Travis.touchdown 最近的評論

The art style by KYO Kuroichigo looked gorgeous, and the setting appeared promising from the trailer, so I gave "Mind Zero" a shot. I'm a huge fan of visual novels and anime, and usually, I don't particularly mind if a port is a little rough around the edges. However, with "Mind Zero", Aksys Games don't even have the bare basics down. The game is locked at the internal PS Vita resolution, with no option to adjust it. You can run it in full screen, but that will just scale it, making it quite a blurry mess. Moreover, some people on the forums have been complaining about their controllers not being recognized -- meaning you will eventually have to resort to third-party tools (e.g. Xpadder) to fix that.

Also, if you're like me and prefer to play most games via -- God forbid -- KB + mouse setup, don't even bother, as Aksys have failed to implement even basic mouse functionality. By default, you need to control analog stick movement via some arbitrarily assigned keys. If that doesn't float your boat: Hey, no problem, you can, as I randomly found out, use the mouse to navigate the map and menus, you just need to hold down the left mouse button the entire time. Sounds like fun, right? Of course (this is a port 'classic'), the game will ALWAYS show controller button prompts, regardless of your input method. Which means you're in for fun times, when the game asks for "A", but means "Y", asks for "Y", but means "S", and so forth.

Overall, the game itself looks interesting enough, so if you own a PS Vita you may want to track down a copy for cheap. But stay away from this port -- especially if you plan to play via KB + mouse.

If you're looking for a visual novel boasting great art style and story, which is also competently ported, I wholeheartedly recommend "Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc"! "Xblaze Code: Embryo" is entertaining, too and a surprisingly solid port, considering that it's also published by Aksys.

Based upon Viktor Kalvachev's graphic novels, "Blue Estate" oozes pulp aesthetic from every pore! It's essentially a Tarantino flick gone on-rails shooter, and a glowing love letter to the heydays of arcade shooters like "Time Crisis" and "The House of the Dead". The console release got a lot of slack by major review outlets for its alleged racism, misogyny and overall 'tasteless' humor (I'm looking at you, IGN...) -- which led to review scores mainly reflecting the authors' disapproval of the game's cynical tone rather than its actual gameplay qualities. However, while "Blue Estate" might present its whimsical world and d-o-u-c-h-e-bag delinquents in a crass manner, I wouldn't deem any of its content overtly offensive -- particularly not when compared to other politically-incorrect games like GTAV or Saints Row.

The visuals, utilizing the tried-and-true Unreal 3 Engine, are splendid and perfectly capture the title's comic roots. It's not a particularly 'next-gen' looking game in terms of textures and effects, but its sleek, vibrant look, somewhere along the lines of "The Darkness II" and "Saints Row 2", greatly intertwines with the comic-stills footage.

The story is nothing to write home about, just all your mafia film cliches in a nutshell, really (one-man army vs. cannon fodder, la familia is law, shoot first etc.). Yet it's delivered in an exaggerated and charmingly whacky way that makes for a jolly good time. Protagonist Tony Luciano is a complete m-o-r-o-n as well as a psychopath, but you'll grow fond of him eventually as the silly plot unfolds.

The KB+mouse controls are spot-on, and, most importantly for an on-rails shooter, the locations are varied and colorful while the enemy/boss encounters needn't shy away from any free-roaming FPS. Even the QTE segments, which prompt you to either use directional buttons or your mouse, are fun since the game is surprisingly responsive to your inputs/motions.

Ultimately, your enjoyment of "Blue Estate" might hinge on whether you can appreciate its deliberately cheesy, self-aware humor and stereotyped characters. Political/social white knights will likely find no value in it.
But, merely judged on its (niche) genre merits, it's a near-flawless experience, and arguably the best on-rails shooter since "The House of the Dead: Overkill".

Here's to hoping we'll see a sequel.

8/10

Like SKYRIM with less bugs and more refined open world!

Like PaRappa the Rapper minus the soundtrack!

Like Shenmue, but with more realistic graphics and acting.

+ You get to fight a M. Bison look-a-like wearing a swastika armband: My life is now complete.
- Jean-Claude Van Damme is not in this.

10/10: Would Quick-Time-Event again!

You've anguishly been waiting for another decent Sonic game for, well, like a decade or so?

Enter "Freedom Planet", arguably the best "Sonic game" since 2001's "Sonic Adventure 2". What started out as a homebrew Indie Sonic title, is now a full-fledged, high-octane 2D platforming experience that ticks all the right boxes. Its art style is nothing short of excellent, and the production values are on par with anything released by SEGA or Nintendo during the 16-bit era! The hilarious story features fully voiced characters, which is quite an impressive feat for a small-budget Indie offering.

With its tight controls, quirky protagonists and vast stages (rewarding exploration and warranting multiple playthroughs), "Freedom Planet" shouldn't be missed by anyone even remotely interested in the genre.

If you’re a sucker for very Japanese games, the name Yakuza Studio rings a bell. The developer team, associated with SEGA, has created the “Ryu ga Gotoku” series, known as Yakuza in the west.

