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Best Games We Played Runner-Up: Persona 5


Posted on January 3, 2018 by Broken Joysticks

Article By: Victoria Rose

This past year saw a lot of major releases in quick succession. From the scary corridors of Resident Evil 7 this past February, or the whirlwind of the Nintendo Switch launch in March or the constant hype rush of new trailers and news that is E3 – there was a lot to be excited about. Wedged in-between all of this was Atlus’ long awaited JRPG sequel, Persona 5, debuting nearly 3 years after its initial Winter 2014 target date. Tori Rose takes a look back at one of Atlus’ big releases and recounts what worked and didn’t work in this high school simulator / monster battling JRPG mash-up.

2017 was the year in which even our power fantasies came with inextricable baggage. Much like its predecessors, Persona 5 was designed from the ground up to be a power fantasy for its teenage audience. Its central premise of forcing a change of heart onto others by your own hand is a potent one indeed, and would have been more than compelling enough on its own, but Persona 5 has a very different spirit than its predecessors.

The game masterfully paints you and your group of friends as outcasts, thieves, and criminals of all sorts. It does everything in its power to make the player feel like the world does not appreciate them and is wrongly turned against them, and such is the justification for their actions. And who comprises this band of outcasts? Perhaps those who actually do face discrimination in Japanese society, such as queer people, those not of Japanese descent, or perhaps differently-abled people? No, of course not – this is Atlus, so the protagonists are on average all releatively-privileged heterosexual, cisgender Japanese youth. You may even start to realize that the narrative constructed around the game’s Phantom Thieves is suspiciously similar to the one used by the very oppressors of those aforementioned marginalized groups. Yet in spite of all that… there’s something about Persona 5 that makes it hard to ignore just how well it succeeds at selling that fantasy. Even labouring under all those criticisms, the game still makes its central premise deliciously tantalizing, especially in a year in which the desire to change the hearts of the evil and powerful is more desirable than ever.

Persona 5 is still a masterwork of JRPG design, with a mechanics sets that interweave in countless interesting ways to create an core macro-level gameplay loop that is deep, varied, and downright addictive. And how appropriate it is to describe this game as a drug – pulling you in with its intoxicating power fantasy, latching onto you with its mechanics of encouraging endless experimentation, and always having you coming back to get that sweet drip-feed of well-crafted narrative nectar. Persona 5 is a masterpiece, but in 2017, we can no longer ignore the problems in the media we consume.


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Atlus Reveals New Details About Person 5’s Steelbox Launch Edition


Posted on September 20, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Persona 5 is now in the hands of Japanese gamers and fans in the west have to wait almost half a year – five whole months – before getting the game. With that being said news from official sources, namely Atlus USA, is probably going to be drip fed to us until closer to the February launch date.

Atlus sent out a press release this afternoon detailing the special Steelbook Launch Edition for the game. They revealed that the inside of the case is clear plastic – allowing owners to see the underside of the cover art. It’s pretty rare for games to get reversible art and those that do are usually special editions, as is the case here, but still pretty cool news even if it isn’t earth shattering. The outside of the Steelbook Launch Edition features a stylish black, whit and red group shot of Persona 5’s main cast.

Here’s the official assets Atlus revealed for the Steelbook Launch Edition:

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Persona 5 was originally revealed all the way back in the Fall of 2013 and was originally set for release in the Winter of 2014 before being delayed more than two years for quality and story revisions. In Persona 5 players take on the role of a high school student (as in previous games) although this go around the player has an entire year to complete the games. As with other titles Persona 5 sees the return of the day/night cycle popularized by Persona 3, allowing the protagonist to form social bonds with classmates during the day and take on challenging dungeons at night.

Persona 5 will be released on February 14th 2017 in Western regions for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.


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Retro-View: Okami HD (PS3)


Posted on September 13, 2016 by Broken Joysticks

Review By Maria Maximoff

Okami is without a doubt the best example of how a video game can be a work of art. From the moment you start your first playthrough you are introduced to a vibrant world inspired by Japanese culture. For anyone with a love for action adventure platformers this is the Capcom published classic is your dream come true, and it’s available in HD on PSN.

I should start out by explaining my history with this game:

Back in early 2006 I received my monthly edition of Official PlayStation Magazine in the mail, and to my delight it contained a demo disc. Am I showing my age yet? I loved demo discs. It was the easiest way for me to play games I otherwise would have never gotten the chance to. Okami was published by Capcom in 2006 and originally developed by the now defunct Clover Studio. I played the Okami demo for the rest of that year. When Christmas came around and I was asked what single game I would like I said “drum roll please” Bully for PS2. I had a short attention span. I have never regretted my choice, but I always wondered how great it would be to play the rest of the game. Thank the old gods for the trend of HD re-releases.

