Rise of the Ronin is a third-person action RPG set at the end of the Edo Period of Japanese history.

As the country opens to the West after a period of isolationist foreign policy the civil war between the Tokugawa Shogunate and those that oppose the Western influence intensifies.

Team Ninja and Sony have displayed impeccable timing with the release of Rise of the Ronin. The game coincides with the new Shogun TV show set in the same period.

The game casts players as one of a pair of blade twins. These are two samurai trained to act as one unit as part of the Veiled Edge clan’s resistance group fighting against the Shogunate. After a failed assassination the player’s blade twin is forced to abandon the other. Believing their twin to still be alive, the player’s character, against the wishes of their blade master, abandons the clan to find their missing sibling.

I can just imagine Tokyo-based Team Ninja sitting down and playing US-based Sucker Punch Productions’ Ghost of Tsushima and thinking this is a game that they should have made. As good as it is, there is something slightly saccharin about Ghost of Tsushima. That’s not the case with Rise of the Ronin.

It’s a bit lazy to compare Rise of the Ronin with Ghost of Tsushima. A better comparison would be a mash-up of Assassin’s Creed with a more forgiving Dark Souls. Team Ninja has backed off a bit from the ruthless difficulty of the Souls-like Nioh games. Rise of the Ronin still retains some “Souls-lite” traits but adds a dash of Assassin’s Creed accessibility in for good measure.

Like in the Assassin’s Creed games, the world of Rise of the Ronin feels like it is just getting on with its business, whether I’m about or not. It’s not as alive as the cities in Ubisoft’s tent-pole games, but it’s close.

The gameplay is less about exploration and more about combat. The RPG elements are very similar to the latest Assassin’s games, although a lot deeper. The game will have you spending time optimising weapons, armour, and equipment to give yourself maximum advantage over your foes.

After a brief action sequence that sets the plot in motion things slow down to ease players into the game mechanics. Once the handholding is out of the way, the world opens up, offering players loads of things to do.

The main quest line propels the story, but it’s easy to lose yourself in side quests and random events. The bond system is an interesting touch, allowing you to form relationships on your travels giving the game more meaning.

The public disorder events dotted around the world can, if you are defeated, evoke a vendetta. This introduces a gamble if you decide on the rematch. If you win you get back your karma, but if defeated again you lose it forever.

Initially, the combat system was not my cup of tea. Clearly influenced by the Souls games, it’s all about the timing and combos. I can see the appeal, but there’s a learning curve to be conquered. The combat did grow on me as more abilities opened. You can adjust the difficulty settings should things get too tough. When it all does fall into place the combat offers a lot of satisfaction. The more I played, the better the game got.

With combat playing such a huge role in the game, strategy and stealth are essential. Many locations can be scouted to identify enemies, and most can be quietly dispatched without having to engage in open combat.

There’s a glider that complements the grapple. this introduces vertical gameplay and the ability to traverse long distances. Your trusty horse also helps you to get about the game’s vast world.

Visually, the game did leave me wanting. It’s not a bad-looking game, but it’s not exactly state-of-the-art. Graphics are not everything but considering the power of the PlayStation 5 and the tools afforded to publishers, Rise of the Ronin should look a lot better than it does.

Rise of the Ronin takes the best bits of other open-world games like Assassin’s Creed and Dark Souls-style games to give players a challenging, but accessible Japanese period piece. No doubt it takes liberties in pursuing fun, but it has a good story and exciting gameplay. Another great addition to the PlayStation 5 library.

The post Rise of the Ronin (PlayStation 5) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

What do you get when you cross Team Ninja’s signature Nioh combat with learnings from FromSoftware’s Sekiro? You get Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, a fantastic new fast-paced souls-like, set in warring Three Kingdoms China.

While Nioh and Nioh 2 were set in late feudal Japan, the move to China for Wo Long is similarly based in a specific historical period – one that is no stranger to video games, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. There is a story to the game, but if you’re looking for the deep, complex, often vague storytelling of a Dark Souls or Elden Ring then you’ve come to the wrong place. The narrative is serviceable, but like Team Ninja’s Nioh games, ultimately boils down to “go along relatively linear paths fighting everyone you come across, human, undead or demon.”

