Dragons Crown Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Hey y'all long time no see. I must apologize for the lack of content on the blog lately due to my overall stress and laziness alongside some in real life events. I hate when I feel like this because I feel you all deserve bright upbeat reviews and I don't want my dreariness to come across in my writing. However I feel even worse not trying at all and leaving you all high and dry so this week I tried my best to record some gameplay footage for you so we can review Dragon's Crown.

Dragon's Crown is an action role-playing game structured like traditional side-scrolling beat 'em up such as Capcom's Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara or Sega's Golden Axe where players move their characters across the screen into the background or foreground while defeating the assailants that confront them from all angles. Set in a medieval world of swords and sorcery, the game sees up to four players travelling through dangerous dungeons and labyrinths in search of fortune and adventure. Cooperative options include both local multiplayer and four player drop in sessions over Sony's PlayStation Network service with data-sharing of save games and cross play between the Vita and PlayStation 3. Players may choose between one of six heroic character archetypes and travel through numerous environments alone or accompanied by computer controlled or other player characters defeating enemies using skills, combos, magic and collectable offensive weapons like bombs and crossbows recovered from chests or dropped by their foes. The plot revolves around a legendary relic, the titular Dragon's Crown, and the quest to retrieve it. A mysterious coven of magic-users with influence in even the highest levels of government seek the treasure and have used their sorcery to link long-forgotten ruins, dangerous labyrinths, and many other areas together in order to search for it.

What’s Good:

Graphics: The PSVITA does a great job of bringing across the truly crisp and visually engaging art style of this game. The level and character design  are well done and have a vivid presentation that takes full advantage of the PSVITA's OLED screen technology.

Story-line: The story is well written and puts forth a wide cast of characters and personas that keep you eager to see where the game progresses to. I also liked the fact that they gave you at times choices in varying story progression where you would have to choose from two courses of action. This helped add a small portion of depth to the overall flow of the story.

Game Mechanics: There are six different classes to choose from as such with each class having its own set of specialized moves and play-style it is a varied experience playing the game. Skill points allocation for moves and item selection based on the type of enemies you are going up against make for a very customized experience.

Replay: The game has 3 main level caps in correlation to the difficulty level. as you progress through the game on Normal , Hard, and Infernal difficulty you experience the level caps of level 35, 65 and 99 respectively. Add to that the appeal of multiplayer online co-op, competitively and locally and you have yourself quite the replay value for your money.

Soundtrack: The voice acting is available in Japanese and really good as well as English. On top of that the game not only comes with added DLC voice over content but also you can buy in game voice narration  based on the classes you use to beat the game with.

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 when playing online with others.

What Should Have Been Added:

Only thing I can think of is possibly giving the player more control over their individual stat progression instead of the automated progression system they used. The cooking concept they implemented would have been nice if it permanently affected your stats instead of just between level transitions when questing.

Final Thoughts:

Overall its a great game and a wonderful addition to the PSN+ library. Anyone with a PSVITA should give this game a whirl cause its truly one of the PSVITA titles that goes a long way showcasing what the PSVITA has to offer as a portable gaming console. Compound that with its Cross Play feature and you truly have no reason to put this game down whether at home or on the go its at your beck and call. If you act quickly it should still be available on PSN+ for free if not then its worth the purchase on the Playstation Store. Tried capturing some gameplay for y'all as usual using this El Gato capture card I got loaned. Pardon the lack of an intro or outro or certain minor edits as this was a first time testing of sorts plus I was lazy to be quite honest.

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Muramasa Rebirth Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Hey there gamers; your friendly neighborhood gamer Zalgo_Cometh is back with another PSVITA game review because we all know that portable gaming is serious business. Well we found ourselves in a bit of a predicament here, I was supposed to review Soul Sacrifice 2 as the next PSVITA game I choose to pump my lunch hours into but came across this wonderful little game for free on PSN+. So due to certain monetary constraints and overall brokedom we will dive into feudal Japan as we explore the world of "Muramasa Rebirth".

