Call Of Duty WW2 Review: Old feels new!

Hello everyone! Well Call of Duty WW2 has been out for a little while and I've already dedicated most of my evenings to it! Poor old Infinite Warfare received huge unwarranted backlash when it was announced, but little did the wider world realise that Activision had already commissioned a return to COD's roots and stopped Sledgehammer creating a sequel to Advance Warfare. Instead putting them in charge of the first COD game to go back to the world war since World At War in 2008! 

"Let's not beat about the bush and get straight in to talking about the multiplayer: it's not fantastic."
  Let's not beat about the bush and get straight in to talking about the multiplayer: it's not fantastic. Not to write the whole affair off, but there a two components that WW2 critically hasn't done well. The first problem is the maps: I don't know what happened in the meeting when they were talking about map design but they were very much mistaken. WW2 continues the trend of three lane maps of small to medium size, but where it goes wrong is pathways. 

Let's remember Black Ops 3, (the best multiplayer since MW2 in my opinion). Three lane, mid-sized maps. Localised spawn locations at either end with some cover, two flanking routes and the larger middle route. Normally the flank routes had one interconnecting pathway into the middle route, otherwise they connect back up near the spawn hubs. 
This meant that the designers had great control of player movement around the map, which means it's easier to place  strategic cover, reduce camping spots, improve spawn logic and give the players a better understanding of the map. 

WW2 however, chooses to have lots of interconnected pathways from the flanks to the central map area. Which in turns makes it much more difficult to predict player movement for the designers and the players. For a designer it means a bit of head scratching where to appropriately put strategic cover and for the player it means a headache when deciding how best to flank the enemy team and where to expect another player may approach from. 

The issue is further compounded by the fact that aesthetics have taken some precedent in the maps this time, so yes they look more prettier but it's just stuff that gets in the way of sight lines and movement. There are pointless bits of cover littering some of the maps and makes them feel a bit maze like. 
I'm not sure at all why they decided to do things this way, I don't remember anyone complaining of not having enough pathways? Sure, not everyone likes mid-sized three lane maps but WW2's maps are just a headache.

When I played BO3's multiplayer, I was able to predict enemy movements around the maps without using the minimap. The maps were that well designed you could get into a flow, but I can't in WW2. There are two many pathways to look down if you're rushing and it feels like you're flipping a coin as to which route an enemy player may come down. Unless you've got a recon plane or something going on, it's very difficult to predict player movements.

 "yes, quick scoping is still here."

The next critical flaw is weapon balancing, it's pretty bad here. LMGs are a waste of your time for instance. The movement penalty, general low magazine count, recoil and long reload times makes them pale in comparison to anything else. Rifles have a far better damage profile, quicker fire rate and quicker reload times. Their clip sizes are also pretty modest. Apart from some specific occasions there's just no reason to choose an LMG over an assault rifle.

Sniping is pretty beastly this time around and yes, quick scoping is still here. Anyone using the Mountain division (more on them later) gets aim assist when aiming down sights, and the assist is pretty strong. Far more than any COD I've played since MW2. The result of this is most lobbies have multiple snipers using the one shot kill Enfield, either amazingly or pathetically. Obviously one of the issues with having sniper rifles so effective is that in the right hands it's a laser beam of death at all ranges. Some snipers can outgun shotgun users, as the sniper rounds have no damage drop off range where the shotguns can have pretty strict ranges.

Strangely, only the SMG's get silencers this time, but playing covertly isn't as big a deal this time around partly due to the map design as I said before predicting player movements is a lot trickier now. Their damage profiles are also pretty strict and there doesn't seem to be a big movement bonus over the rifles and so for a better damage profile most people go with a rifle. 

Lastly shotguns get beefed up like they did in BO3, and so in the right hands they can be pretty devastating. But the rate of fire for them is pretty poor, so if you fail to nail that one shot kill you're just sitting duck even in close range. 

"the pick 10 system is gone!"

I mentioned the Mountain division earlier, that's because the pick 10 system is gone! Instead you choose between five divisions that are designed around each of the weapon categories. You can level the divisions for additional perks, so for instance in the expeditionary division, if you equip a shotgun as your main weapon you can load incendiary shells into it. But only if you run shotgun as your main weapon, you don't get this ability if you main any other category of gun.

The perks you obtain as you level a division are the main rewards and do apply to any other weapon you equip as a main. For instance in the expeditionary division, as you rank up you can equip a tactical and lethal grenade at once, next rank you throw further and while sprinting and finally at the last rank you can resupply grenades off dead bodies. So the divisions are quite potent and choosing the right one for your playstyle is important. It is wise you evenly rank them up as depending on the game mode a division can help you succeed. It's also clever to mix a division with a different weapon category. Mountaineer division get stealth perks which are perfect for a rush class rather than a sniper.

Maxing out a division nets you a new weapon in it's respective weapon category and then prestiging a division rewards you with a basic training skill which are basically a perk. 
There are lots of basic training skills, over twenty. They're a mixed bag of useless, half useful and useful perks. I think they really could've chopped these down or allowed us to pick at least two at once, but only choosing one out of twenty just means only the crutch trainings get chosen. There's not a whole lot to sing about the basic training perks as most of them are perks from previous games.

