August 2015 - Page 3 of 5 - Samantha Lienhard

Resident Evil 2 Remake Should Be Survival Horror

Video games No Responses » Tagged with: re2make, resident evil, survival horror

Aug 172015

At last, it happened. After fans asked for years, Capcom finally announced a Resident Evil 2 remake. Our requests have been answered, our hopes fulfilled.

Now we can start worrying.

Resident Evil 2 is my second-favorite Resident Evil game, after the amazing “REmake” of the first game. REmake is my go-to example of how to handle a remake, as I mentioned in my recent discussion of Final Fantasy VII. I hope Capcom follows its own example and creates a true “RE2make” deserving of the name.

Ever since Resident Evil 4, Capcom has strayed from the survival horror genre. Its closest attempts were the Revelations games, which wobbled on the edge of the genre, afraid to let go of the new actionized style.

When Capcom points to Resident Evil: Revelations or Leon’s scenario of Resident Evil 6 as their return to the series roots, it presents two possibilities: 1) Capcom is lying to attract fans of the classic games, or 2) Capcom doesn’t know what made the old games great.

Let’s hope it’s the first. While we don’t want to think Capcom is out to deceive fans just to get sales, it allows for more hope that they can make a survival horror game if they want to. And they clearly want to.

The HD remaster of REmake, the upcoming HD remaster of Resident Evil 0, and now the Resident Evil 2 remake all show Capcom wants to appeal to that core fanbase again. Maybe the positive reaction to the REmake remaster has helped them overcome their fear of creating a true survival horror game.

A remake brings challenges that remasters don’t. It’s more than just a simple polishing of the graphics. REmake added new mechanics, areas, and story content, which is part of what makes it so brilliant. Its remastering was just a shinier release of the same game, with an additional control scheme option.

An ideal Resident Evil 2 remake should follow that style and be an enhanced, improved survival horror game with fresh surprises for returning players while the core gameplay holds true to the original. On the other hand, if Capcom just releases the exact same game with modern graphics, I wouldn’t complain.

And I can’t wait to hear what they do with the music!

Do you think the Resident Evil 2 remake will be survival horror? If so, will it take REmake’s approach to adding new content? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Pokémon Black and White: Story-Driven Pokémon

Reviews, Video games 309 Responses » Tagged with: pokemon, rpg

Aug 142015

Despite what I said in my post about Black Holmes, we aren’t discussing Resident Evil 2 today, either. Instead, let’s talk about Pokémon Black and White.

I love these games. Their direct sequels received honorable mentions in my list of the top games I played in 2013, but they don’t hold a candle to the originals.

Pokémon Black and White came out shortly after I got back into the series after a long hiatus. While their decision to include only new Pokémon until the post-game caused some controversy, I liked it. It made me feel like I was starting the series for the first time again. I liked the decision to have older protagonists, and I liked the Unova region… but what really surprised and delighted me was the stronger emphasis on story.

My honest reaction when I turned on Pokémon White for the first time and the intro started was to check the box to make sure I actually put in the right game and not some other JRPG.

Unlike most games in the series, Black and White had a plot and characters compelling enough to make me want to know what would happen. They’re the only Pokémon games where I can seriously say I loved the plot twists.

And while there’s something to be said for good old Team Rocket, Black and White’s Team Plasma is probably my favorite Pokémon villain team. It has depths and shades of gray beyond any of the others, as well as some of the best characters.

The core series gameplay is perfectly intact, so if you’re a Pokémon fan who skipped this particular generation, I only have one question for you. Do you like story-driven games? If you said, “Yes,” what are you waiting for? Go buy either Pokémon Black or Pokémon White. Not only do they show a level of storytelling unprecedented in the main series, but they’re among my favorite Pokémon games of all.

They’re certainly leagues above X and Y.

So, what prompted this sudden discussion of Pokémon Black and White years after I played them? I wish I could say “Pokémon Black and White 3” because that would be awesome and would have been on my list of E3 pipe dreams if I’d thought of it in time.

Actually, it’s because Play-Asia sent me an email this morning about a new Nendoroid figurine of my favorite Pokémon Black and White characters, N.

Not only is N my favorite character, but that figurine is adorable! In addition to N (with two different facial expressions), it comes with a Pokéball accessory and the legendary Pokémon Reshiram.

I’m not much of a figurine collector… but N just might find himself on my bookshelf alongside Milla Maxwell and Noble Team.

Share your thoughts on Pokémon storytelling, Black and White, and N in the comments below.

Buy Pokémon Black from Amazon
Buy Pokémon White from Amazon
Buy Pokémon Black from Play-Asia
Buy Pokémon White from Play-Asia

Black Holmes, a Crime Visual Novel from Moa Hato

Video games 4 Responses » Tagged with: black holmes, hatoful boyfriend, visual novel

Aug 122015

Knowing me, you probably expected me to spend today talking about the Resident Evil 2 remake announcement. But I’m going to talk about another game instead.

See, when I checked Twitter this morning, I saw an announcement from Moa Hato about her upcoming crime procedural visual novel, Black Holmes. With how much I enjoyed Hatoful Boyfriend, this takes precedence.

Black Holmes was actually announced back in 2013, with the release of a promotional pamphlet and a few details about the game. As a mystery/crime story, it was inspired by Sherlock Holmes and The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Circumstances delayed the project, and its website and Twitter account sat dormant ever since… until today!

Very few details are available about Black Holmes. It’s set in 1889 London and stars a detective named Noah Holmes. His character page shows four different pictures of him. My personal favorite is the one with the hat. I also like his different-colored eyes.

The other characters haven’t been revealed yet, although the character from the introduction page is shown in a few pieces of artwork, as well as the original promotional pamphlet, which suggests he will have a major role.

Two songs from the game are also available to listen to on the site.

According to the official Tumblr page, English pages will be added to the Black Holmes site soon.

I can’t wait to learn more about this game! It sounds as though it will have a more serious tone than Hatoful Boyfriend, although we all know stories involving mysteries and crimes can be lighthearted.

Let me know your hopes for and theories about Black Holmes in the comments below, and I’ll keep you updated as more information comes out.

We can talk about Resident Evil another time.

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