Every Games Amazing

Month: March 2017

(4) Hog Riding Brings Iota to Amazing New Lands
(4) Hog Riding Brings Iota to Amazing New Lands
Watch this video on YouTube.
Jumping on a Pig Is Always a Good Idea
Today’s episode is truly a fun one, as we get to the good stuff right off the bat. After leaving Maypole Fields we quickly learn that a once-great warrior pig is now sad. Well, this just won’t do. We’re going to have re-ignite his love for battle if we are to proceed. Thankfully this is as easy as fixing his one small eye and making it nice and big. I try my best to make it identical size but I think I may have missed the mark a bit.
Nah, those eyes are close enough; it’s all good
We jump on this now fearless hogs back and ride headfirst into those dastardly scraps that block our path. This part of the game is a nice change of pace from everything else we have seen in Tearaway thus far. The pig is fast and controls great, it’s not a non-stop runner you can go backward as well as forward. This gives you a chance to not miss any destructible boxes or enemies. The music roars and the pig moves at full-speed, you can use the Guiding Light to help destroy scraps and help heal the world.
Iota and a Pig Braving the Darkness to Find True Love
Going from the nice beautiful outside to the dark and dank inside of a cave isn’t enough to stop us. Using the Guiding Light of the Dual Shock 4 controller we light up a path to take through the darkness. This allows us to deal with scraps and a few puzzles in our path. The cave is a pretty stark difference from anything else we have seen yet in Tearaway. There are emblems on the walls and ground, maybe they’re relics from the past or maybe they’re just world-building. Either way, I’m determined to make it all as clean as possible.
The only game I can think of where two pigs come together to find true love
Exiting the cave brings us back out into the sunshine as we come to the end of our big adventures. Thus we find what appears to be our hero pigs’ wife and they go inside a little hut. The game deals with this in a very adorable way that I won’t ruin her. Iota is still young don’t you know. Moving on from that life lesson brings us to everyone applauding us for making it this far on our quest.
The World Opens Up, We Meet Some Elk and Need to Deal with Some Dastardly Crows
Coming out of the other side of the applause we come to a big field where we can explore at our leisure. This is the first time this game opens up and it’s nice. It keeps it linear by telling you how to progress but letting you explore the area to your heart’s content. Moving to a big house we have a crow steal a key and fly into what looks like some scary woods. Unfortunately, we need that key to enter the house and apparently, crows steal souls.
You can’t match the majesty of this amazing Elk so don’t even try
Moving behind the house I find an area that has no color, we change this with a quick blast of the Guiding Light. We save a sweet Elk by bringing light back into the cave that was once covered by scrap everywhere. Moving back into the open field we explore the area a bit to collect some presents. failing at talking to people on a boat we give an Elk that has all hope a new look to feel better about himself. From there we head over to where the dastardly Crow brought the key and call this today’s episode!
Next up we harness the wind!
March 31, 2017
(3) Turntable Jumping Is a Lot of Fun in Maypole Fields
(3) Turntable Jumping Is a Lot of Fun in Maypole Fields
Watch this video on YouTube.
Leaving the Squirrel Kings Domain in Tearaway Unfolded
Coming right back in where we left off last time we are still within the Squirrels Kingdom. Before leaving however I run into a squirrel that requests my assistance. Wanting me to help prank his fellow squirrel, I’m more than up to the task.
Problem is that I have no idea how to prank said the squirrel, it takes me running around for a bit before I realize how to accomplish this. I go grab a present muse over some of my options and return to decorate and prank the squirrel. I place an eyeball on the squirrels tail and call it a day, I get the present and proceed onward with my adventure.
Having an eyeball on its tail will not end well
From here we leave the kingdom and move towards a giant forest filled with drums. Utilizing the touchpad to bounce, move objects to clear a path and platform my way through.
After a bit, some more dastardly scraps show up to just make things more difficult. I just use the guiding light to throw them over the edge and into the abyss below. You can also use the drums to dizzy them to make it easier to dispose of them. Once they’re all gone we get an apple to start a party!
Turn Tables and the Magic of Jumping
The party starts, the world lights up and color reigns supreme. Everyone’s super happy, dancing, and just thrilled that the area has been granted color once more. Turntables and apples litter the area as you push through the party-goers.
