Street Fighter V Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Sorry this review took so long but given the shaky release and variable issues at launch I wanted to wait and give it a fair chance. With that being said lets jump right into the usual format. As expected I bought this game for PC since I have not yet joined the current next gen gaming family on PS4. I'm a long time fan of the franchise so I have been eagerly awaiting its arrival and the arrival of my main character in the series as she has been out of the game for a while. Its time to rise up....

Street Fighter V is a fighting video game published by Capcom, who co-developed the game with Dimps. It is the fifth main numbered entry in the Street Fighter series. The game was released in February 2016 for the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows, the game features cross-platform play between the Windows and PlayStation 4 versions. Similar to the previous games in the series, Street Fighter V features a 2D-esque fighting gameplay system. The game also introduces the "V-Gauge", which builds as the player receives attacks and adds three new skills. The game features 16 characters at launch, with 4 of them being new to the series. A story mode and additional characters were added through updates and downloadable content. According to Capcom, the game was a PlayStation 4 console exclusive as both Sony and Capcom had "the same vision for the growth potential in the fighting game space". The game was powered by Unreal Engine 4, and had a beta test prior to its launch. Upon release, the game received generally positive reviews, with critics praising the game's graphics and gameplay, but was criticized for its lack of story-mode content and characters.

What’s Good:

Graphics: Some have gone on record saying the look is cartoony but I feel like Capcom did a good job using this particular art style to represent the brightly colorful and fast paced action of the franchise. I'm saddened that certain graphical aesthetics were tweaked all in the sake of being a PG rated game but aside from that the HUD, characters and stages are all wonderfully done.

Story-line: I must say the worth is well worth it given the content, character development and overall setup of the story provided. Well executed and gives both old and newcomers to the series a well rounded experience and introduction to new and returning cast members alike. Overall the story mode clocks in at about 3 hours, and even though Capcom released it months after I can see where the extra time and effort was placed into ensuring it was an enjoyable experience.

Soundtrack: Pretty solid soundtrack and voice acting overall. Without a doubt some of the best remixes for character theme songs. My top three theme song favorites are for Rashid, R. Mika, and Ken.

Game Mechanics: Stepping away somewhat from its previous iteration Capcom has introduced the "V-Gauge", which builds as the player receives attacks and adds three new techniques: V-Skills, V-Reversals, and V-Triggers. V-Skills are special attacks unique to each fighter; for example, Ryu can parry an attack while M. Bison can reflect projectiles, some of which build V-Gauge when successfully performed. V-Reversals allow players to use a section of the V-Gauge to perform a counter move whilst being attacked. Finally, V-Triggers use the entire V-Gauge to allow the player to perform a unique ability, such as a temporary damage boost for Ryu's hadoukens. Also a visible stun bar meter has been added to the HUD.

What’s Bad:

Game Mechanics: With a rough launch three major issues plagued many player for months on end, Netcode stability, lack of a penalty system for rage quitters, and poor ranked match making. Since the story mode DLC has launched however 2 of these issues have been rectified for the most part as matches flow much smoother and I no longer get matched up against people 2-5 levels above me consistently while playing ranked. Capcom even implemented a point deduction system for consistent Rage Quitting over extended time periods.

Replay: Not much to do besides fight your friends persay and an added difficulty for the new story DLC but the main reason replay value is lacking is the manner in which Capcom decided to implement character color unlocks. Literally no one is happy about the survival mode color unlocks; it is the bane of most current owners existence. I can say without a doubt on Hard and Extreme difficulty the computer is a dirty cheater on the higher up levels.

What Should Have Been Added:

Definitely more characters at launch because Street fighter has always been known for its robust roster and in this day and age especially people want a wide variety of characters to choose form and explore when diving into a new fighting game.

Final Thoughts:
Pound for pound this game even with its rough launch and poor PC port is too much fun to pass up. If you are a fan of Fighting Games or the series itself you without a doubt should add this game to your collection. It is relatively safe now to buy the game as most the launch issues have been improved on or fixed by this release of the story DLC alongside new characters Balrog and Ibuki. Enjoy the story mode gameplay with commentary below...

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Mortal Kombat X Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Sorry this review took so long but given the shaky release and variable issues at launch I wanted to wait and give it a fair chance. With that being said lets jump right into the usual format. As expected I bought this game for PC since I have not yet joined the current next gen gaming family on PS4/XBONE.