Muramasa follows the story of Kisuke, a fugitive who has lost his memory, including that of a crime that he committed; and Momohime, a lithe princess possessed by a dark spirit. The game allows players to use two different characters and features three difficulty levels. Graphically the game is the same hand-drawn 2D art style as its spiritual predecessor Odin Sphere, though inspiration was drawn from Japanese mythology and culture rather than Norse mythology. The game has over 30 different locales set in an expansive map spanning across Japan.

What’s Good:

Graphics: The PSVITA does a great job of bringing across the truly crisp and visually engaging art style of this game. From the flashy special arts moves of the swords to the outlandish boss fights that take place your eyes will not be disappointed. 

Story-line: Very deep characters, plots and character progression. This game universe is certainly filled with a vast array of characters both main and otherwise.

Game Mechanics: The game has a detailed and well thought out combat system that revolves around the various swords and the special arts that each utilizes.

Replay: Two main characters to play as with differing story-lines as well as three DLC installments that can be purchased as additional content. Given that this is a free game I picked up off PSN+ that is a great plus to replay value.

Soundtrack: The voice acting is pretty much primarily in Japanese and really good. You really connect with the characters and feel the emotion behind what is transpiring.

What’s Bad:

Game Mechanics: I don't like the fact that items max limit are 9 and that the controls cannot be changed so that I can use the D-pad to move the character around.

What Should Have Been Added:

I would have liked to see more of a touchscreen interaction built into the game.

Final Thoughts:

Overall its a great game and a wonderful addition to the PSN+ library. Anyone with a PSVITA should give this game a whirl cause its truly one of the PSVITA titles that goes a long way showcasing what the PSVITA has to offer as a portable gaming console.

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Soul Sacrifice Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Ahh yes; the PSVITA a handheld device with such promise but a lackluster gaming library to back it up on launch to offset the high price. You truly were ahead of your time. Fast forward to current day an granted it has not been an easy road for the successor to the PSP family things are certainly looking better. With the release of the PS4 and the PSVITA TV device things are certainly looking bright for the device. PS4 games are being coded to work on the VITA so you can take your gaming anywhere and everywhere you please not to mention the expanded functionality of the PSVITA TV. There are certain games that take full advantage of the PSVITA and all its capabilities; Persona 4 Golden, Tearaway, Gravity Rush, etc. This is undoubtedly a no-brainer, say hello to Soul Sacrifice...

Soul Sacrifice is an action adventure video game developed by Marvelous AQL and Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation Vita. The core mechanic of the game is the ability to sacrifice parts of the character's body or items to create devastating attacks. These sacrifices will be permanently marked on the player character's body, meaning that they are not an infinite resource that can be tapped into. The concept was created by long time gaming legend Keiji Inafune, best known for co-designing Mega Man. Due its success a sequel for the PlayStation Vita, titled Soul Sacrifice Delta, was announced during TGS 2013, and is due for a March 2014 release. Soul Sacrifice is played in the third-person perspective. The player character is a sorcerer who relives another sorcerer's memories through a journal. The character can be customized in variety of ways and is molded by various factor throughout the game to achieve a final form based on the characters sacrificial alignment.

What’s Good:

Replay value: The game has immense content available to keep you occupied for hours on end: various outfits and alternate colors to unlock, wide array of spells available with upgradeable levels, not to mention all the DLC missions available for the game. Currently free of charge I may add as well since the game is currently being offered to PlayStation Plus users for free. Now if that wasn't enough you can also choose to play through the game all over again to unlock the various alternate sacrificial offerings as well as costume colors.

Soundtrack: The soundtrack is very immersive and provides an ominous undertone to help sell the image of the world you find yourself in. The voice acting in both English and Japanese is superb and very well executed. So well to the point that the Japanese voice overs are available as DLC for purchase on the PSN Store.

Graphics: Definitely one of the better looking games on the PSVITA, it makes the most of the PSVITA's OLED screen. All the fancy theatrics and spell manifestations are really well represented on the PSVITA.

