Käyttäjän The nameless Commander viimeaikaiset arvostelut

It's a pretty charming game that is obviously heavily inspired by Megaman. Adding the rogue-lite element removes the possibility and need for level memorization, so the player has to rely on his/her perception and quick reflexes to get through the hazards that the game "generously" throws at the protagonists.

Visually, the overall design and the vibrant, lively colours are pleasant to look at. The graphics aren't breathtaking by today's standards, but for a game like this, they are on-spot. The blizzard in the background of level 9 can be a bit distracting at times, but it's nothing drastic.

While it sounds "dated" at first, the soundtrack delivers a pleasant surprise. The tunes, despite being rather simple, are quite catchy, but at no point are they being obnoxious. Much like the game's visual component, the sound as it is simply belongs in a game like this.

The gameplay is where this game shows its best sides. The maneuvering is pretty precise, which is essential at getting through the game's challenging, but far more often fun than not, levels. Being unable to angle the weapon's shots can at times be obstructing, but is not a major flaw.

The level design is pretty fair, excluding some patterns of level 9, which can sometimes REALLY ruin your perfect run. At times, the players are forced to move through it rapidly and have one or two seconds at best to react accordingly to what awaits them. This can throw off the pace badly. Enemy placement as a whole can sometimes seriously hamper the player, emphasis on sometimes. The final sequence is an actually interesting take on the closing challenge, so that's a few extra points.

For someone who never played a game like this before, I had a lot of fun, and given the game's replayability, will likely have a lot more. Even despite the occasional incredibly difficult patterns, the game as a whole feels hard but fair and rewards the player's effort and improvement. All in all, this is a game I wholeheartedly recommend.

The verdict: 8.9/10

About the previous instalment (to avoid repeating myself)

First thing first: This is a very under-appreciated game.

Gameplay-wise, it is one of the friendlier fighters to start with. Simple controls and inputs make crossing the initial execution barrier fairly easy. Even a new player should be able to get the basics down in one to two training sessions. There's even a built-in "smart-steer" combo (pushing the A-button repeatedly), but it is wise to graduate from that ASAP if your plan is to play this game competitively as without option-selecting, your offense will be completely ineffective.
For any gameplay past beginner-level, learning about spacing and mix-ups is crutial. Damage is generally dealt in combos, so that would be the next game element in the priority order. The execution barrier for them differs from character to character, but effort is far more often than not rewarded.

Visually, the game is pretty to look at. The visual aspect is rooted in the anime style, reflected in the vibrant colours, smooth animation and pleasant sprite-art. It's definitely not breathtaking but should appease anyone who doesn't have exquisite standards.

The soundtrack doesn't fall behind. The themes are composed to fit the characters, and they do a pretty good job.

Much like many other games in the 2D fighting genre, Under Night in-Birth is easy to learn but hard to master. If you want to be any good at it, you'll need to put in some effort.

Edit: Some characters definitely require more patience and effort. Be careful when chosing your main.
FInal verdict: 8.7/10

Now onto the things this game does better. Aside from adding more content and more characters, the game adds a very in-depth tutorial and the "mission mode", where the players can learn combos, rather than go through trial and error combined with combo-movies and match videos from the internet. And the combo system isn't strict to the point that the player has to follow the presented input sequences down to the last button, it cuts the player some slack. The game is not only an excellent entry point into the franchise alone, but anime-style fighters in general.

The warnings about buying this game remain the same as for UNiB Exe:Late : don't get into it if you're not willing to commit. Under Night in-Birth demands the player to make an effort to be good at it, but is also very generous with rewarding that effort.
The verdict: 9.5/10 (because perfection does not exist)

I'll start this review with: There is room for improvement. As someone familiar with similar games (Ys, Adventures of Scarlet Curiosity, Nox, Torchlight) I do see some things which should and could be improved.

1) The camera during boss fights. Too often, the boss ends up off-screen, so the player can't really dodge properly, much less fight back. A possible solution to the problem would be that the camera zooms out, so the entire arena is visible all the time.
2) The dash system. A number of similar games have mechanics rendering the player character "invincible" for a few frames. Those few frames are often life-savers and the key to fighting bosses which do high damage with their attacks. Especially since it's a limited resource, the dash SHOULD have invincibility frames.
3) The bombs. They are both extremely short-ranged and do laughable damage to bosses. Once again, they are a limited resource which should serve as a viable asset in a fight, especially with boss fights like these.
4) Area-denying attacks of bosses sometimes put the player in a borderline unfair situation. The Mask Tsukumogami at the Festival is basically "Hit the boss before they push you onto its ring of death." Except the first, the final boss' spellcards deny pretty much the entire arena in addition to heavy-damage homing projectiles. Such challenges are extremely difficult without the aforementioned invincibility-frame special abilities.
5) Character properties. The usefulness of characters has extreme variations. On one side, there are for example Cirno and Marisa, who can be used with extreme efficiency due to their combination of range, mobility and firepower. On the other side are Alice and her extremely sub-par primary attack, Okuu with her bomb that is only useful for the player killing themselves and Tenshi herself, whose range is so short, that she will eat an entire wave of projectiles and die instantly.

