Before the game begins, you can customize your character. You can choose between male or female and select details such as hair color, eye color, and hair style. Customization is optional as there is a default character. Your task is to remake the city into what it was before through crafting, a special ability that only you possess. As more of the town is built, more characters will wander in and inhabit your town. Building is not the only element in this game; this is Dragon Quest after all, and there are monsters to be fought. With the limited amount of time on the demo, I did not get that far but weapons ranging from swords to bombs and traps can be built and are needed to defeat bosses. This adds another fun element to the game aside from just building and keeping in line with the Dragon Quest series.

Overall, this game was made for fans of sandbox games in mind. At first glance this game looks and plays like Minecraft, but with an engaging plot and the art style of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Quest Builders is different and much more engaging than a typical sandbox/survival game. I can see myself playing this game alone in solo player mode or with friends in multiplayer mode as I unwind for the day. Intrigued by the game? Then go check it out! The release date is scheduled for October 11, 2016 in North America and is available on the PS4, PS3, and PS Vita consoles. Pre-order now and get three exclusive recipes (slime block, gold block and springtide sprinkles recipe) for use in free build mode.

The first few tasks are fairly simple, and even if the wrong outfit is selected, there is no penalty. So in that sense, the game is very forgiving. The requests for specific clothing items are also very straightforward - a floral top, a striped shirt, black earrings, a casual dress in white. Silhouettes will appear in the boutique and around town, and it is up to the player to interact with them to advertise the business. Talking to them also unlocks more content in the game such as the streetpass or the dollhouse sharing function. Fashion Forward also employs a real time clock just like in Animal Crossing. At any time of the day, the player is able to return to the boutique to check up on their business, visit the nearby park to mingle with potential customers, head over to the dollhouse and design another room or restock on items for the store.

{youtube}IMd_ZRKcr-k{/youtube}

I got a kick out of selling the most expensive item as long as it fits the customer’s request (they hardly say no, even if it is a bit over their budget). As a self-proclaimed fashionista myself, I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed playing dress-up with my in-game avatar. The avatar customization was also quite in-depth; at least much more involved than what I expected it to be. There were several pages of hairstyles, types of lips, eye shapes, face shapes and etc. Once that was all done and I gained access to my wardrobe, I must have spent another 20 minutes trying out different outfits and accessorizing to make the ensemble as expensive and aesthetically pleasing as possible. There are hundreds of jackets, shirts, skirts, pants, shorts, and an insane number of accessories to choose from and even more to unlock as the game progresses. There is an in-game camera where I am able to travel around town, snapping photos for my next designs. There is a lot packed in this seemingly simplistic game.

Overall, as an adult, this probably is not a game I would pick up for myself. However, I can see how Style Savvy: Fashion Forward would be pretty fun for younger girls in the 7 to 12 year old bracket. There is an astonishing amount of content packed into this game; I find it almost overwhelming, and I can probably spend hours and hours into decorating the doll house (or messing it up and still getting praised for my superior interior design skills). However, that is just it. Hours can be lost doing one thing and because of the real-time clock, the actual progress of the game slows to a crawl and can quickly get boring. On the other hand, this allowed me to play casually, such as on my commute to work or on my lunch break. In short, this game has lots of offer but is definitely intended for a younger audience.

Pros: 

- Game UI is easy to navigate.
- Content rich.
- Important words and locations were highlighted in the text to show significance.
- Special perk after full completion!
- Amiibo & streetpass abilities.

Cons:

- Awkward translation and cultural differences because of the EU port.
- There seem to be a lot of women in this city….
- The art on the box seems to suggest this game is intended for an older audience.
- Real time clock - the progress of game seems slow and repetitive.

Review copy courtesy of Nintendo America

Don't Starve MEGA PACK Includes:

Don’t Starve Together: Consoled Edition (Reg: $14.99)
Don’t Starve: Console Edition (Reg: $14.99)
Don’t Starve: Shipwrecked (Reg: $4.99)
Don’t Starve: Reign of Giants (Reg: $4.99)
Don’t Starve: Console Edition: (Reg: Shipwrecked Theme $2.99)
Don’t Starve: Console Edition: (Reg: Autumn Theme $2.99)

Individual Purchase Price: $45.94
MEGA PACK Bundle Price: $26.99
Existing Don't Starve PS4 Player Price: $10.79 (Save 60%)

One last piece of news that Klei wants to share with you guys. One of the most exciting parts of this bundle is undoubtedly the release of Don’t Starve Together. This new entry in the Don’t Starve! collection will support up to six players online and for the first time ever, support split screen couch co-op both local and online.

We were invited to participate in a 90 minute hands-on demo on the PlayStation 4. At the start of the demo, the two main characters are shown accompanied by their fox looking friend Tama. While exploring, I was able to switch between chibi-style to their normal size form called “Jiant”. There were many engaging cutscenes with some of the funniest humor I have seen in a Final Fantasy game yet.

Compared to Ni No Kuni or the Pokemon series, the game felt like a mash-up of both worlds. There were noticeable features inspired by both games. The style of gameplay was very similar to Ni No Kuni with a presence of the Pokemon series. In World of Final Fantasy, players will capture and befriend classic Final Fantasy monsters, known as mirages. Even with all the similarities, this game has its own unique features that aren’t found in any of the current Final Fantasy titles. As the demo progressed, I was able to capture more mirages to add to my party. Each mirage will have their own unique special abilities and skill trees.

