stako

"Life is Strange" is one of the most badly written and poorly designed, over-glorified modern story-driven games. Save for very few actually interesting moments, the game has nothing to offer. From the ground up, the game is set in a cliche filled world, inhabited by basic archetype characters, who do little to change things up or provoke a more-inteligent player. The puzzles offered are dull and fall into the "time-waster" category, twists are extremely predictable and most characters have little to no actual motivation for their actions. And in the few cases they do - it's a thread that ends quickly. The plot offers solid foundations - the opportunity for something better is surely there, but the finished product can be bestly descibed as dissapointing. Missed opportunities are abound: taking photos is just for the collection, instead of a possible interesting mechanic, etc. The biggest problem of the game is that the protagonist's abilities make no sense. Not only do they rewrite actual science theories (while using others selectively), but they are inconsistent in the game itself. They bend at the will of the narrative, not to the player. Anyone who can think logically and has some reading experience in the sci-fi field will take this product as a complete insult to the genre. Sadly, that would be a perfect world. Ours is one in which this game gets praise for no reason, while actual gems are lost in the dirt. If you are a player, who has ever read a book and played at least a couple of good games in your life, stay away. There is nothing strange about Max's life - just cliches on top of cliches, covered in filters of unjustified reviews. "Life is Strange" is one of the worst story-driven games made to date.

The long awaited sequel to the superb Hotline Miami can best be described with one word - more. Ain't enough? Well here's a phrase - it ties up all ends nicely. Filled with violence, gore and provocative showcasing, this is indeed a successor to the original. The disturbingly jagged art style is back, it's even displayed at times in new and more creative ways. It still retains it's grotesque feel and it uses it well to it's advantage. Getting the other obvious thing out of the way - the soundtrack is stellar, again. It will be thumping in your heads long after you complete the game, and for good reason. Some new artists, some recurring ones and loads of MP3-player-worthy material make this OST worth owning. But let's get to the core - gameplay. This is where Hotline Miami was at it's finest, even making a point how important gameplay is as a narrative, not alongside one. Hotline Miami 2, in this aspect, offers more - more weapons, more ways to slay, more levels and they are bigger. And, worst of all - it's way, way harder. And I do mean this as a negative point. Coming from someone who loves the first game and has beaten it 5 times, never taking more than 6 tries at any level, in any of those playthroughs, the sequel goes to the extreme. Some levels are borderline insane, which sadly makes me say that they are very poorly designed. You can't expand on level scale and leave everything else as it is! That's madness! At times I felt as if the game had no QA testing at all! I had to resort to bugs and exploits to get out of some tight spots, simply because the game gave me options that would ultimately always lead to my doom. Some combinations I found to be absolutely impossible. And speaking of bugs, this game has it's fair share, and the fact that I was searching for them to complete some stages says a lot. And to top it all off - the game crashed on me twice, which is unforgivable when you have to restart the whole damn stage again, from the start (and you were, say, at the last room). Which again brings up the point - if you are gonna have bigger stages, you are gonna need a slightly different save system, because your game crashes. Or just have it not crash. Your choice. Overall, technically, the game feels a bit unfinished. But to be honest - I kept coming back, because it was brutally fun and ... intriguing. Speaking of intriguing, I, as a defender of art and narrative-driven games, think that Hotline Miami was one of the finest examples of storytelling and art in gaming to ever be crafted. So naturally, Hotline Miami 2 had to do it's damn best to impress me. To be honest, I didn't get what I wanted. But I won't turn back what is offered either. Without spoiling anything, the story answers all questions left unanswered by the first game. The events have come full circle and now we know the absolute and final chronology of everything (for now) and that was pretty sweet to see. Dennation obviously tried to do something different with multiple protagonists and plotlines, and in terms of story - that is cool, but in terms of storytelling - it is convoluted. Very convoluted. Getting things in the right order is a pain, because they are not served in the right order. Piecing the puzzle is, once again, left to the player and it is no easy task, rather an annoying one. But it is worth it in the end. To get back once more to the multiple protagonists - this goes a bit against the game itself, because it often limits the player to playing a level in a certain way, which surely is challenging, but some of us don't want to use guns, because they make things harder. And making a insanely hard game harder by taking away player choice isn't the most clever thing I've seen lately. To top this all off - the game isn't finished yet. The level editor isn't out, you can't download custom levels and once again - there is nothing to do after the story is finished, other than hunt achievements and find the few secrets present. I am very eager to build levels and download new ones, so I hope this feature releases soon. If it successfully does and it's everything that it should be (as in - loads of assets, all previous masks, new additions, the ability to tie levels into custom campaigns, unlimited downloads and - the update being free of charge), I would up the score on this. That would be a very worthy and valuable addition to the game, making it virtually infinite to us Hotline Miami Crackheads. But untill then... I will continue playing the story on hard mode. Because I'm hooked. Again. Because I like hurting people. And I'm not yet sure why. All I know is that Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number makes it very fun, enjoyable and intriguing. And while it doesn't do anything outstandingly better than the original, it is at the very least as equally as good and is well worth the requested price. Do you like hurting people?

As someone who is used to the way the mobile market of freemium games work, I really must admit by addressing the first three official reviews here with only one question: What were you expecting? But let us be fair - understanding something, agreeing with it and liking it are three extremely different things that every serious critic should comprehend. Pokemon Shuffle randomly popped up unto my 3DS home screen as an advert for the game. As I tend to the needs of my inner child and thus - Yes, I still play and love Pokemon, I went to download it straight away without expecting too much. Being a 3DS freemium game, I knew I should expect cynical microtransactions. They are terrible enough as it is on iOS and Android, but Nintendo is even more notorious with their ridiculously high prices on almost anything. To address this straight away - the offered transactions are with a ridiculously high monetary value, while the gameplay value they apply to is 1/10 of what you should be receiving. Nintendo have indeed outdone themselves. However - I've put more than 7 hours into the game and I did not once need to buy something to advance. Let's start anew - the game has a very polished look, even though it might be too childish at times. It retains the style introduced in Pokemon X/Y. I am not a big fan of these baby colors, but I don't mind them either. The main graphical difference that is of significance is the look of the Pokemon. Even though I understand why they have to be represented simply by their heads (because they are spherical I suppose), I don't understand why isn't there any type of full-body model included - when fighting against a said Pokemon, for example, or when browsing them. It would have made for a much better experience. Other than that, for what the game is, it looks very nice. The sound is cool. Sound effects are crisp, though silly in the same childish way. There is a multitude of musical themes that the player will listen while playing. I prefer to play with the sound off. While the music design isn't terrible, it isn't what I would call good music. Gameplaywise - there are a lot of things everyone would like to see included. The lack of any context or story is a bit annoying, so is the extreme similarities between the different types and species of Pokemon, no to mention some very illogical things. But with this being a free game I will judge only what is present. And that is a very clever and challenging match-3 puzzle game. Some stages are way too easy, others - very hard. At times the game feels like part of the winning strategy is to actually use the "optional" power ups. Something that I find to be a little strange is the hint system - 9/10 times, if you follow it absolutely, you will inevitably win. Sometimes it doesn't work, but too many times it did. The most annoying part of the game is that it expects you to know why a certain pokemon is stronger or weaker against another. Even I - someone who has played Pokemon games before, can't understand this at times. But this, as you might have guessed, calls for a lot of farming to catch more and more Pokemon, so that you might counter other types (though this feels more scripted than it should). See, every presented stage is a battle against a Pokemon. You have a move limit within which you must defeat the said Pokemon via matching your chosen team of Pokemon (usually consisting of 4). If you manage to do this, you will be given the opportunity to catch the Pokemon you battled, but the % of you being successful at it depends on how many moves you used. The less you've used, the higher the chance. Which calls for more farming, because Pokemon can still level up, which is a huge grind - loads of Pokemon, most of which you will need, slow leveling. It isn't a smooth ride. But given the fact that gameplay is not demanding, yet it's challenging and fun - once you free your mind of the concept of replaying a stage 50 times, you tend to enjoy it none the less. But here is where the real problem sets in - there is a timer. You have a maximum of 5 plays, you lose 1 every time you play a stage and it takes 30 (!) minutes to recharge it. This, in my opinion, is too much. 15 minutes would have been sufficient, this way you almost don't get to play. But you can always buy some crystals to buy more plays, which is the point, I guess. Furthere than that, the game also offers Expert stages, where you have no move limit, but a time limit, and Special ones which offer a special Pokemon for a limited time with a battle with special conditions. Overall, the game is fun. It is not a bad game, though it needs to be more user friendly. However, since I have downloaded it, I've not closed the thing. Between work, study and life, I always find 5-10 minutes to play a bit, close the 3DS, keep it in my pocket until the next break and repeat this. I am sure it will eventually get old, due to the insane timer, but for a free game - you have nothing to lose.

