Majin & The Forsaken Kingdom

[broodwars]

I haven't created a game topic in a while, so this seemed as good a game to talk about as any. I was in a local Gamestop today using the B2G1 Free coupon I got when I renewed my membership (Killzone 2 and Resistance 2 were 2 of the other games I got, fyi), when I noticed this little game sitting in the clearance bin for $12 new. It has had some decent buzz despite no one apparently buying it, so I picked it up.

I'm still in my first hour of the game, and while the game's low budget shows (eesh, the main character looks horrible) I'm finding the game pretty charming. The Majin's baby-like voice can be a bit grating, but also simultaneously reassuring in a very Winnie the Pooh-style fashion. The rest of the voice acting is pretty poor-to-average. The combat is pretty mediocre, but it's serviceable enough. I'm liking how the the game is designed around teamwork between your character and the Majin, especially since it spills over into the combat system.

So yeah, the game's not that spectacular so far, but I'm definitely getting the vibe from the game that I would hope to have in The Last Guardian. And hey, since Team ICO has apparently decided that neither Last Guardian nor the Team ICO Collection need to have release dates, this is probably as close as you're going to get to a game like those for a while. Anyone else playing this one?

[broodwars]

Damn, I seem to be stuck in the first Catapult area. I have no idea what the game wants me to do. It tells me to load the thing with rocks to fling at the walls, but I don't see any rocks. It says I can launch myself with the catapult, but whenever I try that my end of the catapult just flies through me.

EDIT: Ah, ok you have to press a button to tell the game you want to be launched with the catapult instead of just jumping into the thing and giving the Majin the order. -_-

[tadakichi]

Anyone else playing this one?

Yeah, Amazon had a good deal on the 360 version a while back (they still do, actually), so I snagged a copy. Haven't gotten very far myself, but then I've got a lot of other games competing for my attention so that's hardly surprising. Definitely worth what I paid for it.

[broodwars]

Cleared the first boss, in the process granting my Majin the power to Blow...gusts of air really hard at my enemies. So far, I'm really enjoying my time with this game. The game is pretty easy and the collectibles (outside of the obnoxious Memory Shards you have to be running around at night to collect) are pretty easy to find (and clearly marked on your map, so you know how many treasure chests to look for). The plot reminds me a lot of some aspects of Nier, and the puzzle/exploration structure is pretty similar to Zelda. The game also does a good job of selling the "teamwork" aspect of the game, as neither of your characters can really take down anything for very long without the other one covering their back.

So far, this game's really looking like one of those overlooked gems. Unfortunately, just like Enslaved (Namco-Bandai's other under-performing-yet-surprisingly-decent title from last Fall) it looks like this game was just released at entirely the wrong time and with absolutely no marketing.

[joelgundam01]

I bought the game two weeks ago during GameStop's Power Saver sale for $15 (PS3 version).

The game is a little rough around the edges, but it's pretty impressive for a new IP. The game feels like a combination of Ico and Prince of Persia (2008). I'm actually almost done with the game. I'm right now trying to collect the remaining treasure chests and memory fragments, before I fight the final boss.

[broodwars]

The game is a little rough around the edges, but it's pretty impressive for a new IP. The game feels like a combination of Ico and Prince of Persia (2008).

I agree with that general assessment. Despite its obvious low budget and sometimes hilariously bad voice acting, there's just something really charming about this game. I'm not sure if this is the right way to put it, but it's "child-like" without being "childish". It embraces a certain wonder about the game world that reminds me a lot of the fun I have in Zelda games running around and exploring, figuring out puzzles along the way. The plot is simple, but I think it's well-told. The visuals aren't remarkable, but I think they work well for what this game is trying to do. And from a design perspective, the game's just solid. A definite sleeper.

I just defeated the 3rd boss, who was a lot easier to take down than the second boss was (it helps that you don't have to rely on the Majin's elemental abilities to take it down, unlike the 2nd boss). I'm managing to get all the collectibles from nearly every room I enter, with just a few missing. I'm really getting tired of having to wait out the clock till night falls, though, to get the Memory Shards.

[broodwars]

I made it to the final area of the game, and have cleared the way to the final boss. I have all the collectibles, and am now...trying...to grind-up the remaining combat trophies (10 kills with wind & purification finishers, 5 killed at once with one finisher, 300 combination attacks, & both characters at Max levels). This game's attempt at a "fast travel" system really sucks. The 5 warp points are spread way too far apart, so there's a lot of retracing your steps required. And that final area...What. The. HELL?! This game has been so easy, but that final area is a royal pain in the ass of continually respawning enemies (with the Majin refusing to do a damn thing if even one enemy is still running around near him). Ugh.

[distantmantra]

I picked this up on Black Friday for $18... only a week after it was initially released. Biggest bomba ever.

Still haven't played it, but I'll probably do so over the Summer.

[broodwars]

I've finished the game now and gotten the Platinum trophy (after a fair amount of really unnecessary grinding. That's my 4th Plat since PSN went down. Thanks Sony. -_-'), and overall while I hated the final area of the game I liked the game overall. It's a game I could definitely see myself recommending especially to children, as it's easy but generally not too easy.

[Senku]

It's a game I could definitely see myself recommending especially to children, as it's easy but generally not too easy.

Sounds like a game that I can easily recommended to my wife.

...not that she's a child, or is bad at games or anything. :sweat: