Tactics

Kantarou Ichinomiya was gifted with the ability to see youkai (demon, monster, spirit). He was bullied as a kid because of this ability however, but he has always found comfort from his youkai friends. One day they told him that he should find the oni-eating tengu (literally ogre-eating heavenly dog or goblin) to become stronger.

Many years passed and Kantarou by then was an exorcist and folklorist, but he still wanted to find the oni-eating tengu. He soon discovers the shrine where the goblin was confined and was able to successfully release and name it Haruka. By giving it a name, Kantarou becomes Haruka's master.

This is a review of the series that brought back my interest in anime. I have seen this a few years back but until today, it remains one of my favorites.


The manga was made as a collaborated effort between Sakura Kinoshita and Kazuko Higashiyama. It consists of 12 volumes and was set during the Taisho period. The anime consists of 25 episodes.

After Kantarou released Haruka, they encountered different people who had problems with the supernatural. The following is a list of the episodes in the series: Tactics Episodes.

In episode 3 they encounter the Mountain God, Sugino and his partner Muu-chan. Both characters have become good friends with Haruka and Kantarou since then. Muu-chan developed a crush for Kan-chan. The couple sometimes appear during funny episodes. Sugino is always looking for Muu-chan and is portrayed as overprotective. There were also episodes that focused on another important character, Yoko. She's a kitsune and Kantarou also named her. She does the chores for both guys. In one episode, she falls in love with a human but she later realized that all the man's troubles were caused by a youkai. The man said aloud that he hated youkai. Yoko decided that whatever was between them won't work.

The other supporting characters are: Hasumi, Kantarou's rival and who does not believe in supernatural beings; Rosalie, Hasumi's quiet daughter; Reiko, Kantarou's editor; and Suzu, a rich, young girl who has a crush on Haruka.

Later in the series, they meet Raiko Minamoto who, with the help of his underlings, sets a trap for Haruka. Their intentions were unknown at that time but soon they will reveal that Raiko wants Kantarou to release Haruka so that the latter can reveal his full potential. Haruka had lost his memories and Raiko wants him to regain it so he can defeat Haruka man-to-man. In the last few episodes, their friendship was tested but in the end they both decided to stay together.

There are many more surprises in the anime that I did not mention. It's a light and funny series. I recommend this to all audience types. The animation is superb as well as the development of the characters within 25 episodes. I like the opening and closing songs as well. The theme also sets it apart from most anime because it doesn't involve too much violence or too many supporting characters. It's not also the usual save-the-world plot. It focused on the point-of-view of both the youkai and a clairvoyant. Most of the female characters are also interesting. Each one has a unique personality. They can be strong and fragile but without sounding too girly or needy as is common in most female roles.

I'm giving this series a 10 out of 10 rating.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

This first-person shooter game is the sequel to one of the best-selling games of this genre. The single-player campaign follows up on the story from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. I played the four following characters: Private 1st Class Joseph Allen, Private James Ramirez, Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson, and John "Soap" MacTavish. Although I did not play the previous game, the story is quite easy to understand. 

The opening shows that Imran Zakhaev has taken control of Russia. But this is just one part of the story. One of his underlings, Vladimir Makarov has begun campaigns of terrorism. Joseph Allen was recruited into Task Force 141 by Lieutenant General Shepherd. He was sent to an undercover mission in Russia as one of Makarov's men. This mission in the game is optional because it's quite sensitive. It shows Makarov's massacre of the people at the airport in Russia. All I had to do was shoot innocent people (I discovered that Makarov would kill me if I didn't). But Makarov knew all along that Allen was an American and he set him up so that it would appear that the U.S. is responsible for the massacre. He shot Allen when they were about to leave the airport. The evidence started a war. Russia invades U.S.

Meanwhile Soap and Roach infiltrate a Russian base to retrieve an ACS module. This is one of my favorite missions in the game. 

Private James Ramirez is under Sergeant Foley's squad. When Russia invaded, they were among those who tried to defend the capital. They had to recapture every building so most of the confrontations occurred room by room. They infiltrated the White House later to avoid it being bombed down.

Without any proof of their innocence, Task Force 141 thought of a different way to trace Makarov. They looked for the man who provided the weapons to Makarov in Rio de Janeiro. I had to battle my way through the favela to find the weapons dealer Alejandro Rojas. People just pop out from nowhere and you have to be careful at every corner. This was an annoying stage in the game. It is easier to fight against organized troops than undisciplined civilians. When they captured Rojas, they found out that Makarov feared Prisoner 627 who is locked up in the Gulag. Task Force 141 goes to Russia to free the prisoner - Captain Price. 

Price decides to help 141. They infiltrated a port and gained control of a submarine. In this mission, I'm in-charge of the ACS module and I had to use it as we took control over every area in the port. In the veteran mission (very hard), this should be accomplished within a specific time. I had to move faster than usual and use the ACS module whenever I can to shoot down targets that will give us more advantage. I repeated this mission several times. The player has to take note of which targets to shoot so that others will keep moving. 

Price later used the submarine's missile to create EMP that will disable the electronic equipment from both sides.

Task Force 141 then splits up to find Makarov. Roach and Ghost went to Makarov's safe house and obtained important information. I played Roach and had to defend the unit while it was downloading. The other soldiers in the mission died at this stage. Roach and Ghost had to fight their way out of the safe house while being pursued by the enemies. Roach almost went down. When they reached the extraction point, Shepherd betrayed them. He shot Roach and Ghost to retrieve the information and burned them later. You can hear from the background that Price and Soap was trying to contact them about Shepherd's betrayal but it was too late. 

After they learned of their comrades' deaths, they escape from the battle between Shepherd's and Makarov's men. Nikolai helped them escape. Later they found Shepherd's base at Afghanistan. By this time I was playing as Soap. They tried to take down the base to make Shepherd pay for his betrayal. Shepherd tried to escape on a helicopter and they had to pursue him in a long boat. Price managed to shoot down the helicopter but both men fell down the waterfall. 

The last part of the game shows Soap waking up in a scene of wreckage. He looks for Shepherd but he was too weak to fight back. Shepherd was about to kill him when Price showed up. The two fought. Soap had to extract the knife embedded in his chest and throw it at Shepherd. The Lieutenant General fell. Nikolai found them both later but Soap was injured. The last scene showed both Price and Nikolai taking Soap to the helicopter.

The game also features Spec Ops (Special Operations). Players get to choose from different missions and try to unlock every stage. It is divided into five stages and players have to earn stars to unlock each. Some of the missions are designed for two players, while some are missions taken from the single player campaign. It can also be played at different difficulty levels. My favorites are the snowmobile race and and Evasion.

I enjoyed the single-player campaign although there is nothing unique to the story. I can also use any weapon at any stage to kill the enemies, which is not really a challenge, but the different settings make up for that lack. 

