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Metaphor: ReFantazio Review

Posted on by Arleigh

“Knowledge without action is but a hollow echo.” — Heismay

Metaphor: ReFantazio delivers a fresh fantasy spin on Atlus’s signature JRPG formula, blending turn-based combat with real-time field encounters that keep battles dynamic and strategic, all in service of a narrative that probes deep into societal divides. The game’s Archetype system lets you mix and match job classes across your party, offering deep customization through skill inheritance and squad synthesis for creative builds that shine in tough boss fights, mirroring the story’s emphasis on unity through diversity. While the overarching tale of tribal tensions and royal intrigue captivates from the start, it occasionally leans into familiar Atlus tropes like social bonding and time-sensitive quests that can feel repetitive over its lengthy runtime, though these mechanics cleverly reinforce the plot’s ticking-clock urgency.​

Traversal feels epic on your flying sword mount, zipping through vibrant medieval-inspired hubs packed with side requests, from monster hunts to delivery gigs that boost your follower ranks and unlock new abilities, often tying back to the narrative’s exploration of prejudice and alliance-building. Visually, the stylized UI, animated portraits, and lush world design pop with that classic Atlus flair, making every menu and cutscene a treat, with the game making especially striking use of character artist Shigenori Soejima’s artwork to give both the interface and the cast a distinctive, cohesive look. Soejima, known for his work on the Persona series, brings his signature style here—sharp lines, expressive faces, and vibrant color palettes that make every character portrait feel alive and every UI element intuitive yet stylish, visually underscoring the diverse tribes and their clashing ideologies. The character designs stand out particularly in combat, where Archetype shifts trigger flashy animations that highlight Soejima’s attention to detail, from flowing capes on knights to ethereal glows on mages, ensuring the visuals never feel generic despite the fantasy setting that grounds heavy themes.​

The soundtrack nails epic orchestral swells during climaxes, paired with solid voice work that brings the diverse cast to life, even if not every dialogue line gets full voicing, amplifying the emotional weight of key story revelations. Composed by the talented team including Shoji Meguro’s influences, the music shifts seamlessly from tense dungeon crawls with pulsing synths to triumphant fanfares during story beats, enhancing the world’s medieval-fantasy vibe without overpowering the action, and perfectly suiting monologues on fear and ignorance. Voice acting, mostly in Japanese with English subtitles as an option, adds authenticity, though the selective dubbing in key scenes keeps things efficient without sacrificing impact during pivotal tribe confrontations.​

Diving deeper into the narrative, Metaphor: ReFantazio crafts a world called Euchronia, where the protagonist—a member of the persecuted Elda Tribe—embarks on a quest to save the cursed prince and compete in a grand tournament to claim the throne, all amid rising prejudice fueled by mysterious monsters born from collective human anxieties like doubt and rage. The central theme of ignorance as the root of fear resonates thoughtfully throughout, explored through bonds with followers from various tribes—each with backstories rooted in discrimination, from the scholarly yet shunned eugief tribe to the ethereal Nidia—tying personal growth to larger societal critiques on tribalism and unity. These relationships aren’t just filler; they directly influence your combat prowess by unlocking new Archetypes and synthesis options, making social links feel mechanically integrated rather than tacked-on, while reinforcing the plot’s message that strength emerges from understanding others. Yet, the script sometimes prioritizes exposition over subtlety, with dialogue that explains themes a tad too on-the-nose, especially in early acts before the plot’s twists—like betrayals in the royal election—ramp up the stakes and deliver more nuanced emotional layers. The narrative culminates in a tournament arc where your speeches sway public opinion, blending political intrigue with fantasy in a way that feels timely, critiquing how fear-mongers exploit divisions without ever feeling preachy.

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The game’s themes extend far beyond surface-level fantasy politics, weaving in profound ideas about human cognition and societal ills, best encapsulated by the line “O worthy heart, who tempers anxiety into strength”—a recurring invocation when awakening Archetypes that perfectly distills how the story transforms personal and collective fears into heroic potential. Ignorance isn’t just a buzzword; it’s literalized through the mechanics of human cognition, where unchecked emotions manifest as those Bosch-inspired monsters—grotesque hybrids symbolizing sloth, lust, or despair—challenging players to confront not external evils, but the shadows within collective psyches. This ties into broader explorations of tribalism, where each playable tribe represents marginalized groups: the immortal Elda as eternal wanderers mistrusted for their longevity, the brutish Nidia dismissed as savages, paralleling real-world racism and xenophobia. The royal election mechanic forces you to campaign like a politician, balancing Follower ranks (public support) with bond-building, highlighting how leaders must combat misinformation and rally diverse factions—echoing modern populism without direct allegory, as echoed in More’s constant reminder: “Time marches on, and the age of a new king draws nearer.” Ideas of inherited trauma surface too, as the protagonist grapples with his tribe’s cursed history, questioning if prejudice is a cycle broken only by empathy and action, reinforced by optional lore dumps from informants that unpack Euchronia’s lore of ancient calamities born from unchecked fears.​

