about Secret Invasion specifically, the runtime was unreasonably short for a story that would probably work better as a slow burn, they make a bunch of questionable character choices, and it somehow makes the same mistake as the comic it takes its name from and never fully commits to its premise. I'm actually disappointed in how this turned out, and in my book, that's worse than an end product I actively hate. - end - It's been a while since Switch Online's Game Trials had something I was interested in playing. BACKGROUND:
Between my enjoyment of fighting games and having grown up enjoying my fair share of Dragon Ball (with the most prominent piece of media from my childhood being DBZ Budokai 3 for the PS2, also a fighting game), I've naturally heard of this one. I actually watched a bit of high-level play for this game in the years its competitive scene was most active, and I was always entertained by most matches. Part of me obviously wanted to play the game for myself, but given my terrible track record with tag fighters, I decided to be content with being a spectator. There was also a demo for it at one point, but I only ever played through the tutorial and never got a true sense of the game's mechanics. When this trial came up, I resolved to try slightly harder to learn the game. Jury's still out if I actually learned anything, though. PLOT: The game does have a story mode revolving around one central event: clones are overrunning the planet, and many of the powerful fighters of Earth are unable to use their full strength. Adding more to the chaos is the fact that the souls of separate beings appear to be inhabiting the bodies of some of these fighters, and for some reason, having them be in control of the body allows the fighter to be at full strength. It's then revealed that Android 21, a completely original character created for this game, is behind a lot of all this, and it's up to the cast of iconic Dragon Ball characters to get to the bottom of the whole mess. Story Mode is split up into three arcs: the Super Warrior Arc (which follows Goku and friends), the Enemy Warrior Arc (which sees resurrected foes like Frieza and Cell begrudgingly teaming up), and the Android 21 Arc (where you follow Androids 16, 17, and 18 as they appear to work alongside Android 21). The game makes it seem like these three arcs offer different perspectives for the same series of events, which is true until you get to the latter portions of each arc, where a bunch of details surrounding key events are changed. These inconsistencies are quite glaring, but other than that, most of what's shown in each arc aligns well enough with each other to paint a clear enough picture of what's really going on. Overall, I think the story's so-so. It's your usual world-saving plot but with a silly twist as a lot of familiar characters have to deal with the nonsense that is another soul (implied to be you, the player) taking control of their bodies in combat. I was amused to see various characters from across Dragon Ball Z's history interact with one another (especially with the villains resurrected), but other than that, there's nothing really compelling going on in terms of character growth. I suppose the only exception is Android 21, but I feel like the story mode moves way too quickly for me to get truly invested in her situation. This game mostly pulls from Dragon Ball Z for its story, but characters from Dragon Ball Super do appear briefly. I'm not really sure if the story would appeal to anybody who isn't familiar with at least Dragon Ball Z, as it assumes that you know major arcs of the anime. PRESENTATION: I would describe this game as simply the anime in game form. Akira Toriyama's style is alive and well with all of the character designs, the backgrounds feel like familiar territory for fans of the anime, and the action is as flashy as you'd expect from this series. Part of the reason why I love watching competitive matches of this game is because of how great this game looks in action and how faithful it is to the character's designs and moves. On the flip side, I felt like the story cutscenes didn't quite match the level of polish of the main gameplay. It looks fine in a vacuum, but there's a noticeable change in quality when transitioning between the two. The music is solid as well and fits the action perfectly, though I typically didn't get opportunities to properly listen to it since there's a lot I need to think about in a match. Also, the nostalgia I have for Budokai 3's OST is so strong that I have a hard time not thinking about its tracks when I look at anything Dragon Ball. GAMEPLAY: Dragon Ball FighterZ is a 3-on-3 tag team fighting game featuring many iconic characters from the series. The most well-known tag fighter out there is probably Marvel vs. Capcom, and if you're even vaguely familiar with that game, that's kind of all you need to know if you want a general idea of how this plays. Nonetheless, I'll discuss some of the mechanics. The control scheme is a bit simpler than something than Street Fighter, as you simply have buttons for light, medium, heavy, and Ki (projectile) attacks (instead of things being split up between punches and kicks on top of that), and you don't really perform any motions more complicated than your usual quarter-circles for command/special moves. I had an easier time remembering normals as a result (and it helped that there aren't as many to remember in the first place), but it's the game's many other mechanics