Mortal Kombat X is a fighting game developed by NetherRealm Studios. It is the tenth main installment in the Mortal Kombat video game series and was released on April 14, 2015 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows, scheduled to be ported to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 by High Voltage Software At a later date. The premise of the game is that two players fight against each other using a variety of attacks, special moves, and gruesome Fatalities. The energy meter, first introduced in the previous Mortal Kombat game, allows players to perform techniques such as "X-Ray" special moves along with Enhanced Moves and Breakers.The game's play modes include Story, 1 vs. 1 Ranked, King of the Hill, Survivor, and Test Your Luck. A new addition called Living Towers is an evolved form of Mortal Kombat's Challenge Tower where the play conditions will be changing every hour. Another new mode is Faction Wars, where the players will have to choose one from the five factions (Black Dragon, the Brotherhood of Shadow, the Lin Kuei, Special Forces, and White Lotus) to align with and join a persistent online cross-platform competition with the others, winning points for their faction to contribute in the conflict between them, ranking up personally, and earning special rewards such as faction-specific finishing moves if the player's faction win at the end of any given week.

What’s Good:

Graphics: Stunning visuals that brings a whole new level of realism to the franchise. Whether it be anatomically correct bodies or just the level designs or even the sustained damage over time on the character models NRS has out done themselves.They definitely did a better job on designing the female models than when they did Injustice.

Story-line: As with the previous installment Netherrealm Studios has delivered a fully enjoyable cinematic experience that is sure to have fans coming back for more. I feel liek the story mode is the main selling piece of this game and is meant to be enjoyed by one and all. From the plot development and environments to the quick time events scattered throughout the story mode everything meshes perfectly together to deliver a worthy single player campaign.

Replay: With so much content and ways in which players can enjoy the game there will be much replaying to be done. Just the mere fact that each character has a story ending of their own means you are guaranteed to atleast play through 20+ times in hopes of seeing them all. The krypt also makes a return appearance in the game where you go to unlock a wide variety of rewards that will have you making multiple trips to unlock them all.

Soundtrack: Pretty solid soundtrack and voice acting overall. Actually got to see some of how they made the sound effects and stuff for the game that was pretty cool. If you have an attention to detail and appreciation for the little things that go on behind the scenes I definitely recommend you check it out. (https://youtu.be/65cS7D2yzUw) 

What’s Bad:

Game Mechanics: Here is where things start to fall short, the netcode has been a struggle to say the least so one can only hope that it improves drastically over time as this was the main downfall of MK9. This not only affects the actual matches that occur between players but essentially anything that requires connecting to servers to login or retrieve user information either takes forever or just doesn't connect at all. Another issue I have noticed is the control setup which seems to create a conflict when players opt to use the alternative control scheme its causes weird button assignment issues between both players controls.

What Should Have Been Added:

Definitely Stage Fatalities would have been a welcome addition to the game along with the classic Babality. I guess I shouldn't complain though since they brought back the fan favorite Brutality from Mortal Kombat Trilogy. I also would have liked to see more characters considering that so many were in the story mode portion of the game but seemingly not included in the launch roster.

Final Thoughts:
Pound for pound this game even with its rough launch and poor PC port is too much fun to pass up. If you are a fan of Fighting Games or the series itself you without a doubt should add this game to your collection. It is relatively safe now to buy the game as most the launch issues have been improved on or fixed by this release of the first DLC character Jason Vorhees.

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Dragonball Xenoverse Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

You heard right folks; your wish has been granted here we are after quite the hiatus bringing you another video game video game review. Took a bit longer than normal for this one due to wanting to give the game a fair chance in a very crucial aspect of its experience which is linked to server connectivity. I'll be honest as say as well that I simply was just having too much of a blast playing so I put off doing this review for a while. With that being said come with me on a trip to the XenoVerse as we visit Toki Toki City and pave our path through the Dragonball universe.

Dragon Ball XenoVerse (officially abbreviated as Dragon Ball XV) is a video game based on the Dragon Ball media franchise.[3] It was released in February 2015 on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One consoles and on the PC for Microsoft Windows via Steam. The game is set in full 3D destructible environments. Fighters can traverse the levels free-roaming in very large spaces and can be fighting on a platform, go in the air, and fight underwater. They run when on the ground, and swim while underwater. XenoVerse has dialogue while fights go on, and fighters show facial expressions when they strike an opponent or take damage. The players have some freedom to explore the planet Earth as it exists in the Dragon Ball universe along with a handful of other locations. The game's new character is confirmed to be a player created character. With the character customization, players will now be able to customize their character's race, gender, head, build, voice, and clothing. Players can create characters from multiple races, with the ones available being Namekians, Saiyans, Earthlings, Frieza's, and Majins race.