Later arcs delve into justice versus vengeance, as revelations about the prince and antagonists reveal layers of manipulated ignorance, asking whether punishing the fearful perpetuates division or if education through example prevails. Themes of escapism critique fantasy itself: characters cling to idealized “Royal” saviors, mirroring how societies project hopes onto myths, only for the story to dismantle that by humanizing leaders as flawed products of their biases. Multiple endings—ranging from unified reigns to fractured chaos—hinge on your thematic investments, like prioritizing certain bonds over others, ensuring the ideas stick through mechanical consequence. It’s a mature evolution from Persona‘s teen angst, grounding abstract concepts in tangible choices that provoke reflection on complicity in systemic hate, with Strohl’s encouragement “I really do believe you have the power to change fate itself” underscoring the faith in individual agency amid societal rot.​

Combat evolves the Press Turn system from Shin Megami Tensei, where exploiting enemy weaknesses grants extra turns, but now with Archetype swaps mid-battle for on-the-fly adaptation—summoning a tank to soak hits or a healer to recover without ending your chain—echoing the story’s adaptive heroism. Squad battles add a layer of real-time command over AI allies during field scraps, bridging the gap between exploration and turn-based depth seamlessly, much like how narrative bonds bridge tribal gaps. Dungeons vary from linear boss rushes to sprawling labyrinths with environmental puzzles, like using wind magic to clear miasma or mounting those monsters for platforming sections, keeping pacing fresh across 80-100 hours and often themed around the anxieties they represent—many of which evoke the nightmarish, hybrid figures from Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights, with their grotesque amalgamations of human limbs, animal parts, and surreal machinery perfectly capturing the game’s theme of manifested inner turmoil. Post-game content expands this further with New Game+ carrying over levels and a challenging high-level superboss gauntlet that tests your most optimized builds, inviting replays to uncover alternate endings tied to bond choices.​​

On the flip side, character arcs stay mostly heroic without much grit or internal conflict, which softens the emotional punch compared to edgier Atlus entries like Persona 5‘s rebellious heists, potentially muting the themes’ bite for some players, and the “days till” deadlines force constant planning that might frustrate casual explorers. Time management becomes a core loop: follow the critical path for story progress, but stray for bonds and requests at the risk of missing deadlines, creating tension that’s smart but stressful for completionists, directly mirroring the narrative’s pressure to confront ignorance swiftly. Some side activities, like the casino minigame or follower requests, offer great rewards but grindy repetition, and while the map system improves navigation with waypoints, backtracking in identical dungeon rooms can sap momentum during marathon sessions delving into lore-heavy side stories.​

Accessibility options abound, from adjustable battle speed to auto-battle for farming, making it welcoming for series newcomers wary of steep JRPG curves while they absorb the dense thematic content. Compared to Persona 3 Reload, Metaphor sheds the school-life sim for pure high fantasy, trading calendar dating for royal election drama centered on prejudice, yet retains that addictive “just one more day” hook through its polished systems and unfolding revelations.

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Exploration shines in hubs like Grand Trad, a bustling port city alive with merchants, street performers, and cryptic informant conversations that reveal lore tidbits on Euchronia’s fractured history. The monster system lets you befriend (or hunt) foes for your compendium, inheriting skills like in SMT, but with a bond mechanic that speeds recruitment via gifts or dialogue choices—perfect for building that ultimate party and paralleling human alliances, especially when those Bosch-like beasts start feeling less monstrous through repeated encounters. Synthesis combines Archetypes for hybrid classes, like a ninja-healer churning out status cures while stealth-attacking, rewarding experimentation without locking you into dead ends, much like the story’s flexible path to overcoming bias.

