revolve

I've really been getting back into Heroes of the Storm, and I'm just enjoying being able to play a game in a genre that always felt so obtuse and arcane, and do well in it. Or at least well enough to scrape some wins. It doesn't hurt that I haven't really had any toxic players spewing off nuclear hate either. Maybe I'm lucky in that aspect though?

I'm playing through Prototype 2(On the PS4), since I don't recall even buying it and it's fun, in a dumb popcorn action flick sense. Still makes me pine for a sequel to Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. Or an HD Remaster.

I had to stop playing the original Nier, because goddamn is that a bleak, bleak world.

@redyoshi: I knew that Akechi was trouble from the get-go, and I wasn't spoiled on him. He just had an odd vibe.

Hey y'all.

I just wrapped up Persona 5 after what seems like a lifetime of marathon sessions, which are quite hard to do when you work full-time and have family obligations, let me tell you. In a sense, I feel both relieved, and totally crushed, like saying good-bye to a good friend, as they embark on a new adventure without you. Oh, and this will be rather spoiler-heavy, so please, don't read this if you haven't finished the game(Or do it, I'm not your dad.)

Persona 5 not only marks the first time a main-line Persona game has arrived since this console generation, but for me, probably the first "true" JRPG I've played since Final Fantasy 10. It has all the trappings of such a game; turn based battles, heavy focus on story, and some anime melodrama. In a departure from (most) JRPGs that I've played, though, it goes with a modern-day setting, eschewing the sword and sorcery of a Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, for cell phones and toy guns(That actually work. Cognition is a hell of a drug.) You play as an unnamed protagonist(Akira Kurusu in the manga, Bismo Funyuns in my playthrough) who is falsely accused of a crime he didn't commit, and is sent packing to spend a year's probation in the care of a man he's never met. As you try to make it through a year in the life of a Japanese high schooler, you discover that the world is not all that it seems, and that there is a second, Cognitive world, nicknamed Metaverse, that both lies within and outside of the "real" world, and that by challenging the distorted desires of the depraved and powerful within their Palaces, you can also change their hearts in the real world. Helping you on your journey are your fellow Phantom Thieves, composed of teens of all walks of life(Insert Breakfast Club here), as well as others whose goals are the same, even if their methods are different. Also, a cool-as-heck cat, Morgana. He's cool, I love my beautiful cat son.

This is, of course, a greatly simplified look at the real nuance and depth of this game, which I could spend hours, if not days, yammering on about, but hey, I'm just trying to collect my thoughts on this completely awesome experience. And one of the best, if not key, parts of the whole journey, is Shoji Meguro's fucking fantastic, acid jazz styled soundtrack. From the very chill "Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There" being the first song you hear, to the blood-pumping battle music in "Last Surprise", to my favorite, the Palace Theme "The Whims of Fate", never once did I not feel SOMETHING because of the music. And sure, yeah, the singer didn't do a perfect job with the enunciation of every word, but hell, I've heard native English speakers butcher songs worse before, so I can cut her some slack. And it's not just in the Metaverse and Palaces, there's great music all over. If I ever get the chance to visit Japan, I'm going to feel sorely out of place walkin' around without hearing "Beneath The Mask."

And the social aspect of the game, my god. At first, I was hesitant to get involved, because most games I've played with this kind of feature have been a bit...lacking..in that aspect(Lookin' at you, Dragon Age Inquisition.), with little emotional pay-off outside of thinking that maybe they'll show it. And sure, this game has romance options, but Persona 5, for whatever reason, grabbed me by the heartstrings and didn't let go. From trying to comfort a party member after her friend attempted suicide, to helping a lonesome, exploited fortune-teller realize she isn't bound by fate, to uncovering, and resolving, the blackmail of a teacher's utterly regretful mistake, not once did I feel like I wasn't making a difference in some digital character's life. Which sounds silly, I guess, but I'm getting older and appreciate things like that more than I used to. Maudlin, sure. But damn if it didn't give me some feel-good vibes, which fits tonally with the protagonist.

But it's not all about cheering up sad waifus and jammin' to dope music, it's an RPG, which means, battles. Turn-based battles, mind you. And, as I can tell, it follows the Persona/SMT mold of battle, with weaknesses and buffs/debuffs being a far more integral part of battle than just hitting harder than the enemy. Some new things to the fight however, are the Baton Pass system, where after striking an enemy's weakness, you can tag in a party member for a heavy hitting attack, the Gun, which is...well, it's a fuckin' gun. What can I say about that, that wasn't already covered by DMX: "KNOCK KNOCK OPEN UP THE DOOR IT'S REAL, WITH THE NON-STOP POP POP OF STAINLESS STEEL!" Which is exactly how I felt every time I set up an All-Out Attack, which occurs when you've knocked every enemy down, either by exploiting a weakness, or hitting them with a crit. And it's pretty much what it sounds like: You and your party members bum-rush and just beat some ass, with an added victory screen if you happen to defeat the enemy(And they're all amazing.) It all adds to a very engaging, cerebral experience that I, personally, haven't had from an RPG in what seems like forever, if not a long time.

So, I guess yeah, I'm a big fan of the game, and I'm not ashamed to admit that there were some parts where I might have teared up, especially towards the end of the game. Hell, I immediately started over with a New Game+, because I wasn't ready to say goodbye to my friends. Not yet at least.

@planetfunksquad: Went with Butt City as my group name.

@metalsnakezero: I'm going to say, I really did not expect that to happen. But I agree, the buildup to that, and the following development, was well done in my opinion.

Haven't played a Persona game since P3 for the PSP...And goddamn, this game is just oozing style from every orifice.

Mergatroid Skittle

So, seeing as how at the time of writing this(March 6th), that there will be a Quick Look of this game, I figured I'd share my two cents as well. I bought this game practically as soon as I finished watching a short look at it from Two Best Friends Play on Youtube. As a huge fan of the original River City Ransom, and beat-em-ups in general(I own too many Musou games), I was sold. From everything to the art, which looks like a 16-bit/32-bit form of the original, to the music(Which sounds like a remix of some RCR music mixed with original tracks), to it having local co-op, it screamed "BUY ME, REVOLVE! YOU GOT THAT TAX SKRILLA!"

So I went and bought it. And let me tell you, it lives up to my self-generated hype. The controls are very smooth and responsive, and after some fiddling with my controller(Dualshock 4, and here's a helpful hint: If you're gonna play this with a DS4, do yourself a favor and download something like Input Mapper), I was making fools BARF and UGH all over River City. The story is, well, it's not super crazy from what I've played so far, seems like RCR's story but expanded, but it fits the narrative of Kunio games pretty well:You're a high school student, someone gets kidnapped, suddenly gang fights. One really neat bit, that I don't know if they'll cover in the QL, is the very beginning of the game: The very beginning is basically an abridged playthrough of RCR. Very neat.

The different characters all play rather differently, and have their own strengths and weaknesses(A cool detail is how the boxer, Paul, doesn't have a kick, but instead his attack buttons are rights and lefts.), and let you find someone who fits your playstyle. And just like the original game, you power up your character(s) by buying different food items for stat buffs, and fighting moves from dojos/gyms. Be prepared to beat wholesale ass, though, as the vastly increased power of PCs vs. the NES means that sometimes you'll be fighting 8-10 guys all at once, each with their own crazy special moves and tactics. And if you die, you start at a hideout(Which is where you'll save your game) with half your cash gone.

Basically, my two cents are: This is an amazing tribute to the original game and beat-em-ups of a foregone era, and a really fun couch co-op game.(I didn't try online multiplayer, but I have heard that it's kind of buggy, with save problems.) And at $20, you certainly could do worse.