The combat has always been the centre of Team Ninja’s games anyway, and Wo Long is no different. It makes interesting tweaks and changes to the core soulsborne / action adventure combat to keep it fresh, with a focus on reaction times.

While there is a standard block button, combat in Wo Long focuses on deflection, which is like a parry in other games. You deflect attacks to build up your strengths and decrease your enemies, which allows you to unleash more powerful moves such as unique martial arts moves, wizardry and powerful divine beast attacks.

It all adds up to a complex web of moves that rewards both patience and quickly reacting to enemy movements, while punishing spamming attacks, as quick as they are.

It was always gratifying to correctly counter enemy power moves and follow them up with a life-draining spirit attack. There are so many paths to take though, skills to learn and spells to assign that it can become overwhelming quite quickly. I’m sure as time goes by the meta will evolve but playing the game blind it can be difficult to see what works well with what.

Overall, once you gel with combat, with a weapon you like and skills that make sense for you, combat is extremely satisfying. I found myself setting challenges for how long I could go without using a healing flask or how many flag markers I could unlock, all down to the ability to play large chunks of the game without taking significant damage, if you can play well. And given how small most areas were, death wasn’t the obstacle it could have been, though some paths to bosses were a bit long or full of enemies for my liking.

There is online multiplayer as well, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to try that during my review as I couldn’t find other matchmade players to partner with.

Unlike the open world of Elden Ring or the interconnected areas of Dark Souls, Wo Long is set in distinct levels – regions and combat scenarios that focus on something unique. In each of these levels you’ll have an ally or allies specific to that area. You can command them to attack enemies and they will draw aggro, leaving you free to attack.

Given how specific timings are for deflection, I actually found it more difficult at times to have an ally or allies in the combat mix, making enemy actions more difficult to see and react to. Allies will also trigger enemies that you might be trying to avoid or sneak up on, getting you into situations that might have best been avoided.

In an interesting move, a “Morale Rank” level resets at each stage, and goes up as you unlock major checkpoints and more minor flag markers. Gear level and character level are separate, these stay the same, but otherwise this acts like Destiny’s power levelling where if you are under your enemies level they will damage you more and you will damage them less.

I’m sure there will be excellent level 0 speedruns of the game but for most sane people you’ll want to unlock every flag and marker on the map to even the odds, especially against each area’s bosses. This encourages a deep exploration of each zone, which felt great to me as someone who has always, on balance, preferred the exploration to the bosses.

You’ll also gain Moral Ranks by using your full set of capabilities against enemies, though it will reset down to a “base” level following your defeat. It encourages scrupulous play, but also lets you outrank normal enemies and even bosses, making them much easier than before.

Gear remains an unsolved problem for Team Ninja. As in their previous titles, you’ll be picking up literally hundreds of pieces of swords, armour, upgrade materials and more. Your inventory will quickly fill up with all of these pieces and it is difficult to understand what they all are, what build options they provide and how they integrate with each other. I found I kept the same gear sets on for probably too long.

Graphically, Wo Long unfortunately doesn’t impress.

It appears to be using the same basic tech stack as Nioh and Nioh 2, which has aged somewhat since those games’ release. Honestly, the basic visuals don’t get in the way too much and once you’re in the heat of the action the focus is on the combat anyway. Still, Team Ninja’s next game will need some work put into it, especially as it leaves behind this extended cross-gen period.

I wasn’t impressed with the PC port either, with very basic graphical options and ways to tweak the experience. It does support ultra-widescreen which is nice, but there is no support for any upscaling technology such as FSR2 or DLSS2 / 3.

There’s no ray tracing support and the graphical options that are there appear to scale only slightly above the premium current gen consoles. I experienced a number of complete crashes that interrupted some boss fights where I might have had a chance to win. A final issue was that no matter what controller was connected the PC Game Pass version of Wo Long showed only PlayStation 5 button prompts.