The "No Russians" mission added a little spice to the game. I was not shocked because I had to kill innocent people but it was still a bit disturbing. When Makarov killed Allen, I felt sorry for him. But when Roach and Ghost died, I was angry. I don't know why Shepherd had to burn them but I'm giving the game extra points for that. Even if all the player has to do most of the time in this game was to point and shoot, they still left room for character development. I was not surprised to see how fans reacted to the deaths of the characters.

The game is not that complicated so anyone can play it. It also has a tutorial at the beginning so those who are new to this genre have some time to prepare. I'm giving Modern Warfare 2 a 9 out of 10 rating because the single-player campaign is fun and replayable.

Dynasty Warriors 6

Publisher: KOEI

Developer: Omega Force

This sixth installment of the Dynasty Warriors (Shin Sangoku Musou) series has 41 playable characters and the new Renbu system and stage targets. It also features the Skill Tree where players can choose which skills to use when upgrading the characters.

It tells the story of the Three Kingdoms period at the time when the Han Dynasty lost its power. It all started with the uprising of the Yellow Turbans. People who sought power saw this as an opportunity. Three states rose to quell the chaos in ancient China: Wei (or Cao Wei), Shu (or Shu Han) and Wu (or Dong Wu). The previous games also included the factions from Dong Zhuo, Lu Bu, Meng Huo and Yuan Shao. Wei is led by Cao Cao, Shu by Liu Bei and Wu by Sun Jian. This period in China has been adapted in many forms including this video game series. I'm glad they included Sima Yi in Musou Mode because it tells how he was able to manipulate everyone in the end.

Most of the characters' outfits and weapons have been altered. A lot of characters have similar movesets however and it is disappointing that they did not put a lot of effort into them. Only seventeen characters have Musou Modes too but it has allowed a lot of room for character development. I also noticed the subtle change in Xiahou Dun's attitude towards Cao Cao, and I don't like it at all.

Players would also notice that the characters can now climb and swim. Such skills will be useful in later stages especially in siege attacks. What I liked about the game are the stage targets. This will force players to put a little effort in thinking of a strategy rather than hack and slash their way into winning a stage. I don't have complaints with the weapons and the characteristics usually found in them for certain characters. The type of skills given to some officers however needs a lot of improvement. I cannot understand why officers that are supposed to have better defense skills have less points compared to some female characters. Eliminating units and smaller troops is a lot easier too. If it were not for stage targets and more complicated maps, this would be a very easy game.

I hope in the next installment of this series, there will be more variety in the movesets and they should level up the difficulty in defeating individual enemy units. I also hope they do not have to bring back characters who have no bearing in the story at all. I have noticed some fans who want to include more female characters in the game and clearly they have no idea what the story of the Three Kingdoms is all about. 

I'm giving this game a 6 out of 10 rating.

Burnout Paradise

Developer: Criterion Games

Publisher: EA

Burnout Paradise is not just a racing game. The game is set in Paradise City which becomes your playground where you can compete in five different events to level up your driver's license to unlock cars and more events. The five events are: racing, road rage, marked man, stunt run and burning route. There are also bonus missions such as: power parking, super jumps, road rules, showtime, smashes and billboards.

It's a very addictive game. I found I could not put the controller down once I got used to navigating the menus. It was a bit confusing at first and I did not know what the other events are for. 

I love this game because it is not just about speed. I found a good use for my destructive abilities. Road rage is my favorite event. I could finally use the big, noisy cars in a race. The same cars are pretty useful in marked man as well. Stunt run is a bit tricky, and in order to win the burning route and unlock special cars, you have to be familiar with the streets because looking at the map alone might not do the trick.

The other missions helped me to explore the city. And in order to get most of the trophies, one needs to explore every street. It will come in handy when you're looking for a shortcut for burning route and marked man. You will also need to find the best spots to do the stunt runs. You would have to be familiar with the cars as well. Not all cars work well for different events. Each car has a different set of abilities.

The game is pretty easy but the menu is a bit confusing to navigate. It is very addictive too and the number of winning events needed to upgrade the license is too few for me. What I liked about the game too is that you can't find any humans in the game. I liked the idea of adding all the other events besides racing. I recommend this to people who, like me suck at other racing games. This is a lot more fun and less serious. You don't need to learn how to steer perfectly as long as you survive and you know which way you're going. This game gets a 10 out of 10 rating.

Note: This does not include the DLC Big Surf Island.

Assassin's Creed

Desmond Miles suddenly found himself becoming the specimen for a search of the Pieces of Eden. Abstergo Corporation is using Desmond's genetic memories to reveal what had happened to his ancestor Altair ibn La-Ahad. Altair is a member of the Secret Order of Hashshashin. Looking at his genetic memories was made possible by the use of the machine called Animus. Desmond was taken back to the time of the Third Crusade and takes control of the actions and memories of Altair. Assassin's Creed is a game that will teach you how to master the art of killing.

The first scenes show that Altair was trying to stop Robert de Sable from taking an artifact known as a Piece of Eden. But in doing so, he broke the rules and even put his comrade Malik in danger. Altair was stripped of rank by the leader Al Mualim. He now has to complete nine assassinations in order to get back everything he has lost.  In time he learns that there is a tension between the Assassins and the Knight Templars and that his missions involved eliminating nine of them.

He learns with each assassination that his targets were all looking for the same artifact that Robert has tried to steal. He doesn't know what the nature of the items are however, and Al Mualim only tells him that the men have to be stopped. Altair has to travel through the Kingdom to reach one of the three cities, Acre, Damascus and Jerusalem, to reach his targets. He also has to report to the headquarters in Masyaf from time to time.

When he finally came face to face with Robert once again, it was revealed to him that Al Mualim is just like the nine people he has assassinated -- a Templar. He hurries back to Masyaf only to find that the residents are already under Al Mualim's control using a Piece of Eden. He found Malik and a few other assassins who are not yet under the influence of the artifact. They held off other attacks while Altair went looking for his master.

After beating Al Mualim and seeing the artifact for the first time, Altair finds that he could not destroy the Piece of Eden. As he stared at it, he sees a projection of the Earth with dots indicating the locations of the remaining Pieces of Eden. Then Desmond was brought back to the present. 

Abstergo will use this knowledge to find the remaining pieces. Desmond now knows that Abstergo is composed of Templars. And that they will use the items to control people and to stop the end of the world.

***

I like this game because of several references to history. It is something I've never played before too. I like the intelligence gathering missions because I can actually learn more about the story, the city and the person I'm about to assassinate. In this game, you have to eavesdrop, pickpocket, interrogate, save citizens, kill Templars and collect flags before you can eliminate the target.

