Svartthron - Bearer Of The Crimson Flame, Review by LoC

Svartthron  - Bearer Of The Crimson Flame

Label:Inferna Profundus Records
Release Date: July 15th, 2008
Music Style: Depressive/Ambient Black Metal
Review By LoC

Svartthron is a band that I came across only recently, when I saw that an album of theirs was on sale for a really good price, and decided to buy it, based off the strength of the sound samples I heard. While I had been expecting a good Depressive/Ambient Black Metal album, Svartthron surprised me with just how good the music turned out to be. While there is very little to be found on this CD in the ways of originality, Svartthron makes up for this with their passion, and the rich atmosphere, which makes this album both relaxing and more aggressive in turns, but always high quality. 



The instrumentation and production are both just about perfect, with the right amount of variation to make each song work well on their own, but this album is still most effective when listened to from the beginning to end. Acoustic guitars and keyboards are sprinkled throughout the album, but both serve to only enhance the melancholic mood, as opposed to detracting from it. 


While it may be a bit soon to call Svartthron leaders of their chosen musical style, Bearer Of The Crimson Flame showcases a young band with a lot of promise, and the best could very well be yet to come. This is a very strong album that should be checked out by anyone who likes Ambient Black Metal, and also a fine starting point for anyone looking to investigate this style of music.  

Suikoden Tierkreis, Review by LoC

Title: Suikoden Tierkreis


Genre: Turn-based RPG

System: Nintendo DS

Publisher: Konami

Release Date: 2-17-2009

Review by LoC

When I first heard that Suikoden would be coming to the Nintendo DS, I was overjoyed, but when I found out that this game would be a spin-off with few if any ties to the main series, my expectations lowered considerably. That said I still considered the game to be a high enough priority, that I actually pre-ordered it, and how are the results? The answer is quite excellent, and possibly the best RPG to date for the Nintendo DS. When most other RPG's on the DS are either ports or remakes of older games, or simply games that settled for mediocrity, Suikoden DS has much higher goals, and it actually plays like a good RPG should, with an expansive world, a storyline that actually seems to serve more of a purpose than just background filler, and a sizable quest which may be the longest game for the whole system. Series fans will be pleased with the return of the 108 stars recruiting system, the upgradable castle, and team attacks, but other returning elements are few and far between. Prehaps the largest change is that the game takes place in a different world than the numerical Suikoden series, and the strategic battles and duels are also absent, as is the runes system. The magic is called marks of the stars, and seems to function more like traditional magic systems, with MP dictating how many times different skills/spells can be used. The battle system on the other hand is pretty much unchanged from the other games, with group attacks and different weapon ranges still featured, although you can only have 4 people in your party, with a 5th person who helps in a support role. Another big addition is the new jobs system, where you can take on various optional quests for a prize of money, items, or sometimes even recruitable characters. Despite all these changes and an entirely new cast and setting, the game still feels a lot more like a traditional Suikoden game than I expected. Also Suikoden DS is something of a technical marvel, with many anime cut-scenes and a lot of voice acting, which are things you don't really see too much of on the DS. All in all, this is an excellent game, and my early pick for DS game of the year, and I highly advise everyone pick this up. While I sincerely hope that the numbered Suikoden series continues as well, I wouldn't mind a sequel to this game at all either.  

Phoenix Wright: Trials&Tribulations, Review by LoC

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Phoenix Wright: Trials&Tribulations 

Review by LoC

Genre: Adventure

System: Nintendo DS

Publisher: Capcom

Release Date: 2007

The Phoenix Wright series has been something of an unexpected success in the United States, not the least of which because it's a part of a genre of games which hasn't been very popular in recent years, that being a point and click Adventure game. One of the reasons that Phoenix Wright works where many other games have failed is because of the fairly unique setting, memorable characters, and well executed storyline. All of these elements are of course featured in this final outing of the Phoenix Wright trilogy: Trials&Tribulations, which is quite possibly the best game in the series. People who played Justice For All and were let down by the lack of improvements or new gameplay mechanics will still be let down with Trials, as absolutely nothing has been changed with the core gameplay. That isn't to say that there aren't any clever twists, as Trials has some cases where you will play as a lawyer other than Phoenix Wright, which is a very welcome addition. The story is probably the best yet, and helps close out the trilogy on a very high note, but I still can't help but wish that there could have been more games starring Phoenix Wright. All in all, this game is an absolute must for series fans, and I even found it to be emotionally moving at times. The Ace Attorney has since been continued with a new character named Apollo Justice at the helm, although it seems to be missing some of the magic found in the Phoenix trilogy, but that is a story for another Review. 

Children Of Bodom - BloodDrunk, Review by Rugter

Artist: Children Of Bodom

Album: BloodDrunk

Year Of Release: 2008

Genre: Heavy Metal with Mallcore influences

"It had the potential. But it fell flat on it's face."

Children of Bodom has arguably been one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade: With 11 years of being active with the name "Children of Bodom", and even more years if you count their early days as "Inearthed", they've been a force to be reckoned with, with their first 3 albums being considered classics. Now, I'm not gonna lie, I prefer the sound of their recent stuff (Are You Dead Yet?, Hatecrew Deathroll), to the one of their old stuff. I must even admit that Are You Dead Yet? is what I consider their best album. Being heavier and more complex than their old stuff while keeping a lot of melody was definitely something I quite enjoyed. Songs like the title track and Thrashed, Lost & Strungout kept calling me for playing them again. But let's get back on track, a review of Are You Dead Yet?, this is not.

Now, this album keeps the same formula as AYDY?... So why is it I don't rate it as highly? Well, to start with, I must admit that the quality of this album keeps jumping from song to song. The album opens in a good note with the fast, thrashy Hellhounds on My Trail. This song feels just like the kind of progression they needed, cool keyboard that makes atmosphere here and there. But if there's something interesting about this song, it is the solo. The solo of this song jumps back to the 80's thrash era, it is dissonant, fast, completely insane, yet it fits right in the madness. Even the keyboard solo is completely crazy. But it fits. And then, the title track. Blooddrunk is quite a good song, the keyboard intro is amazing, the solos are more like classic Bodom, and there's more melody here. Alexi's vocals are stronger than they were on AYDY?, and in both of this songs they fit perfectly. Sadly, this 2 songs might be the only ones of the album I can say that, and maybe Tie My Rope. Both songs are great, but I can't say that with the rest of the album so easily.

