'Last Window: The Secret of Cape West' Review

Cheers! It's summer and I'm BACK for another review! Finally... Or maybe 'damn this bitch is back... -_-" ' Either way, today's topic is Last Window, which I just beat during my small vacation. It was AWESOME, if I do say so myself. :D

Overview
Last Window is a sequel to Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (look to way back when for my review on that one... http://gaming-mayhem.blogspot.com/2010/11/sooo-tsuki-is-back-again-for-another.html) so if you haven't played it, PLAY IT. It's a personal favorite, and Last Window makes more sense when you play Hotel Dusk first. I'm also going to refer to Hotel Dusk a few times, so at least read the last review first.

Gameplay
You play as the lovable Kyle Hyde again, and he's as Hyde-y at ever. :D The setting for this game is at the apartment complex Hyde lives at, called Cape West. It used to be Hotel Cape West, but dark stuff happened, spoilers spoilers, you'll get it when you play it. The gameplay is pretty much the same; walking, talking, applying items, menu, notebook, examining, etc. etc. etc. There's still times when you get a little triangle on a person you're talking to, and if you touch it then you'll press them for more information - there are two choices on what to say when you use it. However, in Hotel Dusk you were pretty much ALWAYS supposed to use it, but in Last Window there are times when you have to ignore it to keep from messing up. They'll give you a few harmless scenarios in the beginning to get you used to it.

The thing about Last Window is that it's easier to game over. More times than not, one little mess-up means you're DOOMED. So again, it's good to SAVE. A. LOT. Except in Hotel Dusk there were things from a way back when scenario that could really affect your future. In Last Window, it's not really like that anymore (which kind of disappointed me...). So in Hotel Dusk it'd be wise to use all three save files, but in Last Window you need like...just one. Just make sure you save before and after doing something important and you're good to go. And when I say "important", that includes talking to someone (you could mess up on a choice), doing something Hyde's not allowed to do (of course), and going into one of those epic confrontations (one little mess up = game over), stuff like that. As long as you didn't mess up as you did something, it's okay to save.

Another thing in Last Window is the fast forward feature. But you can only fast forward through text that you've already read. Which means if you gamed over and got to the same place again. But I never got to use that feature, cuz THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL I'M GOING TO GAME OVER AND CONTINUE. FUCKING RESTART! I don't like to soil my game record. =3= Even if it doesn't matter - and I have a feeling that it doesn't in Last Window... In Hotel Dusk it did matter because it'd affect your ending. ANYWAY, just train yourself to save. Then whenever you see that purple sheen go through a character you're talking to, you've messed up - RESTART. (Soft reset = L + R + Start + Select, if you didn't know the quicker way)

Plot
Like Hotel Dusk, Last Window is one of those "OMFG EVERYTHING'S RELATED IN AN EPIC WAY!" games. :D To the appreciative gamer, it's a very deep and suspenseful. As you proceed onto the thinner yet sharper ice, the plot thickens, and different plot devices and stories intertwine, bringing up some answers as well as numerous questions here and there until the biggest secret is unleashed in the end! Mystery rocks <3

Extras/100%ing
Multiple people live in this apartment complex, though not as much as you'd imagine; but I don't blame 'em, the place is old and kinda crappy. There're a few secret stuff, like something you can get from the vending machine ('cept it's waaay easier than the last game to do so), but it's just for fun. It doesn't affect anything like in Hotel Dusk. You get a "Last Window Novel" whose chapters add as you progress in the game. I just waited until the end to read it though, which is better because the novel is pretty much whatever happened in the game minus a few minor details. You also get music to listen to as you read, 8-ball, and you can use the thing that you might've gotten from the vending machine. I don't know if it's there if you don't get the thing though... JUST GET IT - It's super easy. You also get a table of contents thing to use to jump to chosen chapters, or you can just start from the beginning again. :D