Visually, the game is very cutesy and undenyingly charming. I absolutely love the chibi-style art. There’s something very special about seeing iconic Final Fantasy creatures reimagined in their chibi form. The battle system for World of Final Fantasy gives a great sense of nostalgia as well. The game gives the player a choice between an active time battle system (ATB) or the classic turn based mechanic we are familiar with older Final Fantasy titles. Players can input commands directly or switch to classic mode for a more retro Final Fantasy feel on the fly.

Throughout the demo, my party consisted of some mandragoras and small goblins. I liked that there was the option to name each of the mirages I caught. One interesting feature about this game is the new stacking mechanic it incorporates into the battle system. Players can stack the different mirages on top of Reynn or Lann to increase their stats or execute more powerful attacks depending on the amount that are stacked. For instance, stacking two mirages will grant an HP boost and if they both know the spell fire, then they’ll be able to cast the higher level spell, Fira. Reynn and Lann do not always need to be stacked and can form a party with four mirages instead. Overall I found it better to stay stacked.

World of Final Fantasy is one of those games I am looking forward to playing, especially since the game is expected to take over 100 hours to complete. That’s pretty long and not to mention there are over 200 mirages for the player to capture. Compared to Ni No Kuni or the Pokemon series, World of Final Fantasy incorporates features from both games, but adds their own features making it unique. Both long time fans of Final Fantasy and those that are new to the series should definitely check out this game when it’s released worldwide on October 25th for the Playstation 4 and Playstation Vita console.

{youtube}cjpdOV5eSuE{/youtube}

{youtube}SdIo6kQv_90{/youtube}

During PAX West 2016, we got the chance to sit down and speak with director Hiroki Chiba about his latest game: World of Final Fantasy.

Chiba: The World of Final Fantasy was first kicked off because we were celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Final Fantasy Franchise, and we wanted to sort of reintroduce the goodness of the Final Fantasy games to a younger audience, a new audience and we were trying to come up with an idea and that’s when Mr. Shinji Hashimoto, the producer of the game approached me. I went to Mr. Yasuhisa Izumi-san who helped design the smaller lilican characters and Mr. Izumi-san came up with some sketches of these characters and took those designs and showed them to Hashimoto and Mr. Tetsuya Nomura. They decided that’s when they could sort of take this as a starting point to create a new Final Fantasy IP.

Chiba: In terms of the content we wanted to make sure we brought out that sort of Final Fantasy-ness in terms of the feel of the gameplay as well as the volume of the gameplay. So, we kept that in mind, but at the same time we wanted to introduce Final Fantasy to new players and for them to enjoy the game as well. So it’s like nostalgic, but new. So, we can have our new players who can enjoy it, but also our long time fans as well. There are different monsters that appear. There is over 200 of those that player can potentially capture and add to their ally.

Chiba: Our protagonist can actually switch between our small size and large size. This is not just a visual aspect, but it actually ties into the gameplay mechanics in different aspects like in the battle and in the field and the player can actually toggle between the small and large size while they are traversing in the field. So, when our characters are in their large form or we call them giants, they are able to stack the little monsters on their head and when they are in the smaller form the lilican form, there able to mount some of the larger monsters. So, you have a tower that you set up in your party. Depending on what monsters you include in that tower combination, that sort of allows you to utilize different abilities and the stats would change as well.

T-ONO: What has your impression of PAX West been so far? Have there been any memorable moments?

Chiba: Yes, I did get a chance to walk around, this is actually my first time at PAX and actually my first time in Seattle. I got to see the show floor and I saw that the players were so excited and so passionate about games and I feel like I was able to sense that first hand the fans passion and I myself love video games. So, it’s really great to be amongst those people who are excited about games and it’s a lot fun.

T-ONO: Are there any specific games that you are playing right now that may have inspired you in any way?

So, because I have played so many various games, my mind is kind of scattered across many different games. So, I can’t really pinpoint on one specific one, but I definitely love the new games that come out and I am interested in many different types of games. That being said, do those games affect the way I approach game design? Again, I can’t pinpoint on a specific game, but definitely as I am playing the games and as I am enjoying certain elements of it I’m sure it sort of gets en grained in me and I think to myself, well how do I incorporate this into what I do and how do I make it interesting. So, I think that the kind of thought process that goes behind there, but in World of Final Fantasy we definitely wanted this to be something that brand new players can enjoy and experience as a new IP, but at the same time take care of the long time fans as well with the nostalgic elements kind of fuzed in together with the new elements as a sort of brand new package. So, if I were to say if any games have inspired me for my game creation? I believe all Final Fantasy games have been some sort of inspiration to me.

TONO: So, we are really close to the release of World of Final Fantasy. There has been many trailers shown and demo’s featured at Gamescom and here at PAX West. What’s the fan reaction been to what you have shown and are you optimistic that people are going to receive it well?