You see, one of the biggest problems here comes from Alexi's vocals. In the songs that were previously mentioned, his vocals felt right were they belonged. But in the other songs, he sounds overbearing. Since Hatecrew Deathroll, Alexi started changing his vocals from a harsh black metal like screech to a mid-range scream which you could actually understand and also was more powerful than his screech of early albums, and far better than his attempt at a low growl in Something Wild, which was, admittedly, quite laughable. But in this album, he tries to get his vocals to take over: In songs like Lobodomy and Roadkill Morning, his vocals are overbearing and annoying, you just get to wish he shuts up. Alexi has never been one of the most appreciated vocalists out there, but this album definitely won't help those who hate his vocals at all. 

Musically, this album lacks an edge: While there are some seriously awesome songs like Hellhounds on My Trail, Blooddrunk, Tie My Rope and Banned From Heaven, there are some terrible ones like Lobodomy and Smile Pretty for the Devil, and the others are just... there, they are neither good nor bad: They're just forgettable. This album suffers from feeling like a collection of B-Sides instead of an actual album, and that quite damages the quality, making it quite jumpy. The riffs in this album are mostly great, going from highly melodic to thrashy, and that is one of the high points of the album. Same cannot be said about the lead guitar work, though: As good as Alexi is, the solos feel recycled and repetitive, with certain exceptions: Hellhounds on my Trail has that insane Slayer-like solo and Blooddrunk is quite good. But the rest of his solos are lacking the feeling of the ones in earlier stuff. Drumming isn't anything really special, but it's good. Jaska could do more creative stuff, but he does a good work. The bass has some cool parts like in Smile Pretty for the Devil, where it sounds cool in the intro, that is admittedly the best part of that weak song, but overall it is M.I.A. during all the album. The keyboards aren't as prominent as they used to be, usually now they just follow the notes, but they shine at times.

Lyrically, this album is simply disastrous. I can't keep it any longer, this album might as well be considered their lowest point lyrically. AYDY? got some of their best lyrics to date, this is totally the opposite. Take, for example, the great Hellhounds on My Trail:

Watching the c***
But before I'm into worries
I do better think fast
Step beyond the legs
Risk selfdestruction
One more sucker
Wait again
To the wrong turn
To the right direction
Too many ****ing gonna turn
Going too fast
When you call me outrageous
As a questioner 

Now, asides from making NO SENSE AT ALL, they are plain terrible. Luckily, that is one of the songs where musically you won't care about the lyrics. But there are cases, like Lobodomy, where you'll hope "Well, at least this song might have good lyrics". Well, let's look at the source:

You mother****ers wanna give me, a lobodomy?
**** no, then you know who I am?
Well we're about to ****ing see
You started messin with death
No one said?
I'm a Maniac
Fuck yeah, you have no power to ask why!
Then I will give you a turn

Well, you get your answer, and it is a no. And don't expect the rest of the album to be any better lyrically, it's just plain terrible in that sense.

In short, this album had potential, but it ended up falling flat in it's face. Alexi tries to hard to take over with his vocals, the songwriting keeps jumping in quality, the lead guitar works usually feels like more of the same, the keyboards which used to give an extra edge to earlier albums aren't there for a good part, and the lyrics are horrid. Their worst album to date, though it has songs like Hellhounds on My Trail, Blooddrunk, Tie My Rope and Banned From Heaven that save it from being downright terrible. I don't know how their next album will turn out, but I do hope it ends up being better than this one.

Rugter's favorite tracks:

As mentioned before, Hellhounds on My Trail, Blooddrunk, Tie My Rope and Banned From Heaven. Because those are actually awesome.

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(Editor's Note: LoC would just like to point out that this Review is the opinion of the author, Rugter, and his alone.  Personally I can't stand anything CoB released after Follow The Reaper, although I do enjoy the first 3 albums. - LoC )

Panopticon/Wheels Within Wheels - Split CD, Review by LoC

Panopticon/Wheels Within Wheels - Split CD 

Label:Lundr Records

Release Date:  February 2009

Review by LoC

Panopticon and Wheels Within Wheels are two bands that you are likely to have never heard of before, but these two bands are among the best upcoming bands in todays Metal scene, or anywhere else for that matter.While this is the first official release by Wheels Within Wheels as far as I know, Panopticon had one full album that was released last year, but it looks to be already sold out unfortunately. Anyway, let's move on to the review!


The CD arrived in my mail this afternoon, and as I write this review, I am only on my second listen through, but I will do my best to give a coherant description 

This split record has 2 songs contributed by each band, but don't let the tracklisting fool you, as there is plenty to hold your attention through the splits duration.

Panopticon is a band that defies descriptions, although there are many Black Metal elements(more prevalent on the ghosts of haymarket square) , there is also some Folk and even a little bit of Bluegrass style Banjo playing featured in their first song of the split '...Speaking...(collapsed version)', but any description I can give to their style won't be giving it proper justice. Wheels Within Wheels have a somewhat different style, but with enough common ground between the 2 artists to make the CD flow together perfectly.

Wheels Within Wheels style is like a cross between Folk Black Metal, Post-Rock, and Ambient, but you would have to listen on your own, and you tell me what it sounds like. Where Panopticon features some vocals, Wheels Within Wheels features none, outside of some television or talk radio soundbites featured on their second song 'What light Reigns Down On...', but this CD truly contains some of the best music that I have heard in a long time, and I think it should appeal to both Black Metal fans, along with people who like artists such as The Angelic Procress, The Swans, and some Post-Rock such as Godspeed! You Black Emperor. 

No review of this album would be complete without making mention of the beautiful and unique packaging that it comes in, and each copy is numbered from 1 to 100, and even comes with a cool patch, all for a pretty low cost , or at least that's what I paid for my copy. 

Dawn Of Tears: Dark Camber Litanies Review, by Rugter

Dawn Of Tears: Dark Camber Litanies

Review by Rugter

[Awesome Melodic Death Metal band from Madrid, Spain they are. This EP is just a show of what they got. Could be hailed as a classic in some years.]

For those who do not know the band, Dawn of Tears are:

J. Alonso - Vocals
A. Perez - Guitar
J.L. Trebol - Guitar
Konrad - Bass
I. Perez - Drums

Spain has many great things. They have a great soccer league (Atletico de Madrid por siempre!), they have Gaudi's architecture, they got that Arabic culture infusion in Sevilla, La Puerta De Alcala in Madrid... A great country indeed. But Madrid has other things asides from 2 great soccer teams: They got Dawn of Tears, one of the most promising bands of recent years. Formed in 1999, this band didn't really do much until 2007, when they released their first LP, Descent. That LP was quite a great debut, with really few flaws. 2 years later, they've come and released an EP that displays their great potential. Being a band that leaves their albums free for download over the internet and having only one LP and 1 EP, asides from being very much unknown, you might think they're amateurs, but it's far from that: They are at the level of some of the best melodeath bands, and maybe even better. Their sound could be described as if Children of Bodom, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity and Cradle of Filth decided to do an EP toghether, but each one being on top of their game: The music is at the same time melodic, aggressive, technical and catchy. They manage it all at the same time, and with no flaws at all, I must admit. It's enough to listen to the opener, Cadent Beating, to witness how do they get it all done at once.

