Treasure Trove - Devil May Cry 3

Welcome back, Treasure Seekers. This week I jump into one of the best action games of the modern era: Devil May Cry 3. Starting back at the beginning of the series' timeline, DMC3 dives into the beginnings of Dante along with some of his family history. Listen below and leave some feedback:   

Thanks to Konrad "FeniX" Gadzina and Cleyton R. Xavier for the music in this episode and Kenney for the minimal artwork for the logos. Head over to their links to check out more of their great work. 

Rocksteady's Arkham Games Are All About The Joker

Batman is arguably one of the most popular, if not the most popular, super hero properties around. Mr. Wayne and the legacy of the Bat have traversed various mediums, from comics to novels to television shows to the blockbuster films with more success than any other vigilante out there. Though there are some less than great adaptations, Batman as a franchise has arguably been successful moving between mediums on every front, including video games, and none of the Batman games are as iconic as the Arkham franchise, and for good reason.

In 2009, with the release of Batman: Arkham Asylum, Rocksteady did what many thought was the impossible: the studio put players into the shoes of Batman in a way that made them feel like the Dark Knight. Powerful enough to take on 10 men at once, but not impervious to bullets, with access to a plethora of wonderful toys on the utility belt that felt like natural extensions of the character for not only combat, but environment traversal and puzzle solving, Asylum set the standard for all super hero games going forward. It wasn't just the gameplay though. Rocksteady came into the world with a large respect for the mythos of the character and his world, with a strong story that was accented by the familiar voices of Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy that not only added quality to the project, but a heavy dose of nostalgia for anyone who grew up with Batman: The Animated Series. Hell, even writer Paul Dini jumped on to help flesh out the story. Asylum made everyone a believer again. There can be a good comic book game, and Batman can make a great setting for games. Though I could gush all day on the mechanics of the series, or the world that is set up in the franchise, what I really want to talk about today is the overarching narrative of the Arkham universe. Specifically the story of Batman and the Joker, because the Arkham games cover this relationship so well.

Treasure Trove - Lone Survivor

Welcome back, Treasure Seekers. This week, I tackle a game that helped change my taste in horror games, pushing me closer towards the suspenseful and stressful: Lone Survivor. This 2D, pixel art horror-survival game is all about messing with your mind, and I absolutely love it. Listen below:  

Thanks to Konrad "FeniX" Gadzina and Cleyton R. Xavier for the music in this episode and Kenney for the minimal artwork for the logos. Head over to their links to check out more of their great work.

Treasure Trove - God of War: Ghost of Sparta

Welcome back, Treasure Seekers. It has been a while and I apologize for the delay. For those who are new here, every other week you can find a new underrated or lesser known game to learn about here on Treasure Trove. This week we are diving into a famous PlayStation franchise: God of War. Ghost of Sparta is probably the most overlooked game in the franchise due to it being the second game on the PSP, which released as the PSP was making it's way into a shallow grave, but that doesn't mean it should be ignored. Have a quick listen as to why it is such a pivotal game of the franchise.

 

Thanks to Konrad "FeniX" Gadzina and Cleyton R. Xavier for the music in this episode and Kenney for the minimal artwork for the logos. Head over to their links to check out more of their great work.

From Stealth to Puzzler, Hitman Strikes the Mark - The Hitman Go: Definitive Edition Take Your Time Review

  
Quick Note: The puzzles are simple, yet entertaining, making them perfect for puzzle game players and newbies alike. The transition from 3rd person action/stealth to puzzle gameplay is seamless, and fits the franchise perfectly. Whether you regularly play puzzle games or are brand new to them, you're going to have a great time with Hitman Go: Definitive Edition.

The transition from console platforms to mobile is often not pretty. There are countless games that are meant to be played on a TV with a controller, and even though some of them work well enough, such as the numerous Final Fantasy games, the games just feel off. When Square Enix announced the move for the Hitman franchise to hit mobile platforms, it was a hard pill for many gamers to swallow. However, the game has been successful on mobile platforms, and now Square Enix has triumphantly brought the puzzler to consoles.

