Mobile Friday - Destiny: Rising - A Great Looking Shooter, Good Tutorial, But Some Control Issues

For this week's Mobile Friday i tried Destiny: Rising from developers NetEase Games on my iPhone 14 Pro.

I've played both console Destiny games, tho admittedly not for a long time, and what i enjoyed about them the most was the gun combat. i really enjoyed online multiplayer, too. the game's story wasn't something i was concerned about. i have completed the story on disc for both, but i don't really remember it. for me, i wanted to try Destiny: Rising to see if they could replicate that gun feel the console games had.

After a good hour with the game i can say that they don't quite get there. that's not to say what's in Destiny: Rising is bad, it's actually good. but it doesn't quite reach the highs of the console versions. i played this hour in hand held mode, but Destiny: Rising is playable with a controller too. there's a lack of feedback from the phone when shooting, the rumble the console controllers have is far better and precise than anything my phone has. Playing on my phone also meant i needed much more aim assist that i would on console, to the point where Destiny: Rising kinda feels a little weird to play at first. that feeling went away after some time, but what really kept tripping me up were the on screen buttons.

On the right side, you control the camera and on the left you control your movement. the left side isn't much of an issue, but the right side has many buttons of differing sizes and throughout this video i kept on touching buttons by accident when i was trying to move the camera. for the start of the game, it's not an issue. but by the end and the boss battle i did, it really got frustrating that i was pressing buttons by accident and not having enough camera control for what was happening on screen. There are two possible solutions in the game, use a controller or adjust the placement and size of the buttons on the screen.

At the start, i wondered if Destiny: Rising would have additional downloads. the game's size is near 4GB so it could've gone either way. unfortunately, there were two additional downloads and the game never asked for permission to do the download. the combined size of them was less than 1GB but still, it's using data and not everyone has an unlimited data plan.

There are plenty of positives from Destiny: Rising. the presentation makes it feel like part of the Destiny universe. the graphics, like last week's Kaiju No.8 game, are great on the characters and fine everywhere else. i found the tutorial useful, and if you have played this elsewhere there's even an option to skip it. i felt like graphically, the game is closer to the PS3 generation, but there are aspects of it that do feel modern. it's up there as one of the better looking games on iOS.

I would recommend people give Destiny: Rising a try. whilst it's part of that universe, it still introduces the world and what's happening in a way that new players will have a good idea of what's happening whilst existing Destiny fans will be able to get more lore and expand on what they already know. i found it quite accessible and there are plenty of ways to customise the experience for how you want to play. the basic controls without any changes are fine but i do feel like they're better suited for larger phones than mine. But it's always online and over time that'll eat into your data limits so perhaps it's best played over wi-fi.

Version 1.0.6 Played

Demo Play Thursday - Super Robot Wars Y On Switch

For this week's #Demo Play Thursday i played the #NintendoSwitch version of Super Robot Wars Y from #Bandai Namco Forge Digitals.

I've not played any of the previous games in this series before but i was aware of the series. so for me, i was interested in the DEMO not only for getting my first look at the series but also how well the story would hold up for someone like me who's coming to the series.

There is a lot to this demo and i certainly don't cover it all. even before we start, there are 4 difficulty levels. what's nice, and i expect this isn't a demo specific thing, is that each level is explained as to how it's difficult. some games aren't too clear as to what the changes are, but here the changes are clear even to someone new to the series like i am.

It took around 16 minutes before the story stopped being told and we got into the action. that was a long time and it felt like it. it felt like too much is trying to be taught to the point where i don't know if it's just for this game or if we got a bit of a re-cap from the previous games.

the introduction to the combat is also text heavy. there are pictures to help showcase what specific thing's being taught, but the trend nowadays is for games to show videos or gifs of it in action rather than just a static picture. It worked well enough in that i was able to achieve the goals of defeating the enemies.

At the end of the demo, we found the mission menus. i briefly showed the missions sections, where we can take on missions in our new airship. but for me, as someone new to the series, it was the Database section that i found most useful. during the story, there were several characters on screen who looked familiar, but there isn't an in-game button press to bring up information about them, nor does the game spend time saying where they're from. all these characters are treated like this is their game world.

As a demo, it does work well. but it needs longer than an hour and maybe a second playthrough at a different difficulty level as there is so much to take in. it's unclear if the game is smart enough to offer little snippets of information like a refresher or review of the tutorial stuff as we go. if you know, let us know by sending a message via the comments.

Backlog Conquering - Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy HD On PS3 - Part 1

Welcome to Backlog Conquering. This is a series were i play a game from my backlog that i may or may not have played before. the goal isn't necessarily to finish the game, the goal is to play it. that way, i can have an opinion about it.

Our new game is the PlayStation 3 version of Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy from the 2012 The Jak and Daxter Trilogy that remastered the games and brought them into HD. This series is my first time playing any of the games from the initial trilogy, tho i have played the PSP game Daxter.

Stories on Tuesday - XBlaze Lost: Memories - Part 3

The new game in the Stories on Tuesday series is the PS3 version of XBlaze Lost: Memories from Arc System Works and Aksys Games.

This is the third part and it starts from the second memory sequence we've come across, on the third floor, and ends when we descend down from the third Shadow Field.

