Huniepop - A token little puzzler

Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the types of things that I wanted to review on this site. I usually look at Fate or TYPE-MOON related media, but the truth is that I play a little of everything. I play RPGs, Puzzle games, Fighting games and of course, visual novels. If I wrote a review for every game I’ve played recently, there would be a lot of reviews – what a brilliant idea! Besides, my Eroge game guy (what, everybody doesn't have one of those?) recommended this one to me, so why not?

~ BB 

And now I present to you – Huniepop. The brainchild of Ryan Koons (Ratchet and Clank, Cryamore), Huniepop gained traction through an extremely successful Kickstarter campaign, earning over twice its original goal. Released on January 21, 2015 for PC, Mac and Linux, Huniepop takes a Puzzle game and mixes in some Dating Sim with some RPG garnish. At first glance, you'd think that it's just a western Visual Novel with puzzle elements. Well, that was the first of many mistakes I was to make in prematurely judging this game.

You are an extremely hopeless guy (or girl, surprisingly) when it comes to women. One night, after meeting a beautiful woman named Kyu at a bar, you’re woken up by a magical love fairy. Turns out that the woman at the bar and the fairy are one and the same, and she’s here to help you with the ladies! There are 8 to pursue from the start, with more to unlock: Tiffany, the kind and fun university cheerleader; Aiko the, apathetic yet humorous university professor; Kyanna, the image-obsessed fit hairdresser and single mom; Audrey, the reckless Tsundere(?) party girl; Lola, the flight attendant that aspires to be a Tennis player; Nikki, the cold and cynical Otaku; Jessie, the shameless and carefree Pornstar; and Beli, the insecure and shy Yoga instructor.

The main cast from left to right: Beli, Jessie, Aiko, Tiffany, Kyu. Nikki, Lola, Audrey and Kyanna.

The goal of Huniepop is simple, get the girl (or girls). Accomplishing that goal, not so simple. For starters, the Dating Sim part is hit or miss. The writing, while more original than the many Newgrounds Dating Sims out there, had a lot of these awkward and/or questionable moments - like one where Jessie would praise you for remembering that she’s a High School dropout, or when Beli asks if I look into someones eyes while having sex – after having sex with her. That's one issue I've found with this game, after having sex with a girl, there's no reason to talk to her anymore - there's no change in dialogue, and you get no real reward for playing the frantic sex puzzle section again. There’s a lot of colorful language as well, but some of it seemed kind of forced. Don’t get me wrong, there were some genuinely good moments, like Aiko asking you about sex and porn, Audrey being…Audrey, or Kyu being a total “bro”. Those moments literally made smile. I didn't know how to feel when giving Aiko, an Asian, a Samurai Helmet as a gift. But after she herself joked about how racist it was, I could help but laugh out loud. Bravo, Huniepop. 

Oh, silly Aiko. I love the way you think.

But to win the heart (or the panties) of a girl, you have to get to know them better. This is accomplished by  Once you’re ready, you go on a date, which takes place in the Puzzle mode.

The Puzzle aspect, which is the meat of Huniepop, is deep and challenging. The one thing that stood out to me from the beginning was its different mechanics, which is a far cry from what I’m used to (Tetris, Puyo Puyo, etc.). Like Bejeweled or Candy Crush Saga, the objective is to swap one token with another to form a horizontal or vertical chain of three or more tokens of the same color. What’s different here is that the tokens correspond with the four traits that the girls identify with – Red for Sexuality, Green for Flirtation, Orange for Romance, and Blue for Talent. So depending on the girl you’re dating, the value of the tokens is altered. There are also other tokens - Pink hearts for Passion, which boost the value of the other tokens, the Golden bells for Joy, which increase the number of moves you can make, and the Blue teardrops (at least I think they’re teardrops) for Sentiment, allowing you to activate Fairy Gifts. Some of these have powerful effects, such as consuming all the Romance tokens on the board. Then there is the bane of my existence, the purple broken heart tokens. Matching these will lower your score. Avoid them like the plague. After having a successful date, you earn Munie (Huniepop's currency), become closer with her, and unlock a new outfit for them. Become close enough with a girl and you get to spend a steamy night of – Puzzle solving! To my surprise, the sex scenes take place in the form of a puzzle, complete with moans and heavy breathing. The gameplay changes up at this point, where the goal is to make as many matches as fast as possible. I have to say, this surprised me at first, but it was the best part of the game. The puzzle, not the moaning. 

