Spencer Legacy
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MonsterVineLatest Reviews
The voice acting is another highlight of the game, though I do wish there was a bit more of it. A lot of lines simply feature grunts, sighs, and other noises from the voice talents, which is a shame, as the voiced lines are delivered with excellence and dramatic panache. The whole cast knocks it out of the park, which is doubly remarkable given just how many characters there are.
Visually, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves looks great, utilizing a comic style to present the fighters in a distinct way. The stages are all lively and colorful, and the designs for the main cast of fighters are memorable and flashy. Fights unfold in a rush of colors and snazzy effects, giving hits extra impact that makes battles all the more satisfying.
The side stories really shine in terms of narrative content, ranging from hilarious capers to heart-wrenching tragedies. The wide variety of tones keeps all of the side content feeling fresh and helps to build out Mira even further. As for the new epilogue content, though the concepts are interesting and work alright, it feels as though these were a game or two’s worth of ideas of into one final act of a story. The continent you explore is a bit less expansive, and a lot of story content happens in very little time, leading it to come off as a tad rushed. I look forward to the future of these characters after seeing some of the ideas the epilogue introduced, I just wish Monolith Soft had more time to explore them.
The visuals are one of the most impressive aspects of the game, perfectly nailing Tite Kubo’s distinct art style. It’s cool to see iconic attacks and scenes play out in this high-quality 3D style, as it makes the characters feel like they were ripped straight out of the anime. Even the menus and the HUD reflect the ever-stylish nature that Bleach has in spades, encapsulating the magnificent vibes that the series is known for.
As can be expected at this point, Digital Eclipse has gone above and beyond in preserving these games and external media for them in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection. In addition to the aforementioned features, you can browse through the instruction manuals for the different titles at your leisure – something that is surprisingly handy for the more complicated games like Dungeon Dice Monsters and Destiny Board Traveller. It’s a great step in preserving the games and the media they came with, which also brought back some buried memories from having these games so long ago.
Both the Japanese and English VO are quite impressive, as I messed around with both to compare. Since the story features people speaking either language, there aren’t really any moments that stand out in either dialect as clashing against the story, so it comes down entirely to which cast you prefer.
The voice acting is more of a mixed bag, with some lines working and others feeling stilted and awkward. Regardless, the story works because of all the characters and they’re normally portrayed decently enough for the awkward moments to not detract from the experience. Visually, Dynasty Warriors Origins looks solid thanks to its distinct style, which further cements the many, many people you’ll meet as their own distinct and, frankly, badass characters.
The visuals are largely excellent, and I think Mario and Luigi look incredible in this art style. The colors are vibrant and the environments are diverse and intricate. The enemy designs feel a bit less creative this time around, though the designs of the main antagonists and ally characters are neat to look at thanks to the unique electricity theme.
Speaking of which, runs begin to feel a bit repetitive after a bit when you’re stronger. The early sections drag a tad when you’re powerful enough to plow through them with plenty of health remaining, which makes repeated runs less enjoyable after enough times. It’s still a blast to get to a new area or surpass your previous progress, but the precursor to that can wear a tad thin eventually.
I quite liked the bizarre designs of the different Slitterheads, which often look like Lovecraftian bugs or octopi. Fighting them using bloody weapons or by using your blood as a projectile makes for a gnarly atmosphere as foes (and your body, at times) are hacked up into bloody bursts. It’s a vibe that I really dig, and it makes the world feel much more grimy and gritty.