Pumpkin's Video Game Diary!

[Pumpkin]

Threads of Fate (PlayStation)

Note: While I am familiar with the basics of Rue's storyline, I have only played and completed Mint's storyline and so my review will focus mostly on my experiences with her.

Threads of Fate is an action RPG where you can choose between two protagonists and each of their stories. While the general story is the same, the details can be very different as each focuses more on their own goals and personality. Rue's storyline is more serious while Mint's is more lighthearted, although both get their heavy moments. While a lot of the game is different, there are some nearly identical scenes as well and the overarching plot progresses much the same way.

Rue is a mysterious young boy who lives with a woman named Claire, whom he cares for deeply. One day, Claire is killed. Angered and saddened over her death, Rue searches for the powerful Valen's relic, a device he is told will grant him the power to restore Claire to life. Mint is a young, spoiled Princess in line for the throne. One day, her sister informs her that the throne will be passed to her, Maya, instead of Mint, due to the council fearing Mint's incompetence. Mint leaves the castle and travels around, searching for Valen's relic, thought to be the most powerful of all relics, so she can defeat her sister and take over the world.

This game is an action RPG, so monsters appear and are fought on dungeon maps. With Mint, you can attack and use magic. There are many different kinds of magic, unlocked during certain story events. Each magic also has certain sub-types to it, such as spread or more powerful shots, and these are generally unlocked by finding secret treasure chests. These will grant different ways to use the magic, as well as how much MP is used. You can also jump in this game. There are no levels in Threads of Fate, instead you will gain HP by being attacked and gain MP by using your magic. Enemies sometimes drop HP and MP bottles for you. In the event you are KO'd, you can use coins to restore you to health, depending on the type of coin, and resume where you are instead of starting back in town. Money is gained by defeating monsters and selling monster tokens (gained automatically) as well as selling certain barter items. You can also purchase defense and power upgrades along with a few other things.

There is no world map per se. Instead, your base of operations is in a small port town where you rest, shop, and talk with villagers. As the story progresses, you will be able to unlock new dungeons and areas that can be accessed at the town gate. There, you will select a location and be brought to the area. You can also revisit old areas this way to grind or just see if you missed anything. The game also has a different ending for each character and a True Ending if you complete both storylines.

Overall I found this game to be very charming. Mint was great and I enjoyed watching her. The story was very amusing and had me chuckling quite a few times. I purposely neglected to add a character section, as I feel the characters are best left as a surprise. I was impressed with the amount of development even the villains get, and the relationships to the heroes felt much more personal and investing than a lot of games manage. They are not faceless villains, but real people with their own stories. As the game progresses, there's also much more storyline scenes and less gameplay, something that personally doesn't bother me but may be irritating for those who want to focus on gameplay. It's also relatively short. My biggest gripe with the game though is the amount of platforming. I am not good at platforming and I generally don't enjoy it and it made the game quite a challenge. I got stuck on more than a few occasions. Regardless though, I would recommend it to fans of the genre. It's short but sweet, fun, and amusing. The character designs are adorable and I love Mint's design and over the top personality. I'm glad I played it.

Verdict:
LIKED IT

[Pumpkin]

Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax (PlayStation 3)

Dengeki Bunk: Fighting Climax is a 2D fighting game by Sega which stars many manga/anime, and sometimes other video game characters. The story is about an evil being defeating and taking the "data" from other characters and using them to fight whichever fighter you choose. This evil being, Zetsumu, believes that dreams (aspiration dreams not sleepy dreams) are evil, as pursuing your dream deprives others of theirs. The player character must fight their way to him and realize that dreams are beautiful things~

This game is a 2D fighter that also features support characters. Each support character has two attacks they can perform, one by pressing X, and one by pressing the forward arrow and X. These attacks range from defense to attack to special attack, depending on the support character you chose. Your fighter character can perform a weak attack with square, a medium attack with triangle, and a strong attack with O. These can be combined together with arrows and other buttons to perform more moves depending on the character. There are also some special bars that can be used for special attacks and a few other such features. There is also a Dream Duel story mode where you face your character off against specific opponents in the order of your choosing.

