ATLUS has announced the second and final promotional video for the upcoming RPG Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, which features the iconic heavy metal band Slipknot.

In the video below, Slipknot band members Clown, Eloy Casagrande, and new guy each describe their relationships with their masks while discussing the Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance-inspired masks created by Jim Ojala from Ojala Productions.

The members from Slipknot in this video share their impressions of the sculpted masks that were inspired by the demons Gurulu, Daemon, and Loup-Garou from the game. They further share their unique perspective on masks, the iconography of the demons of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, and how the band’s own masks affect their creative process.

Originally released in 2021 for the Nintendo Switch, Shin Megami Tensei V opens with the protagonist awakening buried and unconscious after stumbling across a grisly murder scene. He finds himself in an apocalyptic wasteland embroiled in a war between angels and demons. Before bloodthirsty demons can claim his life, a saviour emerges, and they unite to become a mighty being, neither human nor demon: a Nahobino. The Shin Megami Tensei™ series has a rich history in the gaming space and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023.

The latest title in the series, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, allows players to enjoy the story of Shin Megami Tensei V in its entirety, with a new story path that was not told in the original release. In addition, Shin Megami Tensei V has fully evolved with stunning visuals tailored to modern consoles and new areas, demons and music to support an improved battle system, providing a smoother and richer RPG set amidst a war between demons and angels.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is out now for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.

The post Slipknot’s Love of Masks in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

If you have recently released the best entry in your franchise, filled out the roster with multiple spinoffs and are still (hopefully) working on the next entry, what do you do?

This is the situation publisher Atlus has found themselves in. They have filled the gap between Persona 5 Royal, released initially in 2019, with ports such as Persona 4 Golden, collaborations such as Persona 5 Strikers, and explorations into new genres like Persona 5 Tactics, released earlier this year. But their most recent project, Persona 3 Reload, is by far the most ambitious yet.

It is an entire remake of Persona 3, originally released for Playstation 2.

It brings it up to modern standards where it fits in right next to Persona 5, right down to its stylings and flair. In other ways it hues close to the original – there’s no mention of most of the new elements the ‘FES’ revamp brought to the table, and there’s no female lead as per Persona 3 Portable on Sony’s PSP handheld console. Instead, it is the best version of the original entry released yet.

While it may be a disappointing overall package to some, what Atlus have done to modernise and refresh the game brought me right back into why I love Persona games so much.

Despite the obviously missing elements of the Persona 3 universe, this new version is not a simple upscale and re-release of the Playstation 2 game. The changes to the game are vast, starting first with the graphics. Rebuilt entirely in Unreal Engine 4, Persona 3 Reload incorporates the design elements so brilliantly done in Persona 5, featuring the green and blue colour tones of the original.

While it isn’t entirely faithful, I think it looks great – modern and fresh while keeping intact the atmosphere and vibe of the original PlayStation 2 release. Running at what looks like 4K and a steady 60FPS on console, it feels bold and dynamic.

Unfortunately the dungeon crawling aspect of Persona 3, perhaps it’s weakest part, hasn’t seen the level of updates and polish that I would have hoped for. Unlike the bespoke dungeons of Persona 5, which were expertly handcrafted and had a real sense of progression and drama, Persona 3’s equivalent, Tartarus, is still mainly empty, boring floors of generic green. There’s not that much to differentiate your time in each section, though each bunch of levels has been given a slight theme which is a welcome change.

Fortunately the combat has seen some major upgrades, again inspired by Persona 5. You can now hand off your attack, all-out attacks have been introduced, you now control all party members (thank goodness), each party member now has a unique ‘ultimate ability’ (a la the limit break mechanic in Final Fantasy games) and there are other quality of life upgrades that moves the experience eerily close to the Persona 5 experience. Combat is still based on the same format of learning enemy weaknesses and using your abilities to combo them into submission, and the transfers from later games make this easier than ever.

I’m sure the 3D models for most of the enemies/Personas have been copied straight from Persona 5 to Shin Megami Tensei V to Soul Hacker 2 and now to Persona 3 Reload. While there’s nothing wrong with them, I did feel a bit of a sense of deja vu after so many releases featuring the same models.