Characters
Also like Hotel Dusk, Last Window had a beautifully colorful cast that made the game more exciting and unbland. Everyone had their own distinct personality - almost no flat characters! You have a lovable Hyde, steely landlady, grumpy old man, laid-back bum, peppy gal, cheery teenager, her cool dad who's sadly very dad-like with her, an obnoxious but toughy guy, somewhat snobbish yet kind-hearted Frenchie, glum yet obnoxiously nosy dood, extremely troubled lady, chatty salesman who thinks he's so smart, and...well I think I gave you a good summary. I think a few of the characters in this game kind of reflect/symbolize the personalities of characters in the last game, but maybe that's just my imagination. *rainbow* Oh, and yes, everyone has a backstory and they're all (or most of them) connected. :D

Graphics & Sound
The graphics and sound were...well they were just like the last game. Same style and everything. I really like their chosen style too, it's unique and cool. Though there're actually some cutscene-like scenes, but more like moving pictures and words than actual animations. You get enough animation when the characters are talking. :P I mean, THEY'RE ALWAYS MOVING.

Sadly, there were no voiceovers. :( But it's all good, I have fun making up my own perfect voices in my head and playing them as they talk. :D

Buggers
The only thing that really bugged me was how there was no way to speed up the text. When I've restarted and have to do like half the chapter over again (I didn't get into the habit of saving a lot...), I don't want to read everything again! When you're reading it the first time, though, it's all good. I actually like to imagine the person's voice and tone and stuff when I'm reading conversations.

Personal Generous Rating
Gameplay - 8.5
Plot - 10
Characters - 9
Graphics - 9
Sound - 9
Originality - 10

Overall - 9.5

I freaking LOVE this game! 8D

Portal 2 (X360) [Single-Player Campaign Only]

Since a certain someone decided to be an ass and review the first Portal game, I thought I should be an even bigger ass and review the more story-driven sequel. See what you did? You turned me into an ass. You monster.

As soon as I picked up Portal 2, I fired up Microshit's latest console and got to play. I was researching and they said that this would be like six times longer...so I turned off my phone and cut myself off from all social connections. But unlike some people, I didn't beat the game in a day. I didn't wanna hear GLaDOS do karaoke that much...now the game starts off with Chell inside this shitty looking hotel room. This personality core named Wheatley comes out and guides you. Also, no homo, but that accent is fucking sexy. It sounds British and Australian at the same time...but yeah. He asks Chell to talk...he clearly doesn't know she's a "mute lunatic"...the game prompts you to press "A" (or "X" if you're a PS3 owner :P) to talk. Hilarity ensues. The story picks up some more, I find a few easter eggs along the way...then the puzzles. 

Portal 2 does the same as the first one, making you get the gun, then obtaining the respective portal colors if I remember right. Oh and by the way, SPOILER WARNING. So stop reading if you don't wanna know how Wheatley the moron and Chell reawaken GLaDOS. Oops. Did I spoil it?

But yeah, they reawaken GLaDOS, our favorite sarcastic villian. Score one for the good guys. *clap* *clap* You spend the next few chapters testing and then plot comes back in. After escaping the clutches of GLaDOS...I won't spoil anything else. Just know, Wheatley is a fucking moron. Seriously.He was programmed for it. Not even joking. And thus I found myself carrying a potato with A.I. built in and now I'm at the bottom of Aperature Science Labs...listening to a dead man bitch about lemons as the potato has an orgasm...

I got so stuck around chapter 7. So I called in a specialist. A specialist being your very own Oaxan. He guided me and we finished the game out. But the ending. Holy shit. Not too many FPS games actually emotionally move me...actually, none do. I dunno why, but the ending of this game just...makes me tear up. And I expect a Portal 3. Why? Well, why not? Portal 2 was a beautiful game. 'Nuff said. I wish I could've put out more spoilers, but I didn't feel like being that mean.

Portal 2:
Graphics: 9/10
Plot/Storyline: 10/10 (You thought bring-your-daughter-to-work day was for teh lulz? Hell no.)
Gameplay: 9/10
Overall: 9.5/10

The only issue is...no DLC. And I love how the PC version has over 80 bucks of useless DLC. xD ALSO, the official DLC releases this Summer. And it's free.

Quick Review: Fallout 3 (X360)

HEY, IT'S MANGA. :D So, while your girlfriend and/or boyfriend decided to break up with you through text message, I decided to have some fun and play Fallout 3. Be warned: this game will scare the shit out of you...literally. Seriously. I change underwear at least once while playing this game.