There's also a small bit of RPG elements thrown in here. After the tutorial level, you’re given the "HunieBee", a magical PDA that allows you to keep track of all the girls. It also allows you to manage your items and stats, and buy food, drinks and gifts. As Kyu says “The HunieBee is an essential lifeline for any player on the go.” You can gain Hunie (Huniepop's experience) by talking with girls and giving them gifts.When you have enough Hunie, you can increase certain stats to help you in the Puzzle mode, such as increasing the point value of Sexuality tokens or decreasing how much those demonic purple hearts anger you when you match them by mistake...Ahem. While the RPG side of things is pretty light, don't forget about it, or you'll regret it. Or not.

Gotta max out those stats before I start unlocking characters.

The graphical choices are pretty damn good. Kopianget and Ninamo-chan are excellent artists, capturing that anime-esque style perfectly while adding their own distinct flair. A nice touch that they added to the game was that the girls would send you text messages with pictures attached to them. These pictures would get more racy the closer you get to them. The only issue I have is the amount of CGs. The art was so good, I wanted more! I have a feeling that I won't be hearing the last of these guys. The effects and animations during the Puzzle section are smooth, and shouldn't have a problem running on any PC.

That's one sexy banana.

The voice acting in Huniepop isn’t bad. In fact, it's amazing – not that I expected anything less from talent such as Kira Buckland (Skullgirls, Rinne no Lagrange) and Brittany Lauda (Queen’s Blade: Rebellion, Heroes of Newerth). The effort that the voice actors put into it definitely shows. Characters like Aiko (voiced by Marie Rhys), took some getting used to but after a while, It just felt….right. It made the dialogue, not matter how bad it got, a lot more tolerable. The music is pretty good, albeit generic, though one track - the one that plays in the Casino - is one that won’t escape my head to this day. If they ever make the OST availible, I'm gonna need that track.

By the end of it all, I was left wanting to know more about these characters besides how to get them into bed. I wish that Huniepop had more of story where each you learn more about each of the character’s lives. I wanted to meet Kyanna’s son Phillip, rekindle Jessie’s relationship with her daughter, or understand why Audrey is the drug-using party girl. Instead you’re just friends with benefits. I get it, that’s not what Huniepop is going for, but I couldn't help but feel that fleshing out the character's story more would have made it all the more satisfying. I also feel like it's pointless to have multiple save files. There no game over in the game, or any penalty at all for your choices. You have the option to change the game’s difficulty and the player’s gender in-game, and the game automatically saves. It's a puzzle game, so there's plenty of replay value, even more since you can unlock other characters. I'm sure that once I get 100% in the game, there won't be any reason to use those other slots.

All in all, Huniepop is an great game that gives a players a fresh look into the world of Dating Sims, one that I hope will make them more mainstream. From the second I started playing, I was hooked. The puzzle mechanics kept me on my toes, the characters were interesting, and the writing even had its moments. But where Huniepop excelled was in the art and voice department. I just wish there was more of it - can't stress that enough. If they ever make a Visual Novel version of Huniepop, they might as well take my money now. Of course it has its flaws, but it never stopped me from enjoying the game as much as I did. If you’re a Puzzle and Dating Sim addict like myself and don’t mind hit or miss dialogue, get this game now. For 10 bucks, I'd say it's worth it. If you hate Bejeweled or are expecting a story-driven Visual Novel though, you'll definitely want to give this one a pass.

Note that there are two versions of this game - a Steam version, and a "Steamy" version. The Steam version is of course censored, but buying Huniepop from the site (or MangaGamer as I did) gives you an uncensored version.



More Information: Huniepop Main Site

Fate/Apocrypha

With news of TYPE-MOON's upcoming online RPG, I felt it fitting to talk about their first attempt at creating an online MMO.