Chiba: If I were asked am I optimistic for the release? You could never be sure with the title of course. So, with any title I can’t say for certain I am optimistic for the result, but that being said the creators that worked on this game are all either fans of Final Fantasy or people who have worked with the franchise in the past and we all love the game and we all love Final Fantasy and we all packed in as much love into that game as possible. So, we really put a lot of effort to creating the game and I have also noticed that certain people are a little taken back by the visual aspect. Some might not sort of like the cute sort of art style, but I urge you try the game anyway. I’ve heard people that have been hesitant because of the looks, but once they got into the game they realize it’s actually really quite in depth and there is that really sort of substantial feel comparable to that of a numbered title. I encourage people to try it out.

T-ONO: Personally I enjoyed the chibi-art style of the game. What was the inspiration behind this?

Chiba: So, with every Final Fantasy and I think this can be said especially for numbered titles, we always want to push the limits on technology and with the advancement of our hardware and graphic depictions, visually we’ve been trying to push the envelope and see how photo realistic we can get, but for World of Final Fantasy we did try to keep in mind and consider the younger audience and the younger generation who may be more receptive to the cute art style, that’s something that might be appealing to our younger generation. So, when I approached Izumisawa and when we came up with some of the concepts sketches, that’s the direction we took in the cute lilican design, but not only that. We definitely wanted to pay our respects to the classic Final Fantasy. If you recall some of the Super Famicom or Super Nintendo era Final Fantasy games, you see the sketches where the character’s head is big and the body is small. That kind of depiction was the inspiration for Izumisawa’s design. So, we feel that his iteration of the lilican art style embodied that sort of new feeling, but also something that long time fans would find recognizable and it’s a really good match, though I feel that we have arrived to a really good solution in that look and design.

TONO: One of the great things about the Final Fantasy series is the different types of monsters they have. So, with World of Final Fantasy having over 200 different mirages which one was your favorite?

Chiba: So, of course amongst these mirages, we do have familiar monsters from previous Final Fantasy titles, but we also have many new mirages that are introduced in World of Final Fantasy and of course I do have different favorites and I do love all my mirages, but I would have to say while working with Izumisawa and the different staff members, we worked really hard and put in a lot of effort to create Tama, the white fox looking one with the big ears and the big tail and then Seraphi, the pink hair kind of fairy looking girl. Those two are definitely two that we put a lot of effort and struggled to create. So, we definitely love those two a lot. There are personal favorites that I have and kind of utilizing my powers as a scenario writer, I have made them have talking parts or I kinda made them apparent that they are my personal favorites. There’s a Cactaur and a Tonberry with speaking parts.

TONO: Can you tell us more about the characters Reynn and Lann?

Chiba: Reynn and Lann are twins. Reynn, being slightly older I mean they’re twins, but Reynn tends to want to say “why don’t you call me big sister” when she wants to be referred to as the older one and then Lann, the younger brother who’s a little bit ditzy, so to speak. So, their interactions during their adventure is something that’s very fun and interesting, but those two wake up in a town called Nine Woods Hill. They are in their Jiant form as we refer to it in their larger size and they realize they have amnesia. They do not know who they are, where they come from, and who their parents are. So, they are prompted to go into the world of Grymoire to find out about who they and what their past is.

TONO: Are there any plans for DLC? Could we possibly see any type of collaboration DLC from any future Final Fantasy titles?

Chiba: In terms of DLC, especially post launch, there’s nothing decided or it’s all TBD, but with that being said, we do have a day one edition of the game. It will come with Sephiroth champion as well as three additional mirages and those are technically considered downloadable content, but game system wise, it is setup so that future DLC could be added. So, we would like to see the reception from the fans to see how well this title is received and if there are demands from the fans on particular collaborations or characters. We would love to hear feedback and sort of see where it would go from there.

TONO: Lastly, Do you have any message to say to our American Fans?

Chiba: World of Final Fantasy is a game that we feel people who’ve never played Final Fantasy before can enjoy, but at the same time long time fans would be able to sort of re-experience and get a brand new look on their favorite characters and franchise as well. We feel that we’ve put in the effort to be able to cater to booth fans of the spectrum so that we don’t go against any sort of expectations. We believe that this is a title that any Final Fantasy fan of Final Fantasy or RPG fans would be able to enjoy. So, we encourage people to take it in their hands and try it out.

At the start of the demo the main protagonist Noctis and his friends: Ignis, Gladiolus and Prompto are shown. The main quest shows them bringing their broken down car to Cindy. While her grandfather Cid repairs it, she sends the group on a series of quests ranging from killing a pack of smaller monsters, a search for a missing person and a mini-boss battle. I loved the different variety of question locations, so I was constantly engaged to see the quest line to its end. Upon finishing, I was given access to the car, with the ability to travel to different towns on the world map.

Visually the game is gorgeous. The details on all the characters are almost realistic. Being struck with spells like fire can actually damage your characters clothing. The overall environment is also very detailed from the massive landscapes. Throughout the demo, every building or scenery looked different from the next. The battle system of Final Fantasy XV uses the Active Cross Battle system (AXB) system, which is similar to the real-time battle systems from the Kingdom Hearts series and Final Fantasy Type 0. Combat is fast and fluid and many improvements have been spotted with the AXB, however, there is an option to slow down the battle tempo for those who prefer classic turn-based gameplay. During real-time, players can either tap or hold the attack button while watching for QTE’s showing when an enemy is about to attack. Evasive abilities range from dodging or parrying successfully for a counter or warping out of the area. At any time during battle, if the meter assigned to L1 is filled, Noctis can direct one of his party members to do a special ability. Some abilities can do critical damage or stun the enemy or turn them into warp points for Noctis to strike all at once.

