Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae gets a lot of derision due to its raven-haired, bosom-clutching, pantsu-flashing protagonist and for its easier difficulty settings being able to be button-mashed through giving the impression the game is mindless and devoid of depth and difficulty. Those who delve deeper however will find the title to be a humble Japanese stylish action game that riffs off of popular titles such as Devil May Cry. Everything from last second defensive moves to Blood Palace mode sized arenas are present and it even joins Metal Gear Rising in the distinction of having you purchase defensive moves, including the incredibly important Flourish move. Make no mistake, there are two people who are going to buy this title: those that like panties and those that like combat. MKH does not use a dial-a-combo system but rather provides players with various mechanics that feed into each other and when utilised can quickly and cleanly dispatch lowly mooks and bosses alike. Eventually it will seem natural to make enemies bleed in order to collect bloodspirits in order to bolster the effects of your Zanshin. This title has taken flak for its repetitive nature, often citing its limited variety of enemies. As a fan of Dynasty Warriors, this didn't hurt my impression of the game and I'd also argue that it range is perfectly adequate and that the bosses are the real spectacle. The music on the other hand is incredibly grating and hearing the same cock rock riff drilled into your brain is enough to have you rushing to the options menu. MKH succeeds as the budget stylish action game: its fast, fluid and responsive whether you're using a keyboard and mouse or controller and its pace, depth and difficulty will satisfy avid fans of the genre. This review is based off of both the DRM free and Steam versions of the title, and several hours divided among both versions.
Sudeki is a title from the original Xbox that has gained a cult following due to its colourful visuals, eccentric cast of characters, unintentionally hilarious voice acting and blend of action RPG combat and JRPG sensibilities. The games combat is the highlight, the game offering four party members divided into two combo-based melee characters and two ranged characters that play in first person. As well as bosses and quests that will test your ability to use each character. The games spell casting plays out like a turn-based JRPG, with the game slowing down to show off each characters most powerful abilities. Now that the game is free of archaic DRM that made the original PC release a pain to install and run on modern systems Sudeki is a game highly recommended to anyone looking for a console RPG experience. The only thing holding back the PC port this time is a lack of mouse driven menus. I'd highly recommend the use of a pad as it makes the game easier to navigate and even makes combat as the two melee party members feel more responsive.
