Tuesday, 28 March 2017

Super Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

Gamespot Score: 8.0 (Great)

My Score: 9.0

(+) Pros: - Superb story telling and strong narrative, - Incredible cast of characters...Nagito is especially compelling, - Challenging, interesting murder cases and plenty of strong courtroom antics to back it up, - The resort island is huge, adding more variety during investigation segments, - Adds even more unique debate mechanics to mix things up, - Soundtrack is still top tier.

(-) Cons: - You can kind of guess when someone is about to die, final trial is not as amazing as the one in the first game.

Gameplay Time: 10-20 Hours

I'm actually convinced that the "Danganronpa" series has changed my life. Similar to how "Phoenix Wright" opened my eyes and exposed me to these kinds of games, it's the "Danganronpa" franchise that really took it to the next level. The original was one of the best games I've played and one of the strongest narrative experiences in gaming to me, it was so compelling that I had to play the game twice. Since I didn't have a Vita, I was kind of bummed that I wouldn't be able to play the sequel, "Super Danganronpa 2"...but then Steam came along and released it on PC. Thanks to them (and all who use Steam, seriously, keep buying games on Steam so that it stays relevant for future game releases), I had the chance to play this masterpiece on the PC, and I must say, like the original, this one is worth every penny. Every second I spent on this game was well spent, and I did not regret my purchase, not one bit. "Super Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair" is a worthy successor to an already amazing VN experience, evolving the series in many ways that make it a somehow even better game than the original.

The 16 students that are about to get f**ked on Jabberwock Island.

Similar to how the original started, the story stars a group of students who belong to Hope's Peak Academy, elites who will eventually go to lead the world with their various talents and skills. 16 students were sent on a vacation to Jabberwock Island, a resort island that was built to cater to top class tourists. Among them is protagonist Hinata Hajime, who can't seem to remember his talent, where as all 15 other students that were suddenly sent to the island alongside him all know perfectly who they are. A classic case of amnesia, as one would say. A pink stuffed bear shows up, Monomi, who introduces herself as the student's instructor. All is well as Monomi asks them to get along and build friendship with one another, until suddenly out of nowhere, Monokuma appears on the island and destroys Monomi. He locks off all means of escape, and tells the 16 students that their vacation will no longer be about building friendships, but killing one another. When the students obviously refuse, he starts providing them with motives to begin to kill another! Once again, a new killing game is about to start...

Right! Of course!

"Super Danganronpa 2" doesn't pull its punches. It tells a strong story through the eyes of Hinata Hajime, who is a lot different from Makoto, our previous protagonist. For that alone, we have a much different narrative style than before, and I must say that I very much prefer the way Hajime sees things. The writing and story telling is just great, despite many different arcs in the game itself, everything feels like one, cohesive tale that binds itself together. Similarly to the original, you'll be eager to press on, dying to find out what happens next.

Of course, a strong story means absolutely nothing without strong characters. As usual, we are presented with 16 characters that are incredibly different from one another. We've got those who are a little bit more normal, like the gentle Mahiru , the playful Kazuichi  or the pervertic Teruteru. Then we've got anti-socials like Peko and Kuzuryu...or crazies like Nekomaru and Akane. We also have enigmas like the delusional Gundahm or extremely apologetic Mikan. I'd dare say that the characters this time around are even more interesting than our previous cast (but by just a little bit) though in the end it all varies from person to person. Like before the game attempts to have you bond with them during free time for character specific events, though IMO the game's main story does more than enough to justify these guys. Even so, knowing that most of these superb characters will end of dieing is just a terrifying way to start off the game....I'll be honest with you, don't start pointing favorites when the game starts...it's going to hurt (my favorite died, obviously).

I cannot agree more....

I'll split the game up into it's 3 main phases, which are the same as the previous game. Whenever a new episode starts, the game opens you up with some story scenes followed by free time, where you have Hajime wander around Jabberwock Island to either explore its intricate exhibits that are sometimes guarded by vicious mecha-monsters (yeah, I'm not kidding), or mingle around with his classmates. You earn friendship with them, with sufficient friendship with certain characters you get character cut-scenes. You can speed up friendship building by showering your friends with gifts, and maxing out a character's friendship will net you special abilities which you can use in class trials. After some f**king around Monokuma will announce a "motive" for the remaining students to try and kill one another, which usually works.