What’s Good:

Graphics: XenoVerse is the first Dragon Ball game released on eighth generation consoles. Built around the same graphics engine that powers other note worthy fighting games such as Street Fighter IV. The game gives an accurate representation of the intense Dragonball action we have all grown to know and love. Characters are an exact representation of their animated personas and move with the same familiar fluidity you are accustomed to.

Story-line: Unlike the previous games of the series that usually follow the original Dragon Ball canon, "XenoVerse" features an entirely new story, featuring the player's custom character. This adds an exciting new dynamic to the game that keeps things new and interesting. Effectively adding "what if" scenarios to the DBZ universe plot line.

Replay: With so many classes to choose from, upcoming DLC, character build variations and multiple wishes from Shenron there is undoubtedly enough content to keep you playing and coming back for more. At its core it is a MMORPG so there is much farming and grinding to be done to get the perfect build for your character.

Soundtrack: Pretty solid soundtrack and voice acting overall. Love the start up theme song for the game, very pumped up and action packed. 

What’s Bad:

Game Mechanics: The online experience at times is not as smooth as one would like and you will find yourself experiencing lengthy loading times and lag when playing online with others based on Internet connectivity and speed.

What Should Have Been Added:

Without a doubt the one thing this game is missing is a dedicated training mode. Since at its core it is potentially comparable to a fighting game one would think a dedicated training mode to try out learning combos would have been included. Not to mention experimenting with various skill-sets as well as item assignment and assortment.

Final Thoughts:

This is without a doubt the quintessential Dragonball game to play. It encompasses all the good things we all know and love about the Dragonball Universe while giving the player the freedom and creativity to forge their own path and character through it all. It provides an all new immerse way of incorporating the player into the universe instead of letting them just experience it as an existing character from the series. Even though the game was plagued with server connectivity issues at the start i'm happy to say that now weeks later servers have stabilized just in time for the launch of their first bit of DLC. So far the experience has been acceptable and entertaining seeing the creative custom characters that people have come up with. As always feel free to check out some of our intro gameplay...

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Dying Light Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Worth Checking Out

Wow it feels like ages since I done a game review for you guys. Been through a lot of real life drama alongside running the blog and trying to stream more often so do forgive me. This without a doubt has been the main game of 2015 that I have bee waiting for release. I am very happy to say it did not disappoint but saddened as well that it suffers from a primary fault I had hoped it would have bypassed. Zombies is one idea that will never get old in games but it is good to see developers still trying to rejuvenate the concept and implement 'new' concepts to keep things interesting. Which is how we end up with this wonderful zombie apocalypse survival game completely in first person view with the added twist of parkour based elements. So lets visit the world of Harran and try to stay alive...

Dying Light is a 2015 survival horror video game developed by Polish video game developer Techland and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, Linux, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Dying Light is a zombie apocalypse-themed game set in an open world. Players traverse an expansive urban environment overrun by a vicious epidemic, scavenging the world for supplies and crafting weapons to defend against the growing infected population with a heavy focus on free-running mechanics. The game revolves around an undercover operative sent to infiltrate a quarantine zone in a city called Harran called Kyle Crane. The game is mostly melee-based with the majority of fighting using melee weapons. There are more than 100 weapons that can be used and more when players begin crafting new weapons. The game features a vertically scaling open-world metropolis with a dynamic day and night cycle that provides an interesting dynamic to the game for increased difficulty.

What’s Good:

Graphics: This game is no joke in the graphical requirements area. If you do not have a beefy rig don't think about playing this in its best graphic fidelity. The game really is demanding and it it expected with the immense and expansive world Techland has given the player to explore. The attention to detail shines through especially when you get up close and personal with zombies or the environment.

Game Mechanics: From the skill tree system to the overall vertical approach of the world most if not all game mechanics work will to immerse the player as well as give a viable and steady show of progression so the player feels growth and development as they play. Granted towards the latter parts of the game things might seem a bit easy but given the high difficulty curve of this game its well deserved by then.