This band has it all: A great vocalist who ranges from sounding like an improved version of Anders Frieden from In Flames when using his Death Grunt at times sounding like Mikael Stanne from Dark Tranquillity in his Damage Done era, going to a Danni Filth like low whisper, all the way to some impressive clean vocals that normally harmonize with some grunts and at times with some female vocals for a great effect, normally that being in the choruses, which are really memorable. Dual lead guitars are obligatory for a melodeath band, and they keep that with no problem, the solos in this album are mindblowing, showing some great technical proficiency, keeping the melody with no problem. The riffs are also great, they can go from quite heavy to light power-metally ones. The bass manages to stand out enough, mainly in the song Winds of Despair, where you can listen to it quite clearly under all the madness. The drumming is quite good, keeping double bass most of the time, and there are some cool fills here and there, but in all honesty, it's the least memorable part of the album. I think Perez could do more interesting stuff. Lyrically, I have yet to figure out the lyrics, and they aren't up in their site yet, so I doubt I can comment on it any soon.

From the intro of the amazing 7 minute long Cadent Beating, you will be blown away. Starting with some toy-piano like effects, it goes and builds up before finally exploding into a massive tremolo-picked riff. From that very moment, you will notice something: Dawn of Tears mean serious business. Alonso enters showing a great vocal performance, and about 3:05 into the song, you'll listen to the first chorus: Melodic and memorable, simply awesome. The keyboards (Who I do not know who takes care of it) keep the atmosphere for it. By 4:05, the first solo hits, and man, is that a great solo. This song alone is not only a great intro to the EP, but possibly their best song to date. The riffs, the solos, the vocals, the drums, everything about it is as perfect as possible. Since They're Gone opens with a great piano intro, and the awesomeness is kept throughout. This song features some audible bass, and Alonso enters the vocals in a Danni Filth-like whisper, which is great. The chorus of this song is massive, with clean vocals harmonizing with death grunts. They sound simply perfect. After the relative calmness of the last song, Winds of Despair opens with a heavy tremolo picked riff, yet the keyboard simulating violins behind it gives a good amount of melody to it. The drumming in this one is a bit faster than in last 2 songs. With some female operatic vocals in the background in some parts, it gives it more power. Some tempo changes here and there, and yet another amazing chorus. The solo in this song fits the atmosphere perfectly. And the last chorus is sang acapella, a big plus. And in harmonized clean vocals, kinda sounding like Vortex from Dimmu Borgir.
Next song, As My Autums Withers opens with a heavy riff that once again gains the melody it has thanks to some background violins. This song has what I consider the best solo of the album, it's simply too damn good. Yet another solid, memorable song, every riff is great, and the solo is... well, THE solo. It finishes slowly fading out, making it's way to the next and last song. Mr. Jarrod opens with one insane intro: Distorted guitar and piano at the same time have never sounded so good. And suddenly, the song explodes into the main riff, which is basically the intro with tremolo pick and without the piano. Alonso's vocals in this song are outstanding: Death metal growl, black metal shrieks, to whispers, some drowned all clean vocals at the end, and all perfectly done, I must add. The solo is epic, and fits perfectly the song. If goes from melodic to fast and back to melodic again. It closes with just violins, drums, and drowned out clean vocals. This is simply a perfect closer for a great album.

Now, I've praised this album quite a bit, but why do I give it a 4.5? Well, for one, it leaves you wishing for more, Mr. Jarrod is a great closer, but still leaves you waiting for a next song first time around. And to be honest, the drumming could be quite better, it is just... repetitive. Other than that, this band is a clear winner for me: The know how to be epic, when to, they got one hell of a vocalist who knows when to do each thing, they got a pair of amazing guitar players, and they are at a really high level for a band with so few records. This album is a clear 4.5 for me, would be a 5 if not for the above mentioned flaws. Every song is a 5/5 for me. This band has some serious potential, which I am sure we're yet to see.

P.S.: This EP and their debut LP are free for download in their site: http://www.dawnoftears.com/descarga.html

Phoenix Wright: Justice For All Review, by LoC

Phoenix Wright: Justice For All

Nintendo DS

Capcom

2007

Review by LoC

Phoenix Wright is a game series that I have been a fan of ever since the first game was released here in the U.S, but I didn't get to finally buy the games until I purchased my Nintendo DS last summer, and the original Phoenix Wright was one of my very first game purchases, and the first game that I had played through for the system. Shortly afterwards, I also purchased used copies of the second and third games, but I only started to play them within the past month, and I beat Justice For All only about 2 days ago, and am currently playing Trials&Tribulations, but that is a story for another time.

Justice For All is frequently considered the weakest part of the original trilogy, which is a verdict that I don't entirely agree with. While the game may be little more than a rehash of the first game with new cases, the same is also true for Trials&Tribulations, which was recieved considerably warmer. The graphics for all 3 titles are often reused in all of the games, and none of them exactly reinvents the wheel created in the first game, but the fact remains that the entire series is highly enjoyable, filled with memorable characters and plot-lines. Part of the backlash against Justice For All has to do with the fact that the game only had 4 cases, and lacked any DS exclusive cases, like the first one had. To further worsen the problem, only 2 of the cases were actually relevent to the series ongoing storyline, but that doesn't stop the other two cases from being very enjoyable in their own right. 

The only real gameplay changes of note are that you can know present character profiles as evidence, and the new Psyche Lock system on certain characters when they are asked questions they don't want to answer. These psyche locks are broken in much the same way that you would advance the game during the court segments, by presenting evidence to the witness in question. 

Anyone who loved the first Phoenix Wright should still find plenty to enjoy about Justice For All, as long as you aren't expecting any major innovations. Any of you who didn't care for the first game won't have their mind changed with this one. 

Behemoth - Demigod Review, by Rugter

Ahhh, Behemoth… The band that got me into death metal alongside with Dark Tranquillity. The difference is, this one is brutal as hell (I mean it). Nergal’s vocal delivery sounds like an army of demons, and that can already give you an idea of the kind of music they play. The riffs are intense, the drumming is too damn good (Inferno is one of the best drummers ever, in my opinion), the bass doesn’t stand out that much but it’s still great. With that, it's quite clear that their style isn't for the weak. Demigod is heavier than any of their other albums before, and it's quite possibly the peak of blackened death metal. Behemoth have kept a high standard of quality since Satanica, but this album blows every of their other attempts far away.

But all that aside, let's get into the review.