Aside from story mode, this game has many staple fighting game modes such as time attack and survival, as well as a versus mode, and an online match mode. You can also customize a player card and, with your winning points from playing the game, you can unlock features such as colour swaps for characters, and voices. You can also view some manga artwork and a few other such things. There are two unlockable characters (plus two support characters), one by beating story mode and one by beating story mode while winning the majority of fights with specials. These two cannot be used in Story Modes.

Characters:
(Because of the large number, I will not be posting support characters. I will also ONLY be posting the characters from my favourite to least favourite based on gameplay since I have not seen/read/played most of the characters anime/manga/video games and can't comment on their personalities or stories too much.)
Tomoka: From Ro-Kyu-Bu!
Kirino: From Oreimo
Rentaro: From Black Bullet
Mikoto: From A Certain Magical Index
Shizuo: From Durarara!!
Yukine: From Strike the Blood
Selvaria: From Valkyria Chronicles
Taiga: From Toradora!
Akira: From Virtua Fighter
Shana: From Shakugan no Shana
Miyuki: From The Irregular at magic High School
Kirito: From Sword Art Online
Asuna: From Sword Art Online
Kuroyukihime: From Accel World

Overall this was a fun game to play and I don't regret buying it, but I have other 2D fighters, such as Aquapazza, that are along the same vein and do what this game does, only better. The story is super generic, literally staying the same except for different dialogue with the chosen characters, which makes it less exciting to play through with everyone. There also aren't as many backgrounds as I would like and most are forgettable. This game is probably much better for fans of these characters, but for someone like me who only knows a few of them, a lot of the impact is lost. Tomoka, however, is the best part of this game, is super fun to use and adorable, and has made me want to look in to Ro-Kyu-Bu! There are some fun attacks though and the game is pretty fun to pick up once in a while, and I like the colour swaps. I just find it a bit lacking, personally.

Verdict:
IT WAS OKAY

[Karifean]

What a lineup.

[Pumpkin]

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel (PlayStation 3)

Note: This game takes place roughly around the same time (shortly after, I think?) as The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky trilogy. If you have not played those games, such as myself, you may miss out on a few references here and there. However, the game still stands on its own and you don't need to have played the Trails in the Sky to understand this game and enjoy it. A direct sequel to Trails of Cold Steel will be coming out this fall.

Story:
This game takes place in the Erebonian Empire, a country still divided by a caste system: nobles and commoners. However, since the orbal revolution 50 years ago (akin to the industrial revolution of this universe), things are beginning to change. Some commoners are beginning to occupy more prominent positions than the nobles. This is leading to some strife within Erebonia between those who demand change, those who want to preserve tradition, and those who want to remain neutral.

The story follows Rean and his classmates at Thor's Military Academy. He and his eight classmates were specially chosen to be a part of the new Class VII, which doesn't separate students by caste, but instead brings them together in the spirit of teamwork and learning more about the state of Erebonia. As the story progresses, these new students get some eye opening experiences regarding their country, their family, and the inner workings of the system which is struggling with the changing times.

Gameplay:
Trails of Cold Steel is a rather traditional turn-based RPG. You control a maximum of four characters at a time in your party and you can issue commands such as Attack or Item. Turns are based both on speed of the character as well as previous actions. Manipulating the turn order is an important part of the game as certain turns will grant bonuses such as health restoration. Characters each have a range and a move which decides how they can attack, and they can also be moved during their turn to avoid enemy attacks or to cluster together for buffs. A big part of battles is linking characters together which allows them to support each other in a variety of ways depending on their link level, such as a support attack or automatic (and free) healing.

Characters can also use artes (magic) and crafts. Crafts are generally obtained by level and are unique to each character. They cost CP to use, which can be restored by attacking and being attacked. Each character also gets an S. Craft at certain points in the story which uses 100-200 CP and serves as a very powerful move. Artes are equipped using quartz. Quartz can be found or traded for sepith, which is obtained in battle. Any character can equip any quartz, which allow the casting of spells or the use of support skills such as increased attack or move. Each character also has a "master quartz" which levels up and grants the use of certain artes and support skills. These can be equipped on any character, allowing for a lot of customization.

