Category: Reviews

One of the challenges of having a popular series is offering something new and different. After a certain point you run out of ideas, with some games inadvertently changing the thing that people loved. This has resulted in some series being fairly stagnate. With Samurai Warriors 4-II offering a different take on the original title, will it be enough for fans or is it only for those who missed the original release?

Samurai Warriors 4-II tells various stories focusing on a number of different characters. Each story has its own tone and feel, which makes them feel different, though your enjoyment is going to depend on how much you care about the characters and the history of those involved. With that being said, with more than a couple different stories to experience, there is sure to be at least one that piques your interest.

Beyond the stories Samurai Warriors 4-II holds true to what you would expect from a Dynasty Warriors-esque title. There are a lot of enemies, most of which you can defeat in a couple of hits, across a huge map with various objectives you need to complete. Every character has a series of simple combos and at least one special attack that will lay waste to those around you. You can further the depth by making use of the cancel system to prolong your combos or use the evasive dodge to avoid damage, though you don’t need to master these concepts to be successful in the world of Samurai Warriors 4-II. The same goes for telling the AI what to do, but that can help you complete a number of optional objectives.

Part of what makes Samurai Warriors 4-II enjoyable is the smooth gameplay and solid graphics. Even when a large number of enemies were on screen the game played without any noticeable lag and the animations were vivid enough to make Samurai Warriors 4-II feel superior to similar low budget games. This is most noticeable during the cutscenes, which are surprisingly well done for a series usually remembered and played for the mindless combat.

As mentioned above, every level features a number of objectives, some of which are optional, where as others are not, that you can do. Each of these offer a nice change of pace to the repetitive gameplay, with them adding a little bit of depth to an otherwise simple game. The other fun thing is changing how you go about the mission can also change which objectives you get. So if you didn’t bother to capture a place or defeat a boss one run and then did so in another run, you might get a new event to complete.

Another way Samurai Warriors 4-II lets you do a little more is through customizable characters. Those interested in creating their own character can customize practically any aspect of their character and even load custom images off a USB to use in game. From there, said characters can be used in modes/online to dominate your foes or just screw around and have fun.

Speaking of having fun, those interested in the more mindless gameplay aspects will enjoy the tower. In this mode you have 10 minutes to progress through as many floors and objectives as you can. Completing a floor will add 2 minutes to the clock, so it’s less about how well you manage your time and more about how quickly you complete the objectives. Once your timer runs out, you fall in combat or choose to escape you’ll leave the tower and be awarded your spoils.

The only real downside to Samurai Warriors 4-II is that it isn’t anything a Samurai/Dynasty Warriors fan hasn’t seen before. A lot of the same characters, will defeat the same enemies, while trying to complete various objectives for their overarching goals. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially since the characters are different enough to have fun running around, just that Samurai Warriors 4-II is more of the same. If that’s something that sounds appealing to you, then it’s a pleasant looking experience that runs quite well on the PlayStation 4. However, if you were hoping for a more tactical version or just a deeper version of Samurai Warriors, then Samurai Warriors 4-II is not that game.

[Editor’s Note: Samurai Warriors 4-II was reviewed on PS4 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]

Acquire (and Zero Div) seem to be becoming a more prominent game developer of recent years in the US. Some of their more recent titles such as Sorcery Saga and Mind-Zero have only just released in the States through various publishers. Their latest US release, Class of Heroes 2G, arrives by way of Working Designs-veteran Vic Ireland and his new company Gaijinworks. This new dungeon crawler takes the original Class of Heroes 2 and expands upon it with new content as well as a console release on the PlayStation 3. Is Class of Heroes 2G worth enrolling in, or is Crostini Academy in need of more than just a fresh coat of paint?

Class of Heroes 2G‘s story opens with a freshly enrolled band of adventurers in the Crostini Academy, a school rife with all of the common tropes you’d come to expect from a Japanese high school setting in this day and age. Bitter rivalries, student/teacher “romance”, plans and hijinx that quickly backfire in dramatic fashion, et cetera. The translation harks back to the days of Working Designs and the PlayStation 1-era of JRPGs, as seems to be Ireland’s signature style. Who knew that one of a samurai’s most effective moves in battle was a pimp slap? All of the dialogue, item descriptions, and flavor text seem to share a sort of whimsical and easy going attitude that fits in line with the school setting.