I like the divisions, they're a good idea. Not wholly implemented well though as some of the skills are pointless. Like a bipod for an LMG. Reduced recoil and faster reload rate, what's so bad about that? Well you cannot move, they keep the damage profile and every map already has minigun emplacements which have a better damage profile, faster fire rate and also infinite ammo! 
I could go on nit picking all the strange design decisions in the multiplayer but then this article will go one for ages!

"War's maps are amazing!"

Now I want to be positive, and to be honest this is a big positive, so big I wish this mode had more maps and was the main part of the multiplayer experience and I'm talking about the War mode.

Those maps that I mentioned aren't good? Well War's maps are amazing! The maps are designed around attack and defend and the attackers are always positioned at a disadvantage, but it works!
So, to give you an idea of how the War mode works and how the maps flow let me tell you about Operation Neptune, a Omaha beach themed level. 

Allies start on the beaches and have to charge up to Axis lines and plant charges to get access to the cliffside. 
The Axis get to stay in the bunkers atop of the cliffs and using minigun emplacements they get to tear up the beach. 
To help the Allies there are NPC soldiers running around keeping Axis players preoccupied. 
Once the Allies breach the shoreline they can build ladders to scale the cliff and/or breach the lower bunker and gain access to a trench that leads up into the bunkers for additional flank routes. All the while the Axis players will be rebuilding any defenses and patrolling the trenches around the bunkers. 
All the allies have to do now is sit in the bunkers to capture them like a domination flag. If the allies accomplish this then the Axis are forced to retreat to bunkers further up the hill. 
In this stage of the battle the Axis have to defend radio equipment in a large bunker, and the allies have to breach the bunker and destroy the equipment. Sound simple but this bunker is easily defensible. However if the Allies destroy the radio equipment then the final phase of the mission is initiated.
Again the Axis have to retreat before the timer counts down and mortar fire commences. This last stand is at two flak cannons that the allied players must destroy by planting three bombs on each cannon and the Axis naturally have to prevent them. This last push is the hardest section of the map, once one cannon is destroyed a tank arrives to help the Axis troops and it becomes much more frantic.


The Axis players can win by halting the allies within the time limit and naturally the attacking side has the greater obstacles to overcome, but the imbalance in the maps is what makes this mode so interesting and makes the maps so playable. No more spider web pathways! These maps have such focus that they're design is just sublime and they're a real joy to play. There are only three maps currently, but I really do hope they put out more than one war map per map pack, because War is the saving grace of WW2's multiplayer. 
I wish more shooter games included modes like this, it sort of takes me back to playing counter-strike, having the attack and defend dynamic.
The worst thing to say about War mode is it's very frustrating when your team don't use tactical grenades like the smokes when it comes to completing objectives and grenade spam is very present and it takes a long time to rank up the Armoured division for it's flak jacket buff.

Now I do understand the hardship in designing maps that must be suitable for team deathmatch, domination, hardpoint, search and destroy and capture the flag is pretty immense and it's no wonder that they get it wrong from time to time. Ultimately, something has to give so that all those game types can function in that map space. Because the War maps only have to accommodate one game mode they get to be refined and well balanced, WW2 really shows the weakness of having multipurpose maps.

"I found the Final Reich mission was really newbie friendly"


Nazi zombies returns again, (I guess this is now the official co-op COD mode) and I was pretty surprised by it to be honest. Infinite Warfare's spin on the mode was enjoyable and was easier to get in to for newcomers (traditionally this mode is tough as nails) and WW2 follows suit. You can play a little prologue that explains the basics as each iteration has some tweaks to the formula but I found the Final Reich mission was really newbie friendly and unlike previous games where each "easter egg" was so vague and long winded to activate, you can actually do a fair few of the objectives in the Final Reich without reading an FAQ.

One thing that does really help is you get a lot more points from zombies this time around and the cost of weapons and stat bonuses isn't extortionate. You can also choose a class which affords some passive bonuses and an ability that you can charge up before activating which add to your arsenal and are a welcome addition.
If you like COD zombies you'll be happy here as there is plenty to get your teeth into and it never gets old watching your character remove a zombies head with a shovel.

"I don't get how people can say COD games don't look good!"

Finally the campaign, I was unsure what to expect going in. The European theatre has been done to death in games and movies so was unsure how engaging WW2's campaign would be but I've got to say I was really impressed. 
It looks gorgeous, that's the first thing that hit me. The character models, the environments and set pieces it's all wow, wow. I don't get how people can say COD games don't look good! They must have vaseline on their glasses or something, I mean it isn't going to have the fidelity of Battlefield but then COD runs at 60 FPS instead of 30.
And the sounds, the guns have a real grunt to them. They sound powerful, the noises really pop in your ears and the sounds of explosions all around is an audio treat. WW2 grabs your senses and throttles them, never letting go. 