This was my most expected game of this year. Not for any other reason, but because the only reason I did not play the original Binding of Isaac was because it was a very portable game, on not so portable devices. That game, on my vita, seemed like a match made in Heaven. And then the clouds unrolled and from the rays of Eden - Rebirth. Useless drama aside, I love this game. I love it and enjoy it so much, I can't even begin to review it. I just have to write something down to let people know. It all boils down to this: If you like creepy games with very unsettling themes, that are challanging, very replayable and beckon to the olden days of gaming, where you have to think, write down and experiment to achieve greatness, you are going to enjoy The Binding of Isaac. Other than that, it's not that different from the original. It's the same, but better. The controls feel smoother, there is more content than ever and a fresh, new look. The game now uses a pixelated sprite look. It works, though it's quite unessessary. It could have been clear all the same - it brings nothing to the mood or gameplay. On the Vita I find it even more aggrovating, because the sprites almost look crisp and clear - it's like having minor pixelisation of normal models. Gameplay is as solid as always, offering countless hours of exploiting, exploring and exploding fun. Everything I say beyond this point may ruin another player's game. The thing I will say is - boycot walkthroughs and guides. They can only ruin the fun. One thing I kind of dislike is the new soundtrack. The old had more life to it. I still have tracks from the original OST on my MP3 player, but I can't find anything of that worth in Rebirth. This time around the OST is more atmospheric and less musical. This is a double edged blade, so whatever floats your boat. The story and concept are absurd and inappropriate as always, but that is one of the things about this game. You either love it or hate it. I am fascinated by it. I love this game. But in the end of the day, people either love it or hate it. There is more to love about it than to hate, in my opinion. It offers great gameplay and massive replayability - which for a portable game should be a priority. I recommend this game to everyone who think they can handle it. It's certainly worth a try.

I hate quest games. Even more - I hate point and click adventure games. But when I heard that a Lovecraft-inspired adventure games is coming to a certain number of devices near me, with a free first chapter no less, I had to try it just in case. The case was in, and it was a strong one. The Last Door is said to be survival horror. I disagree. It's a creepy game, even a tad scary at times. But the thing that should describe this game is brilliant direction. The game is extremely well paced and this can be easily told from the introduction of the first chapter. It gets only better from there. The tale it tells is a very gripping one, and indeed it is very Lovecraft inspired. Though the theme of outer-spacial madness isn't present, it's presence can be very strongly felt. The story is very much structured like a good Lovecraft story, striving to maintain the same levels of mystery and out-worldly, undiscribable terror. It succeeds, delivering a nice knot for you to untie during gameplay. The surprise at the end I found to be very nicely thought out. The pixelated art style is very atmospheric and even beautiful at times, but it seems to go against gameplay at times, with some key items being represented only by two to eight pixels on the screen. On smaller devices, this becomes even a bigger issue. Some minor slowdown can be felt in scenes with more animated backgrounds, but other than that graphically the game is firm, though not particularly outstanding in general art style. The soundtrack, on the other hand, is stellar. It's only sin is that the tracks are very short and change often. But they set a grand and perfect mood. Honestly, I listen to the OST quite often and I grow more fond of it than tired. Also soundwise - the game could have benefited from some voice work. Not that the text is that much, rather some good voice acting could have given us even more atmosphere to delve in. Being an adventure game, The Last Door also gives us some really nice chalanges, to some of which I even applauded. It was very satisfying to solve these unsettling riddles and some of them I will remember for a long time. Some objectives are a bit unclear or seemingly illogical, but that just comes with the genre. It was aggrovating at times, when the character tipped me with a line of what should I keep my eye open for, but at the end the thing I had to interact with was not the thing mentioned in that line. Never the less, I loved The Last Door. Beyond some graphical misconceptions and some convoluted puzzles, this game is a very strong title. I recommend this to anyone who finds the concept interesting. I can't wait for Season 2. Kudos to the developers, I did not expect it to be this good ****.

Since I'm stuck at a certain point in Silent Hill: Book of Memories on my Vita, I decided to turn to my beloved PSP once more to experience something fitting for the coming holiday, hence I picked up Obscure: The Aftermath. I have not played any other Obscure games in the past, only heard that it's pretty good for a PSP game. After playing it, I certainly agree. It's a game that feels very polished from the start. The introduction is magnificent, the plot is intriguing (though dull). Not to mention that the graphics look very nice for a PSP game, and it also boots a kick-ass soundtrack. The game follows a group of friends who are trying to survive an infestation, which turns their fellow classmates in to monsters. The story progression is very cliche, it's reminiscent of the classical horror movie formula that was famous throughout the 2001-2006 period. And it's very nice to experience something of that type again. I kind of miss those movies from time to time. They were not masterpieces, but they were fun to watch. This game is pretty much the same. Gameplay is solid, and most of all - fair. It's rare to see a horror game, especially an older one, that is this balanced. It almost always retains it's level of challenge without ever feeling cheap. Sure, at times it was the camera's fault that I lost 50% of my HP due to a hit I didn't see coming, but that's the price I pay for playing the game on the PSP I suppose. One thing to point out is that it's not particularly frightening. The fact that I had weapons 95% of the time kills the horror vibe and diminishes the survival aspect. I'd describe Obscure: The Aftermath as a creepy third person action game. And that doesn't mean it's something bad. Shooting is not as awkward as in Silent Hill, but the characters aren't expert gunmen either. This, along with some creepy camera angles and some very disturbing SFX and Monster Designs still keeps this game on the horror scope of things. Also, no jumpscares - something I am very glad about. Also, Kudos to the devs for having so much voice acting in the game. I've never expected an old-gen game, on the PSP no less, from a not-so famous developer, to have it's characters react to one another in certain situations. It makes the whole experience feel really cool - like the movies I mentioned above. The writing is really cheesy, but it goes with the overall flow, and honestly I think that was what they were aiming for. The voice acting is good for the most part, but at times the way the characters say their lines is very unfitting. For instance, during a boss fight, they talk to one another like they aren't even breaking a sweat, meanwhile I'm running and gunning all over the place. It's off-putting at times, but not that bad. There was one particular moment of this game that I hated - a sudden difficulty spike. A lot of people say it's gratifying after that, but it felt more like a cheap hit to me. I'm not going to spoil it, nor take away points for it. Overall, this game was very enjoyable. I didn't even expect it to be so gripping. It's a long, good game with fun and challenging gameplay, and it's perfectly fitting the season. It can be found quite cheaply nowadays and it's available on multiple platforms. I fully recommend you pick this game up - it's engaging and it's a perfectly mixed bag of goodies (some of them with hidden blades or poison, but not that big of a deal). If you can, get it on PC or a home console. Having the comfort of camera control is sure to give this game +1 on the score I'm giving. But even on the PSP, don't pass this one up - it's wroth it.

