Review: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2

What’s that? Another tragedy has befallen Japan and demons are at the center of it all? Hmm, must be another Shin Megami Tensei game. Devil Survivor 2 is the follow-up to the RPG/strategy hybrid Devil Survivor (which saw a recent remake on the 3DS), and it has you once again controlling a group of young heroes as they unravel the mysteries surrounding the most recent trip Earth has taken to its ultimate destruction. I know it’s terrible that the world is in shambles, but if mass destruction is this much fun, count me in, baby!

 

Review: Tales of the Abyss (3DS)

The 3DS is nearing its one year anniversary in March and what better way to celebrate the system’s launch than with a well regarded PS2 RPG port? Okay sure, there’s plenty of better way to celebrate I’m sure, but nonetheless Tales of the Abyss has been released for the 3DS. A cherished game on the PS2 from the Tales series, Tales of the Abyss offers up solid battle mechanics, a gripping story, and loveable characters. If you missed the first go around with this game and you own a 3DS, then here’s your chance to experience one of the better RPGs of the last decade.

 

Top Ten Unexplained Themes in RPGs

Why do people just stand still, looking solemnly into your eyes with a cold gaze of death?
Or how about explaining why sleeping outside on the ground can miraculously heal any and all wounds, no matter the severity?
And what about no one seeming to care that there are people carrying around weapons and ammunition to initiate a small war at any given second?

These are the questions that are never asked when playing a Role-Playing Game, yet they are always there in the back of your head, eating away at your thoughts long after the console has been turned off. Most of these issues are just components of the RPG itself, but some of them simply don’t make any damn sense. Here are ten unexplained, bizarre, and truly peculiar themes in RPGs.

 

Sunday Roundup: 2/26/12

One game this week, but one hell of a long game at that.

 

 

 

 

 

Top Ten Games That Need A Sequel

I’ll be the first one to say that a developer that puts out a new IP instead of a sequel deserves a bunch of credit. But I’ll be damned if there aren’t a good deal of games out there that I think should have been given the sequel treatment. I recently did some pondering a thought what a future would be like if a handful of my favorite video games were given a second, third, or even in some cases fourth installment. There’s hope out there, as some games I’d include on this list have already been green-lighted for a sequel (Kid Icarus; earlier Marvel vs. Capcom 3). I can wait for any other game, but these ten need to be made, and need to be made well.

 

 

Sunday Roundup: 1/29/12

Another visit to Lafayette and another trip into Disc Replay. What that all boils down to is me finding new excuses to throw my money away. Personally it’s always a small victory every time I get to buy a new old game: I feel like I’m doing the game a personal favor by freeing it from the confines of the store rack. Also, there were some great deals at Best Buy this week: Lots of new game for just about every console were on clearance. And to make things better, I felt even more victorious this week since I wasn’t able to get any new titles the previous week! Huzzah!

 

Gameplay Vault: Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure

There has been no short supply of good games for me to play these past few weeks, especially after receiving so many excellent gifts from friends and family over the holidays. I’m surprised, however, that after wanting to play Skyrim for so long and finally getting the game for my own, I have spent my time instead playing Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure on the PS3. The game certainly is unique (with physical toys being used to represent your avatars on screen), but why has it held my interest over the much more acclaimed Skyrim? Why have so many games come out recently with “Sky” in their name? Maybe it’s a coincidence, but what if it’s something more? Hmmm…

 

Gameplay Vault: All Zombies Must Die!

Zombies have been all the rage lately, haven’t they? I don’t think I even need to go into detail about all the movies, games, and books they’ve been a part of. Because of this overflow of undead, it might be easy to pass by All Zombies Must Die! for the Xbox 360 (or perhaps you might mistakenly think it’s the similarly named Orcs Must Die!). Either way, I’ve been able to put some time into this action-RPG/dual-stick shooting hybrid, and I’ve been pleased with it thus far. I have some videos for you all to enjoy so you can get a feel for the zombies yourself.

 

 

Quick Hits: iPhone Gaming Madness

This past week (and as my phone currently told me today is still going on) EA had a massive sale on all their iPhone video games. Most games were $.99 and my girlfriend game me a $10 iTunes gift card, so picking up a few was an easy choice. I’ve played through a few and wanted to touch on each lightly, mayhaps to entice one of you to get one yourself.

 

 

Sunday Roundup: 1/8/12

The first roundup of the new year, and it’s a rare one for me. I am not one to buy game for systems haphazardly, though it may appear otherwise. I usually stick to my plan and buy games to add to my collection. But how often do you find complete in box Nintendo Entertainment System games? Freaking never!