Phoenix Gamer Review - Dark Souls

Dark Souls Xbox 360

Having never played Demon's Souls for the PS3, I was able to start this game with a clean slate and no predisposition of what the game "should be like".
Dark souls is a game that reminds me of many games. Be it the hack and slash online MMO Mabinogi Heroes (Vindictus in the U.S.) , the soul collecting platforming of Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver, the more realistic "If I was given a broadsword and asked to fight a dragon, I'd barely be able to fight with it and probably run like hell." Monster Hunter , or the epic Larger than life boss fights in Shadow of the Colossus. This game takes elements from those games and makes them all its own. The grimy , hellish creatures of Dante's inferno are reminiscent here as well.
Unlike all of those games, it adds a dimension of difficulty not seen since the old NES days.

Unlike our good buddy Skyrim, Dark souls approaches the overhead map by not having one. All travel is more like a giant maze (dungeon crawling) with many many layers; much like an onion. And much like an onion you do not want to just take a big bite out of it , chew it and swallow it like Mel Gibson in Leathal Weapon 2. That would be bad, and you wouldn't enjoy it very much.

The weapons, combat, and enemy physics are realistic. So much so that, even if your character is thoroughly leveled up and you have decent equipment, you can still find yourself dead if you are ambushed by 2-3 lower level enemies. That's real. You must plan out your route, strategize and use different tactics constantly. This does not mean farming potions for a week just to endure the battles. It means making mistakes, getting killed over and over but learning from your mistakes and growing. Not growing in the power-leveling sense either.

The level design is a far cry from the cookie cutter dungeons that we've all grown to love in old school dungeon crawlers like Phantasy Star or even the newer Fallout games. The levels are well thought out and very creative. Hell, they take on a life all their own. I'd even go as far to say some of them are straight up terrifying. I would expect to see dungeons like the catacombs in a Silent Hill game. It's rare to see an action RPG actually getting the atmosphere right for a change. There were times as well where the Castlevania music went through my head from Lament of Innocence or Curse of Darkness when navigating the forested areas of this game.

Boasting over 500 unique enemies, you are never bored in combat. Not since Parasite Eve have I seen a game where you have to study your enemies animations and find an opening in their attack pattern and exploit it. But unlike Parasite Eve there is no pausing combat to dig through menus. Everything happens in real time. If you are well prepared and arm yourself accordingly, you'll do fine.

Many reviewers have condemned this series for it's "frustrating difficulty" and say that they've felt they've "wasted time" having to backtrack if they get killed. Ladies and Gentlemen, if you are in a combat situation in real life guess what? You would have a very high chance of dying. (S.T.A.L.K.E.R anyone?) There are traps and ambushes everywhere. You must tread carefully and not just run into the game balls out and try to destroy everything in a blaze of glory. If that's your kind of game, this is not the game for you and you'll be missing out on tons of content.

Other notable things:
The bugs and glitches in Dark Souls have been patched and are not nearly as game breaking as anything Bethesda has developed in the last decade.

Character creation is not as in-depth as a Bethesda game or even Phantasy Star Online but that may have detracted from the game's appearance since you are always in a ton of armor anyway.

Dark Souls doesn't have nearly as much dialogue or story as Skyrim. It's more for a "man of action" and not a man of words.

Overall Dark Souls is a good game. If you must, rent it first and then decide to buy it when and if you get absorbed in the game.

Review submitted by Azahm S.

Resident Evil 6 trailer

We don't usually post game trailers, but when we do they're too awesome not to watch.

Phoenix Gamer Review: Okami Den

Okami Den - One of the best games on the Nintendo DS?

Okami Den was released earlier this year for the Nintendo DS handheld system. It is the sequel to one of the most underrated games to ever grace the Playstation 2, Okami. Okami Den's story takes place 9 months after the end of the previous game and stars the child of Amaterasu, Chibiterasu, a smaller pup sun god who also wields the power of the celestial brush. The gameplay, setting, most of the characters, and even the graphics are almost exactly the same as the game before, with the exception of the help of various partner characters you pick up throughout the different parts of the game which each have their own powers to contribute.

The battle system hasn't changed at all. You can still do physical damage with your weapons and you can still freeze time to use your brush to draw and use your magic abilities. This seems more organic with the use of the DS stylus. It feels like you have more control and it flows more naturally than it did with the use of the controller in the PS2 version of the game. This and other features in the game almost make up for the lack of variety in enemies. While the bosses are imaginative and challenging in their own right, the enemies you run into on a regular basis get boring with their obvious and predictable attack patterns and weak points. Another problem you might run into while playing Okami Den is the sparsity of save points. Early in the game they are everywhere, but later on there are parts where you will wish there was a save point and then there isn't. Such as after a big boss battle or a really long cut scene.