Aside from battle, there are a few other things to do in the game. There are mini-games such as a card game, fishing, getting to know the villagers, cooking, collecting books, and a few other things. Another major aspect to the game is bonding with your teammates. On free days, you will be given a certain number of bonding points which can be spent with a number of people should they have an event. This lets you get to know the characters as well as increasing their link points. In addition, you will be graded every in game month for the amount of mandatory quests, side quests, and hidden sidequests you do. Rewards are given out for each rank achieved when being graded.

World:
Trails of Cold Steel takes place in many towns and cities in Erebonia. Exploration is very linear though, both on maps and in progression. Each month you will have time in Trista, the town of Thor's Military Academy. This lets you get to know each of the villagers and watch their individual stories unfold as the game progresses. In addition, each month there is a "field study" that brings you to another location in the empire. This lasts a few in game days and there is a very good variety of locations ranging from small merchant towns, massive cities, and nomadic villages. However, once you leave an area you will no longer be able to return.

Characters:
(Not all important characters will be listed, just some central ones. Ordered from favourite to least favourite)
Towa: Student Council President Towa is known for working extraordinarily hard. She not only manages her student council duties, but she also helps out the faculty and Class VII when she's needed.
Laura: A noble and daughter to a well respected swordsman, Laura also fights with a large sword and takes her swordsmanship training very seriously. She is very direct and honest and always willing to improve herself whenever possible.
Gaius: While not technically a foreigner, Gaius is from the nomadic village of Nord where they have a slightly different worship system and do not obey the caste system. He is very easy going and easy to get along with, and he is passionate about art.
Sara: Instructor to Class VII, she drinks a lot and is seemingly pretty lazy, as well as being an overall subpar instructor. However, she is a very powerful fighter and is very good at knowing what's going on and when.
Elliot: A kind young man with a passion for music. He's very skilled at what he does, although he's generally more of a follower.
Alisa: Alisa is what you would call an upper-class commoner. She's very kind and caring to those around her, although she has a bit of a short fuse around Rean, mostly because she has feelings for him. Likes to help people.
Jusis: Son of Duke Albarea, one of the highest ranking nobles in the country, Jusis pretty much walks, talks, and dresses the part of a young noble. He enjoys horse riding and fencing.
Rean: The main protagonist, Rean is a bit unique in where he fits in to the caste system. He's a pretty nice guy although he tends to let his own well being go by the wayside in order to help others.
Emma: A shy young woman who not only scores highest in her class, but also highest among the entire academy. She is very kind but also has a secret to hide, which you know because she is a terrible liar.
Fie: A skilled fighter witgh a mysterious past, Fie enjoys the important things in life like napping and eating and speaking in a monotone. Also growing flowers.
Machias: A commoner who is very strongly opposed to nobles on principle and believes people should hold positions in society based on merit and not blood. His father is a high up in the Reformist Faction which seeks to get rid of the caste system.
George: An engineering genius at Thor's Academy, he helps the Roer Institute of Technology test and develop many of their new products, as well as assists Class VII with the technical side of things.
Angelica: Angelica enjoys two main things: her orbal bike (motorcycle) and women. She has a very casual and enjoyable approach to life.
Millium: A mysterious girl who brings with her a mysterious contraption that she calls "Lammy". Very upbeat and hyperactive and terrible at keeping secrets. Which is a bad thing because she's technically a secret agent.
Crow: Crow enjoys things like women, gambling, women, gambling, and not being fussed at for his shennaningans involving women and gambling. Also a skilled fighter.

Overall:
Trails of Cold Steel doesn't shake it up to much in terms of innovation, instead combining many elements from other RPG's. That's probably what grabbed me when I first started playing was how much I was reminded of other games I love. So while the game might not bring something new to the table, it does what it does VERY well. It takes some of the best things about traditional, turn-based RPG's and applies them in a way that makes this game an absolute joy. The gameplay is fun, the story is interesting, the characters and their relationships and interactions are great and plentiful, and I loved how so many of the NPC's had their own stories and adventures, such as one student training as a nun, or a child trying to help his parents get along. I loved how even though Class VII was central to the story, the story was bigger than them and there was stuff beyond the scope of their abilities. I could go on and on about the positives of this game but I'll add a few negatives. I would have preferred an ensemble cast instead of having Rean be at the center, and he comes off as a bit too perfect sometimes. There are some cringeworthy moments and some heavy handed storytelling, although it does interjects some more subtleties and humour in as well. While not a negative for me, some might be turned off by the incredibly slow pacing of this game. The deeper story doesn't really start until about halfway through and much is left blank until near the end. With that being said, I clocked about 75 hours total in the game so I can understand why they split it up. Finally, there was some uneven character development. Negatives aside, I absolutely loved this game and it has easily made its way to my top 5 games of all time. I cannot wait for part 2 in the fall.

