Resident Evil Village Shadow of Rose Review

An 18th month gap between a game's release and it’s getting DLC, is unusual. To that extent, in most cases it would be deemed poor timing. 

Most people may have moved long on from the game with little to no intention of returning to it anytime soon if ever. 

Thankfully, Resident Evil Village as one of the best games of 2021, is exempt from that notion. The game is just that good and more of the same is always going to be hard to turn down. 

Enter, Resident Evil Village Winter's expansion; a three-prong DLC that adds quite a bit to the game, most of which will be to your liking if you enjoyed the base game but almost none of which feels essential. 

The headline grabbing edition here is obviously Shadows of Rose, a new story chapter set 16 years after the events of the base game. Ethan Winters has been dead for a long time and the focus here is squarely on Rose, his daughter. 

All grown up now, she's desperate to live a normal life as a normal kid which is obviously something that she can't do thanks to her natural powers and abilities and as a bioorganic weapon. 

When she learns of a way to get rid of her powers though, Rose instantly jumps at the opportunity; beginning a journey that takes her into the consciousness of the Megamycete, the superorganism that's the source of the troublesome mold that's been torturing the Winter's family and many others for years at this point. 

Shadows of Rose takes players to a number of locations that those who play the base game will be very familiar with and really given the chapter's narrative setup, you really shouldn't be playing if you haven't finished Resident Evil Village. 

It starts off with Rose and Castle Dimitrescu where the imposing vampiric woman is nowhere to be seen; with a twisted version of the Duke instead, casting his terrifying shadow on the location and everything that goes on in it. 

Beyond that, there's a few other locations you visit which are best left unspoiled. 

That's because Shadows of Rose does a solid job of remixing familiar environments and the dreamlike state of its setting, serves as a great jumping off point for that. 

Meanwhile some later sections also bring chilling horror sequences that take cues from RE Village's best bits which is all that I'm going to say about that. 

It's best experienced on your own. While locations are remixed and reused in Shadows of Rose, other elements of the new story chapter feel quite different from the base experience. 

There's Michael, an unseen spirit companion who constantly aids Rose on her journey through glowing ghostly words appearing on surfaces around her. 

As a gameplay mechanic, it feels like a gimmick at best and it can feel like it's holding your hand a little too much but Michael is also a crucial part of the story which resolves in an interesting way; if not largely predictable. 

Meanwhile, Rose is of course also equipped with special powers. Though their implementation is not nearly as exciting as it seems on paper, temporarily freezing enemies in place and getting rid of obstacles in the environment is about the extent of her abilities. 

And they never really come into play in any way that makes them stand out, or at least not until the end by which time it's also a little too late. 

New enemies called Face Eaters also enter the fray, who have more than a few similarities to Resident Evil 7's Molded but they never really posed a kind of a threat that, say, that base games’ Lycans did. Other issues bring down the experience as well. 

Shadows of Rose is an entirely third-person experience but movement feels a little clunky which is a surprise because Resident Evil has delivered some top-notch third-person titles especially in recent years. 

The new chapter is also a much more linear experience than what you'd expect from a Resident Evil game. Backtracking and slowly unblocking areas bit by bit, is a core tenet of the franchise and it's disappointing to see it de-emphasized here like it has been. 

Add to that, Shadow of Rose's short run time, the entire episode is roughly three hours long and with all of the other issues it ends up feeling like a largely forgettable ride even if it's mostly a fun one. 

But of course, Shadow of Rose is only a third of what Winter's Expansion brings to the table. 

Another major new addition and probably my favorite of the bunch is a new third-person mode for the base game. 

Playing through Resident Evil Village with an over-the-shoulder camera puts a unique spin on the game but the action still feels tense and satisfying. 

Similar to Shadows of Rose, movement is a little stiff as compared to the likes of Resident Evil 2 and 3 but the sheer novelty of seeing all of the game's locations and getting to experience all of its offerings from a different perspective, makes up for a lot of those issues. 

Funnily enough, you still can't see Ethan's face. If you tried to turn the camera around,  he'll simply turn around before you can get a proper look at the entirety of his face. 

While the transitions between third person gameplay and first-person cutscenes never stopped feeling jarring, third-person mode has clearly been made with returning fans in mind. 

