Tag Archives: koei

First Impressions of TRINITY: Souls of Zill O’ll

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I was in the mood for a nice in-depth RPG, and remembered checking out a demo for TRINITY: Souls of Zill O’ll (possibly one of the worst named games on the PS3.) Not only is it a fast-paced action RPG, but it was developed by the fine folks over at KOEI. That being said, the general feel of combat is very reminiscent of Dynasty Warriors. It’s just like playing Dynasty Warriors but with a lot of RPG goodness like magic, goblins, quests, and other features. The game may be a tad obscure, but so far it appears to be a decent RPG.

You start the game playing as Areus, a half-elf who is all about exacting revenge on an evil emperor who killed his father years ago. When the game start Areus is training as a gladiator, but soon sets off on his own to make a name for himself as an adventurer and to gain enough experience (real-world experience in terms of the story, not XP necessarily) so that he is ready to challenge the emperor. As a half-elf, Areus hasĀ  minor proficiencies in both melee combat (with a sword) and magic, but as you make your way through the campaign you will come across other characters that can be recruited to your party. Some are heavy melee fighters, some are true mages, while others may have a mixture of both just like Areus does. Your party can consist of up to three characters at a time, and they all share XP as it is gained in the game.

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PS3 Review: Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce

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Once of my most favorite games from the PS2 was Dynasty Warriors 4. I had never played any of the previous games in the series, and it was by far one of the best co-op games the PS2 had to offer. It was a perfect hack-and-slash game where you and a friend could just run around with swords and cut up minions and tough bosses. I’m not joking when I say that one of my most fond gaming memories was when Steve and I first laid eyes on the badassness that is Lu Bu. That being said, I have played the older and newer games from the series, and I have always compared them to Dynasty Warriors 4. The older ones were a bit too slow, and the newer ones tended to focus more on strategy and unit management more than just tried and true mindless hack-and-slash action. Luckily, Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce is extremely successful in focusing a lot on the action, while at the same time intergrating a great RPG aspect, bringing the game to be the best in the series.

For those who are not familiar with the series, let me just take a moment or two to explain why it’s so awesome. Dynasty Warriors is loosely based on actual Chinese history, and you take control of one of many historical figures who were in China when the game takes place. To be more specific, it is based on the text “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” Now, I say loosely because there are near-invincible characters, magic, and, depending on which faction you play as, may not be entirely accurate (ex- your faction lost a battle historically, but you won that battle when playing.) So the game revolves around you choosing a faction (Wei, Wu, Shu), and taking their officers into battle against rival forces. Since it takes place in ancient China, the weaponry is basically swords, spears, bows, etc., with some other ones thrown in (like fans and clawed gloves.)

But enough of that. Let’s get into what makes Strikeforce such a great game!

dws

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