Verdict:
LOVED IT

[Karifean]

Heh, this game almost sounds like a love letter to JRPG fans.

[Pumpkin]

Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo Wii)

Super Mario Galaxy starts with Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom enjoying a special event during which shooting stars fly through the sky in a brilliant display. Sadly, at this point, Bowser comes and ruins things because it's what he does, I guess. Not understanding that no means no and that kidnapping is not the way to a woman's heart, Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach. Please contain your shock at this plot twist, because there's more. Not only did Bowser kidnap the Princess, he also is trying to rule the universe. Like, all of it. With the help of the new Princess Rosalina and her space station, Mario will journey to find the Princess. Unfortunately, Bowser has also stolen the Grand Stars needed to operate the station, and it is up to Mario to get them back.

In this game you will navigate through various 'galaxies' in order to retrieve stars and Grand Stars in order to power the station and go rescue Peach. On the station you will enter various 'rooms' such as the kitchen and bedroom that will lead to different starways. From here you will select from the galaxies available in this room, generally about 5 of them. Afterwards you will select an episode in the galaxy. The episodes affect the layout of the galaxy as well as where you can explore within it. Most episodes contain a star although some contain more. To unlock more galaxies you'll need to have unlocked a certain number of stars. Once you reach the boss galaxy and beat it, retrieving a Grand Star, another area of the station will be unlocked along with more galaxies.

This game is a platformer so there is a lot of jumping and spinning and timing involved. Mario moves with the Wii Nunchuck and the Wiimote pointer can be used to collect "star bits". That way, even if they're far off you can simply point the Wiimote at them to collect them. These can be used to gain lives as well as feed 'hungry lumas' who will give you rewards in exchange for them such as extra health, lives, or even extra galaxies. Coins restore life. Shaking the Wiimote will cause Mario to spin, which can be used to attack or extend a jump, as well as power stars and a few other things. Mario can also jump and butt-jump as well. In this game, Mario also gets a few 'transformations', such as Bee Mario, Boo Mario, Fire Mario, Ice Mario, Flying Mario, and... Springy Mario. Each of these has their own special abilities and skills.

Gravity is a huge part of the game. You'll be upside down and sideways quite often. There are also stages that mark different gravities, such as up or down or sideways, and you'll have to adjust accordingly. Aside from the regular galaxies there are a few other things to do. Occasionally a special comet will appear above galaxies for an extra challenge, such as a time attack. Luigi will often need rescuing, and Peach will send you mail with extra lives for you. As the game progresses you will also unlock storybook chapters in which Rosalina tells the story of a young girl and her Luma friend looking for a family. The game ends when all of the Grand Stars needed to power the station have been retrieved and 60 stars total have been collected. You can collect more than that if you wish, there are 120ish stars I believe, but there is also the option to complete them after the final boss as well.

I enjoyed the game overall. Platformers are not really my genre of choice and I am quite bad at them. Thankfully this one was easier to get in to than the other Mario platformers I've played. They give you a mild learning curve instead of throwing you off the deep end, so when I did come to the more challenging levels, I was more prepared and therefore less frustrated and got more enjoyment out of them. There was also a good variety of levels and some really pretty and fun ones. Likewise there were some frustrating and ugly ones. That is subjective though so I am glad for the variety. I was also glad for the storybook feature as I am someone who enjoys more story than "jump on platforms to get the thing". It was nice to get some story breaks from the constant platforming. I also liked the art style of the storybook as well. The camera could be frustrating at times and the gravity was hard to get used to. My biggest complaint is probably that the later rooms took forever to get to, which could be annoying. Overall though it was a fun game, it was easy to get in to for someone like me with little platforming skills, it had good variety and some extra challenge for people who wanted it. I would very much recommend it for fans of platforming games and Mario, if they haven't already played it, as well as for those like me who don't have much skill and experience but want to try something new.