Onto the praises now. The soundtrack is stellar, and the game's visuals are simply beautiful. The controls (at least KB/M) feel good. The variety of usable characters is very commendable, as there are few Touhou-themed games with so many playable characters on the market. The concept of melee attacks is an interesting (if not entirely novel) addition, and could be further improved.

Even despite all the criticism, I will endorse this game, as I feel that the people behind it need the encouragement to make more, and/or improve this one further.

Final verdict: 8/10

First thing first: This is a very under-appreciated game.

Gameplay-wise, it is one of the friendlier fighters to start with. Simple controls and inputs make crossing the initial execution barrier fairly easy. Even a new player should be able to get the basics down in one to two training sessions. There's even a built-in "smart-steer" combo (pushing the A-button repeatedly), but it is wise to graduate from that ASAP if your plan is to play this game competitively as without option-selecting, your offense will be completely ineffective.
For any gameplay past beginner-level, learning about spacing and mix-ups is crutial. Damage is generally dealt in combos, so that would be the next game element in the priority order. The execution barrier for them differs from character to character, but effort is far more often than not rewarded.

Visually, the game is pretty to look at. The visual aspect is rooted in the anime style, reflected in the vibrant colours, smooth animation and pleasant sprite-art. It's definitely not breathtaking but should appease anyone who doesn't have exquisite standards.

The soundtrack doesn't fall behind. The themes are composed to fit the characters, and they do a pretty good job.

A few warnings... The lack of a tutorial makes the entry a bit harder than it should. In order to learn all the uses of the D button, one has to either go through trial and error or consult an external source. If nothing else, the game already has a wiki in english, containing sufficient information on the gameplay basics so the player won't feel completely lost at the start.
Much like many other games in the 2D fighting genre, Under Night in-Birth is easy to learn but hard to master. If you want to be any good at it, you'll need to put in some effort.

Edit: Some characters definitely require more patience and effort. Be careful when chosing your main.
FInal verdict: 8.7/10

If you like turn-based tactical RPGs, you'll love Valkyria Chronicles. If you don't, give it a try anyway, you might change your mind!

Now that I've completed the game, it's time for a somewhat more elaborate reasoning why the game is worth your time.

Visually, the game is very appealing unless you hate anime with a passion. The watercolour style art is pleasant for the eyes although it does diminish the warlike feel a bit.
The sound component is not exactly stellar, but it's far from being bad. Voice acting: Regardless of which voiceover you choose, you shouldn't have a problem with it. All in all, the sound is good enough.

So where does this game get to shine? It's of course the fun and challenging missions. Even though the AI tends to sometimes do ridiculous things, every victory feels like it's deserved. A fair number missions will truly test your strategies, and a few of them will test your patience as well. In particular, boss fights often require some serious thought. Be patient, observe and try things out. And if you do get stuck, the community is happy to help, just ask.

Onto the flaws: It is mostly addressing people who love a good challenge and can appear unpatronizing to an average gamer.
Second, the ranking system, which only rewards a quick completion of missions rather than tactics, which is a bit absurd, considering that a war-themed game SHOULD be a lot about tactics. But still, you can ignore the ranking system, as you can always replay the main story missions (and skip almost all cutscenes in the runs after the 1st) as many times as you like and try to get an A-rank.

The verdict: 9.1/10

So, what is it you want from a game? Pretty visuals? An excellent story? Intense action? A challenge? If the answer to the last two questions are "yes", you should try this game. The anime/JRPG style visuals may not be everyone's cup of tea, so take that into account. The story is by no means bad, but nothing that'll keep you at the edge of your seat. But there are some really good reasons why to play this game.

First of all, the gameplay. Fast-paced and fluid hack&slash action typical for an ARPG with the difference that it has a vertical dimension as well, adding some platforming to the whole concept. Initially you get to pick between two characters, and can unlock a third one. The story remains more or less the same (it's best described as 3 different points of view), but there are significant differences in how the characters are played, each of the 3 offers a unique gameplay experience. You can pick either a controller or the KB/mouse duo, both work just fine. The configuration tool is user-friendly and offers a lot of freedom in defining your desired configuration.

