To promote God Eater 2: Rage Burst and grow its popularity , use the embed code provided on your homepage, blog, forums and elsewhere you desire.Or try our widget. Amazon.com: God Eater 2: Rage Burst - PlayStation 4 Day 1 Edition: Bandai Namco Games Amer: Video Games. Cooking craze tokyo level 1.

Bandai NamcoTechnobubble covers games, gadgets, technology and all things geek. Follow Technobubble poobah Jason Hidalgo’s shenanigans on Twitter @jasonhidalgoIn a genre dominated by a certain franchise, the fight for second place is typically waged between two other entries.Then again, hardcore fans of God Eater or Toukiden will argue that their preferred competitor is more fun than the dominant Monster Hunter franchise. Chalk it up to quicker and more accessible base combat mechanics that are more forgiving than Capcom’s best-selling monster-hunting franchise. Bandai NamcoIn the interest of full disclosure, I am a big Monster Hunter fan. In addition to putting together various guides for Monster Hunter 4U and Monster Hunter X, I also named the latter — also known as Monster Hunter Cross — as my best game of 2016.That being said, I’ve also played various incarnations of the samurai-based Toukiden and more modern anime-style God Eater.

In fact, I’ve bought the Japanese versions of God Eater prior to their Western release and even bought a couple of guidebooks. On that note, I’ve certainly had interest in Koei Tecmo’s and Bandai Namco’s monster-hunting games as well.For its part, “God Eater 2: Rage Burst” certainly has its share of good points. An expanded version of the God Eater 2 game released on the PlayStation Vita back in 2013, Rage Burst brings in some extra content as well as an appearance on the PS4, which is the version this review is based on.The game’s story occurs several years after the original God Eater game and centers around a special God Eater division known as the Blood Unit. At the center of this unit is a new kind of God Eater that boasts blood power abilities as well as blood arts. Theoretically, this makes the 'Bloods' more special compared to your regular blood eaters.You find yourself playing a new member of the unit as mankind finds itself dealing with a deadly pandemic known as the Black Plague.

If there’s one advantage that God Eater has over Monster Hunter, it’s storytelling, which continues with Rage Burst 2. One could debate whether the anime-style tale of God Eater is a good one but it’s definitely meatier than Monster Hunter’s sparse storytelling offerings. The English version of Rage Burst 2 even goes the extra mile by fully voicing a lot of its plentiful dialogue in English.Then again, Rage Burst 2 has a slower start as far as the action is concerned. There are a large number of early missions that have you hunting weak foes and I actually found myself getting a bit bored at first. Fortunately, it ramps up as you go further, though I still found the game easier than Monster Hunter. The combat is a lot more forgiving, which is great for newcomers, though it also has some nuances that reward advanced players as well. At the same time, Rage Burst 2 features a ton of systems that can be intimidating for newcomers.

There’s an entire bullet system you need to familiarize yourself with, for example, not to mention blood bullets and more than 200 blood arts. You can also use your God Arc weapon’s devouring ability to power up yourself and either attack your foes with it or share certain effects with teammates. Add its loot and crafting system, plus various weapons, shields and gear to familiarize yourself with and it can be a lot to take in at a time. I can definitely see some folks feeling overwhelmed at first. On the plus side, this also gives the game its own unique flavor as opposed to just being a glorified copycat. God Eater certainly has its own style — one that certain gamers will prefer over Monster Hunter’s more deliberate combat.

Bandai NamcoAlthough online multiplayer is a key shared component between monster hunting games, one way God Eater separates itself from Monster Hunter is the ability to play with AI teammates in the single-player campaign. Admittedly, the AI’s behavior has its hiccups but it’s another feature that distinguishes God Eater.Production values, meanwhile, are solid overall.

The character models and monsters look good and the addition of lots of voice acting give it an anime feel. The ability to customize your character’s features and clothing with various options is also nice overall. At the same time, its roots as a PS Vita game also come with drawbacks. Hunting areas, for example, look underwhelming with tired-looking textures, especially when compared with the character and monster models. They also feel quite repetitive. While Monster Hunter X, has a few stages, too, there’s a lot more interaction as far as gathering and terrain variations and conditions.

Gathering in Rage Burst 2, on the other hand, feel like an afterthought as does the overall design of its areas. After a while, they all just started blending together for me.Despite its faults, Rage Burst 2 is a solid hunting game with its own unique system.

The ability to switch from a melee weapon to a gun then a shield in the heat of battle, for example, sets it apart from its more popular competitor, and the faster combat will be more enjoyable for some players. Personally, I still prefer Monster Hunter. Rage Burst, however, is a game that can stand on its own merits as well and continues to be a welcome addition to the genre.FINAL THOUGHTSBandai Namco’s stylish and more anime-inspired take on the hunting genre features a chunkier story and faster-paced combat that’s a lot more forgiving than Capcom’s popular monster-fighting game. Admittedly, the Vita roots show visually with its underwhelming stages and the game’s various systems can be overwhelming to newcomers. At the same time, this is also easier to get a hang of and is a solid alternative for folks who aren’t quite comfortable with Monster Hunter’s more deliberate combat.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5​. Cost: $39.99; PS4 (reviewed), Vita​. www.god-eater.com/us/games/god-eater-2.

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