Senran Kagura

If you're playing Hanzo, the first game has the exact same issue regarding I Am Not Left-Handed and The Battle Didn't Count. I just think it's the writers rather oddly not accounting for the player naturally having to win to progress. Which is stupid when it happens so consistently for obvious reasons.

While you rather dislike that gameplay video, I instead liked the little changes all over the place. Oh, and it helps that I actually somewhat liked the characters introduced in Shinovi Versus... just not the execution of the Hebijo storyline at all.

edited 23rd Jan '15 1:52:39 AM by burnpsy

Video talk:

• Oh, the game now has animated cutscenes. About time.
• So I am guessing that Sayuri and Mikaruga sis are doing some sort of ceremony to send off dead shinobi or something. That is what I am getting.
• Dynamic character talk! As in, they don't just stand there anymore and instead use different tricks to make the scenes more interesting.
• Mwahahaha, now your mook waifus are not safe from Clothing Damage!
• WHERE ARE YOU PULLING YOUR SCROLL FROM!? I know you don't have the cleavage to hide it, but still!
• The new Ninja Arts looks good with the fact that there the cinematic portion is in the attack itself.
• I suppose at this point I should mention that I don't quite know the new Hebijo or Gessen girls, so I cannot voice my opinions on Ryoubi and Ryouna.
• I don't think that the models in the dance video are that bad. I have seen much more uncanny. Though the fact that they switch between CGI and animation is bit "eh?".

On other stuff, I wonder if they will bring Murasame into the game. I mean, why not, right?

Also, after some searching, I was finally find the Deep Crimson version of Duel Rhapsody. It is... "something".

edited 23rd Jan '15 2:59:32 AM by TPPR10

Love Live! got me somewhat used to the animation switches, actually. That series does it far more frequently per song.

Though I agree, the models aren't that bad.

Yeah, Shinovi Versus cut corners on its writing and shill the new characters in detriment of the stablished cast. Specially the Hanzo that become absolute jokes. On Burst the whole thing was better balanced and it had a satisfying pay off.

Animated cutscenes started with SK 2 and it use them very effectively

The models aren't bad (although the breasts looks ridiculous) but the transitions are jarring and they need to work on the expression because they look like dolls.

Anyways, they really need to show more of the gameplay; SK 2 managed an excellent balance between gameplay and fanservice. It gonna be a shame if the gameplay suffers due the Fanservice on EV

Okay, I haven't seen much of Deep Crimson, but I am pretty sure it only has in-game cutscenes. I was referring to anime cutscenes, as seen in this video. You know. You are technically right, but wasn't quite on the spot.

Ah I see, thought you were talking about the in game engine scenes.

Still, I wish the animation team were the same that worked on the anime or the previous games' O Ps. The current one is pretty subpar.

Shinovi Versus was my first (so far only) SK game, and I really wanted to like it, but it was simply much too boring for me to endorse it. :'I

Ikaruga tho <3

I totally understand, game's feel half baked and the story is pretty mediocre.

Bon Appetit, despite being a rhythm fanservice-laden game is so much better than Versus. Way more fun and with hilarious stories you shoudl give it a try.

And if you're on Europe, is at 40% discount until February 4.

Burst is so much better game and SK 2 is the current pinnacle of the series. A way to bypass the 3DS region lock has been found recently and lots of people are having tons of fun with it.

I'm thinking of using that 10% weekend discount code on Bon Appetit and making that 50% off. I like rhythm games, so the gameplay should at least appeal to me more than that weird quasi-musou thing SV had going on.

x4 Well, I was talking about both the cutscenes and the game engine character talk/visual novel portion. And yeah, I guess Deep Crimson did flesh out those portions first, though Estival seems to also add more visual flare with backgrounds and all.

I dunno

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ1hcV-SXMc

The way the battle transitions into the cutscene (at the 3:00 mark) is pretty freaking cool.

edited 24th Jan '15 12:02:49 PM by Tzitzimine

Not sure how that related to character talk portions, or however you call it, but okay.

(PS, because I had viewed the video to a certain point, it began on Haruka's and Mirai's pre-battle intro and I was confused at first).

edited 24th Jan '15 12:22:45 PM by TPPR10

Well, the characters models reacting to the dialogue was already present on the series since Burst (although in reduced scale) so I assumed you were talking about the cutscenes -I take as cutscenes any part where the characters aren't just standing while talking-

My bad.

