Review: Xenoblade Chronicles X Is A Mighty Fine JRPG

By Koola

Remember Xenoblade Chronicles? That charming little Wii game about a boy who was really mad about machines? Well Monolith Soft is at it again with a not-really-related sequel game titled Xenoblade Chronicles X. Taking place, I think, in the same universe as the first. Does this title live up to the best RPG on Wii? Yes. Yes, it does.

Review: The Japanese Were Right; Tales of Zestria Does Suck

By Koola

I’ve always liked the Tales series a lot more than your standard JRPG. The series has tended to break away from the traditional turn-based combat seen in other popular games like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, by promoting a more action-orientated style. After Xillia 2 proved to be another great Tales game, I was looking forward to Tales of Zestiria. But it got a terrible reception when it was released in Japan in January. And you know what, those crazy Japanese kids were probably right to warn us about it.

Review: Transformers Devastation Proves That Ramming Enemies Into Walls Is Fun

Quickviews are our way of reviewing games quickly, in around 300 words

By Koola

As somebody who’s never really cared about Transformers, and as somebody equally likely to stay clear of anything involving giant robots and aliens, I can’t remember caring much when I first heard about Transformers Devastation. It wasn’t until I realised it was being made by Platinum Games that I thought twice about it and then, to be honest, the entire thing conflicted me. I hate robots, but I love Platinum Games. Was I supposed to trust that this could be the first good Transformers title? Should I give it a shot just because it’s made by a developer I love?

Opinion: My Thoughts on Final Fantasy XIV

By Koola

Me and MMOs typically don’t mix. We keep our space, you know? I don’t bother them and they don’t bother me. But Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn was nagging me. The monthly subscription fee warded me off, but I felt like the game went Free-To-Play then I’d be on it in a heartbeat. After all, the Final Fantasy fan in me demanded it. Anyway, one thing led to another and I was offered a month free to dig in. So that’s what I did, and here’s my opinion on the popular MMO everyone’s been talking about.

Favorite 5: Castlevania Games

By Koola

Well, this was quite a bit in the making, huh? With me having beaten Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, Aria of Sorrow, Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia in the past month (or so), I felt it would be a good idea to make a list of my Favorite 5 Castlevania games.

Of course, only games I’ve personally played can make this list, but that’s what makes it fun. So let’s begin, shall we?

QuickView: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

QuickView is our way of reviewing games quickly, in around 300 words

By Koola

We sure have been lacking in Belmonts recently, huh? Order of Ecclesia doesn’t feature one either, instead we have Shanoa, a woman working under the Order of Ecclesia, who in the Belmont’s absence, is the only one (wo)man enough to take on Dracula. Using magic instead of conventional weaponry, Shanoa wields a variety of physical and magical weapons, freely mixing and matching between them, showing one of the most versatile characters that Castlevania has ever seen.

QuickView: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

QuickViews are our way of reviewing games quickly, in less than 300 words

By Koola

Even though we’re continuing down the anime-esque path of Dawn of Sorrow, we’re taking a break from Soma this time and returning to the mid-1900s to fight that guy again, Dracula. Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin stars Jonathan Morris and Charlotte Aulin: a couple of exceedingly bad characters who’ve taken up the role of investigating Dracula’s Castle. You see, the castle has suddenly reappeared long before it was supposed to, and currently there are no Belmonts to kill him, so Morris and Aulin have been drafted in to do the job.

QuickView: Castlevania – Dawn of Sorrow

QuickView is our way of reviewing games in less than 300 words

By Koola

Taking place one year after the events of Aria of Sorrow, Dawn of Sorrow puts Soma Cruz back into the spooky mix where he must fight a cult hell-bent on resurrecting the biggest, baddest vampire of them all Dracula. Taking many of Aria’s best aspects, Dawn of Sorrow expands on its prequel bringing with it an expanded Soul System and an unprecedented level-of-combat-variety.

QuickView: Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

QuickView is our way of quickly reviewing games in less than 300 words

By Koola

Let’s fast-forward to the future, shall we? Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow takes place in the year 2035, after the major battle of 1999 (that I don’t know about) in which Julius Belmont beat Dracula into the ground and sealed the hell out of him, once and for all. But shortly after Dracula’s death, it was told in a prophecy that Dracula’s reincarnation would come to his castle to inherit Dracula’s powers so what the hell’s going on?

QuickView: Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles

QuickView is our way of reviewing games quickly in less than 300 words

By Koola

Stepping away from the usual 2D-style Castlevania games for a bit, I decided to check out Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, a 2.5D remake of the classic 1993 game, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood. The game itself is quite simple and if you’ve played any other Castlevania games (or seen them) then you should know the score.