that makes things tricky. The game is also pretty lenient and gives you auto-combos for specific button sequences, though there's room to mix and match normals as you please. Movement is quite fast and multidirectional between dashes (both on the ground and midair), jumps and high jumps, and a variety of ways to recover/tech out of damage, but this game takes things the extra mile by having a Super Dash. This lets your character zoom into the opponent (ignoring basic projectiles) and, if they don't block it, you can follow up with an air combo. It's probably a terrible idea to spam it against human opponents, but against the CPU, it's hilarious to always be up their ass and rushing them down every other knockdown. You have a super meter that you can spend for super moves and enhanced normals, and like old Dragon Ball fighting games, you can manually charge the meter (you know, if by some miracle you find an opening). As with your special moves, you can cancel moves into supers, and that's always satisfying. Instead of standard grabs, you have what's called a Dragon Rush, which performs the same function of breaking an opponent's block, but is the same flurry of strikes for everybody. Plus, you can spend one bar of meter to perform a Vanish, which lets your character instantly teleport behind the opponent to deliver an ass-whooping. Both these mechanics are fun since they really fit the over-the-top action of the anime, and in the case of the latter, you can set up for some tricky conversions with the right timing. As expected from a tag fighter, you're able to tag your other characters in to extend your combos, and like in Marvel vs. Capcom, you can also choose to call in Assist moves to cover your unsafe options or keep a combo going without tagging out. You can even tag a character in while your current character is in the middle of using their super, and the one tagging in uses their super to go in. Between your character's specific moves, universal options, and all this, there is a lot of things you can do to kick ass, and it's extremely satisfying to chain all these together to wreck the opponent. Other mechanics include the Sparking Blast (a comeback mechanic that heals HP, among other things), the Dragon Balls themselves (which I never quite figured out, but the idea is to collect them all by fulfilling special conditions for a bonus), and more nuanced tech like reflects and push-blocking. This game has all your expected modes, from Arcade (which is just aim for a high rank with your chosen team), Story (go through a series of fights with a limited roster), Local and Online Multiplayer (of course), Practice Mode (which includes tutorials and combo challenges), and miscellaneous stuff like a shop for lobby avatars and a place to view match replays. It's standard stuff, but I will note that unless you go for the optional fights in Story Mode (which unlocks bonus story cutscenes), there's not much else going on for single player action. As one may expect, you can check out a variety of DLC characters if you're willing to break out the wallet. I think the base roster is a solid selection, but it does have heavy DBZ bias (and only really includes prominent characters plus a few extras). If you want to play Super Saiyan 4 Goku or you're big on Dragon Ball Super, you may not be satisfied unless you pay extra. VERDICT: Although I only really messed around with single player modes, I still had a blast with Dragon Ball FighterZ. The frenetic 3v3 combat took a bit of time to figure out, but I was eventually able to cobble together cool-looking combos that look amazing thanks to the art style. That said, I'm content with my time here, as I don't see myself grinding out multiplayer for this one. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want to run into anyone who's spent the past five years mastering this game. I've seen way too many touch-of-death combos on YouTube, and I'd prefer to not be on the receiving end of one. Whether you're a fan of Dragon Ball or you fancy a fast-paced tag fighter, I don't think you can go wrong with picking this up. As with most fighting games, I'd recommend this more if you lean towards more competitive online multiplayer, as I don't think there's much single player content to keep you occupied for longer than maybe a dozen or so hours. The game's available on Steam, if that's your preferred platform. DRAGON BALL FighterZ on Steam (steampowered.com) - end - While most of my manga library right now consists of titles I haven't heard of in my life, there are a few exceptions. BACKGROUND:
The main reason I know of this is because of the live-action movie that made some waves a few waves back. I haven't read the manga or seen the movie, so the most I know going into this is the synopsis. Nevertheless, I know this is a well-recognized title, so I'm excited to see what it's about. SUMMARY: Battle Angel Alita is set in a post-apocalypse, with the main locale being a big city known as the Scrapyard. The name is no coincidence, as a lot of the scraps from the floating city of Zalem rain down and litter the Scrapyard. We don't know a great deal about Zalem since it isn't talked about in this volume, but there's certainly an implication of a massive class divide between it and the Scrapyard. Between the whole situation of Zalem's garbage covering the Scrapyard being normal, the seeming lack of contact between cities, and the Scrapyard's citizens not having the most glamorous or safe lives, it's clear even