It plays as good as it looks and sounds, too. The Nazi AI on the normal difficulty is engaging, the level design is very good and you never spend too long doing the same thing. There's some great pacing here and I like that you don't always shoot your way out of a situation. Nazi's can be forced to flee or even surrender! It just keeps things fresh and interesting and adds humility to the game. 
The campaign also sports a very interesting level called Liberation where the player infilitrates a Nazi garrison in Paris and you have to find your Nazi contact whose helping you bring down the garrison and liberate Paris. It's a really clever level and I won't go into too many details and spoil it for you. It's not quite as perfect as All Ghillied Up but it's certainly pushed the bar when it comes to interesting COD levels.


The story is nothing to write home about, you do get involved in some historical battles including The Battle of the Bulge which was a highlight for me. The characters are one dimensional and the dialogue is cheesy, it's like a 90's movie full of macho bravado. The story tries to go somewhere dark but ultimately COD knows it's not the platform for such things and nips things up very quickly. 

WW2 changes the health system that's been in use for so long now and brings back a health bar and health packs. Your life does not recharge at all! You do have a teammate that will give you a free health pack after you kill enough Nazis but I never found myself too often bereft of health packs. (You can hold up to four). But I have to admit I prefer the old recharging life bar, in a COD campaign it's an interactive movie and it seems odd to have to concern yourself with this one bit of resource management.
All your allies actually have abilities that charge as you fight, one can highlight enemies for a while, another will resupply your grenades. But I was generally only fussed with the health packs as ammo is plentiful regardless.

Expect the campaign to last around six to seven hours, add a few more if playing Veteran and you could easily hit around twenty hours if you're a trophy hunter or completionist as there's quite a few hidden collectibles. So hidden I maybe found two of a possible thirty three!


Overall, WW2 is a good package but your mileage will definetly vary depending on how well you get on with the multiplayer maps and if you like the War mode.
I personally will be bingeing on War mode, well at least until I start playing Battlefront 2 but don't let my Star Wars bias dissuade you. There is fun to be had here but those maps are definitely going to be crux of whether you'll keep this game or move on. Stick to War mode, you won't regret it.

Hope you enjoyed the review and if you did, then please give a +1 and follow the blog. Have a great week everybody!
   

The Playoff! Dead Space 1 vs Dead Space 2!

I'm a massive fan of Dead Space! I genuinely miss the series and every now and again I get teased with hints of an elusive fourth title. It's been over four years since Dead Space 3 was released and with the horror genre regaining it's former popularity, surely it won't be long before we get to grasp that plasma cutter and dismember some more Necromorphs?

But I digress, I want to spar off Dead Space 1 with it's direct sequel Dead Space 2 and decide which is the superior game of the two? Will it be a case of getting stronger or just a reskinning of the original? Let's find out!

I'm going to choose three categories I feel are relevant to the two Dead Space games. I will be omitting plot as DS1 is actually quite light on having it's own unique plot and is more a sort of amalgamation of homages to other sci-fi and horror titles.

It's only from DS2 that the series begins to develop it's own story and brings the Unitology organisation into the forefront.
DS1 is tentative with it's story and gives little in the way of plot other than Isaac needs to get off the Ishimura. So without further ado I will start with perhaps one of the most essential ingredients of a horror game.

ROUND ONE - SCARES!

It cannot be a horror game and not be scary and atmospheric. Dead Space would seem to have the advantage from the off if we look at things from memory. Wandering the cold, desolate halls of the Ishimura for the first time is a nerve racking experience. When Dead Space 2 rolls along we're prepared, we know the score and we know what to expect. The enemy is no longer unknown.

But I'm going to be as objective as I can. DS1 is a slower paced game, it urges caution as you delve deeper into the ever degrading Ishimura.
Necromorphs can be heard clambering through the vents before bursting out and attacking and a lot of the time you'll hear them but you won't see them, until it's too late.
Many Necros play possum and appear dead until you step too close and they spring into attack. That's right, Dead Space was doing this long before The Evil Within.

DS2 on the other hand is a more action and story related affair. Unlike in DS1 Isaac isn't actually primarily concerned with surviving. When he learns there is a Marker on the Sprawl he commits to destroying it.
The Necromorphs become more obstacle and are presented to you in cinematic ways or spawn into well crafted combat environments.

When I play DS2 I don't feel tense throughout, sure there are moments. (Hate those charging Necros that peek around corners, eesh!) But playing through DS1 is a generally unnerving game. Necros often flank you in any given combat scenario and the sense of claustrophobia is palpable. Blood written scrawling on the walls begging for help and nothing is more creepy than when you exit the transit and there are pearly white body bags littered all over the place, surrounded by dimming candles and a chilling rendition of twinkle twinkle little star starts up. It's creepy as hell!

DS2 doesn't really do this, I mean the creepiest location in DS2 is the Unitology centre and that's due to those creepy Stalker Necros as mentioned before. The rest of the game has more in common with Resident Evil 4 in how it plays than DS1.

Ultimately, I always tell people; "Dead Space 2 is to Dead Space 1, as Aliens is to Alien."
The creepy creatures are still there but the atmosphere is less isolated survivor and more one man army blasting through the hordes.
It's not even a bad thing, it's just not scary so...