Replayability: The game has co-op mode so that's a plus, added to that the variety of skills to choose from and progress with add some versatility and diverseness. Some more hardcore players have expressed dissatisfaction with the game difficulty. As such this has lead to modders/gamers coming up with fun little ways to enhance the overall survival experience. 

What’s Bad:

Story-line: A bit lackluster in its delivery and overall progress. A lot of back story missing and character relationship development missing. Its a bit sad that more fun is extracted from just free roaming and side quests seeing what the world has to offer.

What Should Have Been Added:

I only wish for one thing and that would be fast travel between safe houses. I get that it helps the overall feeling of the game and post zombie apocalypse but it gets real old real fast having to navigate the same areas all over again.

Final Thoughts:

I had a blast playing this game even with the difficult learning curve. I was very engrossed and entertained playing this game, I would only recommend this game to seasoned veteran gamers however due to the difficulty level. The story could have used some fleshing out to make the campaign beefier and potentially more substantial with the integration of the co-op mode. You can see my initial reactions to the game in my stream below...

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Middle Earth: Shadow Of Mordor Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Let me go on record saying I am not a fan of the Lord Of The Ring universe and have little knowledge of its extensive back story and lore. With that being said I went into reviewing this game with not much interest. What should have been a disadvantage turned into the games strong point, as it completely won me over and had me enjoying every second of playtime. This game boasts three main aspects of a game of its nature done well: the story, the combat system, and the gameplay mechanics. So lets travel to the mystical land of Middle Earth...

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is an action role-playing video game set in The Lord of the Rings universe, developed by Monolith Productions and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game takes a look at the family of Talion, a ranger of Gondor responsible for guarding the Black Gate of Mordor, as he is killed by Sauron's armies. Talion is somehow revived with "wraith-like abilities" and heads into Mordor to exact his revenge.  Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. In Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, the player plays as a ranger by the name of Talion who has wraith-like abilities. In this open world video game, players have the freedom to pursue side quests and roam around the world. The game takes place between the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. The story involves the Rings of Power, but the story is separate from The Lord of the Rings canon. 

What’s Good:

Graphics: I know I repeat myself a lot when it comes on to PC versions of multi-platform released titles but PC is truly the master gaming race. From the graphics to the customizability its just a better experience on PC. The PC version of this game comes with an option to install a HD texture pack to push the graphical capabilities of your system even further to increase the overall graphic representation of the game.

Story-line: The game finds a good balance between incorporating the more well known aspects of the Lord Of The Rings lore and starting a new non canon story that fits well into Middle Earths timeline.

Game Mechanics: Let us sing the praises of the new and innovative nemesis engine first and foremost. This innovative aspect of the game is the core of what makes Shadow Of Mordor truly shine as a game of the year candidate. For a full understanding of the Nemesis system check out this link for full details: http://www.ign.com/wikis/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor/The_Nemesis_System

Replay: The game has two main skill trees to help you shape your character as a specialist Ranger, wraith, or a hybrid of both. Furthermore you can choose to farm certain epic runes to come up with interesting builds for your character based on the weapons you get them for. Add to that the expansive and interactive open world

What Should Have Been Added:

I would like to have seen a mode where you are able to play as an Orc. I feel that would expand on the experience as a whole and offer a new dynamic for gamers to explore. I mean seriously with how awesomely ugly these guys look and all their varying strengths and weakness I think it would make for an added level of play.

Final Thoughts:

Solid game that even though borrows certain aspects from other well established titles also refines them while still bringing something new to the table with the Nemesis engine. Many games in the future will benefit hopefully from this system. This in turn will help improve on an already great game mechanic and refine it to further greatness. I encountered a bug that I hope is fixed later on where even after killing an Orc he could potentially come back to life if he wasn't decapitated and killed using certain key moves. In any case I have been mostly just streaming my gameplay having fun with the game so feel free to check out one of my stream archives below.

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Tinertia Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Give It A Shot 

Tadah! We are back with another video game review of sorts here on In The Mind Of My Mind. This week we got access to a game that is still in development and thus far only in the Alpha stage of testing. A follower of the blog brought this game to my attention and told me to give it a shot so I did just that. We do it for the fans. So lets take a look at what Tinertia has to offer...