While a Wipeout game without a 60FPS lock might seem preposterous, 2048 seems to give us quite a lot of other things to like about it, so I can forgive it for the, still, missed framerate lock. In spite of that, we have sprawling beautiful graphics on both systems. This time around the art style feels fresh, showcasing a new direction (which fits right in). Sometimes seeing a sharp turn (or a potential detour) is a challenge on the small Vita screen, but that is more of a hardware problem. The soundtrack, ofcourse, is a great selection of speedy electronic tracks that are, as if, created to be part of the game. The option to make our own soundtrack is gone, and is dearly missed. The controls are tight as always, with the minor exclusion of the left Vita thumbstick, which tends to be rather slippery. Other than that, the fast gameplay that is a series staple is back and still extremely fun. Older fans of the series might notice a slight downgrade of the speed factor, though that might be due to the missing 60 FPS lock (again); at any case, it's not something important or gamebreaking. The massive racing campaign, though in reality quite repetitive, is worth the player's time, as it is well paced with different game modes (including the infamous, awesome Zone levels) and a progressively harder AI. Online matchmaking is a bit of a chore, and lacks a lot of options one would expect to be present. Another missing feature, that I loved from previous WipeOut titles, was the opportunity to create your own ship skin, but there are a few more ships available through DLC (ofcourse). The aircrafts provided are sufficient and powerful enough to blast through the game. Wipeout 2048 is one of the best Vita games, and one of the best racing games of recent years. It deserves a place on the shelf of every racing game fanatic or Vita/PS3 owner. I've found that playing on the go suits the game best, as it seems to be built with portable in mind, so I recommend the Vita version over the PS3 version. If not - get it either way, because it's fast, fun and frantic action that deserves to be experienced, even by those who are not introduced to the series yet. It's a good time to become a Wipeout fan.

I received the first Velocity on my Vita as part of my PS+ membership program and I didn't pay much attention to it. It looked like a cool space shooter with a gimick - nothing more, nothing less, so I didn't even play all of it. When I heard that this month they were going to give us Velocity 2X free, I felt that I should go back and revisit the first game (to be able to competently compare the two, at least). When I took a closer look to Velocity Ultra, I found a very well thought out game with challenging gameplay and puzzles that is made with a lot of love. And with awesome minigames. I was on board and set for Velocity 2X and, with no surprise, I found a awesome upgrade to a very cool game. Velocity 2X retains the core gameplay experience, but it adds more and more to the mix. Ultimately, that makes Velocity 2X the better game - it sounds better (though some tracks from the original OST are missed), it looks much nicer and it has a lot more story this time around. Overall - it feels more like a full-fledged game, rather than a mini space-shooter. The shooting portion of the game remains largely untouched. On account of the graphical differences, you will have to get use to controlling the ship - there are some very subtle differences, but nothing that breaks the experience. I have just one problem with this, and it is the same one I had with the first one - they should have put a limit to the bombs that you can fire with the R stick. They are too powerful, and if you are smart, you will end up using them more than your main gun throughout your adventure - it makes the game too easy. Sure, you can not use then if you want to, but it kind of feels like cheating both ways The radical difference when it comes to gameplay is that now you have platforming sections in which you control Kai, the pilot of the ship. These are very fun and very well made, however they have one huge problem: they sometimes go against the overall theme of the game. The game is, often times, all about doing everything you can in the least possible amount of time - that is what drives the player to become better and better at the game, that's the core addiction factor. However, in the platforming sections, once you get your weapons, you cannot run/walk and shoot at the same time, which results in the player stopping to accomplish certain goals - like collecting crystals, or destroying parts of the overall puzzle, or even defeating enemies. This is all happening while you are rushing against the clock to get a better rank and score. Ergo - this is a inner conflict that is very annoying. I feel that it could have been easily fixed by having simply one gun and it being auto-aim, and being usable while running. This, however, does not ruin the overall fun factor of being able to run, grind and jump very fast - these segments, while annoying at the aforementioned particular times, are a extremely welcomed brake to the usual space shooting. The story, as I mentioned, is also bigger in this sequel. Every level has at least one (be that, unanimated) slide of art and a few lines of dialogue. Sometimes - this is enough to push you forward, the story is driving, while not particularly innovative. It is conveyed with love, a very vibrant art style, and it offers lots of minor details in the Ship Computer for fans to read further - like info on friends and foes. The Ship Computer - one of the best addictions in the original - has gotten an upgrade too, and it's bigger and better than ever. I won't spoil anything, however. And in total, this is all - Velocity 2X is simply bigger and better than the original. It has it's flaws, but it's a awesome upgrade to a awesome game. If you liked the first one - you are going to like this one. If you didn't like the original - still give this one a shot, it has a much more rounded feel and might just be the thing for you. Personally, I appreciate all the work that has gone into this game, and that is enough for me to give my recommendation.