WINNER - DEAD SPACE 1!

Next on my list is weapons! Dead Space has quite an interesting array of weapons, unlike say Resident Evil or Silent Hill or any other horror game of the time. Isaac primarily utilises engineering equipment to destroy Necromorphs.
Unlike zombies and the whatnot, Necros vulnerability lies in their limbs. Severing them apart is how you ultimately destroy them. Blasting ones head off is little more than an irritant to the monstrous creature!

WEAPONS

Unlike the previous segment which, lets be honest. Is relative, this a direct blow to blow. Who has more and who has the best/most satisfying to use.

Dead Space 1 has seven weapons. Starting with the humble but deceptively overpowered Plasma Cutter all the way up to Necro eradicating contact beam.

Some highlights of the arsenal are the Ripper, which in it's primary firing mode levitates a rotating saw blade in the air for a set amount of time. It's a gory weapon as you walk the destructive blade into Necromorphs and watch their limbs blast off in visceral beauty!
It's secondary is a more cautionary attack which simple blasts a blade at full speed across the room and isn't nearly as satisfying!

I'm also a big fan of this game's shotgun - The force gun! It fires out a kinetic blast that literally rips enemies apart and even if it doesn't outright kill an enemy, it'll at least knock them down for followup attacks. It's secondary attack launches a grenade that detonates a powerful kinetic blast with similarly great results!

There are a couple of turkeys in the mix here and one is the plasma rifle. You'll be punished for relying on shooter favourites here. The plasma rifle eats ammo and isn't as useful in dismembering limbs as other weapons.

The last lame duck is the flamethrower that seems to do next to no damage and doesn't even cause Necros to flinch! You're completely vulnerable whilst using it! Not very good for Necro slaying.

Dead Space 2 has a grand total of twelve weapons, if you include the secret handgun weapon. (which is a foam hand that destroys anything you point it at... told you DS2 isn't as scary).
Most weapons return from DS1 with balancing, but a couple of the new guns are very delectable when it comes to Necro hunting!

Of the new guns, I really like the javelin gun. It's quite strong and it's secondary function is an AOE attack of chain lightning that effects surrounding Necros. It's good for dealing extra damage against larger Necromorphs also. It does takes some skill and practise to optimise it for limb detachment though.

Something that requires less skill is the detonator, which fires proximity mines that do devastating damage. It's the perfect weapon for slow Necros or the Stalkers, specially on higher difficulty settings. As a bonus it's secondary function is it disarms all placed mines for retrieval!

There are still some turkeys unfortunately, the pulse rifle is buffed up and now enjoys a secondary function as a grenade launcher but unfortunately the flamethrower is still pretty meh. The new addition the rivet gun is pretty underpowered  however and is just surpassed by so much else available.

The plasma cutter is still beastly and more than capable of being your sole weapon through the main game. But then again, would that really be much fun?
Having extra weapons adds to the variety and therefore fun factor. Coupled with the weapon balancing of all the existing weapons returning from DS1 prove that DS2 has the superior arsenal with even more ways to rip Necros apart!

WINNER - DEAD SPACE 2!!!

We're on to the third category now and it's the real stars of the show; the Necromorphs!

The hideously mutated humans and animals of the Dead Space universe are collectively known as Necromorphs and they come in various forms with differing methods of killing.
Stalkers are your most standard Necro and attempt to flank Isaac at every opportunity, either by sneaking up behind him or bursting from nearby vents.

Other notable Necromorphs are the twisted Lurkers, infected toddlers really, that sprout three tendrils and fire barbs at you. Dead Space 2 introduced Pukers that well... puke at you! And did I mention their gastric insides have sunken down into their left leg! Last but not least, we have the Regenerator and it's DS2 equivalent the Uber Morph! Nothing is more terrifying than a Necro that regrows it's limbs!

One of my personal favourite Necromorphs is found in DS2 and it's the Tormentor!
This Necromorph is encountered several times in Dead Space 2 and it has one of the best intros of all the games bosses in my opinion!
Isaac falls into one of the Sprawls many maintenance tunnels and is immediately set upon by the Tormentor! It chases you up the tunnel as you blast open the maintenance doors and then bam! The Earth Gov attack craft appears and blows a hole through the colony! Isaac and the Tormentor get sucked out into the vacuum of space! It becomes almost silent, only the sounds from within Isaac's suit can be heard.
They crash into the craft, the Tormentor's powerful claws grasping for Isaac! It begins inadvertently pulling missiles off the craft and Isaac cunningly shoots one point blank in the Necros face destroying the creature and the Earth Gov forces in one blow.

What a buzz! What a thrill! DS2 is full of these heart pumping set pieces but that's not what we're here about. We have to decide who has the best roster of Necromorphs. It's undoubtedly going to be Dead Space 2. There's more bang for your back here, the Puker alone is a major boost for both disgust and horror. The chilling macabre children that chase Isaac on mass, I mean DS2 showed some truly grisly iterations of the Necromorph species. So thus...

WINNER - DEAD SPACE 2!!!