without seeing what goes on in Zalem that one city has a more privileged situation than the other. Many of the Scrapyard's citizens are cyborgs, likely out of necessity due to all the violence brought about by criminals in the city. There's not a lot of career options, either, given the prominence of hunter-warriors (who are tasked to take down criminals) and fighters in underground clubs. Others get by through scavenging, which is where our story begins. We start off with an introduction to Daisuke Ido, who keeps his profession of cybermedicine afloat by looking for parts to help his cyborg patients. On one of his excursions, he is astonished to find the intact head and chest of a female cyborg. He takes the time to restore this cyborg and give her a new body, and christens her Alita. Alita has no recollection of her previous existence, but she's content with her present situation and is thankful for Ido's efforts to rebuild her. Intrigue immediately builds when Alita follows Ido outside one day, and it's revealed that Ido himself is a hunter-warrior who has been using his earnings to finance rebuilding Alita. After an interesting misunderstanding between the two, a violent criminal makes itself known, and it's in this moment that it's revealed that somewhere within Alita is a fighting instinct that allows her to defeat the killer in elegant fashion. Touched by Ido's efforts (and perhaps driven by a subconscious desire to fight), Alita resolves to be a hunter-warrior herself, much to Ido's chagrin. Alita's first target was probably her worst possible choice, as she's nearly destroyed facing off against Makaku, a freakish murderer with a brain fixation and the ability to assimilate other cybernetic parts. If it weren't for Ido (who himself was severely injured in the encounter), Alita wouldn't have made it, and upon accepting that Alita's desires differ from his wants for her, he resolves to build a body that can handle all the fighting Alita will have to endure. He goes to his underground vault and gives Alita a Berserker Body, a cybernetic body implied to have enhanced soldiers in an ancient war. Alita gets a chance to run it back against Makaku (who himself has gotten an upgrade given his last body was severely damaged in the first fight) after he attacks a bar full of hunter-warriors and takes a baby hostage, and she handles her new body with the greatest of ease as Makaku finds difficulty keeping up even with powerful weapons. The aftermath isn't shown in this volume, but the intense battle does see an ending. Naturally, I was intrigued by the mystery surrounding Alita's origin. Who wouldn't have questions about a miraculously intact cyborg with an innate proficiency for martial arts, after all? Volume 1 is quite coy on the details, and I want to keep reading just to find some answers. On top of that, I have no idea what the city of Zalem's all about, and the Berserker Body implies that the present day of this universe wasn't always like this. There's a lot of things I want to know, and these early chapters set up enough mysteries that I'm itching to learn more about. Despite not having memories, Alita shows a strong personality early on when she acts out of guilt and concern after recognizing Ido's efforts for her. Shortly after her instincts were reawakened, she then finds a strong desire to fight, and there's an implication that said desire may be too strong for her own good (though those tendencies don't really surface this early on). She also has a strong sense of independence and wants to do something for herself, which is why she pursues being a hunter-warrior despite Ido's protests. Ido is an interesting character, as he initially has his own strange ideas of what he wants Alita to be when he first rebuilds her. When Alita insists to become a hunter-warrior, Ido eventually comes to accept her wishes and helps her in his own way, but knowing his own nature as a hunter-warrior, he couldn't help but question if it's the right path for her. We also don't know a great deal about Ido's backstory, and it's possible later chapters explore that. Other characters are also introduced, though they only get brief moments where I find them notable. The main standout to me outside of Alita and Ido is Makaku, who's one vicious son of a bitch. That's really all he is for the most part, but in his second battle with Alita, he hints at a tragic past of his own. I want to hear about that as well, especially with how it relates to the location the battle takes place (which is apparently tied to his origin). I thought the art was fantastic. The level of detail was impressive, and what stood out to me stylistically is how a lot of that detail is achieved with rather prominent textures (most notably an abundance of cross-hatching, among other techniques). The action looked dynamic as well, capturing Alita's incredible fighting style wonderfully, plus a lot of the character designs are memorable between their exaggerated features (a lot of these characters are cyborgs, after all) and specific design elements (like Alita's signature hairstyle or Ido's noir-esque hunter-warrior outfit). I will add a warning for the squeamish, however, as there's a fair amount of gore in some of the fights, and that's captured in great detail as well. VERDICT: Between the amazing art, the mysterious world, and characters with potentially fascinating backstories, there are a lot of reasons for me to keep reading Battle Angel Alita. For me, the action and the art alone are both worth the price of admission, but my curiosity about all the details that are still a mystery has me equally interested in checking out the next chapters. I haven't watched the movie, so I don't know how much of the manga that adapts. As such, I don't think myself qualified to make a recommendation based on that. What I can say is that I think Battle Angel Alita's cyberpunk world is interesting off the bat, and I can't stress enough how I love the art. Take away from that what you will. - end - It's very rare that I splurge on a big game for my Steam account, but this is a special case. BACKGROUND:
I saw the announcement for this game pretty much live some time two years ago, and I was unbelievably hyped. The character roster immediately caught my eye because it wasn't just heroes people have seen from the MCU, the story pulled from the supernatural side of Marvel, and the gameplay was going to be that of a card-based tactical RPG. The fact that Nico Minoru and Magik were playable was enough to sell me on the game (they're two of my favorites), but I was excited to see a crossover where the heroes fought demons and hell-spawn (as opposed to the cosmic threats the movies have conditioned people to expect). It also helped that the initial trailer went hard with a cover of Enter Sandman and cool shots of the heroes kicking ass. My plan was to get this game for the Switch, but the devs ended up cancelling that version of the game shortly after it came out for every other platform. That wasn't going to stop me, so I waited for the Steam Summer Sale and bought the Legendary Edition (which includes all the DLC, which I'll talk about) for a solid deal. PLOT: Lilith, the Mother of Demons, is reawakened after 300 years of slumber by HYDRA (who are looking to use her strength for world domination), which prompts Earth's Mightiest Heroes to take action. The Avengers aren't quite equipped to deal with this kind of threat, so they consult the Caretaker, an immortal being who leads the Midnight Suns, a group of heroes assembled specifically to take on the dangers brought about by Lilith's resurrection. No one really knows what they're getting into except for the Midnight Suns, who know of only one guaranteed way to defeat Lilith. Their first order of business ends up being resurrecting the Hunter, who was the only one able to put Lilith down the first time she surfaced. The Hunter is more or less your player insert, but there's a huge wrinkle off the bat: they are the child of Lilith. For the most part, the story isn't unlike the various comic crossover events I've read over the years. A massive world-ending threat shows up, heroes from different corners of the Marvel Universe come together, action ensues. What elevates the standard formula for me is how well they used the characters and the Marvel lore they pull from, and I'll happily go into detail on all that. The first thing that caught my eye was the roster, naturally. We have familiar characters from the Avengers (Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, among others), a dash of X-Men with the likes of Wolverine (which was a relief, because up until this point, the mutants were notably absent from a lot of big Marvel game releases), and a number of inspired picks outside of that. Characters that fit the supernatural theme of the game were present (Blade, Ghost Rider, Scarlet Witch), and they weren't afraid to pull a bit deeper by including Nico Minoru (who is pretty much unknown unless you've seen the Runaways TV series) and Magik (who's only showed up in a mostly panned movie that no one even knew came out already). Overall, I absolutely loved the roster. They picked a bunch of heroes that fit the spooky vibe of the original Midnight Sons (the hero group after which this game is named, and no, that's not a typo), plus a bunch of more famous characters whose presence worked to elevate the threat of Lilith. Apart from Doctor Strange, a lot of the heroes outside Caretaker's crew have no experience with the occult, and seeing the usually battle-ready Avengers out of their element made Lilith feel more imposing. The Hunter is thankfully not a silent protagonist, and they actually have a personality (albeit not the most striking one) and a whole backstory. Most of that backstory is stuff you have to go out of your way for, and you don't get any proper flashbacks to the original battle against Lilith, but they show more than enough to set the stage of Lilith's rise to power and build up the world of 1600s Salem (where a lot of the past events referenced take place). I kind of wish they went for the ol' "show, don't tell" approach, but I ended up not minding because the journey of exploring to get all the details was fun for me. Admittedly, most of the Hunter's interactions with the heroes come off as that sort of fantasy where everyone just adores you by the end, but there are a lot of amusing and sometimes heartfelt moments that come from these interactions. You do get to pick dialogue options where you have a bit of a say as to how the Hunter responds to certain situations, but they don't really impact the story in any significant way. They're mostly just there to personalize your interactions, but some of the choices can lead to some interesting dialogue. As for the other heroes, the game doesn't really spend time establishing their backstories, but they tell you enough that you have an idea of what their deal is if you're unfamiliar with them. Each character's actual