You know, I hope they keep reduced the transitions on Estival. Going from anime-game-cg models is very jarring. Frankly I'd forgoe the anime sections by the whole game being run with in-game engine cutscenes. Or maybe I've just played way too much DA:I these days

It has always been present, yeah, but what I mean is that they seem to do bit more than have the character just stand there. Like switching the angle, going for a solo character focus, stuff like that.

Not sure what you really mean by the second point. If you mean like with the dance video, yeah, it can be jarring (Final Fantasy X had a similar problem in cutscenes hopping back and worth cg and game), though it might be just for that and the rest of the game's cutscenes are either in-game or animated (give of take the portion). Though I guess on transitions, I do like (again) that the Ninja Arts now are cinematic, but don't have like separate cutscene at the beginning. Like Burst has cutscene transitioning into the attack, SV sometimes has it where the cutscene does the attack and then the game itself repeats it, DC just has short super portrait.

edited 24th Jan '15 12:40:58 PM by TPPR10

Yeah that is what I meant.

I really liked the way DC managed the ninpos cutscenes because I only saw them once and then I always skipped them. They kind of break the flow of the combat.

I can see why some people was dissapointed by the change though.

Okay, I'm finally playing Deep Crimson and is FREAKING. AWESOME.

The game is fast, perfect framerate, incredibly good looking (easily one of the best looking games on the 3DS) and the mechanics take everything that it made Burst fun combines it with a 3D environment and delivers a strong gameplay that is the best in the series.

The change to the game controls is a bit weird at first but nothing that a few minutes with the game doesn't fix and the way pursue/dash works now is perfect for the 3D change.

Real pleased with the game.

Oh, and after seeing so much complaints about Yomi being incredibly hard for the first boos and whatnot, well, I think that people just suck at the game. She went down in the first try.

After playing Deep Crimson more, I'm really liking the way all the characters feel different (just played with the Hanzo though, is kind of addictive to repeat levels until getting an A-rank. Only that is enough to put it miles ahead of Versus)

Characters like Asuka and Hibari are fast and they can change the direction of their attacks on the fly while Katsu and Yagyu are slower, can't change the direction of their attacks but hit like a truck. Ikaruga is a nice compromise between the two styles. However, due this mastering the dash cancel is a must if you want to success on the game.

Unlike Burst or Versus, Deep Crimson's pursue mechanic needs a certain degree of skill regarding the timing so it works accurately. Press it too fast or too late and you will only dash.

Fighting the Hebijo/Crimson Squad bosses is also interesting since they react pretty much like the player does: spamming their basic combo, using the ground pound to break combos and using ninpos as they fill the bar. The 3D arenas make location an important factor to success on these battles: you need to bid your time avoiding the boss' attacks and then counter when they have an opening.

Interestingly, you need to keep the boss locked in through combos and ninpos (thus limiting their actions) if you want to get an A rank.

The option to turn off the clothes ripping cutscenes and to skip already seen cutscenes is a most welcome change. It allows for any player to fully enjoy the game but most importantly, the flow of the game isn't interrupted anymore.

Airborne enemies are kind of a pain to deal with but that is solved with practice.

How's the music so far? I don't think no one hasn't really ripped the soundtrack for me to take a look at it, so only track I am familiar is Duel Rhapsody 2.0.

Fantastic as always.

Here, I reuploaded the OST

http://www.mediafire.com/download/vkkyph42rgjct7h/SK2OST.rar

So this has just showed up

http://imgur.com/0BOv2OB

And just like that, I'm on board for EV.

... I am now afraid of the possibility of naked grandmas. Like, nice to see old woman Sayuri kicking ass, but I am afraid of the possibility that she is no different from the other girls.

I have a feeling that she may take on her younger appearance before that happens, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did leave her alone for her fanservice scenes, if she has them.

Also, glad to hear that you're enjoying Deep Crimson, Tzitzimine. Although your comment about Yomi makes me wonder if people were indeed being bad at the game, or if the devs ever patched the game since release and toned her down if they did...

They did patched the game but I'm playing the game just as it was released. No DLC or patches for me.

New EV ad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR_8M_QQqDI

Pretty cool, hope the game lives up to it. If nothing else the sisters and Sayuri look fun as hell to play.

So just a small note, but we never see Sayuri being controlled by the player in any of the gameplay shown. Probably nothing. Just want to show her trick later.

You know, there was one thing what left me bothered about Hanzou's story in SV. We were never told what happened with Katsuragi's parents. Like, it's not like the elite shinobi outright promised that if she wins the festival, they let her parents go, just that they consider that. Maybe they wanted to leave it to EV.