Walking through streets surrounded by different people and avoiding suspicion was something I enjoyed as well. It also becomes a bit more tricky when attempting later assassinations. The drunks and mentally-challenged people and even the beggars are annoying but that makes things more interesting.  It is like a combination of Prince of Persia and Grand Theft Auto. I can do whatever I want (if it is available) and whenever I want to. I can climb walls and run around the city unseen through roofs. I spent a lot of time looking around in the Kingdom while looking for vantage points and Templars. 

I think hiding in the haystacks and rooftop gardens is clever and funny way when trying to lower the alert level of guards. What are those little rooftop gardens for anyway?

Another thing I have noticed is that the horse-riding experience is almost realistic. You can feel the horse's responses when you're steering or jumping. The timing of its movements look quite real.

Altair doesn't have an accent like the other characters though and it's weird. But overall it's a great game. It's easy to play and the story isn't a typical save-the-world plot although I admit it is too ambitious. I'll give it a 9 out of 10 rating.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

PlayStation 3 Exclusive

Developer: Naughty Dog

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune features the adventure of Nathan Drake as he uncovers the tracks in the clues left by Sir Francis Drake 400 years ago. He searches for the treasures of El Dorado but what he does not know is that he will find more than he was looking for. With the help of his friend Sully and the reporter Elena, they escape a group of pirates, treasure hunters and mutated humans.

After acquiring the diary from Sir Francis' empty coffin and ditching Elena somewhere, they search through the remains in the Amazon river. Here they discovered a German U-boat and the group of treasure hunters led by Roman and his assistant Navarro who heard about Nathan's plans. Roman shoots Sully and Nathan was forced to escape. Later he met up again with Elena but their plane was shot down.

Nate was captured by Eddie Raja but Elena was able to rescue him. They also found Sully alive and who had chosen to cooperate with Roman and Navarro in the meantime. After escaping together, they explored underground tunnels and soon found Sir Francis' body. It was at this point also that they discovered that the island was populated by mutated humans who have been cursed because of the treasure -- a statue. Nathan finds out as well why there was a German U-boat earlier. He realized that Sir Francis tried to keep the statue in the island because of the curse. Instead of hunting for treasures, his task now was to make sure that the statue does not get off the island, just like what his predecessor did.

Nate had been separated earlier from Elena and Roman. They soon reunite when they were taken as hostages by Roman and Navarro. They finally got to see the statue for the first time, but they saw how it had changed Roman, who had been tricked by Navarro all this time.

When Navarro was about to transport the statue and Elena out of the island, the helicopter crashes onto a boat owned by Roman. Nathan has to kill Navarro and his men in order to stop their plans. Both Navarro and the statue fell into the water after the confrontation. The trio leaves the island.

***

I had a good time with this game when I played it several months back. There is a little bit of everything from wall-climbing, swimming, jet skis and cars. I liked how I was able to shoot enemies while driving. One memorable episode was Elena and Nate's escape from Eddie Raja. 

I enjoyed how I was able to fight both humans and zombie-like creatures. Meeting the mutated humans was like providing another level of difficulty one step further than the human enemies, which is good rather than meeting the same enemies who can be killed just like the previous ones. I was also able to use guns as well as experience hand-to-hand combats. There are puzzles as well as treasures to collect. They're not too easy or too difficult to accomplish.

The animation is one of the best I've seen. The jungles looked almost real and you can actually find several varieties of plants in the surroundings. 

I enjoyed the last boss fight as well. I liked the challenge in the last stage where Nathan has to time his final assault on Navarro without using a gun.

I never had much love for action-adventure movies or games but I enjoyed playing this. There's nothing really new to the story and I wish there could have been more fight scenes with vehicles. There are stages as well when there are too many enemies popping out of nowhere. It's not that it's difficult, but it's a drag. I'm giving in a 9 out of 10 rating because it's a lot of fun and it's one of those games that I can replay if I want to.

Resistance 2

This PlayStation exclusive is the sequel to Resistance: Fall of Man. It follows up on the Chimera invasion in the United States and the desperate battle of the infected soldiers called the Sentinels against this threat. Lt. Nathan Hale is a member of this special task force. The infection they carry is kept at bay through special inhibitors that last for a certain time.

The game begins with the extraction of Hale by the Special Research Projects Administration. They were shot down later and had unknowingly released the Chimera Daedalus who is to become the protagonist of the game. It was at this time that Hale was introduced to the Sentinels.

Later their base came under the attack of the Chimera. Then they pursued a Chimera battleship and were able to save the Liberty Defense Perimeter from being breached. Hale at that time was long overdue for another shot of an inhibitor but he chose instead to rescue the scientist Fyodor Malikov, who later revealed to him Daedalus' identity. Daedalus and Hale were part of Project Abraham and the only ones to survive the pure DNA Chimeran injection. Daedalus has mutated however but still retained control of his abilities.

They then went to deactivate one of the Chimeran towers. They succeeded, but to their dismay, Daedalus was able to reactivate it even from afar. They have to travel to Iceland to confront Daedalus himself. The squad was trapped and annihilated. Hale later woke up from a coma to hear that the Chimera has taken over the country except for one last post in Louisiana. He decides to confront Daedalus within the remaining three hours before the virus consumes him. After following up on the stolen nuclear warhead, he meets Daedalus and fights him in a series of battles. On the last battle, Hale is chased by Daedalus while he is shooting the lights to weaken the enemy. Hale finally defeats Daedalus but when he touched the body, he acquires abilities similar to Daedalus'. He was able to fend off attacks from enemies using his hands while trying to escape the explosion that was to destroy the Chimeran fleet.

The final scene shows Hale with a fellow survivor, Capelli looking at the scene of destruction around them. Capelli realizes however that the virus has almost taken over Hale's body and decides to kill him then. Capelli's final words to Hale were: "Forgive me sir. It was an honor."

***

This was the first-person shooter I've played since I stopped playing CounterStrike. I decided to play it one day after letting it sit in a corner because I had an itch to try something I've never done in years. The wait was worth it. I never got to play the first game in the series so I did not know what to expect.

The game opened with a bang and the story was easy to understand from the start. I liked the fact that I had to experiment with different weapons because different types work on different enemies. I enjoyed the huge bosses as well and there was always some action around the corner. The battle with the 300-foot tall Leviathan was unforgettable. It's the biggest boss I've seen thus far.

The final boss was a bit of a disappointment though. I expected something more difficult but I still enjoyed the single-player campaign overall. I was sad that Hale had to die (but who knows?) though.

I've never tried multi-playing though so I won't include that here. I would recommend this to those who already have experience in first-person shooters. Beginners can handle this as well on an easier level but the huge bosses might be difficult for the first-timers, especially the Titans. 

I've enjoyed this game immensely so I'm giving it a 9 out of 10 rating.

Prince of Persia

When I first saw the cover of this game, I thought that it is related to the original series of the same name. And that the Prince in the cover is the usual Prince but with a different costume. I was in for a surprise.