Fate/Apocrypha was initially introduced as an MMORPG (or Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game to the uninitiated), taking place in a world parallel to the original Fate/stay night. In this world, the Greater Grail was removed from Fuyuki City after the Third War, dramatically altering the events of Fate/stay night and Fate/Zero. For example there are 14 Servants with one Ruler-class Servant presiding over them. The game would have had players choose between two factions, Red or Blue, and act as Masters fighting each other with their Servants. Despite being an MMO, it had a complete story with several branches in the story depending on the Master's relationship with his/her Servant.

The original title card. Looks pretty nice.

On June 25, 2011, TYPE-MOON released Fate/complete material IV - Extra Material, a collection of artwork and information by various artists. Various character designs from well renowned artists such as Urobuchi Gen (Fate/Zero, Saya no Uta, Kamen Rider Gaim) and Okazaki Takashi (Afro Samurai) had a hand in creating some interesting Servants. But in November of that same year, it was announced that a new project would be launched under the now canceled MMO with the Fate/Apocrypha name: a light novel, written by Higashide Yuichiro of Ayakashibito fame.

With Volume 7 of TYPE-MOON Ace (a spinoff of Comp Ace, an monthly manga and game magazine), Higashide wrote a story that he labeled the first chapter of Apocrypha - Act1: Unbirth. This story brought back Jack the Ripper (a character originally designed for the MMO), and introduced her Master, a prostitute named Rikudou Reika. While it doesn't necessarily have a relation to the events of Fate/Apocrypha, its still a good read nonetheless. A year later, a preview of the novel was released in Volume 8 of Ace, where it was shown that several characters were cut (Sakata Kintoki as Berserker, Musashibo Benkei as Lancer, Saint George as Rider, and David as Archer). The novels were originally planned to extend to four books, but on May 2, 2014, Higashide confirmed on his Twitter that the story was extended to five.

Jack the Ripper's first appearance as shown in Act1: Unbirth

Now that you know the history, how is the novel? Well, this was the first time that I've experienced Higashide's writing style, and its was very well done. From the moment you begin reading, you are aware of the world you're in, and Higashide does a pretty good job of setting the stage. Like most novels I read, I tend to find myself immersed in it's world. The thing with light novels like this is that they have supplemental images to accompany the story, giving it an almost anime-like feel. Konoe Ototsugu (Character Designer, Fate/Prototype) had a distinct art style: cute, with a hint of darkness. The only issue I have is that almost every character in this series is extremely overpowered. There's everything from invincible god-like armor to characters who can't be harmed (except by one person, and even then). I mean, in one scene you see a weakened character take on six powered-up Servants with no sign of losing. I've yet to get my hands on the 5th novel, but I'm excited to see how the story wraps up.

Confused? Good. Because you should go read it, especially if you're as much of a bookworm as I am. Of course it's a bonus to be a TYPE-MOON fan, but I think it could be a good standalone book (in that unfortunate case you'd miss out on a lot of references, like the Waver appearance). The only thing is that if you can't read Japanese, you'll have to wait until someone translates all five volumes. A group is currently working on translating Fate/Apocrypha - they've just finished Volume 2 as of this writing, and they're always looking for help: Fate/Apocrypha Translation Group

But now that this is out of the way, I can go back to my intense coverage of that other online RPG...

Thought I meant Elsword? Well I like that game, too...

Melty Blood

The year is 2009. I had my first taste of Type-Moon with Studio Deen's anime adaptation of Fate/stay night. While it was far from perfect, it had me intrigued. The characters were awesome and I found myself wanting more. At this point in my life, everytime I watched an anime that interested me, I always tried finding the manga to expand that universe while it was fresh in my mind. What spawned was my undying love for everything Type-Moon. After hoarding many figures, soundtracks and visual novels, it was only natural that I would learn about doujin games (the Japanese equivalent of independent video games). And this, my friends, is how I happened across the awesomeness that is Melty Blood.