involvement in the main plot may vary, but they all have something interesting going on if you take the time to talk to everybody. Whether that's seeing Tony Stark absolutely shaken by anything mystical, Magik's standoffish personality, Robbie Reyes talking about his upbringing, or good ol' Spider-Man making jokes, I'd say every member of the roster feels like a full-fledged character with layers that you'll uncover as the Hunter gets to know them. The heroes also interact with each other a lot, and there's plenty of interesting stuff there, too. You have the initial rift between the Avengers and the Midnight Suns bickering over how to handle the crises, Scarlet Witch's interesting situation where she's Doctor Strange's apprentice (plus the circumstances that led to that happening), and more. Some of these interactions don't even take place in cutscenes, as the game has a mock social media app that you can view in a menu, where you can see the heroes talk about all sorts of topics (a lot of which are weird in an amusing way). As far as villains go, Lilith seems like a generic big bad at first. It seems like she's just out for some form of world domination by using HYDRA as her goons, but her methods add some intrigue as she turns a few heroes and villains into her "fallen" servants, making some encounters personal for some heroes. What impressed me by the end is how they ended up adding quite a bit of nuance to her character as her true goals (along with why she became the Mother of Demons) are eventually revealed, and it made an otherwise basic "I might be related to you, but you're evil and I need to stop you" dynamic between her and the Hunter actually compelling in a way. It's not a comic book adaptation if there aren't references for me to enjoy, and there are a lot of fun ones here. From the nitty-gritty of Lilith's machinations (which involve Chthon and the Darkhold, both staples of supernatural Marvel), NPC appearances from the likes of Johnny Blaze and Agatha Harkness, boss encounters with villains like Sabretooth and Crossbones (plus one awesome surprise appearance that I was very happy to see), callbacks to specific comic events, and even a few cheeky name-drops/Easter eggs in nearly every corner, there was no shortage of things to make my brain go "hell yeah, I know what that's about!" I suppose I'm easy to please in that regard. I was pleasantly surprised by the DLC side stories, which I had assumed were standalone B-plots starring the DLC characters and nothing more. Since I bought the Legendary Edition (which has all the DLC), I got to see that those stories are actually interconnected and converge in a special story mission where you stop the schemes of another big supernatural Marvel villain. The plot here isn't any more revolutionary than the main Lilith plot, but I was still quite entertained with how everything came together. Plus, the DLC characters themselves (Deadpool, Venom, Morbius, and Storm) had something going for them either in their storylines or their interactions with the others, making them worthwhile additions. The ending itself is expected (albeit still well done), but what shocked me was the post-credits scene that sets up an amazing idea for a sequel. I immediately wanted a second game when I saw that. PRESENTATION: We got another case of AAA graphics here, with everything taking on a rather realistic style that looks quite polished and impressive. Even on low settings (which was as much as my poor little laptop can handle), every aspect of the game (from the detailed environments and the fluid character animations) looked fairly pretty, so I have no complaints. There were plenty of cinematic cutscenes showcasing some cool action, and it's quite the treat seeing a consistent quality between those cutscenes and the actual gameplay. I just wish the game had more varied locales, because cycling from New York, HYDRA facility, some desert, and creepy forest near a castle got old eventually. I thought the character designs in this game were on point, with everyone having a streamlined rendition of their classic costumes. You can even unlock palette swaps for everybody (some of which are comic references, of course), but I was so pleased by the designs that I kept pretty much everyone on default colors. What I felt was a missed opportunity were the alternate costumes, as nearly all of them are paid DLC (they really should just be unlockable in-game), and each hero only gets two apiece. Every character on the roster has decades of designs to pull from, and while what they put in here isn't bad at all, it barely scratches the surface of the possibilities. For what it's worth, every hero gets a unique Midnight Sun outfit with a black-gold color scheme, and those are pretty awesome as far as completely new designs go. The Hunter themselves is fairly customizable, though you're not getting full control over minutiae like facial details and such. They also get way more outfits than everybody else, and the option to customize headgear, makeup, and even the skins of their two swords. Notable costumes for me include the symbiote-inspired Faithbreaker, the nightmare fuel that is the Demonchylde, and their unique Midnight Sun outfit (which just looks sleek in my eyes). As for the generic enemies, the more demonic ones look a bit freaky (nothing nightmarish, but freaky enough that they're memorable), and the HYDRA soldiers look like generic soldier goons. Each enemy type at least looks visually distinct from one