There have been significant updates to the social side of things too, with new side stories with your party members – something that was curiously absent in the original. They’re not quite the same as normal social links, presumably because this would have required fundamentally rebalancing the entire social side of things, but they are a welcome addition that gives more foundation to the friendships you share with those in your dorm.

So fundamentally this is a fantastic way to play Persona 3. For the most part, it unquestionably eclipses the original release. But unfortunately it can’t truly be called ‘definitive’. Without ‘The Answer’ DLC from Persona 3 FES and the option to play as ‘feMC’ from Persona 3 Portable, there will still be contention about the ‘true’ or ‘complete’ way to experience what Persona 3 has to offer. It would have been great to see the PSP game included in the package for example, and at least there are rumours that The Answer DLC may be coming as future content.

And while it is great to see Persona 3 Reload release on so many platforms on Day 1, it is a bizarre omission to exclude the Nintendo Switch – where recent Persona re-releases have always felt extremely comfortable. I have mentioned only a few of the upgrades in this re-release, and it is obvious so much care and attention has been taken in replicating and intelligently upgrading many aspects that wouldn’t feel quite as contemporaneous if they were left untouched for a modern release. It is truly exciting that Persona 3 has this new lease on life, and I hope it continues to expand to reflect the entirety of the Persona 3 experience.

The post Persona 3 Reload (Xbox Series S|X) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Catherine was one of the more intriguing games to release on the PS3.

Now something of a cult classic, at its release its wacky humour and difficult puzzles made for niche appeal. From the same developers as Shin Megami Tensei, and the Persona series, this bizarre tale of love, lust and block puzzles endeared itself over time. With a release of the original game on the PC, and the release of the updated “Full Body” edition on other consoles, Switch owners now have the (expensive) option to delight in this delightful, irrepressibly horny game.

If you’re new to Catherine, you play as Vincent, an uncertain man somewhat tired of his relationship with Katherine. At a chance encounter at his favourite bar he meets the mysterious Catherine, who soon beds him. After he falls asleep however, he is sent to a disturbing world of sheep, where he must complete climbing block puzzles to climb ever upwards and finally, potentially, escape. It’s much like any Persona game, with one side a narrative-driven social almost visual novel, and the other more action-focused. The two interact, but for the most part they are quite different, though Full Body starts to bridge the gap a little more.

For those who have played the original game on PS3 or PC, there have been a range of significant changes to the game that in my opinion make playing through the story again (if you’re not here for the puzzles, then setting it to “Easy” allows you to autoclimb”) worth your time. Most significant is the introduction of third character Rin, who Vincent saves and helps rehabilitate. Rin’s introduction to the story adds new cinematics, changes existing situations and has a fairly significant impact on how the story unfolds overall. I could imagine some purists could be annoyed with Rin’s addition, but this new character has been carefully woven throughout the game’s story, and introduces some interesting changes to the narrative that I think benefit the story as a whole.

Some of the dialogue that hasn’t held up over time has been amended, and the game runs at a higher resolution with slightly enhanced graphics. An even easier than “Easy” mode has been introduced called “Safety.” This removes game overs and time limits, and introduces the ability to skip a puzzle. This makes it easier for those who care more about the story than puzzles to power through those sections without fear of being unnecessarily stuck.

On the other side, for those who love the puzzles there are a range of enhancements that up the ante in difficulty. There’s a new remix play mode for the entire game (the original version can be played as “classic” mode) which adds some new mechanics and mixes up the puzzles. The Babel and Colosseum mode support online play, and there’s a new online battle mode.

Most importantly however “undos” have replaced the lives system. On Normal you now have 3 undos, taking back your most recent action rather than reducing a total amount of lives. This allows for a much more flexible and forgiving system, yet still maintains the pressure. It also means I felt the game was “fairer” when I made a mistake rather than punishing me for pushing the wrong button unintentionally.

Given the Western release of Catherine for the PS Vita is seemingly vapourware, the portability of the Switch version automatically makes it one of the best versions in my book. The game looks and runs great in portable mode, and looks right at home on the handheld system. Given the game’s contents however, you will want to be careful about what could be shown on public transport.

