Razer's Edge came out for the Wii U not the 3DS lol. As a huge fan of the original Xbox NG and for the most part, the second game, I refuse to give Tecmo-Koei any of my money for how they butchered the series in the third game. Razer's Edge might be improved, even fun, but I have my doubts it's much more than a bandaid on product suffering internal bleeding.
Broken's retro theatre: Onimusha Dawn Of Dreams and other topics!
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 On 03/11/2013 at 03:19 AM by BrokenH See More From This User » |
Old Gems revisited: Onimusha Dawn Of Dreams
On the gaming front I went back to play me some Onimusha Dawn Of Dreams. It’s amazing how well the game’s visuals still impress me and I really love how there are 5 characters with their own distinct fighting styles.
When released, Dawn Of Dreams had the stigma (Thanks, Tami! Stigma and Stigmata are so much alike!) of having a new team. A lot of people said it wasn’t as “dark & realistic” as the three original games but since those predecessors had a mechanized horse, a fairy, and time-travel it’s difficult for me to 100% agree with the fans and their criticisms. (Onimusha may have been dark but it never was steeped in much realism beyond the vague historical significance woven into its’ fiction)
Personally I enjoyed how Onimusha: Dawn Of Dreams subtly tied into the first three entries yet also wasn’t afraid to go in a new direction.
For those not in the know, Dawn Of Dreams takes place during Hideyoshi’s rule. He was the big cheese who ruled Japan after Nobunaga Oda fell. What’s so interesting about these warlords is they were heralded either as terrible villains or benign saints depending on the source you collect your data from. For example, Warriors Of Orochi 3 portrays Hideyoshi as a caring and jovial little guy who has one of the best special attacks in the whole game. His relationship with his wife Nene is sweet and adorable! Yet in Dawn Of Dreams Hideyoshi is a blood thirsty power hungry midget with a huge grudge against foreigners. I’m sure there’s a smattering truth in both portrayals of the man and it’s oddly intriguing Japan has so many conflicting viewpoints when it comes to their historical rulers.
In any case, everything went “bad” when the mysterious “omen star” appeared in the sky. Hideyoshi is using bug parasites to puppet his army and there’s also the inclusion of creepy wailing cherry trees that sprout up around any area saturated in evil. As the lead Soki, you are a rogue samurai with a heart of gold and you’ve taken it upon yourself to burn down the cherry trees and to stop Hideyoshi’s evil plot of world conquest. Luckily, there are more complex layers of the story and its’ main characters that are gradually revealed to keep you intrigued. (Aka, the little side tales are more rewarding than the main plot in my opinion)
This is another game that takes place roughly around the feuding states era and as such there’s the usual samurai sword action to be had. One of the most devastating moves includes rushing through lines of zombie foot soldiers or hulking demons in a chain combo as their arterial spray gushes skyward. Yet to fell multiple enemies simultaneously takes perfect timing. Additionally all characters can block, roll, rush forward, kick, and even do a finishing blow to enemies on the ground.
Dawn Of Dreams is more of an rpg than an action game though. Armor, weapons, and character skills can all be leveled up. Additionally, every character has a special way of interacting with his or her environment!
Other characters
Tenkai: Tenkai is a white haired monked and a former samurai. He fights with a long staff and can speak to the dead to get both items and clues. He has mysterious ties to the previous Onimusha games and if you recognize his theme music you’ll be able to put together the pieces.
Jubei: Jubei is a young ninja girl from the Yagyu clan. She has what can only be described as a “demon eye” and she duel wields kunai. (Short blades) I love Jubei’s speed in battle. She slices and dices at retail prices! Both her light weight and lithe physique helps her get into places other characters cannot go.
Roberto: Roberto is half Spaniard and half Japanese. Apparently, his mixed heritage got him into trouble among Japan’s more xenophobic inhabitants. Be that as it may, Roberto is a gentle soul with a strong sense of justice. Among the protagonists Rob is the guy with the “big guns”. (The guy is built like a tank) Roberto doesn’t need any weapon. He turns enemies into pulverized oatmeal with his fists! Beyond having an interesting boxing style, Roberto is the only character who can move heavy objects.
Ohatsu: Reputedly the niece of Nobunaga Oda, Ohatsu is Soki’s love interest. (While also seeming to have some feelings towards Roberto. Oh, Ohatsu, you slut!) What’s so great about Ohatsu is that she is one of the few rifle wielding characters in a samurai game who doesn’t suck. Ohatsu’s guns pack quite the powerful punch and in addition she can call upon mechanized drones to help her out in battle. As expected, Ohatsu can shoot things in the distance to trigger gears or levers and she even has a grappling hook to get her to higher ledges. (She’s sort of like a bad ass fusion of Lara Croft and Ada Wong!)
