Monday, March 30, 2015

Code of Princess (3DS)

Early in the 3DS's life, there was a very good but unknown game by the name of Code of Princess.  It was a fun beat'em up with multiple dimensions to move across.  I didn't know it at the time but this was actually the spiritual successor to another title that I had never played.  This game was fun but frustrating.

The story is pretty straightforward.  The princess is ousted from her kingdom by an evil force.  As she travels around the land trying to figure out what to do, she meets various characters and they join for various reasons.  As the story progresses, the loose ends basically get tied up and there are a few plot twists.  Although most of them are pretty predictable.  This game wouldn't get the highest marks for it's story but it does drive the game along and gives the player something to think about while beating up enemies.

Fighting is the heart and soul of this game.  Each character plays differently and has their own weaknesses and strengths.  I mostly stuck with the princess, Solange because it was easier to level up one character than it was to redo every level.  See, characters level up and as they do, the stats get better.  Levels are important till a certain point.  See there is a certain point in the game where the enemies just get so ridiculous that it is a rush to win each battle. My major gripe with the fighting engine is the fact that I was often stunlocked to death with no means to escape.  Getting punished like this was often frustrating and really left a bad taste in my mouth.

The music is fun and fits the theme of the game.  Each character has a track and the main enemies all have themes as well.  My personal favorite is Tsukikage's theme.  It has an interesting mix of flute and strange jazzy sounds.  It was great to get the soundtrack with this game.  I still listen to it to this day.

For the longest time, I couldn't see the appeal of beat'em ups.  I had tried series like Double Dragon and Final Fight but they lacked something.  I didn't find it in this game either but I had a better time with this game.  There is a lot to do in this game and if you are looking for a fun romp through an interesting tale of a princess setting out to save the kingdom, I would suggest this title.  Although the combat gets rough later in the game, it is certainly possible to beat this game.  Yes, I had to abuse several of the game mechanics to do it but I had no other choice.  I hate losing a battle because I didn't dodge an attack that came from off screen.  Then being unable to move after the attack and being swarmed by more attacks.  I still had some fun with this game.

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