This is THE most overrated I have ever played. But read on - I'm not a mindless hater. The game is good, It's just not as good as everyone is leading you to believe. So The Last of Us is a game from Naughty Dog, and as such - it comes with some privileges, like better understanding of PlayStation Tech and a pretty huge budget. This guarantees it won't be a bad game, and it's not. But let me tell you why it isn't the masterpiece everyone has been leading all of us to believe it is. Graphically, it's a pretty game. A lot of people go out of their way to tell us how beautiful it is. And sure, some scenes do look awesome, some views are indeed, as Ellie points out at least 50 times during the game, pretty good, but it isn't the best looking PS3 game, nor the best that Naughty Dog have delivered. If you disagree, go back and play Uncharted 3 again - better design, better texture quality. It is pretty obvious that this game has been toned down from the PS4 version to be released on PS3. The sound and voicework are pretty awesome, as most games from this dev delivered thus far. Some soundtrack choices are peculiar, but haunting and moving none the less. However, the writing of the game is noticeably worse than what we've come to expect from Naughty Dog. Particularly, Ellie's part is written terribly, giving the actress no actual words to work with. And the overall plot has huge issues, mainly the fact that the game is not about anything. It isn't about Joel and Ellie and their relationship, it's not about a journey, it's not even about saving human kind - it's just a game with nothing to say. It's a empty, fun vessel and nothing more. The Director missed too many of opportunities to make this experience special or noteworthy. The most interesting part of The Last of Us are the Infected, though the game isn't much about them either. / SPOILERS / And the ending is too disappointing to even be considered a proper ending. Without giving too much away, it practically makes the whole game entirely pointless. Most games end with the player saving the world, or someone special. The world - obvious choice, it makes everyone feel at least a bit happy with their experience. However, this game forces you to make the other choice and save someone special. However, the game didn't give me not one reason to really care and like neither Joel or Ellie, and even if you like them - the thing is that the game does not make you feel for Ellie as Joel feels for her, and that is where the problems lie, in my opinion. / END SPOILERS / Gameplay is probably the strongest point of The Last of Us, however there are a few issues with pacing here and there, along with a few really awkward decisions that lead nowhere. Even at that, both stealth sections and gunfights are intense, well-thought out and balanced - probably the best we've seen from Naughty Dog. And that is pretty much it. It's a weak "The Walking Dead" spinoff, that is not that great. It's not a "masterpiece" - a 100%, a 10/10 or a 5/5. A game considered a masterpiece must have meaning, better writing, and not only good looks, but good design too. To me, everyone who gives this game above an 8 is either dumb or has been paid to do so. If you don't agree on my points - go play The Walking Dead Season 1, there you can see how much better executed is a very similar plot. Most people have heard probably of BioShock Infinite - a game that was not so overhyped. I'm bringing it up, because it's a good example to compare The Last of Us with - about writing, about how the game is directed to make you care and about the fact that it contains meaning, it contains something that will haunt you until you die. This is something The Last of Us strives to achieve, but I believe that ultimately it's bad directing and a weak plot that bring it down from greatness. The Last of Us is indeed the most overrated game I have ever seen and played. However, that does not mean it's not a good game - it is. It's fun, very fun in fact, and I do recommend it, because there is something to it. It's just not the masterpiece everyone is now almost taught to say it is.

To proppery begin a review of Reaper of Souls, I must first make a short summary of my feelings towards the original Diablo 3. I thought it was terrible - the story made no sense, it was full of gameplay issues, the whole thing could be beat within 8 hours (streching it) and overall: it wasn't fun. It wasn't good. It wasn't the Diablo 3 I had waited 10 years for. Fast forward to a month ago, when patch 2.0 got me interested, so I installed the game again, and I was quite surprised to find myself enjoying it. I even came back for more. I gave it some thought, and when I took into consideration that the game director was changed, I thought I would give him the benefit of the doubt, and 40 bucks along with it, and get the upcoming expansion. Cometh the 21st of March, it was a stormy night, and I was up until 5 AM with my clanmates and friends, having an online launch-party for a expansion we, honestly, did not expect to be even half as good as it was. Reaper of Souls was the best thing Blizzard could have brought up to the table on such a short notice as almost two years. I am sure that with the now proven capabilities of the new director, there will be much more and much better to come. Graphically, what Reaper of Souls brought to the mix is amazing. It has a much more Diablo feel tha any of the previously visited locales. I fell in love with Westmarch from the moment I started Act 5. The only grudge I have with Reaper of Souls graphically, that the pre-designed tilesets that are made to be swapped randomly with every map generation are too chaotic at times, but this is a flaw I suppose we will see fixed. The Sound in this game is better than ever. Don't get me wrong - I like the Diablo 3 soundtrack, but I found that most of the tracks there are weak, I even used to pay with the music off. There were just around 3-4 tracks I liked, like the Main Theme and Tristram's theme. Reaper of Souls has a much better musical score - the compositions are much more classical and moody. Too bad the game didn't come with the OST, which I will most certainly get. The voice work, as typical for Blizzard, is indeed top-notch, though I did find some of the new lines for certain classess to be somehow not in character. Storywise, I think this is the best we are going to see of Diablo 3. Don't get me wrong - I know bad storytelling when I see it, but take a moment to remember how blatanlty stupid the original story was, and further more - take into account that it's a Diablo game and it does not need that much of a story. But I must give props to the team for thinking up additional story-lines, which are very interesting. Also, I have to mention that every character-class has his own little dilhema in the story - it's not the same for everyone, and it is very well thought out. I believe most major critics missed this, because if you noticed - they all have played with just one class, so I hope more people have noticed this. It's actually pretty damn awesome, though poorly executed. But again - it's a Diablo game. Gameplay is the core of this game, and with Reaper of Souls it is better than ever. The new loot system makes the game more fun and addictive, I find myself playing every day, even if it is just for a quick Bounty - the new Adventure mode that they have included is not only the perfect alternative for leveling, if you have grown tired of listening to Azmodan giving away his battle strategies (because, you know, master strategist!), but also very rewarding for loot-hunting and exploring. The only grudge I have is the class addition - it is only one, and not a good one in my opinion. Not only that I dislike him, but we must take into account that not everyone has the patience to level up such a tanky class. He isn't hard, he is just slow and boring. I don't think the Crusader is useless or doesnt fit in, but rather I think that Blizzard should have included two classess, so that everyone gets a shot at something new, not only paladin-wannabes. Overall... speaking as a man who hated Diablo 3 - a game that he was waiting for for years, a man who's favorite game used to be Diablo 2... I must say I got my Diablo 3. And I most certainly look forward to the next expansion. I don't think we'll be seeing PvP anytime soon, but they have also concluded the story-ark, so I'm actually quite enjoying the suspense. I have no idea what Blizzard's Diablo 3 team will come up with for the future, all I know is that I am much more trusting of them now. PS: I must admit that most people writing reviews here are talking nonesence. Act 5 is longer than the entirety of the other 4 acts (seriously, it takes about 7 hours (including side-quests) to beat the original 4 acts, and it took me 9 hours to beat Act 5, and I have not yet seen everything). I just wanted to mention this to everyone who is confused about people accusing Reaper of Souls of being a DLC - it's not - long new act, new class, new mode - it has nothing to do with DLC.