How they managed to fit so much content on a tiny little DS cartridge is beyond me. As mentioned above, there are cut scenes. Very very long cut scenes. And a lot of them. Most of them are skippable, but you might not want to skip them as they sometimes contain key points on where you need to go next. There are also dialogue exchanges or what I like to call "minor cut scenes" that are unskippable which is annoying further on where they serve more as filler more than necessity. The game is very story driven, but that isn't a bad thing at all, especially with games today lacking the charm that this game brings. Over all it's a very solid, and extremely entertaining game, though it sticks a little too close to the original formula to make it groundbreaking in any way.

Okami Den gets an 8.5/10
Review submitted by Mel the Office Gamer Girl

Phoenix Gamer Review: Child of Eden (Xbox 360)

Child of Eden was released back in June of this year for both the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. While it aimed to make use of the motion control peripherals for each console, it was also playable with the console's regular controllers. Here we will take a look at the game as a whole, and the difference between playing with the controller and the Kinect.

Known as the spiritual successor to Rez, coincidentally made under the codename "Project Eden", Child of Eden is actually supposed to be a prequel. Then why call it 'child' of Eden? Wouldn't that imply that it's a sequel? Regardless, the story is unimportant. Something about a super computer and a virus. Both games are known for being stylized shoot 'em ups with musical components taking place of the usual sound effects and stunning abstract visuals, creating a unique gaming experience to anyone who hasn't played either game. If you have played Rez and plan on playing Child of Eden, you may be underwhelmed. Don't misunderstand though, it's not a bad game, it's just sticks a little too close to the game that came before it.
Just like Rez, you're on a set course shooting with you weapons and what was known as "overdrive" is now "euphoria". You can pick up additional health and euphoria power ups from select defeated enemies, not much has changed. The visuals have been improved, of course, and are themed to represent their titles, for example the level 'beauty' includes flowers and strange winged creatures, whereas 'matrix' places you inside a computer like environment. My favorite was probably the second level where a giant transparent whale looking things turns into a giant phoenix against a background of nebulae. It's beautiful...for the first time anyways. When you have to play the level multiple times, even the absurdly breathtaking becomes mundane (though still probably one of the better games to bring up in an 'are video games art?' debate). Herein lies the other problem with this game, it's way too short. It's only 5 levels long and the entire thing can be beaten in a little less than an hour. That's not something I'd expect from a game that cost as much as any brand new current gen title. A downloadable game, sure, but a full length game? It's really unacceptable. There are some extras like visual effects that change the colors of the levels, and additional sound options, but that's still not enough content to warrant a full price tag.

Controller or Kinect?
While the game's box cover boasts "Better with Kinect Sensor!" I'd have to disagree. When you're playing with the controller, there's only 3 button options gun 1, gun 2, and euphoria. Easy-peasy. Just move the d-pad and shoot, it's actually kind of fun! When you attempt to play with the Kinect, you will be frustrated to no end. Not only because of the Kinect's slight delay, but also the supposedly simple controls are almost impossible to pull off. After re-calibrating my Kinect to make sure I wasn't crazy, it was still a pain to even navigate around the screen. When I tried to fire my lock-on attack the screen would just move to the side and stay there, not allowing me to move much at all. Considering this was supposed to be one of the Kinect's launch titles, I was extremely disappointed. It's much easier to navigate levels and take in all the imagery enjoy the experience as a whole when you play with the controller instead of fighting with poor motion controls.Overall this game is worth a quick play through and serves as more of a conversation piece than a full-on gaming experience.

Child of Eden gets a 7/10

Review submitted by Phoenix Gamer's Mel

3 Gaming venues Phoenix needs

Sweet Places we'd like to game

In today's day and age of technology, there's no reason why anyone would or should want to leave their house to go game with friends in a public place. Or is there?
The days of classic arcades have come and gone, but some venues still run strong. What is that little extra thing that they bring to the table? What are these venues and how could the Phoenix gaming community benefit from them?

1. Video Game Cafe -
Ah, nothing goes together like caffeine and video games. Is there any other place that you can go to get your game on while sipping on an expertly made latte? Of course, there's Gotham Comics in Mesa, but they aren't a game place exclusively (but totally worth checking out). Imagine sitting down to your favorite warm or cold beverage, on comfy sofas, playing some of your favorite games while checking out some sweet game art, and just chilling. Maybe pick up a game themed snack or drink. Whether it's during the cold season, or in the heat of summer, there's sure to be something for every gamer at a game cafe.

2. Arcade in the Airport -
Phoenix's Sky Harbor is not only an international airport, but also one of the biggest in the country. It's surprising that there's not a single arcade machine or game console to be found anywhere around here. Say you're on a flight and you have a layover in Phoenix. What will you do during that time? What if it's just a couple of hours? I don't know about you, but when I'm gaming the time goes by pretty quick. No longer will passenger be burdened and bored by mundane in-between time when they can pump some quarters into an arcade game or two.