The main guy with the red and blue scarf is a Prince in name only. He was wandering in the desert looking for his donkey when the princess Elika stumbled upon him literally. Little did he know that what he was about to find was a battle to save the City of Light from Corruption.

For thousands of years, Ahriman the God of Darkness has been striving to conquer everything that he does not possess. The God of Light Ormazd retreated and refused to fight against Ahriman. But this only made the latter bolder in his ambitions. As the Corruption spread however, Ormazd and his Ahura, the Warriors of the Light, were forced to confront the growing darkness. They sealed Ahriman in the Tree of Life. The Ahura were in-charge of guarding the prison but as the years passed, their powers waned. Ahriman found his chance to escape. Elika was one of these people tasked to guard the prison.

It was at this time that Prince found Elika while she was trying to run away from the soldiers. Prince had no choice but to follow her into the temple where they were later confronted by her father, the King of the Ahura, who set Ahriman free. Elika then tells Prince that they have to save the world by healing the corrupted Fertile Grounds.

They encountered the Concubine, the Hunter, the Alchemist and the Warrior while they were healing each of the Fertile Grounds.As the game progresses, they discovered that Elika had died once in the past. Because of this, her father had sold his soul to Ahriman to bring her back, thus making him one of the corrupted.

When they met Elika's father for the last time, the corruption had fully taken him. They had no choice but to fight him. The King however throws his body to Ahriman in order to resurrect the God of Darkness.

The final battle with Ahriman took place and in order to defeat him, Elika must use all her powers. They were able to send him back into the Tree of Life but at the cost of Elika's life.

But the Prince decided to resurrect Elika. He destroys the Tree of Life although he knows this will set Ahriman free again. The game ends with the scene where the Prince is carrying Elika's body while Ahriman stalks behind them.

***

This review does not include the DLC, but according to sources both characters found themselves battling Elika's father once more. In the end, they were able to kill the King but Elika leaves the Prince behind.

I enjoyed the usual acrobatic stunts and most of the battles. Traveling through power plates was a great experience as well. But the game is too easy because Elika is always there to save the Prince, although having her as a companion is useful. It's too user-friendly and she seems to be almost invincible because of her powers. 

I liked the layout of the kingdom. I enjoyed the stunning views and the detailed graphics of each of the Fertile Grounds. I spent a lot of time collecting light seeds as well, although the total number that can be acquired is more than what is needed to heal the Fertile Grounds. The puzzles were good and players will actually take their time to think.

I have no problems with this game when it comes to graphics, sounds, and the gameplay is isn't so bad even if the whole game is easy. The story has a lot of potential as well but what I don't get is the title. There was no indication that the male protagonist is the same lead character of the popular series. They could have added a subtitle to make it distinct. 

I'll give this a 6 out of 10 rating.

Saiunkoku Monogatari (Season One)

First Season of Saiunkoku Monogatari

Episodes: 39

Manga written by Sai Yukino and illustrated by Kairi Yura

The Story of Saiunkoku (or Tale of the Land of Coloured Clouds) tells the tale of a smart, ambitious and hardworking girl named Shuurei. Because her father does not earn enough money to make ends meet, she has to do odd jobs. Her dream however was to pass the National Exams and become a government official. Her chance to get a shot at her dream came unexpectedly through an offer of becoming a concubine to Emperor Ryuuki. She was tasked however to teach and motivate the emperor to participate in court discussions and become a better leader. Lured by the prize money, the young lady from the Kou clan accepted the advisor's offer. The young man Seiran who has a mysterious past went with her to the palace with a temporary assignment as her bodyguard.

While spending time with each other, Ryuuki became fond of Shuurei. Her perseverance finally paid off and Ryuuki became interested in court affairs. But soon they learned that he was only acting that way because he believes he is taking care of the throne only while his elder brother is away. Ryuuki later finds out that his long-lost brother is Seiran. But Seiran has no desire of becoming Emperor.

Later the Emperor proposed that women be allowed to take the National Exams. Shuurei then started working at the palace but has to disguise as a boy. When the proposal was finally passed, Shuurei took the exam and finished third. But because the concept of women working as government officials was new, she had to endure all the insults she got from everyone. Eventually Shuurei was accepted and was given the post as co-governor of Sa province.

Getting to Sa province was not easy however. She and her co-governor had to devise plenty of tactics just to get there alive. This was how she met Sa Sakujun who grew fond of her as well. She gets entangled in the problems within the Sa clan in the process. With a lot of help from friends, they finally made it in time to the swearing-in ceremony and even put a stop to the Sa clan's manipulations. Sakujun tried to get Shuurei to make kanro tea for him but he failed. But not doing so made the poison he secretly used, lethal to himself. Shuurei blamed herself for the man's death.

In the final episode of the first season, Shuurei goes home to attend the new year's celebration and meets Ryuuki once again.

***

Although Shuurei was a nearly-perfect character, I think she's better and more likeable than most girls from any anime. There are times however when the other characters praise her too much that other people might find it too patronizing.

Character development was decent. However some events that involved some of the minor characters seem to be unnecessary and a little bit confusing. The occasional appearance of ghosts is expendable. There are several references to the kingdom's history as well as the history of clans and families that others might find confusing.

The animation is really good but there are inconsistencies in the outfits as well as the layout of the kingdom if one were to compare it to medieval China.

One thing I've noticed as well is that there's too much tea. In most episodes, one can find at least two scenes where the characters are having tea, although there was not one where the actual brewing of the tea was shown.

The fight scenes were mediocre and the main characters never seem to get injured. It's a good thing though that characters actually die (unlike most series).

I wish that there were more developments between Ryuuki and Shuurei but this is just the first season so it's still something to look forward to. Would have been better as well if there were rivals other than Sakujun. Overall it's a light and funny series. The story is decent and most of the characters are worth remembering. I'll give it a 6 out of 10 rating.

Blood Follows

Today I reread a novella of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. The book tells how the manservant Emancipor Reese met his masters Bauchelain and Korbal Broach. Readers will recognize the three characters if they read the series.

The tale began when Mancy's employer dies and he was forced to look for a job. The city he lived in at that time, Lamentable Moll, was agitated because of a rumoured killer who disembowels his noble victims. Sergeant Guld began an investigation. The King's daughter was also involved when she was found in the crime scene of the killer's latest victim. The Mortal sword of the Sisters was also involved when he vowed he would deliver justice himself. The readers who are already familiar with Bauchelain and Korbal already know who the culprit is so it sort of takes away the anticipation of the things to happen. Mancy's personality however is interesting to make me continue reading. Their past was not also mentioned in the series, so this is a sort of delayed introduction of the three characters.

Mancy was left with no choice but to apply as manservant or his wife Subly would get mad at him. Too late, he discovers that his new masters practice necromancy and Bauchelain had already seen his death. He was already tied up with them. Besides, the thought of travel, of being away from his wife is attractive enough to make him stay.