Between the online modes and revamped Babel and Colosseum modes, Atlus have done a good job listening to the community and increasing the staying power and replayability of the game. Now Atlus just needs to bring the Full Body updates to the PC version (alongside Persona 5 to the PC and Switch please).

If you’ve played Full Body on PS4 already then the Switch version won’t be much different, but if you’ve been waiting for it to come to Switch, or were disappointed in the PC release, the Switch port feels right at home.

The post Catherine: Full Body (Switch) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

When Tokyo Mirage Session #FE came out there were two reasons I didn’t play it.

The first is that I wasn’t the Fire Emblem fanboy I am today, and the second is it came out on the Wii U, so nearly nobody got the chance to play it. Like many of the other excellent games that were released on the Wii U, Nintendo has now ported this gem to Switch so that more people, including myself, can finally see what we missed on Wii U. Let me tell you, we missed.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore is a mashup of Fire Emblem and Atlus games i.e. Persona. As someone with no Persona experience, I was definitely coming in expecting a lot more Fire Emblem than I got. The game itself definitely leans more towards the Persona angle from gameplay and flare (based on some Googling and YouTube watching form myself) and the Fire Emblem is more a sprinkling of references and characters, which I actually wound up liking a lot more than I expected.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore follows a young group who are thrust into the world of mirages. These are gates that appear around the world which take you to mazes in a world where the mirages (monsters) appear and try to steal performa. Performa is basically people energy to act and as such without it they wind up becoming these drained unmotivated shells of their former selves. In this world, the people who have the most performa are people who have extreme amounts of energy and personality, namely, idols.

If you don’t know what Japanese idols are, without you having to fall down a Googling hole that will offend your western sensibilities, they are basically the stars that people idolise. They are the musical megastars in Japan which have some creepiness in reality, but for the purposes of the game they are acting, singing, and modelling megastars. Some of these people because of this amount of performa can connect themselves to certain mirages which are less mindless monsters and are characters themselves. This is the most obvious Fire Emblem influence as all the mirages that connect to the main characters are Fire Emblem heroes like Chrom.

The story follows Itsuki and Tsubasa after Tsubasa is pulled into an idolsphere, which are the gateways to the Mirage’s world. Itsuki follows her and this is where they get their Mirages Chrom and Caeda, and discover the way that the hidden world of mirage fighters. The plot doesn’t get too much deeper than that, but it does continue to be interesting as Tsubasa goes through the challenges of becoming an Idol in the real world, and the team discovers more cohorts to fight with in the idolspheres. I won’t spoil the story too much but a lot of the characters are interesting and full of life, the main protagonist Itsuki, well not so much.

The battles use a classic turn based battle system, with the three fighters surrounding the targets on a performance stage. The biggest change to the system is the use of session attacks, which are where you can have other characters get an extra attack in. Basically you have to hit enemies with an attack they are weak to, and then your allies with a similar style attack will also hit the enemy in that turn. It’s an interesting system that kept me engaged throughout the entire game. You can also switch your characters mid battle with any of the others you unlock throughout the game, with an animation that switches their profile picture on the screen behind them as the character runs in. This fluency makes trying to find your enemies weaknesses such an important and engaging part of the combat.

The thing that Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore does best is its use of colour. The most obvious clever move is that most of the people in the world are portrayed as brightly coloured silhouettes which allows the world to seem populated without being too busy with a lot of detailed NPCs. The stages, shops, and signs in the world are so colourful and bright, that even in the darker dungeons the game is so bubbly and full of personality that made me genuinely happy to jump back in for more playtime.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore is an excellent JRPG, even for people unfamiliar with either or both of the source games. It is lively, colourful and full of JRPG tropes, that should bring joy to most JRPG fans. Interesting dungeons designs, an interesting supporting cast, and a strange story makes it well worth a dabble.