From the moment the opener Sculpting The Throne Ov Seth starts, you'll notice they mean business: Opening with a great classic guitar intro, and then all hell breaks loose when the distortion enters. First the heavy guitar riff, then the drums enter full force and the bass seems M.I.A., not unlike the rest of the album. And then comes Nergal with some really insane vocal performance. Because of the many layers of vocals, it's really hard to understand what he is saying, yet it also accomplishes what it wishes: The many vocal layers make Nergal sound like a true devil. The song doesn't lose speed at any point, it is always at full force, specially the drumming. The solo is also quite great. This song definitely sums up the album as a whole.
The next track, Demigod is yet another highlight. Opening with some horns that sound like a calling to arms, you know already what to expect. After that intro, the distortion enters and the total chaos starts. The riffs in this song are quite amazing, both guitars are used perfectly for an awesome effect. Another relentless song this is. There's also a little "HAIL. SATAN." thrown in by 2:57. And the heaviness doesn't stop with the next track. Conquer All, one of the singles of this album, is not as good as the first two tracks, yet it packs a punch. The riffs are awesome, some great changes in pace too. The chorus of this song is definitely cool, fast and powerful. The solo in this song is one of Nergal's best, even though one would like it to be a bit longer. The outro is another great point in this song, it's quite memorable. [/b]The Nephilm Rising[/b] is another aggressive song, if you didn't already know. A bit slower than the last 3, but that doesn't mean much. There's also something similar to a radio talk in some parts of the song. And for a few seconds, Nergal uses non-layered vocals. Still sounds really evil. Another great solo. Some classic guitar thrown in at the end, and it sounds macabre. That makes it yet another solid song. 
Towards Babylon is another good song, but it might as well be the weakest of the album. The riffs aren't as memorable as the other songs, and the solo isn't as good as the last 2 songs. Fast and evil, but doesn't match the quality imposed by the first 4 tracks. Still, it is a really good song.
You though it was evil and psychotic sounding up to now? The most evil song in the whole album, Before The Æons Came has a cool evil intro, and then it gets to Nergal's most pissed off, downright evil performance. The riffs backing him up are fast and fit well with the anger in his vocals. This song is meant to be played at hell's lobby, that's for sure. The low point is that it is the shortest song of the album, but hey, I don't know if such an angry song could be able to last longer or if the listener wouldn't go crazy.
Mysterium Coniunctionis (Hermanubis) keeps the heaviness going, and you can say the album shows no signs of stopping. Creepy effect at the begging takes form and goes all heavy. The riffs are amazing as always, but another notable thing in this song is that Nergal's voice goes more black metal-ish than the rest. I personally didn't like it much, but it was still a very good song.
Xul is another heavy song, yet again with a kinda creepy intro, and pummeling into submission after that. Nothing really special in this song asides from the intro, it's just heavy as heck. The solos are cool, to say at the least, specially the one at the beginning. A good song, but nothing really special.
Of course, the heaviness would follow, and it does show in Slaves Shall Serve, a really fast track. Nergal opens screaming something extremely hard to understand (even by the standards of this album), and then the insanity begins. The drumming stands out here: Simply put, it's insane. Inferno shows his skills as a drummer here. The rest of the band aren't slouches either: They keep up with the pace of the drums perfectly. The song end with Nergal screaming "Slaves shall serve!" many times before finally snapping and screaming with all his strenght "SLAVES. SHALL. ****ING SERVE!!!". Another standout song.
After that craziness, you wouldn't expect a mid-paced song. Precisely what you get. The Reign ov Shemu-Hor opens with a kinda slow intro, sounds like something that would fit with an enormous evil army taking over some place or something. A little acoustic passage and Nergal enters. The song is slow compared to the rest, yet it sounds heavier. This 8:26 beast could be a hard listen at first, yet it's worth it. The solos throughout are masterful. By 7:50 it starts getting slower, the instruments start fading and the song finishes with a ringing note. And so, one of the heaviest albums of later years comes to an end. And what an end it is. After this, if you're not used to the heaviness, you will.

And so my review comes to an end. I hope you enjoyed it reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you think you're hardcore and can stand heavy music, or just like some real heavy ****, then give this a shot, you will possibly enjoy it.

Song ratings:
Sculpting The Throne Ov Seth: 5/5
Demigod: 5/5
Conquer All: 4.5/5
The Nephilm Rising: 5/5
Towards Babylon: 3.5/5
Before The Æons Came: 4/5
Mysterium Coniunctionis (Hermanubis): 3.75/5
Xul: 3/5
Slaves Shall Serve: 5/5
The Reign Ov Shemu-Hor: 4.5/5

Langrisser II Review, by LoC

Langrisser II
Sega Genesis


Game Review - by  LoC

Intro:

Of all the Strategy/RPG series over the years, Langrisser has always been one of the most popular...in Japan at least. Unfortunely Career Soft only localized the first game in the U.S, under the title of Warsong. The game didn't sell very well on this side of the seas, although a small and loyal fanbase was established...even back then.


Story:

Decent enough for a Strategy/RPG I guess. Just not likely to win any awards. You play a character named Elwin,who's a desecendent of Langrisser I's Garret. There's an empire trying to claim the power of the dark sword, Alhazard. And the sword being "dark" and all is supposed to set all hell loose. So yeah, you have to claim the sword of light(also named Langrisser) to combat this threat.

Gameplay:

I once saw this series described as "Fire Emblem meets Advance Wars" and that's actually not a bad description. Like Fire Emblem you have a weapon triangle system, and like Advance Wars you have large numbers of troops serving under generals. If your troops are within a certain radius of their commander, they are given statistic bonuses. Depending on the commander's current level, these bonuses range from minimal to huge. So, you can bet it's in your best interest to keep those troops near their leader. Especially since if he/she dies, all the troops under their command go with.  

Challenge/Difficulty:

Well, I don't know how many of you have played the first game...but this one seemed a bit easier to me somehow.  That being said, this game still has more than enough challenge to keep most players entertained, and occasionally frustrated, but not TOO much! 

Graphics:

A pretty big improvement over the original's, but still not quite a work of art. They won't hurt your eyes at least, some of the attack animations look very nice. Sprites seem more super deformed than they were in Langrisser I, but they are still good enough. 

Sound:

One of the best soundtracks of ANY Strategy/RPG, at least if you ask me anyway! I believe the composer was the same one who did the scores for the Lunar RPG series, but I would have to doublecheck. Memorable and excellent music. 

Replay Value:

With multiple advanced character classes to try, there's more than enough to keep you coming back for more

Overall:

One of the best games for Sega Genesis was one that was never even released in the US, which is a complete shame. Your best bet would be to try and pick up an import copy, but even that may be hard to come by. Hopefully if there is any justice, somebody will port this game to the Nintendo DS, and release it in the US for once! 