Guld followed every lead until he had found the killer. He was ready to make an arrest when something unexpected happened. He discovers that the killer's partner, Bauchelain, was already prepared. The other people involved in the investigation were also stopped in their tracks, including the pair's long-time pursuer, Steck Marynd. Korbal was about to take the princess as well but was stopped by Bauchelain. In the end, they were able to escape and only the servant girl of the princess was harmed.

It's a great supplement to the series. I've always found the trio interesting although their presence does not affect the story at all. Blood Follows provides some explanations to the mysteries of what Bauchelain and Korbal have been doing over the years but I wish there was more.

Warcraft's Sunwell Trilogy

Title: Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy

Part one: Dragon Hunt

Part two: Shadows of Ice

Part three: Ghostlands

Illustrated by Kim Jae-hwan

Written by Richard Knaak

This three-volume manhwa follows the aftermath of Arthas' destruction of Quel'thalas and the Sunwell.  The main characters, Kalec and Anveena, met at Lordaeron when Kalec was wounded. Kalec's pursuers killed Anveena's parents while they were looking for the two. They were attacked by another enemy, Dar'khan, and binds their magic by placing neck collars on them. It would have been over if they were not saved by Kalec's future mate, Tyrygosa. Later Anveena finds a dragon hatchling among the ruins of her home. 

They then travelled to Tarren Mill to have the collars removed. They were found by the dragon hunter, Harkyn, the one who shot Kalec earlier. Fortunately Anveena was able to escape and met the paladin Jorad Mace. 

Kalec and his hunters however were ambushed by the undead led by Dar'khan. He later revealed that the Lich King had used the dragon hunter to kill the dragons because he knew that the dragons would be curious about the Sunwell. Anveena arrives to help them and this was when Dar'khan sensed that the power of the Sunwell was within the dragon hatchling accompanying the girl. Harkyn decides to turn against Dar'khan because of the latter's betrayal. He tells them later that in order to remove the collars, they must seek the dwarf Loggi.

The four characters were assaulted on their way to Alterac mountains. Anveena met the tauren Trag and the undead baron Valimar who explained his origins and the situation of the undead. Then he tricks her into using her powers to raise an army for him. Meanwhile, Trag found Kalec and the hatchling Raac and helped them reunite with Anveena. 

On the other hand, Jorad and Tyrygosa found the dwarf Loggi when they were taken as captives by Ichor. Later, along with the dwarves they tried to attack the undead but the baron saw them and used Anveena's power to counter. Trag was able to stop him. The rest of the group was able to defeat the enemies but Dar'khan took the opportunity to take away Anveena.

He takes the girl to Quel'thalas, where a group of exiled elves was trying to reclaim the place from the undead. Kalec, Jorad, Tyrygosa and Raac joined the exiles led by Lor'themar to fight Dar'khan. Meanwhile, Anveena was able to escape from her captor and was later told by an unknown character that she was the Sunwell. Dar'khan later finds her however. Silvanas Windrunner confronts him but she was taken captive as well. 

The exiles and their new allies attack Dar'khan when he was about to put a spell on Anveena. Dar'khan almost succeeded until Raac was able to free the dragon under his control. The group was able to defeat Dar'khan in the end.

It was later revealed that the dragon in captivity was the consort to Alexstrasza, Korialstrasz. Kalec and Anveena, along with the other elves decided to stay to protect her powers, while Jorad and Tyrygosa went to confront Arthas.

***

Jae-hwan's illustrations were consistent with the Warcraft style. I enjoyed most the landscape drawings. He was able to make up for the lack of excitement with the story.

The story in itself has a lot of potential but how it was told did not give it justice. There are moments when the two female characters were exaggerated for their abilities. There were even spaces wasted for nonsense comments such as "she's so beautiful" even if the romance part isn't clearly an important part of the story. The retelling of Silvanas' fate in Arthas' hands was inconsistent with what happened in the game as well. It shows that there was not enough research done on the part of the writer. The series had a lot of promise and excitement but it is not worth reading a second time. I am relieved though that not all the important books or stories related to Warcraft are given to Mr. Knaak or it would have been another bland material.

Midnight Tides

Title: Midnight Tides

5th book of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series

Author: Steven Erikson

For the first time in the series, no Malazan was involved in the fifth installment although Erikson leaves enough names and places that will be familiar to the reader. The story focuses on the Tiste Edur and the Letherii. Two nations that are so different from one another. The book also shows the Crippled God's direct involvement with other beings providing the readers a glimpse of his plans and the extent of his madness.

Although the focus of the story shifted, the book's theme is related to the fourth book, House of Chains. Midnight Tides highlights the relationship between leaders or gods and their followers and the identity of nations. The Letherii and Tiste Edur viewed each other as different people yet they both believed in destiny - that they are both destined for greatness. The Letherii sees conquest as an opportunity to expand and to expel outdated and sometimes violent beliefs prevalent about among tribes and nations who still cling to old gods. While the Edur believe that preserving their tradition and imposing it upon other people is the better path. The Letherii look forward whilst the Edur are tied down by their past.

Unlike the fourth book however, the focus this time is on the followers or subjects and not just the leaders. One such character is a victim of both the beliefs of his people and the manipulation of the Crippled God. Rhulad Sengar sought to be an equal with his brothers. He wanted them to see that he was no longer a child and that even if he was unblooded at the beginning of the story, they should not question his strength in battle. Unfortunately his behavior is seen as defiance of the 'proper way' of being part of their people, and this was preyed upon by those who sought power. The Crippled God gave him what he wanted but at a price. Another character who suffered manipulation many times was Udinaas. But unlike Rhulad, he accepted his fate and has done his best with every task that was given him. Some of the characters were also faced with similar challenges but on a lesser degree than the two I mentioned. Most of them were bound by their duty to do as they were told. But some had no choice. The choice then is how best to cope with it.

The gods themselves are being manipulated. They are used only when the worshipers find value in them. But when the followers disappear, the god is discarded and forgotten. Their existence depends upon the faith of their worshipers. They are made because they need to exist and the duration of that existence depends on their usefulness.

The Crippled God was also a victim. I admit I do not blame him for his need for vengeance. And I admire him for doing so. Instead of wallowing in misery, he embraces it even if by doing so his followers will do the same and therefore he will always be imperfect. 

Erikson fared better this time with some of the one-on-one battles. Unlike the previous books, he no longer describes sword fights as 'the swords were a blur' although there was only one instance in this book. His description of the battle between mages are superb as usual. The nature of the Holds was described here as well. The readers will also get to know demons more.

Overall, it is a great addition to the series. He was able to examine the different faces of people and gods who seem to have no power over what fate has intended. But destiny has nothing to do with it. It is the choices we made that will determine the course of life for our children and for the people around us.

Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos and The Frozen Throne

A few years back I downloaded a game to pass time. I did not realize I will spend the next two years playing skirmishes and Defense of the Ancients for hours and hours. This review is a bit late but I feel that as a fan I have to write something about it.

Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos and Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne follow up on the story of the aftermath of the Burning Legion invasion. The game begins with a warning sent to Warchief Thrall through a dream. The Prophet delivers this message as well to the other armies. Fans of the Warcraft universe will soon find out the true identity of The Prophet. The Orc campaign is one of the many stages the player has to go through to unlock the other campaigns.

         Another campaign involves the humans. Prince Arthas Menethil is introduced. Later he would join Jaina Proudmoore to discover the source of the plague. The discovery led him to kill Kel'thuzad. The chase led him further into a trap that he would later willingly embrace. The change occurs when he pursues Mal'ganis and was forced to kill his friend Muradin Bronzebeard so he can acquire Frostmourne. His noble intentions became an obsession. In the end, his soul was poisoned by the blade forged by the Lich King. He then went home to kill his father King Terenas.

A new campaign begins with Arthas being a death knight. He resurrects Kel'thuzad then attacks Quel'thalas and destroys the Sunwell. It was here where he met Silvanas Windrunner whom he later changes into a banshee. Silvanas later has her own campaigns in the game.

Arthas discovers that Kel'thuzad is acting on behalf of the Lich King, who is helping the Burning Legion. There is a rift between the Lich King and the Legion however. Arthas and Kel'thuzad proceed to open a portal for Archimonde,  who later betrays them. At this point, the Lich King already plans to oppose the Legion.

Meanwhile Thrall's campaign continues. One of his friends, Grom Hellscream was trapped in Ashenvale and was forced to drink from a fountain corrupted with Mannoroth's blood to kill a demigod. Thrall was forced to join Jaina to purge Grom and his company with the corruption. Later Grom and Thrall would try to kill Mannoroth to free the former from the Legion's control. Grom succeeds but was slain in the process.

Another campaign involves the Elves. Tyrande Whisperwind awakens the Druids and frees Illidan Stormrage in order to stop the Legion. At this point in the story, Illidan consumed the Skull of Gul'dan and became a half-demon. He was later banished. Illidan also has his own campaigns in the game.

Through the Prophet, an alliance between Jaina, Thrall, Malfurion and Tyrande was made to oppose the Legion. The player has to hold out until Archimonde is destroyed by the ancestral spirits.

The first campaign for Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne begins with Illidan's flight from his kin and his pursuit for power.  A bonus campaign involving Rexxar is a great addition.

The other campaign revolves around Kael'thas Sunstrider's journey. The players also meet the Naga here. Illidan has also revealed his plans of opposing the Lich King.

The players will meet Arthas again in one of the three campaigns. The undead at this point has three factions. The other two are led by Silvanas and the dreadlords. Silvanas defeats the latter. Illidan, along with the Naga, battle Arthas and the Lich King but fail.

***

I enjoyed playing through the campaigns. One of my favorites is the bonus campaign with Rexxar. I played it three times a few years ago. One of the things that made this game great is the role given to the Orcs. They are not just portrayed as mindless animals hungry for blood. I also enjoyed Arthas' campaigns and I was not surprised with how his journey ended. The game leaves hints but leaves just enough mystery to make it more exciting. I for one was not expecting that Grom will die. I felt sad because he was one of my favorites.

There are a lot of stories to follow that are not covered in this game. I think that is one of the things that makes the Warcraft enterprise so addictive. The races have their histories that is why the game is built well. It is not a simple good-defeats-evil story.

I enjoyed the skirmishes as well. It was fun exploring the potential of each of the four armies. The other mini games were fun as well. One of my favorites is Zero to Hero. But the most addictive would have to be Defense of the Ancients or DotA. There are many characters to choose from and it's more enjoyable than most RPGs. The campaign is simple but there is always something to look forward to because of the variety of the characters.

I recommend this game to those who want a game with a good story, music and graphics, and who is looking for replayability. Overall, I'd give it a 10 out of 10 rating.

House of Chains

Title: House of Chains

4th book of the Malaza Book of the Fallen series

Author: Steven Erikson

This book begins with the story of Karsa Orlong. Those who have read the first three books in the series know him by the name of Toblakai. A quarter of the book is spent relating his journey to discover the place of their people in the world. The book spans all the previous three books so readers have to take note of some events that were mentioned earlier in the series so they do not miss the significance of said events.

The readers also encounter the elder races here for the first time. These include: a Forkrul Assail, Tiste Edur, the Eres, and Tiste Liosan. Half of the story is also told from the point of view of a Tiste Edur and a T'lan Imass for the first time. The nature of the Tellann Ritual is examined here as well.

The story focuses on the two important things that makes up this series. Readers will be presented with Korbolo Dom's long-term plans for the Malazan Empire, as well as the Crippled God's schemes to get into power. The theme of the book however is on leadership.

Karsa Orlong represents a determined but ignorant leader. He soon discovers that destiny and strength alone cannot make other people bend to his will. Schooled in heroic legends, he makes the mistake of underestimating the enemies he has only encountered in stories. Felisin or Sha'ik on the other hand represents the overconfident but inexperienced leader. She thinks her power and influence alone can win over everything else. There are times when she falters in her resolve, but this is replaced by hatred and hunger for vengeance. The kind of environment this leader fosters breeds overconfidence and laziness in important people involved with her cause. It seemed she could not handle her important officers well.

Fiddler represents the reluctant leader. Unlike Gamet however, Fiddler strives to find reason to continue fighting. Gamet has more doubts. Perhaps it was because he has already given up the life of a soldier. He never had any experience leading soldiers as well. He thinks lack of experience leads to incompetence. They do not have to bear the burden all by themselves however. People around them are constantly reminding them that their guidance is needed as well the their years of experience. Adjunct Tavore and Temul have to bear the responsibility alone though. Their followers doubt their abilities to lead because of lack of experience. If they falter however, the others will think they do not have enough reason to fight for them. The army is beset by doubt. Any weakness from the leaders will seal their doom. Emotions have to be set aside to perform well. The young leaders have to isolate themselves from others although from time to time they have no choice but to reach out. Tavore has to show no weakness and has to endure being in the shadows of Coltaine. While Temul has to live up to the expectations of his tribe.

***

The book has explained several things that were not so clear in the first three books. But it did not clarify the mystery behind what happened to Heboric. I was also expecting to read more from Felisin/Sha'ik but her importance has diminished. I was also disappointed with the final battle that took place in Raraku. It seems Erikson was trying save time and effort to illustrate a battle between the two armies. The spirits fighting on behalf of the Malazan Empire is an easy escape but I guess it makes sense. 

His one-on-one fight scenes are still not enough. Instead of illustrating how two fighters clashed, he used one sentence and wrote 'the swords were a blur'. I have seen that line a dozen times. I was anticipating a good battle between Karsa and Icarium but he did not even give me any image by describing how they fought. He is better at illustrating fight scenes involving assassins however. Also, his style of revealing bit by bit about the elder races works well. I have rediscovered a few more things about the T'lan Imass in this book. 