Players can choose to switch between different types of weapons. In the demo, I had access to a sword, spear, and great sword. One of the interesting features about this game is the way magic is handled. The game uses a magic crafting system. Throughout the map, there are different elements that can be collected and converted into magic. On top of that, items can be added into the mix to give the spell special properties. Adding a potion to the fire spell will it the ability to heal party members while still damaging the enemy. As the demo progressed I got a chance to try out the car. Overall the manual driving has improved, however, the car is still limited to how far out of the lanes it can drive. I found it best just to stay on auto and play with the radio. While in the car there were many different tracks to listen to from Final Fantasy’s history, all the way from Final Fantasy I, VII, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, and Lucian Cruisin.

Another element I enjoyed was Noctis’ relationship with all his friends. Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto all have a seem to have their own role or stereotype. Gladiolus will act all tough and mighty, Ignis is the intelligent one of the group and Prompto is your typical comic relief. I did enjoy how Ignis would easily discover a new cooking recipe when your cooking skill hit a certain level. Overall I did enjoy the banter between the four of them. On occasion during a conversation you are given a choice of different dialogue options. Noctis can even consult his friends for some of the more, tougher choices. Since it was early in the game the only choices were choosing to be kind to people or do your quest for a gil.

All in all, the game has seen many improvements since the Episode Duscae and Platinum demos. After playing for an hour I am more excited for its full release. Hopefully, the finished game will have more improvements than the demo at PAX. Final Fantasy XV is expected to be released on November 29th on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

The demo starts five hours into the game where you find the hero and his party going in search for the culprit that has turned the villagers into animals. Once you are in the dungeon, you fight enemies along the way till you encounter the boss. Once you beat him you save the villagers and the boss returns them to their normal forms and so ends the demo. The remake has taken some changes before on PS1 the game was puzzle driven to the point that many players found it hard to complete but now in the remake, this has changed so less puzzles so the player can focus more on the story. As well as the rebalancing of the vocations to make it more player friendly. With these changes, it seems like the game can be passed down from veterans fans to newer generations of gamers to make them fans of RPG games. So story will be the same with a few extra scenes here and there but overall the only other change from PS1 into the 3DS aside from the game being more story driven than puzzle solving is just the 3D characters and environments. Also one of the volunteers talked about "the story so far" which is a feature that will let you know where you left off before. This a feature that goes very well with 3DS since the console is a used by most when traveling it will come in handy. I personally did not see this feature at work but it is a helpful feature.

Overall the feel for the game is the same as before the same turn-based combat and similar monsters we all have come to associate with this franchise. This game is perfect for new younger fans but some older fans might get a bit upset that the puzzle element that made this game known for being challenging has been reduced. The gameplay is player friendly as well as simple and forgiving. New fans will be able to get right into it without knowing any of the past games. Since the game has been rebalanced it seems this is aimed toward more casual gamers than the old-school RPG gamers from before. People who pick this up will be for the fact that is now on a portable console and can be played during small breaks or downtime or they couldn't beat the original back on the PS1. This game is scheduled for US release September 16, 2016.

{youtube}lrxt4onVw7w{/youtube}

One of the reasons why I did not play FFXII when it was first released was that I was not familiar with the gambit battle system (and new to the franchise in general). I had only played XIII, IX, and X prior to that (which was mostly ATB based), and there were so many other things that turned me away from it the moment I loaded the game into my PlayStation 2 (hunting board what?). I have been told that it is very similar to the MMORPG, FFXI. Of course, I’ve also never played FFXI, so I really did not know what that meant either. Now that I am an avid player of FFXIV and having spent a good 90 minutes on FFXII, I can agree that the play style of FFXII is similar to that of a MMORPG and without the social aspect.

One of the things that differentiates XII from the rest is the gambit system. The gambit system, in short, allows the player to assign and control each individual character and queue up a list of attacks. For the most part, I left the gambit system on. I would have two characters focus on a certain monster while the other 2 work on another. To change things up, I removed gambit for all the members in my party and found that it was a bit cumbersome. For example, if the mage is out of range, the selected spell will not get cast until the character is close enough to the target.

The “Zodiac Job System” is also something that I took note of during my session. While it is not new to this particular remake, it is a revamp of the original 2006 release and was introduced in 2007 under The International Zodiac Job System version of FFXII. Unfortunately, I was not able to figure out much with this as I only had a small glimpse of the game. From what I understand, the Zodiac Job System, simply put, allows the characters to be assigned one of the twelve jobs available, giving the player greater control over the customization of the team. With this Zodiac Job System, players can change the group’s abilities and stats accordingly and is no longer tied to leveling them up as they are assigned.

Final Fantasy XII has always been one of the games that I’ve been meaning to play but never got around to. With the HD remastered version and an overhaul of the original mechanics, I’m looking forward to playing it when it is released.