So, if you're jumping into Resident Evil Village for the first time, you might want to stick with the first-person perspective. 

For fans who have already played through the base game though, the new camera is an excellent way to experience the game again. 

The third and final edition in Winter's expansion is The Mercenaries additional orders which as its name suggests adds new content to The Mercenaries mode. 

Resident Evil score-based mode has been a fan favorite since its inception all those years ago but its comeback and Village didn't exactly live up to its name.

The consensus was that it was too light on content and lacked the endless replayability of past iterations of The Mercenaries. 

So, it goes without saying that the addition of new locations and new characters, each with their own unique abilities, is a welcome one. 

The Mercenaries is still unlikely to blow anyone away but it serves as a nice distraction for those who are looking for more bite-sized and casual fun. 

Resident Evil Village Winter's Expansion is a solid addition to Capcom's beloved survivor horror outing. 

Even if it feels largely unremarkable, Shadows of Rose is a fun new story chapter but it doesn't do enough with its unique ideas and it's over too quickly. 

While The Mercenaries continues to feel inessential; even if it's admittedly a much better experience than it was when the base game launched last year. 

Third-person mode meanwhile is an absolute treat especially if you're a returning fan looking to play through the game again from a fresh perspective. 

Taken together, the expansion might not be required reading but it's a decent stop gap to hold you over until Capcom drops the next meaty Resident Evil offering.

Fatal Frame Maiden of Black Water

In spite of how many fans Koei Tecmo's horror series Fatal Frame has, it's always been a bit of a niche franchise. 

Its last main line entry Fatal Frame Maiden of Black Water launched exclusively for the Wii U back in 2014 and the game's inherently niche nature combined with the extremely limited player base of the Wii u meant that the game was always fighting an uphill battle when it came to mainstream penetration and sales. 

Seven years on from its original release though, it's being given a new lease on life with Koei Tecmo bringing the game to modern consoles and for the first time for a Fatal Frame game in a while, to non-Nintendo platforms as well and as we count the days down to its imminent launch. 

Here, we're going to talk about a few key details you should know about the game itself followed by the big talking points of what to expect from its upcoming remaster. 

Story 

Fatal Frame as a series has always been very heavily focused on pure supernatural horror rather than the sci-fi horror of more popular franchises like Resident Evil and Fatal Frame Maiden of Black Water very much sticks to that template. 

The game is set on the fictional Hikami Mountain, a place that has a long and notorious history of cases of suicides and supernatural occurrences stemming largely from maidens that would be sacrificed to keep a malevolent power known as the black water, at bay, using their own mystical abilities. 

When one maiden in particular failed in her duties in the past though, the black water was let loose and the mountain and its spirits were corrupted by the evil being. 

Characters 

Fatal Frame Maiden of Black Water tells its story from the perspective of three primary protagonists. There's Miu Hinasaki the daughter of Miku Hinasaki; a character that fans of the series will be quite familiar with. 

There's Yuri Kozukara, a descendant of the mountain maidens who can use her abilities to bring people stuck in the shadow world back into the real world. 

Last but not least, there's Ren Hojo, Yuri's friend and an author who heads to the mountain for research purposes for his writing but finds himself entangled in a nightmare that he could not have predicted. Various maidens of the past also play a crucial role in the story. 

Camera Obscura 

The Camera Obscura is a mainstay for the Fatal Frame series and perhaps the one thing that Koei Tecmo's horror games are most commonly associated with but for those who are not too familiar with Fatal Frame and what it's all about, what exactly is the Camera Obscura? 

Well, it's literally your lens into the game's world and the horrors it hides. 

It serves as your primary means for both defense and attack against the malevolent spirits that you cross paths with once you whip out the camera during combat, the game switches to a first-person perspective and depending on factors such as distance and angles of the shots that you take with it, you will deal varying amounts of damage to the ghosts you're fighting against. 

Updated Visuals 

As far as playable content is concerned, Fatal Frame Maiden of Black Waters upcoming remaster is going to be largely similar to the original Wii U release with everything from the post-game Ayane content to, of course, the base game itself being brought over as is. 