The post Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore (Switch) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Creative Technology Ltd today announced to us here at StG it would be deploying its ultimate weapon of mass entertainment – X-Fi Sonic Carrier – into the gaming arena at E3 2017. E3 is the world’s premier event for computer, video and mobile games and related products, and is held at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The Sonic Carrier, a powerful home entertainment system with Dolby Atmos, Creative SuperWide X-Fi, 17 drivers in a 15.2 configuration, and 2000W peak power (1000W RMS), is set to blow gamers away with the ultimate immersive cinematic sound. Besides being showcased at the Creative E3 booth, the Sonic Carrier will be used by major game developers BANDAI NAMCO, SEGA Europe, ATLUS / SEGA and Deep Silver to show-off their very latest immersive gaming content at their E3 booths.

“Gamers will enjoy a cinematic experience with incredible realism as more and more games adopt Dolby Atmos. Not only that, this immersive three-dimensional soundstage gives gamers a new competitive edge as each sound comes to life and moves around, and now also above. For games without Dolby Atmos, gamers can also enjoy a similar magical experience using Sonic Carrier’s 15.2 SuperWide X-Fi technology that delivers a breathtakingly wide 3D soundstage that goes beyond imagination,” said Sim Wong Hoo, CEO of Creative Technology, and creator of the Sonic Carrier.

“And with its 600W RMS subwoofer, gamers will experience not just powerful audio, but literally feel chest-pounding bass, earth-shattering explosions and bone-crunching punches in games. This is the ultimate audio for the ultimate gaming arena that the world has never experienced before. We’re glad to have the opportunity to team up with some of the best game publishing names in the business to set a new benchmark for the ultimate gaming experience,” added Sim Wong Hoo.

“Quality sound reproduction plays a huge role in immersing players in our games and Ace Combat 7: SKIES UNKNOWN is ready to rock players’ minds through the X-Fi Sonic Carrier system. The 15.2 up-sampling sound technology adds a level of depth and realism to Ace Combat 7: SKIES UNKNOWN’s gameplay that will place players square in the cockpit of advanced fighter aircrafts to experience heated air-to-air combat like never before,” said David Bonacci, brand manager at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.

“Project CARS 2 is striving to deliver the pinnacle of authenticity in the realm of driving simulation games and part of that authenticity is delivered through great sound. The X-Fi Sonic Carrier system is able to make the cars in Project CARS 2 come alive, giving voice to each and every sports car, race car, and hypercar in the game. Hairs will rise and palms will sweat when players experience the visual and aural mastery within Project CARS 2 through the Sonic Carrier system,” said Raymond So, brand manager at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.

Powered by eight processors, the Sonic Carrier is not only capable of high resolution audio playback, it also features an Ultra HD video engine that supports 4K 60fps video playback of local and online content.

Featuring three distinct wireless technologies, the Sonic Carrier offers two separate Wi-Fi solutions for audio and video streaming, Bluetooth, and a zero latency wireless speaker-to-speaker link to up to four subwoofers.

Imagine a world where games and movies come alive with the most immersive 3D audio experience with the latest Dolby Atmos technology used in premium cinemas, now brought straight to the user’s home – only better. Movies and games will never be same again with cinematic audio that not only flows around users, but also above them.

In the other world, music listening is transformed into a magical auditory experience. This is the 15.2 world of super wide extreme fidelity, called SuperWide X-Fi. In this realm, every audio stream regardless of quality is algorithmically metamorphosized to an eXtreme Fidelity level of 24-bit hi-res audio and expanded three dimensionally into a 15.2 super wide soundstage.

One would expect all these wizardries to come from a convoluted array of expensive systems. Instead, it is a beautiful sleek one piece system, sans messy cables. Together with an exquisite wireless subwoofer akin to designer furniture, the Sonic Carrier is truly a masterpiece of art.

SuperWide X-Fi Stereo is a radical new audio technology that elevates the auditory journey to a totally different dimension. When SuperWide X-Fi touches any common stereo source it transports the listener to a magical three dimensional audio utopia that transcends a traditional left-right stereo experience. Gaming audio can be scaled up to this ultimate SuperWide X-Fi experience. This is the Audio of Tomorrow… the next leap in the evolution of audio perception.

The post Experience the Ultimate Audio for Ultimate Gaming at E3 2017! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

SEGA and ATLUS have announced a bumper line-up for E3 2017 across two neighbouring stands in the West Hall, showcasing a diverse selection of games in the publisher’s biggest E3 showing since 2013.