3. Video Game Bar -
Oh yeah, like you didn't see this one coming. Much like #1 up there, it's safe to say that games and drinks are a match made in heaven. It's pretty much been proven that it's a successful venture with gaming bars around the world (UK, Australia, Las Vegas, etc) popping up and making a killing while providing a safe and fun environment for gamers to hang out and socialize. Downtown Phoenix would be a perfect location to open a gaming bar for sure. Maybe even Mill ave could see a nice amount of traffic. Phoenix is growing and new businesses are booming, there's no reason why we shouldn't have a video game bar.

If you like the idea of any of these venues, be sure to contact everyone you know and let them know because ideas can turn into actions, and something magical might happen!

Golfland's Holiday Specials. Also, Chiptunes.

Unlimited Gameplay and whole lot more

Tis the season for Holiday specials, that includes gaming here in Phoenix. One of our favorite arcades, Golfland Sunsplash in Mesa, is offering a variety of holiday specials and events. All throughout the holiday season the miniature golf courses have been transformed into a winder wonderland with dazzling lights and displays that run through January 1st. December 3rd, 10th, and 17th, you can bring your kids to Golfland to take pictures with Santa Claus between 12noon and 5pm. December 17th and 28th are snow days with over 20 tons of real snow to play in. Reservations for snow days are not required, but definitely encourage. Register now at the Golfland Sunsplash website.

The real party at Golfland for us Gamers will be on New Years Eve. From 6pm-1am the arcade is offering unlimited video games, unlimited attractions, a live DJ, and dance floor with all of the action leading up to a balloon drop at midnight. We'll see you there!

In other holiday gaming news, chiptune artist Sly Fawkes has released a Christmas album titled "A Very Chiptune Christmas". Enjoy 8-bit versions of your favorite holiday classics. Read the full article here.

Phoenix Gamer Review: Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing

Fast paced racing action at its finest!

The most recent addition to the Sega Superstars series, Sega All Stars Racing is an action packed, fast paced adventure that can be enjoyed by players of all ages. It was released last year for pretty much every modern console. We got to take a look at the Sega All Stars Racing on the Xbox 360.

Like many novelty racing games that came before it, including Mario Kart, Crash Team Racing, and the like, All Stars features brightly colored tracks, characters a and power ups. The character selection spans across a variety of Sega Games and offers over 20 playable characters including Sonic, Ulala from Space Channel 5, Beat from Jet Set Radio, just to name a few. You can even choose to play as your xbox live avatar. Each character has their own unique driving style and super attacks called "All Star" moves. These are mainly picked up if you are falling behind in a race, a sort of equalizer to keep the game fun and interesting. Other power ups that you can pick up include speed boosts, missiles, knockout gloves (unguided projectiles), stars that turn the receiver of the attack upside down, and rainbows that block the view of you opponent for a short time.

The genius of this game is really in it's simplicity. There are only 3 buttons that you use throughout the entire game; Gas, Drift, and Fire. There's no break button, and that's quite alright. The races run smoothly and fast and fierce. It's all about speed in this game. Similar to the original Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast, this game puts you in perpetual motion, there's no slow down, and the only time that you will ever get stuck is if you run into something or fall off a track. Even if you fall out, the game will spit you back onto the track, still in motion so it's easy to catch up to other racers. Turbo boosts are something you will pick up early in the game as much of the game's mechanics depend on them. You drift into a turn and then let go of the drift button to get a turbo boost that will speed you up and send you flying towards the finish line.

Another spectacular addition to All Stars Racing is the beautifully rendered backgrounds and obstacles of each track. The graphics are extremely smooth and the colors, oh the colors! They all stay true to each Sega franchise they represent. The soundtrack never gets stale, not even the announcer, but you do have the option to turn him off. The announcer does come in handy during some races though as he'll warn you if someone picks up an all-star or if there's an oncoming attack (some of which you can avoid). He also cracks jokes too, some of them stupid, some of them genuinely funny. For instance, Ulala gets hit by a missile, he'll say "That's a hit on Ulala! I'm sure she gets that a lot!".

In addition to racing with up 4 players, there are also time trial and mission modes. Time trial is just what it sounds like, beat your time on each track. Something really cool about time trial mode is that there's no limit to how many laps you can do, you just keep going and going until you feel that you've done your best. Also, you can race against the ghost of your previous lap, and the one before that. Rather than just racing one ghost at a time, there are multiple ghosts on the track depending on how many laps you do. Mission mode is just as fun as the racing itself and a true test of your skills. You play as a predetermined character and accomplish set goals such as "drift as much as you can for a high score" and "battle races" where you have to knock out your opponent with selected weapons. With each 'A' rank you get, you unlock the next mission until you've completed them all. With each finished battle and mission you receive 'Sega miles" which are the games currency which you can spend in the shop to unlock characters, race tracks, and soundtracks.

Over all Sega All Star Racing has the characters, variety, smoothness, and replayability that make for a fantastic gaming experience to be enjoyed by all. Whether you're playing by yourself or with a friend, Sega All Stars Racing is a genuinely fun game and I would highly recommend it.

Sega All Stars Racing gets a 10/10.

Review submitted by Mel the Office Gamer Girl