Thematically, Metaphor: ReFantazio tackles prejudice head-on through its tribal dynamics and election mechanics, where swaying public opinion via speeches and deeds mirrors real-world politics in a fantastical lens, with each tribe embodying facets of societal “others”—the immortal Elda as eternal outsiders, the brutish as feared brutes—challenging players to dismantle stereotypes. It’s bolder than Persona’s high school metaphors, grounding fantasy in social commentary without preaching, as the protagonist’s journey from outcast to candidate forces reflection on inherited fears passed down generations. Multiple endings based on follower bonds and tournament outcomes add replay value, rewarding deep investment in the themes, while bosses escalate brilliantly, from multi-phase behemoths requiring Archetype juggling to “Clemar” trials testing pure strategy, often with unique gimmicks like reversing Press Turns that symbolize narrative reversals.

For Atlus fans, this feels like the studio firing on all cylinders post-Persona 5 Royal, refining mechanics while daring a new IP unburdened by franchise baggage, with a narrative that stands as one of their most cohesive thematic statements. Newcomers get a guided onboarding with tutorials that don’t overstay, easing into complexity naturally alongside the story’s gradual world-building. Drawbacks like sparse enemy variety in late-game fields and occasional UI clutter during synthesis menus hold it back from perfection, but they’re minor amid the highs of its thoughtful storytelling.

Ultimately, Metaphor: ReFantazio stands tall as an accessible gateway for JRPG newcomers and a loving evolution for fans, balancing highs in gameplay depth with minor stumbles in narrative subtlety, all elevated by its poignant exploration of ignorance and unity. Clocking over 110 hours on a full clear, it earns its GOTY buzz through sheer ambition and polish, proving Atlus can reinvent without losing its soul. If you’re craving a meaty RPG with style, strategy, and a story that lingers on real-world echoes, this one’s a no-brainer—just pace yourself through those deadlines.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Review

Posted on by Arleigh

“Life keeps forcing cruel choices.” — Verso

I’ve now played through and finished Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and it stands out as a captivating entry in the JRPG space, blending a deeply melancholic storyline with eye-catching visuals and a combat setup that mixes thoughtful planning with split-second decisions, all within a richly detailed world evoking a fading era of grandeur. At its heart lies the chilling concept of the Paintress, a mysterious entity who annually inscribes a number across the heavens, causing all who reach that age to fade from existence without fanfare or trace. The game’s protagonists band together for a high-stakes voyage aimed at scaling her towering domain and halting this grim tradition before it strikes Year 33, transforming a familiar quest motif into an extended reflection on life’s brevity, rebellion against destiny, and the customs societies invent to endure tragedy. The tone stays approachable, laced with sharp-witted exchanges amid the gloom, while gameplay keeps players actively involved, and echoes of iconic JRPG influences from Hironobu Sakaguchi—like the sweeping epics of Final Fantasy and the poignant depth of Lost Odyssey—shine through in its design choices.

The plot progresses as a gripping blend of escalating peril and introspective pauses, opening in communities that have woven the Paintress’s decree into their daily fabric. Local celebrations honor remaining time, households tally days with subdued anxiety, and affluent districts ponder existence over lavish artworks meant to defy forgetting. Your team gathers from those scarred by previous culls—bereaved kin, displaced souls, wanderers—infusing the group with individual wounds that amplify the shared plight. The path forward involves sidetracks through abandoned sites, fraught dealings with devotees viewing the Paintress as a benevolent force, and ethical dilemmas such as granting mercy to those facing obliteration. Closer to the summit, layers of lore unfold, suggesting the Paintress could stem from a misguided origin or embodied sorrow, prompting the crew to debate whether victory redeems or merely reshuffles catastrophe.

This storytelling prowess draws clear lines to Hironobu Sakaguchi’s legacy, the visionary behind early Final Fantasy triumphs and the overlooked masterpiece Lost Odyssey. The grand-scale conflicts and heartfelt interpersonal ties of Final Fantasy resonate in how Clair Obscur intertwines global peril with private sorrows. Yet Lost Odyssey provides the closest parallel, with its focus on ageless wanderers burdened by sorrow—mirrored here by time-bound lives—employing ethereal sequences and subdued musings to delve into mourning’s toll. The short, evocative tales in Lost Odyssey‘s “Thousand Years of Dreams” parallel the game’s archival entries and memory glimpses, which breathe life into vanished souls: versifiers halted in flow, tinkerers forsaking unfinished marvels, youths denied basic legacies. Studio insights highlight Sakaguchi’s skill in rendering eternal burdens profoundly mortal as a guiding light for crafting the party’s resilient yet fractured ideals.