{youtube}81NsStczT8E{/youtube}

Silent Siren, a very popular Japanese girl-band, is coming to San Francisco on their first world tour. They will hold concerts in two cities in the U.S., LA and SF. Do not miss their live performance!

Silent Siren S WORLD TOUR 2016 in U.S.A.
San Francisco Sunday, Oct. 2nd 
Venue : Slim’s 
333 11th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
DOORS : 5:30PM SHOW : 6:30PM

Here's a couple of goods that will be on sale at the event. Check them out:

Tickets are still available for San Francisco through Eventbrite. They range in price from $30 for general admission and $90 for VIP. Perks for VIP include: Handshakes, Goodies, and a Photo!

We'll be back after the excitement is over for full coverage of the events! Have fun and hope to see you there!

Ticket Info : https://Silentsirensf2016.eventbrite.com
Tour Info : http://www.ss-world-tour.com/
Silent Siren Official Site : http://silent-siren.com/
facebook : https://www.facebook.com/SilentSiren.official
Twitter : https://twitter.com/staffsaisai

{youtube}6NQvva89J14{/youtube}

{gallery}Silent Siren{/gallery}

One of the things that I noticed was that sound effects play an important role in this game. Certain sounds will increase or decrease based on character proximity and position and really sets the tone of the game. Surrounding ambient noise is interactive and the same goes for the music; it starts slow, then picks up in volume to match the suspense. Weather effects such as thunder and wind noises all added towards the overall feeling of loneliness and terror. Towards the end of the demo, I encountered a troll and as I got closer, I could hear growls and snarls. Eventually, I found a cave to hide in and that signaled the end of my demo session.

After the demo, I talked to the staff and had many of my questions answered. I don’t want to spoil too much of the game, but there were several small things that I noticed throughout the demo that there were actually clues or hints about the game. In terms of gameplay, I was told that using the flashlight (your main tool) will yield different reactions. For example, on certain monsters, the flashlight will stun them and on a different monster, the light will provoke them. I also mentioned to the staff that Through the Woods reminds me of the movie “Troll Hunter” (Trolljegeren in Norwegian). When I noted this similarity, it turns out that “Troll Hunter”, along with “Thale”, another Norwegian supernatural horror movie, were inspirations for the game. I also learned the game takes place in a world where Norse Mythology and Norwegian folk tales are all real, so that might mean you could encounter creatures like a "Gullinbursti", or a "Huldra", who leads people into the forest, or a "Nokken" who lives in a lake and lures people into its icy depths.

If you are even just a bit intrigued by the story or are a fan of the genre, I encourage you to check out the demo. The atmosphere in Through the Woods is fantastic and had me on the edge constantly. This game will have you going online and searching for Norwegian folktales and lore to better understand the monsters and how to protect yourself from them in-game. Through the Woods will be available on Steam soon so add it to your wish list and may you sleep well after playing it.

{youtube}pOUxudimDuU{/youtube}

Without giving away too much details, Nightcry alternates between two modes, ‘search/discover mode’ and ‘escape mode’as the player progresses through the story. In the first mode the Scissorwalker, the main antagonist of the game, is nowhere to be found and is known to be stalking the grounds. The main objective of the game is to solve a murder mystery while avoiding the Scissorwalker. The main protagonist will take this time to explore and uncover the truth, and this is where the game mode will change. If the Scissorwalker appears, the game turns into the ‘escape mode’, where surrounding area will now contain traps or tools that will help with escape or stealth. If successful, the game will change back into ‘search mode’ again. This reminds me of Metal Gear Solid where stealth is key, but the main objective is to uncover secrets.

As with most survival horror games, there are no weapons and the protagonist does not have a lot of defense power. In Nightcry, the protagonist has a smartphone that also doubles as a flashlight. The phone can be used to call friends or check their ‘snapnpost’ (the in-game social media platform) for helpful hints and clues. The flashlight is a helpful tool as only certain actions can only be detected with it on.

In terms of the story, the game plays like a visual novel where the story can branch off into different endings, making it quite replayable. It was a bit disappointing to find out that there are several decisions early in the game that once decided, will ultimately determine the route. Since many different elements can trigger a route and those elements range from talking to other characters, entering certain rooms, interacting with items, to picking areas to hide from Scissorwalker, this can be hard to decipher where you went wrong, and limits your ability to alter the ending.

Visually, the monster design is amazing and the cutscenes where the Scissorwalker appears seem to be straight out of a movie with the lighting and camera angles. The game environment has that dim lighting feel that most J-horror films have and add to the feeling of terror. Unfortunately, the game is not full voice acted so some scenes will simply have to be read through.

Despite the game being on PC, movement is point-and-click with the mouse instead WASD. This was something that I found problematic for me. I felt that the mouse clicking had limitations in terms of exploring, escaping, and just the overall mood of the game. When exploring a room, there are times when the character does not react for several seconds so I had to click multiple times causing the character to dart back and forth. The camera angle too, due to the multiple clicks would suddenly change and I would enter a different area instead. When escaping, the character would also stop at the last point that I clicked on, creating a bit of a delay when trying to escape from the Scissorwalker.