When a body is found, somebody has been murdered (obviously), so thus begins phase 2, the investigation phase. Here, you go around the island, pricking around looking for clues about how the deceased was killed. You converse with classmates to find out about their alibis or certain testimonies that can help out with your investigation. You pick up items, examine bathrooms, theorize with some friends about how the murder was played out...in the end, its similar to how it was done in the original, but this time, with the massive amount of different locations in Jabberwock Island, this phase is both more challenging and more fun. Finally, when all is said and done, the game moves you to the famed courtroom phase, which is where the meat of the game is.

That's right Hajime, show that redhead how it's done!

Now, with the courtroom phase, it's here where the game is at its best. Non-stop debate and it's accompanying minigames make their comeback, and they're better than ever. As usual, your job is to look for contradiction via highlighted words or statements from your classmates as they continue to banter about certain subjects in the courtroom. Counteract with your own argument that you've built up through clues and testimonies collected through the investigation phase that appear as bullets for you to shoot. Finding the right thing loophole in an argument has you proceed forward into the trial, which is littered with new mini-games like the Rebuttal Showdown (which is hard as shit, I just spam slashes until I get it right) and the Hajime Snowboard (Logic Dive, but come on, Hajime Snowboard sounds better). Both add new and more unique ways to tackle on the trials, which is more than welcome.

When you're nearing the end of the trial, you are once again tasked by routing the killer through the reworked M.T.B and Climax Logic, both of which are still extremely satisfying to pull off. Choosing the right words at the end of an M.T.B while completely destroying your opposition as you look at their despaired face is utterly priceless and very nice to see. The Climax Logic as well, fitting the pieces is still as fun as ever, as you unfold the events of the crime in perfect sequence, all while laying out the plans of the killer for everyone else to see. That ending cut where the killer is truly revealed too is, incredibly satisfying. All while backed up with a kickass soundtrack. To be fair, some tracks are re-used from the original, but hey, don't fix what ain't broken.  

Man, Nagito saying "Sore Wa Chigao Yo" like a fake ass
Naegi was really, REALLY well done here!

Because the game follows some sort of a similar pattern with its phase splitting throughout the episodes, its kind of easy to see it coming when someone is about to die. While it's still a big question mark to WHO is about to die, you can kind of guess when a murder is about to occur, especially when Monokuma is so trigger-happy about his motives, which honestly get kind of old, there really should be a way to trigger killing without those motives of his. Finally, we have to talk about the final trial. Without spoiling, I'll say that it's WAY too predictable and foreshadowed for it to be epic. I mean, I feel like the final trial really pales in comparison to the rest of the game, ESPECIALLY when compared to the final trial of the original. 

All in all "Super Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair" sets up the universe well enough for the franchise to go into the anime sequel, which I feel is quite...stupid (they said they could only do what they wanted in an anime and not a game...what a bunch of bull). Still, being the final game before the franchise jumps into a whole new setting with "NEW Danganronpa V3", it works well enough. With 2 amazing games in its name, I can't wait to see what else the franchise can bring in future installments to come.

Happy Gaming!

Nothing beats heavy metal music in video games. These sounds so f**king amazing that I feel like punching the first thing I see and destroy EVERY one of those vile scums I see on the screen. Every demon must DIE! And yes, I am talking about one game, that game...is none other than "Doom". Now, let's get rocking!

Song: At Doom's Gate
From: Doom (2016)
Artist: Mick Gordon

What better way to kick off the pre-reckoning of some demonic ass kicking than this shit? Imagine this song in the perspective of enemies when they stare at this insane marine in power armor that's about to go ape shit and kill every single living thing in sight....it's terrifying. When this song starts to kick in you feel nothing more than a rush of adrenaline that gets you f**king PUMPED to shoot the hell out of some demons! Also, if this isn't badass enough for you, Little V's cover on YouTube still gives me eargasms.

Song: Rip & Tear
From: Doom (2016)
Artist: Mick Gordon

Ah, the classic. I say its classic because this is probably one of the most memorable songs in the game despite being used in one of the game's early stages, because of how BADASS it feels to kill some f**kers with this playing in the background! The dramatic buildup to the eventual metal that ensues is almost a sanctuary to my ears, and the flourishes go so well with gunfire and the death screams of enemies on screen. Even those subtle breaks in the music make the following drops even more satisfying, as you smile and grin to find out that the music isn't over yet. Also, come on, its "Rip & Tear".