Coming to a giant X in the ground we run and press X right over the top of it. This causes it to launch Iota way into the sky, unfortunately, it’s just not high enough to reach our destination and deliver our important message.
Iota was within reach of getting to his goal, but it was just out of his grasp for now
To come so close only to come crashing down isn’t enough to deter Iota on his adventure. The fall causes him to fold up his legs and allow us to chose when he jumps. Being able to jump at will is a nice addition and allows for some good puzzles down the road.
We start by grabbing a nice present with our sweet new jump ability. Walking across some turntables reveals that we can use the DualShock 4 touchpad to scratch them and make our music. It was a cool sequence, no doubt.
Moving into the Maypole Fields
Yep, this is easily the creepiest thing in this game yet
Jump some gaps and we run headfirst into our next section of the game. We have to reach the area above but to get there, we have to move through a field in our pathway. Taking a short tram ride down to the Maypole fields is a little blast of joy, it’s a cool sequence. Upon exiting the tram we open another book and thus another chapter.
We run into a blind man who wants some eyes, so I give him three eyes. Cause you can never have too many eyes. Jumping a few fences takes us to a section where we learn that the butterflies in the area have no wings. So using my creative skills I create wings for the creatures. Taking a nice breather to enjoy the butterflies I just helped end today’s episode!
Accomplishing things in Tearaway feels good when you’re the one doing it
Let’s go Hog Riding and go to new lands!
March 30, 2017
(2) Meeting the Fabled Squirrel King in Tearaway Unfolded
(2) Meeting the Fabled Squirrel King in Tearaway Unfolded
Watch this video on YouTube.
Tearaway Unfolded is just a delight through and through
As After coming off my full playthrough of Lumo I jump back into Tearaway Unfolded to help deliver the important message. Getting right down to it we make our way to the Wassail Orchard and learn a bit how the chapter selection works.
Probably so we can go back and collect any presents we miss along the way. We sort of get the sense that someone or something is stalking us through the world. Which is always unsettling. Using our light we create pathways through logs to reach a drum.
You use the touchpad on the DualShock 4 controller to make Iota jump into the air using the drums
Tapping the touchpad on the PlayStation 4s Dual Shock 4 allows us to jump to higher ground. This also creates music and allows for some neat platforming sections. Since Iota can’t jump at will we need to time our taps perfectly to move forward without falling. We come across the squirrel that we created a crown for last time. But he’s lost his color and only a picture will do the job. From here we just need to be on the look out for things without color, so we can fix them.
Giving color back by taking pictures is really cool
Drumming and Apples Lead to Victory
The scraps make a return and we need to defeat them and grab an apple to move forward. Using the Guiding Light makes this short work as we throw them over the edge. Grabbing an apple and throwing it into the glowing soup allows a plant to grow and open a pathway. From here we use more drums to bounce upward. Landing in a battle arena we use both the drums and Guiding Light to take down more scraps.
To move forward we need another apple and the only way to get this one is to solve a quick puzzle. Using what we’ve learned from using the drums we need to bounce the rolling apples upward to reach a single point. It’s fairly easy but kinda fun, just tap the touchpad when need to make the apple reach its destination. After we grab the apple we drop it in the soup and press forward.
Bouncing these apples is pretty easy, but no doubt pretty fun
Flowers Shooting Apples
From here, we need to break scraps around flowers in order to shoot apples into more soup. Doesn’t get too complicated just kind of timing based, same with jumping across the rotating drums. Entering another arena we take down some more scraps. This part I liked as you need to have the flower shoot the apple, then light a path for it to follow on its way to the soup.
Meeting the Squirrel King
From here we jump on some more drums, get to a camera I can’t use and meet someone quite interesting. All the squirrels line up and usher us into their domain in order to meet the squirrel in charge. We become privileged enough to wear the crown we created ourselves, this helps other squirrels know that we’re kind of a big deal. We take a nice happy picture together and call this an episode!
Meeting a King is always a bit overwhelming
Next up we jump on some Turntables!
