Dark Souls 2 coming March 2014

E3 2013 will be held in the Los Angeles Convention Center and every where, the city is filled with ad signs for games. This one I'm particulary proud of since they are actually advertising this franchise as a triple A title. Dark Souls 2 is coming, and based on the sign, it's coming on March 2014.

If you've played Dark Souls, then you have a pretty good idea what you'll be getting with the sequel. From gameplay footage and trailers revealed so far, it looks like they won't be turning down the notch when it comes to difficulty. This is one franchise I'm pretty excited to get my ass handed to me.

Dark Souls Trailer

I have a feeling that the sequel just might feel like a big expansion more than anything else with notable differences, but that's not a bad thing for this game because you don't have that many titles similar to Dark Souls, and I actually want more of the same game.

Dark Souls 2 - 12 minute demo by IGN

The game's visual is definitely better based on this demo. One aim the developers mentioned when the game was first revealed is that they want to bring a good narrative for the players. A much needed goal since the previous games, even it being a great action RPG, had close to no story whatsoever.

Game features for Dark Souls 2:

• Prepare to Die… again: Dare yourself to engage against intense gameplay in a vast world powered by an all new engine that leaps graphics, sound & FX forward like never before.
• A labyrinth of monsters & bosses: Immerse yourself into mind-bending environments filled with new twisted monsters and deadly bosses that could only come from the imagination of From Software.
• Sensory assault: A wide range of threats will prey on human senses & phobias – auditory hallucinations, vertigo, acrophobia, etc.
• Deeper and darker: More intricate customization options provide weapons and armor tailoring to player style.
• Evolved multiplayer: Updated multiplayer system enables improved online interaction to bring forward cooperative & competitive play.
• Go beyond death: Dark Souls II features fluid motion-capture animations, upgraded combat system, a vastly expanded suite of characters, deeper customization options, new weapons, armor abilities, and balanced player progression system

Dark Souls 2 will be out for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, but sadly won't be a next-gen title, so keep your current platforms in good change for next March.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen - A great RPG, and still satisfying after a year

You know one of days when you walk up to Datablitz(or your usual gaming store) and just look for a specific genre you were craving to play? Well, at the time, I was looking for an RPG that requires hours upon hours to finish, with grinding required to get the best gear and to take on the hardest content. Not only did Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen provides just that, I was reminded on how this game is, even after a year since the original version was released.

I was looking for a game on my Xbox 360, and after 20 minutes of staring at the stacks of games all lined up neatly, only two caught my eye - Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, and Dark Souls: The Prepare to Die Edition. Oddly enough, they were two games that I have finished. But with my sudden crave, they were the perfect games since they fit what I was looking for, but which one to get. The new Dragon's Dogma was P1,200, while Dark Souls was P1,800. Price wasn't an issue at the time so it was tough to pick. In the end, I decided to let the coin pick. I do this a lot, toss a coin, call a side, and go whatever comes out. I called tails, and it was Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen. That was two weeks ago, and boy am I thrilled that the coin landed on tails.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is a re-release of one of Capcom's latest franchise released last year for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. I played the game the first time on my PlayStation 3 and enjoyed the Monster Hunter nostalgia it gave. A game that provides that satisfaction of fighting enormous monster in an epic scale. Not stabbing dragons on their feet, I mean literally given the option to climb them and hit them were it hurts. You combine that, with the large-scale world for you to explore, and a surprisingly deep character progression,  and you got yourself a game that deserves to be in any hardcore RPG fan's collection.

Now, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is an expansion for the original game that includes new monsters to slay, new gear to loot, and a new island to explore. Now you'd think this would come in a form of a DLC(Downloadable Content), but no, this game is made by Capcom, and what that means is that they like to provide you with new content in the most unusual way. The new content has been repackaged along with the original game and re-released at a lower price, with no way of earning it separately online or on retail. So for previous Dragon's Dogma owners, you kinda have to buy it again. For players who have yet to experience the game for the first time, you're all good, the price is actually a steal. In my case, I didn't mind so much since it has already been a year since I played it, so it felt refreshing. Reminding me how great this game was.

What's funny though is that I'm enjoying this game even more now the second time around. I really can't pinpoint what's making the game better - Is it the new Hard Mode(Which I'm currently on)?, the new monsters and gear? Or the fact that the Japanese Rock song that used to play on the menu screen is finally gone? I'm not too sure. It could be a collection of everything, but the Dark Arisen version of the game definitely provides a better experience

It really hit the spot on what I was looking for as well. Story is still unforgettable, but everything else was perfect. I got an RPG with a big world to explore, and a character progression that would require a lot of thought and planning, as well as grinding in order to conquer the hardest content there is. The combat can be intense and strategic. With you battling against creatures like giant Cyclops, Chimeras, Gryphons, Dragons, and many more iconic high fantasy monsters that are big in size.

The biggest selling point for me was how each monster you encounter has an effective way of taking it down. You can do it the old fashion way, which is attack and attack and chip away its life until it dies, or you can bring it down in a more cooler fashion, which requires a small amount of effort in your part, and if done right, it will be the fastest way as well. For example - A cyclops. It's weak point is its eye, and you mostly find these creatures with a helmet protecting its eye. What you can do is climb on its back, slash it behind the neck and force him to try and grab you off of it, move out of the way at the right time and you just might get him to remove his helmet, and now you can re-climb the beast, jump on its head, and start stabbing its eye. This process was satisfying and epic. This game is also about preparation. Bringing the right group, items and tools for the right encounter. Fight a Gryphon without any means of setting it on fire? Good luck keeping it on the ground.