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Okami’s narrative is strongly rooted in Shinto Mythology. Nearly every character is based on a figure from shintoism. The sheer amount of Japanese folklore packed into Okami would take countless articles to cover. From sun goddesses to wood spirits to eight headed demons, playing Okami will introduce you to the world of Japanese mythology in the most engaging way possible.

The basic plot of Okami is familiar enough – An ancient evil has returned to the land and it is up to the titular character to traverse a vast cell shaded world filled with memorable characters. You take on the role of the sun goddess Amaterasu who has been reincarnated as the heroic wolf Shiranui. 100 years have passed since Shiranui and the warrior Nagi defeated the monster Orochi to save Kamiki Village. You are joined by a Navi like comedic companion named Issun. Throughout the story you meet a wood spirit named Sakuya, a would be swordsman with a wooden sword named Nami, and Waka a mysterious character who can see into the future. All the characters are both endearing and compelling and ad to the overall narative of the game as well as adding in perfectly placed bits of humor. The stakes feel high as you are tasked with bringing life and color back to the world and to defeat evil. By the end of the game I found myself rooting for these characters to succeed and to grow, a feat many modern games fall short of.

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One of the biggest draws of Okami is how it’s art design as the main focus of its game-play. Although like most action platformers you can use basic striking attacks you will spend most of your time using Okami’s unqiue celestial brush. The brush is used in almost every element of the gameplay – In some instances you will need to use the brush to complete objectives such as bringing trees back to life, fixing a water wheel, cutting barriers down that block your path and so on. In one charming instance you use the ink from the brush to obscure the sight of a farmer so you can dig up daikon radishes. As the game progresses you will encounter different spirits that will award you with different brush strokes that can be used in a variety of different ways. The amount of ink you get at the start of the game is very generous and your ink pots regenerate quite quickly. This will work to you benefit as the game’s difficulty curve can become daunting at times. I died a lot in the later portions of the games. Although the game will at points give you an directional arrow that leads you to an important objective, for the majority of the game you are left to figure out what you are supposed to be doing on your own. Nothing impossible, but trial and error is a must in this game. The open ended nature of the quests you are given allows for a tremendous amount of freedom.

The gameplay has not changed at all from the original PS2 version released a decade ago for this modern re-master, and the HD overhaul makes every color pop out at you. The HD version of without a doubt the definitive version. A PC release on Steam would be a welcome however as there are times when the precision needed to perform certain brush strokes would have been made easier with a mouse and keyboard. Overall the artistic aspects of the gameplay along with the cell shaded graphics inspired by Japanese watercolor paintings and woodcarvings are a joy to behold.

My time spent playing Okami was worth waiting ten years to play. The art style was candy for my eyes and the gameplay kept me on my toes and constantly thinking “What do I do now?”. It’s a shame that the game did not command high sales at the time of its release. Unfortunately Okami came out at a transitional time in gaming when First Person Shooters where in and platformers were on the way out.Without a doubt if Okami had been released in today’s market it would have been a smash hit for the now defunct developer. If you have a love for action platformers and an interest in Japanese mythology this is most definitely the game for you. Even if you don’t have an interest in the mythology then the game is still loads of fun to play and well worth the price of admission.

Okami HD was part of last month’s Humble Capcom PlayStation Bundle


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Reminder: The Humble Capcom PlayStation Bundle Provides A Lot of Entertainment For $15


Posted on August 31, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

In five more days the window will close on one of the best Humble Bundle values I’ve ever seen – the Humble Capcom PlayStation bundle. Games from a number of different Capcom series including fan favorites like Mega Man, Resident Evil and Street Fighter headline this mind boggling bundle. For the price of ONE of these games you not only can get your hands on the HD remakes of Resident Evil 1 and Resident Evil 0 but also a whole bunch of older titles as well.

The value for PlayStation 4 owners is probably going to come from the two RE titles, as those retail for about $20 CDN a piece, but there are a few other current generation titles like the Strider reboot and a hefty discount off of Street Fighter V.

For those looking to relive some of Capcom’s modern classics on the PlayStation 3 this bundle can’t be beat. For the price of just Okami HD you not only get Clover’s classic PS2 game remastered in HD but also Don’t Nod’s cyber punk Remember Me, Lost Planet 3 and Street Fighter II HD Turbo Remix.