Some other areas of the game are being tweaked though. For starters, as you'd expect from any Remaster, there will be visual improvements curiously Koei Tecmo hasn't provided any concrete details on exactly how visuals will be improved other than promising sharper resolutions but hopefully, they'll take the opportunity to make some notable changes especially seeing as there's plenty of room for graphical improvement for any game that launched on the Wii U several years ago. 

Photo Mode 

Photo modes have become something of an industry-wide standard in recent years and though by no means, a necessity for something that actively affects a game's core gameplay experience, they're always a nice added bonus. 

Fatal Frame Maiden of Black Waters Remaster is going to feature a new photo mode as well which only makes sense when you consider how central taking photos is to the core gameplay loop here. 

Players will be able to freely move and place characters and ghosts apply filters and frames and mess around with other options such as depth of field, focal length and aperture. 

Upgrade Path 

When Final Frame made enough Black Water launches where Playstation and Xbox are concerned, it will receive native versions on both active generations of both platforms. 

Thankfully, unlike several other cross-gen releases these days, Fatal Frame will not demand additional money if you want to upgrade from the PS4 or Xbox One to the game's PS5 or Xbox Series X and S versions with Koei Tecmo confirming that free next gen upgrades will be offered to anyone who gets the game on last gen hardware. 

PC Requirements 

As a seven-year-old Wii U game, Fatal Frame Maiden of Black Water's PC requirements aren't exactly demanding. On minimum settings which will run the game at 720p and 60 frames per second, you'll notice four gigabytes of ram at least an Intel Core i5 750 and either a GeForce GTX 660 or Radeon RX 550. 

Meanwhile, on recommended settings which will run the game at 1080p and 60 frames per second, you'll need 8 gigabytes of ram, an Intel Core i7 2600 and either a GeForce GTX 960 or a Radeon RX 570. Meanwhile on both settings, you'll require 25 gigabytes of storage space. 

Series Future 

The future of Fatal Frame as a series has looked murky for a while and the less than stellar sales and lukewarm critical reception that Maiden of Black Water saw when it released for the Wii U is surely responsible for that to a great extent but if the upcoming Remaster should do well, it might pave the way for more new games in the series. 

Speaking in an interview with Famitsu when asked about the possibility of sequels if Maiden of Black Water does well, series producer, Keisuke Kikuchi said “That's what I'm hoping. 

We're releasing this game to commemorate the series 20th anniversary and we're hoping a lot of fans will take the opportunity to play the game. We'd love this to lead to a new title.” 

Here's hoping that does happen then because you can never have too many good horror games and when Fatal Frame is at its best, it's really good.

Valkyrie Elysium Review

 

Valkyrie Elysium's public demo I grew mildly enthused but still felt a general sense of unease regarding what a drastic departure this entry took from its roots. 

It doesn't remotely come off as being part of the same franchise and I was concerned over whether this shake up an identity would work to its detriment. 

However, after fully playing through the game my fears became unfounded because Valkyrie Elysium has managed to stand on its own by being a standout and fulfilling action experience. 

Throughout this title, players control Valkyrie a tool of intervention made by Odin to bring salvation to the world. 

It's a simple premise that never becomes intricate or elaborate as the narrative progresses while significant developments occur in the game's latter half, the story can merely be seen as a backdrop for other elements to propel and shine, namely the navigation in action. 

The gameplay is set across several stages divided between exploration and combat. 

The former is surprisingly well handled with the maps meticulously crafted to hide rewards in just about every corner one can stumble upon. 

Treasure chests blue flowers indicating the lingering thoughts of those who have passed on and individuals granting subquests or players will find when going off the beaten path. 

Further, Valkyrie's soul chain ability allows her to reach higher elevations and her companions can occasionally destroy obstacles impeding progress. 

None of these elements are presented in ways to propagate complex problem solving still they offer consistent freshness to alleviate the potential tedium constant battle would provide. 

However, battling never grew tiresome on her quest. Valkyrie gradually gains the aid of numerous Einherjar potent souls compelled to join her mission. 

They provide passive damage output when manually summoned while also coding Valkyrie's weapon in a specific element. 

The Einherjar's combative efficacy is enhanced the more they are utilized in personal side quests involving their yearnings and backstories grant additional gameplay benefits. 

Additionally, memories of their pasts are locked and viewed in the main menu serving to establish deeper dives into their places in the former world. 