Story-line: The main protagonist of Soul Sacrifice is one of the innocent bystanders that has been enslaved by a powerful and cruel sorcerer known as Magusar, who absorbs human sacrifices to remain immortal.

Game Mechanics: The character can be customized in various options and can change throughout the game. Central to the combat system is the saving and sacrificing mechanics. When an enemy or ally is defeated, they collapse to the ground and you are given the choice to either save or sacrifice them. Players are also given the option to sacrifice a part of their own body when they receive enough damage. When a player chooses to sacrifice a part of themselves, they cast a powerful spell, known as black rites, which differs depending on what part of the body is being sacrificed but also suffer a semi-permanent status effect.

What’s Bad:

Game Mechanics: The computer controlled A.I. on missions where you have party members isn't always the smartest. They will blindly run into hostile situations and get them selves killed and repeatedly cast healing spells even though you need them to be attacking more often than not. Due to the need to grind and farm both levels and materials for spells the maps and enemies become repetitive so some variety in that regard was needed.

What Should Have Been Added:

Maybe a store where you can buy certain hard to find spells or soul essences would have been a good idea. I would have also liked if all missions were available for co-op through the online mode and not just the Avalon pact missions.

Final Thoughts:

Truly a must own title for my handheld of choice. This is definitely a system seller and I am eagerly awaiting the sequel release in March. Soul Sacrifice isn't the be-all, end-all Vita game many hoped for, but its definitely worth having in your gaming library. I hope one day this series will get to shine as a full fledged console game as well and not just a handheld exclusive because I know it can really benefit from next generation graphics. I been so engrossed in playing this game I wasn't able to record some  proper game-play myself but I found this video of the demo so you can have a general idea of what awesomeness awaits

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Rounding Out The Gaming Year

Sorry for the long wait but you should know by now that every year we do a top ten games list for the year. With all the ongoing and upcoming changes I figured I would also change up this yearly post. Going to list the top five games that you must play at least one from this year and then go on to list honorable mentions. Also note that these are in no particular order, feel free to disagree and comment if your favorite game didn't make the top of the batch. OK so lets get this cracking so I can get back to working on the blog redesign...

Grand Theft Auto V

Without a doubt GTA V came in like a wrecking ball; to borrow a line from up and coming songstress Miley Cyrus. Late in the year when loads of people had already solidified their lists of top games Rockstar dropped the biggest bomb to level the industry. On release and leading up to it GTA V was the end all be all of mainstream gaming, publishers/developers pushed back game releases from sheer fear of competing with the great one. With good reason for within mere days GTA not only broke multiple sales records but also managed to secure stellar reviews all around; all people could do was sing its praises.

Tomb Raider

This game is the epitome of what it means to reboot and breathe new life into a franchise. From the character modelling choices to the plot development and story design; Square Enix did the Tomb Raider franchise justice. Why are you still reading this? Go buy the goddamn game ASAP, its worth your time, money, love and devotion. Granted the multi-player side of it was a bit seemingly tacked on, the single player made up for it all in spades; really wish Square Enix had listened to the fans and given us more single player based content.

Bioshock Infinite

Easily one of the strongest contenders of the year starting out as number one game for 2013 it gathered accolades near and far. Granted it released in the much earlier half the the year its longevity is tantamount to its impressiveness as no list of top games would be complete without it. Winner of over eighty awards it was definitely not a game to be taken lightly and proceeded to amass stellar reviews across the industry from journalists everywhere. 2K Games have done a great job of keeping the standard of quality expected for their superb franchise.

The Last Of Us

It would be a great injustice for me to make this list and leave off a lot of peoples obvious choice for game of the year. Granted I more was looking forward to Beyond Two Souls; I knew this game was going to be good, that was a given. I didn't however know that it was going to be great. This game definitely helped sell some PS3's this year on Black Friday. Loads of people are gonna be pissed that this is only available on PS3 but it is what it is. Between PS+ perks and this game I can't say there are any PS3 owners who have buyers remorse at this point.