There are five difficulty levels, ranging from "very easy" to "nightmare". The game is quite challenging, don't be shy to try it on a lower difficulty if you just don't seem to move forward. The strongest point of this game are the numerous and intense boss-battles, which test your reflexes and wits alike. You won't get anywhere with the "hit it until it stops moving" idea even on "very easy". Expect to hit the retry button numerous times, sometimes it's not obvious what you need to do from the start. Explore and experiment, it's fun!

Finished story mode with all 3 characters? The game still has replay value! In the Time Attack mode, you can test your mettle against the game's bosses without having to replay the whole game again. And it doesn't end there. While Time attack can be played right after completing the game with one character, once you clear the story mode with all 3, you gain access to Arena Mode, where you fight waves of enemies from the level of your choice and collect SP (the game's currency) to unlock bonus content.

The soundtrack is simply amazing. Masterpiece after masterpiece, greatly adding to the enjoyment the game has to offer.

If "challenge" is your middle name, then you shouldn't miss this game.

The verdict: 8.9/10

1995... A game named Command and Conquer appeared... and paved the way for an entire genre. It's a name that many RTS veterans should be familiar with. The franchise had its ups and downs throughout the years. 2007, the long awaited sequel of Command and Conquer Tiberian Sun appears. Has it passed the test? Let's see...

Visually, the game is downright gorgeous, even for today's standards. You can tell at first glance, whether the map is situated in a still pristine Blue zone, a conflict-torn Yellow zone or in an almost unearthly Red zone. The units are also well designed and their appearance alone tells something about the respective faction. Topped off with non-excessive and neat special effects, the visuals give a good impression.

Gameplaywise, the game has undergone major changes. Instead of one single build queue, where the amount of respective facilities only determined production speed, now each production facility has its own queue, and units have gained special abilities. These changes were not wellcomed by all fans of the franchise, but I'll allow myself to use a proverb: "I don't know if it's going to be good, but if it is to become better, it must change". Other than that, the "hard-counter" unit-system has finally reached a desireable level, unlike in previous titles, pretty much every unit can be put to a good use and has its weak points. Not every change is good though. The gameplay is kind of too fast-paced compared to its precedetors, and that signifficantly weakened the efficiency of commando-infiltrations, which were the brandmark of this franchise. Command and Conquer 3 lets you deploy a countermeasure in a matter of seconds, leaving little to no room for a classic commando rampage, which was possibly the most fun thing Command and Conquer could offer. That aside, the gameplay gets way more than a passing grade.

The audio: The first thing C&C fans will notice that the OST simply doesn't have the same magic as the ones composed by Frank Klepacki. Just thinking of "March to doom" playing as you scrape together leftovers of your army in late-game for a final desperate attempt to win sends chills down my spine. Still, the soundtrack is by no means bad. The sound effects are seamlessly implemented, and is good and bad at the same time. Remember how your hands started sweating when you hear the ominous thundering sound of the allied Cruiser's cannons in Red Alert? It was the sound saying: "say goodbye to your base". On the other hand, with the sound effects not standing out too much, you can keep being fully focused on the events on the battlefield and can clearly make out the very important and helpful announcements of your EVA unit, pointing out upcoming danger.

Despite all the flaws pointed out, Command and Conquer 3 Tiberian Wars is a very enjoyable game and I recommend it to both newcommers and veterans.

Verdict: 8.5/10

After having neglected this game for a long time, I decided to give it a try. So, here are my impressions.
Visuals: This game is a real feast for the eyes. I find it redundant to describe it in detail, since it's overall beautiful.
Gameplay: The control interface is comfortable and is neither too simple, nor needlessly complicated. The interaction of the characters with their envoirment is on a highly satisfying level, be it objects or enemies. What surprised me in a pleasant way are the physics in the game, making the platforming and puzzles a fun and challenging experience. The combat is rather simple, but decently done for this type of game.
Sound: No objections, just like a cherry on top of the cake it rounds up an enjoyable game.

So far it sounds like this is a perfect game. But, it does have it flaws, mainly the sadistic difficulty of the final level. Be warned, this is one unforgiving level with literally no room for error. The reason why it is signifficantly harder than the rest of the game is that not only it punishes every big mistake with the need to restart the level, and that it is quite fast-paced compared to the other levels. Another point is the replay value. Once you've completed the game, that is all what the story can offer, it has no extra content, only higher difficulty. That hardly means the replay value is zero, on the contrary. Unless you replay it several times in rapid succession, you can always rediscover this games charms and try to complete every challenge it offers.

The verdict: 8/10