Central motifs pit surrender to fate against willful resistance, threading seamlessly through dialogues at rest stops and chance meetings to avoid heavy-handedness. Communal resignation appears as sensible resilience rather than weakness—resisting an annual wave proves futile, so adaptation prevails. The travelers represent the flip side: audacious optimism teetering on folly, fueled by unyielding curiosity, akin to Lost Odyssey‘s undying figures rediscovering purpose amid oblivion’s threat. A comrade might grip a memento from a lost relative as rage’s spark; another embraces excess, seeking fleeting thrills since futures dissolve; yet another serves as ethical anchor, cautioning that unchecked revolt harms bystanders. These paths collide poignantly—fractures from panic, mends through peril’s forge, hushed admissions of battling for vitality over triumph, capturing Sakaguchi’s fusion of mythic scope and visceral feeling.

Sorrow and recollection anchor further layers, via retrospective visions and elective records that personalize the toll, nodding to Sakaguchi’s use of intimate narratives to anchor vast realms. This juxtaposes against vibrant holdouts—opulent dances beneath ominous vaults, buskers flaunting flames to taunt twilight—fueling an overarching idea of enactment drawn from his dramatic sensibilities. Existence morphs into a drama directed by the Paintress, participants ad-libbing parts: resolute captain veiling dread, comic veiling remorse in quips, thinker unraveling legends pre-finale. The script deftly merges genuineness and showmanship; raw outpourings yield to lush scores, probing if sentiments endure or merely peak performances—reminiscent of Lost Odyssey‘s detached eternals reenacting humanness.

Optimism faces scrutiny, portrayed with nuance rather than idealization, honoring Sakaguchi’s shift from Final Fantasy‘s luminous quests to Lost Odyssey‘s jaded realism. Initially a binding flame, it frays amid reversals—raids by adherents, glimpses of doomed prior ventures—exposing vulnerabilities. Does opposition uplift, or burden allies with delusion? Nuanced moments abound: euthanizing a settlement embracing mass erasure to spare agony ignites clashes mirroring life’s terminal choices, akin to Lost Odyssey‘s eternal-versus-finite contemplations. Kinship and affection weave closeness—a divided pair riven by self-offering, budding connection strained by farewell drafts—revolving around fleeting hours. Cling or release kin? Impact stems from narrative faith in interpretive space, shunning neat closures per Sakaguchi’s player-trusting ethos.

The orchestral soundtrack stands as one of the game’s true triumphs, composed by the talented Lorien Testard with contributions from a full symphony orchestra that captures the Belle Époque essence in every sweeping string section and haunting motif. Testard’s score masterfully shifts from delicate piano interludes during quiet camp reflections—evoking fragile hope amid numbered days—to thunderous brass crescendos during tower ascents and boss confrontations, perfectly syncing with the emotional highs of defiance and loss. Guest artists like Alice Duport-Percier on vocals add ethereal layers to key themes, such as the Paintress’s ritual melody, which recurs as a leitmotif tying personal grief to cosmic dread. Recorded live with meticulous attention to period instrumentation, including harps and woodwinds for that ornate, fading-elegance vibe, the music doesn’t just accompany; it immerses, turning traversal into symphonic poetry and battles into operatic clashes that linger long after the controller’s down.

Performances soar across the board, with standout work from Charlie Cox as the determined Gustave, bringing a grounded intensity to the engineer’s final-year desperation, and Ben Starr as the enigmatic Verso, delivering a layered mix of menace and vulnerability that keeps you guessing. Jennifer English shines as the fiery Maelle with raw emotional power, while Shala Nyx’s calm yet fierce Sciel adds a steady anchor amid chaos. These voices, alongside gravel-voiced wisdom akin to Andy Serkis and resilient fire reminiscent of others in the cast, lend real heft to reflections on purpose in a counted world, elevating every dialogue into something memorable.

The opulent, twilight-era backdrop enriches motifs, merging Sakaguchi-esque fantasy with continental lavishness for novelty. Elaborate towers rend misty expanses, attire upholds decorum in wreckage, vessels glide as innovation’s specters—all painting a realm in refined decline, staging poise toward closure. Playful quirks—a trader morphing beasts for barter scraps, an aeronaut spouting verse aloft—highlight stubborn spirit, easing gravity sans dilution. Runtime hits 20 hours core, concise yet hinting at untapped depths—like genesis tales or foe quests—primed for expansions, echoing Sakaguchi’s potent brevity.