Developed and published by Type-Moon and French Bread (another Japanese game developer), Melty Blood was released on December 30, 2002 for the Windows PC. Taking place a year after the events in Tsukihime, a new series of vampire-like murders is happening in Misaki Town. Tohno Shiki takes it upon himself to search for this murderer and chances upon Sion Eltnam Atlasia, an alchemist of the Mage's Association who fights and attempts to capture him. After learning that Sion wants to lure out the "True Ancestor" so that she can obtain a cure for vampirism, Shiki decides to help her. Of course, this is a fighting game, so depending on who you’re playing as, the story takes different twists and turns, taking on a visual novel feel in between matches.

A Tsukihime fighting game. Go nuts.

That's right, this game is a fighting game. With a visual novel twist. And Type-Moon does it very well. Melty Blood uses the 4-button fighting style reminiscent of Neo Geo fighters (3 attacks buttons of varying strength/speed, and a “Shielding” button), and the the fighting is extremely fast-paced. It makes use of other conventional fighting game concepts and mechanics such as quarter-circle specials, super jumps, throws, dashing and chain combos, while throwing new twists in there to keep things fresh. Shielding, one of your four attack buttons, is comparable to Street Fighter’s Parrying or Slash Backs in Guilty Gear, is used to block and counter an opponent’s attack. Using the Magic Circuit (Melty Blood’s Power Bar), you can unleash EX Attacks ala Street Fighter, and activate Heat and/or Blood Heat mode. While in this state, your character’s health recovers slightly and gains access to more powerful moves.

Sadly, the graphics seem to be the worst part of the game. The 2D sprites are recognizable, but don’t hold up too well, unlike other doujin and doujin-like fighters that were released at the time (Guilty Gear XX Accent Core, Arcana Heart). Some of the backgrounds are stiff portraits, but the scaling, shadows and other effects thankfully bring them to life. On the flip side, deep blues and bloody reds perform an excellent job of creating a dark creepy atmosphere. The animations are smooth and special attacks are beautiful as they draw a great amount of 3D effects. While the graphics aren't horrible, It’s sometimes strange to see jaw-dropping and flashy attacks come from the pixellated characters.

Those pixels just throw me off sometimes.

Melty Blood has a damn good soundtrack, as expected of Raito Kate and James Harris, among others. The intriguing mixture of pop rock-esque sounds with the ambiance of the soul is a delight to the ears. Electric guitars and organs mix well to build a menacing atmosphere. You even get some Thrash Metal. The music is clearly the star here. Go get the soundtrack, NOW.

The voice acting, though in Japanese, is typical of these types of fighters, and is done pretty well, especially during the visual novel segments. One thing that is more than welcome is the pre- and post-fight banter some characters share with one another. One gripe that I have is that during fights some sounds just seem off, like some of Shiki's slashing moves. I don't know, they just seem a little off to me.

Still haven't gotten that soundtrack yet? You're missing out.

Melty Blood has several iterations and/or expansions as well, re-balancing the game while adding more characters and such. Re-ACT, released in May of 2004, expands on the original story and adds new characters. In March of 2005, Ecole Software released an arcade version of Melty Blood, Act Cadenza which added even more characters, new gameplay mechanics, and brand new graphics. With July 2005's Re-ACT expansion, Final Tuned, the game was updated even further, and adds several features to allow the game to be configured to resemble the gameplay of the Arcade-only Act Cadenza. Act Cadenza was later ported to the Playstation 2 in July of 2006, and was updated and released on the PC the next year as Act Cadenza Ver.B, replacing Re-ACT Final Tuned as the latest installment of the Melty Blood franchise.

