We lead in with hot news like The Wonderful 101 Kickstarter, the 2020 EVO Lineup, and numerous industry figures changing roles! We then transition into all the games Matt has been playing. It's possible I'll only play FFXIV for the rest of my life.
For part 3 we continue out look back at the current console generation by looking at Namco-Bandai. Get ready for a lot of one sided anime talk!
News - 00:48 to 43:30
What We Played - 43:31 to 1:36:19
Namco Bandai - 1:36:20 to 2:20:44
Specific Game Time Stamps
Wind Waker HD - 43:31 to 51:45
Saint's Row The Third - 51:46 to 59:19
COD: Advanced Warfare - 59:20 to 1:03:54
Assassin's Creed: Syndicate - 1:03:55 to 1:13:25
DmC - 1:13:26 to 1:23:07
Steam World Heist - 1:23:08 to 1:27:27
KH3 REMIND - 1:27:28 to 1:36:19
Showing posts with label Kingdom Hearts 3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kingdom Hearts 3. Show all posts
Friday, February 7, 2020
Friday, January 24, 2020
Podcast Episode 73 - Activating a Blizzard
Sony is not going to E3 again, games are getting delayed left and right, and the new Smash DLC character is a total bummer. Despite all that we talk about the games we've been playing and then take a look at what Activision Blizzard has done this generation.
News - 00:38 to 41:27
What We Played - 41:28 to 1:12:59
Activision Blizzard - 1:13:00 to 2:18:36
Specific Game Time Stamps
Shenmue 3 - 41:28 to 52:30
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon - 52:31 to 54:55
Thief - 54:56 to 1:00:55
Kingdom Hearts 3 - 1:00:56 to 1:07:48
Final Fantasy XIV - 1:07:49 to 1:12:59
News - 00:38 to 41:27
What We Played - 41:28 to 1:12:59
Activision Blizzard - 1:13:00 to 2:18:36
Specific Game Time Stamps
Shenmue 3 - 41:28 to 52:30
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon - 52:31 to 54:55
Thief - 54:56 to 1:00:55
Kingdom Hearts 3 - 1:00:56 to 1:07:48
Final Fantasy XIV - 1:07:49 to 1:12:59
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Top Ten Games of 2019
2019 really didn't do a whole lot for me personally in video games. Normally I gravitate towards narrative experiences, but there weren't too many great ones to latch onto this year. While there were a bunch of games that were great not many of them were "Manny" games. Despite that I still had a rough time cutting my list down to ten, but as always I managed in the end.
As always I will list my top ten games of the year in descending order. These are my opinions based on games I beat in 2019.
10. Kingdom Hearts 3
I feel that most people were disappointed by Kingdom Hearts 3 as the conclusion to the plot arc set up over the course of numerous games, but I wasn't. This game ended the arc as well as I thought it would and delivered compelling enough gameplay to pull me through.
Sure it could have been better, but I'm a firm believer that this was the best outcome we were going to get. I enjoyed it.
9. Concrete Genie
Sony did a bad job marketing this game, so not many people even knew it came out. It's a bummer, because Concrete Genie is a magical experience. You play as the bullied Ash who finds a magic paintbrush he can use to revitalize the dilapidated town of this childhood.
Neon colors and interesting painting mechanics carry this colorful adventure for its roughly 6 hour run time. Just enough time to leave me wanting more, but not so much that it burned me out.
8. Yo-kai Watch 3
Every year I think I won't play another 3DS game, but this year I truly think I mean it. Yo-Kai Watch 3 takes the system to its limits and shows that level-5 has truly mastered the hardware.
It's the Yo-Kai monster collecting I have come to love, but built out to an insane degree. The battle system became a bit more tactical and it has more content that anyone can handle.
7. Control
Control is the game I feel like Remedy has always been trying to make forever. They found their thing that allows them to finally have fun gameplay while exploring a story with the tone they're known for.
You play as Jesse Faden in what is the equivalent of the Men in Black for paranormal things. She shoots things with a magical transforming gun and throws stuff with telekinetic powers. It has amazing world building, but the overarching story falters a bit near the end.
6. Devil May Cry 5
Capcom decided to un-reboot the Devil May Cry franchise and didn't totally mess it up. Nero and Dante return as they were in Devil May Cry 4 and somehow it works.
As usual the stylish action feels good and is a ton of fun. The story isn't anything special, but it's exactly what I expected.
5. Katana Zero
Katana Zero is an action puzzle game where you play as a Samurai in a bizarre future. He can slow down time allowing him to deflect bullets and cut down enemies before they even realize he's there.
The story is like a Quentin Tarantino fever dream and I hope that more gets made in this universe. It's almost like a 2D SUPERHOT and that's awesome.
4. Fire Emblem: 3 Houses
I hated Fire Emblem: Fates so much that I had to take a break from the franchise. Three Houses brought me back in and I liked it a lot. It dumps some of the waifu stuff that Fates doubled down on and got back to the tactical combat I love. The social elements are still present, but they are now closer to Persona school life than a bad dating sim.
