Fighting Climax is here to make all of your fan fiction battles come to life!

You remember that one time when you asked the video game gods to put all of your favorite anime and video game characters into one awesome fighting game? You didn’t? Oh well, Fighting Climax is here and it is everything you didn’t even know you asked for.

At it's surface, Fighting Climax is a beautiful game. From the menus down to the battle combos this game does not disappoint visually. All of your favorites are there, well, that is if you have been watching modern Anime for the past 10 years. Sword Art Online and Durarara in the same game?! Yes please! All of the character sprites are very reminiscent and spot on with the character designs of their respective shows with variations that add to the fan fiction fueled drool fest that is this game.

So we get it, this game is beautiful, but how does it play? Well I am glad you asked! Fighting Climax is a powerhouse of a game.  A large variety of characters, party combinations, and attack combinations makes this game incredibly immersive. I am by no means a fighting game expert but I have played my share and I would absolutely say that this title has outshined my last few ventures in the the genre. Basic gameplay is similar to Guilty Gear, Blazbu, and other fighters of the sort. Short light novel scenes accompanied by fights in progressing stages.

While playing the game you first choose your character from a very diverse and impressive cast of modern Anime and video games “Who's Who”, if you will. This game also implements an “assist character” that you choose to accompany you in battle. This character will provide assistance in combos a lot like the Marvel Vs Capcom Series. Although none of the assist characters are playable as main characters, it is still a nice way to incorporate a larger roster.

The game is flawed in a few aspects you might expect from a portable fighter. During larger combos and animation scenes there is slight lag. A few of the combos feel unresponsive at times, leaving you frustrated and discouraged. But when you do pull off that Climax attack it makes everything right with the world, that is if it actually connects. At times while playing this game, I felt like the hit box parameters were a bit “selective”. The only other flaw I could really bring to light is the lack of a learning curve. There is not much instruction, aside from practice mode like most fighting games, but where this game gets a little frustrating is in the fact that your first two matches will seem like child's play, followed by Gill from Third Strike. 

I would say this game is a great collaboration of modern anime culture and how in depth fighting games have become. I think anyone who hasn’t played much of the genre will be able to find their footing and maybe step out of their element and enjoy what they find, while fighting champions still enjoy it's tried and true mechanics and diversity.

This Gamer gives it a 4 out of 5

Fighting Climax is available on PlayStation 3 and Vita. Thanks to Sega for providing the game for review.

Disgaea 5 (Review) is Here With a Vengeance d00d!

In today's world of fast paced action adventure and FPS games strategy, RPGs are often overlooked, or sometimes completely disregarded as a whole. While most games offer a feeling of instant gratification there are those that make you work for it. Enter Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance. This newest entry in NIS America’s flagship series offers more than any of it's   predecessors and, much like the title might suggest, makes it's fashionably late arrival to the Playstation 4 with a vengeance.

Where to begin d00d?! Following the the footsteps of its older siblings Disgaea 5 is massive. So massive in fact that I have spent the last few weeks with the game and still discover a new feature practically every time I play. All of the favorites are here; Item World, Assembly room, Reincarnation, Magichange, and of course prinnies. Incorporating a few new features like being able to equip two weapons, and “Revenge Mode” Disgaea 5 is one titan of a game.

Let's talk about the cast of this adventure through the good ol’ Netherworld. Your main character this time around is a demon named Killia. While not an overlord, Killia is an extremely powerful demon seeking revenge against the game's main antagonist Lord Void Dark. There is also the female counterpart, the Etna of the game if you will, named Seraphina. She is the overlord of Gorgeous, and plotting to destroy Lord Void Dark to get out of an arranged marriage.

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The rest of the cast consists of Red Magnus, Christo, Usalia, and Zeroken, a mix matched group of overlords and royalty all attempting to take down Lord Void Dark for their own reasons. While incredibly unique in their own right, each character almost seems to take influence of previous heroes. Unlike previous entries in the franchise I have yet to find a character that I find grating, or annoying. All of the characters add their own element in developing the story and as such, make the player more attached to the team as a whole. The dialogue and story development is by far the most in depth to date and provokes the feeling of watching an animated movie.

This game is just gorgeous. From the character sprites, the environment, heck even down to the menus, everything about this game practically jumps out of the screen. I’ve never seen prinnies this gorgeous. There are a ton of new skills and combos as well as many classics. Following in the footsteps of Disgaea D2, and Disgaea 4, the characters are all in HD and all look as if they were hand drawn on demand.

On to the core of every good strategy RPG; Disgaea 5 offers what is practically endless game play. With the majority of today's games consisting of either a six hour campaign and pvp, or a monolith of content, this game definitely takes the latter. This entry in NIS America’s cult favorite is outstandingly large. From the infinite abyss of the Item World, to finishing newly incorporated “Quests” there is absolutely no shortage of content to be found. To think, they are planning on DLC for this thing?!

The battle system holds true to the standard Disgaea formula; grid based tactical strategy RPG. Newly implemented in this title is the Revenge meter. Upon taking damage, allies being bested, and enemies powering up you receive a boost to your revenge meter. Once the revenge meter is full you have the opportunity to use an Overload ability, think of limit breaks from FFVII. The Revenge feature offers a new and immersive element to the standard formula by adding a small feature. That's not all either! Disgaea 5 boasts all out warfare with the ability to have 100 unique character sprites on the battlefield at once. Refer to the previous paragraph for rants about how big and beautiful this game is.