NBA 2K14

At first I wasn't going to include any next gen titles in this top five list for 2013 but I felt this game deserved some proper credit where due. Granted i'm not the biggest fan of sports games or the fact that its typically the same game with a changed roster every year. This edition is not only a smooth-flowing piece of pro basketball simulation, it’s also one of the few games that makes a true next-generation leap in visual fidelity. Here is a game whose visuals are so beautifully realistic that you almost have to stop and try it, regardless of how much you like basketball. The game still has a steep learning curve but boy oh boy is it pretty...

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

1. Saints Row IV
2. Metal Gear Rising Revengeance
3. Injustice: GAU
4. Devil May Cry
5. Rayman Legends
6. Assassins Creed 4 Black Flag
7. Battlefield 4
8. Pokemon X & Y
9. Soul Sacrifice
10. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
11. Killer Instinct
12. Tearaway
13. Dive Kick
14. Guacamelee
15. Skullgirls Encore
16. Cal Of Duty Ghosts
17. Ryse Son Of Rome
18. Resogun
19. Need For Speed Rivals
20. Walking Dead Season 2

Thank you all for your continued support and I do hope I can continue to entertain you for another year come 2014. Well back to trying to figure out the yearly blog redesign so see you guys soon. Keep the dream alive and help spread my aweshumness, all it takes is some teamwork to get the word out...

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The Ultimate Battle On The Go

Game Mechanics - 1.5/2

Story-line - 1.5/2

Graphics - 1.5/2

Soundtrack - 1.5/2

Replay Value - 2/2

 Total Score - 8/10

Two worlds collide in the end all be all battle for supremacy as we see the Marvel universe take on the Capcom universe. Granted this game has been out for a while but it was just recently on sale on the PSN Store at the all time low price of $10.00 for Playstation Plus members. This is a great addition to any PS Vita collection and thats half the reason for this review. A great game for any Marvel/Capcom fan as well no matter where your allegiances lie. Not much to say about this game that has not been said already by other reviewers since it has been out for a while now but lets get to it.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom. It is an updated version of Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. Roughly 8 or so months after the games' initial release the scheduled downloadable content for the original game, and the additional content was made into a standalone title for a discount retail price. Tied into this release was also the PSVITA version of the sequel as a launch title for the PSVITA. The game has currently sold over 188,000 units worldwide for the PSVITA. The game is a tried and true port of the console original with a few tweaks here and there to add some pizzaz to the handheld version. Most notable changes include: 

1. Battle and watch electrifying matches via Wi-Fi multiplayer.  
2. Interactive touch-screen allows for effortless command of action.  
3. Start with one gold costume and collect them all from nearby friends and foes using the Near feature.  
4. Replay Analyzer lets you download matches to assess and refine your skills.  
5. Share your DLC from your PlayStation®3 system to your PlayStation®Vita system for free. 
6. Use your PlayStation®Vita system to control your PlayStation®3 system and gain access to new control schemes. 
7. See who's on top of the heap with 3G leaderboard viewing. 

Let us not forget to make mention of the 12 characters added to this updated release of the original game (as seen in above picture; left to right) Vergil, Strider Hiryu, Nemesis, Frank West, Phoenix Wright, Firebrand, Dr. Strange, Ghost Rider, Hawkeye, Iron Fist, Rocket Raccoon, And Nova.

What’s Good:

Game Mechanics -  Touch screen combo system helps ease newcomers into the game and makes it a fun experience that anyone can enjoy. Even though this lowers the difficulty bar for players there is still a lot to master on the road to becoming truly skilled at the game. once the general basics have been learned you can easily transfer that skill to manual combos that open up a whole new world of combos.

Story-line - Wide range of character types to choose from both universes. From big to small to weird there is a character to fit your fighting style each with their own reasons for fighting in this grand display of dominance.

Graphics - Pound for pound a very crisp representation of the console version. Smooth fluid graphics on the go to enjoy the same console experience you know and love. 

