Fallen Legion is an RPG. It’s also a beat em up, and an action game, and a kingdom manager, and has heavy elements of strategy as well as a rhythm element to its combat. A game with this many hats might sound entirely overwhelming just to read it like that, but in practice the gameplay is kept remarkably simple, satisfying and compelling by feeding back on those more action oriented elements.

It’s unfortunate that everything outside of that gameplay loop feels under serviced by virtue of receiving less focus than it should have. The story of Cecile Octavia doesn’t so much begin as it drops you in the middle of what feels like an ongoing narrative that needed time to flesh out. First you’re a young princess on the run from pursuing forces, then you’re informed that your father, the Emperor is dead, making you the acting Emperor and to quell political unrest you need to get back to the capital. Then you’re introduced to the Grimoire, a talking book with ghoulish need to consume human souls to somehow help hold the kingdom together.

"The pacing of the plot is all over the place and feels nearly like reading a “choose your own adventure” book out of order."

The pacing of the plot is all over the place and feels nearly like reading a “choose your own adventure” book out of order. Grimoire and his abilities to allow Cecile to summon figments of warriors to wield legendary weapons and make up her party, but these figments appear within the first level before the book is ever introduced. Motivations and goals flit almost battle to battle and the game never really takes the time to stop and communicate what’s happening.

Married to the schizophrenic story is a wholly uneven presentation that undercuts the kind of budget the game was working with. Visually at its best the game can look like the moving paintings that Vanillaware is known for such as Odin Sphere. However at its worst, the story segments can’t even match Fire Emblem Echoes, with static portraits lacking any voice acting or emotion when there really should be. Certain plot critical scenes also get the short end of the stick while meaningless inner monologue from Cecile get the grand treatment.

"The result is an almost rhythmic call and response flow to the combat that kept me engaged, especially in the tense one on one boss fights."

While stumbling in presentation, Fallen Legion really pulls out the stops with its unique battle system. Cecile and her three party members always remain attached to whatever specific face button you’ve attached them to before the battle. As opposed to navigating menus and choosing attacks and spells, a simple tap will cue up one of those party members to move on a combo bar, which can itself be influenced with new death blow attacks and effects by equips to Cecile herself.

You can move any party member at any moment, assuming they have a command point to use. Knowing the effects of your deathblows and how to take full advantage of the abilities of your party becomes quickly evident. The real time nature of the battle system introduces action game elements such as the almost necessary perfect guard, which when pulled off will automatically restore command points to allow you to press your attack. The block has a very short wind up and cannot cancel attack animations, necessitating some degree of forethought about when to move and when to hang back. The result is an almost rhythmic call and response flow to the combat that kept me engaged, especially in the tense one on one boss fights.

"Budget was obviously the restraint in all the big ideas Fallen Legion: Sins of the Empire had to offer,"

Between the battles, one of the less well integrated but still unique systems is managing decisions for the kingdom. A situation and three paths will pop up with both an immediate effect for the chapter such as a buff or item, and a less obvious impact on the kingdom. The former is less pronounced than it should be, giving the immediate effects more leverage over your decisions than the larger kingdom, though you’ll unlock different side missions based on your choices.

Budget was obviously the restraint in all the big ideas Fallen Legion: Sins of the Empire had to offer, and it’s clear by the aimless narrative and presentation glitches that this could easily become a flawed prototype to something much more polished later on if this game takes off. Between wanting to roll with some fresh ideas but not being able to pull it off or limiting your focus to your restraints, well, I can safely say I’m glad enough that Fallen Legion decided to reach for the stars.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 4.

It’s within the game’s formula of being a twin-stick shooter where it sets itself apart from latter, as well as other games of such a commonly used narrative. While the intentions here are mediocre at best, the story is passable since the player’s attention should be entirely focused on its gameplay. Where the game chooses to utilize cut-scenes for specific moments within the game, they are kept to a brief minimum, hoping to place the player back into the action as soon as possible. Given the game’s lack of concentration to its characters and story, this is something I can appreciate.

" While the intentions here are mediocre at best, the story is passable since the player’s attention should be entirely focused on its gameplay."