Verdict:
LIKED IT

[Pumpkin]

Dragon Age: Origins (PlayStation 3)

Note: There is some sexual content if that is something that bothers you. It is overall pretty mild, however.

Story:

Dragon Age: Origins starts with an origin story of your choosing for your customizable hero. The country of Ferelden is entering a period called "The Blight" in which demons from underground rise up and start killing people. These demons are led by a dragon called the Archdemon. A group of special soldiers called the Grey Wardens are tasked with defeating this Archdemon and ending the blight. As you can expect, you end up becoming one of these Grey Wardens and need to recruit the help of soldiers from around the country from different backgrounds by making them aware of the treaty that they must help during a blight and helping them have the means to do so.

How you go about helping the different peoples is largely up to you. You will also recruit allies during your mission with their own stories to explore. The game gives you a lot of options as far as dialogue choices and solutions to dilemmas that pop up. Your origin story will also affect the beginning of the game as well as how you're treated and viewed throughout the story.

Gameplay:
In this game you will take control of your chosen hero and be accompanied by up to three allies at a time. While you can only control one character at a time directly, each character gets a certain amount of Tactics slots in which you can assign them what to do in battle. You can also switch who you control with the L1 and R1 buttons at pretty much any time. At level up you will be given points to assign to stats to improve them how you see fit, as well as points to unlock skills to use in battle. You can use skills as well as some other features like healing items by bringing up the Radial Menu by pressing L2. You can also set skills to use with the Triangle, O, and Square Buttons. To attack you simply need to press X on your chosen target.

A large part of the game is dialogue choices and sidequests. Sidequests range from simple and short to long and complex and you're free to pursue this at your leisure. You can find a section on the menu which will keep you up to date on your quests and such. You can also view codex entries from this menu to get more immersed in the lore and history of the world if you so choose. Dialogue choices appear quite often and sometimes have negligible effects while other times will affect the game in a substantial way. It will also affect how your chosen companions come to view you if they're with you when you make these choices. You can also craft items, buy and sell equipment, give materials to your forces, give gifts to companions, and rest at camp to be rejuvenated and get to know your allies a bit more.

World:
The game takes place in Ferelden and has many areas to explore within the country, and more will open up depending on where you are in the story. Once you exit a map, you will usually be taken to the World Map, where you select a destination and your party will travel there. Occasionally you will be stopped en route for a fight or an event. Some larger towns will have a town map where you choose which section of the town to visit. Dungeons often have several maps as well to explore. There is a decent variety and a lot of locations to explore with a lot to do within them.

Characters:
I won't mention every character here because many are not missable and I am not sure if I recruited them all. You'll gain more playable characters to use as the story progresses and depending on your choices. They have different personalities and stories and generally have their own sidequest as well. You can also romance some of them depending on whether you made a male or female character. You can speak with them when they're in your party or back at camp and you can also give them gifts to increase affection. Each also has a special gift you can find. A character may leave if they dislike you enough, I believe. You can select three of your allies to accompany you in to battle. They also will engage in conversations with each other as you explore.

Overall:
I enjoyed Dragon Age: Origins. I like that there are different origin stories and many different options and paths to take, which makes me excited to play again and see how differently things can go. I liked a lot of the characters and I loved how they would take to each other and seeing them bond. I particularly was a fan of Leliana, Dog, and Wynne. There was certainly a lot to do and I felt very involved with all of the decisions I had to make. There were some negatives though. The game was a bit confusing in some ways and it didn't do a good job of teaching me the ins and outs of how to play, which led to a lot of confusion. While some story sections were amazing, others were dull in my opinion and didn't get me excited to continue. The actual fights could also be kind of boring since I mostly just had to press X and kind of sit there and wait unless I wanted to be fancy and use a skill once in a while even if I didn't need it, just to break up the monotony. Overall though it was a fun game, it was very immersive, and I do plan to play it again. I look forward to playing Dragon Age II at some point.

Verdict:
LIKED IT

[sharkythesharkdogg]

The dog, as in many games, is the best character.