Here’s the complete list including tires. You can purchase the bundle here:

$1 USD Tier 

  • Wolf of the Battlefield
  • Strider
  • Super Puzzle Fighter HD
  • Final Fight HD
  • 40% Off Street Fighter V Coupon

Beat The Average Tier

  • Lost Planet 3
  • Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix
  • Resident Evil HD
  • Okami HD
  • Remember Me
  • Mega Man 9 & 10 Combo Pack

$15 USD Tier

  • Devil May Cry HD Collection
  • Resident Evil 0
  • 50% Off Mega Man Legacy Collection

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Trials of Cold Steel II Coming To Europe This Fall For PS3 / PS Vita


Posted on June 23, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

The Legend of Heroes: Trials of Cold Steel II will be coming to PlayStation 4 and PS Vita in Europe thanks to Nippon Inchi Software. This sequel to the 2013 original (JPN release) sees the fate of Erebonia hang in the balance as the narrative picks up just one month after the conclusion of the first game. NIS confirmed that Trials of Cold Steel II will be available in both physical and digital versions upon release for all platforms.

A narrative link between the previous game and Trials II isn’t the only part of this new game that looks to improve upon the past. Colorful and playful dialogue was at the heart of the first game and Trials of Steel II promises even more great exchanges between the cast of characters. The Combat Link System allows allies to combine various combat benefits such as healing, guards from enemy attacks and statistic boosts. New to the Legend of Heroes’s combat is the Overdrive System which allows linked characters to perform up to three consecutive attacks, giving players a new strategic option in battle.

Publishing for Trials of Cold Steel II will be handled in Europe by NIS, it will be published by XSEED in North America. The Legend of Heroes: Trials of Steel II was originally released in Japan in September of 2014. If you’re primarily a PC gamer and feel a little left out that the majority of the Legend of Heroes games have yet to see a Windows release , 2006’s Trials In The Sky is currently 50% off on Steam for a very reasonable $10.99 CDN/

Check out a trailer for the English adaptation of the first Trials of Cold Steel below:


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Several Star Ocean V: Integrity and Faithlessness Videos Land During E3


Posted on June 15, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Square Enix has released several new trailers, b-roll footage and screenshots prior to the release of Star Ocean V: Integrity and Faithlessness on PS3 and PlayStation 4. With these new videos you can get to know Relia, one of the characters in the game as well as meet the actors behind the voice talent that bring the characters to life.

Star Ocean V: Integrity and Faithlessness is the fifth entry in the long running RPG franchise that has been around since the days of the original PlayStation back into the 90s. Utilizing a real time battle system players are able to take control of 1 of 7 characters in combat seamlessly with a new system that allows Square to have the game seamlessly transition between gameplay and cinematic cut-scenes. Story wise the main protagonist comes from an ‘under developed’ planet with another species that has highly advanced technology.

The game will be out on June 28th in North America and was released on March 31st in Japan.


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‘Five Nights At Freddy’s’ Dev In Negotiations To Remake Games For Consoles


Posted on May 9, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Indie horror sensation Five Nights At Freddy’s could get a remake on current generation consoles according to the game’s developer, Scott Cawthon. According to Scott he is already in talks with “a few companies” about fully remaking the games to take advantage of the 8th generation of consoles.

The original Five Nights At Freddy’s and its’ sequels were developed in ClickTeam Fusions 2.5 – an visual orientated game development suite that eschews traditional scripting languages like C++ or C# for an easy to understand “Event Editor” grid system. While Fusion 2.5 is a very versatile creation suite that supports a number of platforms – and version 3.0 looks even more promising – it currently does not support major games consoles, making a full remake necessary.

FNAF and its spin-offs became almost overnight sensations after the first game’s massive success on YouTube in 2014. The player takes the role of a night watchmen during the 12 AM – 6AM security shift at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, a Chucky E Cheese analogue. Developer Scott Cawthron has developed 2 direct sequels to the original game and one less than praised attempt to turn the series into an RPG.

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PlayStation Plus’ Feb 2016 Line-Up Is Here


Posted on January 27, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

February is the month of live and the team at PlayStation have decided to bring six brand new titles to the Instant Games Collection next month.

Helldivers, a futuristic twin-stick shooter published by Sony Computer Entertainment America will make a hard landing on all three platforms. Nom Nom Galaxy and indie game that blends platforming, base construction and tower defense will also come to Sony’s latest console. On the PS3 side we’ve got last year’s Persona 4: Ultimax from Atlus USA and Codemaster’s GRID Autosport – the third title in the GRID franchise.