Gameplay propels via evolved hybrid vigor, building on Sakaguchi-defined norms: menu selections via vibrant dial (strikes, resource skills for ruptures/chains, targeted blasts, aids) merge with instant retorts through evades, counters, leaps versus foe cues, like Lost Odyssey‘s strategy plus timing. Flawless guards restore fuel for climaxes, crafting battles as hazard-harmony flows syncing with tale strains. Traversing covers sparse hubs with patrolling threats in flexible areas—bypass for pace, engage for growth—stats tilt to quickness/endurance edges, execution overriding setups. Initial timing hurdles test, end patterns exact, glitches annoy, yet synergy evokes tale revolt and Sakaguchi innovation.

Aesthetics dazzle: interfaces flare in spectacle—delays, bursts—rendering wins grand, saluting Final Fantasy pomp. Taken as a whole, Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 takes a well-established brand of RPG mechanics and storytelling, polishes it with modern hybrid twists, introspective depth, that masterful orchestral score, and stellar voice work, modernizing it into one of the best games of recent years—a somber treasure where fate-drama depths, keen casts, and dynamic clashes in compact form outshine sheer scale, flaunting its Sakaguchi nods boldly while standing tall on its own. Shortfalls in ancillary tales and timing tilt persist, yet for evocative RPGs melding soul and vigor, it endures memorably—affirming grace persists, counted or not.

Warhammer Gets The Total War Treatment

Posted on by Arleigh

TotalWarWarhammer

Creative Assembly has made a name for itself creating just type of game and for fans of their titles that’s all well and good. Not every studio has to make every type of games. Some just figured out a way to do one type and just get better and better with each new title. This studio is one such company and even with Sega acquiring them they haven’t missed a beat.

Now, the studio ventures beyond the historical realm that the Total War series has always been based on. With Total War: Warhammer the studio now enters the realm of the epic fantasy. Nothing shouts louder in the epic fantasy genre than the world created by the minds over at Games Workshop with their Warhammer Fantasy gaming series.

While there’s still no release date as to when Total War: Warhammer will come out this title has already made my “buy-list” whenever they do announce the date.

First Impression: Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead: Episode 3 “Long Road Ahead”

Posted on by Arleigh

What is there to say about Telltale Games’ work on the adventure game The Walking Dead other than they seem to have gotten exactly what has made the comic book series so popular with both readers and critics. The show has slowly gotten to the same level, but not until Telltale Games has a spin-off of Robert Kirkman’s title gotten it all right. The first two episodes has been a great exercise in showing the panic, strain and utter despair that falls on the remaining living survivors of a zombie apocalypse that has descended on the world.

Episode 3, “Long Road Ahead”, continues where the previous episode left off with Lee, Clementine and the rest of the group back at their walled off motel compound outside of Macon, Georgia. It’s only been a couple weeks or so since the events at the dairy farm and we see the added strain of dwindling supplies has brought on. We also see the decisions made by certain characters at the farm affecting the group and creating even bigger divisions between Lily and Kenny. Stuck in between these two strong personalities is Lee (the player) and this episode does an even greater job of making his decisions that much harder to pick when situations (usually stressful ones) come up.

This episode has been seen by fans of the games as the turning point which has cemented this title as one of the best games of 2012. The writing continued to improve under the pen of Gary Whitta who seem to be channeling his inner Kirkman as some heartwrenching moments and deaths occur throughout Episode 3. One such death has become one of the biggest WTF moments in gaming for 2012 that  I would be surprised if it doesn’t make many top 10 lists for the year when it comes to gaming’s biggest moments. I know that the sequence surprised me which led to lots of stunned silence, followed up by screaming at my TV then admiration for actually pulling off something that could turn off many players, but instead hooked those still on the fence about whether they should continue playing this episodic title.

The other deaths in this episode were more of a slow burn where we already know the fate of one of the characters and the reaction of another to this situation was unbearably sad, but understandable considering the situation which led up to it. All througout these situations the player as Lee was forefront in how things developed and the choices one gets to choose from doesn’t telegraph how things would unfold. It didn’t help that the timer on making each decision still added a level of stress that most games never fully grasp despite higher budgets and better graphics.

If there was one thing that kept this episode from becoming truly great it’s the controls when something interactive actually occurs where players have to do more than choose what to say. It’s still clunky and awkward on both the Xbox 360 and the PS3, but not as much on the PC which tells me that Telltale Games have been porting the title from a PC base rather than the other way around. For some gamers this keeps the game from becoming immersive despite the great writing, but for me it was a minor inconvenience that never took away from the narrative and the visuals.

