Reliquary of Thoughts

Grand Theft Auto IV: newest installment of the Grand Theft Auto series. This installment boasts online play and a more in depth story than it's predecessors. Or so the theory goes...

Metal Gear Solid 4: supposedly the final mission of Solid Snake. Perhaps the final Metal Gear Solid game. Kojima said that he has wanted to move on to other projects, but we all know how he manages to pull a fast one on the unsuspecting public.

With that being said, 4 seems to be the magic number for games in the past couple of years. Resident Evil 4, for example, gave the RE series a serious overhaul. The series has been stagnant for quite some time and RE4 was the jolt that it needed. Call of Duty 4 broke away from the typical World War 2 theme of the titular game. Modern Warfare is what the title stated and that is what the gamers got. Devil May Cry 4 debuts crazy stylish action for this generation.

In Japanese culture, the number 4 signifies bad luck. However, such is not the case with the fourth installments of games to be released.

Arcana Heart: The New -ish

There's a new entry into the fighting arena from the land of the rising sun. That entrant is Arcana Heart.

Arcana Heart is your basic fighting game where you basically try to beat the crap out of each other. However, there's a twist. Enter the Arcana. The key mechanics of the game revolve around the Arcana, hence the game's namesake. You have different arcana such as Death, Lightning, and Fire that augment your fighter's abilities. For example, if your character has poor anti-air attacks by default, then equipping an Arcana such as lightning will help you out.

The learning curve to this game is moderate, but not too overwhelming. By the same token, the game isn't just pick up and play. Arcana Heart carries a certain depth to it that will have you studying multiple aspects in order to better your game.

Final Score: 9/10