Slayer - Diabolus in Musica Review by Rugter

Slayer - Diabolus in Musica Review

Slayer. The name of a band that has been stirring up controversy since ‘83. The name that some might see as satanic, some as “those crazy guys”, some as a terrible band that lives just ’cuz of pure controversy, some as the best thrash band ever, some as just a solid band all around. I am a part of the last group, mind you. With their 7th studio effort, Diabolus in Musica, the band decided to go on a new direction. As many of you know, commonly when a band says they’re “changing their sound” the critics go crazy with how will it be so they can… Well, criticize it, and the fans might as well die of fear of what the result could be. Diabolus in Musica is not different at all. In this delivery, the band decided abandon the Seasons in the Abyss sound and give more groove and a thicker guitar sound to their style. And for the most part, it works.

The opening track, Bitter Peace is a good show of their new sound while mixing it with their old sound. The 2 minute intro is quite good, starting slow and giving a good build-up. It’s possibly the 2nd fastest song of the album, and definitely a highlight. Of the new sound, you can notice Araya using more voice effects, drumming is groovier. There’s 2 solos, typical Slayer style. Overall, a good song. The next song, Death’s Head opens with bass and drums, then the main riff starts. Their new sound is pretty much obvious here. By 2:08, Araya starts playing a bassline that sounds like something of some old Slipknot CD, then the whole band joins in. Good song overall, but not a highlight. But the next song, Stain of Mind, is one. More groove in the opening, and then the verse opens. Then a short pre-chorus that is whispered, quite cool. The chorus is the best part of the song:
In fire baptized
All pain sifts through my soul
You’ll never feel greater misery
Master of my enemy
Let the purest stain of mind
Wash the virtue from your eyes!
The solo in this song is quite good too, ending with King doing some insane string bending which makes it sound really high-pitched. A highlight song. Next comes Overt Enemy. Intro with some radio broadcasts sounding, cliché but works well. Slow song overall, until 2:54, where it gains some speed. Quite a good riff there. A good song, though nothing special. Then comes Perversions of Pain. Enter the cheesiest lyrics of all Slayer: 
You better learn my name
‘cuz I’m the one insane
This is another fast song, yet not as good as Bitter Peace. With some solos thrown here and there, it’s actually a nice listen. In fact, the first solo is thrown after the first chorus. Song ends with Araya screaming “A higher level of pain” many times. Enter Love to Hate. The main riff sounds kinda Black Sabbath like. This is yet again a highlight. The chorus is definitely one of the most aggressive ones here:
You love to hate me
But you won’t kill me
Suicidal surge
Desensitize the world!
The riffs are good, we get one of King’s best solos, and the chorus sounds great. Sadly, it’s followed by the 2nd worst song on the album, Desire. After an interesting acoustic intro, the main riff starts playing, and Araya enters, trying to sound like a true necrophiliac (Which is the theme of the song), but he ends up sounding like a bad rip-off of Kurt Cobain mumbling every word. The solos in this song are typical Slayer bad, and the song feels like it drags on for too long. By the time it finishes, you’ll be happy that it has actually finished. The situation doesn’t get really much better, in any case. In The Name of God is one of the most repetitive songs of the album. A slow chugging riff in the verses, a few power chords for the chorus. By 1:50, the song gets faster, but it’s still a repetitive riff. King’s lyrics don’t make it much better. After Tom screams “Antichrist is the name of God! a few times, King gives another terrible solo. Of course, it had to get better, and Scrum gets the image clearer for this album. Lyrics based on… Rugby? Yes, believe it or not, that’s what the song is about. And the pace of this song fits the theme. It’s a fast thrasher, with Araya screaming with quite a bit or power. Good solo, too. Also the shortest song of the album, but still quite good, a highlight more. Sadly, then comes Screaming from the Sky. If you thought it couldn’t get more repetitive than In The Name of God, I’m sad to tell you that you were wrong. This song is even more repetitive, with a riff that is basically the same during the entire song. Araya sings thru a walkie-talkie or something, lame effect in this song, but would later be reused in Christ Illusion’s Jihad for an amazing ending. But it picks up for the ending. Point is easily the fastest song of the album, and possibly the best song of the album. Starts somewhat slow, but builds speed. A great solo by the beginning, then it becomes a force to be reckoned with. Araya screams with a lot of energy, then 2 really fast solos which use the typical formula of their solos, but more reminiscent of Reign in Blood. Araya screams ”Point is where all die!, a bit of drumming to get the song to an end, and the album closes.

Slayer went, decided what they wanted to do, did it and pulled it off quite well. The sound here was perfected in God Hates Us All (Well, kind of) and Christ Illusion. And heck, did they perfect the sound. Quite a good album, definitely better than God Hates us All and Divine Intervention (I feel there is too much filler in both), and far from their worst, even though not as good as their early stuff. Could have been better, but it is definitely not their worst as many claim it to be.

Pros and Cons:
+Has more groove than any of their stuff
+Thicker, heavier guitar sound
+Great production quality
+Some great solos
+The highlights are quite great: Bitter Peace, Stain of Mind, Love To Hate, Scrum and Point.
-Araya’s vocals can be annoying
-Some songs are too repetitive (In The Name of God, Screaming From The Sky)
-Desire

The good outweighs the bad, in any case

Individual Track Ratings:
Bitter Peace - 5/5
Death’s Head - 4/5
Stain Of Mind - 5/5
Overt Enemy 3.7/5
Perversions of Pain - 3.5/5
Love to Hate - 4.5/5
Desire - 2.5/5
In The Name of God - 2.75/5
Scrum - 4.5/5
Screaming from the Sky - 2.5/5
Point - 5/5

Total Score: 3.9/5, which I approximate to 4.

Battletanx: Global Assault Review

Battletanx Global Assault is the sequel to Battletanx, and it shows the improvements time brought in many ways. First off, the graphics are greatly improved. The tanks have good looking textures, weapon fire look more like what it is and not a fire ball. There is a greater variety of tanks, in addition to the 3 in the original, there is now tanks such as the Rhino and the Rattler. Out of the 11 tanks in the game, Kiwi would say the only one that is really crap, it's the flamethrower touting Inferno tank, the others are all pretty fun to use. There are a hand full of new weapons, some existing weapons got improved, and some of the more powerful weapons, like the nuke of all things, got weakened. Tanks move faster in this game, and there are now ramps and such for you to fly off of. The speed does help make the game more exciting, as if tanks blowing stuff up wasn't exciting enough.