This game is a testament to the evolution of gaming as a mixture of art forms. That sums up all of my thoughts for this review, but I shall carry on. First of all, I want to point out that the PC and iOS versions of the game are different, but I will be reviewing this one only. The iOS version gets the same score from me and if you have a chance to get both - rely on your judgement. I prefer the iOS version, because I like **** more note before I begin - this game wants you to get invested in it. If you are not willing to do so, don't bother. However, 3 hours of investment (tops! Nowadays I can beat this game in 30 minutes, so it depends on you) are very much worth it for the experience of it all. This game grabbed my attention months before it's release, just with it's teasers - they showed amazing promise and I won't lie - I was kind of dissapointed that the game wasn't what I was expecting. But then again - it was so much more, in a good way. Graphically this game looks amazing and you won't understand why by just looking up screenshots, you have to feel it. Seeing a horror game with such a graphical style is indeed rare and a bit odd, but it works better than you'd expect. The sound is masterfuly done, from the music to the sound effects that disturb the dead silence in the woods - this game has amazing sound either way. Story wise, at first, this game feels like nothing special. But it gives you something more by combining story and gameplay - it gives you an experience. This game is art at it's finest and I can't beging to dicuss the story without spoiling it. All I have to say is: Pay attention to get the most of it. It's worth it. And then we get to the gameplay. This game is what I would like to call radical. Everything from it's perspective to the way the puzzles are made are very inovative, yet intuitive. I rarely found myself without an idea of what I had to do - everything is clear as day, and while it might seem easy at times, it knows why it is easy - because it doesn't have to be hard. This game knows exactly how you - the player, are feeling at any given moment, and exploits that feeling perfectly - which is the idea for horror games. At times I just stop and soak it in - the atmosphere it creates is unbelievably eerie in such a good way. I want to talk about the differences between the iOS and PC version and why I think the original is better. The PC offers two, I believe, new locations, which is nice - gives you a reason to replay the game like I did, but it also includes a map system, which ruins the fun for me. One of the best things this game had to offer was the immersion of being lost in the forest. With this map, it's somewhat easier that it should be in my opinion. And lastly - one of the new added puzzles is pretty cheap, though interesting. All of this, by all means, is not something bad, I just wanted to say - try and play the game without the map if you can, though keep that menu bar open... you'll need it. In conclusion: Simogo is an amazing dev team. Every game of theirs is something unique and innovative and every time they get mentioned in the media, I get excited, and for good reason. Anyone who is interested in inovative gaming, gaming as art or horror and adventure games should see this game as soon as they can, because it's worth it. The only gripe I have with it overall is it's lenght, but that's something that Simogo titles are known for, however - I prefer short and briliant games to long and stupid ones. Also, the whole concept of a Year Walk is very interesting. I'll see you all infront of the church on Christmas.

I will not lie - this game was the reason I got myself a 3DS. When you think about it, it doesn't sound that weird, even when taking into account that I'm a grown man. A Pokemon game, to me and to many others, is that special place where we want to go to experience the pure and carefree times of childhood once more. This time change has started, a few years late, and hasn't come all the way. I'd like to start off with a little research did. Since I can't proclaim it as legitimate because I can't be 100% certain, from what I gathered, around 35%+ of people who purchase Pokemon games are adults. Just throwing it out there so you can take it in while I do my thing. Starting off with graphics - I can't start with anything else with "the first fully 3D Pokemon game" - I must say I'm rather disappointed. For a 3D game that doesnt look all that well, it puts some weird strain on the 3DS hardware. There is loads of lag, plus the fact that most of the time you simply can't use the 3D effects of the system, which kind of beats the point of the game being on the system. And even if you can and do - FPS goes down. The Pokemon style is still some type of weird noseless anime, and I find it more and more repulsive. The male and female body shapes almost look identical, some pokemon that need separate male and female models don't have them: In other words - this game lacks graphical polish. At times it looks like a fan-game. I was most surprised from the Soundtrack of this game - it's quite nice. I'm even thinking of buying it. It was a nice surprise. I haven't looked up composers, but I'm pretty sure it's not the same guy who did the previous games. One disappointing thing about the sound in this game is that they didnt bother to add new FX for Pokemon - Gen 1 Pokemon still have their 8-bit cries and they sound really outdated on a 3DS. Also, what gives with the lack of voice acting? It's the 21 century! Storywise, this game is absurd. The story is stupid. It wasnt even funny this time around - it's been recycled too many times now. Dialogue is really awkward and out of place sometimes. They took out the whole "Rival" aspect absolutely in this one. You do have some sort of "Rival", but it's not Garry MF Oak. Old players will get what I mean. Gameplay, ofcourse, is where this game shines. I have to be honest, this game I had the most fun with out of all the Pokemon games. I still love SoulSilver more than any other, but this one is pretty awesome too, and I still do recommend it solely for this reason. At times it has a lot of fan service, paced well, that will make a lot of people happy. Though, be cautious - it really is more casual than usual. But, truth be told, you can make the game harder for yourself. I did and it was loads of fun. In conclusion... this game was a insanely large disappointment. And I will tell you what I gathered from it. The developers of this game are not good devs. They simply aren't. The only reason The Pokemon Company still exists is because Pokemon is Pokemon and it WILL sell no matter what. This is by all means not a good game and it is blatantly obvious - it is programmed badly, it lacks essential things that every pokemon player wants - things that are not that hard to program (I'd know), the game is not at all optimised for the system and the worst - with every next game they get more and more casual and childish, because that is what Nintendo is now. Remember my opening statement? Even if it is wrong, still a large percent of pokemon players are adults. I'm not saying this to say that all pokemon games should be more hardcore (though a more-mature Pokemon game would be awesome) I still prefer a 20 hour journey into my childhood. But I'm smart enough to know when a game is not well constructed and is being released almost unfinished just because it can get away with it - because it's Pokemon and people WILL buy it, like I did. And that most certainly doesn't mean that I should stop playing Pokemon games. It means that The Pokemon Company isn't innovative. Remember the first Pokemon game? That was innovative for the time - the whole concept. Later on, Gold/Silver - you had Pokemon following you and friendships and what not - still a step up. Even Black/White had some story progression and 3D camera play. This one is the first fully 3D pokemon game, but it's an incomplete package. Somehow, with that statement, I expect it also to be voice acted, to be optimised and to have new FX. I'd much rather have that than a new Pokemon generation consisting of even more uninspired pokemon with OP stats, like the previous 2 generations. And I'm sure most players will agree. My 6YO nephew got recently into Pokemon, without having played or watched anything Pokemon related before. Guess what - his faves are Charisard and Blastoise. Hardly a coincidence. To sum it up: Pokemon X/Y is outdated by itself, it's an incomplete package and should not be praised for what the Genesis did 30 years ago.