That said, it is fantastic to play Wo Long at higher than 60FPS frame rates, especially with the game’s focus on precise input timings. Going back to the console versions, especially the 30FPS PS4 / Xbox One versions was a dramatically downgraded experience. Playing at ultra-wide 1440p with my RTX 3070, I locked to 90FPS at highest settings, all of which made for a great way to play the game.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty feels like Team Ninja’s reaction to feedback from the punishingly-difficult Nioh 2, which was truly for the hardcore. There are so many quality of life upgrades here that make it a great jumping in point for players who might otherwise be put off by the Nioh games’ reputation.

I personally found it a much easier game, with more options at your disposal to counter the exceedingly tough enemies, if you wanted to put the time into it. Now, that’s not to say it’s easy – I died plenty during my time with Wo Long, but overall I didn’t struggle as I have with other Team Ninja titles. It is accessible within the frameworks of tough action games, and hey it’s on Xbox Game Pass so if you wanted to dip your toes in then it’s right there for you. Just know that the first boss is quite tough, so I encourage you to persist past him to see the rest of the game.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is out now on PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles, as well as PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

The post Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (Xbox & PC) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

KOEI TECMO America and developer Team NINJA has announced the worldwide release date for their action-packed dark fantasy, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.

KOEI TECMO America also announced that in addition to the standard version of the game, a special Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Digital Deluxe Edition will be available at the same time, which includes a Season Pass that features three DLC packs. These packs are highlighted by new generals, new demons, new scenarios, new stages, new weapon types, and more. The Digital Deluxe Edition also includes a digital artbook and a digital mini soundtrack. Those who purchase the Digital Deluxe Edition will also be rewarded with the Season Pass/DDX bonus: “Qinglong Armor”.

In addition, KOEI TECMO America revealed Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s early purchase bonus. Purchase the physical or digital game by March 16 to receive special “Baihu Armor”. Those who pre-order the game digitally will also receive both the early purchase bonus along with the pre-order bonus: “Zhuque Armor”.

A limited-edition Steelbook version of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will also be available at launch. The Steelbook Launch Edition includes an exclusive collectible case along with bonus DLC items “Crown of Zhurong” and “Crown of Gonggong”.

Team NINJA’s demon-plagued epic will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, on PC via Windows and Steam, and will be available day one with Xbox Game Pass on console and PC on March 3, 2023.

The post Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Confirmed for 2023 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

During the Tokyo Game Show livestream, Square Enix Ltd. announced that STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN will release in March 2022.

The new action RPG, developed by Team NINJA from KOEI TECMO GAMES (NINJA GAIDEN and Nioh series), in collaboration with Tetsuya Nomura (FINAL FANTASY VII, KINGDOM HEARTS), brings a bold, new vision to the FINAL FANTASY series that will appeal to existing FINAL FANTASY fans and new players alike.

STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN blends challenging and strategic action gameplay with the world and lore of the FINAL FANTASY series to create a unique action RPG experience. Join Jack and his allies as they throw open the gates to the Chaos Shrine and step into a world of dark fantasy and exhilarating battles to discover if they are truly the Warriors of Light the prophecy foretold.

The company also announced the release of STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN TRIAL VERSION 2 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, an expansion of the first trial version of the game, which launched in June 2021.

Players can explore an additional stage of the game, the Refrin Wetlands, alongside a new ally, experience new playstyles in battle with the addition of multiple new jobs, and fight against an array of new enemies. This will also be the first opportunity for players to sample the game’s multiplayer function.

The STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN TRIAL VERSION 2 is available now through October 11, 2021 7:59 a.m. (PDT) / 3:59 p.m. (BST) / October 12, 1:59am (AEDT). Players who download and play STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN TRIAL VERSION 2 are invited to participate in a survey to provide feedback to the development team on their play experience, further helping to shape the outcome of the game. The survey will be open now through October 18, 2021 7:59 a.m. (PDT) / 3:59 p.m. (BST) / October 19, 1:59am (AEDT) and will be accessible from the menu screen of TRIAL VERSION 2.

STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN will be available as a physical and digital Standard Edition on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One, with a digital-only Standard Edition available on PC via the Epic Games Store.

A Digital Deluxe Edition will also be available on all platforms. The Digital Deluxe Edition of STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN includes a digital artbook, digital mini soundtrack and a DLC Season Pass, which will include the additional missions; ‘Trials of the Dragon King, ‘Wanderer of the Rift’ and ‘DIFFERENT FUTURE’.

Those who purchase the PS5 or PS4 physical or digital Standard Edition owners can purchase a Digital Deluxe Edition upgrade at launch, which will provide the above Digital Deluxe Edition bonuses.

Players who purchase STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN for the PlayStation 4 can download a free PS5 console enhancement update that includes all the next-gen visual and gameplay enhancements at no extra cost when playing on a PS5 console.

Xbox customers who purchase the physical or digital editions of the game will be eligible to leverage Smart Delivery, meaning they can play their editions across any Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles. The system will automatically select the optimal version of the game for the console being used.

Customers who pre-order the Digital Standard and Digital Deluxe Editions of STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN will receive 72-hour early access to the full game**, as well as in-game items, the “Braveheart” weapon and the Lustrous Shield—and an original PS4™ theme for PlayStation store purchasers. These customers will also receive the early purchase incentive: the “Rebellion” weapon.

STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN will be available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC via the Epic Games Store on 18th March 2022.

The post STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN RELEASE DATE REVEALED appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

From villages to cityscapes and futuristic labs Ryu Hayabusa is back in a trilogy that originally defined Ninja action.

From Team Ninja comes the collection of Ninja Gaiden, remastered for current-gen consoles, bringing both the nostalgia to us who played the original back in the mid 2000s to the last entry in the series – Ninja Gaiden 3.

Over the top and non-stop Ninja Gaiden follows a lone Master Ninja Ryu Hayabusa as he originally tries to save his village then sets out on a path of revenge… which then kinda becomes a bit, well, SciFi.

Armed with the legendary Dragon Blade a weapon so powerful that it eventually begins to consume him.

Ninja Gaiden games also have an RPG element, while basic.

Collecting up Essence from your foes or throughout the environment will enable you to purchase additional melee and projectile weapons aswell as upgrading, or rather ‘strengthening’ your existing ones.

Finding Gold Scarab Beetles reaps even better rewards.

You will also learn new moves – this can vary a bit via the game you’re playing but ultimately these can be learned through new scrolls you will acquire.

Then you have a super move by venting all of your frustration and might via Ninpo. You’ll also play as differing characters as the narrative allows. They too have their own skills and weapons.

While none of the three games are open world, there are many areas that are worth exploring – and explore you should as there can be goodness just around the corner.

The Ninja Gaiden Master Collection, if you hadn’t gathered by now, has all three games; Ninja Gaiden, Ninja Gaiden II and III.

Arcade action at its finest – you get ranked on how well you did (or didn’t) do at the conclusion of every Level.

Perhaps showing it’s age, playthrough of the games is short, around 6 to 8 hours per game, but given that you have all three titles in one bundle there’s more than enough Dragon Blade slicing and wall running to keep marathoning through.

Replayability is a bit light. Once you’re done. You’re done.

The only replayability factor is to replay on a harder difficulty. This will gain you more Achievements or Trophies, if you’re a trophy hunter.

In all the Ninja Gaiden Master Collection is a satisfying play and for gamers like me who played the at the time groundbreaking Ninja Gaiden on the first Xbox it’s a series you should smash your way through.

The post Ninja Gaiden Collection (PlayStation 4) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

KOEI TECMO Europe and developer Team NINJA have just announced the release of their dark fantasy action-RPG, Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition, on PC via Steam.