Pint Size Metroidvania - The Xeodrifter Take Your Time Review

Quick Note: Take the Metroid formula and condense it down to about 3 1/2 hours of gameplay for the perfect bite sized play through. The retro styled graphics and sound design bring back memories of yesteryear, as does the difficulty curve, so if you're not a fan of backtracking or higher difficulty, stay away. 


Metroid and Super Metroid helped create a unique blend of exploration and tension that was then refined with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night later on the PS One. This style of discovery that requires back tracking with new powers to open up more pathways in old areas has been adapted over and over again, often times to great success. Xeodrifter is the next game in line to take this patented formula and use it perfectly in a small, digestible experience of roughly three to four hours that left me feeling complete, and honestly, wanting to just play more.

Whispering Willows is Solid, But Missing Some Heart - The Take Your Time Review

Quick Note: Mechanically sound with an interesting premise, Whispering Willows fails to elevate itself above a generic adventure game. The ability to Astral project is a great mechanic, and the story has all the makings of an exciting tale, but ultimately the game comes off as bland and forgettable.


Adventure games have a long history, dating back to when games started to grow into a viable past time. Though there was a slow fade in the late 90's/early 00's where the genre seemed to be dying off, adventure games are alive today and more diverse than ever before. With games like the heavily narrative based Telltale's The Walking Dead, re-releases of classics like Grim Fandango, and brand new games built to emulate the classics, like Broken Age, it's really hard to recommend the bland and simple Whispering Willows over these examples and others like them.

Entwined is Better Left Behind - The Take Your Time Review

Quick Note: Though it tries to emulate the same emotional experience of games like Flower and flOw, Entwined falls way too short of those artistic experiences. The control scheme is never comfortable and the arcade style levels clash with the calming art style. Unfortunately, if you're looking for a calming, emotional experience, keep on looking. Or go back and play Flower, because it's awesome. 


Games have come a long way since the humble beginnings of vector graphics and pixel art. Today it's possible to pick up slow moving and emotional masterpieces like Journey, which stands alongside narrative driven experiences, such as Telltale's The Walking Dead or action oriented game play like God of War. The artistic approach to crafting games is an area that is growing rather quickly, but not all of these games hit the emotional core they are intended to strike. Despite all of it's efforts, Entwined stumbles out of the gate and never reaches the heights of the games it aspires to be.

Hohokum is Hohodrum - The Take Your Time Review

Quick Note: The cute aesthetic and desire to adventure into the world are mired by annoying puzzles and lack of communication to the player as to what he/she is supposed to do. Rather than feeling free, you'll often feel annoyed and wondering what the hell is going on.

Game genres have morphed and changed so much that it's becoming harder to simply classify them. This can become an exercise in frustration at times, but ultimately it means that the medium as a whole is growing and expanding, combining things we've come to know and love into new experiences. Not all of these episodes culminate into something worth playing, and unfortunately, Hohokum is one of those experiences.

Fanservice For The Pirate Manga At It's Best - The Take Your Time One Piece: Unlimited World Red Review

Quick Note: For fans of One Piece, there isn't a better adaptation of the tone and feel of the characters and the world. The combat can get stale outside of boss fights, but between the all new story, the ability to play your favorite pirates, and the extra content there's plenty of game here. Never heard of One Piece? You probably should stay away.

Anime translations to games don't always work out the way fans want them to. You would think that taking the impossible battle sequences or outlandish powers and bringing them to a medium where players can interact with them would be simple, but often times the transition leaves behind something special, making the game feel like it's glossed with the anime inspired coat of paint, but missing the heart of the source material. One Piece: Unlimited World Red is the opposite: as an adaptation of the anime/manga, it feels and looks amazing; as a game, it leaves me wishing there was just a little bit more there.