Overall it's still a good book but I wish there could have been more.

Grand Theft Auto 4: Liberty City

Niko Bellic came to Liberty City to live the 'American Dream'. Instead he found himself entangled in Mafia wars and drug dealers. Despite all the criticisms and controversies connected to the franchise, GTA 4 has provided players a more complicated character and a memorable story.

Before his cousin Roman convinced him to come to the city, Niko's was searching for answers from his past and trying to start life anew. Roman's gambling debts  and love affair plunged them into trouble. One death led to another and Niko found himself in the similar path he took in his past. He found friends along the way, but those friends consisted of arms dealers and steroid junkies. Niko was later betrayed by Dimitri Rascalov and when things got complicated in their group. Niko and Roman managed to escape and moved to another part of the city to start again. But this time Niko motivation was to get his revenge.

Niko took jobs from a vigilante, drug dealers and befriended men connected to Mafia families. He finds out as well that the girl he has been dating works undercover for a government agency hiding under the name of United Liberty Paper. He agreed to work for them in exchange of information about the man who betrayed him in the past. Roman was later kidnapped by Dimitri's men because he owes them money. After being saved by Niko he moved somewhere else. 

By this time, Niko has worked for several men. One of these is Ray Boccino who was able to track down Florian Cravic, the man Niko suspects to be the traitor. However he finds out that Florian changed his named to Bernie Crane and is now a lover of the city deputy mayor. They both came to the conclusion as to who betrayed them. Niko is also now friends with the McReary family, and has started dating Katie. He later works for one of the brothers, Gerry, to destroy another Mafia family.

Another McReary however suspects that his brother might ruin his plans to become the police commissioner. This is one of the three instances where Niko has to choose between two people. Later, Niko has to assist in the funeral of either Francis or Derrick depending on who the player chooses to eliminate. Gerry was also arrested sometime before the funeral.

While in prison, Gerry McReary contacts Niko to kidnap the daughter of the Don of the Ancelotti family in exchange for the stolen conflict diamonds. Both sides, including Bulgarin who showed up claiming they were his, were not able to retrieve the diamonds however. 

Niko later started working for Jimmy Pegorino and Jon Gavelli. With the help of Gavelli and United Liberty Paper, Niko was informed of the traitor's present location. They then arranged for a meeting between Niko and Darko Brevic. The player is given the choice to execute or let Darko live.

Pegorino then asks Niko for one final favor to arrange the deal on heroine with Dimitri. The player has to choose whether to execute his revenge or to go on with the deal. The choice will affect the ending of the story. Niko asks for advice from Kate and Roman. The former asks Niko not to deal with Dimitri and just move on, the latter wants Niko to forget about the past and just work with Dimitri because of the rewards. 

If Niko takes Roman's advice, Dimitri will still betray him. During Roman's wedding, an assassin is sent to kill Niko but shoots Roman accidentally. If Niko chooses to listen to Kate, he confronts Dimitri and his men on a cargo ship. Pegorino becomes furious and would try to kill him at Roman's wedding. He shot Kate instead.

Pegorino becomes the final antagonist in the game. With the help of Little Jacob (and with Roman if Niko chooses 'Revenge'), they went after Pegorino and his men. 

***   

Although it's a open-world type of game, I found the story interesting. When Niko confronted Darko, I sympathized with him. When he said that the traitor destroyed his life it broke my heart. The voice acting was well done and full of emotions (voice actor Michael Hollick deserved the award). I chose to let Darko go because killing him would not change the past. The man was already broken despite of what he claims. Killing him would close the doors for an opportunity for a good life for Niko because then he would confirm that he is a killer just like Darko.

I chose to kill Dimitri however because with him around, Niko cannot possibly have a peaceful start although he'd make an enemy of Pegorino. The old man's organization is falling apart anyway and he is becoming desperate. Roman's reasons are not convincing however. I admit I did try to look at what would be the ending for both choices. I did not want Kate to die but if Roman died instead, I think Niko would be broken completely. Despite all the troubles his cousin gave him, Roman was his anchor to his past and present, and the only family around to support him. I was sad that either choice would lead to disaster. I think Niko would willingly try to change for Kate.

The mini games, side missions and other stories are a huge improvement for the franchise, but it's the story that got me. Overall, I'd give it a 7 out of 10 rating.

Memories of Ice

Title: Memories of Ice

3rd book of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series

Author: Steven Erikson

This book is more related to the first in this series. Several characters are introduced for the first time including new players. Familiar character present in Gardens of the Moon are also reintroduced. The plot of the series is finally presented here. The Crippled god shows up in the first part of the book. Whiskeyjack also returns, as well as Paran. This book serves as a turning-point to the story. It's filled with revelations about important characters, including the introduction of some of the young gods, elder gods and elder races.

The book begins with a flashback of an important event that took place sometime in the past. At this point in the series, the reader must have a sharp memory of the previous books and pay attention to the events that will take place thereafter. References to other characters and events are scattered throughout the series and the significance might be missed if the reader cannot recall them. Erikson gives a lot of hints, explanations and even repetitions for the readers to understand. He has also acquired another style. He uses italics to separate a flashback or a dream, or to express a characters thoughts, sometimes within a conversation. I admit the change of font hurts my eyes a bit but it's manageable. He overuses it sometimes and some of the characters could babble on and on. There is less action too than the previous two books. Most of the characters delve into self-examination. The pace of the narrative is not constant and most of the action is present only during the siege of Capustan and the battle at Coral.

The battle scenes are impressive as usual but there are scenes where some of the actions are described only in a few words to proceed immediately to the outcome of the battle. Erikson though was able to handle well the variety of the characters and the tribes or races. He was also able to focus on several characters as well. The outline of the pantheon and its origins are also explained, but he leaves enough mystery to make the readers want to know more. 

When I first read the book a few years ago, I did not pay attention to the emotions of the characters but the description of the war, and it horrified me. Reading it the second time gave me an opportunity to examine the characters closely and how they relate to war in general. Now that I think on it, I think the theme of the book is to examine what the mind and heart goes through in the midst of war. Two opposing features of humanity at their extremes can be observed. On one side are the people who fight for freedom and honor to survive and the other, people who are driven to embrace pain, terror and cannibalism to survive. But there are also those who make war because it's the only life they know. Others also exploit the opportunity to seek revenge or to seek salvation and find meaning in their existence. I can go on and on with the list. Erikson was able to show different thoughts and emotions that might go through someone's mind when faced with different choices. It is overall, a sad book. Most of the characters are portrayed in different degrees of despair, but also show them in their best qualities. When pushed to the limit, some people break, some embrace the pain and endure, while some would try to take away the pain and bring hope to others.

