Fire Emblem Awakening

Alright, so I decided to try my hand at one of the most highly rated 3DS games of all time. What caught my attention was not because I'm a hardcore follower of the series, but because of the MARRIAGE SYSTEM. Yes, I'm shallow I know. But how many JRPGs have a marriage option? And oh goodness, you get to choose who you want to be with?

Anyway, moving on. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect with Fire emblem awakening. It was my first ever fire emblem game, and served as a gateway into the franchise. Fire emblem games are notorious for their perma death and difficulty level, and that was the only part which kept me from getting this game. Until I found out about the casual mode, that is. For a beginner like me who stumbled through FE:A, it still lasted for a solid 20 hours give or take.

Story wise, nothing I haven't seen before. It starts of well, and keeps you intrigued until you get through at least half of the game and realize: Oh wait. Is this what i think it is? It made the ending predictable, but I still enjoyed the game immensely. Thus, plot gets a 7/10. I'm sure anyone who ever played a JRPG knows how it goes. Main character is the destined one who would slay evil and or help to put an end to the time of evil bla bla bla and even finds love along the way, I didn't think the story was anything special, but it was barebones enough to keep me going to the end.

Gameplay gets an 9/10. Despite not being a huge fan of tactic games, I found that the causal mode helped immensely. The great thing about the game is that, you're not just controlling your main character. You are also responsible for each move your 'group' members make, and ultimately, are responsible for their deaths. On casual mode, you just get upset and move on since they'll be back after the battle anyway; but playing on normal mode, it takes a certain amount of planning and cunning to win. Not to mention, you'll be having emotional backlash when your favourite character gets killed off by a stupid decision.

The large cast of characters allows you to experiment with different weapon types. There is also a weapon triangle which allows you to take advantage of the weakness in different types in order to give you more advantage in battle. What I loved were the cutscenes that were shown whenever your characters engage in battle with the enemy. You don't merely just see the picture of the enemy get cut down! It plays out right in front of you!

The music of FE:A was fabulous. The background music during support conversations change according to the mood. A catchy little jingle is played when the interaction is humorous, a somber tune is played when the mood turns serious as the characters speak about their painful past. The battle scenes were accompanied by intense, fast paced music and differs between the places/continents. There is alot of thought put into this, and I for one wholly appreciate how well done the music really is. It deserves much of the praise it has received. 9/10

Animation gets 8/10. I wasn't a fan of the particular sprite style the game used, because it made the characters less than lifelike. I mean, it was good, but not so good that I couldn't take my eyes off of it. But I can't blame the game, since it's has to work on a hardware like the 3ds. It's obvious that the limitations of the console play a factor in this. But still, there were no lack of wow moments whenever they showed the animated cutscenes and introduced new characters with splendid artwork and managed to display them up to their knees at least. Many a waifu was born that day, and I'm sure fans of the game had their favourites.

Recommended to everyone who enjoys JRPGs and tactical, turn based combat. It's suited for a more wider variety of players due to the addition of casual play, and almost everyone will be able to enjoy it. It is a definite must have for the 3DS console. Doubtless, Fire emblem Awakening is a timeless gem that has been capturing the hearts of players ever since its release. 5/5 

Death Parade

Right, so Death parade caught my eye when it first came out, but i mostly put it off...until now. All-nighter's are an Anime Fan's best friend.

Death parades strength lies in its characters. Episodic in nature, the story gradually unravels itself as you continue watching. The first episode was extremely intense, and I think it must have turned off many anime fans or casual watchers. I would compare it to the first episode of Psycho Pass, but with no rape and less blood. But I guess it’s just a way of grabbing the potential anime watcher’s attention, though it was a little too intense for my liking. Bottom line is, the first episode was too intense, its characters were little but two dimensional cardboard characters and the only thing keeping you watching, is the mystery surrounding the plot.

Thankfully, some of your questions will be answered in episode 2. Everything is not as it seems and mistakes are made, giving us insight into the main characters. Despite being tasked with judging the souls who come into his bar, Decim is not just some godly character. As the episode wears on, it is shown that these ‘shinigami’s of sorts are able to make mistakes.

I think that this was a great twist to what seems to be an overused and clichéd plot. It allows the fans to connect with Decim in a way, because you’re both simultaneously learning about the guests whose souls are sent to be judged, and there is a palpable risk that Decim may make the wrong decision and send the wrong souls into oblivion.

Plot gets a 7/10 because as much as I like the setting and premise of death parade, the ending does not answer several of the answers it brought up during the course of the anime. Like who exactly are they working for, if ‘God’ no longer exists? And what about the woman in black? Why was she special? The ending was pretty okay. But one thing I disliked  was the addition of Nona snooping around and ‘hinting’ to the viewers that they were part of some overarching scheme, and all that buildup led to nothing in particular. It tricks the viewers into a wild goose chase, and I’m not sure I quite like that.