Right from the beginning of the game there’s a selection of four characters to choose from, and as the player makes their way throughout the game additional characters will be available, each providing new ways of play thanks to their class-based skills. Where Cactus for example comes armed with an assault rifle and a flamethrower, others such as Lemon, Coral, and Holly come equipped with lasers, shotguns, missile launchers and so on. One thing in particular that I found to be enjoyable within these selection of weapons lies within its supercharge mechanic.

Also known as Mega Weapons, it’s function is an obvious one: Destroy your foe, your weapons gets buffed, unleash chaos. Simple yet effective. Had the game not made use of this, I feel it’s safe to say that things would have become rather stale. It has to be said that although my connection to these characters felt limited at best, they should carry enough personality to keep players amused and engaged throughout their experience with the game. Something along the lines of a children’s television show produced by the likes of Cartoon Network is where these characters hold reminiscence.

With that being said, it carries a slight familiar charm to that of Platinum Games’ The Wonderful 101, along with similar gameplay mechanics of Sierra Entertainment’s Geometry Wars 3. Where the former gets away with enough diverse gameplay and exciting action sequences, and the latter to that of a competitive nature with a killer aesthetic design, this game doesn’t quite manage to reach such varied levels of entertainment. Gameplay takes an approach that’s geared towards those who enjoy competition and difficulty. Providing the player with what is essentially two distinct health bars, the first corresponds to the character’s battery pack, which in turn represents the character’s life.

"With that being said, it carries a slight familiar charm to that of Platinum Games’ The Wonderful 101, along with similar gameplay mechanics of Sierra Entertainment’s Geometry Wars 3."

As this battery pack continuously depletes over the duration of gameplay time, the player must remain on top of their game and replenish its sources by defeating enemies. The second being provided to the player is one that I consider to be rather pointless to say the least. Representing the character’s health status, this is where enemies inflict their damage. Should the player be deprived of their health, they can simply mash away at the buttons and respawn to full regeneration, so long as their battery pack contains enough charge. As the game’s progression system works via a series of hubs, each with their own set of levels to take part in, each of these levels contain stages which play-out as a series of horde modes.

Clearing out each of these levels grants access to each of the game’s many boss battles, who then grant further access to the next hub world. As mentioned previously, the game plays out as a top-down twin-stick shooter, and while it’s satisfying to play with a mouse and keyboard, the nature of the game recommends you play with a controller from the comfort of your sofa. It’s not by any means mandatory, but as indicated by the local-cooperative choice of one to four players, the developer’s intentions seem rather clear.

"Should the player be deprived of their health, they can simply mash away at the buttons and respawn to full regeneration, so long as their battery pack contains enough charge."

Although the game’s combat mechanics are solid and provide a fair amount of diversity given the core mechanics of the game being a twin-stick shooter, one thing in particular I wasn’t to keen on was the game’s visual restriction in level design. While the game is by no means bland, it would do well in mixing up its level design in the way how things are played. It’s worth keeping in mind that the core mechanic of gameplay functions as a horde-based, twin-stick shooter, but the inclusion of an on-rails, bullet-hell sequence would’ve been a welcomed addition.

Similarity is too much of a common theme, as the similarities that exist within each level becomes one that’s expected upon entering the upcoming stage. Given the environment of the game is bound to that of a spaceship it would have been nice to see alternative stages, as opposed to just elevators, boarding platforms, and hallways. The game’s aesthetic design is best described as cartoonish science-fiction dipped in a shiny metallic rainbow.

Where the game manages to make use of these limiting environments is done so in a technique that’s actually quite clever. As the player battles against hordes of enemy robots which thankfully are quite varied, the battle stage constantly rotates, shifts, and transforms adding a new sense of space without actually transitioning to a new area. This visual overhaul is appreciated as it attempts to disrupt and diversify the player’s traversal, therefore providing challenge which the player must adapt to. It’s here where the similarities to Geometry Wars 3 prove strong, something of an explosive dance floor that thankfully puts a restriction on the use of dubstep.

"The game’s aesthetic design is best described as cartoonish science-fiction dipped in a shiny metallic rainbow."