The episode ends with a bit of hope as Lee and his group picks up three new faces, but also ends in an ominous cliffhanger as we find out that Clementine may have been keeping things from Lee that could endanger (this being the world of The Walking Dead its a good bet it’ll be dangerous) not just her, but the rest of the group. The fourth episode has now been released for all systems and with the new season of the tv show set to premiere it looks like now is a good time to get back to the Walking Dead state-of-mind.

Episode 1: A New Day

Episode 2: Starved For Help

Trailer: Resident Evil 6 “No Hope Left” Cinematic Live-Action

Posted on by Arleigh

I haven’t been as big a fan of Capcom’s Resident Evilsurvival horror game franchise (weird considering that zombie fiction and entertainment is like catnip to me), but the upcoming and latest entry in the series has me excited. Resident Evil 6 looks to return the series to its zombie roots after spending the last two titles veering away from it.

While the gameplay still looks to be just something upgraded and tweaked from games past the story itself looks like something that I would find interesting as it moves the danger from being localized to something more global in scope. I’m really hoping that this title brings me back to the franchise which was great in the beginning then began to lose steam and ideas in it’s latest offerings.

This latest trailer takes a page out of the Halofranchise’s marketing book by making it live-action. It might be only 90 seconds but getting a glimpse of how a world reacts to the onset of a zombie apocalypse makes for a nice, brief piece of entertainment.

Resident Evil 6 is set for an October 6 release for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Windows PC.

First Impression: Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead: Episode 2 “Starved For Help”

Posted on by Arleigh

Telltale Games released the first episode in their adventure game The Walking Dead months ago. Due to some of their past titles not panning out despite hype from the studio this time around it seems like Telltale may have finally found their groove with this game set in the zombie apocalypse world created by critically-acclaimed comic book author Robert Kirkman. With the first episode, A New Day, the company was able to capture the chaos and danger of the early days that was only hinted at in the comic book and in the AMC tv series.

That first episode introduced gamers to the two main characters that would be the focus of this horror-adventure title. Lee Everett and Clementine were characters rare in licensed video games in that they’re original to the title and also one of the better written and realized fictional characters in gaming. The first episode did a great job in setting up these two characters and the world that some thought the problems that has plagued Telltale Games with their episodic titles would pop up once more: great beginnings that would fizzle out with each new episode.

I’m happy to say that episode 2, Starved For Help, doesn’t fall in Telltale Games’ past pattern. In fact, this latest episode in the game actually builds on the strength of the first episode and improves upon what made it fun and very good while minimizing some of the flaws with that initial episode. We find Lee, Clementine and the survivors of the first episode (how a player made their decisions on who lives or dies in the first episode will determine the roster for episode 2) still at the motel complex from the first episode. They’ve been largely kept safe at their makeshift haven but the prospect of dwindling supplies has forced Lee and the group to venture out into the surrounding forest to forage for food. It’s during one such foraging mission that the group comes across another group that would kick-off the story for Starved For Help.

Telltale Games doesn’t try to recap too much of the first episode in this follow-up, but does let the dialogue between Lee and others remind gamers about their decisions in the first episode and how it has affected the situation Lee and his group has itself in. The addition of some new members to the group doesn’t feel forced but actually feel quite welcome as it helps keep the growing rift between two factions in the group from becoming too static. In fact, this episode actually makes some of the decisions made by characters we initially found to be on our side to be counter-productive and dangerous while those who came off as too rigid and confrontational end up being more sympathetic.

It’s during these dialogue sequences where players once again have a timed-limit to make their dialogue choices and decisions that The Waling Deadcontinue to impress. Once again players must make their dialogue-choices from four choices that doesn’t really come off as evil, good, indifferent, etc. It’s up to the player to determine just exactly which dialogue answer best fit the sort of game they’re playing. I’ve played through both episodes trying out myriad of choices available to me and with each and every different choices the game plays out much differently, but still continues to straddle the grey area. There’s no good or bad decision and it’s what makes this game’s dialogue-mechanic so much better than most games that use something similar.

The action part of the episode has some tweaks to QTE (quick time event) combat mechanic that makes targeting a tad better than what was available in the first episode, but this part of the game still remains the weakest link in what has so far been a stellar game. After just two episode I wouldn’t be surprised if most fans of the title just wish for the QTE’s to go away and let actions in future episode be determined by dialogue choices. It would definitely help keep the gamer’s from being pulled out of the narrative immersion they find themselves in.