March 29, 2017
(10) Killer Golden Lighting Tiger Attacks in Nioh
(10) Killer Golden Lighting Tiger Attacks in Nioh
Watch this video on YouTube.
Finding the Hidden Shrine in the Darkness in Nioh
After surviving the never-ending rain, I opened a doorway that allows us to approach the entire area from the other side. Going straight through it I run into an enemy I don’t like. It’s fast, powerful, and attacks with its tongue. It’s not too hard to take down, but if you let it get the jump on you, you are done. After taking it down I move to a tree that you can use to get to the top of a building. Upon reaching the top I get ambushed by a ninja and take him down, using all my skills to not fall off. A few good hits allow me to knock him off which was pretty amazing.
Look at his one eye, you know he means business and wants to lick you dead
Grab the chest at the top, go back down and around back. I find a chest with an “East Gate Key” in it along with some armor. Taking the key I find a door to use it on, this isn’t the door that was going to kill me which is good. Directly ahead is a shrine, but before I get to it I need to take out some of the big enemies around. They’re big hulking stone statues that do a lot of damage. The key here is to just attack when you have an opening as this does a lot of damage. After taking down two of them I take a break at the shrine and discover that they don’t respawn which is nice.
He’s big, made of stone and crumbles under pressure
Clearing out the Weaklings to Meet the Big Guy
Focusing on the rest of the enemies in the area I move in to take down the rest of the giant stone enemies. Getting to the end gets me another chest with some new gear. From here I move out to take down some of the lumbering mini-bosses moving around. This is kind of a trudge but I need to do so I can move onto the big boss waiting behind the murder door. Although once they’re all gone, I stupidly go for the boss so I can lose everything I just worked for. Man, this boss is such a gut punch and so different from everything else. I just was not ready.
Killer Golden Lighting Tiger
Pushing through that door is a bigger stride than you might think, compared to everything else. This is a giant lighting tiger that looks like gold and moves like the wind. This thing is fast and ferocious, does not stay still for long, and will level your health bar in one or two hits. Add all this to the fact that he can summon lightning from the sky and you’ve got one hell of an opponent.
Yep, that’s not completely terrifying
For this fight, you have to keep moving there are no other options here. He can summon lighting from anywhere including its mouth. You have to keep your distance and dodge when needed. However, as long as you keep moving you should be able to dodge most attacks. The struggle comes when he changes patterns on the fly and catches you off guard. One of the very few openings I have managed to see through is when he rolls at you. The goal here is to have him run into a wall and fall over, this gives you seconds to go get some hits in.
Sometimes you just gotta grind to Succeed
Problem is that after I try to take him down a couple of different times, changing equipment and trying new tactics. Nothing sticks, I’m just going to have to grind for a bit before I attempt to fight him again. But that’s for next time.
March 28, 2017
(9) Surviving the Never-Ending Rain in NIOH
(9) Surviving the Never-Ending Rain in NIOH
Watch this video on YouTube.
Jumping Feet First into the Rain in NIOH
After defeating Hino-Enma, we start today by jumping into a whole new area. After a brief cutscene, we’re thrown right into the action. I start by praying at the shrine to kind of get my bearings. From here I move forward to take on some new enemies. The cool part about having some trouble with the last boss allowed me to be a bit over-leveled for this part. So the baddies aren’t much of a problem. A couple of good strikes and well-placed arrows take them down no problem.
From here it’s all about the exploration of this whole new area. Avoiding the water, climbing some trees, and just learning the entire area in general. Heck, I even manage to take down a mini-boss that gave me so much trouble not too long ago. That’s what happens in Nioh, you struggle but its all worth it within due time. Mainly because you can take down any challenge the game throws at you since you’ve learned how to conquer it in the past.
Getting Wet and Dealing with Ambushes
Trudging through the mud and rain reveals the real enemy of this level. Ambushes and a lot of them, since its dark throughout this entire area enemies, can hide anywhere. This means that the glowing item you want is most likely surrounded by ninjas hiding not too far away. The problem is that they won’t attack until you try to pick up the item. This gets you stuck in the animation and gives them time to do some serious damage.
