Review: Yakuza Kiwami (PS4)

Posted on August 23, 2017 by geelw

While Sega could have done a basic HD remaster of the original 2005 Yakuza game and gotten away with it, they thankfully did a great deal more with a full-on remake running at 1080p and a pretty solid 60fps. Yakuza Kiwami is a total hoot that, while packing in a few old-school problems, makes for quite a hilarious and always entertaining game experience.

From over the top (and none to complex, thank you) combat to plenty of mature content snipped from the earlier North American PS2 version or added specifically to this version, it’s just good to see this game hold up as well as it does and remain mostly a blast to play. “Mostly” gets a point here thanks to the camera getting wacky in tight places and a few instances where the older game’s plot wonkiness step into the update and keep a few elements a bit confusing. Overall, though – the game is makes for a really great time from its opening moments.

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Review: Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion (PS Vita)

Posted on August 23, 2017 by geelw

Meanwhile, over at Legatus Laendur’s camp, the tactician supreme is fuming. The land of Fenumia has branded him a traitor to Princess Cecile, so he’s on the run with intent on crushing the empire and possibly taking over the kingdom. This begins Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion, a game that expands the story from Fallen Legion: Sins of an Empire on the PS4.

While the portable game has longer loading times and some slowdown to deal with, it controls and plays exactly the same. In other words, expect a challenging time indeed if you simply jam on the buttons thinking that’ll get the job done. Success here as in the other game demands precision and timing as well as learning who where and when to use your growing arsenal of moves on.

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Review: Fallen Legion: Sins of an Empire (PS4)

Posted on August 21, 2017 by geelw

It’s tough work running a fantasy kingdom. Political intrigue here, a smart-ass talking grimoire there, loads of life and death decisions to be made at the quick press of a button. Not an easy task for the daughter of a recently deceased king, but Princess Cecille in Fallen Legion: Sins of an Empire can do it with a little help from you, of course. Indie developers Yummy Yummy Tummy and Mintsphere have cooked up not one, but two challenging games (The other being Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion) that tell opposite sides of the overall story that should give PS4 and Vita fans a good reason to grab both.

Granted, there are a few flaws here and there, but if you liked the Valkyrie Profile series and VanillaWare’s more slickly polished titles, this one will be right up your alley. We’ll get to the Vita game and Legatus Leandur’s tale in a second review, but for now, let’s keep the Princess in our sights.

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Blu-Ray Review: The Slayer

Posted on August 16, 2017 by geelw

Well, hell. The Slayer actually surprised me with how good it was and once again, Arrow Video drops the microphone with a stellar print of this eagerly awaited slasher with some nice bonus features. While the film has its share of flaws, it’s got a small and interesting cast that’s not made up of the usual sex-starved teens getting killed off by the slasher of the week. Okay, it’s more mature adults getting killed off, but hey, it’s a step up in any event.

The film also predates A Nightmare on Elm Street in having its fiend just so happen to do its dirty work as its wide-eyed female lead sleeps. While probably not at all an influence on Wes Craven’s masterpiece, it’s impossible to watch the film without making a connection somewhere along the line.

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The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II PSN-Bound

Posted on August 9, 2017 by geelw

Okay, it’s August 15 for you folks in the USA, but the game has dropped into the European PS Store already. As this PlayStation Blog post points out, a bunch of improvements and changes have been made over the PS original.

The Playstation 4 version of the game comes with a lot of new gameplay features, unique trophies, full DualShock 4 controller support and a completely reworked scenario mode and Tower Defense mini game. On PlayStation 4 Pro players are able to choose from three different settings: Better Performance (1920 x 1080 aiming @ 60fps), Balanced (2880 x 1620 aiming @ 50fps) and Better Quality (native 4K aiming @ 30fps).

– all of which sounds fine to me. Players of the first installment can (and should!) import their save file in order to take a more powerful Van Helsing into the second game, as the first big battle is indeed a tough one if you jump in under-prepared.

Even better, the game is only $14.99, making it a must for action ARPG fans looking for a budget-priced game that promises plenty of action for a fair price point.

-GW

Ninja Nope

Posted on August 4, 2017 by geelw

Ha! Unholy masters of unintentional comic relief, if you ask me.

Confession time, again. I was never much into the whole ninja craze that hit America in the 80’s and despite oh, 30+ years of trying to watch a chunk of these films, they just bounce off my imagination like bullets off Superman’s chest. Sorry, but the sight of some guy in black or white pajamas throwing down a smoke bomb and a handful of sharpened jacks just makes me chuckle to on end. Give an American ninja a deck of Hanafuda cards and he’d still be a joke shilling 3-card monte on a street corner somewhere in Baltimore.