Soundtrack - All the hype character music is present and accounted for ready to be enjoyed on the go as you take on all challengers.

Replay Value - With such a large and diverse cast of 50 characters there is much to be enjoyed. Add to that various modes of play and online ranked battles, and you will quickly realize this game is gonna take you for a ride!

What’s Bad:

Game Mechanics - The main long standing complaint of the series still has not been addressed which is the sub-par netcode used for the online aspect of the game. This is even more so of noticeable as the PSVITA relies solely on a wireless communication method for online gaming.

What Should Have Been Added:

Functionality to the right analog stick would have been nice so that it could possible set to call assists based on the directional input. This might have helped alleviate the shortage of buttons available like on the console controller.

Final Thoughts:

Definitely a worthwhile game to add to your PSVITA library if you are into fighting games. With its appeal to comic fans and fighting game fans there is no doubt this game is easy and accessible from any standpoint. Compound this with the fact that it has been out for a while and is available on sale you really don't need much more incentive to get this title.

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Time To Do Something For Me

Well small blog update today as this is the first week I have had anytime to myself since my boss is back from vacation. Finally some me time. Just in the nick of time too as its about that time of year when I treat myself for all the hard work and responsible behaviour I have been doing. First treat for myself was after securing my first job at a corporation and I bought myself a PS3 and oh how I love it so. It has served me well and gotten me through some real bad times over the year plus that it has been a part of my family. 

Then last year Black Friday in November I bought myself a PSVITA as another inclusion to the Rion family of gaming. Which as of writing this has brought me many hours upon hours of sheer bliss and convenience having portable gaming at my fingertips. It has come in handy and saved me from many a boring outings and never leaves my side once I venture out into the great unknown called the outdoors away from the safety of my gaming sanctuary. The world can be a pretty fucked up place but having a PSVITA makes it so much better ^_^.

So this year with Black Friday looming and around the corner I figure it's high time I built a new PC. Enter step one of a 10 step project that will culminate on my birthday in December that I have dubbed Project Isis. Granted this project will be long and arduous fraught with many a challenges and stress but  hopefully it will be the push towards happiness I need to make it through the rest of this year. In any case my current machine code named Xenos was birthed into this world in 2007 and since then we have come a long way and fought many battles to keep it up and running from bad parts to acts of God in the form of lightning bolts. Hopefully all goes according to plan and I will be able to make this dream of happiness a reality and be able to keep doing all the things I love doing. Anywhore that's all I gots for you today so all the best to you in your endeavours as well and just do you and enjoy life...

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The Little Man That Could

Game Mechanics - 1.5/2

Story-line - 1.5/2

Graphics - 1.5/2

Soundtrack - 1.5/2

Replay Value - 2/2

 Total Score - 8/10

We are here again for another video game review with your friendly neighborhood gamer Zalgo_Cometh. It's been a while since we reviewed a PSVITA game I think so this game came along just in the nick of time during the usual summer drought of new releases. I'm gonna try to make this short and sweet for the most part today cause got a hectic work schedule dealing with while the second video game-play video is uploading to YouTube. So lets look at Dokuro...

Dokuro is a video game developed by Game Arts and published by GungHo Online Entertainment for the PlayStation Vita. The player is Dokuro, a skeletal worker for the Dark Lord. One day, the Dark Lord captures a princess and forces her to marry him. Dokuro sees the princess crying which breaks his heart and he thus decides to help her escape the Dark Lord's castle. Dokuro can flip switches to open up paths, carry the princess after drinking a potion, as well as others. The game's levels grow steadily more complex as the game progresses. The game uses a graphical style that imitates artwork in a children's storybook. The game's director, Noriaki Kazama, previously worked on gory video games such as Ninja Gaiden Sigma under Team Ninja. Kazama said that after he had a baby, he browsed through children's books at the bookstore and was inspired by the art style.

What’s Good:

Replay value: This is here in spades as most puzzles have a variety of ways they can be solved as I came to realize while playing this game. Also you can replay levels for faster overall times or to collect coins as you progress through each level or to find the optimal solution to each level's puzzle.