At its core Tinertia is a precision based platformer with a unique twist, there is no jump button. One might ask oneself how do you play a platform game without jumping but its actually a pretty cool concept. In what I can only surmise as homage the the old school days of Quake and rocket jumping the team over at Candescent Games decided to take this approach. Coming the finesse and skill of rocket jumping with air dashing to create an addictive and frustratingly fun game that you can't help but play. The game is slated for release on the PS4 and PC and has already been greenlit on Steam. The game supports Xbox 360 controllers, Playstation Dualshock 3, Playstation Dualshock 4, as well as the usual keyboard and mouse, if you’re into that sort of thing. Personally I found it easier to play using a controller but whatever floats your boat. At launch the game will feature eight unique environments each with its own Robo-Boss to contend with comprising of approximately eighty challenging levels. Add to that varying gameplay modes such as Speed Run and #YoLo Challenge from which you can compete on the leader-board rankings for best time. There will also be a replay system in place to capture those epic speed runs and jumps that you will undoubtedly be pulling off. Oh and I should mention the unlockable skins to pimp out and customize your player with some personal flair.

This would usually be the section where I talk about what was good or bad based on your grading scheme for game reviews using the categories of Gameplay, Storyline, Replay Value, Soundtrack & Graphics but since its not a complete game and only in Alpha testing I will forgo that this time around.

What Should Have Been Added:

So in conjunction with what I said above there isn't much I can say since the game isn't done yet but ill say this from what I have seen. The game needs a proper tutorial mode before throwing you into the game itself so first time players can get acclimated to the controls and gameplay mechanics. Next up I feel given the fact that when you die you start from the very beginning that there should be a check point for players so that they don't get overly frustrated dying and starting from scratch. I could be an option in the menu for those that might prefer it over the hardcore gamers that want the challenge and leaderboard competition. Another issue I had was with the control scheme customizability, hoping they put a dedicated option in there to choose a controller type beforehand so that the tutorial instructions show up based on your controller choice instead of just always showing the controller layout even when the person uses a keyboard. Also it would be nice to customize your own controller layout instead of sticking with the default layout. Most importantly I hope they incorporate a well plotted story-line so you can connect with the main character and have more motivation to play the game than just getting the best time and least rockets used possible for the achievement medals.

Final Thoughts:

Honestly the game is ridiculously fun; and I can see it being a big success if it gets the needed exposure and support. It would be amazing if they could figure out a way to get this on mobile as well since these are exactly the type of  games that thrive on that medium. Your friendly neighborhood gamer Zalgo Cometh wishes the team over at Candescent Games all the best and are rooting for their continued success at launch. Go check out their website for Tinertia at http://tinertia.com/ as well as follow them on twitter at @CandescentGames. Be sure to subscribe to their Youtube Channel as  well to stay informed with updates and video progress as the game matures. Enjoy the usual video gameplay with commentary as I play through Tinertia...

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Sniper Elite III Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Welcome back to another one of our video game reviews here on In the Mind Of my Mind. Been mad busy in real life running tournaments and trying to get eSports established somewhat in Jamaica so that's why you haven't really gotten your usual stream of content. So in keeping with our new model  of doing game reviews once every two weeks lets get right into it...

Sniper Elite III is a tactical shooter video game developed by Rebellion Developments and published by 505 Games for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows. The game is a prequel to Rebellion's 2012 game Sniper Elite V2, and is the third installment in the Sniper Elite series. Sniper Elite III is set several years prior to the events of Sniper Elite V2, following the exploits of Office of Strategic Services officer Karl Fairburne as he participates in the North African conflict during World War II, in which he learns of a secret wonder weapon programme by the Nazi forces. You can seek to change the course of history with a single bullet in Sniper Elite III.

What’s Good:

Replay value: Decent replay value is present as there are bonus objectives that tend to get overlooked on the first play-through. As well as the co-op mode included which is sure to give a whole new perspective on the campaigns as you team up. Compound that with the fact that you have various weapons and tactics at your disposal to complete the missions as they arise.

Graphics: Graphics as is the norm on PC are ridiculous. I managed to max everything and still run it smoothly at 28-30 FPS and the game is truly a sight to behold. The dark night campaigns to the expansive desert daytime missions. Top that off with the detailed X-Ray camera view that happens whenever you get a special kill confirm and its easy to see this game is a visual masterpiece.

Story-line: Unless you are a fan of the series of war time stories you wont get as pulled in or invested in the story as it progress but there is a vast wealth of information strewn across this game that ties in with Sniper Elite V2. Lots of hidden information and back-story to be found in this game.