Instead of making three games they crammed three stories into one, so there's a LOT here if you want to play through it a few times.
3. Judgment
Once Kiryu's story was over in Yakuza the team decided to try something new with Judgment. The main bummer is that it's not that different from Yakuza. The combat system is very similar and it takes place in the same city.
The compelling part of Judgment for me was that it's a courtroom drama mixed with the insane high octane action of a Yakuza game. New characters elevate this story to new heights.
2. Sekiro: Shadow's Die Twice
In Dark Souls I played as a slow tank-like character, which Bloodborne did not allow me to do despite giving me the illusion that I could build a character to my liking. Sekiro removes the illusion of Bloodborne and lets you know that you are a specific character you're going to play a specific way.
In my opinion the game design here is superb. Areas leading up to a boss will teach you lessons to help later in the game. I loved it.
1. Outer Wilds
Outer Wilds wasn't even on my radar, but I fell deep into it immediately. You play as an astronaut of a new space faring race. The setup is very loose and then you're launched into space to explore the world for 22 minutes before everything resets. After each run you only retain the knowledge of your previous run. The ultimate goal is to end the loop.
I can't go too deep into detail, but the world building in this game is incredible. You need to have the personal drive to continue in the game, because the story unfolds as you find it. It's not for everyone, but it was certainly for me!
As always I will list my top ten games of the year in descending order. These are my opinions based on games I beat in 2019.
I feel that most people were disappointed by Kingdom Hearts 3 as the conclusion to the plot arc set up over the course of numerous games, but I wasn't. This game ended the arc as well as I thought it would and delivered compelling enough gameplay to pull me through.
Sure it could have been better, but I'm a firm believer that this was the best outcome we were going to get. I enjoyed it.
Sony did a bad job marketing this game, so not many people even knew it came out. It's a bummer, because Concrete Genie is a magical experience. You play as the bullied Ash who finds a magic paintbrush he can use to revitalize the dilapidated town of this childhood.
Neon colors and interesting painting mechanics carry this colorful adventure for its roughly 6 hour run time. Just enough time to leave me wanting more, but not so much that it burned me out.
Every year I think I won't play another 3DS game, but this year I truly think I mean it. Yo-Kai Watch 3 takes the system to its limits and shows that level-5 has truly mastered the hardware.
It's the Yo-Kai monster collecting I have come to love, but built out to an insane degree. The battle system became a bit more tactical and it has more content that anyone can handle.
Control is the game I feel like Remedy has always been trying to make forever. They found their thing that allows them to finally have fun gameplay while exploring a story with the tone they're known for.
You play as Jesse Faden in what is the equivalent of the Men in Black for paranormal things. She shoots things with a magical transforming gun and throws stuff with telekinetic powers. It has amazing world building, but the overarching story falters a bit near the end.
Capcom decided to un-reboot the Devil May Cry franchise and didn't totally mess it up. Nero and Dante return as they were in Devil May Cry 4 and somehow it works.
As usual the stylish action feels good and is a ton of fun. The story isn't anything special, but it's exactly what I expected.
Katana Zero is an action puzzle game where you play as a Samurai in a bizarre future. He can slow down time allowing him to deflect bullets and cut down enemies before they even realize he's there.
The story is like a Quentin Tarantino fever dream and I hope that more gets made in this universe. It's almost like a 2D SUPERHOT and that's awesome.
I hated Fire Emblem: Fates so much that I had to take a break from the franchise. Three Houses brought me back in and I liked it a lot. It dumps some of the waifu stuff that Fates doubled down on and got back to the tactical combat I love. The social elements are still present, but they are now closer to Persona school life than a bad dating sim.
Instead of making three games they crammed three stories into one, so there's a LOT here if you want to play through it a few times.
Once Kiryu's story was over in Yakuza the team decided to try something new with Judgment. The main bummer is that it's not that different from Yakuza. The combat system is very similar and it takes place in the same city.
The compelling part of Judgment for me was that it's a courtroom drama mixed with the insane high octane action of a Yakuza game. New characters elevate this story to new heights.
In Dark Souls I played as a slow tank-like character, which Bloodborne did not allow me to do despite giving me the illusion that I could build a character to my liking. Sekiro removes the illusion of Bloodborne and lets you know that you are a specific character you're going to play a specific way.
In my opinion the game design here is superb. Areas leading up to a boss will teach you lessons to help later in the game. I loved it.
Outer Wilds wasn't even on my radar, but I fell deep into it immediately. You play as an astronaut of a new space faring race. The setup is very loose and then you're launched into space to explore the world for 22 minutes before everything resets. After each run you only retain the knowledge of your previous run. The ultimate goal is to end the loop.
I can't go too deep into detail, but the world building in this game is incredible. You need to have the personal drive to continue in the game, because the story unfolds as you find it. It's not for everyone, but it was certainly for me!
Friday, February 8, 2019
Podcast Episode 47 - Kingdom Hearts is Fast and Furious
In this episode we start off talking about the Fast and Furious spin-off, because I am obsessed with the franchise. We eventually transition into the news before getting to the games we played like Kingdom Hearts 3 and the Anthem beta.