Parties in Class of Heroes 2G consist of six party members, split evenly between front and back rows. You’re free to use any of the ten races to compromise the core of your party although some races are better suited for roles than others. Six basic classes are available from the onset, but in total there are 19 jobs to work with. These advanced classes not only have particular requirements such as race, stats, or alignment but also may only be available at the other two schools in the game, requiring the player to advance far enough in the story to unlock these two.

An interesting thing to note is that character creation will assign that character a pool of bonus stat points, ranging anywhere from a measly couple upwards of thirty-plus. Rerolling takes no time at all and it’s quite easy to start out the game with a team of bruisers with maximum strength and vitality to make the early game more manageable. Class of Heroes 2G balances this out by giving characters with lower BP better stat boosts more often upon leveling up, and characters with much higher BP the opposite. This is probably one of the only games I’ve played where a character has actually LOST stats just for leveling up.

Changing classes is as simple as talking with the headmaster of each academy and selecting a new curriculum and offer benefits such as keeping ones stats and learned spells, although HP/MP and skills are reduced. This can be quite handy if you wish to have some back row members learn the various types of magics in the game or advance a character from being a ranger to perhaps a gunner or idol.

Buffing magics are required in Class of Heroes 2G perhaps more than other games in the genre. Trapped floors exist in nearly every dungeon, so having some method to float is a necessity. For floors that have both a pitfall and anti-magic field, having some means of manual flotation is needed. I found myself having to wear a pair of low-level shoes called Stilts for the entirety of the game those characters that didn’t have an inherent penchant for floating just to navigate through these areas and complete every map in the game.

Magic users by far seem to be the most effective members to have in a pinch, especially in higher levels. An Elf summoner could summon a Seraphim, acting as a seventh party member and far outranking those I frequently used. Combat frequently became trivial as this Seraphim could hit for two or three times what my strongest melee combatant could in addition to having nearly double their life points. These summons stay out for the entirety of an expedition, only expiring upon reaching a town or finally running out of health (a feat that’s harder than it seems outside of boss fights thanks to a passive HP regeneration). Without Seraphim or other magic spells in combat, I’d say that Class of Heroes 2G would have some of the harder combat in the genre, but with these powerful spells, sometimes that difficulty becomes nearly arbitrary. There exists a higher difficulty mode in the options mode for those that prefer an added challenge.

Items and equipment are an unusual case in Class of Heroes 2G. Many items that are party staples are seemingly in very short supply. For much of the early game, a wyvern call ticket that allows for travel to any previously-visited place on the world map cost a hefty 10,000G and are frequently limited to one per town, if they even stock it at all. It’s a similar case for some of the better equipment for your party members. For new and better equipment, there are typically three options to work with: post-battle spoils, chests in dungeons, and alchemy. The first two are completely random, as even the treasure chests you come across in dungeons can be of random rarity (walking away and approaching the chest once more can easily turn ones luck around).

Alchemy, however, seems to be more of a hassle than it’s worth. Crafting requires returning to the academy (unless you have a gnome alchemist in the party), the proper piece of junk that corresponds to whatever item you’re crafting, and various synthesis items. Having the proper alchemy recipe helps to see what is necessary in game, but Gaijinworks has provided a compilation of most of the alchemy recipes here. I often found myself swimming in junk that was often too low level to be of any use of my party and I was better off just gathering up the dosh to afford new gear from the next town I visited.

Getting around the dungeons can sometimes be a hassle. Without the proper map in your inventory, you’ll be going around blindly without an auto-map and even then, trying to get around all of the traps without Float can also be a hindrance. One of the bigger annoyances to getting around are some of the map tools that feel lacking. Treasure chests are not tracked on the map, so missing one will require navigating around blindly until you find it. Entrances and exits are marked on the map but are only labeled if they lead to another zone or town, making navigating around inside the dungeon sometimes a pain especially for the maps with five plus exits on a given map.

To alleviate the navigation woes, Gaijinworks coded in a very novel remote play feature for Class of Heroes 2G. With the usage of a PSP/Vita, you can enable second screen support in a way not previously seen in any other game before. Through remote play (not requiring owning a PSP copy of Class of Heroes 2), players can use their handheld not only as a controller for the game but also a handy menu for combat. On a given character’s turn, it will bring up a menu of their stats and other vitals as well as a basic menu giving the player a total of their statistics and kill count, handy for those that want to know how close they are to that 50,000 kill trophy (it’s quite a grind, as I finished the game with just under 10k kills under my belt). This dual screen support is something that I would love to see other companies utilize in future RPG releases on PlayStation.