How does one even begin to talk about a game so overhyped? That is one of the main words I'd use to describe P4G. So many times I've heard "This is the best Vita game!" that I expected so much of it, it couldn't possibly have held up. Further more, Persona 3 is my favorite game, so Persona 4 would have to try real hard to impress me. Never the less I went in very optimistic about this game, understanding that it's something different. To sum it all up: too different, at least for me. But on an important note, I want you to know that I haven't let my feelings about Persona 3 get in the way of my honest review about Persona 4 Golden - what follows are my thoughts about the game as a single experience. Comparissons are just mandatory at some points, but bring nothing to my final score, as you will see in my conclusion Also, another side note, I can't have people talking about that this is the best Vita game - this is a port of a PS2 game, that got a bit ruined over the porting process. Think about it. On a graphical note, the game holds up. Nothing spectacular, but it doesn't need to be. Some of the new designs they went with look stupid, I found myself laughing out loud at them on a couple ocassions, which to me isn't a good sign. Overall on the polish standpoint it stands proudly alongside other entries in the SMT series - extremely polished and nicely stylised. I think the style they chose doesn't fit much, but I'll talk about that later on. This game sounds good too. I don't find the OST to be particularly strong, but it's fitting. However it does not manage to escape some stereotypes, though it tries to. But when it uses a stereotypes- it succeeds brilliantly. I have to mention that it has awesome voice work, featuring some of the best actors in the branch. There are some moments of awkward silence in this game that I did not get or like. The story of Persona 4 is a weird one in execution, not in content. I have to admit that after the amazing story of Persona 3, I expected this to be strong as or stronger than Persona 3. Persona 4 offers a mix of stereotypical characters (with a few exclusions, to my surprise) with bland origin stories, in favor of offering a more complex, dark and brooding plot. However, it's not as good as it sounds. The plot of the game isn't bad, it is simply badly directed - the game overall favors gameplay over story, which may be your thing - keep in mind that it's not mine. The plot seems nice and complex, but it misses a lot of opportunities to become stronger. The story has it's better moments, though - I got some solid laughs and even some soggy eyes at certain points. But in the end it's still a very slow moving story, that tries to end out with a bang, but ends out feeling rushed. To sum the story up: I found myself pressing the "Skip" button way more often that I thought I was capable of in a game of this caliber. To my surprise, however, this game shines on the gameplay standpoint. It offers a lot of activities to do, most of which are very fun and addicting. The main gameplay is very spiced up and not-boring as per usual with JRPGs (in my opinion). There are two major things I didn't like about the gameplay, which for the sake of spoilers, I will sum up into one, spoiler-free sentance: This game gives you NO hints for things it expects you to know and do, and proceeds to punish you for not doing them. To a gamer like me, who likes freedom of choice and rewarding story-driven gameplay, I found the gameplay boxing. A lot of times I said to myself "Immersion broken", because this game often reminded me that it's a game - something I don't want to think about while trying to be a part of the experience. Also, the overall bright presentation of the game ruins it at times too, being unfitting for the plot it tries to sell. In conclusion, I think the only reason people are overhyping this game is because it's the only Persona game they've played. Don't let that fool you. But I have something else to say too: I'd rate an 8/10 as a sequel to Persona 3, because as we see in the bigger picture, the two are connected. I'ts not a good sequel. But it's a heck of a standalone 9/10 game. You owe it to yourself to play this game, because even going beyond the statement that it's worse than Persona 3, which I am going off here, I cannot deny the fact that it's a really awesome game that you should not miss. I still say it's not the best Vita game, because it's a PS2 game. I do recommend playing the Vita version, because long games are made for portables, but if you chose to do so - google things carefully, because overhype leads to overexposure, and spoilers are everywhere! Further more, be prepared to spoil some things for yourself intentionally if you want to get the most out of this game (talking about the thing the game expects you to know). Conclusion: Play Persona 3 first, reasons can be found in my Persona 3 review, also P4 is a sequel to P3 none the less.

I've rarely been at a loss for words when it comes to opinions on video games, but now I find myself in the first time I don't know how or where to begin. So I will just start at the beggining. A lot of people I've known or followed talked about the Persona series and I got this game recommended to me at least 10 times before I actually tried it, and the sad thing is that I tried it because I was bored and I had nothing to do - my Vita was busy being dusty in the corner, I had no time to play big PS3 games (Persona 3 turned out to be bigger than the usual PS3 game, but I didn't know that) so I just decided to try whatever I hadn't tried on my beloved PSP. I just started with 3, because I didn't have any of the other ones, and frankly - it had the best review scores, so that was enough for me. I went in with a negative mindset - I'm not a big fan of JRPGs, neither am I a fan of long games or grinding. To me - a five hour polished story mode is all that is required. This game had three crucial parts to it that made me understand that it is a masterpiece. And I most certainly had no idea that this game will become my favorite game of all time. First crucial part: The intro - shocking and unexpected. P3 made a wonderful transition to the PSP. Some complain that most cutscenes are just voiceovers and portraits, but I liked that. I'm usually not a fan of weird japanese designs, but this game made me love its direction, because of two main reasons: it was faithful to it's own source material, meaning the abundance of other Shin Megami Tensei games, and because it was all done in real style with lots of polish that very few games ever achieve. Second up is the soundtrack. I have to be honest, at first I hated it. 10 hours in - I was singing along with it, and I had it on my MP3 player, and I still listen to it. It's an amazing soundtrack and a great example of what soundtracks can be - a very well done variant of sorts, because it does tell you how to feel, but it also escapes steriotypes, like the battle music having to be thrilling or scary. Also, the game is almost fully voice-overed in english - props! The gameplay is the best JRPG gameplay I've seen. I felt I had control in all the right places. The game knew exactly where the weak points of the JRPG genre are, and it made sure to tell me "Listen dude, this is stupid, so here is what you can do to make it fun and fluid". This is the first JRPG in which I've had actual fun with, but you have to play it to understand why. Lastly, and most importantly for me - the story. I have to admit here - I'm a **** for high-school anime drama. But even at that, the story of Persona 3 really delves with some actual issues. I went in this expecting a silly and overexposed story, but it was surprisingly quite mature, as stated by the intro sequence, going to places that even mature games don't go. This game even may teach the player some things, if they are willing to learn, there is even a slight hint of symbolism in it, which I loved. Ofcourse, to some folks it's common knowledge - to me it was, but it didn't ruin the experience for me what so ever. I've never felt so attached to video game characters in my life - to movie characters - yeah, to book characters - absolutely, but to a video game? Never. But towards the ending of this game I felt that I was my protagonist - the people in the game were my friends and the game made sure that I care for them, and I really did. Second important reason prooving game is a masterpiece - it gives you multiple reasons on multiple levels to care about it's characters. From the little things like their AI not **** during battle, to the big ones, like them actually having personality and developement throughout the story. Truth be told, I actually miss the characters now, and the memories of the Persona 3 story are also memories of my own, though that may sound farfetched. The story of the game itself isn't anything special when you think about it. In this case it's not so much about literal content - it's about pacing and the way the story is told - by making you feel you are an actual part of it and your actions cause actual consequences to the world, that the game tries it's best to make you a part of and for the most part - succeeds. I'm not saying it will work with everyone, I'm saying that it's very masterfully done. The last crucial proof point of this game is the ending. It's one of the most well-executed endings in gaming history and I loved it. And frankly - I didn't want it to end. I wasn't ready. In conclusion, I think the PSP edition is the deffinitve edition. This game is made for portable handhelds. But forget about that - I've never played a game as polished and well-constructed as this. No game has ever managed to keep me entartained for more than 10 hours - I'm not a patient man. And I've, personally, found enough reasons in this game to call it my favorite game. It comes highly recommended from me to everyone.