But in May of 2008, Actress Again was released in Japanese arcades. The first game of the series that can be considered a sequel, events in this game take place after the aforementioned expansions, and the game has been dramatically updated. Music has been rearranged, stages are larger, and even a Guard Meter has been implemented. Each character now has three selectable fighting styles designated by a phase of the moon: Crescent, Half and Full. The Moon Styles are like Isms in Street Fighter Alpha 3 or Grooves in Capcom vs. SNK 2, but with a lot more depth. Aside from changing the mechanics a bit, the different moons will often change their moveset and sometimes even alter their movement options. Some characters are completely different, essentially making every opponent you face different. Of course, new characters have been added as well. This was ported to the PS2 in August of 2009, adding new characters and a Boss Rush mode. Finally on December 31, 2011, Actress Again was updated and released onto the PC as Melty Blood: Actress Again Current Code (whew, that's a mouthful). This version added even more gameplay tweaks, characters, etc. This was also one of the three versions I've played for this review (the other two being Re-ACT and Act Cadenza Ver.B).

Actress Again: Current Code - the latest cherry on the Melty Blood pie.

Since Melty Blood does have visual novel elements to it, you might want to play with everyone to see their involvement in the game’s overall story. Depending on which version you play, you can unlock more characters as well. Like all fighting games, the best way to play is with someone else, at least for me anyways. Luckily there’s a Training Mode, so if your skills aren't up to par, you can always brush up on your skills. And you’re going to need those skills when facing up against opponents on harder difficulties, even though the AI may come off a little cheap at times.

Veterans of doujin fighters like Blazblue and Guilty Gear will feel right at home, while Melty Blood might not be for those solely hooked on Tekken and Street Fighter. Myself, I’m a casual fighting game player, and find Melty Blood more than addictive for its fan service alone. I will admit that if you're not a fan of Tsukihime and/or you’re playing alone it can get boring fast, but most fighting games I've played that are based off anime/manga/visual novels are like this. The game is pretty beginner friendly, though button mashers will definitely have a hard time in later levels in Arcade Mode. If you can't decide which version to start with, if any, I suggest Act Cadenza. It includes the story from the older versions, and all of the updates. Actress Again, being the sequel, might throw people new to the series off, but if you can't read Kanji (or get translations), that shouldn't be too much of a problem. I say definitely get the PS2 versions, though you're going to need a Japanese PS2. You can't NOT play this with a joystick (and the extra modes are pretty sweet, too). Oh, and get the soundtrack!

Oh and before I forget, Kirishima Takeru wrote a couple of Melty Blood manga series, all of which are done well, despite being so short.

Might have to do a review on this one. The art is amazing.

More Info: Melty Blood on the Visual Novel Database

Fate/stay night (Visual Novel)

This is it. The review I've been waiting for. 

I wanted Fate/stay night to be my first review, but I figured I'd go the Tsukihime route, as that's the visual novel that started my love of the Nasuverse and Type-Moon as a whole. But now after revisiting it recently, I decided to give it a go. If you're here, you probably know a lot about Fate/stay night, so anything I say here won't be new to you, other than my experiences and opinions. I'll try not to get all fangirlish (this is my favorite Visual Novel, after all).

Fate/stay night is a Japanese eroge (or erotic game) visual novel developed and published by Type-Moon and released on January 30, 2004. It takes place after the events of Tsukihime in the far off Fuyuki City. For two centuries, a secret and violent battle takes place here. Seven Magi are gathered to fight to the death with the legendary Holy Grail as the prize. To help each Magus in this battle, better known as a Master, the Holy Grail bestows them with the power of one of seven familiars known as Servants. A Servant can be summoned in each war from one of seven classes: Saber - The Knight of the Sword, Archer - Knight of the Bow, Lancer - Knight of the Lance, Berserker - The Mad Warrior, Rider - The Mounted Knight, Assassin - The Stealth Killer, and Caster - The Magus. This "Holy Grail War" has gone on for centuries, and our protagonist, Shirou Emiya, is caught in center of this bloody battle after he summons the seventh Servant - Saber. Nasu does an amazing of creating and maintaining this world, as I found myself rooting for characters and staring open mouthed at some of the more intense scenes.

"Are you my Master?" Shirou summons Saber in one of the most recognized scenes of Fate.