Here’s the full trailer and line-up as provided by the PlayStation Blog:

Full Lineup:

  • Grid Autosport, PS3
  • Helldivers: Democracy Strikes Back , PS4, PS3, PS Vita
  • Lemmings Touch, PS Vita
  • Nom Nom Galaxy, PS4
  • Nova-111, PS Vita
  • Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, PS3

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Activision Bringing TMNT to PlayStation, Xbox this Summer


Posted on January 26, 2016 by Jason Nason

Activision announced today that they have teamed with Nickelodeon and PlatinumGames to create Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan, a third-person action game featuring New York City’s crime-fighting Heroes in a Half-Shell. Players will protect The Big Apple from aliens, mutants and the Foot Clan in a single-player campaign or partner with up to three friends in four-player online co-op. Bebop, Rocksteady, Shredder and other iconic bosses will also be yhe game and from what we hear they won’t be easy.

The game promises fast-paced, team-based brawling will challenge gamers for all skill levels. Each Turtle will have a distinctive combat play style and can be customized with a unique set of Ninjutsu moves, combat items and special bonuses.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan also features gorgeous, cel-shaded art design, with an original story from prolific author of IDW Publishing’s acclaimed ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, Tom Waltz.

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New Gameplay Trailer for Nitroplus Blasterz


Posted on January 17, 2016 by Jason Nason

XSEED Games has released a new gameplay trailer from its upcoming 2D crossover fighter, Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel. The game will be released in North America on February 2nd for both the the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.

Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel is being developed EXAMU, the studio behind the Arcana Heart series of 2D fighting games. The game promises intense and balanced fighting and is being promoted as being approachable for gamers of all skill levels. The game’s intuitive battle system is on full display in this latest trailer, complete with detailed descriptions and action-packed sequences that show off the fiery fury of the game’s femme fighters.

After selecting a main character, players will duke it out while charging up the abilities of their two chosen Partners, who – once called into the fight – will contribute with battle damage and various other effects. As the combatants exchange blows, their Power Gauge builds at the bottom of the screen. Filling this gauge meter by meter, up to a maximum of three, the players will then gain access to devastating abilities, including character-specific super moves and a massively powerful “Lethal Blaze” attack that deals incredible damage but costs all three meters.

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Amplitude |Review


Posted on January 13, 2016 by Kenny Keelan

15 years ago, long before the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises really took off and brought the music game genre to the gaming mainstream, when everyone thought of music games, people brought up games like Dance Dance Revolution and its ilk, such as Bust a Groove, one of my personal favorites, back then, and Parappa the Rapper. Harmonix’s Frequency gave us the same kind of game presented in a different way: you had a catalogue of American artists from across many genres, you were presented a kind of shoot-’em-up rail shooter approach to following along with music, you were given the ability to freestyle remix your song at certain points.What you saw were the foundations of what turned Guitar Hero into the hit franchise it still is, today. I was on the line with this series – with Frequency and Amplitude on the PlayStation 2 – for the unique approach and music selection. Most of the music games I went for, those days, were heavy with underground EDM and J-POP hits that I couldn’t always get into and Frequency hit a nerve with me because it had more of the kinds of artists I know I’d get into. It’s actually responsible, single-handedly, for my love for the band Fear Factory, if that gives you an idea of how much I liked the soundtrack.

Fast forward until 2014 where Harmonix starts a Kickstarter fundraiser for a new title and while it didn’t attract the attention some other Kickstarter video game projects get, these days, it still got some big name support from names like Greg Miller and others in the gaming press. Everybody, thanks to the approach of the project, who backed the project had a good idea of what to expect from the newest entry in the series, titled like the second entry: Amplitude. This game offered, more or less, the same game as others in the series but introducing some new gameplay elements, a new soundtrack, and some more straightforward approaches to the campaign. Follow the jump for more!

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Voting For PlayStation Blog’s Game of the Year Opens


Posted on December 19, 2015 by Rae Michelle Richards

The Official PlayStation Blog has opened up voting in their annual user lead series of polls for The Game of the Year Awards. As 2015 comes to a close perhaps it is time to reflect upon which games have left the biggest impact on you over the past 12 months before clicking on over to vote.

The year in PlayStation started off with a bang with the release of exclusives like The Order: 1886 and Bloodborne while continuing to amaze right up until December with massive open world games like Just Cause 3.