The Complete Edition of the blockbuster title will task players with mastering the lethal arts of the samurai when it launches on the 5th February 2021, pitting them against the base Nioh 2 game and all three DLC expansions: “The Tengu’s Disciple”, “Darkness in the Capital”, and the recently announced “The First Samurai”.

The Steam release of Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition will offer players the best way to experience violent Sengoku-era Japan and the deadly Dark Realm on their PCs, as they unleash devastating attacks against plagues of merciless demons as a half-human, half-supernatural yokai warrior.

The game will be playable with crystal clear 4K Ultra-HD support, alongside ultra wide-screen compatibility, HDR monitor support and 144Hz monitor support, with silky-smooth gameplay at a consistent 120 FPS on compatible systems. Combined with full mouse and keyboard customisation support, and gamepad compatibility, Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition is the most definitive version of the title available to date.

“We are extremely thankful to all of our die-hard PC fans who have patiently waited to play Nioh 2,” says producer Fumihiko Yasuda. “We are working hard here at Team NINJA to add the finishing touches to Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition, and are excited for you to experience this gripping masocore game with a wealth of graphical customisation. Ready your blades, and unleash your darkness – the formidable foes await you on the 5th February 2021.”

To celebrate the announcement of Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition, KOEI TECMO Europe released an action-packed new trailer highlighting the challenging foes that await PC players at launch. The new trailer also reveals the ‘Valve Helmet’, a unique armour piece that will only be available to those who purchase the PC version of the game! Furthermore, those who have yet to defy death can save 70% when purchasing Nioh: Complete Edition in the Steam Sale until the 20th of November 2020.

Everyone that works on STG is a volunteer. If you like the site and its contents please think about donating. Even a small amount helps keep the servers running.

The post NIOH 2 – THE COMPLETE EDITION COMING TO PC appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Team Ninja are a dev studio known for high quality games.

Ninja Gaiden remakes some years back now were ground breaking at the time and their signature supreme-ness and detail to gameplay and console pushing graphics has not ceased in their Nioh series.

Recently they released Nioh 2 revealing another thing that Team ninja are known for. Brutal difficulty.

Despite being the second game in the series Nioh 2 is actually a prequel to the first where the secret history of decades of feuding and war in Japan is further explained.

The game’s narrative is told via lengthy cutscenes and spells between Levels.

You are Hide. A silent demon assassin that to begin with is fully customizable including you combat style and even combative stance.

You will also need to select your weapon class for both two handed and one handed weapons. Nioh 2 gives you an arena and a tutorial where you can try these out.

Added to Nioh 2 is the ability for your character to call upon Yokai Spirits. These are within the tutorial aswell where you can try them out before you decide on one that matches your preference and play style.

While the story is deep and full of more twists than a rollercoaster once you begin slaying demons you’re likely to forget what you’re fighting for.

Combat is fluid and free-flowing and you have a HUD displaying your health among many other things – practically one hit and boom you’re gone.

You will pick up life vials and these you must use wisely as they too are in very limited supply. I do fully recommend that you assign them to a D-Pad hotkey at the start of the game.

You will encounter larger than life foes – ones that at the onset you are not strong enough to take on, so there is some backtracking, some derived from the story but also if you want to take out that larger monster you snuck past ages ago.

Skill trees are in abundance as is differing types of Magic in Nioh 2 and character levels. Even for those that are more in-tune with RPGs it can be a bit overwhelming at first, but once you get to grips with it you’ll be that undefeatable warrior in no time.

Dotted throughout each Level are markers. From here you can pick up another players incomplete battle against a monster.

I made the mistake of trying this out on the first one that I found. Stupid mistake. My character level was no match for the demon that appeared and I was snuffed out immediately.

Pillars can also be found – these allow you to invite other players in to your game, via A.I. – handy if you’re repeating a sequence over and over and over and over and need a buddy to help you out (provided that they do).

There is alot of dodging involved even if you encounter one of the lower level enemies to gain that small yet satisfying victory. Learning Yokai abilities can be a saviour at times too – these are equippable via Soul Cores that you collect and briefly enable you to turn in to the enemies that you have previously killed.