Thanks to these avenues of characterization and interaction, the Einherjar truly felt unique from one another in ways other than solely being elemental outlets. 

While more time could have been put into their bonding, the relationships came to feel genuine they even converse amongst each other while you explore stages with some endearing outcomes. 

Going back to gameplay I was genuinely surprised by the weapon variety. With each feeling distinctive from the other due to their individual realized handling and proficiency percentages. 

The latter provides enough incentive to occasionally switch up your weapon choice and the half a dozen quantity is quite welcome. 

Valkyrie's movements are rapid and abundantly responsive but some attacks require time dedication to perform fully. 

So, there is a sense of risk versus a reward if dire straits arise. When throwing runes into the mix essentially weapon add-ons with varying benefits some notable synergies become apparent. 

Like the exploration, the weapon choice and overall customization are simple and yet undeniably effective and instilling continuous achievement and growth. 

The skill tree in quests also house a few shakeups to the gameplay systems with the latter worth pursuing at every opportunity possible. 

Further, also regarding quests, speaking to the Einherjars will open up new ones as well which I appreciated as their conversations granted practical benefits and not just fluff. 

The magic system is potentially my favorite facet since some spells regardless of matching elemental alignments enact their effects in differing ways. 

For instance, you have multiple ice and lightning spells that track phone in different paths so you aren't tethered to stylizing elemental output in one defined way. 

It's a subtle yet majorly appreciated implementation and I wish there were more spells of the same element that weren't only upgraded iterations and instead inherently unique in their approach. 

One design choice I was fearful of going into the full game was how often maps were likely to be reused based on the demo and while they are reused primarily for side quests their frequency never came as a bother since each area is vast. 

This may put some players off but the quests are often brief and never overstay their welcome so their presence in previously used areas was not something I ever found to be an issue. 

I mean this with no exaggeration when I say that Valkyrie Elysium's combat is among the most gratifying and addictive systems I've experienced. However, if I have one major critique, it's the camera. 

I dealt with a few instances of minor camera obstruction while playing the demo but the umbrella issue was pronounced tenfold here. Corners narrow hallways and other enclosed spaces contain frustrating angle oddities. 

As a result, Valkyrie's model will often jut in and out of focus with enemies unfairly gained in the upper hand. I honestly sometimes dreaded battling in specific environments because of the camera. 

Regrettably there is a lack of proper lip syncing with the English dub. The voice cast is excellent as their deliveries are solid and fitting for their contexts and characters. 

Still, we've reached a point with modern gaming where lip syncing is usually perceived as a default feature so its lack of place here is jarring at several points. 

Moreover, as a half critique the soundtrack is atmospheric and mesmerizing, perfectly complementing the dreary and naturalistic state of the environment you visit. Unfortunately, the number of tracks is noticeably low at least while in stages. 

Additional combat and explorative songs would have been nice for variety's sake. Another part of the experience where varieties lacking is the enemies though only physically and not gameplay-wise. 

To elaborate a few select enemy models in the game, though their elemental affinities differ, their appearance is only slightly vary. Amid combat it likely won't pee you much it's just that in hindsight they found it all questionable. 

Lastly this is pretty minor but I figure still worth mentioning the performance on PS5 was smooth on my end save for when I would use the meteor swarm spells strongest variation. 

Its initiated slowdown was strongly noticeable for a few seconds when activating. 

Valkyrie Elysium is an enjoyable action JRPG suffering from clear problems regarding its camera system and more granular details. 

Yet its core combat is undeniably stellar with transparently depicted customization and upgrading. 

Additionally, it's cast in narrative are light but effective paving the way for a satisfying adventure if you don't embrace critical presumptions. 

Despite my initial disappointments with this entry's lack of clear connective tissue to the franchise's origins I genuinely loved my time with this title. 

I hope its gameplay elements are used as a basis and improved upon for further installments.

Trails From Zero Review

Trails From Zero follows protagonist Lloyd Bannings and the special support section or SSS, a branch of the Crossbell Police as they unravel the mysteries of rival gangs, illicit activities and ultimately a nefarious plot that seeks to collapse the entire region. 

Joining Lloyd or Randy, Tio and Ellie each with her own interesting backgrounds and over the course of the game's 40 plus hours the group ended up becoming inseparable. 

Randy's raunchy casanova-esque personality is a particular standout of the cast. On a few occasions, you do have other characters join your squad for support but generally it's the same foursome for most of the adventure. 

Having completed the four Trails of Cold Steel Games before this one, I did find the lack of more playable party members a bit of a downer; even if the SSS team up works well in terms of the plot and each member's own characterization. 

Most of the game takes place in Crossbell City with Lloyd and Kobe accepting job requests in each chapter ahead of completing a primary objective to advance the story. 

There are dozens of side quests to work through which reward in terms of story beats quirky moments and Mira, the local currency, completed requests also provide detective points and these contribute to your overall detective rank. 

As you level up your rank, you are awarded with a variety of items like accessories to equip or gems called quartz to slot on to each character to provide stat Buffs and unlock different arts or spells for using combat. 

Those wanting to reach rank 1 may want to consult a guide given that Hidden Side Quests and even specific dialogue choices can yield the extra points needed to get there. 

Compared to the cool Steel games which took you all over the Erebonian Empire, Trails From Zero being set in and around Crossbell, does make it feel much smaller in scope.

Fortunately, this more condensed setting works well in tandem with the SSS playing the role of Detectives. 

While the city itself can grow a little stale, spending more time with its inhabitants and informing closer relationships with people you encounter across multiple chapters lends the story a degree of charm and intimacy. 

At times, you're almost just waiting for characters like plucky journalist, Grace or bracer extraordinaire, Arios to show up. 

The turn-based combat of the Trails In The Sky titles returns here with many offensive and support Arts having an area of effect radius to try and maximize their effectiveness. 

Craft points or CP, are also a part of combat and build up as you make successful attacks and take damage. 

CP can be stored up to unleash powerful s-crafts that often hit nearly every enemy on the battlefield for massive damage. 

You can even interrupt the indicated turn order by activating an s-craft outside of a character's normal turn. 

It's worth mentioning that the battles are a little less complicated in Trails From Zero compared to Cold Steel 3 and 4 so be prepared for that step down if those are the only other Legend of Heroes titles you've played. 

Some nice quality of life features are included in this release of Trails From Zero including a customizable speed up option that can be toggled on and off with the Press of a button. 

Such a feature is welcome in any RPG but especially so and one that takes dozens of hours to finish. You can adjust how fast the speed up actually is, both inside combat and out. 

Fast travel within crossbow city is another helpful feature. What misses for me is the lack of English voices and a mission that's especially glaring after having them in the two Cold Steel games. 

Obviously, such a lengthy script would require a similarly sizable investment in an English dub but it's unfortunate to not see one here. 

In addition to cooking and fishing, in-game achievements provide another incentive for being thorough and try to collect and do everything Trails From Zero offers. 

That said, I didn't miss the regular bonding events of the Cold Steel games and it was tough not to feel an overall lack of variety compared to the games that were developed after the two Crossbell entries. 

This is why I mentioned earlier that would be a lot easier to appreciate Trails From Zero  the opportunity to play it after the three Trails In The Sky games which followed the adventures of Joshua and Estelle Bright; two characters who end up figuring fairly prominently here.

The scope and combat changes of the later Cold Steel Games also mean that Trails From Zero feels like a step back in comparison. 

If it sounds a bit confusing and a lot messy well that's because it is. Ultimately, your experience with Legend of Heroes games will likely shape your enjoyment of Trails From Zero. 

While the background of the Trails In The Sky Trilogy will help to explain certain events and moments, these three games simply aren't available on modern consoles. You'd probably need to play them on Steam. 

If you played Cold Steel 3 and 4 respectively, you may find the more insulated first Crossbell game plays a little too safe. 

Fortunately, Lloyd and the rest of the SSS crew make for likable characters that you can't help but root for. 

The dialogue heavy second half of the game can drag a little bit but the cumulative experience is still a positive one that I would recommend to RPG fans. 

With Trails To Azure coming in 2023, the stable of Falcon titles continue to grow and there's zero reason to be unhappy about that.

F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch Review

 

It's becoming harder to market your metroidvania as more and more take inspiration  from the genre. 

However I feel like little is done to evolve these games as they simply boast an interconnected world with the promise of abilities to reach new areas. 