SCEA’s Social Media Manager Justin Massongill outlines some of the rules that Sony used in the selection of their eligible titles. Readers even suggested new additions in the comments section of the original poll, like Life Is Strange, and they’ve found their way into the official polls.

Here are the ground rules:

  • Nominees are limited to games that have never appeared on a PlayStation platform before.
  • Additionally, if a game has won for a specific category in a previous year, it’s no longer eligible to win in that category this year.
  • We tried to include a (very) wide range of nominees for each category, but if your favorite isn’t on the list feel free to write it inat the bottom of each form.

Voting is performed via a series of rather long polls available on the PlayStation Blog. Each category contains a number of titles – for example in the running for “Best PS4 Game” are Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Axiom Verge, Arkham Knight, Bloodborne, Broken Age, Black Ops III, Dying Light, MLB the Show 15 & more. So take your time and pick your favorites carefully.

Did your favorite game make Sony’s cut? 2015 was certainly a fantastic year for gaming!

[Source]


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Comcept Unloads A Barrage of Mighty Number 9 Screenshots


Posted on December 17, 2015 by Rae Michelle Richards

Mighty Number 9

Comcept the developer behind the Kickstarted Mega Man spiritual successor Mighty Number 9 has released a whole set of brand new screenshots for your viewing pleasure. We’ve got an entire gallery containing all of the high-rez colorful screnshots at the bottom of this post.

Mighty Number 9 was originally revealed back in September 2013 and reached its funding goal only after 2 days. With gameplay that is reminiscent of Keiji Inafune’s former Capcom creation, long time platform veterans and those familiar with his other works should have no problem jumping right into protagonist Beck’s shoes.  This past August the project was delayed from a September 2015 release into February of next year for most versions of Mighty Number 9. It will be released on Windows PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, OSX, Linux. Wii U and at a later date PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS.


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Here Are The PlayStation Plus Games For December


Posted on November 25, 2015 by Rae Michelle Richards

Playstation Plus

Sony has revealed the December games for PlayStation Plus subscribers ahead of next weekend’s PlayStation Experience. PlayStation Vita owners are in for a real treat with the JRPG hit from last year – Freedom Wars. PlayStation 4 owners can experience the 2014 reboot of the arcade classic Gauntlet free of charge and finally PlayStation 3 owners will be receiving EA’s 2012 reboot of the SSX franchise and Ubisoft’s Far Cry: Blood Dragon!

Here’s the full line-up:

  • Far Cry 3: Blood DragonPS3
  • Freedom WarsPS Vita
  • Gauntlet: Slayer EditionPS4
  • King’s Quest — Chapter 1: A Knight to RememberPS4
  • Rocketbirds: Hardboiled ChickenPS Vita
  • SSXPS3

Do any of these games excite you? I’ll probably try Gauntlet at least for a little bit and it’ll be nice to have a digital copy of Freedom Wars in my library despite the fact that I already own the game on a physical cartridge.

All of these games are expected to go live next Tueday, December 1st, when the PlayStation Store updates.

[Source]


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Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 review: Here we go again all over again.


Posted on November 13, 2015 by Erika

Black Ops III

Please note that this review covers the PS4 version, and some features are not available for the PS3/Xbox 360 versions

Treyarch does an amazing job once more with another installment in the Call of Duty franchise, Black Ops 3. The series has come a long way from the World War II era setting of World at War, to Cold War settings of Black Ops 1, and the more recent near future settings of Black Ops 2 and now 3.  Just like Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games, Treyarch tries to keep the Call of Duty fresh and engaging for it’s fans, and I feel that it has succeeded with those objectives.

Upon starting up the game and getting the necessary content downloaded to be able to play single player, I brought up the menu and happened upon the Identity section and was immediately taken aback when I explored further into it. I was taken aback due to the fact of the sheer level of customization that can be done with individual weapon setups. A new feature in the franchise is the ability to customize optics, attachments, camos, and paint jobs. In addition to that, the player can save multiple variants of individual weapon setups and use them across Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies, provided that the weapons and attachments are unlocked though each mode. One thing to note is that similar to the emblems, paint jobs add an individual flair if one wants to take the time to make use of a whopping 64 layers for the left and right sides, and the top of the gun. All of that can be done within Gunsmith or Paintshop sub-menus. Also making returns are unlockable calling cards and customizable emblems, franchise staples introduced in Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops 1, respectively. Expanding upon those two features you are now the abilities to unlock calling cards via Campaign, Zombies, and from Supply Drops found in Multiplayer.

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