I really want to give this game a high score and I really couldn't wait to get it, it being the first 3DS game I bought, right after getting a 3DS, but I can't. That being said, I must admit to two things: first of all, I expected this game to be Shinobi III-2, but it is rather Revenge of Shinobi 1,5 3D + Slash Attacks, Free Useless Parry Mechanic Included. Second of all, I don't like this way of directing, because personally I think is wrong and it boxes the player. I'll elaborate further. My first and main problem with this game: it didn't make me feel like a ninja. I can't help but compare it with Shinobi III, which is one of my most favored games of all time, but for good reason - in Shinobi 3, if you die, you die because you are not ninja enough. That's it. In Shinobi 3DS you die whenever you don't play the game however the director wanted you to play it - and it has nothing to do with any of the previous games at all (though it's most reminiscent of Revenge of Shinobi, as stated above, but only in the way of Revenge being somewhat slower than the others). In this case - I say "Don't brake what isn't broken", though I'm not a fan of this practice. Inovation is one thing, breaking a franchise - another. That being said, the game doesn't look that great either. The graphics are all pixelated (though it's an early 3DS game, I can't help but feel it was being made for the DS, then they suddeny just added some 3D to charge more), some parts of the game look really well and have actually inspired designs, others are generic and forgetable, but let's not push ourselves - The Shinobi series isn't known for benchmark designs. The 3D effects on the 3DS have their moments, but overall - not worth the headache. One thing that did make a really positive impression on me was the OST. It got me really pumped at times and I overall enjoyed it, I'd even buy it. Probably the high point of the game. The story in this game aims too high and falls flat. It's told through cheaply done cutscenes, some of which look really awesome and stylish, and others - bland and unfinished. The plot tries to introduce us to characters we don't care about, and ultimately - to characters that it doesn't need at all. In the end it wants to make this game's story a "revelation" to the series, but it just ends up looking overglorified. Overall - this segment prooves that this game was very rushed and needed a lot more work. Although I trust that is the case, I must hand it to the people for putting some polish in - loads of unlockables - weapons, costumes, also challanges and even some history for the other games. Good stuff, really. And I come back to the gameplay. As I have stated in my introduction, I don't like the overall direction this game went - it tried to change the gameplay for no reason, ending up overcomplicating it, it made it slow and somehow managed to ruin the platforming, making it very unprecise. My biggest complaint is that a Musashi - a Shinobi, a ninja, can't run. There is even a segment in the game in which the game tells you "RUN" as if you have any option of such, only for it to mean "Be careful not to execute every following move perfectly or you will die" - not equal to run! My other main complaint is the Parry mechanic, which sometimes looks cool and sounds like a good idea, but ends up being annoying, because the developers want you to use it badly, and if you don't - you die. In Shinobi 3, again, you have options - to plow through enemies, running and dive-kicking, or to be slow and patient, or to mix the two. In this game, you must parry certain attacks, or there is no getting through the game. Even the last boss is nothing more than a parry fest mixed in with a waiting game. Which brings me to my conclusion - this game isn't challanging. In just a few minutes it has you - the player, boxed in it's own world, playing by it's own rules, and if you don't like them - you can't play together anymore. It doesn't challange your skills, your creativity or your ninja reflexes - everything is blatantly obvious, especially the boss fights, which sound awesome as ideas, but end up being boring, because they are way too easy. Main point: this game doesn't make you feel like a ninja. Sure, there is lots of replay value if you happen to like this particular way of gameplay, but if you don't - you simply go to the 3DS e-shop and download Shinobi III 3D, because it's cheaper and better. You need just a slightly better soundtrack to boot. I can think of a thousand different ways to make this game better, but the sad fact is that this game, combined with the two PS2 games, are the three main reasons the Shinobi franchise is probably dead forever now, and I'm very sad about that, because Joe Musashi's place isn't in Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing Transformed, it's as "... a man running in the darkness - he will be a shadow. He will be a Shinobi.".

As I write these words, I hear the game calling to me, asking me to give it a 10/10 and I really do want to, but this one I can just let slide. Let me just get it out right now - I'm a **** for this game. I won it two times - on the PSP and on my Vita + I have the original Dissidia. I'm not sure if I could fit it into my top 10, simply because I believe there are still titles better than this one. But I can't deny facts: this game is a technological marvel, cramming up so much content into such a small UMD, it looks and sounds awesome, and it really tries to tell a meaningful story, and don't even get me started on how much fun playing it is. But it has flaws that I cannot deny either. Let me revise: graphical side. This game looks amazing. It follows the same style as Crisis core and Kingdom Hearts for the PSP, which I think it's very nice. Some sprites do look a bit pixelated at times, but never the less - this game puts a lot of stress onto the PSP's hardware - a lot of things going on on screen, breakable terrain and a 60FPS to boot! This game is one of the better optimised games for the system and is one of the achievments that Square Enix has made, in my opinion. The cinematics are also very epic, but I think they've done better in the past, and further more - there aren't that many included this time around. In the sound department this game doesn't fail either - renowned composer Takeharu Ishimoto doesn't fail to deliver once again with a beautiful score, that also compiles some classical themes from older Final Fantasy titles, as per appropriate for the title. There is a lot of voice work included also, the translation doesn't seem as off as Crisis Core's did, but still there are some awkward moments of silence. The story of this game needs you to pay attention to detail, or you will miss it. It never tells you anything out loud, or - for the most part it does, but I've found a subtle hint of symbolism which is really fitting the overall theme and is really nicely blended with all of the characters, their backstories and it's also nicely paced. The only problem is that not anyone can see it and I often find myself not talking about it, because I see how most people regard the story as "forced", but if you have a keen eye for writing and have studied symbolism before - you will see it and enjoy it. I know I did and I happen to be a bit of a bookworm. The gameplay is where this game really shines. In it's core - it's a one on one figher. But it does so much more. First of all - the game quizzes you really fast to find out what type **** are you, and it will either provide you with a spectacle to view, while you choose the skills you want to use in a similar to the turn-based system of the franchise way, or if you choose - you can play it in full-out action mode, which I prefer and I think you will too. The gameplay is both free and chained. It is very free because you feel powerful playing the iconic hero or vilain you have chosen - their skills look great, they feel powerful and you can see the effects they cause - sometimes victory, but always including a bit of ruin and chaos. The battle system tends to be more Smash Bros. than Mortal Combat, with a touch of zero-gravity added in, but it's all in good fun, and honestly - if I try to describe it, it will most certainly end up sounding very boring, so I suggest trying it out - demos are still available! When you are not batteling, however, you also get the chance to explore an open-world and grind to your heart's content in checkboard-style dungeons - these segments I found to be more of a waste of time than anything, but maybe that was just me. I mentioned above that the game also feels chained, and that is because it limits you very massively to the moves you can use in a fight, and though you get used to them and don't mind - you have so much more available, and you can't use it almost ever. And I understand this is probably due to the system's limitations, but still I'd rather not have as many, or for them to have thought of a compromise. This will stutter your experience without a doubt, but it's worth it and I grew to teach myself to ignore this. In the end - the good things outweigh the bad - awesome cast of iconic characters, fun systems, interesting story and a lot of polish. Also, this game includes the entire first Dissidia as an unlockable after beating it, because technically it's a prequel - what more could you want? Truth be told, this game is a 10/10, because it's most certainly not the game's fault that some people can't appreciate the complex story or that the system can't handle the full potential of it's combat system. Never the less, I have to warn, so I judge appropriately, giving a 9/10 and saying: This is one of the best games ever made and it's a mistery to me why it hasn't been HD'd and ported on everything, because with a bit more work it could be even better. If you have a PSP or Vita - get this game.