I want a party made up of Dragon Age Dog, and Fallout Dogmeat, and some other dogs. Maybe Stryder Hiryu's cyberdog, and Poppy from Samurai Showdown. Maybe Angelo from FF8.

[Madame Adequate]

REMOVE DOG remove take you are the shem idiot you are the shem smell, take a bath of dead shemlen

[Pike]

Best part about Dog is naming him Barkspawn

[Formalhaut]

Heh, this game almost sounds like a love letter to JRPG fans.

Hey, that game actually looks pretty amazing. I might check it out Pumpkin!

[sharkythesharkdogg]

Best part about Dog is naming him Barkspawn

[Pumpkin]

XCOM: Enemy Within (PlayStation 3)

Note: I have not completed the game so I will be unable to comment on anything beyond a certain point.

XCOM: Enemy Within is about an alien invasion and Earth taking a small, somewhat limited stand against the invading threat. What starts off as mild incidents escalates from there as the aliens become more aggressive and show themselves more. Your job as Commander is to lead your team on expeditions against these foes and to learn more about your enemy and how to stop them.

This game is a mixture of strategy RPG and resource management. In the beginning, you can bring only a team of four to fight the alien foes, but as you progress you will gain the ability to bring up to six. Your characters can each bring items in to the battle depending on what you've researched, developed, and purchased. As your characters earn promotions by defeating enemies, they will gain specializations such as "Assault", "Support", "Sniper", and "Heavy" which will effect their play style, skills, and items. As they earn promotions you will also be able to send them down different paths depending on skills you pick for them.

In battle you will control your characters by selecting their actions. Each has a certain distance they can move, and a certain "Dashing" distance. If a character dashes, it will use up the entirety of their turn, whereas just moving to a non-dashing location will allow the character to do other things as well. There are also skills to help circumvent these limitations. A character can attack when an enemy is in sight and an estimated hit chance will appear. Do not believe it because it lies. A character can also "Overwatch" which allows them to attack an enemy on the enemy's turn should they move within their line of sight. It is also beneficial to seek areas of cover for your characters. Other actions that can be taken depend on the character and their items, such as healing and using grenades. Characters will also need to reload as they take shots. When a character's HP reaches 0, he or she will most likely die. This game does have perma-death, so be sure to manage your characters appropriately and not rely on one specific team while neglecting others.

The other part of the game is resource management. You will have a base in which you can do things such as... well, research, build buildings, award medals, manage your party, buy equipment, buy satellites to launch around the globe, sell unneeded items, etc. More options will open up as the game progresses and as you research more things, such as the ability to modify your soldiers. You'll also have to excavate and build new facilities, being careful of monthly costs vs income. You'll also scout for battles here and sometimes "The Council" will contact you with important missions, as well as a monthly grading depending on your actions. The game does have a difficulty setting for those like me who suck at these games or those unlike me who want a challenge. You can also customize soldiers to your liking, and medals will award certain bonuses to those who have earned them. You'll be given objectives to complete as well to help progress the game.

Overall I did not enjoy this game. While I wouldn't say it was objectively bad, it was just too stressful for me personally with not enough pay-off. I didn't care about the story and there weren't enough personal stories for me to get invested in. I would have loved to be able to get to know my soldiers on a more personal level so their deaths and successes would be more meaningful. The environments, while nicely detailed, were mostly dark and repetitive, I found, and didn't really get me excited. The game itself lacked a lot of brightness, although it was pretty understandable within context. It was nice watching my team grow as they got promotions and since missions were challenging, it really felt like a victory when I guided my team safely to a win, and I like the near absolute freedom you have to manage things as you see fit. However, like I said, in the end the game was just too stressful for me and I wasn't having much fun. If it does sound like something you would like, I would recommend giving it a try, but it wasn't a game for me.

Verdict:
DIDN'T LIKE IT

[gau]

Soo, I haven't read all your entries but it seems you're into games with interesting characters. How did you end up playing X-COM?

Also, glad to see that I'm not the only one who disliked whatever slang Life is Strange is throwing into our face.

[Pumpkin]

I am trying to expand my gaming horizons a bit and trying some games I normally wouldn't. I mean, I'm still playing JRPG's while I try some new stuff, but I figured I would try some new stuff as well and I might surprise myself with a game I enjoy that I otherwise wouldn't have played!