Nioh 2 is a loot filled game. Enemies drop loot, completing a Mission or a small objective gives you loot. There;s loot everywhere – but most is quickly disposed of during gameplay as you struggle to survive and consume them.

Nioh 2 is an insanely indepth RPG. Team Ninja have not left anything out of this one and if you’re a completest, the replayability factor this game has is nearly endless as you can try out other classes for a new character.

To put it in a nutshell Nioh 2 is a fuse of Dark Souls III difficulty, Ninja Gaiden combat and Devil May Cry 5 gameplay, with an added difference.

One of the most full on RPG’s I’ve played in a while.

The post Nioh 2 (PlayStation 4) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

KOEI TECMO Europe and Team NINJA today announced the latest fighter joining the DEAD OR ALIVE 6 roster, “THE REGENERATION OF BRUTALITY,” Raidou. The sinister ninja was thought to be killed during an explosion after the first DEAD OR ALIVE tournament, but his body was secretly recovered and experimented on using DOATEC’s biotechnology, and while that leaves Raidou without a mind of his own, he has now devolved into a madman who only craves strength and destruction.

Raidou, who was once known as the most dangerous and evil ninja in the DEAD OR ALIVE universe, is back thanks to the power of science, and his move-set is as brutal as ever. With Mugen Tenshin Ninjutsu as a base, he favours a power-focused fighting style. Raidou makes use of his colossal physique while slamming opponents with a series of devastating strikes he is able to mimic from others, while at the same time, mixing in jaw-dropping moves of his own, such as the Tenho-Gorai-Sho and the Rekku-Jinraisatsu.

In addition, two new modes were also detailed for the first time: Quest and Training.

In the extremely addictive DOA Quest, gamers will need to clear various missions during matches to complete each individual quest. Clearing missions will be awarded with Player Points and the unlocking of various cosmetic items. DOA Quest missions are designed for players to learn and memorise the various fighting systems and techniques, improving fighting ability while moving through the increasingly difficult set of challenges. After learning the ropes in Quest mode, fighters can then further their DOA education in Training mode. Here, gamers will be able to learn every aspect of the DEAD OR ALIVE fighting system through the use of Free Training, Tutorial, and the more personal Command Training and Combo Challenge.

DEAD OR ALIVE 6 is currently in development for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox One X, releasing worldwide on the 1st of March 2019.

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Team NINJA proudly announced the triumphant return of the celebrated DEAD OR ALIVE fighting game franchise with DEAD OR ALIVE 6, currently in development for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and digitally on Windows PC via Steam. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the developer revealed that aspiring fighters will be able to experience the sixth DEAD OR ALIVE World Combat Championship in Early 2019; and every fight will be presented in amazing detail, allowing fans to discern intricate facial expressions unparalleled to those seen in previous entries.

The DEAD OR ALIVE Tournament Executive Committee and hosts of DEAD OR ALIVE 6, DOATEC, already released the names of the first set of fighters involved in this installment – including the owner of DOATEC, Helena Douglas. Other notable fighters include the eighteenth master of the Mugen Tenshin clan, Hayate, and past DEAD OR ALIVE (DOA) tournament winners; Kasumi of the Mugen Tenshin clan, the ultimate ninja, Ryu Hayabusa, the ever-entertaining host, Zack, and the most recent tournament winner, the scorching soul Jann Lee!

Two new locations have been scouted to host key matches in the sixth tournament: the remarkable DOA Colosseum, complete with three bold statues showcasing famous fighting stances, and The Throwdown, a gritty back street where raw unfiltered fighting can take place in its prime. Select locations, such as The Throwdown, allow the live audience to get even closer to the action than ever before – with some unruly fans breaking the rules and pushing fighters back into the centre of the ring. Combined with the fan-favourite ‘Mass Destruction’, where fighters can use the environment in their attacks, this tournament is set to be one of the most entertaining ever hosted by DOATEC.