Starved For Help is a great example of how a studio can learn from it’s past mistakes and improve on the template they’ve decided on from the beginning. Even the story that unfolds in episode 2 is a huge improvement from the first episode that was very good to begin with. We see Telltale Games handle the themes of survival vs living, moral grey areas in an apocalyptic world and survival at the cost of others with deft hands that best exemplifies what has been great about the comic book series. There’s been times when the narrative in the game actually comes off as more subtle and less exposition-heay than Kirkman’s own writing which for some is an improvement in itself.

With two episode now released it’s going to be interesting if Telltale Games can continue their new found groove of keeping things consistently good to great which their past games didn’t seem to have. Now three episodes remain and from the ending of episode 2 the group has found a new reprieve from their dire problem of low supplies, but at a cost that may come back to haunt Lee, Clementine and others.

Episode 1: A New Day

Trailer: Darksiders II – Death Strikes (Part Two)

Posted on by Arleigh

Darksiders II: Death Strikes (Part One)

The second part of THQ and Vigil Games’ short-film trailer to introduce the character of Death for their sequel to 2010’s Darksiders has now come out and it shows the Pale Horseman of the Apocalypse taking on even more demons and an enormous angelic engine of destruction. We don’t hear Death speak (his voice will be veteran genre actor Michael Wincott), but we do see him in action taking on demons and then finally transforming into his more recognizable Grim Reaper aspect to take on the battle engine.

If there was a game I’m really waiting to get my hands on this summer it will be this game and hopefully the delay of releasing the game on June 26, 2012 to a later date of August 14, 2012 means more polishing and tweaking of the final product before it comes out to the public. Here’s to hoping that when it finally comes out it will not be buggy and be as good or better than the game that preceded it.

 

First Impression: Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead: Episode 1 “A New Day”

Posted on by Arleigh

When I first heard that Robert Kirkman’s horror comic book series, The Walking Dead, was being turned into a video game I was a bit leery. I’m a huge fan of the comics and, despite some unevenness in it’s storytelling, also a fan of the tv adaptation on AMC. I’ve even bought and read the novel based on the comic book that details the early backstory of one of the series’ iconic characters. So, when it was announced that Telltale Games was going to make a game out of the series I was intrigued, but also worried.

Was the property being milked for everything it was worth to the point that it was reaching oversaturation?

As the months ticked by I read up on updates and news on Telltale Games and its plan for the series. It was going to be based on the comic book and not the tv show. While it won’t follow the characters from the comic book the game will still use some of those characters in cameos that the game’s new lead characters will intersect with. I was all for this but I was still hesitant to fully buy into the game until I actually played the first episode in what was going to be an episodic game totaling 5 distinct episodes.

Episode 1, titled “A New Day”, has been released and over the course of a couple hours in one night I’ve played through the episode and my first impression of Telltale Games’ The Walking Deadis a very positive one.

The game actually begins with the lead character of Lee Everett in the back of a police car being driven to a prison outside of Atlanta. We find out early on that Lee has been convicted of murder, but through conversations with the police officer in the car we get hints that he may not be the bad man his conviction labels him as. The game uses these early minutes of the game to give players a simple instructional on how the controls work and the manner in which players can choose how Lee should answer the person he’s speaking to.

Before one could get comfortable with the game’s control mechanics the story crashes headlong into the horror aspect of the game.

The game doesn’t skimp on the horror and tension the player will experience and this episode does a fine way of making the simplistic controls become part of making encounters with the living dead be very tense and terrifying. Most video games tend to make their controls very precise and accurate, but here the controls are just imprecise enough and timed to make zombie encounters not so simple. Even the action tend to serve the narrative instead of breaking away from it. This is not a game that caters to the action junkies, but more to those who value story, characters and emotion first and foremost.

“A New Day” also introduces the second lead that would become part of Lee’s main story: 8-year-old Clementine.

If there’s been a big criticism of the show based on the comic books it’s that the kids on the show have either been clueless, useless, or dangerous. Clementine from my first impressions based on this first episode seem to be the opposite of tv show Sophia and Carl. She’s resourceful, tougher than she looks but still retains enough of her innocence even after seeing the early days of the zombie apocalypse hit her close to home. The interactions between Lee and Clementine is turning out to be this game’s core and how players treat Clementine looks to affect how future episodes turn out.

