Tales of Resident Evil Revelations

Resident Evil Revelations, previously released on the Nintendo DS, was released for the consoles May 21, 2013. Revelations is a prequel, of sorts, to Resident Evil 6, where the player controls Jill Valentine as she explores an abandoned cruise ship. The game switches points of view sometimes, allowing the player to see the events being played out through the eyes of Chris Redfield, and new characters Parker Luciani and Quint Cetcham.

Revelations is the first Resident Evil to switch points of view, but also is the first to allow the player to upgrade their weapons. Back in Resident Evil 2, if a player found handgun parts as Leon, his handgun would then be a burst fire pistol. In Revelations you can increase the damage, mag capacity, stun, and more, that can change the outcome of any battle. Another new addition to the game is the Genesis, which is able to scan Jill's surroundings for ammo or even scan enemies to make herbs.

Aside from the single player game, there is also a multi-player mode where two players can explore the Queen Zenobia together with their own custom weapon load out, as well as pick their own agent and costume. This is the first Resident Evil to offer a co-op mode that doesn't involve wave after wave of monsters and a timer.In the appropriately named Raid Mode, the duo raids the Queen Zenobia through over twenty levels, unlocked by playing the single player campaign that offers a whole different experience.

One new addition to the game, while really good if you are going to play a chapter or two then put the game down, is a recap after every single chapter. It's a good facet for casual players, but it can get annoying for those playing through the game.. Thankfully, there is a way to skip the recaps allowing you to continue to enjoy your game until you are ready to put the game down.

While the game changes focus between characters every other chapter or so, the main story falls on Jill Valentine. Being dropped off on an abandoned ship with her partner, Parker Luciani, named SS Queen
Zenobia to find Chris and his new partner Jessica Sherawat. For the first time since Resident Evil 3, the player has to go through narrow corridors, dark areas of the ship and survive on small deposits of ammo. As the player delves into the ship and the history of the Queen Zenobia, more ferocious creatures appear.

Resident Evil Revelations brings the series back to its roots, which made a lot of players happy. The controls were hard to get used to at first, as they seemed stiff compared to Resident Evil 5 or 6. Some of the scares are cheesy, but it's good to have the old survival horror game back where ammo is scarce. The story itself can seem really convoluted as it seems to come out of nowhere, but it's interesting and not so cliche, filled with just the right amount of mystery and twists.

Resident Evil Revelations is a must have for any Resident Evil fan, especially those who want to go back to the times of the original three games. The stiff controls could scare players off, but I encourage you to try even still. Revelations is scary, fun, and addicting! Resident Evil Revelations walks away with a 9.5/10, finally Capcom did something marginally right! After the release of Resident Evil 6, as well as revealing that paid DLC was already on the disc and would still need to be paid for, a lot of players have been hating on Capcom.


That's it for this week's Tales of... tune in next Monday for another review by yours truly! Don't forget to subscribe as we will be doing something special for our subscribers, it also lets you know when we post new material. Be sure to comment below to let us know what you think or if you have a game you want us to review, specifically.

Way Back Wednesday: Legend of Dragoon

The Legend of Dragoon is a role-playing game, released for the PSX on June 11, 2000 and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. For the time in which the game was released, the graphics were still blocky but getting better. The music score is beautiful and still to this day, I can hear the music of certain instances playing in my head. The character development is also something that, I believe, is lacking in a vast majority of the games in this day and age.

The Legend of Dragoon centers around a fighter named Dart and his trials as he travels the world. The player is immediately brought into a bleak situation as Dart's hometown is on fire, set by the Sandoran army, and the hero finds himself being attacked by a giant green dragon. Dart is saved by a woman in black who mentions that Seles was attacked, causing the hero to run towards his hometown. Finding the city in ruins, the player is forced to battle their way to the captain and this is where it gets interesting!

The battle system for The Legend of Dragoon is absolutely unique. None of the characters can actually cast magic, and are forced to use weapons and items to defeat a lot of enemies. However, after a certain time, the characters can turn into Dragoon's which can then cast magic as well as attack differently. The first thing in combat a player will realize, when they attack, is a small white box in the center of the screen. Another box also comes in from outside the screen, shrinking until it disappears into the center of the smaller box as well. This is what makes or breaks a character. This box is what helps the player form 'Additions', or simply put, additional attacks leading into a stronger attack. When it comes to battle, attacking both in and out of Dragoon form as well as 'spell-like' items require accurate button pushing, making a unique feel to the game.

Once the battle in Seles is over, Dart learns that his childhood friend Shana was taken to Helena prison. Of course, Dart can't sit back and let the enemy have her. Entering Helena prison reveals more of the special mechanics of the game. When there is a ladder nearby or a small event that requires Dart to move, a yellow diamond shape with an exclamation mark will appear over his head. This tells the player to press the corresponding button in order to have Dart move.

Throughout the game. Dart meets new friends and old enemies. The tale of The Legend of Dragoon is told over four discs with more twists, turns, and agonizing losses on each disc. I highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys role-playing games as it's one of the best I've ever played. The Legend of Dragoon walks away with a 9.5/10, close to perfect again! The only real negative to The Legend of Dragoon is how hard it can be for players to adapt to the battle system. Apart from the difficult learning curve, the game itself is flawless.

That's it for this week's Way Back Wednesday, stay tuned for more. Don't forget to comment to let us know what games you would like to see, or what you think about a review, and subscribe to get updates every time we put new content up.

Tales of Metro: Last Light

Metro: Last Light is the direct sequel to Metro 2033, released on May 17, 2013, and was previously announced as Metro 2034. Last Light is a first person survival horror where ammo and money are limited. Money, in fact, is a rare type of bullet from the old age that the player can find on bodies or laying in a dark corner. Generic bullets for guns can be found easily. One of the most defining mechanics of the Metro games is going to the surface. Being that the the world above the metro is all radioactive, the player needs a mask and oxygen to survive.

The character Artyom is back in Last Light, being controlled by the player and taken through the world of Metro. For a lot of players, this game can get really frustrating as they don't exactly explain what happened in Metro 2033. Because of this, Metro: Last Light can be a huge turn off. There are monsters called Dark Ones, political wars, and other creatures that make up the NPCs and monsters.

One thing I wished either Metro game had, was the option to choose what Artyom says to the characters he interacts with. Without this, the main character is another mute with only a few phrases. The survival aspect of Last Light can also be frustrating as the game puts Artyom in, sometimes, inescapable danger.

The graphics of Last Light haven't improved since 2033 and the musical score, rather I should say lack of musical score, brings the rating down a lot. It was an interesting pick up, though the game doesn't tell you all of the controls and pretty much lets you flop around like a giant Magikarp waiting to learn an attack

Apart from all the negatives, once the player learns how to play and develops their own way of getting past enemies and moving through the metro, Last Light is a pretty fun game. The characters Artyom meets throughout the game give you a look on the inside of the dystopian world and what people will do for fame, fortune, or just to live.

Metro: Last Light walks away with a 7/10, not horrible but not amazing. It's worth a pick up if you are continuing the story of Artyom from Metro 2033, but outside players may be completely confused.

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