Class of Heroes 2G in a nutshell is a classic send back, a compromise between the earlier gridders of yore such as Wizardry with the modern style of an Etrian Odyssey title. While easier than its contemporaries, instead that should mark as an entry point for those interested in trying out the genre but don’t wish to get bogged down with complexities and intricacies of more recent titles. Class of Heroes 2G is a welcome addition to any RPG fan’s library and in the words of Victor Ireland, is “nothing without you!”

Resident Evil is a well-established franchise known for its in-depth narrative, various viruses and (quickly vanishing) horror elements. While Capcom has been behind every entry thus far, that is now changing as the SOCOM developer Slant Six is trying its hand at the zombie survival game. Since their expertise lies in fast-paced third-person shooters, they’re bringing some of their style to the new Resident Evil spin-off subtitled Operation Raccoon City. With 2012 containing three separate Resident Evil titles, can Slant Six’s interpretation maintain the classic Resident Evil vibe while still venturing into more action-packed territory? More importantly, will the fans enjoy this departure from the series’ norm?

Let’s take a look at what’s HOT and what’s NOT in our review of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City.

HOT

From the Eyes of Umbrella
Gamers who have played the first three Resident Evil games on the PlayStation 1 should know the incident that took place in Raccoon City. While we saw the destruction of the city in the eyes of the good guys before, the new Resident Evil title dubbed Operation Raccoon City will allow fans of the series to play through the game through the eyes of Umbrella’s armed forces. The six new elite members of Umbrella are the main characters and you will fill one of their shoes as you replay the events that took place in Resident Evil 2 and 3 from their point of view. Your mission within the game is to prevent any leaks of Umbrella’s involvement with the outbreak that happened in Raccoon City. Going through familiar places, you will team with up to three people or AI-controlled team mates and get that objective done. Hunk’s mysterious appearance in past Resident Evil games will finally be answered here and his involvement in the whole incident. For fans of the series like myself, the story of the game’s campaign mode is somewhat interesting and I’m sure fans will find it intriguing as well.

Solid Third Person Shooter
Operation Raccoon City isn’t developed by the team who usually makes Resident Evil games, but, instead, it’s made by the team who brought us SOCOM: Confrontation on the PlayStation 3 and other well-known third-person shooters in the gaming industry. While majority of the titles they have released are somewhat average, the studio’s attempt to make Resident Evil to be more shooting-oriented is pretty spot on. The developer managed to bring what fans love in the third-person shooter genre (primarily, solid controls), fast paced third-person action, and pretty much everything SOCOM had is in Operation Raccoon City. For those who have played SOCOM, the moment you start playing this game, you’ll realize that it’s SOCOM with zombies and a Resident Evil theme!

Some Resident Evil Elements are Intact
As you know by now, Operation Raccoon City is a third-person shooter. That being said, the game managed to retain some of the Resident Evil elements that we’ve become fond of. Pickups like the Green Herb and First Aid Spray are among the items that will be in the game. Adapting the Circle HP health system in Resident Evil 4 & 5, the health of your character depends on it. With Green Herbs and First Aid Spray scattered throughout the field, you will pretty much be looking out for your health circle bar on the HUD. The bullets that you take in both single player and multiplayer will drain your circle HP bar and, once it’s gone, you’ll see the ‘You Are Dead’ sign. At this point, you’ll either respawn or restart from checkpoint in campaign.

Along with the herbs and spray, another element that Operation Raccoon City managed to retain in the game is the recognizable enemies. The game will not be carrying the Resident Evil title without its memorable monsters like the Zombies, Hunters, Lickers, Nemesis, and a lot more. The designs and the physiques are pretty much left intact and fans of the series will be glad to see them back in action in a different genre.

Addictive Online Multiplayer
Slant Six not only specializes in third-person shooters, but they have also crafted some of the best multiplayer games. Following the success of Confrontration on the PS3, I can see a future for the multipayer section of Operation Raccoon City. Those who love playing online will find the game addictive due to its handful of online modes. Think of the well-known modes implemented in Operation Raccoon City and add the enemies of Resident Evil to distract you? Now that sounds like a challenge, huh?

The multiplayer portion of Operation Raccoon City has four modes: Team Attack (Team Deathmatch with zombies added into it to distract both sides), Biohazard (Capture the Flag where two teams have to get the five viruses and bring them to HQ), Heroes mode (eliminate the “Heroes” that know the secrets of Umbrella and the players who swear allegiance to a certain team) and, finally, Survivor (similar to Horde mode, but near the end of the timer all teams must compete for their survival as they race through the helicopter that has only limited seating). Three out of the four multiplayer modes in Operation Raccoon City are enjoyable, while I find the Heroes mode confusing and annoying.