The Light in the Darkness - The Child of Light Take Your Time Review

Quick Note: Between the beautiful painting style graphics and the solid JRPG battle system, Child of Light hits all the right notes for any fan of a JRPG. Plus, it's short play time and simple play style makes this the perfect game for anyone curious in the genre. Child of Light is the perfect JRPG for pretty much anyone.   

My favorite games have always been predominately Japanese RPG's. From starting with Pokemon and moving into Final Fantasy, the turn based battle systems and magical abilities have always been something I have been drawn to. The 90's and early 00's were the golden years for JRPG's, with hundreds of hours worth of great story telling, interesting characters and amazing combat. That all seemed to stop with the last generation. Sure there were a few gems, but the glut of JRPG's seemed to stop, especially with the large franchises like Dragon Quest, which was almost completely absent, and Final Fantasy, which fell down a hole known as Final Fantasy XIII.

To fill in the void, smaller, shorter JRPG's that fit better into a busy schedule have been popping up, and none of them are better than Child of Light. Built by a small team within Ubisoft Montreal, Child of Light takes the traditional story, combat and exploration of JRPG's and makes it fresh and enjoyable again.

Heartfelt History Brought to Life - The Valiant Hearts Take Your Time Review

Quick Note: Old school adventure game steeped in real history, Valiant Hearts is great for anyone looking to relax and learn at the same time. If you're jonesing for deep action and fast paced game play, look elsewhere, but this game is proof of how a fun game can be entertaining to the point you don't even realize you're learning something.   

History is such a large and vast subject that it is so hard to dive into without skipping entire sections of it or glossing over details. So making a game aimed at one specific historical event is a daunting task for any studio. However, Ubisoft Montpellier has pulled it off with Valiant Hearts by focusing on the characters affected by the Great War while presenting the game in such a way that you learn something without even realize you're being taught.

Familiar Places With New Faces Makes Episode 2 of Telltale's Game of Thrones Worth The Play

Quick Note: Episode Two ups the action in increases the interactive portions of the game, but suffers from stilted pacing issues. That being said, the new characters are really starting to fit in with the old and Episode Two continuous to ramp the tension up perfectly. 

Months have passed and the second episode of Telltale Game's Game of Thrones series is finally out. Though shorter than the first episode, the brisk pace and great characterization really help make Episode Two feel more like a Game of Thrones episode while also keeping players more engaged with the world.

Q*Bert is Making It's Return to Gaming With Q*Bert Rebooted

Image courtesy of PS Blog.

Q*Bert, the famous old school puzzle game, is coming to PlayStation platforms.

Atlus Shows Off Persona 5 Gameplay With New Trailer

Image courtesy of Megami Tensei Wiki.

This week has been full of Persona information as Atlus continues it's stream of various Persona games, but the biggest news comes in the form of a brand new trailer for Persona 5.

February Holds Ancient Greek and Sci-Fi Futuristic Adventures for PlayStation Plus Members

Today the PlayStation Plus games for the month of February, and they include the titular follow up to inFAMOUS Second Son.  

Sony Teams with Spotify for PlayStation Music

Image courtesy of PS Blog.

Sony is closing down it's Music Unlimited service in exchange for a brand new program: PlayStation Music. But Sony won't be doing it alone, as the company announced today that Sony will partner with Spotify to create the online music program.

Capcom Announces Next Dragon's Dogma Game

Image courtesy of Official PlayStation Magazine UK.

Capcom's fantasy franchise Dragon's Dogma is getting a new iteration. Releasing on PS4, PS3 and PC, Dragon's Dogma Online will be a free-to-play title.

Clone Yourself or Run Around Seattle With Neon for January's PS Plus Games

Image courtesy of Giant Bomb.

Today the PlayStation Plus games for the month of January, and they include the titular follow up to inFAMOUS Second Son.  

PS3 Made Into Supercomputer to Study Black Holes

Image courtesy of The New  York Times

Consumers may have moved onto the newest PlayStation, but PS3 still has some life in it. So much life, in fact, that Dr. Gaurav Khanna has configured 200 of the older consoles to create a supercomputer to study black holes.