Ah, the PSP - still one of my favorite consoles. Still almost always in my pocket, always loaded with something awesome I can enjoy. I can clearly recall the surprise when I got it as a gift... and I recall the thirst to get this game. Crisis Core was the first game I sought out for my brand new PSP. I had just gotten into the Final Fantasy series, and I liked what I was seeing (though I believe I had not played anything yet). Sadly, the only FF available was the FF1 remake, which in my opinion hasn't aged that well, but that's for another time. Almost two years later I ordered the game online and when I received it I hardly could wait to get home and put the UMD in. My Final Fantasy craze was still in it's heat, and since Final Fantasy 7 was one of my favorites, and Zack was my-second best favorite character (next to Vincent), it was like a match made in heaven - a Square Enix game, in 3D, portable, with an awesome story and character to boot, and it wasn't a JRPG - perfect blend, just my type. And you know what? Looking back at my golden days of free-time, gaming, and back when the PSP was my only console - this game is the one I remember loving the most, and out of all my PSP games I think this is actually my favorite, because the time spent with it was pure joy to the extent that I don't ever want to play it again, because it might ruin the memory. Graphically, everyone by now knows that this game is one of the best looking games on the system - almost no pixelation, beautiful animations and very high-detailed sprites. Some of the environmetns and dungeons seem a bit uninspired, but that's no biggie at all in comparison to the overall picture. The translation is noticably a bit hit and miss, so is the voice acting, but for the most part - it's awesome. The cinematics in this game are insanely good - on a level only Blizzard and Square Enix could achieve nowadays (in my opinion). Not only does it look great - it sounds great. Most of the OST of this game is still on my MP3 player and I find myself listening to "The Price of Freedom" and "The Summoned" pretty often, and for good reason. Renowned composer Takeharu Ishimoto has delivered some of the best soundtracks in gaming history and it's always an honor to listen to him in a good game. Now, to be frank, this game's story probably isn't as good as I remember. But I do remember the shocking moments of it being really unexpected and the narrative being well told, though a little slow at times. This story is part of the giant ark that is Final Fantasy 7 and it does the overall story justice. Since it is a prequel to FF7's story, ti can be enjoyed anyone without ruining the movie or the other games, and veteran fans of FF7 will love seeing the relationships of their favorite characters. To be honest, I consider Crisis Core's story a bit better than FF7's - it doesn't try to be that epic, and in the end - it ends up packing a slightly bigger punch. The gameplay of this game is the hardest thing to comment on - it cannot be easily summed up and you would best understand it if you play it. It seems highly overcomplicated when you think about it, but it's one of those things you learn to do without even noticing really quick and in the end - it can be quite rewarding. This time around the battle system is active - no waiting around, no turn-based combat - almost full action. Your actions are somewhat limited to a slot-machine mechanism, and though it sounds a bit luck-based - it's not that big of a deal. The only downside I've found in the gameplay that drove me really mad in some points was the fact that the random encounters are still here and still annoying. But the good fact is, that the game is not so grindy - I hardly had to grind, and since the battle system flows much faster - grinding would hardly be that big of a chore. Overall, this game is amazing. I've often pondered which is my favorite PSP game. I could say Ghost of Sparta, because I really think it is the best God of War game, I could also safely say Dissidia 012 - another brilliant and content-packed Final Fantasy game from Square, but none of those games take me back to pure joy and wonder as Crisis Core. I suppose I am a bit santimental over it, but I trust it is for good reason. Also, I have to point out, that the ending of this game is one of the best directed and executed finales in all of gaming. I'd advise you reach it, if you have a PSP. This game shouldn't be missed, no matter if you are a FF fan or not - this game isn't restricting as your typical JRPG. It's almost sold out now and it's become quite rare - I assure, it's for very good reason. I should give this game a 9/10, because it has it's flaws. But I'm going to let this one slide just because of my memories. Forgive me, dear reader, but I suggest you play it too and see that even you would let one point slide at the end, even if it isn't a 10/10 for you - this game requires respect for good reason.

At first, when this game became a hit, ofcourse I was following it. And I had no intention of playing it. It looked overglorified, sounded awful and made the impression of a overly-violent stupid game. Oh, how wrong I was. I got this game for two reasons - first, I was bored and second - it was dirt cheap on the PSN. I went into this game with negative expectations - I expected to hate it and not even finish it. The first thing I noticed were the controls, which on the Vita felt klunky and a bit fidgity, but - spoilers - when I got used to them, now the controls on the PS3 seem awkward. But I still choose the PC version as a definitive, because I got to play that as well, just for comparison. First up, I'd like to say that the game doesn't look "amazing", but it looks awesome for what it is. It has high levels of style and overall polish, that suite the feel of the game very much. The game seems to make the correct impression that it isn't using 8bit style just to be "retro-indie" or "because it can", but because it feels right at home. I can't imagine that 3D or even 16bit graphics would work with this game, not in a million years, neither will voice-acting or high-class shadows and reflections - this game looks perfect the way it is, because the developers knew what they were going for and they didn't spare to proove it. I did want to quickly get this out of the way - the OST, but then I remembered that I actually have something to say that most critics miss - yes, the soundtrack is good, and yes, when you first hear it you will either love it or hate it (I did hate it), but not only does it perfectly convey the way you should be feeling in that particular momment, which makes it a brilliant pick and blend of sounds, but further more it gets into your ears, mind and, the amazing thing - it gets you into a particular mindset. It's a thing that you truly need to experience, while enjoying the game, to understand. And speaking of enjoying the game - this game has amazing gameplay. I see that some of the people who have submited reviews define it as "unfair" and "inconsistent", but that's the thing the game is going for, and seeing comments like this just prooves one sure thing - this game isn't for anyone's tastes. I'm usually not a fan of violance at all, this game got to me on a couple ocassions, but I found the narrative interesting and the gameplay quite addicting, for several important reasons: first of all, the gameplay is easy to understand and execute, but hard to master - this is something I take of value when games do. The game is intended to be unfair and inconsistent, because it has a masked killer handle groups of armed, proffesional killers - people, who in real life, you wouldn't expect to react the same all the time, would you? I think this game has brilliant AI, though it tends to be buggy from time to time, but it's in good fun. The difficulty many of the users describe as "high", but I say that you just need to get used to it - no hand holding here. This is my second main reason for enjoying the gamemplay - it was rewarding. At first I found almost every next stage to get harder and harder to the point of frustration. But once I "got my groove on" and beat the game, after that I noticed that I'm plowing enemies with Dennis just using the knife and enjoying doing so, because I knew and I saw that I was so damn good at it. Which just leads to my final reason for maximum enjoyment - this game made me loose myself. This game made me the cold and heartless killer that the protagonist Jacket is and I grew to love killing these bloaks, just like he grew to not give a damn (not in the sense that I'd go smash someone's head in with a pipe... for now anyways). Which brings me to the final point of interest - the story. A lot of controversy going on with this - some people say it's worthless, others that it's genious, and some that it doesn't matter. I find the first and third types of people to be wrong and while I don't think that the story is "genious" or "unique" for that matter, I find it to be very intriguing and well paced and told, which at times is much more important than content. This type of story isn't my thing, I usually detest movies or books in this matter, but this one had something special going for it that I can't quite grasp even now, but I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that it was a game - an experience, and not something I'm simply being a wintess to. I had a lot of fun tying all the things together and reading theories on the internet that I actually had an opinion on, meaning that the game left a mark on me, which, to me, makes it special. Overall, the only grudge I have with this game is that it doesn't last forever. I apologize to it because I neglected it, but I enjoyed it none the less. My personal rating is 10/10, but since I know it's not the actual rating I'd give, I give 9/10 because of reasons that don't matter in the end. If you get my drift.