Hyrule Warriors Legends (3DS) Review

Even though I co-reviewed the Wii U release of Hyrule Warriors, I put so much time into the 3DS release several months later that I feel I should review that too.  In an effort to not write a term paper's worth of text, I'll try to keep some things brief and concise while covering the important points.  I say this because there is a lot to talk about in Hyrule Warriors Legends, and not just the improvements and additions that the 3DS release sees.

First up, the general gameplay.  While the combat is similar to Dynasty Warriors, with weak and strong attacks, special moves (musous) and the like, there are several key differences in the land of Hyrule.  Named characters usually don't take a whole lot of damage from attacks, but instead have weak point gauges.  These are only exposed after certain attacks, and not for very long.  If you can hit them enough to drain the gauge, you will do a powerful attack to take a chunk of their health.

Large monsters will also appear in some stages.  These are barely damaged by normal attacks, and you have to almost exclusively use the weak point gauge to damage them.  True to Legend of Zelda style, each has a particular sub weapon weakness to help expose the gauge.  While it's an interesting system, I got tired of having to do it all the time.  I far prefer the more Dynasty Warrior standard of just hitting something and doing damage.  The weak point gauge relies upon RNG for enemies actually doing the attacks that expose them, making fast paced battles slow down.  I'll also mention that the new characters range from average to really good.  At least they are all better and more fun to use than Agitha.

The story mode still includes the original story that, by itself, easily takes over 20 hours with all the battling and dialogue.  It also includes Cia's story, which was DLC on the Wii U version.  If that weren't enough, it also adds a new story for Linkle, and a Windwaker story.  These three together basically double the story mode, which was already a good time sink.  There are even reasons to replay the levels, since you can earn gold skulltulas, which can eventually unlock a few bonuses.  Yeah, this replay is a bit forced, but you can forgo it entirely and just dive into Adventure Mode.

Adventure Mode is where you will spending the bulk of your time, which, considering the main story is 40+ hours, really means something.  You move around a map of the original (and awesome) Legend of Zelda, laid onto a grind, where every section is a different level.  You not only have to complete the level, but usually get a certain grade to open up the levels next to it, expanding the levels you have access to as you go.  Many levels also have some sort of treasure or unlock, either by using a certain character, or even using one of the iconic Zelda items.  These are also map rewards, but they are unfortunately consumable, so you will need to repeat stages to get more.

This mode has been re-balanced to be complete-able without much grinding.  For better or worse, the weapons have been spread around the maps more, since the base game includes several whole maps (the previous DLC ones are now included, and more DLC maps are available).  It's also great that it is a lot easier to go through the Adventure maps, since they already added 100 or so hours of content without needed to make players do a stage multiple times.  Considering the current gaming landscape, it's almost insane how much content is shoved into the base game... and I'm not complaining!  Especially since I didn't run into many Cuckoo maps, and even then they weren't near as bad as they used to be (they still do absurd damage for no reason).

The last big addition to the game is My Fairy.  Some Adventure levels have a fairy you can rescue.  Each has a default element and, when equipped, can cast a damaging magic spell that takes your magic meter.  You also find food to feed them, which levels them up, makes their spells stronger, and can change the element of the spell.  At levels 25 and 50, the spells gain added effects based on the element the fairy is at that time.  For example, fire element gives the spell an effect of lowering the defense of enemies in the area it was cast.  Plus, there are outfit pieces you can equip on the fairy that either powers up their magic, or gives you a discount in casting it.  Yes, it comes across as very Style Savvy and unnecessary, but after you get a taste of the fairy's power, you will quickly love their inclusion.  It makes getting tons of KOs very easy.

To me, the original Hyrule Warriors, while flawed, was my most played game on the Wii U.  This is no small feat considering there was a Monster Hunter released on that system, too.  The 3DS release, Hyrule Warriors Legends, is better in every way.  Yes, it lacks multiplayer, but it has been re-balanced to not need it really at all, and has a lot of small changes that really improve the experience.  The game is worth playing for Dynasty Warriors fans, but I don't think it's quite as good as those, since the weak point gauge and a few other things get tiresome after many hours.  If you had the Wii U version, I would surprisingly still recommend picking up this version, since it has all the content that game and its season pass had, plus more, for half the price of that version.  Even if you have to re-do everything, it is worth the price and time to dive back in.


