Borderlands 2 & Ni No Kuni !

On 05/26/2013 at 05:37 PM by GeminiMan78

Yeah I guesse that title was kind of a strange combo but they are the topics for this blog. So first I got some interesting new tid bits about Borderlands 2 DLC. As we all know the final season pass campaign is titled Tina Tina's Assault on Dragons Keep and it will be letting the player play through the events of Tiny Tina's Bunkers and Baddasses game. Tina will be the dungeon master narrating the events along with Lilth, Mordicai, and Brick who are playing the game. Like the other installments there will be some fun knew unique weapons and gear that go along with the theme. Like a gun that shoots exploding swords, grenade mods that behave like magic spells ( your charaters will yell out spell names when chunking the nades) and guns that regenerate amo.

Also it sounds like there will be more DLC for Borderlands 2 to come. Although no details have been mentioned as to whether it will be more classes or campaigns or something else completely. What is for sure is that Krieg and Tina Tina's Assault will not be the last DLC we see for Borderlands 2.

Now onto the rpg bliss. I finally got Ni No Kuni and I'm about 5 hrs in. Although I suspected as much the demo just did not do this game justice. Although I'm still not really taken with the art style, it just seems overly simplistic for Studio Ghibly, I suppose it works. Its everything else that has me completely under its spell. It almost feels like Dragon Quest VIII's little brother, there are a handful of things that feel like transplants from that game. Color coded chest that only open under the right circumstances, the alchemy pot, even some of the weapons and armor. Not that this is a bad thing. Also now that I have had a chance to ease into the combat system I am really liking it. The only good thing about me waiting to get it was that it got a bit cheaper. I hope more people give this gem a chance.

And my back log it seems is officialy on the back burner again, at least for a little while. But its not going anywhere, and with the way things are panning out for the next gen stuff, the fatter my backlog is the better.

Laters my Pixle Peeps!

Matt Snee Staff Writer

05/26/2013 at 05:54 PM

I love Ni NO Kuni but I haven't had time for games lately. I want to get back to it though, it's a really neat game.

SgtDawkins

05/26/2013 at 06:25 PM

Hey Snee. I, too, was enamored of the game at first. Then the little problems (I had been able to ignore earlier in the game) kept rearing their ugly heads more and more as the game progressed. By the end, the problems with the battle AI were making me furious.

05/26/2013 at 06:42 PM

ah, well, no game is perfect. I'm not the biggest fan of the battle system, wish it was more turn based like FF or DQ, but it's okay. I hate that so many developers are afraid to make true turn based games anymore except for handhelds or mobile.

I like everything else about the game though.

GeminiMan78

05/26/2013 at 07:59 PM

I was really excited about it, then a bit disappointed after playing the demo. Then I finally got it from Gamefly and was able to see the whole game, er first few hrs but you know what I mean. I still don't care much for the character designs, but thats trivial at this point. The depth of the gameplay and the character personalities are where the real meat of this game is at.

KnightDriver

05/26/2013 at 06:01 PM

I got it day-one and still haven't played it! I attribute this mostly to the fact that my friend sold his PS3 and so, when I go over there, I always play Xbox 360 so we can play co-op games. It's also due to the fact that I haven't been able to play much during the week what with me agonizing over careers every damn day. Will it ever end?

I got to two more recent games in my backlog, Pandora's Tower and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon last week though. From there it's Etrian Odyssey IV, Fire Emblem Awakening and then finally, I get back to Ni No Kuni.

mothman

05/26/2013 at 08:14 PM

If you have FE in the hopper I don't expect you'll be getting back to NNK any time soon. That game takes a ton of time to get through.

05/26/2013 at 08:21 PM

Yeah I'm in the same spot with Nier, MGS4, Metroid Other M, and Dragon Age, have not even got around to trying them out. I'm really enjoying Ni No Kuni so far, I'm glad my initial feeling on it were wrong.

Priorities! lol, Career has kind of become a dirty word these days. Its like de ja vu, back in the light 90's when I finished High school it was the same talk as today, people going to collage, getting degrees and not being able to find a job. I don't mean to presume that you are jobless of course,lol. But I hope things work out for you.

05/26/2013 at 11:08 PM

NiER first, please! It's not a "great" game, per se, but damn if it isn't memorable for a bunch of reasons. And the soundtrack..... one of the best!

05/27/2013 at 12:11 AM

Thats what I have heard, I'll get to it eventually.

05/26/2013 at 11:27 PM

Not jobless, but not happy with it.