In addition, Death parade excels more in getting the viewers to sympathize/understand the guests and thus, capturing their attention. Or rather, the story is able to go forward because of how well the anime is able to get the character’s emotions across, and makes the viewers question if Decim’s choice was truly the ‘right’ one.

Characters gets a good 8/10 because when the credits finally roll, I just sort of sat in my chair, stunned. ‘Wow’ was all I could say. I was glad to have been part of the journey Decim and the woman in black partook in, because at the end, they have clearly changed for the better and come to terms with themselves. The anime does a great job at fleshing out the main characters, though the side characters seem just sort of…there. It doesn’t go deeper into their motivations or whatsoever. Partly why I gave it an 8 instead of a 9.

Music gets 8/10. The opening was amazing, and I can confidently say that I never skipped the opening whenever I watched a new episode. ‘Flyers’ sung by Bradio is one of my favourite openings to date, though it greatly contrasts the overall mood of the anime. The ending was less to my liking, but it did fit some episodes pretty well, particularly the more dark ones. The soundtracks on the other hand were just so-so, nothing that really stood out for me. It went well with the mood and did its job, is all I can say.

Recommended: 4/5 while it may not be for everyone, people who are looking for something borderline dark and enjoy dipping into the shallow end of psychological genre will like this. Its exploration of humans was simultaneously fun and sad to watch and one can definitely relate on a much baser level. You may see bits of yourself in the characters and while jarring, it does give you an interesting perspective. 

999 - Nine hours Nine persons Nine doors

999 proves that games can be a good story telling medium. What cannot be done with books can be done with games, as it allows one to interact with the characters and move the story forward. Another name this would be ‘visual novels’. Personally, I’ve never really played visual novels outside of the Sono Hanabira series and some indie ones.

The game starts with your character waking up in a room on a ship. Discovering that you are locked in, you try to find your way out when BAM. Disaster strikes. The only window in the room begins to crack, and water streams through the opening like an unending waterfall. At that point, I got a glimpse of what playing 999 was going to be. This game could easily have fallen flat on its face if it wasn’t fun and gripping. But it was.

And I’m glad. The puzzles are surprisingly enjoyable. Some are easy while others require a bit of thinking to get you going. Sure, the puzzles were irritating sometimes but mostly, I felt that they complimented the game perfectly. The puzzles weren’t just a means to an end. And the best part is that when trying to complete a puzzle, your character slowly discovers the truth behind the Nonary game or the backstory of game’s characters.

It may seem totally random, but as you play on, you begin to realize that every bit of info is important. Every piece of seemingly unrelated information are small scraps of cloth. Once you get enough, you begin to piece them together to try and see the whole picture.

One the first play through, I can almost guarantee that the ending will be a sucker punch to your gut. You’ll go ‘wtf?’ and end up with more questions than answers. Personally, I recommend that you play through two or three times in order to at least understand what the hell is going on.

But boy will it be worth it.

Story gets and gameplay 10/10 because honestly. It is mind blowing yet fun. That’s a difficult combination to achieve in visual novels. This is strictly speaking based on my personal experience though, so feel free to think whatever you want. People with more experience with VN may not agree and that’s okay. I’m simply stating what I think in any case.

In terms of characterisation, I’m am pleased and shocked to find that the reactions from the people in 999 (main character included) are extremely realistic, and to some extent, very accurate. You cannot take anything at face value, and if you do, you’ll best hope that the character you trust doesn’t stab you in the back.

Everyone has their motivations and selfish reasons for getting out. And the worst part is; none of them are care about stepping on toes to achieve their goals. Thankfully, Junpei is a somewhat enjoyable character, flaws and all, though there were some times I wanted to scream at my 3ds and say ARE YOU INSANE? June on the other hand, I have mixed feelings about. Sometimes, June is an independent woman. Other times, she follows Junpei around like a lost puppy. So yep, mixed feelings.

I don’t want to touch on the other characters, because it is best to get a feel of it yourself once you’ve started the game.

Characters get an 8/10.

The music is pretty brilliant as well, though I didn’t particularly notice it during some scenes. But they managed to convey the heaviness and creepiness very well, so I have nothing to dislike.

Music gets a 7.5/10.

At the end, what 999 is, is up to you. Is it a tale of friendship? A tale of star crossed lovers? Or simply just a good old fashioned revenge story, or even perhaps just a mere coincidence caused by the pickings of a madman?

It’s up to you to decide.

Recommended: 5/5