The concept of a Resident Evil game with visual novel elements is great but I felt a bit overwhelmed with the number of possible endings. Overall, the game felt a bit rushed and I feel like there is room for improvement. The monster design along with the overall atmosphere is stunning and made my heart race as I tried to escape. I felt the choice of control option that they chose for this game was limiting and it hindered my progress and immersion. I can see the game being more fluid if a controller option was available. If you are a player who wants the nostalgia feel and are a fan of the Clock Tower series along with Japanese horror films then definitely check this game out

{youtube}cWYXuzWDsgc{/youtube}

Pit People is a turn-based strategy role-playing game with unique artwork that once you start playing, it’s really hard to stop. The artwork and cut scenes have a unique cartoon feel to them but don’t let that fool you as there are plenty of dark humor and intense battle scenes! Add to that, the narration is hilarious leaving me laughing nonstop during the short demo. The game is a co-op strategy game after all, so it is best to play with a friend and devise a plan of attack (up to 4 players for 2v2 matches). Solo-player? No problem! Just jump into the game in single player mode and come up with a plan on the fly. After you win, you gain EXP to level and currency for character upgrades. One additional thing we noticed was you can change your character’s role (range, healer, tank etc). So as you continue playing, you can recruit new players by capturing them with nets thus making your party stronger. This adds a strategy element to the game, making you think ahead before you decide to speed run thru the game. Enjoy competition? There is a PvP feature called “The Arena” where you can play ranked matches weekly with a reward at the end of each week.

Overall this game is one of those games that you might see and say no thanks, but once you sit down and start playing, I’m sure you’ll be playing for a while. I really enjoyed the narration of the game and the banter between the narrator and the character at first, but it got a bit bland as it went on. To me, this game is one of those games where I can just sit down and play for a bit before going to bed. Currently, there is no solid release date for Pit People yet, but it will be made available for Xbox one and Windows 10 (via Steam).

{youtube}pO2rrTl8COU{/youtube}

The band consists of Suu (Sumire Yoshida on vocals and guitar), Hinanchu (Hinako Umemura on drums), Ainyan (Aina Yamauchi on bass), and Yukarun (Yukako Kurosaka on keyboard and synth). Silent Siren is one of the fastest bands to reach the lofty stage of the Nippon Budokan at just over two years after signing with their current label, Dreamusic. Silent Siren has toured across Japan as well as Taiwan and Hong Kong; making their way toward becoming international sensations.

The concert was held at Slim’s, a smaller but popular downtown venue. Upon arriving, I noticed two lines with one of them being led by a pink-clad squad. These are Silent Siren's more dedicated US fans. They had already seen them the day before in Los Angeles and had traveled north for the San Francisco show. These diehard fans had all purchased VIP tickets and arrived hours before, so they could get as close as possible once the doors opened.

Every attendee was given an LED wristband that was synced to the show and changed colors throughout the night. This was most impressive when viewed from afar, so you could see just how many lights there were. As the show went on, a sea of lights undulated back and forth, and you could tell the crowd had a lot of fun.

The band started off with the songs "milk boy" and "Hachigatsu no Yoru" from their newest album, "S", released in March this year. This was followed up by some of their older songs like "BANG!BANG!BANG!", "Besan", and "Joshikou Sensou”.

About halfway through the set, the band paused and held a Q&A, so US fans could learn more about them. Fans who were lucky enough to have their questions chosen also received an exclusive photo taken with the band on the spot! The girls expressed a desire to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland as one of the places they wanted to eventually visit in the United States.

One attendee couldn't resist asking whether they liked San Francisco or Los Angeles more. Suu pondered the question before mentioning, "They asked us the same thing in LA. There's a rivalry between the two right?" She continued by saying, "Everyone who comes to a Silent Siren live are friends; you are all part of the SaiSai family." This garnered the cheers and applause of the crowd.

The last question was about their favorite artists. One big influence for Silent Siren is the Bay Area band Green Day, and this segued perfectly to their next song - a cover of Green Day's "Minority."

One of Silent Siren's most known songs is probably "Secret Base", a cover of the hit song by the all-female band ZONE from 2001, and was made popular again from from the live action adaptation of the anime series "Anohana" (Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai). They followed this with the songs "Stella" and "C.A.F.E.". A few songs later, Yukarun jumped from her keyboards to a turntable and started up the fittingly titled "DanceMusiQ". The girls traded rock for a more electronic sound and threw on some lighted party glasses while encouraging the crowd to groove along with them. They played one more song, "Guruguru Wonderland", before exiting the stage momentarily for a quick costume change. They returned to the stage in their tour t-shirts which marked the beginning of the encore. They finished the night off with the trio of songs "Shindobaddo" (a new song), "What Show is it?" and "Cherry Bomb". The girls did a quick demonstration on how to do the two-handed "cherry bomb" pose and had the crowd joining in on the fun as they sang.

This show was a lot of fun. Even on Slim's tiny stage, Suu and Ainyan were able to bounce back and forth; helping spur the crowd on with their energy. Fans were jumping, waving their hands, and getting into the music. Normally, my tastes are more along the lines of various metal from the relatively lightness of power metal to the speedy thrashfests of melodic death metal. In terms of Japanese music, I prefer bands like Dir en Grey, Exist Trace, and Versailles. Silent Siren's brand of pop-rock is way outside of both of those wheelhouses, but I think I can make a place for them in my rotation. The night clocked in at about two hours, but time flew by quickly watching them.