I was saddened by Whiskeyjack's death and the changes that happened to some of the characters. Some characters also discover new powers within themselves. Duiker also makes an appearance in the last part of the book but I don't think he has a big role anymore in the series. Some of the incidences that occurred in Deadhouse Gates are also explained in this book. 

Apart from the plot itself, there are more things that the book can offer. That is one of the things that makes this series great so far - a book that makes the readers think and reflect upon themselves.

The Ghost of Sparta: A Review of the God of War Series

Several adaptations of Greek Mythology in media have appeared over the years. Some were successful while the others have failed to represent the ancient Greeks. Among the most memorable I've encountered is this series. Not only was it able to illustrate the heroes, monsters and gods in myths, but also brought to the fore the often ignored question - what happens to the Greek pantheon after they defeated the Titans?

It is unique because the hero in this game is not a hercules-achilles-jason clone. The protagonist is a minor figure in Greek mythology. Kratos (Cratos) is a servant of the gods and one of Zeus' children, which is close enough to the real version (Cratos is not a child of Zeus, but one of his servants along with Nike). And unlike most heroes, he does not carry weapons to save humanity. He seeks revenge to cleanse his past. The series began when he sought to kill Ares, the God of War. 

He was finally able to kill Ares with the help of the other gods. The portrayal of the original god of war is quite accurate. His fellow Olympians despise him, even his mother Hera. Kratos served Ares for a while not knowing that the god was molding him to become a killing machine to do his bidding. Ares tricked Kratos into killing his wife and his child. Kratos finally realized that he was being used and thereafter sought to make Ares pay for his deceit. He did not want the power but no one else is fit to assume the title of god of war.

When he finally acquired the throne however, the other gods realized he was a less merciful lord than Ares. He demanded more blood and even went to participate in the war himself. The gods put into motion the plans that they had all along. They took Kratos' power so Zeus can kill him. He was able to escape Hades' grasp and this time he turned his eyes to Zeus. It was then revealed in God of War 2 that he was the son of the lord of Olympus. Zeus sought to prevent the cycle of patricide by taking Kratos' life. In the last stages of the game,  the Ghost of Sparta has slain another god and Zeus escaped. The Titans sought Kratos' help. Gaia promised to Kratos that he was going to get his revenge. Kratos was able to kill the sisters of Fate and went back in time when Zeus waged war against the Titans.

God of War 3 begins with the Titans' assault on Mount Olympus. Several gods gathered to oppose them: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hermes and Helios. Kratos has slain Hera, Hephaestus and Hercules on his way to Zeus. It was in this part of the series when Kratos discovered the Titans were using him as well. This led him to decide to annihilate the Titans as well. Kratos also discovered that when he opened the box of Pandora to slay Ares, he released all the evil things trapped inside it. This corrupted Zeus and the other gods. What Zeus has been fearing all along was stirred awake and blossomed into an obsession. He knew in hindsight that what he did to his father Kronos, his son will do to him as well.

When he finally killed Zeus, the antihero of this series realized that revenge alone cannot cleanse the deeds of his past. His nightmares still haunt him. As Kratos lay dying, he was drawn into a vision that involved his family, Athena and Pandora. It was then he realized that he also released Hope when he opened Pandora's box, and that Hope was the key to forgiveness. He cannot undo his sins, but he has to forgive himself and ask for forgiveness from his victims. Athena tried to take this power, revealing that she wanted the throne for herself. But Kratos refused, taking with him Hope.

God of War

I thought at first that the inclusion of the legend of Pandora was odd. It will take a journey through all three games to understand this however, and God of War 3 was able to account for the holes in the plot. 

The first boss fight was a classic. I enjoyed the battle with the Hydra which comprised of a few stages. Monsters in classic mythology were present and represented fairly well. The graphics are stunning. The producers of the game did their research well. I enjoyed most of the fight scenes and the puzzles are more challenging than the next two games.

One of the highlights is the trip out of Hades. The rolling logs were frustrating. In my opinion, this installment in the series had more challenges than the next two.

God of War 2

When I realized where the story was going, I thought that it will ruin the whole series. It was not clear at first but when Zeus killed Kratos, I realized that it was going to be interesting from that point. The first boss fight was huge as usual, figuratively and relatively. The last few battles in this game were interesting. As far as I know, I don't recall any adaptation of Greek mythology that involved the annihilation of Clotho, Lakhesis and Atropos - the sisters of Fate. It is common belief that they are more powerful than even the gods. Gaia also got into the fray. She helped Kratos escape Hades and told him that to kill Zeus, he has to change what the Fates have decreed.

He was about to kill Zeus using the Blade of Olympus, but Athena got in the way and she was killed instead. The game ends with a scene of Titans climbing up Mount Olympus.

Like the first game, the musical score, voice acting and graphics are well done. More mythological characters are involved. The puzzles are easier though.

God of War 3

The first boss fight involved Poseidon. It seems much easier than the first two games however and I'm quite disappointed when I realized that there would be no battles near any body of water after that. Slaying every god was a bit shocking to me. The fight with Hermes was easy too, and the puzzles are less challenging. The main focus it seems was on the story and the art. To their credit, this game has the best art I've seen so far. The moving environments were superb. 

Towards the end of the game, the revelations were shocking. Kratos is more emotional than the first two games and I cannot help but feel pity for him. He shows his deep loneliness and despair, which can only be cleansed by blood. This game was able to account for the legend of Pandora's box and the tradition of patricide among gods if the player has some exposure to Greek mythology. I can't help but say that everything makes sense. These and the story of Kratos' life however led to a heartbreaking conclusion to the game. 

***

Most people think that Kratos' character is too one-sided, and that the game isn't different from all the other hack-and-slash types. Most would also say that using mythology makes it an interesting game. I once read a comment from a player that Greek mythology lovers would not appreciate it because it destroys the Olympians. From my perspective however, it makes sense. From what I know of classic mythology, it's likely to happen. But Zeus has no heir and there are no challenges to his power other than the Titans imprisoned in Tartarus. Gaia might still harbor hard feelings though. 

I admit I was a bit sad when I had to kill several heroes along the way. Theseus, Hercules, Perseus and characters like Icarus, the Gorgons, Prometheus and others were also present. Artemis disappeared in the next two games as well. And instead of Apollo, they chose to have Helios as the god of sun. Mythology-wise it is accurate, but Helios was a Titan and not an Olympian. The series involved almost all the important figures in mythology although most of them end up dead.

I recommend it for people who appreciate a good story. It also helps to brush up on mythology. The gameplay isn't the best but that alone is not the only criteria to judge a good game. The music, voice acting, graphics and animation are the best I've seen so far. Overall I'll give it a 9 out of 10 rating.

God of War = 10 out of 10

God of War 2 = 9 out of 10

God of War 3 = 8 out of 10