So Dead Space 2 looks the clear winner but I'm giving Dead Space 1 a chance with the wildcard category:

WILDCARD - IS IT REALLY SURVIVAL HORROR?

Here's a strange one and you may be thinking "huh"? But both games are listed as Survival Horror, which is a broad term to say the least. One of the biggest criticisms for either game is that in standard difficulty they're both pretty easy. Ammo is quite plentiful, both games challenge you to finish them using the one gun and it's quite easy!

Health pickups are also prevalent in both games and by the end I had shed loads of surplus items stored up.
It's evident we're not going to find survival in either game's default difficulty so it must lay in the harder modes. Both offer a hard mode but it's actually not that big a difference! Damage received is higher sure, but it doesn't take much more ammo to obliterate your foes and some guns are so overpowered you can laugh in the face of Necros.

However, DS2 sports a fourth mode: Hardcore. It's a perma-death mode, one fatality and it's back to the start and also affords you only three saves! It's pretty tough, in the easier modes death is virtually weightless with so many checkpoints saving you from repeating long sections.
Hardcore mode is the closest the Dead Space series gets to survival horror, truly upping the stakes. And so without further ado...

WINNER ALL ROUND - DEAD SPACE 2!!!

Sequel syndrome is a miss here, Dead Space 2 truly expands on the original and takes the series further. More and better weapons, more Necros, tighter gameplay controls and better combat scenarios all add up for one amazing rollercoaster ride that is damn near perfection. At least in my opinion any way.

Both games are worth your time and if you've never played them I urge you do. They're not as intense as other horror games like say, Resident Evil 7 or some of the Silent Hill games but definitely a joy. If you like Alien and The Thing then this is the game for you!

I hope you've enjoyed this article as much as I enjoyed writing it and remember, if you like what you read then please follow me on Google+

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Septerra Core Legacy of the Creator: Ambition, the enemy of success

Septerra Core Legacy of the Creator is an RPG game that attempts to blend western RPG mentalities with JRPG sensibilities. It's got oodles of dialogue, world map exploration and even a ATB system. It was generally well received when it released back in 1999 and garnered praise for it's visuals and voice work and you know what? They both still hold up well today but I'm going to be honest here: Septerra Core hasn't aged well.
What it got somewhat away with back then doesn't cut dry now. It's a slow game, with slow player progression, pacing and combat. A linear story with vague cues on where to go next it's quite a frustrating experience and I was reliant on reading a strategy guide just to make sure I wasn't going backwards and forwards for tens of minutes because I didn't realise I had to speak to one particular generic looking NPC to gain some intel to progress the story.

I hate to be utterly critical of a game and it's true it's still visually beautiful and interesting to look at and that voice work was years ahead of it's time.
Each character and environment has had a lot of attention to detailed paid to it and it really does have it's own sense of character. The story itself is interesting and layered and filled with a memorable core cast. If there was one thing going over and over in my mind when playing this game it was that it seriously needs to be remade with all the mod-cons of modern gaming.

To give you a bit of context about Septerra Core; it's plot revolves around a young woman named Maya. She lives on the planet Septerra that has all it's landmasses split apart and revolving around the planet's computerised core.
Now the bad guy in this story is Doskias, a direct descendant of a powerful hero. He's arrogant and entitled and sets out to manipulate the world so that he can access the planet's core and receive the "gift" which is obviously going to be the power to control the planet.

He's pretty much hell bent on achieving his goal so much as to destroy anyone who he thinks will even pose the slightest threat or hindrance to his plans, even some of his own allies are dispatched without a second thought.
We're pretty much assured within the first ten minutes of the game that Doskias is a bad guy. However, he is interesting with it, not just some hell bent power monger, Doskias believes this to be his birthright, that it was almost prophesied for him to "save" Septerra.

Maya on the other hand, is a humbled character in the beginning: her parents were killed in a war and she just lives day by day in her piece of the world just trying go get by. We learn that it's a pretty harsh world for most with only a few civilisations achieving prosperity.
One of the other orphans that Maya knows gets involved with smuggling goods to people from another continent (or a shell in this game), whom are directly working for Doskias.

Maya is a well rounded out character, she's proactive, not whiny. Portrayed as strong and confidant, Maya takes on the defacto leader role in the group. It's great to have seen this in a game from 1999 where strong female characters were even struggling to be on the cinema screens.

Maya is joined atypically by a rag tag group comprising of an old friend and his robot dog, an exiled soldier, a general's daughter, a bounty hunter and surprisingly Doskias's lover who interestingly is trapped between stopping him for the sake of the world or selfishly hoping to "save" him from himself.
And this isn't even the full roster, there is a total of nine playable characters in Septerra Core.

I liked the story and it has that JRPG thematic feel to it coupled with the FMV sequences for the more bombastic moments. It makes sense, the world is well constructed and each of the shell continents have their own personalities and politics all for the player to immerse themselves in.