News - 8:50 to 1:02:18
What We Played - 1:02:18 to
Kingdom Hearts 3 - 1:59:25 to 2:27:40
Specific Game Time Stamps
Mass Effect - 1:02:18 to 1:10:57
Wargroove - 1:11:02 to 1:22:43
Anthem beta - 1:22:44 to 1:39:59
Cytus 2 - 1:40:01 to 1:47:01
Halo 4 - 1:47:03 to 1:52:33
Ori and the Blind Forest -1:52:34 to 1:59:22
News - 8:50 to 1:02:18
What We Played - 1:02:18 to
Kingdom Hearts 3 - 1:59:25 to 2:27:40
Specific Game Time Stamps
Mass Effect - 1:02:18 to 1:10:57
Wargroove - 1:11:02 to 1:22:43
Anthem beta - 1:22:44 to 1:39:59
Cytus 2 - 1:40:01 to 1:47:01
Halo 4 - 1:47:03 to 1:52:33
Ori and the Blind Forest -1:52:34 to 1:59:22
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
E3 2013: Sony Press Conference
 |
| The future of the PlayStation |
Sony didn't exactly do very well at the beginning of the current console generation. They had grand ideas that ended up falling quite short. They put a lot of stock into the cell processor, but it ended up making the console harder to develop for and much more expensive to produce. The $599 price reveal is quite an infamous moment in terms of E3 press conferences. That's all in the past though. A few months ago Sony announced the PS4 at a special event and talked about it's tech specs and showed a whole lot of video games. They started quite a buzz in the gaming community. People have been backing them recently. Especially after the announcement that the Xbox one would not support used games and would require an almost constant internet connection.
Sony stayed silent about their policies for used games and online connectivity until last night at their press conference. Sony pinpointed the weakness in Microsoft and struck with everything they had. In an honestly surprising move the PS4 will fully support used games. There is also no required online connection, so you can play your games offline all you want. When these two features of the console were announced there was quite a bit of cheering from the crowd. During those cheers Jack Tretton started talking about PlayStation Plus and slipped in that you'll need it to play online multiplayer with the PS4. I'm actually glad that plus is required, because it means that maybe the online play won't totally suck on the PS4.
In another blow to Microsoft's body Sony announced that the PS4 will launch this holiday season for $399. The price seems crazy cheap compared to the Xbox One, but the One comes with Kinect while the PS4 does not come with the fancy new PlayStation Eye. The price point, being able to play used games, the fact that indie developers can self publish, and no necessary online connection are leading people to crown Sony the victor of this upcoming console generation already. I don't necessarily agree with that, but things do look very good for Sony right now.
Sony showed quite a few games at their conference as well. They live demoed Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag (Which froze), Watch Dogs, and Destiny. All three look very good. I wasn't convinced on Assassin's Creed 4, but before the demo froze it looked awesome. I was surprised by how good Destiny looked as well. It may be a first person shooter, but it has RPG elements and I love me some RPG elements.
Sony also showed off quite a few trailers. These are just a few of them.
- Transistor
- Infamous: Second Son
- Drive Club
- Batman Arkham Origins
- The Last of Us
- Beyond Two Souls
They showed off tons of indie games that will be coming to PS4, which all seemed pretty cool. The trailers and gameplay demos got me really excited for what's coming during the next gen. None of it really surprised me though, except for two games I have yet to mention. There are few video games that will make me jump up out of my seat and yell with excitement. Sony showed two of those last night.
I have been waiting since 2006 for Final Fantasy Versus XIII to be released. At this point I was just looking for any new about it's existence. There were a few CG trailers and one gameplay trailer floating around. The last real news about the project was from 2010. That all changed last night. Sony showed a video of the game's producer Tetsuya Nomura telling fans he was busy, but they should enjoy the trailer for Versus XIII.
I lost my composure during the trailer. It was amazing. The CG scenes were beautiful, but the gameplay looked even cooler to me. The main character Noctis was jumping around cutting fools with his sword. His movement was super fast, which was aided by his teleportation. When the trailer ended it was revealed that the game had been changed to Final Fantasy XV and it would appear on the PS4. I thought that by now the prospect of this game wouldn't excite me anymore, but as a die hard Final Fantasy fan I was proven wrong.
On top of that ridiculous reveal they also decided to show a brief teaser for Kingdom Hearts 3. I guess Square Enix just wanted to let fans know that it's finally in development. While it may be Kingdom Hearts 3, it's actually the tenth game in the series. This will be the end of the trilogy and it should be a great game.
Even though it was reveled today that both of these titles will also be released on the Xbox One as well, Sony still got the initial reveals. It takes a lot to make me freak out with excitement these days, but Final Fantasy XV did just that. Sony had a lot of great news at their conference and it makes me very excited to purchase the PS4. In fact I pre-ordered it from Amazon moments after the price was announced. Sony is certainly off to a better start this gen than they were last time around. Let's hope they can make good on what they've promised.
-Manny
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