Like most visual novels, you are given choices at key points. Depending on the decisions you make, your take the story in a different direction, or in some cases - die. That's right, certain decisions result in a "Bad End", so it's suggested to save often (luckily there are more than enough save slots). Even if you do get a Bad End, you'll be sent to one of my favorite parts (and the most comedic) - Tiger Dojo. Hosted by two of the characters, Fujimura Taiga and Illyasviel von Einzbern, they break the fourth wall to explain what you did wrong - hilarity ensues. Speaking of routes, Fate/Stay night splits the story into three major routes - Fate, Unlimited Blade Works, and Heaven's Feel. Each of these routes has a plot that focuses on Shirou's relationship with each of the heroines in the story. As a result, you're going to need to play multiple times to see them all. Fate focuses on the Servant Saber; Unlimited Blade Works focuses on Tohsaka Rin, a classmate of Shirou's and the Master of Archer; and Finally, Heaven's Feel focuses on Matou Sakura (my favorite if you haven't noticed). Of course since this is an eroge, there are a couple of sex scenes. So there's your heads up - NSFW. Overall, they're not bad - the writing is good, but they feel kind of tacked on (with Heaven's Feel being the exception).

The three heroines (From left to right: Rin, Saber and Sakura)

The visual and audio aspects of this game is one of best I've seen and heard. The art style isn't bad, with plenty of facial expressions for each character and plenty of backgrounds. The little things are what make me appreciate Fate/stay night. The animations are awesome, especially during the action scenes, which are perfect on their own. The music is breathtaking - I'm definitely listening to it as I write this. Tainaka Sachi, Kawai Kenji, and Jyukai put in a lot of work to make this as good as it is, and I can't praise them enough. The wide array sounds just meld so perfectly. Though one of my favorite graphical choices is the Servant character sheets (in addition to the already extensive encyclopedia). There's an option to view the info of all the Servants Shirou has encountered so far. The best part is that the more info you learn about them, the more complete these character sheets become - adding another facet to the experience. And did I mention that LOVE Tiger Dojo?

One of the in-game character sheets.

On January 6, 2006, Studio Deen animated an anime adaptation of Fate/stay night. This primarily focused on the Fate route, but had several elements from the other routes. Studio Deen also adapted the Unlimited Blade Works route into a movie , released in theaters on January 23, 2010. While I love the music from both adaptations, everything else is a watered down, convoluted mess. I think visual novels have forever spoiled me. That's all I'll say about the anime versions for now (wink wink).

On April 19, 2007, Fate/stay night was re-released on the Playstation 2. Known as Fate/stay night Réalta Nua, this version provided voice acting but removed the sex scenes, earning it a 15+ rating. It also provided the true ending to the Fate route. The theme song, Ougon no Kagayaki, was performed by Number 201 feat. MAKI, and I love it (shown below). This version was ported back to the PC in 2011. A PlayStation Vita port of Réalta Nua released in Japan on November 29, 2012 which received new opening themes.

Overall, Fate/stay night is one the best visual novels (if not the best) I've ever had the pleasure of experience of playing. My only gripes is that some of the sex scenes outside of Heaven's Feel seemed out of place, but nothing really game-breaking for me. Fate/stay night isn't one of the best eroge I've ever read - it's much more than an eroge. It's much more than a visual novel. I laughed while reading this, I've even cried. I've grown to love these characters and hated to see the story end. I can't recommend this one enough. I've revisited this world to get a fresh take for this review, and I'd gladly do so again - if I weren't too busy with the sequel.

More Info: Fate/stay night on the Visual Novel Database

Sunday VS Magazine: Shūketsu! Chōjō Daikessen

When I first got into Anime all those years ago, I never knew it would become a major part of my life. Once I had that first experience, I couldn't get enough. It eventually got to the point to where after I watched an Anime that I really liked, I would try to find other mediums in the franchise. And with the internet, I was introduced to the source of many Anime, Manga. Manga took my love of reading comic books and Anime and created something that would stay with me, even to this day.