Where I have to become critical of Septerra Core isn't in it's story or it's graphics, it is in it's gameplay. Level design and battle scenario design, just doesn't work well.
I definitely feel this game got let off it's less than amazing gameplay in reviews partly because of it's graphics and plot. Sure this is a RPG game and we generally have a lot of dialogue to get through but at least 50% of the game is fighting and exploring so these areas should be just as polished.

So combat, it'll be familiar to anyone who has played a JRPG. Forgoing western RPGs of the time, combat doesn't play out in real time. Instead characters enter battles in fixed positions. You cannot alter this in any way at all, but positioning can be exploited by you or the enemy party by using attacks that cause damage in a direct line or area of effect.

All characters in battle have an ATB (active time battle) bar that is segmented and slowly fills up during battle. Each segment represent an attack. The longer you wait the stronger the attack. Also some skills you can "equip" also have a preset ATB position. For instance you can equip Maya with the grenade skill but her ATB must reach segment two in order to use the move. Later you can equip Napalm which acts like Grenade but requires all three segments of the ATB bar.

Makes sense? Sounds technical, has the opportunity to deepen combat but it doesn't a whole lot. But more or that later, Septerra Core also has a magic system along with regular attacks and skills and magic too takes advantage of the ATB bar, spell power increases in correspondence with how full the bar is.
All characters share the same MP bar, which is called CP (which stands for Core Power) and it's consumed by using spells or in the case of this game; fate cards. Skills also consume CP as well and so spamming multiple spells and skills eats up the universal CP gauge at an alarming rate.

The biggest flaw of Septerra Core's magic system is that it's just not that versatile for the main game. Spells and skills are vastly under powered compared to regular attacks with the only obvious benefit being that they have 100% accuracy.

You can attach a fate card to multiple characters to create combo attacks but again, very pricey. Uses up a lot of the ATB gauge and only useful in the endgame. No one character has an exceptional magic stat, they lose huge points in strength but don't have the gains elsewhere other than speed leaving them quite underdeveloped.

Honestly, there is a lot here to work with but it's all underbaked. Enemies don't have elemental weaknesses to be exploited and so elemental spells are just attacks with special effects. Ultimately battles resort to waiting out the ATB bar for level three attacks. Rinse repeat. Every now and again you can use skills but the opportunities to experiment in battle are just not there.

I applaud Septerra Core for it's interesting ideas but I'm so let down at their execution. Battles are incredibly slow paced and they make exploring dungeons feel really tedious and that's when your attacks connect! When you have several misses in a row it's infuriating.
Having detailed animations is all well and good but they're long winded and repetitive, in a bad way. The generic attacks lack flourish and enemies interrupt your ATB charge way too often. Even when you're in the middle of a boss fight the game lacks urgency. A boss should be bang, in your face! Best strategy... Nope. It's rinse repeat, it's disappointing. All the drama happens outside of combat.

 Speaking of outside of combat, here is another critique I have of Septerra Core and it's what is the point of having all these beautiful textures and interesting locations when the map design is so bland?
Textures repeat themselves over so locales feel like mazes rather than livable spaces and this problem is compounded by the camera distance - it's close. Really close.

When I think of Chrono Trigger and how well the map design is in that and then I look at Septerra Core I'm just puzzled. It could have made so much more interesting places to explore.
To make things worse, there is almost no soundtrack. You have three random battle themes, a world map theme and that's about it. So, whilst you're exploring the labyrinthine dungeons you get to do it to the sound of gentle wind, humming machinery or nothing. I think if we had some music for the towns and dungeons it might've helped stem boredom but listening to nothing but the odd battle theme for hours is a joy kill and inexcusable in a game like this.

I'm really disappointed replaying Septerra Core. Games age, that's true but the elements it fails on are as crucial today as they were then, the only difference is that it's harder these days for game to succeed on looks and story alone. We're spoiled, we have played decades of games that have pushed gameplay so far and refined what a RPG is or a shooter or a platformer. We're know what near perfection looks like, we know what is competent and it isn't here.

Septerra Core could use a remake, it's story and world deserve to be told to a large audience but someone needs to take the game mechanics, sling them out the window and start from the ground up. My first thought is that the reward for charging the ATB gauge should be better. Instead of just a small damage modifier, how about Maya's level 2 is a cone AOE attack against all targets in a direction and her level 3 is a an all out barrage against all foes. They don't even have to deal huge damage, slight reductions even to balance it. But make it not cost CP, you want the ATB gauge to open up options of attack with no cost penalties.
Mentioning CP, each character should have their own. It differentiates between magic casters and non-magic casters. You can also boost the CP cost of fate cards and their damage, coercing players to use CP to it's fullest potential as long as they have the reserves.

There needs to be a greater variety of enemy types with dedicated elemental properties. In an RPG, elements are essential to keeping the combat engaging and not reduced to 'spam the most strongest attack' scenario that Septerra Core certainly suffers from.

The Shin Megami Tensei games have shown how well elemental play keeps players on their toes in battle, we all love to feel powerful and outsmart the computer. It's not rewarding to just obliterate them because we've grinded to god-like levels.