When I started playing this game, I had a feeling that there would be similarities to Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. I mean, they were made by the same company. You start off as a baby, but oddly enough, since you pick how you'll look in your adult years, you won't look shit like your parents. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic America that was nuked by Japan. (or at least I hope it was Japan that nuked 'em.) America is now named The Capital Wasteland. It's filled with mercenaries, whores, robots, zombies, basically anything you can think of. Except for a method of getting money...oh yeah, you don't get money, you get...bottle caps. Ya' know, the little things ontop of a classic Coke bottle. :P

I picked this game up since it's a shooter, and I love role-playing games. The shooting engine it runs on is pretty basic. There's a feature called V.A.T.S that lets you pick any (well, almost) part of the body to shoot. And the good part is, it plays the shot in slow motion. Bad thing is, it's hard to do it from a far distance, and some of the shit you encounter in the Wasteland makes you wanna stay away...

Fallout 3 is a bit too realistic, every time I play it, I find myself looking in the sky for a bomb. In all honesty, this game should be on every store shelf. It's preparing us for the apocalypse. XD ...nah, not really. We don't have laser guns and downloadable content. The decisions you make in the game affect your karma, basically a good and bad thing. People treat you different ways depending on your karma. Also, if you do play this game, blow up Megaton. Don't ask, just do it. 

Fallout 3 - 8.5/10
Graphics: 9.5/10
Sound: 7/10
Plot: 10/10 (side-quests, main story, and the DLC was amazing. :P)
Gameplay: 8/10

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All Review

HELLOOOOO, Tsuki here, and you should already be able to tell from my UNIQUE font and CONSTANT USE OF CAPS AND EMOTICONS! But anywayyyys, darn Ventus beat me to reviewing Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney… >_> So here I am for the second of five games in the Ace Attorney series! Just as a heads-up, read her review first if you haven’t already, cuz I’ll probably be talking about stuff that she already explained. AND, for all you will-be Ace Attorney fans, PLAY ALL OF THE GAMES INNNN ORRDEERRR! ORDER, ORDER! :D Because it matters.

Now, Justice For All has the same exciting, confusing, turn-your-brain-upside-down kinds of cases, so YAY! :D And of course you still have your…very interesting, amusing characters and such, some with pun names still, so MORE YAY! :D Aaaannnd, the same kind of humor, pretty much the same style with everything. EXCEPT, YOU GET A NEW EPIC LAWYER POWER IN THIS GAME! And, IT’S NOT IN COURT! You outside-of-courtly interrogate people during your investigations (it’s funny how defense attorneys actually aren’t allowed to investigate crime scenes) and you present evidence you’ve already gathered to reveal some secret information in somebody! WHOO! You have to have all of the right evidence though, so don’t waste your time if it’s not necessary. But you can quit after going into your epic interrogation, so if you want, you can go see what kind of things you have to prove so you know what to look out for when you’re investigating. OH, HOLD IT! There’s another thing that changed in this game; YOU HAVE A LIFE BAR! :O So when you do things wrong in court or during your Psyche-Lock breaking time, (There’s some light shed on it; and it’s called Psyche-Lock for a reason y’know :3) YOUR LIFE BAR GOES BOOM-EXPLODEY-MODEY AND HEALTH DISAPPEARS! It’s so heartbreaking and depressing to see it happen… ; -; AHEM, anyways, more important things take off more life if you mess up, so watch out! It’s always nice to save before and after you do something important~

ONLY THOSE WHO PLAYED THE FIRST GAME WILL UNDERSTAND THE NEXT 3 SENTENCES: Justice For All gives Maya more of a part with her spirit medium-ness, SO THAT’S FUN. There’s like a whole case for it! And it was pretty…whoa :O
So, I also want to mention that Justice For All has PW:AA characters reappearing! Yaaay! We all love our characters, right? :3

Unlike the first game, that had five cases (well, four and then a bonus case, WHICH VENTUS FORGOT TO MENTION THAT IT WAS AWESOME! I OBJECT TO THAT. OBJECTION!), this game only has four. D: But the last case makes up for it, CUZ IT WAS EPIC. LOVED. IT.

