Not many thought this series would ever see it's full release in Region 1. Funimation, thankfully, stepped up to the plate to distribute some of Geneon's releases and partially completed series in singles form. A great many otaku were pleased at this news. I was definitely one of them. I never rid myself of the velveteen box and was able to finish acquiring the singles when finally released. That's what I'm referring to with this review. Needless to say, this is one of the more unique series I have watched in some time.
The outstanding product design and execution is one of, if not, the finest points of Rozen Maiden. The initial release of a Velveteen Art Box definitely exudes elegance and beauty. It feels and looks amazing. The box itself screams to be displayed instead of just sitting in a cabinet or storage container. The good foil along the red fabric just pops so well. The cover art on the individual releases is reversible, thankfully, kept consistent with the remaining volumes. I actually found myself reversing all the covers because they accentuated the collection very well. That was my personal preference, yours may differ depending on which style and art you prefer. You do at the very least get a choice. The art on the discs is equally beautiful making this one of the best all around releases from Geneon. Special note, there are some dreaded Scanavo hubs sporadically used in various volumes.
The video quality in true Geneon fashion is flawless and vibrant. I found myself enjoying the sheer level of detail in the animation. The outfits the Maiden's wear suit each personality and are functional as regular attire. While the character designs aren't anything new or unique, everything else flows smoothly from the simple dialogue scenes to the always amazing fights. I'm not very familiar with the animation studio Nomad. I do feel they did a pretty good job and paid close attention to what fans of the manga and of quality animation want to see. Of course, I do love me some of that widescreen anime. It's the way I prefer my anime, if at all possible. It gives more freedom to use background and add subtlety to any atmosphere.
Unforuntately, there is a drawback in the audio department. It's mostly due to the series not being given 5.1 treatment in Japan. Geneon USA could have put some money into a 5.1 for Region 1 but it was probably not cost effective. Geneon does make excellent use of 2.0 with no dropouts or any issues to note. I do prefer the original Japanese audio track with the well done subtitle's on Rozen Maiden. Most of the English cast seemed to annoy me and take away from the series. I wouldn't call it bad, but honestly, it wasn't good either.
Rozen Maiden has an interesting premise to it. You've got the typical recluse otaku, somewhat harem of girls who are really dolls who fight in a game to become a living doll. It sounds like Pinnochio gone anime with a feminine twist, with less likeable characters. Seriously, I was more annoyed with the so-called hero and his little harem and rooting on the more dynamic vixens. It's not the typical premise and for most of the first half of the series it shows. The writing is mediocre at best, with few bright spots or twists along the way. I was feeling pretty indifferent about continuing on to Traumend. "Gah, this not going anywhere", I said to myself when taking out Volume 3. I went for it though and was pleasantly surprised. The difference between Traumend and the first half is night and day. Traumend was darker in tone, moved the story forward with excellent pacing and even better play on the relationships. I would recommend skipping the first season and getting right to Traumend, no I'm not joking.
In the end, Rozen Maiden is a decent show that received a tremendous effort by Geneon in its release. The sheer quality of the release is nothing short of amazing. If only Rozen Maiden as a whole could have lived up to that effort. The lack of a decent english dub, the mediocrity of the first half and unlikeable characters keep this series from being excellent. I give Rozen Maiden, 2 and 1/2 mystica's out of 5.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Ratchet and Clank Future : Tools of Destruction PS3 Review
Shiver me sprockets, I was craving a platformer and plunked Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction from the gaming backlog. I wanted to break away from real life for a little while and Ratchet and Clank was the perfect distraction for me.
The gameplay keeps in tune with the previous generations of Ratchet and Clank. All the controls are very familiar. It's a little different playing the game without the rumble feature. I still have not upgrade my controller, however... six-axis controls in the drop sequences are important. At first I found the drop sequences and this control scheme very frustrating. However, by the end of the game I realized that I needed to k.i.s.s (keep it simple stupid) the controls. The decryption locks are fun; I've always been a fan of the grind rails. I was alright with getting used to playing the game.
The sheer variety of gameplay from dancing like a space pirate robot to the space combat to the platforming was exciting and fun. It's exactly like you would expect from a Ratchet and Clank title. If anything, there was not much of Clank's portion of the game. The skill points and platinum bolts are fun. This game came out before the Trophy system, but when the next installment (beyond Quest...) comes out Skill Points would be the perfect route to start. If you like weapons, well this series is known for the crazy weapons. I, personally, liked the disco bomb... I need not say more as Insomniac is in fine fashion with weapons. The boss battles are challenging but if you have spent time grinding and upgrading weapons they are contestable. Like anygame you need to learn the patterns and you can get them.
