Layers of Fear PS4 Digital Download Review

Layers of Fear is a Psychological Horror Game for PS4, XBONE, and PC was released in 2016, while was later released for Switch in 2018, which was developed by Bloober Team and published by Aspyr.

It's one of the horror game that was heavily inspired by Konami's 2015 cancelled horror game Silent Hills under the teaser demo as P.T. for PS4.
I remember back then where I was hoping to look forward to see another installiment of Silent Hill title for the next generation console like PS4, but until I've found out that the game development project was officially cancelled in Spring 2015 which was a poor move by Konami as Hideo Kojima had left the company to work with SONY to develop his own AAA title for PS4 called Death Stranding in 2019 release, while 505 Games will publish the PC port for mid-2020 release.
I wasn't really happy with Konami's decision that led to negative response from fanbase and gaming community and they also had removed the P.T Demo from the digital storefront which at the time that I didn't had PS4 until I got it on summer hoilday meaning that I wasn't able to play the playable teaser that I wanted to look forward too which is kinda sad for me that I never had a chance to play one of the most impressive demo at the 2014 release.
Due to cancellation of P.T Demo, there are few developers wanted to make their own horror project such as unreleased horror title Allison Road, Capcom's Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, and of course Layers of Fear are these games that heavily borrowed the similar formula as the P.T Demo for its games design.

I was hoping to see how Layers of Fear are going to live up my expectations depending on how the horror design and story presentation had turned out to be at the end.
After completing the whole game, my overall thoughts on this game is rather turned out mixed in my opinion as I don't really mind having the story-driven plot is actually sounds okay but it wasn't the best part of the game. I did really liked the overall horror design which I finding it quite disturbing involving the hallucinations and some pretty f***ed up scares which is surprisingly done a good job, but the thing that puts down the horror experience is the shallow gameplay design which drags the fun of the game as I finding the game suffers with nothing but repetitive walking simulator with flat puzzles and hardly had intense hide and seek elements in the game. I wasn't being satisfied with the length of the game is downright too short which only takes 3 hours to beat the game is not what I've expected.
I wanted to see the game succeed if the developer can put up enough effort on this game which unfortunately it felt so mediocre at the best.


So without go further do, lets start the review.



Presentation

The story takes place in 1920's USA which focuses on unnamed mentally disturbed painter who is trying his best to finish his masterpiece painting role, as he visited at Victorian mansion filled with all his disturbing secrets of his past being discovered.

I believe the story involves him as a talented paint artist who wanted his paint work to be a huge landmark of arts. He had his pregnant wife, who is a pianist, had given birth with their daughter as he still moves on his work on painting which unfortunately his family lifestyle had turned very ugly is due to his drinking problems could lead to neglect his wife and child.
It's kinda depressing to hear their story involving between husband and wife is harder to get along each other as all his work on painting had turned much deadlier is due to schizophrenia that causing his vision to blurred out his talented painting skills turns into his gory imagery which I find the plot in the whole is very horrific, so thats pretty f***ed up there.
I got to say the unnamed male artist is kinda crackpot that treated his family like an absolute bitch as he had an anger issues because of his drinking habits that really affect his lifestyle behaviour due to his stressful work on his painting with all the frustrations he gone through his life as a paint artist.
Its so devastated to see his wife had suffered with her severe burns due to fire incident that she ended up being horribly disfigured, but thankfully their daughter had survived from the fire.
I also hate when his daughter got badly disapproval by her father during the artwork practice as shes doing her best on her drawing practices which I think it's really harder to impress her father regarding with her drawing skills, so this is where the story had happen that focuses on their past which I think it's kinda okay, but it wasn't the finest story in horror game in my opinion because it requires to collect many of mementos and articles to reveal their story which is fine, but I much rather like focusing on the actual cutscenes with cinematic design that could have made the game interesting.

I really liked the setting of the creepy looking mansion that filled with the art portrait hanging on wall which had really weird pictures of disfigured people, human-like monkey, and botched up imagery of dead people which made me shivers a lot.
Most of the rooms are completely illusional as you may able to reveal some creepy moment in the game where you're in the room staring at the certain of objects and discovering some shock values such as look at outside of windows till the door of windows drops down, the portraits frame that bangs into another wall, theres something that behinds you surprisingly after looking back, the objects that instantly falling into ground, the creepy dolls on opening chest, the rooms that suddenly starts changing, and theres a ghost that instantly give you a huge jumpscares which I think the way the game was designed is rather remarkably solid for its horror design.           