Game Mechanics: Simple and very intuitive controls make for a fun and easily enjoyable game-play experience. Also worthwhile mentioning is that the touchscreen and overall integration of a PSVITA control system feels nature and smooth overall while playing this game.

Graphics: Overall design scheme and art style seems very fitting to the nature of the game and the PSVITA brings forth a certain crispness and level of subtle detail that can be appreciated in this handheld title.

What’s Bad:

Only fault I could come up with which isn't much of a fault as it seems intentional as a part of the challenging game design is that you can't do much to control the actions of the Princess. She just aimlessly walks forward and only turns away for fear of enemies that approach her.

What Should Have Been Added:

At times I found myself wanting the princess to stay in a certain position away from danger so maybe a stop/follow command would have been a nice addition. Another idea that came to mind was maybe getting a special power from each boss defeat that would help you along the way in your fights against other bosses and regular enemies.

Final Thoughts:

Even though it is a well documented fact that I suck at and despise puzzle based games I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing Dokuro. At times the going got rough and I faltered, but it was never a case where I was just totally and utterly left feeling defeated like there was no solution in sight. The puzzles strike a fair balance between challenging and straight forward; the onus just lies with the player an dhow fast they can figure it all out to move on to the next one.

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Them Feels Yo, Them Feels

Game Mechanics - 2/2

Story-line - 2/2

Graphics - 2/2

Soundtrack - 2/2

Replay Value - 2/2

 Total Score - 10/10

Welcome gamers one and all to another video game review here with your friendly neighborhood gamer Zalgo_Cometh. Today we have a true masterpiece; Telltale Games has finally released unto us the long awaited DLC for the highly praised "The Walking Dead" series. The Walking Dead: 400 Days DLC—which bridges the gap between Season One and Season Two—launches on PSN, PC, XBLA, and iOS. The DLC will initially be available on PSN tomorrow, then hit PC July 3, XBLA July 5, and iOS devices July 11. So for those of you contemplating it let me alleviate your worries; YOU NEED TO GET THIS DLC!!! We have been playing and reviewing this series from start to finish and it is one of the few games we went the extra mile to record a complete play-through for. So you know it definitely top tier gaming goodness. Check it out...

The Walking Dead: 400 Days is an additional episode released in July 2013 as downloadable content for the first game to bridge the gap between this season and the game's sequel. It focuses on five new characters during the first 400 days of the zombie outbreak. The story is presented in a similar narrative style as the movie Pulp Fiction, with a final sequence summarizing the results of the game and the interaction of the five stories. The five characters introduced, and their stories in rough chronological order, include:

Vince (played by Anthony Lam), who before the outbreak committed a murder to help his brother but was sentenced to prison for the crime.

Wyatt (Jace Smykel) who is fleeing in a car along with his friend Eddie (Brandon Bales).

Russell (Vegas Trip), a young African-American man trying to see if his grandmother is still alive.

Bonnie (Erin Yvette), a young woman that was addicted to drugs at the start of the outbreak, and whose has been picked up and cured of her addiction by a couple, Leland (Adam Harrington) and Dee (Cissy Jones).

Shel (Cissy Jones) and her younger sister Becca (Brett Pels) are part of the group that takes over the truck stop after Russell's story; the group includes several that were part of Vernon's refugees.

An epilogue follows Tavia (Rashida Clendening), working with a large human encampment to find survivors and bring them to safety.

What’s Good:

Game Mechanics - Flawless execution through and through. Not a single complaint as per interactions with the environments or the characters themselves.

Story-line - Love the idea of having multiple stories that interconnect at different points; by the end of the DLC you see how it all comes together so perfectly. By the end I found myself wanting to know even more about each of the characters so I could feel more connected to their individual stories.

Replay Value - Lots of replay value to go around as always since every choice effectively impacts the future course of the game. From as far back as episode 1 right up to the new DLC you have so much choice it will be hard to not go back and try alternate routes and outcomes.