This game takes place a few years after the original. You and your wife control San Francisco, and you have a son. Everything is going well, but we can't have that, can we? An evil woman attacks to kidnap your child for something called The Edge, it might as well be the Deus Ex Machina because the game avoided saying exactly what it is (it can shoot lightening bolts and control minds apparently; it could probably wash the dishes if that's what was needed). The story seems to take a more prominent role in the game however it doesn't feel good enough to warrant this extra attention. While the story may not be that great, the game play is better then ever. This time you can CHOOSE THE TANK YOU WANT TO USE. Yes, that is big enough to warrant the capitals. This solves one of Kiwi's biggest complaints with the game. Now the levels goals, they are better as well. There are now more destroy'em all objectives, and much fewer CTF style missions. There are also some gather x amount of things and destroy a certain thing objectives. Kiwi will say that the one CTF mission is harder then previous ones in that the respawning enemies are more aggressive and there is a variety of what is being spawned. This time instead of straight forward lives, you get tank bucks, basically each type of tank is worth a certain amount and should you run out of bucks, game over. With this it encourages destroying and searching the levels even more. The AI is more willing to use secondary weapons this time, so don't be surprised to get nailed in the face with a guided missile. Even with this improvement, Kiwi found this game easier then the original. Even with this downgrade in difficulty Kiwi found it more fun, which is the most important thing.

The multiplayer got some of these delicious improvements, there are new game types. Tank Wars replaces Annihilation, this time those other tanks are live and it's the first team to get to 25 points that wins. Frenzy is where the game places Queen Lords on the map and it's a scramble to see who can get the most. Hold'em places a Queen Lord in the center of the map, the teams run to grab it and place it in their base, and hold it for about 30-40 seconds. This would be more hectic except that there are Goliath tanks guarding the bases, making it harder to take'em away. Then there is convoy, one team guards a convoy while it heads to a point and the other team tries to stop'em. The problem with this is that while the convoy vehicles aren't exactly fragile, it's quite easy for the attacker to win by ignoring the guards and attacking the convoy. You do get to choose what tanks you use after you die, but unfortunately, you don't get to choose when the game starts up. The gangs are much more balanced this time around, and the tanks each squad has is more varied. Even then, some gangs are worse then then others. The game still has one of the same problems the first one did, you can't change the scoring options and such for the games.

The graphics have greatly improved and the weapons sound good as well. The music doesn't see great improvements. The music didn't really stick to Kiwi, he found it better to just listen to some of his own music.

Overall, Global Assault is a vast improvement. The game play is just down right better, the single player is better, and the multiplayer is better as well. At the rate the developers were going, one more sequel and they would have had the perfect game, too bad 3DO went down.

GIMP review, by Lloyd Reed

Yeah the GNU Image manipulation Program(GIMP)

Looks: 8.0

With switchable themes, you can most likely make it look just about any way possible.
I personaly use the regular default theme, as its the fastest on my computer.

Use: 9.0

Its good, but its no Photoshop. It can perform guite a bit, but I hevnt seen much on par with Photoshop.

Accessibility: 7.0

Its okay, confusing as hell, but okay. You can grouped groups, so sometimes its hard to find what your looking for. Though I give it a 7.0 for easyness of adding fonts/themes/brushes/programs. Its very easy to do so.

Over All: 25/30

Like I stated, its no Photoshop, its a descent usable program that just works enough to be kept. There are saving points, and they are the easablity of installing new programs and the such.

Disgaea 1 Review(Expanded) by LoC

This is an expanded and revised version of the original Disgaea review I wrote on March 28th 2008. Enjoy!

I have about 1 chapter of Disgaea left to play, but I have seen enough to write a fair review.

Story: An interesting, clever, and at times
hilarious story keeps you entertained every step of the way. The cast
of characters that you meet along the way range from a bratty and
arrogant Prince(Laharl), a not so loyal vassal(Etna), a love obsessed
Angel trainee/assassin(Flonne), a space Super-Hero with a
stereotypically “Heroic” voice( Gordon), and many other interesting
characters.


Gameplay: While it isn’t quite as refined as the
battle system in Makai Kingdom, the gameplay is still superb. The game
is easy to pick up and learn, with enough meat to keep you busy and
entertained for a long time. The Dark Council system is interesting,
but can be rather frustrating at times. There is a huge number of
classes and sub-classes available to use and unlock, although most of
the best ones take seemingly forever to get.


Sound: Solid sound effects, voice acting, and a nice soundtrack. Not bad at all.


Graphics: They aren’t that fancy, but they fit the games style perfectly fine. No complaints from me.


Overall: A must for any and all Strategy/RPG fans.
Give it a try if you never did before. With many secret stages,multiple
endings, and unlockable classes, there is much to keep you playing
through numerous times. BUY IT!

Darkthrone - Dark Thrones And Black Flags Review, by LoC

Darkthrone has released many albums over the years, and usually one new album in every year. Darkthrones and Black Flags is their latest, and continues much in the same vein of last years FOAD, but with the band now sounding more focused than they have in many years!

The Cult Is Alive and FOAD were both considered controversial by some fans, for their increased punk( and old-school Metal) influences, and the sometimes less than serious song titles and lyrics. This new album retains the punk and old-school metal influences, but the songs seem more serious and better written, with some of Darkthrones best riffs we have seen in a very long time! Both Fenriz and Nocturno Culto shared writing credits right down the middle, with five songs each to their credits.

The album opens up with "The Winds They Called The Dungeon Shaker" which is one of Darkthrone's best songs to date in my opinion. The rest of the album keeps up the pace quite well, and I would consider this to be possibly the most consistant Darkthrone album ever, and you definitely can tell that they love the music that they make.

Overall this album comes highly recommended to anyone looking for just an amazing Metal album, but Black Metal purists beware. Everyone else owes it to themselves to check out on of 2008's best albums.

*Review to be heavily edited later*

Chinese Democracy- Guns and Roses Review by fromillusiontodemocracy

Well, it's been more than a decade and a half since Axl started working on this album and it's finally here! The big question is of course; is the album any good? Well I will do my best to answer that. While I am a huge Guns N Roses fan, I will be objective.



This album really does have something for everyone,there are killer rock riffs,massive orchestras and even some hip hop beats in there. The album starts of with a bang with the song Chinese Democracy. The song is a powerful statement on communist rule in China. It's really a direct rant and the Chinese government warning them of a possible revolution. I won't describe every song because well, you really have to hear the album to appreciate it.

Some of the songs do seem to be a little drawn out, like Axl just wanted to fill up the space in between the chorus. While this does detract from the overall score of the album it doesn't hurt it that much, after all fifteen years in the making you had to figure there would be some weak spots.