“We’re really pleased to see Yakuza and Sonic back on the biggest stage for video games, and having the first public hands-on for Total War: WARHAMMER 2underlines a really strong showing from SEGA and ATLUS this year!” said John Clark, Senior Vice President for SEGA Europe Ltd. “We look forward to welcoming trade visitors but we’re especially looking forward to having the public come and see our line-up this year, it’s great for E3 and it’s great for publishers. We’re confident there’s something for everyone on the SEGA stands this year.”

“From a bleak story about 13 heroes and their mechs in 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, to the emotional, final story arc of Kazuma Kiryu in the Yakuza series as he goes from a lone fighter to a loyal, protector, to nostalgic gameplay from titles like Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology and Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux, and longed-for sequels such as Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth, SEGA and ATLUS are positioned to deliver a very gratifying line-up for all E3 attendees this year,” said Naoto Hiraoka, President and CEO of Atlus U.S.A., Inc. and Senior Vice President of Publishing for SEGA of America, Inc.

“We’re thrilled to have not just one, but two great Sonic games coming out this year for all the major consoles plus PC,” said Ivo Gerscovich, Chief Brand Officer for Sonic the Hedgehog. “Both games will be on the E3 show floor for everyone to try. Sonic Mania, which we recently announced is available for pre-order, will be showcasing new demo stages while Sonic Forces will have its first ever hands on experience. Come by and see why this is the year of Sonic.”

Attendees will be able to reacquaint themselves with the legendary Kazuma Kiryu in a double header of hard-hitting Yakuza action, playable on the show floor: Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, the latest entry in the long-running series and Yakuza Kiwami, a rebuilt-from-scratch HD remake of the original 2005 PlayStation 2 hit, Yakuza. Those who visit the booth will also have the opportunity to receive special Yakuza-themed swag (as long as supplies last).

If breakneck speed is more your thing, SEGA will feature playable stations for the ultimate celebration of past and future with Sonic Mania, an all-new 2D adventure with stunning HD retro style graphics running at smooth 60FPS and featuring all your favourite classic characters. Sonic Forces, from the development team behind Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations, will be your second dose of speedy Sonic action where you will get to experience fast-paced gameplay as Modern Sonic, thrilling platforming as Classic Sonic, and powerful gadget action as your own custom Hero Character! Those who come by to play Sonic could receive a special Sonic E3 giveaway item.

ATLUS will have an exclusive new trailer for the hotly anticipated Western release of Vanillaware’s 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, a story of battle-ready youths, humanity and… giant mechs. Plus, those that take a photo with the 13 Sentinels mech stand to receive a poster featuring Vanillaware’s signature flair (while supplies last).

For Nintendo 3DS gamers there will be three titles showcased.

Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth which begins with the creation of your party to explore the uncharted labyrinth of the Yggdrasil Tree, Beyond the Myth is all about choosing how your own adventure unfolds. Practice your map-making and FOE slaying skills with the playable hands-on demo on the show floor.

Secondly, Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology once again allows players to take the reins of Alistel operative Stocke as he unlocks the power of the White Chronicle relic and gains the ability to travel between two alternate timelines in this enhanced retelling of a JRPG classic.Watch a live demo of Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology, only for show attendees.

And lastly Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux. Demon aficionados can look forward to a new Redux trailer. New story content, additional endings, a new dungeon to explore and more await those who wish to brave the spatial distortion known as the Schwarzwelt.

In a neighbouring booth, Creative Assembly are unleashing the Lizardmen on the public for the first time in Total War: WARHAMMER II. The second game in the Total War: WARHAMMER trilogy is set in a whole new part of the Warhammer world, introducing four new playable races in an epic narrative campaign. In a spectacular quest battle taken from the game, E3 goers can seize control of a Lizardmen army as they march against the High Elves, who they’ve caught meddling in the dormant ruins of an ancient Lizardmen portal. Additionally, there will be playable stations for Sonic Forces and Sonic Mania at the booth.

If you are attending E3 2017 (like us at StG) we would love to hear your opinion!