Game Mechanics: The game retains and improves on the mechanics of Sniper Elite V2. Stealth mechanics have been fine-tuned to damn near perfection even though the A.I. seems to have gotten dumber. An eye icon squints or opens to denote the player's level of detection by the enemy. X-Ray kill cam system is too much fun to see in action and adds further incentive to make epic kill-shots.

What’s Bad:

Graphics: Slight complaint here in regards to the character model and its animations in regards to entering a sniper nest and when activating the X-Ray kill cam. You can clearly glimpse one of two things; when entering the sniper next the character is supposed to enter a specific animation but instead remains standing, and when you see the bullet being shot out of the rifle in X-Ray view the model holds the gun in a weird manner that does not match the expected positioning or animation of the character model.

What Should Have Been Added:

I really wish for two things to be added and that's the ability to jump wherever the hell I please and have an onscreen listing for the campaigns bonus objectives. These are the two things that frustrated me greatly, a lot of kills I could have easily gotten if I had the ability to fully jump on and explore certain ledges or portions of the environments to get a better vantage points.

Final Thoughts:

Its been a while since I had this much fun playing a third person shooter to be honest so this was a pleasant surprise to review this game. Barring some lack of knowledge from the first two installments of this series I thoroughly enjoyed my playtime with this  game. I was also very pleased with how well my machine handled all this game had to throw at it to the point that even with graphics settings maxed I still loaded the load screens speedily and could not get to read the tips and tricks they typically have on the loading screens.

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Child Of Light Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Oh my freaking freak. Whats up gamers? Your friendly neighborhood gamer Zalgo Cometh here to bring you another video game review. Last week we checked out the free to play FPS game; Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms, this week we look at Child Of Light. Another game from Ubisoft which had garnered much attention recently at PAX East 2014. So lets go see what all that attention was about...

Child of Light is a platforming role-playing video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. The game puts players in the shoes of Aurora, a child stolen from her home, who, in her quest to return, must bring back the sun, the moon and the stars held captive by the mysterious Queen of the Night. Helped by her playable companion Igniculus the firefly and several unlikely allies, Aurora will face her darkest fears in this modern take on a coming-of-age story. Child Of Light was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Xbox One in April 2014.

What’s Good:

Replay value: This is a classic RPG with turn-based combat, 200+ skills to unlock, and 600+ crafting combinations for Oculi. There is no doubt that there is replay value abound in this game not to mention the various party members and attack strategies to utilize in battle.

Soundtrack: This is well executed and heartfelt as the overall tone and pace of the game is dictated or should I say indicated by the various sound track elements that help to submerge the player into the world of Lumeria.

Graphics: The game itself is powered by UbiArt Framework, an in-house engine by Ubisoft previously used for Rayman Origins and its sequel, Rayman Legends. So it has a cartoon but very artistic and detailed design, which is very vibrant and engaging providing the player with remarkable environments to transverse.

Story-line: The story at times can seem cliche but even so everyone enjoys a heartfelt adventure filled with danger and challenges to overcome. As Aurora travels and grows you discover more and more about the land and its inhabitants so your focus expands from just the central theme of rescuing Aurora and completing the primary objective of making it back home.

Game Mechanics: Well executed turn based system that has appeal to both the casual player and the more adept. By including attributes of a side-scroller with RPG elements such as leveling-up to increase stats over time, the game gives you varying aspects of the overall game-play to master. Combat and Non-Combat features of the game are smooth and easy to utilize which further promotes an enjoyable gaming experience.

What Should Have Been Added:

I would have liked to been able to fully use all the party members I gained instead of having to randomly switch out or not use some at all. I ended up playing this through mostly with just Norma and Aurora cause they had a good synergy for AOE attacks and Status effects. Possibly they could have either had bigger party limits to allow full use of a more diverse party strategy. Only other thing I can think of is maybe voice acting for the cut-scene parts of the game like the below picture.

Final Thoughts:

This game is very well done and the game industry definitely could use more games this well executed. Games that place a strong focus on the art of storytelling and creating a connection between player and character that lingers even after the game has been beaten. Being a gamer that thoroughly enjoys platformer games and RPGS (my two favorite game genres followed by fighting games) I am very thankful I got to experience this game. I'm happy it did not pass me by due to lack of hype or major advertising like we typically see for franchise titles. Feel free to check out the below gameplay with commentary we did for Child of Light...

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