BitterBlack Isle 

Thanks to me remembering most of the important parts of in the game, I have already finished it. It took me 44 Hours, with not every quest finished and not completing the new content included in Dark Arisen. Now at level 78, I'm now on my second playthrough, and is ready to test that new content called Bitterblack Isle. From what I understand, Dark Arisen content is Capcom's way of giving high level players a challenge. The Ur- Dragon was the only big challenge at the end of the game(still is), so I guess they wanted to add more end-game content. You can access the new island at any time in your playthrough, I tried it when I was level 44, and...well let's just say its not recommended. It is said that this content is just as challenging as Dark Souls or Demon Souls, which is hard to believe. I like a good challenge though, and hopefully it provides just that. Will I need to grind some more levels? Or is my current gear enough to kill whatever comes in front of me? Either way, I'm still having a blast even after finishing the main content. The grinding isn't tedious yet at this level and with the max level being 200, seems like I have a long way to go.

Note: This isn't a full review since I have yet to experience the new content included in this re-package.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Shazam Combos

Here are few Shazam combos that I put together. I'm sure there are more efficient and optimal combos out there but Shazam does decent damage without getting all fancy. Most of these combos involve burning 2 meters because meter burning his command grabs enable for combo extension.

These are pretty easy to pull off because Shazam doesn't have a lot of normals and strings that he can combo off of. At least as far as I can tell.

The Law Of The Jungle -- Destiny Official Trailer

Bungie released a new trailer for their upcoming online FPS called Destiny. It's a mix of CG and live-action featuring Giancarlo Esposito(Breaking Bad, Revolution).

Destiny does look interesting at this point, but its hard to gauge if this would bring something new to the table. After Bungie finishing Halo: Reach, they were absent for years working on Destiny, and with them getting a year-long deal with Activision(I'm guessing for a Destiny franchise), this feels like an ambitious project that could be a make or break for Bungie.

At the end of the video, gameplay footage will debut on Sony's press conference, so if you're curious to how Destiny plays, tune in at this year's E3 on June 10.

Destiny will be released hopefully at the end of this year or early 2014 on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One

Monday Impressions: Xbox One reveal

Last week, Microsoft finally revealed their next console naming it Xbox One. It was an hour long presentation. A presentation that answered one question, but created many more leaving viewers either disappointed, or confused. I was both.

When the event started, Microsoft didn't waste anytime at all. After a brief introduction, they revealed the Xbox One. Unlike Sony's reveal of the PS4, they showed the console upfront together with its new controller.

After looking at the console for the first time, I got excited. But all that excitement went away when the presentation went forward. The features were now being talked about, and this is when the confusion started. They started talking about the improved voice recognition, that allows you to quickly switch from game, to TV, to movies with a simple voice command. To sum it all up, the new features for the Xbox One are features gamers would ignore. They are indeed neat features, but I'd rather have an in-game demo of the console's power rather than a demonstration on something I might use a couple of times in the console's lifespan. These features gave me mixed signals, giving me the impression that they didn't focus much on what the device will be used most of the time, which is as a gaming device. I stopped watching TV when I was introduced to the internet, just letting you know Microsoft.

They then moved to EA Sports. At this point I was thrilled we are now moving towards games, but then I got disappointed at what was shown. Again let me sum it up with the order of which how they revealed the new titles - Sports games, Forza 5, one new IP, more sports talk, then Call of Duty: Ghost, that's it folks! And each one were just trailers of the games, not actual demonstration was done during the event. It's obvious that they are holding back on the games for other events because they did mention Xbox One having 15 new exclusives in the first year, with 8 of them being new franchises. That's great to hear, but I don't understand why they needed to hold back on the games, especially when they reveal the console for the first time. And as much as they want xbox to be more than a gaming console(that's what I got out of the presentation), it will always be treated as a gaming device.  I buy consoles based on the games that will be on the console, not because of Kinect 2.0, or any of the features shown during the event.

It should have been a no brainer for Microsoft to focus on why people buy their consoles in the first place. I was expecting game demo's, graphics demonstrations, neat features that would enhance the gaming experience, because at the end of the day, majority of your consumers are gamers, and that's what they want to see. The presentation didn't feel like it was catered to that kind of crowd. Microsoft did mention that during this year's E3, its going to be all about games, but I still can't get the concept of them leaving nothing substantial to create a good first impression, because one thing is for sure, Call of Duty: Ghost is not an eye catcher since it will be available in almost all platforms.

Putting the presentation aside, The Xbox One, based on the specs given, it could match what the PS4 can generate, but the problem is at this point, there's was no demo given to really have an idea of the Xbox One's performance. The new Kinect, which apparently is required at all times with the Xbox One, has went through a lot of improvements in terms of how accurate they capture your movements. The new controller has no new gimmick included in it as well. I like the new design, but aside from that, nothing much has changed. They are still deciding on what to call the select and start button which is funny because if there's one thing that shouldn't be changed, its that.

Will you buy the Xbox One?

At this point, I'll have to wait. I can't base the console on this lackluster presentation. But honestly, I think everybody that is considering a next-gen console should wait before making up their mind. How long? Until E3 at least, because that's when the big three companies go all in. Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft will definitely go all out in their games during the big event, so it all depends on what they have in store for us on the first week of June. Microsoft dropped the ball on their reveal for me, but I won't count them out yet with E3 only weeks away. Right now, PS4, and even the Wii U is ahead of Xbox One, but all that can change with one big event. The console wars has officially begun!

Did you watch the Xbox One reveal? What were your thoughts?