The post SEGA & ATLUS Announce E3 2017 Line-Up appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

There hasn’t been a brand-new Persona game since 2008’s Persona 4, which was expanded upon with 2012’s Persona 4 Golden, still one of the best reasons to own a PlayStation Vita. Nine years later though we have a new one. Although released for the PS3 (yes, you read that correctly, the PS3) and PS4 in Japan last year, the next iteration in the series, Persona 5 has just been released in the rest of the world. And what a game Japan was holding to itself. Persona 5 is full of pizzazz and style, a distinctly Japanese game that nevertheless remains accessible without forgoing depth, complexity and most of all originality.

Trying to summarise the story of an (easily) 100-hour game is an impossible task, and publisher Atlus have been extremely strict with spoiler content. The story begins with you starting at a new school in the city, having transferred from the country after being falsely accused of assault when preventing a rape and kidnapping. Of course, that’s not the end of it, and you soon find yourself switching between realities, managing your daily schedule and developing relationships with your classmates and other people you meet along the way.

Your time in Persona 5, just as in the other games, is split between the real world and delving into “palaces,” dungeons representing the state of mind of a person from reality. Thus, for example, the first palace is a castle, a representation of the attitude the Olympic medallist gym teacher takes towards the school you attend. These palaces are where you take part in turn based combat in highly designed dungeons, contrasting sharply against the randomised environments of previous games. This is for the better. Combat is turn-based and you use your personas like magic spells, but bringing the right combination of classmates and their personas on your trips to the palaces is essential.

There is a strong psychological element through the game, and evident most strongly in these palaces, constructions of the human mind representing what, at our base level, what we desire and who we really are. Beyond our psychological mask (in the game’s parlance your Persona) it suggests, is the potential for greatness (as in your classmates) but also for great evil (teachers and other evil authority figures). This theme runs throughout the entire game, and reflects not only some basic philosophy, but reflects and questions Japanese culture as a whole. What would all those salary-men really want to do if given the opportunity to choose? We are both warned off mediocrity and shown the door to what we could truly achieve.

Outside of the palaces you’ll be attending school (including answering real questions in class! Recommendation: don’t be afraid to search for answers you don’t know), holding down odd jobs, making friends and staying out of trouble. These are not side missions in the traditional sense, and are essential in raising various stats such as “kindness.” They are also interesting in their own right, are well-written and quite often draw out strong emotions. Over the tens of hours you will spend with this game, certain characters become very close. The game is largely a linear story, but the ability to choose what to do each day gives you a sense of freedom and agency that helps you to define your own experience. This includes dialogue choices in sometimes book length conversations, especially early on, and combined with the limited save opportunities can occasionally be a bit frustrating if you have to share the PS4 and can’t rely on its suspend mode function.

The two sides of the game, the palaces and the “real world” are linked: classmates you confide in will be stronger partners in the dungeons and the deeper you delve into their backstory and longer you fight with them, the more connected you feel to them. It’s a nice way to bring together two otherwise quite different elements.

Persona 5 retains the series’ anime visual style, and the truly animated scenes are a joy to behold, although Ni No Kuni still takes the prize for best animation in a video game. A strong black-and-red aesthetic is evident throughout the whole game, and there are nice bits of polish everywhere you look. The best way to describe it I think is decadent. Character portraits fill the screen in key moments, and battle menus explode from the bottom left corner. One of my favourite parts are the brief loading screens, where, for example, faceless commuters walk across the screen as you take the train to school every day. Small touches like these elevate the game from merely great to exceptional. When you catch the Tokyo subway to school on your first day, for example, you must navigate its complex hallways and signs to find the correct platform for your connection. In any other game that would be boring, but Persona manages to pull it off so well it’s endearing, not frustrating. We are lost just as the main character is, unsure of where to go and what will come before us.

My only complaint is I couldn’t get the Japanese voiceover DLC to work, although your experience may be better than mine. I saw no evidence of slowdowns throughout my playthrough, with the frame rate holding up very well.