The level of detail in the game is amazing. If all PS3 platforming games look this amazing I'd happy. The backgrounds pop and pull you into these amazing worlds. Unfortunately the problem I found with an early release title on PS3 is that is not a completely open world to explore. The walls prevent you from flying around. Yeah, the game play is pretty linear. Perhaps with the next game the platinum bolts and skill points can be setup for a larger level and perhaps world to explore to truly open up the incredible worlds Insomniac has created.
In true Playstation 3 fashion, the audio is amazing. I had all the speakers kicking in and rocking the subwoofer a little bit. The voice acting remains the same from all the prior incarnations and keeps it high level. It feels like a family and everyone is happy to be back together. There's definitely a chemistry within the cast and the direction. I won't delve into spoilers, but the relationship with Ratchet and Clank is beyond the norm in the franchise and game. There's some events that happen in the game that because of the range of the voice actors and actresses accentuate an already top notch story.
The story does not ignore any previous incarnation of the game. It actually plays up and builds of an always consistent franchise. We get the quirky yet wildly over-the-top villain, we get the foxy and sly female presence and the always pathetic yet campy Captain Quark. Everyone with their own story and role in the story. There is no randomly placed character or plot, there is a definite direction this series is taking now. Intead of a year later it's a new story, the series is getting a little more serialized with Tools of Destruction leading into Quest for Booty which I'll be playing next... I really like this direction and finally dipping into the what we are discovering as the very rich backstory and evolution of our favorite duo.
In the end, Insomniac delivered what is an amazing and thoroughly enjoyable game. I only have some minor complaints about the length of the game overall and lack of exploring options. Every game has to start somewhere and develop. We saw this in the PS2 era of this series. Each game from Ratchet and Clank to Up Your Arsenal up the ante not just in gameplay but in everything else. This is as close as to what you would want from a next gen R & C game. This receives 5 out of 5 Platinum bolts.
The gameplay keeps in tune with the previous generations of Ratchet and Clank. All the controls are very familiar. It's a little different playing the game without the rumble feature. I still have not upgrade my controller, however... six-axis controls in the drop sequences are important. At first I found the drop sequences and this control scheme very frustrating. However, by the end of the game I realized that I needed to k.i.s.s (keep it simple stupid) the controls. The decryption locks are fun; I've always been a fan of the grind rails. I was alright with getting used to playing the game.
The sheer variety of gameplay from dancing like a space pirate robot to the space combat to the platforming was exciting and fun. It's exactly like you would expect from a Ratchet and Clank title. If anything, there was not much of Clank's portion of the game. The skill points and platinum bolts are fun. This game came out before the Trophy system, but when the next installment (beyond Quest...) comes out Skill Points would be the perfect route to start. If you like weapons, well this series is known for the crazy weapons. I, personally, liked the disco bomb... I need not say more as Insomniac is in fine fashion with weapons. The boss battles are challenging but if you have spent time grinding and upgrading weapons they are contestable. Like anygame you need to learn the patterns and you can get them.
The level of detail in the game is amazing. If all PS3 platforming games look this amazing I'd happy. The backgrounds pop and pull you into these amazing worlds. Unfortunately the problem I found with an early release title on PS3 is that is not a completely open world to explore. The walls prevent you from flying around. Yeah, the game play is pretty linear. Perhaps with the next game the platinum bolts and skill points can be setup for a larger level and perhaps world to explore to truly open up the incredible worlds Insomniac has created.
In true Playstation 3 fashion, the audio is amazing. I had all the speakers kicking in and rocking the subwoofer a little bit. The voice acting remains the same from all the prior incarnations and keeps it high level. It feels like a family and everyone is happy to be back together. There's definitely a chemistry within the cast and the direction. I won't delve into spoilers, but the relationship with Ratchet and Clank is beyond the norm in the franchise and game. There's some events that happen in the game that because of the range of the voice actors and actresses accentuate an already top notch story.
The story does not ignore any previous incarnation of the game. It actually plays up and builds of an always consistent franchise. We get the quirky yet wildly over-the-top villain, we get the foxy and sly female presence and the always pathetic yet campy Captain Quark. Everyone with their own story and role in the story. There is no randomly placed character or plot, there is a definite direction this series is taking now. Intead of a year later it's a new story, the series is getting a little more serialized with Tools of Destruction leading into Quest for Booty which I'll be playing next... I really like this direction and finally dipping into the what we are discovering as the very rich backstory and evolution of our favorite duo.
In the end, Insomniac delivered what is an amazing and thoroughly enjoyable game. I only have some minor complaints about the length of the game overall and lack of exploring options. Every game has to start somewhere and develop. We saw this in the PS2 era of this series. Each game from Ratchet and Clank to Up Your Arsenal up the ante not just in gameplay but in everything else. This is as close as to what you would want from a next gen R & C game. This receives 5 out of 5 Platinum bolts.
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