As with all multiplayer portions of shooter games recently, it is bare without customizations and a leveling system. Every time you complete a mission and perform a kill, an Experience Point will be awarded to you at the end. These points are used in a lot ways in Operation Raccoon City as you’ll be needing them to purchase items and abilities that your character can use for leveling purposes. These customizations and all that mumbojumbo about the leveling system are all pretty common in shooter games today. One new thing, however, is when you get bitten by a Zombie or any of the enemies within the game, you can become a Zombie for a short time and attack your own teammates.

NOT

Disappointing Campaign Mode
Aside from having a solid multiplayer, Operation Raccoon City also highlights the campaign mode. While the story behind the campaign is interesting and top-notch, you will be disappointed however in how it’s structured. Since everything about the game is built around the idea of playing with other people, you will have a hard time enjoying the campaign alone if you can’t find anyone to join you. This is due to the terrible artificial intelligence of your squad. The A.I-controlled characters that “help” you do a pretty bad job in providing support and sometimes they’ll simply not shoot at enemies or they’ll stand in your way as you try to kill an enemy. It’s nice that there’s no friendly fire enabled as you’d most likely kill your teammates on accident fairly often.

In addition to the poor A.I, the campaign mode also has some identity crisis. It isn’t sure whether it should retain the survival elements of past Resident Evils or if it should just be all about mindless shooting. Throughout the short campaign, you will have two options: run and reach the objective marker to proceed to the next mission or take your time to kill your enemies as you waste bullets, not knowing if they’re really worth your time. Even on the hard difficulty, I managed to finish a certain mission by simply running through the objective marker without firing a single shot. For those who play with a friend or people online, it’s a different experience as you’ll want to pretty much play as a team. However, with so many character classes that you are able to choose from, does it even matter which one you pick? Not really.

Another problem that I found in the campaign is the use of the cover system. For some reason, it is sometimes hard to get into cover as all you have to do is approach a wall or something and the game does the rest. While it works occasionally, most of the time it won’t. Since you can now run and gun, you will find yourself utilizing that method rather than the broken cover system because death is inevitable if you insist on using that useless cover mechanic.

During an early part of the campaign, you’ll encounter another problem that causes an invisible wall to stop you dead in your tracks until the boss reaches you at a certain point. When you are fighting someone during a section that requires that you run away from a boss, you will have to shoot them first to slow them down because, otherwise, an invisible wall will appear right in your face. This greatly limits where you can go and increase the risk of dying. The unbalanced pace of the campaign is troublesome as you can sometimes just skip the firefight and go to the objective marker to finish the mission or, in other instances, face the dreaded invisible wall.

Those who love Quick Time Events from other games will find them here in Operation Raccoon City, but they are executed in an annoying way. While every game gives you a specific amount of time before you can respond, Operation Raccoon City will give you less than a second. If you don’t see that button indication on the screen within a second, you will get hit so bad that it can lead to the death of your character. While what we discussed here in the campaign mode is mostly negative, there are positives ones as well, such as providing a true third-person shooter experience. However, you’ll see that the negatives outweigh the positives and, for this reason, players might want to skip the campaign mode and jump straight into the multiplayer.

Screen Tearing
On the PlayStation 3 version, I noticed frequent screen tears throughout the game. While it’s not really as bad as you may think, it will definitely annoy some gamers. As for the visuals, they are satisfactory as you revisit familiar and new places in Raccoon City. Those who played Resident Evil 2 and 3 will be surprised to see certain characters enhanced tremendously when it comes to the physiques and areas, like the Raccoon City Hospital. Areas like that are sure to bring back some nostalgic feeling.

Don’t Expect Horror in this Game
Please don’t be misled by the Resident Evil title that was slapped on the game. Those who are expecting to have some classic Resident Evil experiences will not be finding them in Operation Raccoon City. There is no point in the game where you’ll feel that you’re playing a true Resident Evil game. Sure, the zombies are there, but your craving for horror will go unsatisfied because the scares simply don’t exist here. The game is pure shooter with no feeling of real horror and suspense whatsoever. Just because it has the Resident Evil title doesn’t mean it will have that experience. Think of this game as a SOCOM title with Zombies and nothing more.