Song: Flesh & Metal
From: Doom (2016)
Artist: Mick Gordon

This is one of songs that starts out with a huge bang. I very rarely value techno metal over heavy metal, but I'll take it nicely this time, because "Flesh & Metal" sounds absolutely heavenly. Killing demons to the soundtrack of "Doom" is so easy, and its all the more made easier when "Flesh & Metal" starts playing. While the song itself has some slower  moments, the drops, flourishes in the song and guitar make the whole thing an incredibly satisfactory experience. Just try not headbanging to this while you kill demons, its tough.

Song: Burning Hells
From: Doom (2016)
Artist: Mick Gordon

More than anything, this literally sounds like a slow, maddening descent to hell. This starts of menacing and incredibly tense, before slowly bringing us to the all so glorious drop. While this one might not sound as blood rushing or adrenaline inducing as other songs on this post, its still a very strong contender for making me head bang like a maniac as we traverse through hell like a boss.

Song: BFG Division
From: Doom (2016)
Artist: Mick Gordon

The best song in the game, for the best gun in the game, holy Jesus. The BFG is, without a doubt, a freaking powerhouse of a gun, and it deserves ever bit of this theme to back it up. Not only is the track 9 minutes long, but it manages to stay entertaining throughout. The song builds up slowly, as it then proceeds to hammer us with insane techno metal beats that could very well shake the very core of the player as they hold this amazing piece of machinery in their hands. Honestly though, a single shot from this thing ends the battle instantly...so this song being 9 minutes long is nothing more than candy.

Friday, 10 March 2017

Rigged Play (Dimension W review)

Opening Songs
OP 1 - Genesis (Stereo Dive Foundation)

Ending Songs
ED 1 - Contrast (Fo'xTails)

Genre: Action, Drama, Science Fiction

Episodes: 12

We all have shows like these, don't we? "Dimension W" is yet another show set in a sci-fi world starring an anti-hero protagonist that lives to do things his way, even if its not considered "just". How many times have we seen this setting being re-used? Anyway, if Sci-fi isn't your thing, hop out now, as "Dimension W" brings a lot of things that can be extremely confusing, especially if you're not exactly interesting in learning a new fictional world's complex lore (which "Dimension W" certainly bears). Its certainly not something everybody can enjoy...that much I'll say right off the bat. The animation and visuals are certainly impressive, the characters...some of them can be endearing, but the most disappointing thing here is "Dimension W"'s plot. There's surely immense potential here, but the show is squandered by uneven pacing and an ultimately unsatisfying ending. If you're looking for a sci-fi story featuring androids, there are better alternatives out there, but if you insist on this one...

Eh, one of two good things in the show.

Ah, one good thing about "Dimension W" is, for sure, its opening theme. Now THIS is some catchy stuff! The opening theme is "Genesis" by STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION, and for an opening theme, its amazing. It's electro...the good kind, it really fits for a show like "Dimension W". Plus, the song itself is incredibly catchy, the opening animations are great too. The ending theme is "Contrast" by Fo'xTails. It certainly pales in comparison to the opening theme, but for an ending theme, it isn't bad. It's certainly rather upbeat, but not to the levels of "Genesis".

Rating: 7.0/10

"Dimension W" tells the story of a washed up, demented, veteran man who has already lost everything dear to him. It is in this light of things and the perspective of this protagonist that makes the show a very unique one at the beginning. However, the show never truly makes proper grasps of inspiration to make it truly different from many other shows out there right now, and the story ends up going nowhere really. For such a character driven show, almost every other character with the exception of Mabuchi and maybe Loser is...poorly fleshed out. For f**k's sake the villain of the series is pretty shitty, in my opinion. The pacing of the show is also incredibly uneven, with some segments, especially towards the end, breaking the immersion with some boring, lengthy explanation bits. Otherwise, the show itself isn't bad. Our two central characters, Mabuchi and Mira are a nice combination, the action scenes are well directed, and the show itself is visually impressive. Animation is consistently good, though it gets a lot less impressive towards the end....the production values are really nice here.

Ah, but its hard to call you rubbish looking like that.