That’s where the game truly stands out for me even with just this first episode being the only one released, so far. The story and how Lee interacts with his young charge and other survivors he meets up determines how the episode plays out. Play like a compassionate Lee and people will trust Lee and help him out. Play like a silent, enigmatic tough guy and some characters will accept him while others will be suspicious. A great aspect of this game’s narrative is that throughout this first episode (I’m guessing in the other future episodes as well) the player is put in a situation where he has to make Lee decide which two people he has to save from the zombies. The fact that every character doesn’t come off as one-dimensional that making these life or death decisions truly becomes tough.

Telltale Games has done a great job with this episode to lay down the oft-used theme of human drama and conflict in the face of the apocalypse. While it’s nothing new in zombie literature when it comes to the theme of human survivors being as much a dangers to other humans as the zombies with this episode we’re not hit over the head with it. We get some tense interactions between Lee and particular survivors, but nothing that boils over into outright violence. There’s enough distrust introduced with this first episode that we get a sense of danger from within not just from the outside.

I played the game on my Xbox 360 and the graphics is not super-high quality. What the developers do end up doing is giving the game a nice comic book art-like aesthetic which further puts it in line with the comic book series and not the tv show. For a price of $4.99 (400 MS Points) The Walking Dead: Episode 1is worth the price even if a player can easily breeze through it in just a couple hours. It’s how choices (both dialogue and action) made in the game changes the storyline that gives this first episode long-term re-playability. I’ve already done two playthroughs and with each one I’ve made different choices which clearly changed how certain characters acted towards me and how certain scenes unfolded.

So far, Telltale Games has done a great job with The Walking Deadand if this first episode was any indication then players will definitely be waiting for the future episodes with anticipation.

Trailer: Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead (Debut)

Posted on by Arleigh

This week saw the release of a particular type of video game. The game is Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead. Yes, you heard correctly. It’s a video game based on the horror comic book series by Robert Kirkman that has become one of TV’s biggest sensation (despite some issues with characters and storytelling) with it’s own tv series.

Telltale Games’ adaptation brings a new angle to the story Kirkman has been writing for almost ten years now. It’s unfolds from the very first days of the zombie apocalypse but still set in the Atlanta-area. Themain characters in the game is one Lee Everett who comes across a young girl during his search for a safe spot. Together the two of them must survive the chaos of the zombie apocalypse’s early days and not just from the zombies, but other survivors they come across in their journey. While the game introduces new characters the people at Telltale Games will have the main characters come across some of the characters from the comic book/tv series.

As mentioned earlier the game will come out as five episodes that players buy the moment Telltale Games releases a new one. The game pretty much acts like an interactive episode with the player making difficult decisions both practical and moral that changes the tone of each player’s particular game. Unlike most zombie games which tend to focus more on action and shooting this title will focus heavily on story and characters.

Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead has now comes out with it’s first episode for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Windows PC with versions for Mac OS X and iOS coming sometime this summer.

Trailer: Darksiders II – Death Strikes (Part One)

Posted on by Arleigh

One of my favorite video game titles from 2010 was also one of it’s earliest releases with THQ and Vigil Games’ post-apocalyptic action-adventure, hack and slash Darksiders. It was the game which allowed the player to play as War of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It was a game that was received positively by both critics and the general public though the title was not without it’s flaws.

Darksiders sold quite enough units for both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 that THQ was quick to greenlit a sequel to the title. This was good news since the first game ended in what one could only assume was a cliffhanger. I mean this was a game that was epic in its art design, epic in it’s story (it is set after the world ends in the game’s prologue) and finally it just sounded epic. The ending itself wasn’t just a cliffhanger but gave a clue as to how the game would continue on as a franchise. War a player was already able to play in the first game and the game end’s with three other flaming meteor’s streaking down to Earth. Hmmm, I wonder just who or what exactly are those three mysterious meteors.

[spoilers in video below for those who haven’t played the first game]

With the sequel only months away from release we get the first CG cinematic trailer for it released and show’s the Death as the newest Horseman of the Apocalypse the player gets to play this time around. Yes, you heard that correctly. You as a player gets to play as Death itself. From the look of how Death move and fights in the trailer he’s more lithe and agile than the more brutish and “crush rocks with each step” brother War.

With both Skyrim and Mass Effect 3 now out and played this title now goes up my list for 2012 as one of my most-anticipated titles to get a hold of a play. Also, one thing which should make playing Death epic: Michael Wincott will voice the character.

Darksiders is set for a June 26, 2012 release date for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U and Windows PC.