The music is also the same style of the first game’s. There are a couple remixes of the old lovable songs, too. :D And by the way, the music is not like, super quality and stuff. I mean, it’s not bad or anything but what I mean is it’s kind of a midi-like sound. Oh, and the Royal Payne (you’d havta play the first game to know~) still has his hilarious “OBJECTION!” XD The graphics, still like the first game’s, are pretty nice! With the characters being anime-looking and the scenery being more realistic (I said MORE realistic, not completely or anything, just pointing that out).

Ooooh, there was an interesting thing I noticed! The first and second games’ cases have these connections on their themes! LET ME EXPLAIN: So, in both games, the first case is an intro case. The second, you’re defending Maya. The third, you defend a celebrity. And the fourth is a boss case. :D I dunno if they did that on purpose, but that’s how it was! Sadly, this pattern doesn’t continue after the second game. (So maybe that means it was just a coincidence.) OH WELL, just a little something, MOVING ON…

By the way, some witnesses have dramatic breakdowns when you disprove them, AND THAT’S ALWAYS HILARIOUS. The second case of this game has a particular sort of creepy one… o_o

Umm, so this is a really good game! Play the first game, then play this one, THEN PLAY THE REST! (ORDER, ORDER!) >:D Ace Attorney is my first intellectual game series (and pretty much my first video game series) AND I LOVE IT. SML. But it doesn’t beat Hotel Dusk ;D JUST KIDDING, don’t make me choose between the two! So ANYWAYYYS, the rating I give Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice For All…is 9.4/10! TAKE THAT!

Resonance of Fate (PS3)

Hyde here to report probably one of the best, most challenging games I've ever played. I see everyone is making extremely long reviews but, I'll just flat out state that I like to keep it short.
LET'S GET STARTEEDDDDD.

Resonance of Fate is made by a company called Tri-Ace and is a JRPG. Before even considering to play this game, you must prepare to actually try. This isn't the regular JRPG that has a some challenging monsters with a little frustration on the side. RoF however, is something that axes laziness with a rusty hammer. Even the most common battles you must plan to the utmost. Everything is different, so you must keep up. Please don't be torn away from this; because this isn't a game you play in a week without stopping. You must pace yourself, or you will break something. Then die.

I'm not going to go into the story that much, because it's one of those games that summarizing it would ruin it. The story is shown in all very meaningful cut-scenes. Everything means something in the story, so pay attention! Also, this game is hilarious. Seriously.

The combat system is like nothing I have played before, so hardcore gamers will not get bored! Everything makes some kind of logical sense in the actions so, the realism is definitely there! Somewhat of a con is that you'll only really get the battle system after you've played it more then three times. And this is a pretty long game. After grasping it though, the battle system is EXTREMELY fun. There is so many customizes-able and even useless outfit changes. AND YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT MY CUSTOMIZES-ABLE AND USELESS OUTFIT CHANGES. Also, the characters all have a different styles and they all work well in active combat.

A serious pro/con is the fact that there's a lot of side missions. Sounds fun, right? Well, it usually is but not when the backround characteristics look the same. You'll believe you're in the same area when you're into an entirely different one. Which can confuse the hell outta you pretty easily. 

Y'know, I just realized that I'm making this game sound rather hard so, I'm going to give a little summary of the story to make you gravitate towards this lovely game more. 
The bases of it is: We're in the future, and the climate has once again proved to be man's enemy. (Don't write off as generic.) So they solution is to run away by building a tower and putting all the inhabits of the world in it. (One big-ass tower) The down side is, humans became savage and monsters and greed and such started pouring out everywhere. You'll control three main characters (or heroes, if you prefer) and they all do some odd task that get them involved in something so much bigger. And it's epic. The story is also told in very short exerts that keep you interested. Going back to the characters, they are very realistic and rather easy to relate to.

To all you puzzle game fans out there, this game can involve some serious puzzle solving. And it's really fun. I cannot really elaborate on it, but it's similar to some standard puzzle games.

Overall, I give this game a 9.7/10.

YEAH. IT'S THAT GOOD GUYS.