Then it got spoiled for me.

Someone thought it was be funny to slice in some rather big plot points in the middle of the old E3 trailer. While the game wasn’t ruined as these spoilers were not in context, it did tell me a few things about the main characters that … well … left the shocking reveal a little wet.

Expect many spoilers after the jump.

It was the fact that Elizabeth was Booker’s daughter was the biggest plot point revealed to me in that naughty video. I saw another clip of Comstock shouting about her missing finger which also meant I knew there was something about it from the get go. Luckily I didn’t know exactly what so it meant so some reveals were as shocking as they set out to be.

Bioshock holds a dear place in a lot of our hearts, mainly because it did something very different. Sure it was a shooter but it was a different breed of one. A shooter with a deep and twisting story that left your mouth gaping open time after time, and with such memorable characters and locations you’ll never find that “Would You Kindly?” reveal stale.

Bioshock 2 on the other hand. Well, here’s a guilty admission: I never actually finished it. There wasn’t as much grip as the first and I started to find the farming of splicers while the little sister did her thing repetitive. I’m eager to return to it now I think about it but then I just lost interest.

So when Bioshock Infinite was announced I was apprehensive. The pretty E3 trailer shows just how much the game has evolved in its long and delayed development. In fact, the game presented in that trailer is nothing like the game you can play today. Story scenes changed, cut and remade during the games numerous push backs. Was it for the better? Well, I think we can all agree that it came out just fine.

My main problem with Bioshock Infinite is that it throws so much at you in the last twenty minutes or so of game play. The fact you are both Booker and Comstock is announced literally seconds before the credits roll and while the shock is a good one it leaves you still trying to mull over all the other major reveals that were just thrown your way.

It’s almost all too much at once.

Then comes the theories. Hundreds of them. In another universe is Booker then Atlus? Can the idea of Comstock ever be killed seeing that Booker can continue to deny and accept the baptism in other universes?

More questions: What was Bookers debt and why was he so ready to give his daughter away to clear it?

Which is my major problem with Bioshock Infinite. One of the most definitive and emotional moments in the game isn’t explained or explored. The act of Booker giving away his baby daughter to a stranger to clear his debt is difficult to understand. Was there a promise of a better life for her? Was he that much of a scumbag to give away his daughter? Were his debts money related? Was it gambling? Or Was it moral debt of his time at Wounded Knee?

Sure, the story is clever but it’d been more interesting to see the game finish with all questions answered.

It also leads to the question of what is next for Bioshock? Elizabeth has already outed the basic story lines of each game and it’d be very odd for that theme to continue. Should this be the last Bioshock?

I’m about to begin my second playthrough and find all the Voxaphones to see if anything else gets answered. Let me know your theories and thoughts in the comments.

Ni No Kuni brought back jRPG tropes fans have been screaming for in this whimsical tale of ‘boy finding self’. You’ve got a world map, boats, airships and all the old school trappings that make diving into Japanese fantasy games so magical. A partnership of Level-5 and renowned animation house Studio Ghibli make this a match made in heaven.

I’m a massive fan of Japanese role-playing games. I’m not sure if it’s the slightly dodgy story, crazy character designs, or attention to detail that they bring but I’ve always been a stickler for them. With Final Fantasy becoming somewhat of a mixed-bag these days, Ni No Kuni pretty much ticked all the boxes. It even has the Japanese language soundtrack, which I’d usually recommend, but seeing as Drippy has the most adorable Welsh accent and the English translation and writing just plays up to it, it’s well worth sitting through two or more questionable voice overs.

Also puns. Prepare for plenty of puns. Most of which are awesome.

So what’s wrong with it? Maybe I’m nitpicking but the animation shorts from Studio Ghibli was very few and far between. And if you’re expecting a grand Ghibli sign-off then you’ll be disappointed with the ending. It’s short, snappy and all done in-engine. It doesn’t really resolve much and is a let down if you ask me.  Not to say it ruins the overall journey, which of course is the most important aspect, but when you look at a popular jRPG like Final Fantasy, which traditionally ends on a lengthy and expensive looking CG ending, Ni No Kuni just seems forgot to pop the cheery on top of your ice cream sundae. It was just missing that last piece of the puzzle.

Another mild annoyance is that the capture rates on the familiars are excruciatingly low. One illusive mob called Toko has a capture rate of 2% that can be increased to 2.4% if you unlock one of the merit skills for doing side quests. Forums are rife with complaints from gamers killing hundreds of the damn things to capture one. The worst thing? They’re very difficult to find in the first place so it’s kind of like kicking you when you’re down.