another, and that's enough for me. The music's pretty solid, reminding me of epic action movie scores in terms of overall vibe. I can't say any of the tracks really stick in my memory, with the only exception being the character select music (which complements a badass shot of the heroes you selected for a mission walking towards the camera). Where the game truly shines audio-wise is the voice acting, as I think pretty much every character had a solid performance behind them. A lot of the characters sound how I "expect" them to (this is based on past adaptations like cartoons and such), and I adored the continuity in some of the casting choices. For example, Nolan North plays Deadpool as he's done for a bunch of other projects, and Yuri Lowenthal does Spider-Man again. The casting choice I was most excited to learn about was Lyrica freaking Okano, who is the actual live-action actress for Nico in the Runaways Hulu series (so she's technically reprising the role). I'm especially happy with this because I'm of the opinion that the Runaways show was perfectly cast. GAMEPLAY: Midnight Suns is a tactical RPG where you control a maximum of three heroes to take down Lilith's forces. Most of your actions are performed by playing cards (the selection of which is determined by the heroes you bring), and barring various exceptions, you can only play three per turn. You can also reposition one of your heroes once and redraw cards twice per turn. These actions don't seem like a lot, but if you're judicious with what actions you take (and in what order you take them), you can do a lot in one turn. It's a fun challenge to figure out the most efficient use of your limited resources, and it ends up being quite satisfying when a turn ends with a lot of enemies taken down. Each playable hero (including the Hunter) has a unique set of cards that determine their play style. For example, Captain Marvel has a mechanic where she goes Binary after playing three of her cards, and most of her cards are about building Block (which absorbs damage) and drawing enemy aggro. Magik's cards play into her mutant powers of creating portals, which allow her to reposition enemies with a great degree of control. We'd be here all day if I described everyone's gimmicks and all the card effects, so in summary, I'll just say that everyone feels really unique in terms of play style, there are enough cards and hero combinations that you can experiment with a wide variety of builds, and a lot of the card actions align with the established skill sets of each character. The Hunter is a bit more customizable, since you can equip different passive abilities (unlike the heroes, whose passives are fixed) and have a wider pool of cards to build a deck with. Some of the passives that become available to you are influenced by your Hunter's alignment, which can either lean towards Dark or Light. Your alignment changes depending on certain dialogue options (don't worry, they're a bit more nuanced than "mean option" vs. "nice option") and by playing Dark/Light cards in combat. There's no consequence to going all in since you can swing in the other direction by earning the opposite alignment points, but the grind to do so is painful (and is really the only thing that feels like a grind in my experience). In general, there are three card types: Attack (self-explanatory), Skill (some sort of non-damaging ability that either buffs heroes or debuffs villains), and Heroic. The Heroic cards are tied to a Heroism meter, which is built up by playing cards of the other two types. Heroic cards can either be damaging or non-damaging, and depending on their potency, their Heroism cost will vary (making the act of gaining the necessary Heroism a challenge depending on what you have). The game keeps things balanced by only allowing you a maximum number of each type in each character's deck, and for that matter, each character deck only goes up to eight cards. Having a pool of 24 cards taken from three heroes doesn't seem like much, but it's more than enough given you can usually only play three cards per turn. In the event that your cards are somehow not still enough, you can acquire bonus cards by killing certain enemies, craft and equip helpful Combat Items that you can use for free, and even use objects in the environment (e.g. explosive barrels, throwable objects) to deal damage at the cost of Heroism. There's a bit more that you can do than meets the eye when you take these extra mechanics into account, and if you use them well, they do a lot to make up for the fact that you can only play three cards a turn. The game is structured such that you alternate between story missions (where the heroes you use are mostly fixed) and random general missions that allow a bit of leeway in terms of the party you can bring. I liked this pace since you get ample opportunities to use every hero at least a couple of times, while also letting you experiment with your own lineups in between. The objectives vary quite a bit as well beyond the usual "kill everything", from securing/defending strategic points, surviving for a set number of turns, and more. Enemy variety isn't really a big factor, as only a handful of specialized enemies stand out gameplay-wise (enemy units with shields, support units that can debuff or heal allies, and even weird ones that refund card plays when you kill them). A lot of the time, maps will be padded out with a handful of minions, which all die in one hit. That said, all that variety put together