Fans of the wildly popular strat-RPG series Disgaea are likely familiar with spinoff of sorts Phantom Brave, which takes much of Disgaea’s quirkiness and attitude and ramps things up a bit with a lighthearted narrative and intuitive sans-grid battle system. It takes a sharp turn from Disgaea in terms of tone and even the way things play out, but rabid NIS fans flock to it for much of the same reason they eagerly devour parts of the Disgaea saga. Phantom Brave: Heroes of the Hermuda Triangle is not the third in what you would assume is a series of Phantom Brave outings, but is in fact the third reissue of the fantastic game that first appeared on the PlayStation 2. After a successful Wii port with substantial upgrades and additional content, NIS America has brought the action to the PSP to take the show on the road. The same source material is here, as well as some new content, but is the third time a charm? Is this the definitive Phantom Brave?
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Review: Dance Paradise
I never thought I’d see the day where dance games would become so popular. As a Dance Dance Revolution vet, I’ve gleefully accepted the Kinect revolution with open arms. Dance Central, then Dance Masters, and now Dance Paradise — it’s a regular fantasy land for those of us who like to get our groove on.
Review: Remington Super Slam Hunting: Africa
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Remington Super Slam Hunting: Africa reminds me of a game at my local Mr. Gatti’s that I enjoy every time I visit. Employing over-sized shotgun peripherals and plenty of game to hunt, it gleefully announces “YOU SHOT A COW!” in a hilariously over-the-top accent should your crosshairs come anywhere near a cow rather than the game meant to be taken down. Mastiff has brought their popular Wii shooter over to the OnLive gaming service with nary a hiccup, and I’m happy to say it manages to channel the attitude and aesthetic of my favorite pizza-place arcade shooter. Though it’s leagues better technically speaking, it’s still campy as all get-out, right down to the announcer.
Review: Two Worlds II
Two Worlds II contains hilariously bad voice-acting, awkward scenarios, and far less polish than similar games in the genre. But so what? The time that I spent with it was some of the most rewarding I have gotten from an RPG this year (and that includes Mass Effect 2’s DLC). From the very beginning of my quest, opting to journey as a blonde surfer-dude look-alike, complete with a cute little braid in his hair (why couldn’t I choose to be female?), I reveled in its thoroughly B-movie atmosphere, which include hilarious one-liners and memorable reactions my traveler could provide when prompted for a response with voice dialogue – all spoken, by the way. While I never got to experience the original Two Worlds, I found its successor a wholly enjoyable, engrossing, and absolutely gorgeous, if not massively flawed experience. It’s a precious stone – one that hasn’t been polished just yet. When and if Reality Pump does so, the franchise will blossom into something truly formidable.
Impressions: Call of Duty: Black Ops – First Strike Map Pack
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With the dizzying success of Call of Duty: Black Ops, it only makes sense that another set of maps should be released. Me? I’m still chilling on Call of Duty 4 most of the time, but Black Ops is a winner in my book, especially when I’m jonesin’ for a good ol’ fashioned zombie massacre. The very first Black Ops map pack, entitled First Strike, comes packing five different maps, four intended for multiplayer and one new zombie adventure for those of us ready to take another stand against the shambling undead. For the first round of extra content, it’ll set you back roughly $15 (depending on platform; Xbox 360 version reviewed), and it’s one of the better offerings I’ve seen in quite a while, especially if Treyarch’s blockbuster is still in your nightly multiplayer game rotation.