05/26/2013 at 06:26 PM

Yeah. Ni No Kuni makes a good first impression. That lasts for a good, long while, but by the end of the game, there are a few things that you will wish the designers had improved. A good game overall though, and if you love RPGs, you will enjoy it pretty thoroughly. I wrote a review on it yesterday if you are interested.

http://www.pixlbit.com/blog/2301/ni_no_kuni_review_plus

05/26/2013 at 08:16 PM

Hey Dawkins, haven't seen seen you for a while. Good to hear from you. Following now.

05/26/2013 at 10:46 PM

Hey! Yeah, only been back for a week now that the semester is over, but I'm glad to hear from you too. Check out some of my older posts if you want. I feel like there's a pretty interesting one about Fire Emblem in there. :)

05/26/2013 at 09:21 PM

Well I plan to stay optimistic and the similarities between this game and DQ8 are deffinatley there. Not a fan of ai contolled parties for the most part either but I have played several games much older than this that made it actually work suprisingly well (Persona 3 FES) so I agree that if its as bad as you say, that is unacceptable. But I haven't gotten my other party members yet, so I will find out before long.

05/26/2013 at 08:18 PM

I'm really enjoying Ni No Kuni. Like Snee I usually prefer turn based but I'm having fun and enjoying the game overall so that's a good thing

05/26/2013 at 08:52 PM

Yeah its a bit of hybrid in that regard. I kind of like that because it makes grinding less monotinous. Its realy sad to see true turn based games go the way of the dino's, at least on consoles anyway. I have tons of great TBC JRPG's on my DS, but I just can't play it for long periods of time without getting cramped up, or my hand falling asleep,lol.

05/26/2013 at 08:55 PM

I think I've finished more RPGs on my DS than any other platform.

Aboboisdaman

05/26/2013 at 08:27 PM

I was interested in Ni No Kuni untill I read Sgt Dawkin's review of it. I'm extremely picky when it comes to rpgs. I'm glad your digging it though. There ain't nothing like getting a new game. The backlog will always be there. Well, hopefully not always lol.

05/26/2013 at 09:01 PM

It may not be for eveyone, and like I said I was really put off by the demo, but after getting some time with the full game I can see now just how much more there is to it.

The backlog will be there,lol. I actually attempted to beat Rogue Galaxy the other day and now I remember why I got pissed and quit it at the end. A solid hour of marathon boss fights only to get killed by a cheap shot from the FINAL boss. Maybe I'll try again in a month or so when the very sight of the cover does not make me want to set it on fire.

05/26/2013 at 10:50 PM

It's funny you mention Rogue Galaxy, because I personally associate it with Rogue Galaxy, though superficially the two are not so alike. Mainly because I built up unrealistic expectations for each, and was left slightly disappointed by both. Even so, I have Rogue Galaxy as my 89th favorite RPG of all time, and Ni No Kuni somewhere in the 50s. :)

05/27/2013 at 12:06 AM

I have done that too. Having high expectations can really backfire and make you dislike a game thats actually pretty good even though it may have some nasty flaws. Thats why I try not to get too excited about stuff.

05/26/2013 at 10:47 PM

Abobo, I didn't say it was BAD, right?

Super Step Contributing Writer

05/26/2013 at 09:29 PM

I don't like JRPGS, but I liked the art style to Ni No Kuni, so I guess we differ there.

I want to actually buy a current gen system, then maybe my backlog will be bigger. lol

05/26/2013 at 11:59 PM

Oh you can count on that, lol. I have only had my PS3 for about a year and I already have like 30 something games for it. That was the best part about waiting is I got most of those for 20 bucks or less.

As for the art on Ni No Kuni, its really the character designs I have an issue with. The enviroments and scenery are great. Plus I'm a huge fan of Miyazaki of Studio Ghibly stuff, so I was expecting something with a bit more personality I guesse.

smartcelt

05/27/2013 at 01:06 PM

After reading all the good things about Ni No Kuni written by you and others I feel I will play it soon. I have seen some footage that was very in-depth and long. Liked what I saw. And I think Borderlands 2 just keeps getting better. Tina Tina is so funny and batshit crazy she deserves her own DLC! Bring it on I say. Sounds good to me.

05/28/2013 at 09:45 AM

I'm pretty hyped about her DLC, I think it going to be the best of the additional campaigns. The rumor of additional add ons is also pretty exciting, love to see the lv cap bumped up to 75 or 100 or another playable character class.

Chris Yarger Community Manager

05/28/2013 at 07:03 AM

I really need to get back into Borderlands 2...

And I also need to buy Ni No Kuni.. Ugh.. too many games right now.

05/28/2013 at 09:49 AM

Yeah I'm taking a break from Borderlands till the final DLC drops and getting some much over due RPG time in with Ni No Kuni. Your right though, too many good games to try and make time for. Good problem to have if you ask me, lol.

PixlBit