Visually, if Septerra Core was updated hands down it would look great cel shaded. I would even like to see them keep the isometric view point but give the players control of the in/out zoom of the camera during exploration and to be able to rotate the camera during both exploration and combat.
Obviously these are just ideas off the top of my head and the chances that Septerra Core will be remade is incredibly low to non-existant but I like to dream up how a game from the past would look if it benefited from what we've learned up today.

Hope you've enjoyed reading this article, and if you have thoughts or experiences of your own please leave a comment.

Have a good day, everyone!

Digital Devil Saga; In the shadows of others. But a marvel all it's own

Shin Megami Tensei is a series of games that have rapidly increased in popularity since the release of the Persona titles on the PS2. That sub-series is still very popular and to date is the last Shin Megami game to be released, and the only one to receive a release on the current gen main consoles. (There are still many games on the 3DS)

It's a shame because I fell in love with the series after playing Nocturne (SMT 3) on the PS2 many years ago. At the time it felt like a Pokémon game for adults: catch Demon, raise Demon, fuse Demon. Gotta summon them all.

One of the biggest criticisms of the Shin Megami games is that the difficulty is rather steep. But this is something of a fallacy, SMT games reward tactics and planning and having the right resistances and skills is the make or break of any battle.
Granted there is the occasional cheap one hit KO scenarios from instant death attacks but most of the time the game gives the player enough time to protect themselves from those attacks before they become far too frequent but the occasional cheap game over is a bit of a mainstay of the series.

Eventually the SMT team decided to make a more accessible game, one with a shallow learning curve and with a greater emphasis on narrative and characters.
The game they made was Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner (that's a mouthful.) It utilised Nocturne's press turn icon battle system which I personally find to be one of the most intuitive battle systems known to JRPG.

But before I run off on a tangent about battle systems lets mention one great thing about DDS and that's the focus on a character driven narrative.
We're all familiar with Final Fantasy's cinematic take on JRPGs and their memorable and most of the time lovable characters, but in the SMT games we're often introduced to a silent protagonist that is effectively us, the player.
And thus the story tends to be about personal discovery and is more interested in challenging your thoughts and perception on religion, philosophy and existence. Interesting and deep stuff but it's A) not for everyone and B) lacks variety for want of a better word.

So one of the things DDS does as soon as you hit new game is introduce us to core cast:

The intro also introduces us the Junk Yard; the world the characters of DDS inhabit. It's a barren wasteland that rains constantly. There is no vegetation or any other signs of life other than the warring Tribes.
In the intro we learn that our main character Serph, is the leader of the Embryon and they're currently skirmishing against a neighboring tribe; the Vanguards. During a skirmish the two tribes come across an Egg shaped object on the battlefield. Perceiving this as some sort of new weapon the two clash attempting to capture it, but are caught in it's sudden detonation where it the Demon Virus that transforms the soldiers including Serph into insatiable demons that devour each other in a blood bath.

With their blood lust sated, Serph and his comrades discover a girl called Sera resting in the spot where the Egg had been, they take her back to their base where she continues to sleep while they ponder who she is and why she appeared.
It's learned when Sera awakes that she can calm Demons from their insatiable bloodlust and refers to herself as a Cyber Shaman.
Serph decides to talk with the Vanguards' leader Harley and travels there with Heat and Argilla (two soldiers from his inner circle).
Unfortunately Harley is in no mood to chat and flees, sending his soldiers to fend you off. Serph and Heat accept that it's devour or be devoured and so embellish their new forms while Argilla refuses to eat the defeated enemy demons.
Upon finally confronting Harley, after laying waste to his base, he finally succumbs to the Bloodlust and goes berserk, transforming into his Demon form and is subsequently Devoured by the Embryon soldiers upon his defeat.

The following day all the surviving tribe leaders are called to the Karma Temple: a colossal tower that somewhat governs the Junk Yard and will grant the victorious tribe access to Nirvana.
At the temple the leaders are spoken to by a voice that refers to itself as Angel. It restates that the purpose of the tribes is to fight until only one is left and that the introduction of the Demon Virus was to end the stalemate that had occurred.

Now as these revelations are made, the characters of the Junk Yard's eyes flash and their grey iris' become coloured. Along with this slight physical change the person's complete personality changes and they become more human.
For instance; Heat becomes passionate and reckless. Argilla becomes empathetic with a strong morality.
There are also two other primary characters introduced in the beginning that join Serph proper after the Karma temple and they are Gale and Cielo.
Gale is an intelligent and calm taciturn and Cielo is well, always cheering everyone up and not taking things too seriously.

Serph's team also affect the gameplay; each one of the team has elemental strengths and weaknesses that play into the press turn system. Each party member gets one turn, if they hit an enemy with a weakness or a critical attack they gain half a turn. The maximum amount of turns the entire party can have is six as you only allowed a maximum of three party members.
Conversely your enemies can also take advantage of the press turn system by exploiting your party's weaknesses, the enemy can also double their own turns and there in and of itself is the basis of all encounters. Knowing weaknesses and resistances.