Developer TiGames isn't going to settle for the basic definition of the genre for their new released F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch. 

So instead, we get a genuinely unique experience that no one would ever expect from anthropomorphic animals. 

F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch begins with a former soldier named Rayton, who's reflecting on the good old days with his buddies. 

Evidently, the timing of these conversations are convenient as the very next day the Iron Dogs who control the city and prison one are Rayton's friends. 

Not completely understanding the situation, Rayton didn't waste time thinking and instead equipped his mechanical fists to take out the trash. 

Rayton is eager to help those in need and fights against the oppression of the Iron Dogs and similar factions that loom over towards city but he also understands his position. 

He's just one person but during his prison break mission, he discovers others are out there who are willing to fight. 

Further, his past comes back from the grave literally and he's forced to face this and all the drama that comes with it. The characters of this world are a massive part of the charm; I mean, you play as a bunny. 

Other animal friends help your adventure in various ways as characters operate shops and provide goods to make your time in this doggy dog world easier. 

Through the interactions, you realize just how much detail has been injected into the history of this game. 

These characters all knew each other before the events but you rarely feel like the odd one out thanks to the added context provided during dialogue. 

With the added benefit of an English and Japanese voice over that really sells the character's personality, I will say that the translation is decent but I feel like the localization could have been a bit more creative during some moments of dialogue. 

Being the soldier that he is, Rayton can kick some serious ass with the help of his fist. Through gameplay, players can not only upgrade this fine piece of machinery but added passives unlockable skills and even new weapons are on the table. 

The weapons and abilities are the highlight of exploration as they allow you to get through doors and get to higher areas. 

Double jumps and wall jumps are used most of the time but then the game throws in ways to hover and whip your way through levels. 

The evolution of exploration is paced well as you don't learn everything all at once and new weapons are woven into this narrative this makes them more impactful to the mission at hand and the fact that they open new ways of traversal makes them fit naturally in this world. 

Combat is the accumulation of these new abilities and weapons as it packages everything together for a very satisfying experience. Regular attacks build SP which can be used to execute powerful SP attacks. 

Further EP can be used to auto parry refill health or even shoot a homing missile. 

It's almost imperative that you learn how to chain these moves together while dashing and reading enemy telegraphs. F.I.S.T can be a challenging game because it hardly allows any downtime while you head to the mission marker. 

A typical enemy can easily take you out if you aren't paying attention. This is further found in the bosses, who seem more like mini bosses most of the time but they are all very entertaining to fight. 

The difficulty can become overwhelming at times though as challenge rooms pitch you against waves of enemies. 

The most significant problem is that you're melee based but the Iron Dogs can use guns causing you to shift focus to take out ranged enemies first which may result in damage as the melee enemies target at you. 

However, there is no lack to enemy designs which is notable and even extends to the enemies men underwater. 

The environment is another enemy altogether with many puzzle-based sections and hazards throughout each area. 

Everything the player does is rewarded with new upgrades and possible abilities. Like other metroidvanias, the map begs to be completed and F.I.S.T's map is enormous with different themed sections and obstacles. 

There are moments of stealth swimming and swinging that only add to the normal exploration. 

Everything is connected through a fast travel system that isn't really helpful because there isn't many areas to fast travel to. Still, it works for getting around if you're trying to absolutely see everything. 

All roads lead to the Hub town where you can spend money earned from fallen enemies. In addition, some collectibles can be delivered such as plans and posters to customize the color of your weaponry. 

Each character offers a range of items to help your journey but you aren't really forced to spend time here if you don't want to. 

Strangely this area is really spread out which causes a lot of back and forth while you interact with the many different characters. 

Regardless, I liked every one of them but I feel like I postponed going back to the town because I knew it would take a large chunk of time and I'd rather progress through the mission. 

F.I.S.T Forged In Shadow Torch is a gorgeous metroidvania that tells a much better story than any anthropomorphic narrative has a right to tell. 

It's emotional and engaging during each scene brought together with challenging moments of action and puzzle platforming. 

This game respects your time but some moments can drag on due to the limited fast travel and some confusing objectives. Who cares though. You're a rabbit with a robotic fist attached to your back; how cool is that 😊