is enough to make missions engaging, as you have to think about which enemies to prioritize depending on the objective. Some missions feature bosses, many of whom are respectable challenges thanks to their ability to act multiple times in a turn as well as their tough gimmicks. You get the likes of Crossbones who uses shields and grenades, Venom (who can trap you in symbiote webbing), and a few showdowns with good guys gone bad. I personally wish they added more named villains for me to fight (which is mitigated somewhat by the DLC missions), but that's just the comic geek in me. In between missions, you spend your time in the Abbey, a pocket dimension where the Midnight Suns reside. Here, you can manage all your combat-related needs (pulling cards from mission rewards, crafting duplicates, and upgrading cards by using said duplicates), socialize and increase your friendship level with all the heroes, and even do a bit of exploring to uncover the Abbey's secrets. There's a lot here, so I'll break it down per aspect. You get an assortment of rewards for completing missions outside of opportunities to acquire new cards, which to me feels like it goes overboard given you have to keep track of what seems like a hundred different currencies all at once. It's not that big of a deal in practice, for as long as you keep playing, you'll get a lot of this stuff naturally, and there are alternate ways to get most things. Different resources are used for each activity, like credits for Abbey upgrades (features that let you do more things or access more stuff), Gloss for cosmetics, and essences for your card-crafting needs. Though you earn friendship XP by completing missions alongside the Hunter, the best way to increase it is to socialize with them in the Abbey. This includes simply talking to them and picking dialogue options you think they'd appreciate, completing small requests, participating in Hangouts (where you try to pick their favorite activities), sparring in the training yard (which also grants stat bonuses to the participating hero), and giving them gifts. Leveling up friendship unlocks helpful bonuses like passive skills for each hero, making it somewhat more important than actually leveling up the character (which doesn't really matter since enemy stats scale alongside the hero levels). The coolest reward for maxing out friendship for each hero is that you unlock a special Midnight Sun challenge where you're presented with a puzzle scenario. In order to clear it, you have to take full advantage of the hero's cards to strategically clear the field of enemies. Each challenge handsomely rewards you for understanding how the hero plays by granting you their Legendary ability card and their Midnight Sun costume. Every hero has a Midnight Sun challenge, and I absolutely enjoyed all the puzzles for each one of them. Interesting story events also happen in the Abbey, like the various club meetings between groups of heroes (the most amusing of which is Blade starting a book club), as well as a whole side story revolving around the secrets that the Hunter uncovers by exploring. I was not expecting there to be exploration in this game, but the Abbey's got plenty of nooks and crannies with all sorts of secrets that reward you with lore and cosmetics. There's even a surprising Metroidvania aspect where you take on special challenges to unlock spells that open inaccessible areas of the Abbey, and you can even forage the local flora to use in crafting. Miscellaneous Abbey facilities a training room where you can earn XP and try out new builds, various crafting stations for making Combat Items, alternative ways to acquire cards, and even a gift shop for buying gifts for the heroes. Their respective usefulness may vary depending on how you play, as I did a fair bit of grinding near the end just for the hell of it and there came a point that I didn't need most of the facilities at all. The only gripe I have here is how some of the really good upgrades (like the mission rerolls, the advanced training room, and the stat modification area) are locked behind DLC, because they're pretty handy when you unlock them (which can be pretty early into the story). If the combat sounds daunting, you can opt to pick the Story difficulty, which dials things back in terms of enemy damage and health pools. Otherwise, you can only pick Normal at the start, and it's only when you've played enough missions in that difficulty that higher levels will be unlocked. In order to get to the next highest difficulty, you'll have to spend time in the previous one, escalating things in a controlled pace so you don't piss yourself off by going all in immediately. In any case, you can switch the difficulty out whenever you want in the options menu. VERDICT: The fact that I went out of my way to 100% all the achievements of Midnight Suns speaks to how much I enjoyed it from top to bottom. I enjoyed the supernatural story and how it's different from the typical Avengers-level threats, I loved the roster and all the interactions between them, the tactical gameplay was super engaging with lots of room to experiment, and the DLC missions were worthwhile. I was pleased both as a Marvel fan and someone who enjoys strategy games (especially card-based ones), and I would really love a sequel. This game isn't like a lot of the usual superhero game offerings both in terms of its story (daring to go outside familiar MCU fare to entice casual audiences) and its gameplay (leaning more towards