In 1959, two shōnen manga magazines were published: Kodansha released Weekly Shōnen Magazine on March 17th, and Shokakugan released Weekly Shōnen Sunday shortly after on April 5th. Both magazines featured popular titles: Shonen Magazine had Great Teacher Onizuka and Devilman (and is currently featuring Fairy Tail), while Shonen Sunday had Inuyasha (currently featuring Detective Conan and Kenichi the Mightiest Disciple). Despite being two different magazines, the two were very close rivals, and many artists, like Ozamu Tezuka and Rumiko Takahashi were happy to claim them as their home. In a rare event due to the closeness of the two magazine's founding dates, Weekly Shōnen Magazine and Weekly Shōnen Sunday released a special combined issue on March 19, 2008. In addition, other commemorative events, merchandise, and manga crossovers were planned for the following year as part of the celebrations.

The Final Fantasy XIII Series (Part 3 of 3)

Final Fantasy has always been a series that received either praise or criticism, both from fans and non-fans alike. Nothing made that more apparent than with the release of Final Fantasy XIII. The game had so much that was different from the average RPG that it literally split the fanbase in two. While many disliked the game, I was one of the few that actually liked it, despite its few faults. It had awesome characters and a cool story with interesting lore, and it summed everything up with a satisfying end.  The sequel, XIII-2 says "screw that mythos" and improves the gameplay. It also adds a non-coherent story in which two friends fight over a dead goddess, the villain wins, and ends the game on a cliffhanger. Finally we come to Lightning Returns, the final (hopefully) game in the trilogy. This time, Lightning literally returns, but not as a tutorial level, and to attempt to redeem the XIII trilogy with a satisfactory conclusion.

This is Part 3 of my Final Fantasy XIII trilogy review, so you might want to catch up: Final Fantasy XIII-2

The Final Fantasy XIII Series (Part 2 of 3)

After revisiting Final Fantasy XIII for the review, I've gained a newfound appreciation for it. Yeah, there were things that I felt were done wrong, but there also things that were done right. And with the announcement of Final Fantasy XIII-2, I had high hopes that Square-Enix would take some of the fans' disapproval of the original into consideration and make improvements. But then again, I'm a sucker for anything with the Final Fantasy label on it.

Note that since this is the second of a three part review, there will obviously be spoilers of Final Fantasy XIII in this review. If you haven't checked out my review for that, check it out here:  Final Fantasy XIII

Now before I played this, I was prepared for the worst. Whenever I hear the words "Time Travel" as a theme for a movie, video game, etc., I automatically cringe. There have been few times when time travel has been done right, when a time traveler's ability to do so is well defined, and the rules of causality play a heavy role into the narrative. Knowing this, I braced myself and dove right in. 

The Final Fantasy XIII Series (Part 1 of 3)

For as long as I can remember, I've always loved RPGs, mainly those in the Final Fantasy series. Ever since I first played Final Fantasy 7, I've made it a personal mission of mine to play every mainstream Final Fantasy game to completion. And throughout my mission, I've noticed that many people have had sort of a stigma towards certain games in the series. But, despite that, the name “Final Fantasy” has always equaled an overall great experience for me. Nothing made that more apparent after experiencing the awesomeness that is Final Fantasy VI and IX. These games cemented what I loved about RPGs. Recently, I've played the newest game in the Final Fantasy universe, and it made me reflect on the evolution of the series as a whole.

Queen's Blade

The Queen’s Blade. A tournament created by the Gods to determine the world’s strongest and most beautiful queen. Or something like that. Just know that if you’re planning on watching this, be prepared for a ride. I know I wasn't. Going into this, all I knew is that there were going to be boobs, and lots of them. That was simply my cue not to take Queen’s Blade seriously at all. I've played Queen’s Blade video games in the past (maybe I’ll get around to reviewing them someday), but after finishing the first two seasons, I admit that I might have misjudged it.

Tsukihime

As Visual Novels are a major past time of mine, I'd thought I'd start my blog with the very first visual novel I finished, Tsukihime. Now, most of you know should know about Anime and Manga. But I'm sure a lot of you might be asking, what the heck is a Visual Novel? If you haven't Googled it already, it's a type of game in which text and pictures tell a story. It's basically a comic book with a little interactivity. I'll get deeper into this when I start reviewing different types of Visual Novels. Without any further distraction, here's my take on Tsukihime. I'll try to keep the spoilers to a minimum.