The Good:
There's a ton of content in even the base game, and the adventure mode has been much better balanced.

The Bad:
Battling is still a chore if you are underleveled, and cuckoos are still dumb.

The SaHD:
Twili Midna ("Big-na", since she isn't "mid") has a perfect costume for my wife, but this game isn't 2 player, and she doesn't have that costume in the Wii U version. :(

(Hyrule Warriors Legends was purchased by the reviewer)

Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas (Xbox One) Review

Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas is definitely not a game that shies away from its inspirations.  Its isometric view, sword combat and sea travel is clearly influenced from the old Legend of Zeldas and the divisive Wind Waker.  Art-wise, the game reminds me of Fable.  Even so, the game has its own identity, and like Shovel Knight, is much more 'inspired by' than a copy of its influences.

Oceanhorn's combat is pretty simplistic.  You get an attack string, and you can block attacks with your shield.  You'll want to get in the habit of doing so, since your health isn't high in the beginning, and it is easy to get hit.  It's easy to get hit since the hitbox is very generous.  This is both good and bad, since it works for both you and the enemies, making it easier to hit enemies than you would think, but also to get hit when you think you are at a safe distance.  Death doesn't carry a very big penalty though.  You are sent back to the last checkpoint (or room start) with a very minor experience cost (I only ever saw me lose 1 point each time).

Blocking can only save you for so long, though.  Whenever you block an enemy's attack, you will lose some stamina, represented by the green bar that appears above your character.  It will refill on its own, but it fills slower if it was fully drained.  That's pretty standard for stamina meters.  Your character also has a dash that takes stamina, but it doesn't seem very useful and drains the stamina really quickly.  I found its best use to get through traps.  The third use for stamina is when you swim.  It still drains really fast, and if you run out while swimming, you drown and die.  I guess that's one way to not need invisible walls to stop players from going out as far as they can.  It wasn't really a problem until a later island that involved swimming, where the short duration of your swim became a full-blown irritation.

True to its influences, you will gain several items and magic spells to help you on your journey.  There is the requisite bow and arrow to hit distant targets and switches, bombs to blow up decayed walls, and even special boots to leap over small gaps.  Each one is used several times during the game, and of course in the boss fights.  The spells are similar.  They can be used in combat, and sometimes they are the only way to damage enemies, but they are also used for puzzles.  There are ice blocks you can melt to make passageways, and switches to hit with your earth spell.  It might not be the most unique, but it definitely works for the game type, and isn't overdone.

After the first short bit of the game, you get a boat to travel to different islands.  You basically select them from a map instead of actively piloting there.  Once you reach adventure level 3, you get a gun that can be used only when on the boat.  There are crates and enemies to shoot, for some marginal increases to money and experience.  However, the real use for it is that it gives you something to do while sailing around, since otherwise it's not too interesting.  As you progress through the game, more islands will open up, even if you can't do anything there yet.  This does fit in with the exploration theme, since you will have to island hop a lot while going through the game.

That's one of the things I like in Oceanhorn: the exploration.  The game does not hold your hand after a brief tutorial at the beginning, and you are left to figure out the rest of the puzzles on your own.  There are vague hints, but it's more "here's some information, get to it" instead of directing your every move through the game.  I was surprised I didn't get stuck more than twice.  You will also jump around the islands a lot, since they tend to open before you have the item(s) necessary to fully explore them.  There's also a lot of backtracking in the game, but the areas aren't too large, so it isn't as big of a problem as it could have been.  Even so, it's about a 10 hour journey from start to finish, and even more if you intend to poke in every nook and cranny to find all of the collectibles and secrets the islands have in store.

Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas is a really fun game.  It reminds me of my favorite Zelda titles (the top-down ones), but is still unique enough to not be a copy.  It was really easy to just keep playing the game, as each new place made me wonder what I would uncover, and each new item had me wanting to go back and use it to find new secrets.  Legend of Zelda fans should definitely check out Oceanhorn, and I would also encourage old-school action/adventure fans play the game as well.  It's worth it!


The Good:
Lots of exploring new islands to keep the game fresh.  Really easy to just keep playing.