Think Geometry Wars with bobble heads. With that being said, the game’s soundtrack is pleasing to listen to. Audio design is of an arcade nature, keeping in line with the tone of the game, which can also be listened to from the game’s main menu. Outside of the game’s campaign mode which in itself does provide enough satisfactory replay value, there’s also a community-based skill mode by the name of Daily Drive, and a challenge-based horde mode known as Infinity Drive, both of which are designed to push players to their limits, applying the pressure and stretching their endurance.

Should the game receive downloadable content within the near future, more of the same would be very much appreciated. Assault Android Cactus is a fun and challenging game, striking the right balance between difficulty and enjoyment. Solid in its gameplay and pleasing on the eyes, it’s great to play solo but it’s clearly at its best when played with additional players. This is where the game hits its high-points and will undoubtedly hold relevance in the time which follows its release.

This game was reviewed on the PC.

Dark Souls II was originally announced in December of last year during Spike’s Video Game awards. Then, later in April the first footage of the game was shown to public, it demonstrated some of the new challenges players will be facing in the game, environments and best of all the updated graphics engine that looks far better than the original game.

The new graphics engine improves upon lighting, shading and character models which makes the game look  crisper and also gets rid of the choppy frame-rate issues that the original game had.

Dark Souls II will be releasing sometime in March of next year according to the giant banner that was put up in Los Angeles in anticipation of E3 2013.

Check out the banner below:

Let us know if you’re looking forward to playing Dark Souls II next year in the comments below.

Check back on GamingBolt for more updates as we get closer to E3 2013.

inja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge is an enhanced ported version for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 with all the additional downloadable content and improvements to the game. The game originally launched for Wii U as a launch title in 2012 (check out the Wii U version review here). How does the enhanced port fare over to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360? In short, I am quite happy with the port and had a ton of fun with the game. However, I will be discussing the game’s presentation, gameplay, trophies and overall verdict in a more detailed manner as usual.

Presentation:

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge looks a little bit dated. The characters and monsters for the most part look nice, but they do not blend in well with the environments. The environments look rather bland compared to the characters, due to lower poly count and texture resolutions. It is not very bad though, the game still looks decent and most importantly fun to play.

The levels in the game are varied and you will be visiting different parts of the world such as islands, tech labs and more throughout the course of the game.

"Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge looks a little bit dated. The characters and monsters for the most part look nice, but they do not blend in well with the environments."

The music in the game does the job fine; some of the voice acting can get cheesy due to the dialogue of the game. The story in Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge is simple. Ryu Hayabusa is visited by the Japan’s Self-Defense Force and ask him to aid them against the terrorist threats in London. As you can imagine, things start to happen as you play through the game and the story continues.

To be completely honest I did not care about the story as it was just not interesting to me and I believe it will not be for others either. Ninja Gaiden was never known for a great story or fantastic characters, the game was always about the challenging gameplay and combat. If you are looking for a deep storyline with excellent narrative then look elsewhere because you will not find it here

Gameplay:

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge truly shines in it’s gameplay and its awesome combat. The Ninja Gaiden franchised was always about the challenging and smart enemy AI, difficult boss fights and fast-paced adrenaline pumping combat. Thanks to flash animations and responsive combat controls, the gameplay feels smooth and fun. There are different weapons that you can get throughout the game, but as always, you start with your default dragon blade katana. Later on you will unlock a Lunar Staff, a giant scythe called Eclipse that acts as a slow heavy weapon, dual katanas and more.

Each weapon is unique; all of them have different styles and combos and serve a particular purpose. One of the weapons can be more effective against a particular enemy as opposed to a different weapon and so on. Best part of the combat system is that it is just never gets old thanks to the beautiful gory and bloody executions that you can trigger when an enemy is missing a part of their body.

Throughout the game you will also encounter hidden collectable items such as Golden Scarabs and Skulls. You gain 5000 Karma for every Golden Scarab collected. However, every time you get 5 Golden Scarabs you unlock new character traits, ninpos and of course weapons. There are a total of 50 Golden Scarabs to collect in the entire game and they are essential to the player if they plan on beating the game on Ultimate Ninja difficulty.