Graphics - More and more I have grown to love the drawn comic book feel of this series and I am glad to see they have not only stuck with it but also fine tuned it even further. It is truly a sight to see everything this world has to offer on max graphics setting on a proper PC.

Soundtrack - Superbly scored music and sound effects that help immerse the player into this zombie ridden world of survival. From the somber melodies that tug at your heart strings for dramatic moments to the high paced beats that intensify any situation at a moments notice. Definitely a most welcome addition and bonus to this game.

What’s Bad:

It's too intense *sarcasm* and too short.

What Should Have Been Added:

Longer plot development for each character but since its only DLC to bridge the gap between Season 1 and Season 2 when released we will forgive Telltale Games.

Final Thoughts:

At this point I wish there was enough content to last me 400 days cause its so good I would have no problems sitting and playing an episode of The Walking Dead every day for 400 days. Telltale Games you have mastered the art of manipulating my emotions; whatever you are doing to put out such insanely good content keep doing it and never lose that magic. Just like that movie field of Dreams said; "If you build it, they will come."

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Go Ninja! Go Ninja! Go!

Game Mechanics - 1.5/2

Story-line - 2/2

Graphics - 1.5/2

Soundtrack - 1.5/2

Replay Value - 2/2

 Total Score - 8.5/10

Well ladies and gentlemen its time to show some gaming love to the Sony PSVITA. Welcome to another video game review by your friendly neighborhood gamer Zalgo_Cometh. I must say; I never thought I would see the day this game was on a Sony console; I originally played this game on the XBOX 1 wait no let me clarify, on the first XBOX. It still to this day my all time favorite game of recent memory right next to the original Need for Speed: Most Wanted. They just don't make them like they used to; oh well enough nostalgia from me. Apologies for putting this out this late but a lot of IRL (In Real Life) stuff has been happening so trying to sort through it all. Lets jump into our review of Ninja Gaiden: Sigma Plus.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma, stylized as Ninja Gaiden Σ, is an action-adventure game developed by Team Ninja for the PlayStation 3. It is an enhanced port of Ninja Gaiden, originally released on Xbox in 2004, and is the second expansion to the game after Ninja Gaiden Black. In 2012, a port for the PlayStation Vita, titled Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus was released on the same day the console launched in Europe and North America. The game-play for Sigma is very similar to the original version, albeit with some modifications made to the game. Like the original version, the player's movements and combat system are directed using the console gamepad, which comprises the left thumbstick, two attack buttons, and a block button. The game features a large selection of weapons for Ryu to wield each with advantages and disadvantages that affect the way the player approaches combat. A new addition to Ryu's arsenal there is a pair of dual-wield swords, Dragon's Claw and Tiger's Fang.  Rachel, a non-playable character in the 2004 game, became playable in three new chapters, featuring the new bosses, Gamov and Alterator. Some of the design elements of the old levels was also changed and several new enemy types were introduced.

What’s Good:

Story-line: Well written story that has you questioning and interested from the game starts. Characters all have important roles to play that make them memorable and interesting. We see the progression of each main character from start to finish in a well executed manner; especially so for Ryu Hayabusa.

Replay Value: A wide range of collectibles, weapons to level, ninja trials and increasingly challenging difficulty levels to keep you coming back for more.

What’s Bad:

Aside from the slight annoyance of using the touch screen controls to shoot arrows in first person mode its a solid gaming experience all around.

What Should Have Been Added:

Definitely more weapons and items to customize and personalize Ryu; maybe even add Ayane or Murai as playable characters. Possibly have a + game mode where you retain all your equipment at their upgraded level as well all the golden scarabs you had collected.

Final Thoughts:

Awesome still manages to add a few new tricks and retain its awesomeness for a new generation of gamers. Even though one or two features here and there may be a hit or a miss with some; Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus delivers a well rounded and highly enjoyable gaming experience on the PSVITA. Without a doubt years later this is still a must play gaming title; be sure you check it out, and until next time, keep on gaming.

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