The Bad:
No in-game help if you are stuck, the amount of backtracking will be off-putting to some.

The SaHD:
Is it a requirement for all water temples to be irritating?

(Review code for Oceanhorn was provided by the publisher)

PAX Prime 2015 - Day 2

The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes
I played this with two other guys.  The goal of the demo was to figure out how to get through the puzzles and fight the boss.  Strangely, it worked and, all things considered, it was kind of fun.  I doubt I'd want to do the whole thing with three people, but at least trying it was ok.  I did like the different costumes Link can get and wear, and they each have a specialty, for better or worse.  I picked the samurai one because it looked cool, but was no extra help in our dungeon.  The dungeon we did required bombs and arrows, and it wasn't too hard to figure out what to do.  Actually doing it, on the other hand, wasn't quite as smooth.  Trying to get the order right of who picks up who with strangers can be a challenge.  Communication and listening are key for this game.  Oh, and patience, too.

Chasm
Who doesn't love Castlevania: Symphony of the Night?  (If you don't, just skip to the next one)  I do, so when I happened upon Chasm in the Indie Megabooth, I stopped and checked it out.  It is a 16-bit side scrolling action adventure/ metroidvania.  The guy at the booth explained that there are a few different map types, and that it is set once the opening cut scene starts.  So the map isn't random, but there are a few variations to give some replay value.  The game was pretty fun, but a bit clunky in movement and attacking.  It, like many other games, isn't very forgiving.  It's all well and good, since I do like the genre, so I will try my best to play the game when it releases next year.

Final Fantasy Explorers
When first shown, the game seemed like the Final Fantasy version of Monster Hunter.  While that is somewhat true, the game resembles the previous Square Enix release Lord of Arcana.  Combat was easy to understand, but I did have to be careful.  I wasn't treating it like a Monster Hunter game, and did die to the boss.  It was fun though.  At the start there were multiple jobs to choose from, so I choose the monk, one of my favorites.  I do want to try the finished game later this year (or next, whenever it comes out).  My only complaint was that the C-stick didn't operate the camera.  Hopefully it is a menu option or defaults to that in the full release.  To operate the camera, it was like Phantasy Star Online, where a button will center it.  No touch screen d-pad or anything, and I don't recall if the actual d-pad did it (which would be uncomfortable anyway).

Cuphead
When Cuphead was first unveiled, I really liked the look of it.  Once they later showed gameplay, I knew I had to try it.  And... well, both of those held up.  The look of the game is very much like the old 1930s animation and it works.  The demo at PAX had only a tutorial that showed the controls and boss fights, so I tried three of them.

The first was in a plane against a giant bird.  It was very much like a shmup, a genre I enjoy, but it's not quite as smooth.  It's workable, but not quite as good as a dedicated shmup system.  Almost beat that boss, but didn't.  Second was against a giant potato and then a giant carrot, which I did manage to win.  Third was against a pirate on a boat that would attack with shots, a hanging chest and a shark/octopus from different parts of the screen.  That one I didn't win.

It was a pretty fun game, although very unforgiving.  Enemy shots were small, and your graphic not so much, so dodging was, well... dodgy.  You only get three hearts, so three hits and you are out.  No continuing in the demo, as it just put you on the map/menu and you had to do it again.  Two player might be fun, so I'm still looking forward to trying the full game when it releases.

Xenoblade Chronicles X
First off, I didn't play Xenoblade Chronicles X, since they were only having gameplay demonstrations with a dude I used to work near (there is 0% chance he remembers me, though).  Anyway, I watched several of the demos and went to the panel about the art, where they showed off the special edition coming this winter.

They showed off getting quests, skills and even mid-air battles in the mechs, which I didn't know was a thing in the game.  The guy also ran around various parts of the map, enemies and talked about weather effects.  Xenoblade Chronicles X looks like it has a ton of content and I am looking forward to it.

The special edition also got me excited.  The lithograph is ok, and the art book looks really nice (and big!), but the USB drive is what I really like.  It looks like a zohar!  It also has 10 tracks of the soundtrack on there.  Sure, it could, and should, have the whole thing on it, but I'll just get the other tracks through some other means.  I'm glad it was still able to be pre-ordered when I got home, since I couldn't do it while at the show.