If you like guitars then this is the album for you, there are great solos all the way through the album. Axl's voice sounds great even though on some of the tracks you can tell that his voice has been digitally enhanced. Mainly on the higher parts of some songs though. I also like the way he sings the low,gruff parts...you can tell that Axl knows he has aged and not only accepts it,but turns it into an asset.

So....is the album worth the money? I would have to tell you that it is, it's a diverse musical journey through the mind and soul of a great songwriter. It's also a piece of rock history.....remember that this is the album that many people thought would never see the light of day. So if you have the means to do so, then I encourage you to purchase it, if you don't like it then you can always send your copy to me. Just Kidding.

Final Score- 9/10

Star Wars: Republic Commando Review, by Kiwi

Game Name: Star Wars Republic Commando
Platform: Multiple

Reviewed by Kiwi

Star Wars: Republic Commando is an FPS on Xbox and PC. It was developed by the creator of all games Star Wars, Lucas Arts. It has one of the most enjoyable single player experiences Kiwi has seen in a game, let alone an FPS. The AI is intelligent, the guns are powerful, and everything looks and sounds great.

The most important aspect of the game is your squad. Without your squad this game fells more like a standard shooter with large doses of Star Wars as shown through the 2 times you must fight alone, the worst sections of the game, in Kiwi's opinion. The squad consist of you, the leader, a sniper, a demolitions expert, and a hacker. Though the roles, other then yours, don't really affect game play and mostly plays to help add personality to your squad mates. Your squad is very easy to command. Pretty much all commands are given through a single button (A on the standard Xbox control layout). You can order your squad to take up heavy weapons positions, man turrets, set traps, and even order them to focus their fire on single targets just by pushing A. You can also order your squad to take certain stances, hold a position, aggressive advancement, follow you, and to cancel all current actions, such as turrets, by pressing A and a direction on the D-pad. The presence of heavy weapon positions: anti-armor, sniper, and grenades; and opportunities for setting traps encourage you to maintain awareness of what's around you. It works so well that Kiwi can honestly say this is one of the few shooters where co-op would be unthinkable because the squad system is so well done.

Every shooter is made or broken by it's weapons, and Republic Commando does very well on this front. The first one you will have and will become very familiar with is the DC something rifle. Good rate of fire, accurate, and does decent damage per shot. The weapon is modular in that you can take off and put on parts to make it an anti-armor weapon or a sniper rifle. You also start out with a pistol with infinite ammo. It however, can only fire a few shots before requiring to recharge, and it is really only good against weaker enemies. You also have 4 types of grenades, thermal detonators, good against organic enemies, ECDs, good against mechanical threats, sonic grenades which can be thrown on walls or the grounds and go off if an enemy comes near, decent against both, and flash bang grenades. The first two are extremely useful, sonic are ok if you are out of what you need, and the flash bang's uses are very limited, they do nothing against droids. That makes up your standard equipment. It is further complimented by a variety of weapons that you can pick up off your enemies, or just find lying around. There is your basic SMG, shotgun, heavy machine gun (complete with a bayonet) and a homing rocket launcher. Then there's two weapons that are more unique, the concussion rifle which fire a projectile that, when it hits a target, makes a loud noise, then the projectile explodes. The concussion rifle also has a melee attack that stuns enemies, making it worth picking up, if only for the melee attack. The Geonosian Elite Beam weapon, which fires a laser beam after a very brief charge up time, not very damaging, but it has its uses. Then there is the Wookie Crossbow, it bounces off walls and can pin enemies to walls as well, in addition to a scope. And with any weapon you can melee, the speed varies depending on what you have out, but melee is a very effective, if risky way to deal with enemies. Many can be taken out with a single blow. Some of the more powerful enemies, such as Super Battledroids can be dealt with by running up and punching them over and over again. Though that tactic is less effective when there is more then one of said enemies.

The AI of this game is exceptional. Your squad is intelligent, knows where to take cover, and can do well for themselves in a fight against most enemies. The only enemy that seem to be generally incompetent are the basic Battledroids, but that seems more like staying true to how they are generally portrayed then anything else. Others, such as Trandosian mercenaries are quite intelligent. Both your squad and certain enemies will throw grenades back if one lands at their feet. Also, while meleeing enemies is effective, if you're not careful you can find yourself on the receiving end of a punch to the face. However, there are times where the AI does show it's weakness. Sometimes your squad mates will run right in front of turrets; this doesn't happen often but it is quite annoying when it does. Another is that while the members of your squad are touted as being specialist in a certain areas, they all do the same task with the same efficiency. Kiwi understands why it is, but it would be nice that if, for example, you order someone to place explosives, that the demolitions expert would be the first to do it. As it is, the closest one does it.

Graphics wise, the game is fine. Some of the areas struck Kiwi as bland, however this is balanced by the excellent enemy and weapon design. There are many cool animations. Just watch an enemy charge one of your squad mates, and you'll see what Kiwi means. The voice acting in this game is excellent, your commandos are full of awesome lines. The enemies are also enjoyable as well, even though some too talk too much. The weapons sound like they are as much fun as they are to use. The music is a downside. Kiwi only remembers hearing one song through out the whole game.

The single player is a fun ride, with the exception of the segments where you are alone, and the two timed segments. The ending seemed kinda sudden to Kiwi though. Kiwi wishes the same could be said for the multiplayer. The maps are pretty small, and Kiwi just didn't enjoy it that much. The fact that you can customize the look of your character is pretty cool, and choose between a Commando and a Trandosian Mercenary. Granted, it might be different since Kiwi didn't play it that much.

An excellent single player shooter, with a bland multiplayer. If you want something to play with friends, look elsewhere, but if you're looking for something to take your mind off the fact that you have no friends, then this is for you.

MSN Beta 9.0 Review, by Lloyd Reed

Program Name: MSN Beta 9.0
Platform: Windows

Review, by Lloyd Reed( guest contributer)


I have been using the new MSN(Windows Live) Messenger for a few weeks now, I shall rate it

Layout: 9.0

I like the layout, its very slick, it have built-in themes, a favorites for quick chatting with importaint people.

Use: 10.0

I would say, perfect. I use this quite often, it runs faster that the old 8.5 that I had. Its great.

E-Mail: 10.0

Another perfect. It tells you how many e-mails you have, and if you installed the MSN mail, like I did, you will love looking at your mail in a nice program.

Overall: 29/30

I am really happy with this. Its really good, its sleek, and its light on the resources.
I have not seen any issues with it at all. My last MSN would log-in and out randomly, none of that here! Over all, I say, I can't wait for this to be out of the beta.

Touch The Dead Review, by Kiwi

Game Title: Touch The Dead

System: Nintendo DS

Reviewed by Kiwi




Touch the Dead (or Dead 'N Furious if you're European) is an on-rails shooter for the DS. It attempts to replicate the feel of arcade shooters such as House of the Dead. Only with a stylus in the place of a lightgun.

