PPR Presents Play Play: Final Fantasy Type-0 HD

t’s always a joy when the west gets a Final Fantasy game that they originally missed out on, and the deal sounds even sweeter when the game gets an HD facelift to boot; which is why it’s disappointing that this long lost Final Fantasy gem is so disappointing, and violent too.

Like, weirdly violent, if adorably birds being bloodied death doesn’t sound like a good time, then consider this your trigger warning, Final Fantasy Type-0 HD has lots of this shit from the start…

Ser and George attempt to find the fun that the game has to offer, and discuss design elements that they feel would be more ideal for an action RPG title (and they’ll try to find as many as they can in this pretty mess of game too.)

Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!

PPR Presents Play Play: Titan Souls

he thrill of pushing against overwhelming odds to the brink of death is a fantasy that anyone fan of a good action tale can relate to, but there is such a thing as overkill, and Titan Souls is a prime example of running a bit too far with the concept.

Join George and Ser as they stumble through the pixelated ruins of giants and monsters in Acid Nerve’s Titan Souls, and try to make sense of all death suffered in the process—it’s the kind of shit that will break you from the start.

Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!

QCF: Axiom Verge

hether you love it or hate it, the renaissance of independently developed indie games is still very much kicked into high gear, and new titles like Shovel Knight and Hotline Miami are keep everyone on notice.

And with indie games still heavy hitting the scene of console gaming, the inevitable swell of side-scrolling love letters coming out of the mix, but none more frequent then the fan-favorite sub-genre that’s fondly recognized by the portmanteau that every gaming enthusiast has come to know: Metroidvania.

While the argument for if whether or not the sizable wave of these games is doing more harm than good to the genre is still up for debate, one particular title has uniquely approached the formula in a different direction. A direction that magnificently caters to both the culture of the titular design, and the fundamental dynamics that drive its appeal; Tom Happ’s Axiom Verge, a title that beautifully integrates what it homages into an experience that you’ll keep thinking about it, even after it’s over.

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QCF: Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

o matter what your standpoint on the matter is, it’s a fact that’s commonly accepted by a majority of modern society; violence is a part of life. Now when it comes to how people come to terms with this is an entirely different story, but I always found the concept of depictions that revel in graphically glorifying it as a point of illustration to be interesting; especially when it worked.

The argument on whether or not the gory aggression worked for Hotline Miami 2 though is a bit muddled, because when it works—it works.

And when it doesn’t, the title rings a bit hollow with a reverberation of pretension.

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QCF: The Order: 1886

t’s safe to say that gaming is continually reaching new levels of spectacle and showmanship, and that next plateau of tech is never too far out of reach as the medium advances; it’s just too bad that the medium has a ways to go when it comes to expanding upon new concepts and ideas that are afforded by the advancement.

Ready At Dawn’s The Order: 1886 is a perfect example of how to squander such an opportunity—a technical achievement in presentation and production that’s sadly held back by an antiquated sense of design.

I’m fully aware of just how harsh that opening statement sounded, but that’s the take away that this PlayStation 4 exclusive left me with, and it didn’t take long before I came to it either.

This may sound cliché, but The Order’s greatest strength also happens to be its biggest weakness; the cinematic direction of its pacing and world—a trade-off that just isn’t worth it.

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PPR Presents Play Play: Transistor

hroughout the wreckage and calamity (see what I did there?) of Cloudbank, bears the stance of one woman, and her indignant sense of duty to right the wrongs of all the injustice that’s befallen her fair city and life.

Listen, it’s no secret, we love Super Giant Games’ sophomore release, Transistor, and while we’ve already reviewed, and talked about it at great lengths on the show, we figure we’d go one step further in showcasing our admiration for 2014’s indie darling in yet another edition of Press Pause Radio’s Play Play.

Come join us, join everyone, oh, everyone, before we all become one.

Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!

QCF: Chariot

he concept of royalty truly is a fascinating distinction within humanity’s self-imposed hierarchy over the years. The prestige and responsibility it demands is a balance of finesse and leadership that’s equally important to both sides of the crown—even when that crown might rest upon the head of a self-absorbed, entitled narcissist.

Enter Chariot; a grand mission of tribute to the fallen king, undertaken by his two most loyal retainers, as they drag and push their majesty’s wagon-eered coffin, towards the perfect resting ground for burial so that the matriarch may finally move on to the afterlife.

While the whole thing may sound like a glorified escort mission at first impression, the reality is a delightfully heartwarming test of wits and resilience against the law of physics against a lump on wheels that’s essentially an out-of-body extension of you and your buddy’s skills and abilities—with an added test of friendship thrown in for good measure.

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QCF: The Legend of Korra

hen it comes to licensed properties, it’s safe to say that video game adaptions have come a long way since the dark ages of the LJN published trash all those years ago.

I mean, there’s Telltale’s work on the Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, Warner Bros’ Shadows of Mordor and Batman Arkham Knight, and lest we not forget; Ubisoft’s swan dive to publish the unexpectedly amazing South Park: The Stick of Truth…I could go on. The point I’m making here is that license games are steadily scrubbing away the nasty stigma that’s plagued them for so long, and it’s really nice.

However, there’s are still the occasional exceptions to the recent trend, ones that falls victim to all those familiar offenses that irrevocably render their once promising future as a video game into nothing more than a hot bag of shit that even a purist fan of the property couldn’t love.

In a painful twist of fate though, the software in question that’s guilty of all these cardinal sins may also just be one of the most unexpected disappointments to have surfaced in 2014 to begin with. Renowned for their exemplary work within the Action genre, Platinum Games were handed the reins to Nickelodeon’s Legend of Korra; and in spite of all of the resources, talent, and enmities the famed Japanese team had at their disposal—the finished product they’ve released may easily just be the worst title the studio has ever developed.

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