Wait, I just want the item; give me a break here
Thankfully I am pretty overpowered and they don’t do much damage. These ninjas are using two blades which offer a speedy attack. But not much damage thanks to the armor my character is currently wearing. A little back and forth, but they go down easily enough. Going into the house they were guarding gives me a nice chest to plunder.
A Spirit Cat Shows Us the Way
Our friendly spirit cat shows up to tell us a bit more about the area we’re currently trying to get through. It was a wonderful place that went to ruin rather fast. We run into an area with three big mini-bosses, one of them being a cyclops. Those things still scare me enough to not want to deal with them.
This cat is easily my favorite character
Moving forward all sneaky like I bust open some crates, make my way around a few enemies, and just get a better lay of the land. I manage to find a new helmet to wear, which feels good since it still has horns. From here I attempt to take down a few of the mini-bosses in my way. It’s not too bad, the real problem is that they’ll come back each time I die or reach a shrine.
Opening a Nice Shortcut
Yep, sounds good; I’ll be back later
After reaching a door that upon opening manages to scare the hell out of me I decide to go open a shrine shortcut. I mean that’s a hell of a thing for a door to say upon opening it. Blunt, straightforward, and to the point; no bullshit. I move forward hugging the wall and come to a door that’s right beside the shrine I started at. I open that sucker and decide that I’m close enough to take down the mini-boss right next to it. Quickly dispatching him, I pray at the shrine and call this an episode.
Let’s go kill a golden lighting tiger!
March 27, 2017
(8) Blood Thirsty Batty Boss Fight in Nioh
(8) Blood Thirsty Batty Boss Fight in Nioh
Watch this video on YouTube.
NIOHs Blood Thirsty Bat Demon
After taking out the small fries, we’re starting with a bang today in Nioh we try to take down the second big boss of the game, a bat demon named Hino-Enma. She’s fast, does a ton of damage, and can paralyze you with her bat wings. But I think we can take her down. The trick to this battle I discovered is to keep your distance, this gives you a chance to dodge her long-range attacks. Which will paralyze you in your tracks and she’ll come in with her feet or umbrella to do a ton of damage.
Yep, that’s not unnerving at all or anything. WHY IS HER TONGUE BLACK?
This boss is all about waiting for an opening and exploiting it. She has several attacks where she will stay still for just long enough for you to get some hits in. Unfortunately, on the first try, I attempt to block her attacks head-on and I die instantly. In the second attempt I take things a little slower with similar results. I fail to dodge roll in time and get my throat ripped out. But hey third times the charm right?
My poor throat never stood a chance
Third Times the Charm to Defeat Hino-Enma or so I’ve Heard
After being taken down two times in a row without much to show for it, I’m ready to take her down. I take the fight very slow and calculated. Only attacking when I have an opening, blocking to the best of my ability, and maintaining my stamina. I heal when needed, in turning burning through all my elixirs. What helped me out was using my weapon to take out all her stamina. This gave me more than a few openings to take her health down.
Patience was the name of the game her and once I realized that I was able to take her down. Missing a grab that killed me earlier I go in full force, taking out all her stamina. This brings her to the floor and I give the final blow. Taking a breather to pick up the gear she dropped I just bask in the victory for a bit.
Bat lady down, I repeat bat boss lady down; feels good
Story Time with Nioh
Now I’m going to be completely honest when I say that I have no idea what’s going on in the story with Nioh. We get a cutscene where we talk with someone who was held captive by the boss. After grabbing his hand he transforms into a big giant bull that’s our new spirit. He is better than the current guardian I’m using so I do change to him when I get the chance to.
Yep, it’s a pretty cool looking bull
We move to a sweet cutscene that plays out like a watercolor painting in motion. In it, we learn that the two countries have a battle looming between them. Next, we get a cutscene where everyone drinks to the victory we just had. Everyone’s drunk and showing off their guardians. We get to see the cat again as he dances a bit. Needing a bit of fresh air we move outside to run into a new character.
New faces in Nioh
Wrapping Up
We’re essentially given our next mission by this mysterious lady that leaves almost immediately after she shows up. Kinda cryptic but the map screen has got our backs in helping us where to go. Next up is a never-ending rain-filled place, its gonna be full of fun surprises!
Now it’s time to move onto some never-ending rain.
March 26, 2017