Springtime Gamin III

Mega-babe Fairy. Finally found the Breast of the Wild.

I started over on Breath of the Wild, and am making my way across the abso-friggin-lutely huge terrain, getting distracted from main quests and finding too many things without an easy way to track them.

2 con-babe sisters Sasha and Fiona.

Tales from Borderlands was one of May's free PS+ games, and quite a good ride. The game is what you'd expect from a TellTale/Borderlands crossover: the cell-shaded laughing-in-hell charm of a Borderlands game mixed with the wit and comic-book-style of a choose-your-own-adventure game.

The cherry on top is that no matter how you play, you get the platinum trophy by the end of the 10-hour endeavor. Mad shout outs to the composer, though, who went out of his way to create an amazingly done credits sequence song for each of the 5 chapters.

Choices, choices.

Tdtdtdtdtdtdtdtdtdtdt!

This month's free PS+ games were Life is Strange and Killing Floor 2. I've already written about the first title, which, as much of a burn it is to have paid for it only a few months ago, is a fantastic title to give away. Killing Floor 2 is a ton of fun. Fast-paced co-op zombie survival with classes that you level up through playing the maps over and over. It feels like more of an expansion than a fully-developed game, but damn is it fun! I say that because of the limited frames of animation, the graphics quality and system operation (super loud fan for processing that shouldn't be intense), and the quality of sound. None of these are terrible, they're just not hundred-million-dollar projects like Call of Duty, Mass Effect, or Final Fantasy. In other words, this game feels like it belongs on the previous generation. Again, it's incredibly fun to blow away zombies!

Access to sunken areas granted.

Last on the trophying was Xeodrifter, the 8-bit Metroid-style alien hunter game. The soundtrack, graphics and gameplay are all perfectly NES-era. You start off in a rocket ship and can go to any 1 of 4 planets. One of those has monsters that move really quickly and kill you, so you painfully learn to turn back. While exploring another planet, you might find an screen that you just can't pass. The game doesn't tell you what you're looking for, and even has its own alien alphabet. Instead, like Metroid, it guides you to follow the right path based on obstacles that you can traverse as you gather more equipment and items.

Rekt the boss with a few hits to spare!

The bosses have predictable attack patterns, but also can destroy you quickly. However, after 5 minutes or so, you'll be able to beat that boss if you're learning from mistakes. The other test of memory is trying to remember where in the maps you got stuck and knowing to return. You can of course follow a guide, but I found most of the stat-boosting collectibles and completed the game in about 3 hours. So, like the quintessential NES game, it encourages you to explore and try things without exposition, the soundtrack is super cool, and the game punishes you for mistakes, but the whole experience is short and pretty awesome. I think Xeodrifter is easier to recommend because it's a small commitment to a great afternoon.

That's right, Sigma and Ultron merged. Wait, what?

Finally, the demo of Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite is currently free to download, and lets you play a section of story mode. This 30-minute session is pretty easy, and the matchups are against throwaway henchmen bots, rather than characters in the game. The graphics are super smooth, and every character gets a shiny metallic look, which is pretty neat. The character design, however, is a different story. I think Ryu hasn't ever looked like a Japanese person, but his new wide face, hawkish nose and large eyebrows make him look like a dinosaur. Chun Li has looked super European for a few games, but the SF community is making a big deal out of this being the ugliest Chun Li to date. Also, you've got King Arthur (Ghosts and Goblins) that runs and moves like a dork, and Dante (Devil May Cry) who's known for being over the top and his move set matches that. Finally, there is Ultron-Sigma, a mashup of a total Marvel badass and...Mega Man X's nemesis. This game's setting is all kinds of crazy. However, if I had the characters from the dozen games and universes, I'd be crazy, too. Ahh well, the fighting is smooth, combos and super moves are easy like an MvC game should be. Get the demo!