Mastering the press turn system is key to survival in DDS, you are always forced to have Serph in your party and so will always have him weak to fire attacks but very early on you can learn skills and one of those allows you to void an elemental attack for all party members once per turn.
So as well as gaining bonus turns by exploiting weaknesses, in the press turn system you can also block attacks and prematurely end an enemies turn. A missed or voided attack loses the enemy two turns, but you can also repel and absorb attacks and they incur further turn penalties. These penalties also apply to your own party. It's great to see a JRPG enforce the same rules on the enemies as there are on the player.

So as you can see there is a lot to consider in each battle but unlike Nocturne, DDS eases you into this gameplay. Elements are introduced gradually with more complex enemy party groups only really appearing late in the game and instead of obtaining and fusing Demons, you always know your party's elemental attributes. Unlike in Nocturne where without pre-warning, it's very difficult to discern enemy weaknesses and resistances by the area you're in or by the enemy's appearance.
Coupled with the fact you may have fused or caught demons that are not suitable to the next area you're in this can all add up to be a bit of a nightmare and frustrating.

Now a static party does help simplify this system but it's not the only way the SMT team made DDS more accessible. Skills are no longer inherited or learned automatically through levelling, each party member has access to an expansive shared skill tree that requires AP to master. Each skill node has one or more skills and/or abilities within it that you can view before purchase.
The game puts you directly in the frame of what skills you wish each party member to learn and to top it off you can equip these abilities as you see fit with the only restriction being that AP can only be spent at save points.

So if you enter an area that's full of fire skill using enemies who are also weak to Ice, you could have Heat (who is resistant to fire), learn some Ice skills to counter these foes.
It's a really helpful feature that removes the punishing element from Nocturne when you don't have the correct abilities for the situation you're in.

Also as mentioned, skill nodes require AP which is obtained by defeating demons. However you can gain amazing boosts to AP by defeating enemies with "Devouring Skills". These skills are context sensitive and require the player to exploit enemy weaknesses to have them enter "fear" states that then grant Devouring Skills damage modifiers so they can deal killing blows.
It's a great addition that rewards tactical play with a genuine benefit and helps player progression in a big way. In fact the quickest way to learn late game skills, is to Devour demons with stronger Devour skills that further increase AP gains.

One gameplay element that is still very SMT but has been streamlined is dungeon environments. Most SMT games rely on labyrinthine style of level design with lots of branching paths that lead to dead ends and traps.
Their dungeons also tend to contain puzzle elements that the player must overcome in order to complete them. For instance in Nocturne the player finds themselves in a construction yard that has been taken under control by troublesome fairy demons. The demons patrol catwalks above the pathways and if you take the wrong path you get teleported back to the entrance of the area. And only by luck or by process of elimination can you discern which catwalks are safe to walk under. It can be an irritating process at times and most of Nocturnes puzzle dungeons work in this way, sending the player back to the beginning or in loop. It's time consuming and frustrating when it goes wrong and Nocturne begins to rely on this gimmick a lot in the later dungeons.

Both games contain well designed mapping tools that aid the player's navigation, which is pretty essential as the dungeons in either game are quite expansive. Fortunately DDS's dungeons are more simplified with less branching routes and rewarding players for going off the beaten track with useful items or unlockable shortcuts for save points.
There are no horrible looping or progress resetting traps until the final dungeon and even then they're not spammed as much as they are in Nocturne.
Most dungeons in DDS centre around one theme, barring the first dungeon that is extremely straight forward and works more or less as a tutorial. Players will find themselves in a creepy castle that contains light puzzles where the player has to line up rays of light to progress. A derelict ship that's a straight forward gauntlet and a complex sewer system with one way pathways that force the player to consult their map and consider their routes.

Save points are also more commonplace in DDS and allow the player to fully heal themselves for some ingame currency and spend accumulated AP in the skill tree menu.
In Nocturne save rooms are separate from healing rooms and fusion rooms and in dungeons you only encounter save rooms and so you must be fully prepared to tackle the whole dungeon or be forced to retreat to a hub area to fuse more powerful demons or heal up.
Shops are detached from the save points and require the player to return to the Embryon base to purchase items and equipment.

It's been a long time since I heard anyone talk about a Shin Megami Tensei game that wasn't one of the Persona games. Indeed those titles have taken the series into the forefront of popular JRPGs but SMT has an expansive back catalogue of amazing games and I personally find their PS2 selection to be the undisputed finest works the company has released.

Having recently played Persona 5 I was glad to see that Atlus wanted to make Persona more accessible and while that game has a pretty big hurdle for players to overcome (90+ hours to finish means you need some endurance). It does a lot to encourage new players dive in and have a go with it's gentle learning curve and relaxed attitude to dungeon completion.

If you have a PS2 and some free time and have never tried Digital Devil Saga I wholeheartedly urge you to do so, it's a fabulous piece of gaming. Or if you've been too afraid to delve in to a Shin Megami Tensei game because you've heard they're "hardcore" or "too hard". Give DDS a try. You'll be surprised at how welcoming this game is and how easy it is to master the mechanics of the press turn icon system.

For me Digital Devil Saga is a beautifully crafted game that I always come back to every so many years. Far more often that I return to Nocturne or other SMT titles.