Granted, the films I’m referring to are primarily American-made and very intentionally cheesy (even if they try too damn hard to be serious). I’ve seen a few Asian ninja flicks that I vaguely recall being “okay” in that “Well, it’s made over there, so it’s not so bad” manner one says as he politely dismisses more guys in their pajamas tossing pointy metal stars and throwing gravel in the faces of their enemies as they make a clean getaway (snicker!). Yeah, I just think the whole idea of stealthy assassins dropping in on a catered or any affair to bump off some poor sap(s) is prime hilarity more than any actual threat.

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The Old Song And Dance, Medical Division

Posted on July 26, 2017 by geelw

(thanks, TomPettyVEVO!)

Ugh. I have two more medical appointments this week to go with yesterday’s eye appointment, so I’m pretty much doctored out for the time being. It’s not the appointments themselves as they’re kind of needed to see how my assorted parts are holding up after all that stuff happening back in May. The annoying part is all the waiting. Personally, I prefer to arrive early (up to an hour ahead) just in case someone doesn’t show and I get bumped up on the list (hasn’t happened yet, though).

While I don’t mind the wait time much (I’ve never had an appointment start anywhere close to the time chosen), I do mind some of the people waiting constantly complaining about having to wait every single time. Welcome to this insane, imperfect health care system where insurance is more a middleman pick-pocketing you with a smile more than an actual helping hand.

Eh, let them whine away – I’ll just break into an old song and dance number to throw them for a loop. Let’s see now… this should do:

(thanks, GoodOldDaysReturns!)

Of course, it’s hard to dance once your eyes are dilated and singing isn’t easy when you throw your back out when trying to dance in a crowded waiting room.

-GW

Review: Valkyria Revolution (PS4)

Posted on July 25, 2017 by geelw

valkyria chronicles (4).jpg

Valkyria Revolution PS4 (Custom) Well, veteran developer Media Vision gave it the old college try, but as a set in the past side story to the fan favorite Valkyria Chronicles series, Valkyria Revolution isn’t so thrilling as a game experience. Packed full of overlong exposition, mostly pretty visuals ruined by stiffly animated characters, and somewhat weak gameplay, this one manages to be somewhat lifeless despite trying very hard to appeal to longtime fans and players new to the series.

That said, the music is great, some of the timely political intrigue is interesting enough, as is the main storytelling device of a teacher and student discussing events that happened decades earlier. But the core gameplay never rises above mediocre thanks to somewhat loose controls and a “tactical” side that really doesn’t add much challenge. It’s not a “bad” game per se – it’s just one where you may feel too much time was spent on making a game packed with too much of some stuff and too little of everything else.

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Songs For Spies (A Playlist)

Posted on July 20, 2017 by geelw

Wow, you take some time off the internet to get better and stuff just falls apart in a bunch of places, huh? Anyway, as some of our intelligence agencies are under pressure from a guy with not too much intelligence at all, I decided to sweep up some music off YouTube to keep our sly guys and gals upbeat and maybe chuckling a little.

1. Secret Agent Man – Johnny Rivers
(Yes, the DEVO version is also recommended!)
2. I Spy (For the FBI) – The Untouchables
(feel free to substitute the cool Jamo Thomas version if you prefer)
3. Spy World – Wall of Voodoo
4. Somebody’s Watching Me – Rockwell
5. Heroes – David Bowie
6. Back In The USSR – The Beatles (but you get the Motorhead version just because it’s awesome)
7. Vanishing Spies – Frank Black
8. Don’t Worry About The Government – Talking Heads
9. Every Breath You Take– The Police
10. We Are Detective – Thompson Twins
11. The Big Heat – Stan Ridgway
12. Territorial Pissings – Nirvana
13. Men In Black – Will Smith
14. Senses Working Overtime – XTC

Um, I think that’s it – feel free to add your own tunes to this little mix. Over and out.

-GW

Now, Where Was I?

Posted on July 13, 2017 by geelw

Oh, right. Had some medical appointments this week and got a few more as a result. Whee. I need a vacation from all this poking and prodding, but it looks as if most of that quality time I’d prefer lazing about will be spent hanging out in waiting rooms listening to people griping about waiting. Feh. I’ll be replaying this cool kookiness on a loop in my head to drown that droning out:

(thanks, GoodOldDaysReturns!)