Not that that should put you off. I’ve laughed, cried and had a big dorky smile creep across my face at every cheesy joke, pun and story development. It’s genuinely one of the most entertaining and heartfelt RPGs I’ve played in years.

Recently I’ve been sinking my teeth into Ninja Theory’s reimagining of Devil May Cry. Admittedly I was reluctant at first and – like a lot of the outraged internet – I was a little upset to see the original charming and pizza eating Dante put to rest in place of what appeared to be some total prick with *gasp* a new hair cut!

The advertising campaign put me off further. The more ‘hardcore’ they tried to make the game appear, the more put off I was with the new Dante. All the fuck yous, middle fingers and ‘attitude’ being pumped out ended up pushing me further and further away from the idea that the new Dante might actually be a bit of alright.

What followed was a game that was actually enjoyable but also a character that isn’t as horrible as Capcom’s marketing had painted him to be. Sure he was cocky and a bit arrogant but there was more to him than that and we get to watch him evolve emotionally during the course of the game. He’s also much more likeable than you believe. The fuck yous were seldom and there was flair there, though not as sleek and styled as his white haired predecessor.

I’m not saying I prefer him over the old Dante. I liked the pantomime, the rusty keys and insanity. The story makes a bit more sense this time around though that’s not saying much. We already know the pawns in the play and the obvious happens throughout the game. That’s not to say it isn’t enjoyable though

What fans probably need to do is disconnect the old Devil May Cry when playing DmC. It’s not the same game and while it shares various elements, it’s totally different. The tone, the style, the message are all miles apart from what Dante’s original Japanese overlords set to create.

Is it a good game? Yes. It’s fun. I enjoyed playing it through on normal difficulty, unlocking all the secret doors and making my way through the story. It’s entertaining, addictive and rewarding.

Is it a good DmC? Maybe. I was never a mega fan but I liked the games. I think the problem is that what made the original vision so fun was Dante. Sure it was old school but there’s still a want for that and it’s difficult to turn people around.

I’d definitely recommend it as an action game. It’s also a great first entry to this years exciting library of titles and possibly on of the last few triple A titles to release on current generation consoles.

Personally I’d really like to seek out positive interactions and not engage with those who are out to attack me… but that’s really hard, isn’t it? It’s especially hard when someone takes something you’ve said and twists it, and then misrepresents it to others as what you actually said.. and how would they know otherwise? Reference that misrepresentation and, as far as anyone’s concerned, I may as well have said it. The urge to go in and correct them is almost overwhelming. But what would be the point, other than to offer them new ammunition and ultimately end up being an asshole myself? I’ve done it often enough. Best to take a breath, smile and remember there are a lot of really genuine, positive people to talk to. People who challenge you in a way that doesn’t make you feel worse about yourself. You should surround yourself with them the same way you’d surround yourself with such people in real life.

- David Gaider on toxic environments online

The above quote sums up my feelings right now and is probably good advice for anyone working in this industry. There’s been a huge amount of change going on backstage and it’s good change.

If you want a statement then head to the Kotaku article. My quotes are near the bottom. Though I’d like to reiterate that I’ve never been paid by any publisher to write positive coverage of any products. It’s simply not true and has never happened. I’ve learnt plenty of things over the last few months in the most public and horrific way possible and it’s time I use this new found knowledge to move on with my career.

Whether you choose to join me in that journey or not is entirely up to you.

Yes, you can button mash your way through the arcade mode but it’s not going to get you far when going against an accomplished player. Counting frames and predicting moves take a whole new level with the series’ focus on juggling and counter holds. It seems that Dead or Alive is easily dismissed as a silly fighter because of all its titillation and, while I’m gutted to see the porno-factor turned to maximum, Dead or Alive just wouldn’t be right without all those jiggly jellies bouncing in your face.

So yes. I am enjoying it. A lot. In fact, I’m working my way through the titles to try unlock secret character Alpha-152 and each characters costume set. There are a few rare outfits I’m struggling with, including Tina’s interesting “bikini” which struggles to hold her mangos together. And I’m enjoying working out how to unlock all the titles on offer.

There’s something about the fluid combat that has always attracted me to the series over Street Fighter or Tekken. I love both of those series but Dead or Alive always has this visual polish and huge array of move sets, counters and holds that made it much more appealing than SF’s Hadouken-athon or using laser eyed devil dude in Tekken.

I just wish a few more people with give Dead or Alive a chance than resigning it as that fighter with all the jelly tits.

I’ve been playing it for a few hours this evening and really enjoying it so far. It’s essentially the arcade game on the PlayStation Vita. A lot of the music should be recognisable to DJ Max fans but there are a whole bunch of new tracks to enjoy and some snazzy videos to check out. Seeing the proper kPop videos for girl groups was awesome too.