Persona 5’s publisher Atlus have attracted concern and heated discussion about their extremely strict spoiler content policy. Reviewers, streamers and players are not allowed to share most of the game, under threat of legal action. The native screenshot and video sharing features of the PS4 have been disabled completely outside of the title menu. This is an anti-consumer policy that can only hurt games, game developers and gamers, and one that I hope is never repeated. In a game that has a high spoiler potential, I understand the publisher’s concern to not allow the core experience to be ruined, but I can’t help but feel this will hurt the game more than help it. Persona 5 is a unique game, and can be hard to understand if you haven’t played it. I feel that streaming could have helped reveal the game to more people, and it’s a shame that will now be limited.

With this fifth entry in the series, Persona is set to break out of its well-loved niche and into the mainstream. It has all the elements necessary to be a huge hit, and sets up the franchise to be at the centre, not the margins, of gaming. The long wait between Persona meals has been worth it. Persona 5 comes at the tail end of a huge glut of fantastic games this year, especially for the PlayStation 4. NieR, Horizon Zero Dawn, Yakuza 0,Nioh and of course the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Despite this veritable menagerie of excellence, Persona 5 stands out. It is the maturation of the JRPG formula to magnificent new heights, and shows there’s life left in the genre yet. Both Final Fantasy XV and Persona 5 have attempted this feat, but for all the work Final Fantasy XV put in, its Persona who gets the better grades. If this really were a school, Persona 5 would easily earn its A.

The post Persona 5 (PlayStation 4) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

As I put a plaster on the thumb blisters I have not seen since the last time I learned how to play a King of Fighters game, I remember all of those same feelings, the uphill struggle to get the timing right, the frustration at missing because of it, the pain of playing through a blister as you rub your thumb from button to button on the D pad and the limited satisfaction when you start to get the hang of it again.  King of Fighters has always felt a little off in the time you have to pull off a button combination for an attack, which once you have the hang of, it is not an issue, but if you are approaching it for the first time, or the first time in a while it is a hell of steep hill to climb.

That is where King of Fighters as a series has shined, a steep learning curve that is so damn satisfying once you get to the top, the only problem is they do not give you too many hands to get you there.  King of Fighters XIV is no exception to the rule.  I spent a good two or three hours just doing the tutorial trying to re-learn the button timing, especially later on with the attacks that involve a lot of D pad prompting.  I tried a couple of fights before diving into the tutorial and it was made very clear very quickly that the refresher is essential.

The snag is the tutorial does not hold your hand the whole way through.  It basically says do this and presents the buttons to press, then you do it. As timing is the hard part of picking the game up the tutorial is not help much there at all.

King of Fighters fans will know all of this already in which case most will know what they will get from the new title, but for the uninitiated the story mode involves picking three characters who you will take into the fight.  Each round is one-on-one but you need to knock out the opponents three without losing your three.  I found the story itself about the Tournament bland and hard to engage with, but honestly I did not really care, at a certain point I stopped paying attention and just enjoyed the gameplay.

Game modes are lacking, it has all of the essential fighting game modes and that is about it.  The multiplayer has some more variety which allows you to join lobbies and fight in different modes from one-on-one to team fights and has some good variety, even allowing you to spectate other fights.  The one glaring flaw is the lobbies are not too busy.  I found myself playing in Asian lobbies regularly which did not have as much lag as I expected but it still wasn’t too great.  Not to mention to have any chance at competing online you need to get really damn good, really fast, needless to say online for me involved getting whooped, a lot.

The biggest change in King of Fighter XIV is the change from the two dimensional anime aesthetic to three dimensional models.  I always liked King of Fighters sticking to its guns and being beautifully drawn and I am not averse to change, but the problem is the models do not look that great.  They are not too detailed and most of the time they just looked like they were from a low budget game which is unfortunate as the character designs are really cool.  Though the roster is huge some standouts that hooked me for the bulk of my play time included the King of Dinosaurs because he is a guy with a raptor looking head, and Love Heart who is an awesome pink pirate.  These were purely because they looked cool aesthetically and I got hooked early on when it is easy to gravitate to a couple of characters with the overwhelmingly large cast of fighters.

All in all, King of Fighters XIV is a great fighting game and a great King of Fighters game.  It is let down by the not too great aesthetics, but if you want a fighting game that is challenging and satisfying and is not going to hand hold you too much then this may be what you are looking for, even if it is only for simple single player fighting unless enough locals pick up the game.