dev, computing and games

Finished Valkyria Chronicles 4 (PS4).

Picked this up after playing it at a demo station at a convention.

For Valkyria Chronicles 1, it would actively bother me how misunderstood this game was. I would be talking to some gamer friend about what we're playing and say I am playing VC. I assert how good and unique it is, but they don't get it. They act as if I'm talking about Xenogears or Dragon Quest. As if it's the well-known formula with a few small changes. It is not. This is even for people who play JRPGs. Don't you dare recommend me any PS3 game if you have not played or at least heard a little of VC. It's weirdly absent from places. If there's a reviewer who talks about "the best games on the platform" and leaves it out, they haven't done the due diligence.

For Valkyria Chronicles 2 and 3 things took other directions. 1) They were mobile games, likely to cut costs. 2) They became less of a good dramatic historical fiction and more cheesy anime fan service. VC2 had practically no marketing in the west and due to VC2's low sales VC3 was not even released outside of Japan. Some people liked these games, I wouldn't go for them personally, I don't think these are fitting to WWII allegory.

For Valkyria Chronicles 4, they returned back to a proper console release on PS4 and a more serious story. Like the others it is a fictionalized version of the events of WWII. Take control of Basically-France fighting Basically-Germany in a Basically-Giant-Snowmobile. It keeps consistent gameplay with the others, mixing turn-based an action elements.

Overall:

  • It is a pretty good strategy game.
  • The game is very easy.
  • All game except endgame, I always had more money than I had things to spend it on. The money counter might as well show a random number.
  • Cutscene-to-gameplay ratio is very high.

Nonetheless would recommend because it kept me from playing Code Vein any more so it encourages healthier habits.

My late game (not quite end-game) speed run of one of the skirmishes.
May 26th, 2020 at 1:58 am | Comments & Trackbacks (1) | Permalink

Sun Ce's sounds like a sophisticated machine-learning algorithm

Dong Bai's officer offers reassurance in the English dub

Li Jue helps determine a strategy

Sun Ce comes through with an observation

Side thing: What a nice vantage point!
Maple didn't think so

Normal, natural conversation

July 9th, 2018 at 11:08 pm | Comments & Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

Finished Dark Souls III: The Ringed City DLC (PS4)

With a heavy heart, playing the supposed the last game in the series. From's Hidetaka Miyazaki confirmed that the franchise was done.

Now I have played Demon's Souls, Dark Souls 1+2+3. All DLCs. Play time on average 200 hours per game, on average 3 playthroughs per game. I intend to play some multiplayer on Ringed City while there is still life on online. Other than that, that's it.

It has been a large part of my life since playing the Chinese pre-order of Demon's Souls back in the summer 2009, on a CRT, when I was living in Santa Clara CA. Demon's Souls was not well marketed. Found out about it through random word of mouth. At first I thought it would be a very typical character-driven fantasy ARPG. But, everything about this game was surprising. It was created in the golden age of quest markers and in-game explanations, of which there were none. It is a fantasy RPGs and those tend to be character based, but the focus was totally on gameplay and environment. It is Japanese, but plays like a WRPG.

I understand the game a bit better if it's contextualized against King's Field for the PSX, understood as a spiritual predecessor to the franchise. I didn't play King's Field until just a few years ago, but when it came out it would have been received much the same as Dark Souls today. It's an RPG that is so finicky and brooding with barely any background music.

Ringed City was a good time. At the same time I think they have chosen a good place to end it.

November 12th, 2017 at 1:16 pm | Comments & Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

DARK SOULS III
The Dark Soul(Platinum)
Acquire all trophies.

June 12th, 2016 at 2:27 am | Comments & Trackbacks (0) | Permalink