Check out previous parts:

Part 1 - https://youtu.be/fPjjATSfhcM

Part 2 - https://youtu.be/sY-nYy_MXxQ

Cloud Monday - Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension - Part 1 - Frequent Auto, No Manual Saves

This week's new Cloud Monday video is part 1 of playing the PS3 version of Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension on PS4, via the PlayStation Plus Cloud Streaming Service to my Japanese launch model #PlayStation4.

I've never watched an episode of the Phineas and Ferb cartoon but i am aware of the cartoon. i thought that maybe the audience would be younger than those who watched the Ratatouille which might mean a different take on a platformer. Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension did come out around 3 years after the Ratatouille game.

One of the key things we look for is the game's save system. when you only get a 20 second warning before being disconnected, being able to save or know when you last did is very important. unfortunately, Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension does not have manual saves. the game does have an auto save system which uses the PlayStation 3 saving icon instead of creating one unique to the game. the auto save system is fairly robust, most often saving when entering a new location/room as well as when you complete the mini game between levels.

The gameplay was quite fun. most of the mechanics i've come across so far are simple and when there's been puzzle stuff it's been easy to work out. the tutorial has popped up each time something new has been introduced and has been rather useful. shooting also has some sort of aim assist on, so if you shoot forward it'll hit enemies above and below you.

So far, my experience with Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension has been much more pleasant than across 2 parts with Ratatouille.

Mobile Friday - KAIJU NO. 8 THE GAME - An Approachable Great Looking Game With An Anime Feel

For this week's Mobile Friday i tried KAIJU NO. 8 THE GAME from developers Akatsuki Games on my iPhone 14 Pro.

I'm a little familiar with KAIJU NO. 8 having watched some of the first season, but i wasn't up to date with it so i was wondering if this was a game that covered the entire anime story or not. turns out, this takes place after the entrance exam ark from the first season.

Another thing i was curious about was the game's size. i knew that there would be additional data installed as the app store page showed the app was only 190.3 MB. Over 3 GB of additional data was installed. but this game was polite and honest about it. it installed about half a gig to get to the tutorial and whilst we're in the tutorial it downloaded and installed the rest of the data. so you really do need to be playing KAIJU NO. 8 THE GAME on wifi when you start it for the first time.

The tutorial is pretty decent, slowly showing and telling you to perform more and more moves. i found it quite accessible. the presentation of this game is also great. it looks like the anime and when you turn on the auto play function, it's actually enjoyable to watch the fights happen by themselves. this is also a useful feature for those commuting. as someone who uses buses and trains to get and from work there are times when i may not have both hands free so to have the game able to play itself is rather nice.

When you do want to play, the combat has some nice depth to it. you can have up to 4 people in your team, and they're paired up. you're able to do automatic combo attacks with your pair.  these are initiated when you destroy an enemy's plate. once this defensive plate has been broken, you'll automatically summon your teammate to attack and that enemy, if it survives, will be weakened. But the enemy, much like you, have special attacks that charge up. it's clear on screen how much time you have before the enemy unleashes their special attack and you're able to target different enemies. by defeating an enemies plate, you're able to reset that charge timer. so the combat is fine for simple attacking, but if you're paying attention you'll be able to stop enemy attacks, do combos, and unleash your own special attacks.

This first hour with the game only got me to the start of the game's main story. what we played was essentially a retelling and tutorial. but it was enough to keep me interested and wanting to know what happens next. i would recommend KAIJU NO. 8 THE GAME for fans of the anime/manga but also to action combat fans, too. the game makes a great first impression and is well worth trying regardless if it's based of an anime or not.

Version 1.0.4 Played

Demo Play Thursday - Nikoderiko: The Magical World - Director's Cut On PS4

For this week's Demo Play Thursday i played the PlaySation4 version of Nikoderiko: The Magical World - Director's Cut from VEA Games.

Nikoderiko: The Magical World wasn't a game i was aware off but when i saw they released a DEMO for the Directors Cut update to the game i was curious and wanted to give it ago. So if you have Nikoderiko: The Magical World, check to see if you have got the Director's Cut update.

The game is very colorful but not in a childish way. for me, someone who's played games for a long time, this visual style felt like the PS1 Era of colorful games with fun mascots. this PS4 version of the game didn't feel like a downgrade either.

In this demo we get to explore 3 areas, the Sacred Forest, the Tricky Caves, and the Snowland. the first area is more of a traditional platformer,  whilst the second area had us moving sidescrolling and vertical scrolling (like Crash Bandicoot), and the third area had some swimming and hiding sections. as we make our way, the game teaches us in a decent way how to play it. however, there were moments with the enemies where i didn't know how to attack them or in one instance whether or not the animal was an enemy or not.

there were moments where i found some tricky platforming, so again this isn't a game designed at a younger audience. but even when things were a little tough, it always felt achievable. there were also quite a few collectables to get, so once you've mastered the level there's yet more to do to 100% it.

The only thing this demo was lacking was whether or not if there was a save file if it carried over into the main game. there was an option to get the demo from the PSN, which games don't always do, and having a message from the developers at the end made it feel bespoke. I do feel like this is a good demo and after playing it, i am interested in Nikoderiko: The Magical World - Director's Cut and would look to get the Deluxe physical edition as it comes with an OST CD, which is always a great deal but more so here as i genuinely enjoyed the soundtrack.