To celebrate the sixth DEAD OR ALIVE World Combat Championship, Team NINJA & DOATEC have released a trailer showcasing footage from the preliminaries, alongside images of our returning competitors in and out of action!

The post DEAD OR ALIVE is Returning appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Hacking and slashing what feels like million hapless goons has been the order of the day for the Warriors franchise for as long as I can remember. Loud and brash, from the outside and without playing it, the genre it always seemed fairly repetitious to the point of boredom. But then Nintendo announced an unexpected partnership between the Warriors (or musou) and Legend of Zelda franchise. Starved for games for my Wii U I bought it out of curiosity. It was a strange game to be sure, but somehow the unholy mix worked. Sure the resolution and framerate left much to be desired, but Hyrule Warriors gained a cult following amongst Nintendo diehards.

Spurred on by Hyrule Warriors’ success (including a 3DS port), Nintendo have melded together another core franchise with the venerable hack and slash genre, and it may be somewhat surprising: Fire Emblem. The series, known for its careful tactical combat and nuptial matchmaking, now finds its feet as a faster, less careful game. At first the two series seem antithetical to each other, but through a series of small and larger changes to the standard musou formula, the developers have brought together chocolate and cheese to create a tasty treat for owners of the Nintendo Switch (and Nintendo 3DS, though only the Switch version has been reviewed here).

Most of your time with Fire Emblem Warriors will be spent the same as with any other Warriors title – button mashing ridiculous looking attacks, capturing enemy forts and taking out special units, including occasional bosses. If you’ve played five minutes of any other Warriors game then you’ll be right at home here. And whether you like it or not will be nearly entirely up to you. I know many people can’t stand it, but for me it’s almost a relaxing and cathartic time when I pick up the controller. When played for hours in a row, yes, it can become repetitive, but it was great for a pick up title between other, more serious games.

Outside the gameplay itself there’s also the usual weapon and ability upgrade system, based almost entirely off the loot you’ve picked up from enemies defeated in-game. Amiibo support returns in the same way as Hyrule Warriors – that is, scan up to five amiibo per day to receive a weapon that can then be equipped or used as upgrade material.

So far, so standard. But the developers Omega Force and Team Ninja have pulled in some of the tactical gameplay for which Fire Emblems is renowned. As in other Warriors games, you can have multiple playable characters on the battlefield. But now you have fine-grained controls over what they do at all times. Send them to capture forts, defeat certain enemies or guard areas and they will comply rather quickly. Alongside the introduction of Fire Emblem’s weapon triangle, it adds a new strategic dimension to the gameplay. And while it does tend to break up the flow of battle, it does make it significantly more interesting.

The Switch version of the game offers two modes – quality and performance. Quality Mode aims for 1080p and 30fps or you can choose 720p and “60fps” in Performance Mode, though it often seemed to fall far from that number. Split screen local co-op makes a welcome return, though basically requires you to use the performance option to maintain a playable frame-rate. While it’s an improvement over the abysmal performance of Hyrule Warriors on the Wii U, it’s still disappointing to see such low frame-rates on the system. At least we have the option now to try for a higher frame rate at the expense of visual quality. There has been an overall trend towards more graphic settings in console games, and for me it’s a welcome addition.

Let’s face it, Fire Emblem Warriors is more similar than dissimilar to other Warriors games. But while it doesn’t completely reinvent the franchise, and retains the old game engine from Dynasty Warriors 8 rather than the current-generation engine being developed for Dynasty Warriors 9, it does add enough new flavouring to keep this old dish fresh. And as a portable Warriors game it’s far above the 3DS or Vita versions. It further fleshes out the Switch’s offerings, which apart from racing are now fairly complete. If you aren’t a fan of Warriors games I don’t think this new entry offers enough new to bring you in unless you’re a Fire Emblems devotee, but for those familiar and engaged by it, Fire Emblem Warriors is a fantastic new addition that mashes all the right buttons.

The post Fire Emblem Warriors (Switch) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.