Silent Siren played a total of 18 songs with much of the set consisting of their newest album "S". The breakdown is as follows:

Setlist:

milk boy S
Hachigatsu no Yoru S
BANG!BANG!BANG! サイレントサイレン
Besan 31 Wonderland
女子校戦争 サイレントサイレン
Love install S
Minority (Green Day) cover
爽快ロック サイレントサイレン
Hapimari (Happy marriage) S
Secret Base (anohana) S
恋い雪 サイレントサイレン
stella☆ Start→
C.A.F.E. S
DanceMusiQ サイレントサイレン
Guruguru wonderland 31 Wonderland

Encore:
Shindobaddo new
What Show is it? BANG!BANG!BANG!
Cherry Bomb S

Album breakdown:
Start→: 1
31 Wonderland: 2
サイレントサイレン (Silent Siren): 5
S: 7
BANG!BANG!BANG!: 1
Cover: 1
New: 1

{gallery}Silent Siren SF{/gallery}

With the core plot based on the first Gorjira film, the story is modern day Japan encountering a kaiju for the first time. The film takes a strong realistic approach to the unrealistic appearance of a giant monster by closely following a young government official, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Rando Yaguchi. Soon after the appearance of the kaiju, Yaguchi is appointed to create a research team, where he recruits “lone wolves, nerds, troublemakers, outcasts, academic heretics, and general pains-in-the-bureaucracy.” It is up to Yaguchi and his team to discover the weakness of Godzilla and to come up with a plan to defeat it when the Japanese Self Defense Forces (JSDF) cannot defeat Godzilla with their military attacks.

{youtube}zgyq6YKeIms{/youtube}

Unlike most Godzilla films including the Legendary Pictures 2014 version, Godzilla is the only kaiju this time around. For Godzilla fans, all the nostalgic Toho elements are there. Returning are the classic roar, the familiar theme song, and the mass destruction of Tokyo. The new elements do much to update Godzilla and hopefully start a new era of Godzilla films. There is a new origin story that still involves nuclear power. Godzilla is no longer a man in a suit, but a nightmarish, terrifying CGI kaiju based on motion capture from actor Mansai Nomura. Those familiar with Hiedaki Anno's Evangelion series won't be surprised to see that there are deeper lessons to take away from Shin Godzilla. The use of Godzilla as an allegory of the dangers of nuclear power is visually made clear with imagery that evokes the Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant disaster and 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. There is a heavy emphasis on the inaction and the bureaucracy of the Japanese government which is criticized explicitly by Yaguchi. There are also nods to the Evangelion series throughout the film. The most obvious references are when composer Shiro Sagisu (also from Evangelion) uses a remix of "Decisive Battle", and the choreography of the JSDF engaging with Godzilla feels eerily similar to the choreography of Evangelion’s fictional Japanese Strategic Self Defense Force (JSSDF) engaging with Angels. No doubt fans will create side by side comparisons when the DVD/Blu-ray is released.

For the casual movie goer, they may have a difficult time keeping up during dialogue heavy sections where subtitles are occasionally imposed on the original Japanese subtitles. Also for all its dialogue, very little of it is spent developing any of the characters beyond their desperate desire to stop Godzilla. Another flaw in the film is once Godzilla hits the big screen, the human segments quickly begin to feel like fillers until our titular kaiju starts rampaging again. Like its predecessors, the film suffers from a lack of interesting human characters, but it was never about them. Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi didn’t forget that the focus and star is Godzilla. Unafraid to use tried and true fundamentals from both the Godzilla and Evangelion franchises, the co-directors combined a new CGI model with modern day Japan to create a Godzilla flick that is both fresh for newcomers and welcoming to lifelong fans.

PROS: 

-A new Godzilla design
-Fantastic camera work
-The realism of a government/military response

CONS:

-Too much dialogue
-Not enough time spent on individual characters

Castle in The Sky is the first feature film to be produced by Studio Ghibli in 1986 and the legendary director Hayao Miyazaki. This art book is beautifully compiled not only with stunning illustrations, but with character artwork (from conception to official film art), and personal notes by Miyazaki himself that allows fans to dive deeper into his creativity and thought process. The art book has a little for everyone even film production fans, with a section on lighting effects and such.

On each character design page, there are rough sketches and notes about character traits and personality. For example on Pazu’s character page, it details the contents of Pazu’s tool bag. On the side, Miyazaki noted that Pazu isn’t just a cool kid, but someone who would use tools at hand to problem solve. Or on Shiita’s character page, there is a concept art of her dressed as Princess Leia of Star Wars. Fans of the movie who are interesting in learning more about the characters would be amused to find small tidbits and quotes about their favorite characters and scenes throughout this beautiful hardcover artbook.

One section that I really enjoyed was when he talked about the Ornithopter (the helicopter like vehicle in the movie) along with a picture of concept sketch. Miyazaki mentions that “Given this form, I think it might just fly even now. It probably only needs something like the auxiliary wings of the archaeopteryx”. Reading notes like this made me realize just how much thought he puts into every single bit of his creation. If the beautiful art and the interesting notes from Miyazaki is not enough for fans, there is an English script of the movie included at the back of the book as well.