If I am being completely honest, I am having a hard time finding flaws in this game. I have enjoyed just about every second I have spent playing Disgaea 5 but I will say there are a few things that take some getting used to. You no longer unlock classes via reincarnation or leveling up, instead it is all quest based. I have also found that there is so much content that they sometimes overlook explaining how to work the mechanic. While it doesn't take long to figure out most of the time, it can be frustrating wasting EXP or HL on the wrong thing because you didn't understand what was going on. Not like that happened to me or anything.

Overall this game is incredible. NIS America has successfully held true to what separated the Disgaea franchise from the sea of SRPGs and implemented just enough flair to make it feel brand new all over again. Although some of the new mechanics and changes may scare or confuse veteran players it isn’t nearly enough to take away from the experience. Disgaea 5 offers an insanely large amount of content, a vibrant cast, and a fulfilling story that is never compromised by gameplay to provide a beautiful addition to this already amazing franchise.

This prinny gives it a 5/5 d00d!

Be sure to grab your copy when it is released stateside on October 6th at retailers and online!

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As always thank you to NIS America for the review copy, and for making such an incredible entry to a series I already hold very dear. ​

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls Review

In the universe of Danganronpa few things are expected: homicidal teddy bear robots, you can’t trust anyone, and don’t expect anything; NIS America’s latest installment Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls is a shining example of all those points. 

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls follows Komaru Naegi, the younger sister of the first game's protagonist, and takes place between the first two titles in the franchise. Leaving it's murder mystery, “who dun it”, Ace Attorney-esque roots for a third person adventure/shooter feel, this game leaves much to be desired. While elements of the story and characters felt unique and reminiscent of previous games, it is hard to get past the repetitive elements found in this title. 

The gameplay is unique when inside the context of the franchise, but as a whole I feel the experience fell short. While most adventure shooter titles have a wide array of enemies and weapons allowing customization, Ultra Despair Girls has one. Just one. The balance to that can be found in the variety of ammunition and puzzles found throughout the game. You won’t find yourself overcome by waves of unfamiliar foe or wracking your brain to figure out which upgrade may be more beneficial; instead most of the gameplay is focused on force fed backstory and monotonous teddy bear execution.

Not all is lost on this title! The story itself is essential to the lore of Danganronpa and as such should be played by fans of the series. The easy to play mechanics are inviting to a new audience and hopefully can draw them into the madness that is Danganronpa. As a whole, I feel this game might take players by surprise if they are not familiar with the franchise. Unfortunately, any long time fans of the previous entries I fear will find flaws in this release. 

This gamer gives it a 2 out of 5

Thanks to the publisher for supplying a copy for review.

I have returned from the Abyss, and this is what I've discovered!

Abyss Odyssey: Extended Dream Edition is the latest HD remaster developed by ACE team and published by ATLUS. The game was originally available via respective online marketplaces for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC in 2014 and this re-release is every bit as enthralling as the original. From a simply stunning art style, unique and challenging battle mechanics, and an original story this game has a lot to bring to the table.

The story of Abyss Odyssey follows a band of heroes in a quest to destroy a sleeping warlock whose dreams are infecting the human world. The heroes must venture deeper and deeper into the randomly generated catacombs of “The Abyss” in an attempt to destroy the slumbering antagonist. Each journey into the abyss is different due to the game's randomized dungeon algorithm, and because of that each play through is just as unique as the first time you picked up the controller. Players may die once per expedition, once fallen you take control of a much weaker human soldier who must survive his way to an altar to revive you.

At its core, this game is very action oriented. The battle mechanics, while frustrating at times, are very arcade fighter-esque, and the gameplay makes you feel as if you are playing a long lost Castlevania title that was scrapped. The counter to that would be its RPG elements implemented into the level and ability systems, the co-op mechanic, and the dungeon crawling skeleton smashing memories we all cherish. While playing the game you gather weapons, see off dying soldiers, and retrieve papers from the warlock's dark tome, all of which are essential to both character and story development.

You start with the ability to play as the main character Katrien who, like the monsters attacking the world, is a figment of the warlocks dream. Clearing one of the games first mini bosses as Katrien will grant you the ability to play as the “Ghost Monk” who represents the souls of all those lost to the abyss. Once you find a specific room in the dungeon and donate a large sum of money the third playable character in the game “Pincoya” becomes available. Pincoya represents a Chilean goddess that is said to save sailors, represent fertility, and manipulate the sea to her will. Playing the game to completion with all three characters offers a richer and more complete story, but is not necessary.

So lets get down to the nitty gritty. Abyss Odyssey is a great game through and through. I would be lying if I said I felt like there are no truly “flawless” games out there, and while this one does not make my list, it falls just short. Abyss Odyssey was an incredible journey from start to finish. Any repetitive nature boredom was almost instantaneously washed away with sensory overload from the randomized dungeons, the breath taking art style, and the constantly twisting story.

The only problems I had with Abyss Odyssey were in the battle mechanics. The game attempts to incorporate Street Fighter-like parrys and a combo system based on order as opposed to patterns like most action platforms. Other small things took away from the experience, while fighting you have to completely stop moving, wait for the character animation to go still and the you can turn 180° and defend or attack behind you, making fights against multiple enemies frustrating at times. Multiplayer is plagued with lag and friendly fire can also make things extremely aggravating.

All in all, I feel this game will not disappoint anyone looking for a fresh take on the genre or a polished up version of an already great game. Anyone new to the story will have an incredible adventure ahead of them filled with an incredibly illustrated world and enriching plot.

This gamer gives it a score of 4/5!

Thanks to Atlus for supplying a code for review.