In a world where technology has taken a second step forward, things truly have changed. Coils have been invented, which are a new source of power within the world, making things that have previously been impossible seem like nothing but a minor fleeting problem of the past. This was all made possible by professor Yurisaki, a revolutionary scientist who pioneered the Coil technology. However, he was betrayed by the government and defected, going into hiding. He made an android that was capable of human emotion named Mira, and often sent her out to collecting coils. Then there's Mabuchi Kyoma, an retired army veteran who, due to an old incident, refuses to use coils in his daily life. He is an expert in his field, being an anti-tech mercenary that can hunt down any mark without the use of any coil related technology. It is on one fateful day during a job where he runs into Mira, and the 2 find themselves intertwined with one another.

"Dimension W", at least to me, was one of the more disappointing titles of 2016. Where it showed bursts of inspiration, the show fails to deliver and chooses to take safe, generic approaches to the story. Unless you're a huge fan of the sci-fi genre, this one might not appeal to you.

Opening Songs
OP 1 - Checkmate! (MICHI)

Ending Songs

ED 1 - Hey! Calorie Queen (Ayana Taketatsu)

Genre: Comedy

Episodes: 12

Every now and then comes a show like "Dagashi Kashi", a show that you know, will go absolutely nowhere the moment you lay your eyes on its very first episode. If you're looking for a compelling romantic comedy series with top notch character development and interactions, this is not the place. Instead, we get another light hearted, enjoyable little cupcake of a show that's pretty much just here for you to crack a chuckle at while you ogle at some boobs. In a way, just like the very theme of the show itself, "Dagashi Kashi" is very much like a fun little snack, it doesn't last very long and its not really packing in volume or lasting impression, but for its run time, its sweet...it's fun. It's probably not difficult to forget about this one, but at the end of the day, it's just another simple comedy show that's fun while it lasts, It's filled with fan service, stupidity and tons of charm; I am okay with that.

Gotta get that dagashi...

As a simplistic, happy-go-lucky little series, the songs that "Dagashi Kashi" pack are pretty much self-explanatory. "Checkmate" by MICHI is an energetic opening theme that captures the spirit of the show well. The ending theme is "Hey! Calorie Queen"by Ayana Taketatsu, who is also the seiyuu for Hotaru, the main heroine of the show. It certainly fits perfectly with her singing the ending theme here, it's full of quirk and charm, though it sounds a little bit too cute-sy for my tastes.

Rating: 7.5/10

"Dagashi Kashi" is simple, good fun, nothing more, nothing less. Every episode is split into 2 halves, with each half having its own little bit of a story (minus maybe the opening episode and the fnal episode). The entire show delves into the history of dagashi, or simple put, Japanese sweets. Every episode has a little piece of dagashi put into the center as our characters attempt to do silly stuff as they indulge themselves in the sweets. Its a formula that's pretty much overused for the entire show, though they do try to keep it fresh as the cast does some pretty ridiculous things for simply "eating along" for some candy. Oh, and sprinkle in some fan service here and there, since our main heroine does have a pretty amazing rack. There isn't really a full, coherent story here, you're meant to watch the show in small bursts and enjoy the varied episodes about dagashi history. Also, the character cast is rather small, but what's here is pretty amusing, as our characters tend to be quite....colorful.

Now that's just dirty!

Kokonotsu is an aspiring young man who aims to be a manga artist. Unfortunately for him, his dad, Yo, is an owner of a dagashi shop. It's a shop that mainly sells sweets and cheap candy...not something that you can necessarily make a living out of nowadays...well, at least. Yo wants his son to take over his shop, but Kokonotsu doesn't ever want to, as he's after all, aiming to be a manga artist. One day, a girl of his dreams enters his life; this girl is named Shidare Hotaru. The Shidare company is a very successful group that thrive on sweets, and they want to recruit Yo into their team. However, Yo won't leave his shop unless Kokonotsu takes over. Without much of a choice left, Hotaru chooses to stay behind in the countryside town, spending her days educating Kokonotsu and persuading him into taking over the family business. When Kokonotsu's crush and childhood friend Saya finds out about this girls, things just start to become a whole lot more wacky.

"Dagashi Kashi" is not a show that'll swoop you off your feet, but instead, it's one that'll gradually capture you with its quirky charm from start to finish. Because of its simplistic nature, almost anybody can enjoy it, but its fan service might not appeal to everyone. It's one of the more popular shows of 2016, and I can see why.