There’s plenty of online options for score-nerds and you can even share your progress on Facebook should you wish to. Of course this Japanese version will only post the results in Japanese. If you’re thinking of importing then I suggest you pick up the English Language version which has the game completely in English, including the tutorial mode – sadly it was listed after mine dispatched.

My only real issue with it is that the screen size just doesn’t compare to the arcade experience. An obvious problem but Neowiz has struggled to find a good compromise between difficulty and screen size. If you were good on the arcade version then don’t expect those skills to translate into the portable copy.

Any song higher than four stars on normal mode requires you to place the console down and use both hands to input the commands. Then there’s the problem of your hands getting in the way so you can’t see future moves. There’s also the issue when some notes require you to tap and hold at the same time – and the notes are close together on the screen – it can get a bit messy as you try to touch the same area but no screen space to allow it to happen. Pretty much: If you have big hands then this game might be difficult/impossible for you to progress past the higher levels.

Mine’s mainly confusion and timing. I wasn’t the best Technika player but I could 100% Blythe and that felt really satisfying in the arcade. I’m struggling with easier songs no on the Vita’s small (by comparison) screen.

Niggles aside, the presentation is really slick and there’s plenty to unlock and replay. As with all DJ Max games, more difficulty levels for each song unlock as you progress so you can experience different note patterns for each song.

If you’re thinking of importing it then maybe give Play Asia a go, who seem to be one of the few sites importing Vita games to Europe. It took around two weeks to ship to the UK with the cheapest shipping option selected.

Enjoy the video below. It’s not me but I’ll try record me playing terribly at some point in the future for all your amusement.

As usual there are plenty of issues with the server and I’m currently locked out after a short patch was forced on everyone. It’s insane that this just from the pre-order customers and press who have access to the game 3 days early. I wonder how the servers will cope when everyone else grabs their copies. Why do MMORPGs always have these problems?

I’ve decided to roll with a human hunter for now. I really want develop an elementalist and warrior at some point but I thought I’d start off with some bow action.

It’s great so far. There’s plenty to do already and everyone’s really jumping on in with the world events. It’s definitely an MMO I’ll find myself going back to over and over. I much prefer paying a one-off fee than monthly subscription.

So far, everyone I know is jumping onto Gunner’s Hold – so if you’re not sure what server to roll then head our way. I’ll be posting more updates/screens the more I play. Let me know your names in the comments so we can all get together!

For those who don’t know: Last month, I started at games industry trade magazine MCV in July. It’s a weekly so things are a little hectic to say the least. I’m also in the process of moving house which is – as many of you should know – literally hell on earth. This has left very little down time for the blog as my weekends have been filled with flat hunting, socializing and wondering how I’m going to move all my video game bullshit into a tiny studio flat.

I’m also wishing to give this little space on the internet a much-needed revamp. It needs some cleaning up, some fun and some fresh content. This obviously takes a little time and until I finish moving house and get the internet back up, it’ll probably be the end of August.

I ask one thing from you wonderful readers: patience. I’ll be back up and there are loads of wonderful games to swoon/moan/cry over. And I want to. I have to. I need to!

The wonderful thing is that I’ve been playing lots more Minecraft. I’ve just updated to the latest snapshot 1.3 and am enjoying all the wonderful new features. I’m really enjoying all the survival multiplayer games I’ve jumped into as well.

I’ve also been participating in all the Guild Wars 2 beta weekends. If you plan on getting a copy on release then please let me know what server you’ll be playing on as I’d love to join a group or guild for some fun MMO time. The game looks fantastic but I’m still undecided on what class I’ll be playing as.

Anyway, I’ll try to keep up to date but don’t expect much content until the end of August. Happy gaming!

Anyway, I’ve been playing a bit of Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir - which came out today – and I’m really impressed. I got bored very quickly with the 3DS’s AR mini-games and didn’t think I’d be going back any time soon but Spirit Camera actually does a very good job of getting you moving about without it feeling super gimmicky.

You get a purple diary included with the game and you use that to find new ghosts or solve mysteries at points during the campaign. Then you have the added fun of looking for ghosts in your surroundings with the gyro sensor and get a few jumps when a ghost suddenly pops into view.

While the story doesn’t feel as fleshed at as some of the main console experiences, it has several nice nods to the franchise and is a lot of fun. I’m just glad Nintendo are making use of the IP and will *hopefully* bring more titles to light. We’re still waiting on a Project Zero 4 EU release though but Nintendo have been pretty clear with their intentions to not release it outside of Japan.