Overall this is a great addition for new and existing fans of Castle in The Sky. I highly recommend this book to those who are fans of Hayao Miyazaki’s works, Studio Ghibli’s works, or even for those who are just looking for a good quality art book with stunning illustrations. The retail price of the art book is reasonable at $34.99 U.S./$39.99 CAN. If I had to nitpick about anything, it would be for the lack of a sleeve for the art book that celebrated the 30th anniversary of the film. Also it would be nice to have a section at the beginning of the book with quotes from other artists, celebrities and directors/producers commenting what Castle in The Sky and/or Hayao Miyazaki means to them. Other than those small details, this art book is worthy of a spot on any collector’s bookshelf. The Art of Castle in the Sky is available now.

PROS:

- Quotes and insights from Miyazaki himself on his concept sketches and illustrations
- The use of concept art, cell art, and film art to illustrate the evolution of the art
- Sections where technical notes or methods are explained
- Character design and insight of Miyazaki’s creative process of the characters
- Full English movie script

CONS:

- Could have used a book sleeve with 30th anniversary celebration
- Foreword with other artists, celebrities, and directors/producers saying what the film means to them
- Needs an about section of Hayao Miyazaki with his picture

Admission was reasonably priced at $40 USD. A VIP package was available for those that wanted earlier access to the expo hall (goody bag and a continental breakfast included). Companies with floor presence at the event included Sony, Bethesda, Funko, Nintendo just to name a few. The booths showcased more than just games it is a mixture of nerd culture that ranged from games, toys, collectibles, comics, to apparel and more.

As I went from booth to booth, I noticed that quite a few booths advertised items that would be available soon but only exclusive to GameStop. At first, this was interesting but then after a while, it got a little annoying but it would only make sense since every other convention has convention exclusive item(s). GameStop Expo has a very intimate feel than other conventions. Wait times were much shorter and I got to experience everything that I wanted to try out. GameStop Expo may be a smaller convention but it certainly did not lack the impact of a normal high-traffic convention.

Since GameStop Expo is only a one-day event, the majority of the action happened indoors and most of the outside was neglected which seemed like a waste. Other than showcasing games, there were plenty of top game developers, publishers, special guests, and internet celebrities present at GameStop Expo to interact with fans.

Overall the event was enjoyable and it was a nice mid-week getaway to enjoy some games. Next year GameStop Expo will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada so if you are interested keep checking the GameStop expo website for more information.

"Starry Wish" Music Video 

{youtube}pmkYEpXbfUA{/youtube}

CD jacket

"Vivid Strike!" CM featuring the ED song

{youtube}URswtdiAQAg{/youtube}

Inori Minase Official Facebook：https://www.facebook.com/InoriMinase 

Source: King Records 

Castle in The Sky is the first feature film to be produced by Studio Ghibli in 1986 and the legendary director Hayao Miyazaki. This art book is beautifully compiled not only with stunning illustrations, but with character artwork (from conception to official film art), and personal notes by Miyazaki himself that allows fans to dive deeper into his creativity and thought process. The art book has a little for everyone even film production fans, with a section on lighting effects and such.

On each character design page, there are rough sketches and notes about character traits and personality. For example on Pazu’s character page, it details the contents of Pazu’s tool bag. On the side, Miyazaki noted that Pazu isn’t just a cool kid, but someone who would use tools at hand to problem solve. Or on Shiita’s character page, there is a concept art of her dressed as Princess Leia of Star Wars. Fans of the movie who are interesting in learning more about the characters would be amused to find small tidbits and quotes about their favorite characters and scenes throughout this beautiful hardcover artbook.

One section that I really enjoyed was when he talked about the Ornithopter (the helicopter like vehicle in the movie) along with a picture of concept sketch. Miyazaki mentions that “Given this form, I think it might just fly even now. It probably only needs something like the auxiliary wings of the archaeopteryx”. Reading notes like this made me realize just how much thought he puts into every single bit of his creation. If the beautiful art and the interesting notes from Miyazaki is not enough for fans, there is an English script of the movie included at the back of the book as well.

Overall this is a great addition for new and existing fans of Castle in The Sky. I highly recommend this book to those who are fans of Hayao Miyazaki’s works, Studio Ghibli’s works, or even for those who are just looking for a good quality art book with stunning illustrations. The retail price of the art book is reasonable at $34.99 U.S./$39.99 CAN. If I had to nitpick about anything, it would be for the lack of a sleeve for the art book that celebrated the 30th anniversary of the film. Also it would be nice to have a section at the beginning of the book with quotes from other artists, celebrities and directors/producers commenting what Castle in The Sky and/or Hayao Miyazaki means to them. Other than those small details, this art book is worthy of a spot on any collector’s bookshelf. The Art of Castle in the Sky is available now.

PROS:

- Quotes and insights from Miyazaki himself on his concept sketches and illustrations
- The use of concept art, cell art, and film art to illustrate the evolution of the art
- Sections where technical notes or methods are explained
- Character design and insight of Miyazaki’s creative process of the characters
- Full English movie script

CONS:

- Could have used a book sleeve with 30th anniversary celebration
- Foreword with other artists, celebrities, and directors/producers saying what the film means to them
- Needs an about section of Hayao Miyazaki with his picture