Beyond having a stellar cast of diverse heroes and heroines, Dawn Of Dreams encouraged revisiting previous areas and had “Tests of valor” that rewarded the player with special items or costumes when they got a good enough ranking. Making a return also were the “genma pits” which are descending layers of monster infested hell that offer up rare weapons and other goodies the deeper a participant gets.
One major criticism I have is part of the story is delivered in text and characters interacting within the “home base” have no lip movements what so ever. Yet such tiny qualms are easy to forgive when DOD is so impressive and vast in every other regard. (The cgi movies and large scale boss battles are likewise praiseworthy )
It saddened me Onimusha did not continue it’s legacy on the PS3 and Xbox 360. I’m left to imagine what might have been though admittedly, Dawn Of Dreams would have been a tough act to follow.
Game I’m excited for: Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor’s Edge
I did not bite down on the hook when the first Ninja Gaiden 3 came out. While the game didn’t look terrible nothing about it impressed me either. This comes from a guy who more or less loves ninjas. (Except Naruto.(Kudos, Joe! I misuse except and accept way too frequently.) Don’t worry, I accept I’m probably alone in my Naruto hatred!)
Naturally when Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge released on the 3DS I was curious. Stating the obvious, it really did look much better. Severing limbs had been reintroduced to the formula and the beefed up revision looked much faster and more challenging than the original version.
Ryu once again was given an awesome arsenal of diverse weaponry and Ayane, Kasumi, and Momiji were all included as alternate playable characters. Unfortunately, the harsh reality at that point in time was that Razor’s Edge was a 3DS exclusive. (Er, Wii U exclusive. Thanks Kev, I'm really lousy when it comes to Nintendo lore! Haven't been in the loop since the snes though I did manage to play a few games on the N64.)
Well, now I’m given a reason to rejoice! Much akin to RE: Revelations, Razor’s Edge is coming to the 360 and PS3. Perhaps some Nintendo Wii U owners are pissed off their special incentives to buy the system in the first place are not so exclusive anymore. If you the reader happen to be one of them you have my sincerest condolences. However, see it from my point of view. Aka, I’ll finally be able to appreciate these great games without having to drop cash on a new console. From my own perspective I cannot help but to feel ecstatic!
I plan to get Razor’s Edge when it releases in April but my best friend’s birthday is also in April so I’ll have to figure out if I can spare the $39.99 after purchasing my bestie a decent present.
Gamer news: Adam Sessler sassed for looking down on the “Bros before hos” achievement in God Of War Ascension
I understand the gamer rage tied to the word misogyny. Whenever there is skewed sensationalist game journalism trying to push an activist agenda down our throats the word “misogyny” will often be thrown in there somewhere to ignite the sparks of feminist debating.
Yet it seems easy to forget that sometimes someone using that word might have a legitimate point. As a guy I don’t take much offense to the phrase “Bros before hos”. I think at our most angry,vulnerable,silly,drunken, and hurt moments each of us who is a man has muttered this phrase. I’m not saying it’s “right” or politically correct” but when a long time girlfriend dumps us or a random woman treats us like we're sub-human it cuts us deeply. Besides, our wronged female brethren are equally fond of the saying “Chicks before dicks”. (Everything goes both ways!)
Having said all that, I agree with Adam. Yes, it’s not the end of the world to have “bros before hos” as an achievement in God Of War: Ascension. Yet I do think that this phrase is made that much more tasteless as an achievement. I dunno, maybe I’m becoming soft in my old age. I just get tired of the witless dude/bro frat humor that’s so predominate in mainstream gaming these days. All it does is reinforce the image that we’re chauvinistic apathetic man babies. When this happens more potential female gamers leave the fold and suddenly we’re once again overstocked in homophobic prepubescent maturity level man sausage! (Not fun at all!)
To watch Sess-man get so thoroughly hammered for speaking up against this put me in a dour mood. Though he brought it up he also moved on and it wasn’t the main point of contention in his analysis. He mentioned other flaws such as a camera that zoomed out too far and a certain prelude battle before the last boss fight which was so harsh in difficulty he had to get a friend’s help to progress further. All things considered a 3 out of 5 isn’t shitting on a game in the first place yet “fan-boys” put so much emphasis on a score it renders the rest of the review obsolete in their eyes. (Wut?! You didn‘t give this glorious game a godly 5 outta 5?! You‘re just a pussy whipped girly man, Sessler. Boo-rah! This iz Sparta mothafuckaz!!!!1)
Anyway, feel free to tell me I’ve lost my edge or that I’ve become a reluctant feminist if you want to. Your comments are always appreciated!
You're lucky in that you can draw your own art. That was one of my weaknesses. 
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