East & West united: Gundam meets Blade Runner

No need to study an entire Yakuza encyclopedia this time: “Binary Domain” draws heavily from the western SciFi genre (most prominently: cyberpunk classic Blade Runner), making the squad-based shooter a more universally accessible affair. Similar to Ridley Scott’s neon-colored dystopia “Binary Domain” is set in a not-so-distant future. In the late 21st century technology has taken giant leaps, but of course, everything else is straight down the gutter: Global warming, rising sea levels, poverty… you name it, “Binary Domain” has it. With worldwide population significantly decimated, robots had to be used as the main labor force to build new cities, and they also came in handy as domestic servants or kids’ playmates. But the pro-robot-agenda has ceased since Japanese-made “Hollow Children” – almost indistinguishable from humans and potentially violent – kept appearing. The countermeasure? The “New Geneva Convention”: Prohibiting production and distribution of human-like robots. Needless to say, actually being a “Hollow Child” yourself – even without knowing it – hasn’t become the smartest idea since.

Heroes from Hollywood subs’ bench

As Dan Marshall you’re a member of the “Rust Crew”, an international task force that deals with violations of the “New Geneva Convention”. Dan is portrayed as your stereotypical, loudmouthed, hot-headed American as seen in countless Hollywood productions. If this is Team Yakuza’s potshot at one-dimensional American movie protagonists it turned out quite well. While the story touches upon rather serious issues (racism, xenophobia, human greed and megalomania), Dan and his allies don’t hesitate to frequently pull off cheesy one-liners at the most inappropriate time. With that “so-bad-it’s-good”-charm it captures the overall Hollywood (semi-)Blockbuster feel of the game.
Your mission in futuristic Tokyo is to localize and capture scientist Youji Amada, head of the Amada Corporation and persona non grata in terms of illegal production of “Hollow Children”.

Derivatively awesome

Familiar with cover-based action games like “Mass Effect” or “Gears of War”? Then “Binary Domain” does in fact feel like your standard fare. It doesn’t bring anything new to the table, save for the voice input feature. Recognizing six different languages you can use a mic to give your squad members basic commands. It’s nice having it just for the sake of it, but since the possibilities are very limited you’re just as good off sticking with keyboard inputs. Every now and then you’re prompted to react to what your team-mates are saying. We’re not speaking “Mass-Effect”-type consequences here, but depending on your choices your allies will behave more positively or negatively towards you.

Derivative as it might be – with its linear level design and the occasional QTE – “Binary Domain” happens to be an immersive experience. The production values are on par with AAA titles like “Mass Effect” or “Max Payne 3″ and the pacing is so well executed that it just feels like an interactive Hollywood action movie – which, depending on your taste, might be a good or bad thing. But, it’s perfectly evident that Team Yakuza’s ambition to create something huge is there, and that has to be acknowledged, whether you think the core gameplay is fun or not. Essentially you solely clear corridors of foes, watch a cutscene, repeat that process and eventually stumble upon a larger-than-life Mecha boss. But at least it seems that “Binary Domain” is perfectly aware of its limitations. It succeeds in presenting you the little that it has in the most possibly appealing way. Give “Binary Domain” a shot. It was my personal 2012 sleeper hit!

Boy, was I excited when the latest Worms installment "Worms Revolution" had been announced. 2010's "Worms Reloaded" – while not terrible by any means – didn't manage to meet the high standards of the classic titles like "Armageddon" or "World Party". It was obvious that it had been designed with the arcade or mobile audience in mind, who don't desire a lot of customization. It was basically a PSP port ("Open Warfare 2" from 2007) with just a few tweaks, and it did show!

Cutting to the chase, "Worms Revolution" turned out to be a disappointment on almost all levels, BUT the best thing about pre-ordering it was the free copy of 1999 classic "Worms Armageddon"! In contrast to the watered-down "Revolution" "Armageddon" lets you customize almost every single aspect of the game – From weapon power, crate contents and choosing random or timed mines to the number of landscape objects or the probability level of first aid kit drops: Every player was able to tailor his very own game modes and this led to a huge variety of amusing play styles, which could also be experienced in the game's online multiplayer mode.
Speaking of online, Armageddon's online community is still very strong after all these years. I've been playing this game 200+ (!) hours within the last few months and there was never any shortage of online opponents.

I can understand Team17 were trying a reboot with "Revolution", attempting to appeal to younger players. It's not a bad game on its own merits. But if you do know "Armageddon" or "World Party" it's just inevitable to scratch your head over some of the design choices they've made on "Revolution". It's just incomprehensible that "Armageddon", a game from 14 years ago, feels superior and is in fact more feature-packed than the latest offering.

So, if you want a classic and complete Worms experience, I suggest skipping every franchise title made past 2001 altogether and get "Worms Armageddon" or "Worms World Party". Both are equally good, but to my knowledge "Armageddon" has the stronger online community.
"Armageddon" is currently not available to purchase via Steam. I hope this will change in the near future. It really deserves to expand its audience.