$60 Price Tag
Since the campaign is short and is not innovative enough for everyone to enjoy, what’s left in this game is the multiplayer portion. And $60 is a steep price to pay for a game that players will only enjoy 50% of. A campaign mode that can be completed in one sitting combined with mediocre co-op gameplay leaves much to be desired and will push players toward the multiplayer section right away. A price of $39.99 would have been reasonable, but paying $60 for this game? I wouldn’t recommend it.

VERDICT

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is a title that only hardcore shooter fans should get as Slant Six did a remarkable job in providing a solid online experience. However, for a game that carries the Resident Evil name in the title, fans of the series that are expecting something more along the lines of a traditional Resident Evil experience will not find that here. The game is pure third-person shooter and it is highly unlikely that long-time Resident Evil fans will actually like this entry. With a mediocre campaign making up half of what the game has to offer, it fails miserably and paying $60 for multiplayer only is too much cash to shell out for this subpar title.

If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that you never have to wait long for the next Dynasty Warriors game. 2014 had yet to see this franchise, so Koei remedied the situation by bringing Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition to the PlayStation 4 (and Vita). The series’ next gen debut combines the PlayStation 3’s base game with its Xtreme Legends expansion in a single package, along with other additions and alterations. Now you can really break in your new DualShock 4 controller and mash away at its buttons through this Romance of the Three Kingdoms-inspired title. But is it a mash-fest worth adding to your next gen collection? Let’s find out in our review of Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition.

Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends Complete Edition is the same tried and true formula we’ve seen time and time again with a few minor tweaks. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it, right? That seems to be the motto tattooed on the brain of every developer over at Omega Force and, in this situation, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The game contains four modes: Story, Free, Ambition and Challenge. As nearly everyone who has ever touched the series (even just once) should know, the Story Mode revolves around notable clans Wei, Wu and Shu as they struggle for territorial dominance. Here is where you will find one of the most notable additions: Lu Bu’s campaign. Players can take on the role of this iconic character in his own storyline, which lasts a few hours. These few hours are packed with quality entertainment, especially as Lu Bu palms enemy faces and slams them into the ground as lightning erupts from his hands. Free Mode lets you carve a path of your choosing with whichever officer and stage you wish either offline (local co-op available) or online. Ambition mode acts as a watered down version of Empires, allowing you to capture territories and strategize from camp as you build your city. Lastly, there’s the Challenge Mode. This leaderboard-driven option offers multiple challenges, as the name implies, ranging from the fast-paced Speed Run to the timed bloodlust Rampage. Regardless of the selected game mode, expect to combo your way through thousands upon thousands of soldiers as you clear the battlefield and reach each objective.

The character selection for these modes has also seen a boost, with the character total now sitting at 82 thanks to the addition of five new combatants. These include Yu Jin, Zhu Ran, Fa Zheng, Chen Gong and Lu Lingqi. Fa Zheng’s “Hazy Reality Cloth” and Chen Gong’s “General’s Command Scroll” provide some truly unique playstyles, the latter allowing you to command troops to drop in and fight for you. The weapons wielded by each character now benefit from a second EX attack (if the character’s preferred weapon is being used) and the new Weapon Fusion system, a mechanic found in Omega Force’s crossover series Warriors Orochi. Weapon Fusion allows the combination of weapons to gain better attributes and effects, such as healing or elemental damage. Gems are the new currency used to take advantage of this feature and they require significant grinding to obtain. Building a weapon of mass destruction can be an engrossing process and addictive process. Having your dream sword by your virtual side will definitely come in handy when taking on the new difficulty level “Ultimate”. Depending on your desire to reach the new level cap of 150 (up from 99), you might find yourself dabbling in this punishing setting. Personally, I found the new “What If?” scenarios to be a bigger draw.

In terms of visual presentation, Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends Complete Edition on the PS4 is easily the best looking entry in the series. That’s not to say that the game is visually impressive, however. While character models have been smoothed out and have been given a little extra detail, the game doesn’t carry that next gen feel in this department. Surprisingly low res textures can still be found throughout the game as well as the off-putting haze that distorts the background, robbing it of the lush detail we had hoped to see. At the very least, the Complete Edition runs smoother than its last gen counterpart and only sees a few hiccups here and there, which is commendable in its own regard given the vastly increased on-screen enemy count.

Maybe you’ve played Dynasty Warriors 8 on the PlayStation 3 and are currently wondering, “What’s in it for me?” The Complete Edition is compatible with any save data on the PS3. Both Xtreme Legends and Complete Edition-specific content await players on Sony’s next gen console, providing some incentive to purchase the game again and continue their one-man army adventure. If you happen to own a Vita, you can partake in the cross-save feature and pick up your Dynasty Warriors 8 campaign even when you find yourself away from home. The only downside is that this game is not a part of Sony’s cross-buy program, meaning you are forced to buy the same game twice if you want to swap saves back and forth between your console and handheld.

Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends Complete Edition brings Omega Force’s long-running formula to Sony’s shiny new system in a comprehensive package. Newcomers and hardcore fans alike will find plenty to enjoy here, until the repetition inevitably becomes too tedious for all but the most dedicated. This isn’t the game you will pull out to show your friends what Sony’s sleek powerhouse is capable of, but that was never the intended selling point. The mindless annihilation of entire armies still manages to be an addictive, time-consuming endeavor. And sitting side by side with a friend for some good old fashioned couch co-op while you rack up a bodycount reaching quadruple digits is always welcome in a world where local play is becoming scarce. If you skipped Dynasty Warriors 8 or the Xtreme Legends expansion last year, the Complete Edition brings enticing new content that manages to provide an overall enjoyable experience despite its shortcomings.

[Editor’s Note: Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition was reviewed on the PlayStation 4 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]

Accel World VS Sword Art Online is an interesting title. Despite sounding like a fighting game, it’s actually an action RPG, similar to previous Sword Art Online titles. Since the two worlds are similar, the crossover actually makes some level of sense. Both involve video games and crazy mechanics, so the similarities allow for a fairly seamless transition. With crossovers tends to be more fan service than anything else, is Accel World VS Sword Art Online worth investing in or is it yet another lame crossover?

Like all crossovers, Accel World VS Sword Art Online’s story exists to justify the two worlds coming together. The basic gist is a portal allows players from the future to travel to the past and appear in Alfheim Online. Together the two groups need to stop an evil from a more distant future from destroying Yui.

It isn’t much of a story, but it does a decent job approaching the tired subject. It doesn’t take long for the two groups to come together and after some quick explanations, like how the system adapted elements of Accel World to ALfheim Online, it isn’t far from what you’d expect from Sword Art Online. Kirito leads a team to defeat an evil force.

Similar to the story, Accel World VS Sword Art Online plays a lot like Sword Art Online: Lost Song. Every character has a normal and heavy attack, plus a number of magical abilities. Attacks vary depending on the weapon and include sword, twin swords, spear, bow and more. Magic includes dashing attacks, whirlwind moves, healing and other standard RPG fare.

One of the biggest strengths and weaknesses to Accel World VS Sword Art Online is that it isn’t a hard or complicated game. Most enemies can be defeated by mindlessly pressing attack, though there is blocking and dodging if you so choose. This sometimes comes in handy, especially during boss fights, though having an advantageous location helps more.

Enemies a what you’d expect from a fantasy game. There are slime creatures, lizard men, dragons and much more. Each of these enemies have their own advantage and disadvantage, in addition to having resources you can collect. These will give you materials you can use to enhance/create items or sometimes give you an item outright.

In addition to completing story levels, players can also complete side quests, talk to people in town, work together with others and more. A lot of these things aren’t required to have fun, but are a nice option to have. However, don’t expect a lot from them.

Like previous titles, Accel World VS Sword Art Online is not the most complicated game out there. The menus menus are very simple, with the quests being equally simple. Most are just killing or collecting something. They offer a nice bonus to exploring the world, but that is about it. A lot of the dialogue in town is similar. Characters have plenty to say, though missing it won’t impact enjoyment.

The biggest problem is how Accel World VS Sword Art Online has issues directing players where to go. While some of this is because you need to read what characters say, so skipping dialogue might be confusing, there are times when directions are very vague. You might be told to find a portal and then proceed to spend an hour looking at the map. Thankfully, the pause screen typically gives you a better idea of what to do, but it’s still easy to get lost or confused.

This won’t be a problem for those who like to explore, which there is a fair bit to see, but will be annoying for anyone who wants to finish or progress to the post game stuff as quickly as possible.

Verdict

Accel World VS Sword Art Online isn’t a bad game, but it isn’t a great game either. The simple gameplay will appeal to anyone just looking for a good time, with enough depth to keep things interesting. Combine this with plenty to explore and the ability to fly almost anywhere and you have a pretty good experience, if you can overlook some things. These include a cliché story and familiar story, so so flying mechanics and poor directions. Outside of that, Accel World VS Sword Art Online should appeal to fans of the series or anyone looking for simple fun.

[Editor’s Note: Accel World VS Sword Art Online was reviewed on PS4 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]