The touch screen is well suited to touching the undead with bullets. There weren't really any moments where it didn't register a shot. Needless to say, it is much easier to be precise with the touch screen then with a light gun. This does take away some emphasis from precision and places it on reloading, which is done by sliding the clip from one side of the screen to the other, most importantly the timing of it and doing it quickly. Even after you slide the clip acorss, your character must go through the animation before you can go back to shooting'em up. The strategy of where to shoot, head shots are good enough for normal difficulty, but furious can require a bit more thought behind shot placement, and reloading does lend some tactical thought to a game that requires little otherwise.

There are four weapons you find throughout the game: Shotgun, SMG, Pistol, and Crowbar. The pistol and shotgun are the most useful, however the SMG is near worthless. Your firepower is further improved by obtaining weapon upgrades at certain points, the first is always increased reload spead.

The story is pretty much non-existent. You are a prisoner, door opens, find gun, everyone's a zombie, go kill them. There are cutscenes in between levels, but they are mostly one-liners and generally uninteresting.

The graphics are down right ugly. Everything is blocky and the textures are very low quality.

Palette swaps make up most of the variety of enemies in this (with increases in durability). Though the ranks of the undead also include zombie rats, zombie bats, zombie alligators, zombie leeches, and robots, which are probably also zombies. There are also bosses at the end of each chapter which are pretty fun to face. The standard zombies also pull out neat tricks occasionally, but not often enough.

The sounds are a mixed bag. The pistol and SMG sound pretty cool, but the shotgun sounds weak. The zombies' groans get old pretty fast, and there is no music, except during boss fights and in the main menu.

Touch the Dead has captured how much fun it is to poke dead things with a stick. Unfortunately the sounds, graphics, and shortness (about 2-3 hours) holds it back from greatness.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Review by LoC

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Review By LoC


Alright, so I had been meaning to write this review for a number of days now. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was a novel that I had bought on Tuesday morning and had finished reading by Wednesday night. Should any of you care, I bought the hard-cover edition, and had a pretty sizable 40% discount off the purchase price! So anyway, The Force Unleashed is a book based on the game of the same name. Despite this, I actually think the book came out a month before the game! The book tells the story of Darth Vader's secret apprentice known as Starkiller whom even the Emperor himself does not know about. Being raised by Vader since a small child, he has spent most of his life embracing the darkside and Vader's teachings. As the book begins, Darth Vader sends Starkiller out on his first real challenge of defeating a Jedi. Eventually however a major event occurs which changes Starkiller's life forever. The book is very well written, although it almost feels too brief in a way. As far as I know, most of the details in this book also happen in the game, but I have yet to play the game myself to verify it. This book is simply a must for any Star Wars fan, even those whom have already played the game. Many events are elaborated on, which were only briefly touched in the game. The force has indeed been unleashed, and this book(and game) will change the way we look at Star Wars and what we thought we knew forever.
(to be edited and revised)

- LoC

Persona 3 Review(by The Liztress)

Persona 3 Review
by The Liztress

Quick Review-

Sound- A-
Graphics- B
Enjoyment Factor- A
Replay Factor- B
Battle System- B+
Overall- B+


Full Review-

Sound- Sure the music isn't as grand as you find in most RPGs like the Final Fantasy series or Zelda series but the music doesn't take away from this game. In fact, I feel like it adds to it. When something good is happening in the game, the music is upbeat. When you have a gloomy experience, the music has a soft sound and you can hear the sadness in it. Not many people are a fan of the JPOP genre, and this game has a few songs that are classified as such. But I think the songs fit it nicely.

Graphics- It's not very high end graphics and Altus doesn't try to make the people or anything look real. Instead, they try to stay faithful with the anime cutscenes that are in the game. And while I am fine with this choice, the anime isn't the best I have seen and the characters and enemies aren't as detailed as I might like. But I give credit to the Persona Compendium as it has the most detailed images. I'm not complaining about the lack of detail as I'm more for storylines and a decent battle system but I do feel that on some cases the anime cutscenes could have been done better.

Enjoyment Factor- As a fan of the Persona series and RPGs in general, I really enjoyed playing this game. There were times when I didn't want to put the controller down and turn the game off just so I could sleep. I think for anyone who enjoys a good RPG that isn't done like most out there, this one is worth trying. I've had my moments where I wanted to throw the controller down, mainly trying to get all the heart items from Messiah, but more often than not it continued to hold my interest. The characters weren't so outlandish and I admit a few I neglected using due to my inability to like them. But I did really get into the storyline and key moments made me sad. The social links add to mix with a sort of "dating sim" minigame. Your reward for choosing the right responses and spending time with your friends is a special item. One that allows you to create the highest level Persona of the Arcana.

Replay Factor- The only reasons, outside of just playing it for the fun of it, to replay this game would be to complete the Compendium, max out all of the social links, and of course... The Optional boss only available for the second playthrough. But, besides the optional boss, the rest can be done in the first playthrough. Granted if you do decide to complete all available requests and max out the social links your first time through, you might still want to pick this game back up and play it again. On your second cycle, you do keep your levels, max social link items, Yen, all the Personas you have registered in the Compendium, and equipment. But you lose all consumable items and your teammates start back on level one. But that don't mean you should fret. With the level you beat the game at, you'll have no problems with the shadows.

Battle System- Ok, this part, for me, makes or breaks if I truly want to play a game. Controls are simple and if you know the enemies weakness, you can exploit it so they never get the chance to attack. When you "knock down" an enemy, It means you either found the weakness or you did a critical hit. Also, if you knock down the whole enemy party, you can perform an "All Out Attack". Basically, you and your party members all gang up on the downed enemies and do a good deal of damage. But knocking down an enemy also grants you the ability to use another turn. Mind you, the "1 more turn" applies to the enemies as well. And if you meet special conditions during a fight, you are rewarded with the option to choose a card. You only know what kind of card you can get if you pay good attention to how they are shuffled. You get anyting from weapons to Persona, with bonus experience and getting healed as well. As for controlling your party, you are limited in that. You can command them to heal or go all out. Or you can have them conserve SP depending on your style.

Overall- Alright, here's my final opinion on Persona 3. I do feel like it was deserving of being in the running for 2007's Game of the Year. But since Atlus released Persona 3: FES at a cheaper price, I do advise buying it over this as you are getting the same gaming experience with a few bonuses. I do think some things could have been tweaked. And the different blocks were designed nicely, but one was too dark for to really noticed the monsters to do a surprise attack. But yeah, I think it was worth the 90+ hours I spent on the game.