As you slay humanoids and fiends throughout your challenging adventure, you will start gaining something called “Karma”. Karma is an in-game experience currency that is used to unlock special moves for Ryu, level up his weapons and Ninpos. Ninpos are your magical based attacks that can only be used when your ninpo energy bar is full.

"There will be many times where you will just escape a combat segment with a small inch of your life bar still on the screen. "

Players can restore some of their health by using their Ninpo attack during combat if they are in a sticky situation. There will be many times where you will just escape a combat segment with a small inch of your life bar still on the screen. There are four different Ninpos that are available in the game. The first one is unlocked at start of the game; the other three will be unlocked later.

The game’s combat sections get difficult as you get further in the later levels. Players will eventually start fighting with harder enemy combinations and will be forced to use strategy in order to live and continue on to the next save point. Luckily, after every combat section, the game saves a checkpoint so you do not have to fight again if you lose the next battle. Developers did a good job with the balancing of passive checkpoints and actual game saves throughout the game.

Another cool thing about the game is that throughout the story you will also play as the female characters. Girls like Ayane, Kasumi and Momiji are all playable in Ninja Gaiden 3: Razors Edge. Each of them has their own unique weapon and fighting styles. This makes the game more varied just because Ryu is not the only badass around the block and there are other characters and weapons to play with.

Overall, the single-player campaign is divided into 8 days (8 chapters to be more precise). However, some of the days you also play as one of the female characters as part of the game’s main storyline. Each day takes about 30-40 minutes to beat depending on your play style, difficulty and skill. I probably spent though a couple of hours on each level due to the fact I was playing on Mentor difficulty.

Multiplayer:

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge also packs in Ninja Trials and multiplayer options on top of the single-player campaign. Ninja Trials are awesome and can be played both solo and co-op online. You can pick which character you want to play online, level up your ranking, and unlock weapons, character traits and costumes that are completely separate from the single-player campaign.

Clan Battles are a new addition to the Ninja Gaiden series; these are online team death-matches that are up to eight players, 4 on each team. However, I did not really enjoy the clan battles. The online combat between players’ feels somewhat clunky. Majority of the time I was trying to figure out if it was due to latenc, skill or if it just did not feel right. I think overall, this versus mode can eventually work but maybe in the future titles of the franchise but not in this one. I can see this as an experiment for the developers rather than an actual legit versus mode.

Trophies:

Trophies in Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge is perfect in my opinion. They range from beating the game on each of the difficulties, completing a certain amount of Ninja Trials on particular difficulty and leveling up to level 50 online which can actually be done solo through the Ninja Trials if you don’t want to play co-op or clan battles.

Collecting all of the Scarabs and Skulls will also reward you with trophies. This is probably one of the more challenging platinum trophies to get due to the difficulty of the Ninja Gaiden franchise. About 90% of the trophies are all skill based.

Overall Verdict

"The game costs only $40 and includes all of the downloadable content, improved AI and enhanced gameplay. You cannot go wrong with this purchase."

Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor’s Edge is an excellent single-player third-person action game. It provides a great challenge for those who are looking for enjoyable combat, ninja trials provide plenty of replay value for the game and the addition of a completely separate online ranking system and characters is nice.

However, the game’s dated graphics, non-interesting story and some of the camera issues can bog down the experience just a tad bit, but it is not that bad. If you are a fan of the series you will enjoy this game, I also recommend it to those that have never played a Ninja Gaiden game before. The game costs only $40 and includes all of the downloadable content, improved AI and enhanced gameplay. You cannot go wrong with this purchase.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 3.

The clip shows several different game modes, including classic capture the flag and team deathmatch modes, as well as some more interesting and unique ones like Gold Rush. Check out the video below.

We also get a quick look at some gunplay features, like the DeadEye, which allows you to ‘paint’ targets on your opponents, then unleash a fast hail of gunfire on them. Not only that, but in the multiplayer you will get to play around with sniper rifles, rifles, pistols, chainguns or even a cannon.

We look forward to its release on May 18.