strategy over action), so if you're a Marvel fan looking for a different flavor of game, I cannot recommend this enough. The combat is easy to understand but hard to master, you get to spend time with characters both iconic and lesser known, and barring 100% runs, it won't take that long to complete. As for the DLC and the skins, I'd actually recommend holding off unless there's a sale. As much as I liked what I got, I can't say their pricing is fair versus the actual content you end up receiving. Spring for a discounted Legendary Edition if you can. Please buy this game so they make a sequel: Marvel's Midnight Suns on Steam (steampowered.com) POSTSCRIPT: This section is just for my own self-indulgence: here's a list of characters I'd love to see in a sequel. Feel free to look 'em up if you don't know them. Heroes: Moon Knight, Elsa Bloodstone, Daimon Hellstrom, Werewolf by Night, Brother Voodoo, Man-Thing, The Living Mummy, Black Knight, Thor, Clea Villains: Blackheart, Baron Zemo, Dormammu, the Marvel Zombies, Nightmare, Juggernaut, Madelyne Pryor, Morgane le Fay, Loki, The Hood - end - One of my friends gave me a list of recommendations selected from my manga library, so I'm using that in the meantime to pick out what to read. BACKGROUND:
This one caught my eye because it's written and drawn by the man behind Fairy Tail, and I noticed that Happy (Natsu's talking cat friend) is also present in this universe somehow. I found myself wondering if there was some sort of overlap between the two universes, or if it's just a fun artistic choice (based on what I've read, it seems to be the latter). SUMMARY: EDENS ZERO starts out somewhat similarly to Fairy Tail, as it follows the female lead (in this case, it's Rebecca Bluegarden, accompanied by this universe's Happy) as she meets the male lead. Rebecca is a B-Cuber (the sci-fi equivalent of a content creator) looking to film videos, and her journey takes her to the seemingly abandoned planet of Granbell (the entirety of which is a theme park run by machines). The pair have a fun if bizarre time being catered to by the mechanized caretakers of the planet until they run into Shiki, the lone human tasked with repairing all the machines. We get a very brief snippet of Shiki's past, which reveals that the robots have been taking care of him since he was a child, and there are only hints of how he ended up on Granbell in the first place. In any case, Shiki demonstrates off the bat that he has something called the Ether Gear, a power that allows him to manipulate gravity. He uses this to deal with a malfunctioning robot, after which he and Rebecca get acquainted. Shit hits the fan shortly after, as the robots (weary of being abandoned for about a century) revolt and attempt to use Rebecca's ship to escape. The new friends fight their way out, and Rebecca agrees to take Shiki to the planet Bluegarden to become an adventurer. There's a bit of a twist as to why exactly Granbell's robots become hostile, and I don't think it's an exaggeration when I say it's one of my favorite twists I've encountered in recent memory. Our newly formed trio make their way to Bluegarden, where Shiki is given a bit of exposition as to what's going on. He gets an adventurer's license not long after arriving, and during this, he figures out what his goal is: he intends to find Mother, a godlike being somewhere in the cosmos. Rebecca and Happy are more than glad to tag along (if only to make their content), and they suggest reaching out to an old professor friend of theirs to request a space-worthy vessel. The book then ends of a bit of a cliffhanger as the professor doesn't seem to recognize Rebecca or Happy. All the main characters have a bit of a sad backstory, though Shiki at least had the fortune of being surrounded by robots who cared for him in his youth. In the later chapters, it's revealed that both Rebecca and Happy were orphans, and for a very long time, they only had each other. There's a fair bit of tragedy there, but they clearly came out of their ordeal friends for life. Outside of all that, the main characters are pretty funny. Shiki's eagerness to make friends (and his overall ignorance to human customs) is amusing, while Rebecca's stereotypical content creator behavior is hilarious. There's not much going on beyond the events I described, but the main adventure is set up quite nicely. Mother herself is quite the mystery, but it seems a crew of space pirates have also caught wind of Shiki's escape from Granbell (meaning Shiki's a bigger deal than most realize). Lastly, there's a bombshell of a time skip at the end that hints at where the adventure is going, but I'm not really sure what it means yet. I've already seen Hiro Mashima's art style in Fairy Tail (which I enjoyed), so I won't repeat what I said in that blog entry. I will note that Shiki's gravity powers look awesome in this style. VERDICT: EDENS ZERO is an interesting sci-fi contrast to Fairy Tail's fantasy adventure. While it felt like Fairy Tail was set up to be more of an episodic affair (which has its own appeal), I am quite intrigued by the mystery surrounding the main goal, as well as the brewing subplots. Whereas I wanted to read more of Fairy Tail to see more of the "guild solving magical problems" formula, my desire to read later volumes is rooted in seeing Shiki and Rebecca's journey resolve. Either way, I have two series I can see myself continuing for different reasons. - end - |
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