Overall, the game has fair shares of story-driven plot and horror presentation.



Gameplay

You take control of unnamed painter in first-person perspective to discover his secret past in the mansion as it requires the player to gather all the mementos and notes throughout the story and your main goal is to complete your art work by gaining important item that reveals his artwork.
You'll be exploring around the room to search for discoveries that you're needed to navigate in each rooms such as checking on draws, opening furniture, looking on beds and tables, and others to interact things that you can able to collect some key items to unlock doors.
The mansion has some hidden rooms that you can able to discover some random photographs, newspaper articles, and some random stuff to collect can be added to the gallery album book.
While investigating the whole rooms, you will also be encountered by the rooms that starts randomly changes which leads to the other deadly rooms to explore and there are some puzzle solving in the game that you had to solve problems such as using vinyl player to change dimension, lighting up candles to reveal secrets, figuring out the codes on telephones, unlocking padlocks, and solving the Ouija boards. 

There's not much to say about the gameplay is because it felt like just another walking simulator that involving walking around the area to discover their secrets which is nothing like the another horror game titles that has the inventory screen to organise items, having difficult puzzle solving, and using survival tactics to protect yourself from the monster nearby is the reason why it made the horror genres so appealing for its gameplay design, but this game doesn't have one which barely had the gameplay.
All I get is to walk into the different rooms with no scary monster to chase you around whatsoever except the ghost just only to scare you, but doesn't do as much in the game is kinda rather lazy.
I finding the puzzle solving is lacking challenge as it is very easy to solve the problem very quickly which seems to be quite disappointing at best, so I wish it could have done something better than this abysmal things because I just don't like the repetitiveness of gameplay design which seems to be repeating over and over without putting much variation to this game and I also don't like the linear approach to this game which was the reason why it made the game so easier to beat in 3 hours long.
The one thing that bothered me the most was that you don't actually die in the game instead it keeps you continuing move on to next room without any of instant death for example: if you're fell down into the ground or the ghost just puts you in sleep you don't just get any of game over screen instead you're just woken up in the same room after being knocked out which I finding it quite aggravated which tones down the overall game's challenge.
This game does have three different endings depending on how many attempts or collectables you did so far in the game that could lead to ether good or bad ending of the game did add a smaller replay values which is fine, but it gets boring too quickly for the whole thing in the game.
So far, I wasn't impressed the way they designed the game as being a walking simulator without putting enough effort on gameplay design and the length of game itself which drags away our horror experience.

Overall, it has shallow gameplay, lacking overall challenge, and too simple puzzle solving.



Graphics

To be fair with this game, the graphics is absolutely the best looking game I've seen for its technical aspects as I really liked the style of horror environments are so dark and gloomy on each rooms filled with gory details and well made special effects that made the design of the game look super creepy.
I also liked the use of headbobing technique on first person view which makes the camera movement seems very realistic while walking around the rooms and I also liked the lighting effects on windows, fireplaces, and some shadowy reflection is the reason it is quite close to how the P.T Demo looked like in the game.


Overall, it has dark and gloomy environments, well made special effects, and the use of headbobing technique.



Music and Sounds

In fact the music in the game is actually decent overall for its depressing theme song and some darker atmospheric sounds on every rooms which seems to be acceptable for horror title like this to add more moody parts in the game.
I also wanted to praise the use of sound effects is surprisingly done well for its background noise and other types of sounds techniques such as creaking floor, thud noises, screaming and crying background sounds, and intense use of jumpscares sounds which I am grateful how they managed to  make the sounds technologies quite realistic.
The scariest part of the game is that your PS4 controller's speaker makes a chanting sounds when you're get closer to the mementos items which you may not able to hear it on other system platforms such as PC, XBONE and Switch that didn't have the built-in speakers on the controller, so unlike the PS4.
The voice cast on both characters is actually pretty okay on most part but it sounds quite little weak in comparison with other modern horror title which they needed to work out even more on character's personality and their lines in the game, but thats okay.

Overall, it has outstanding music, realistic sounds, and fair voice cast.



Special Features

The game does have three possibilities endings if you're able to find a way to gain a true ending which adds smaller replay values and it does have DLCs chapter called Inheritance where you take control of painter's daughter and I believe there are plenty of some secret rooms and more notes and mementos to collect in the game.

Overall, it's not enough features but it could have add some more in the game.




Advantages

Horror presentation

Fair shares of story-driven plot

Excellent graphics design

Outstanding soundtrack

Realistic sound effects

               
Disadvantages

Shallow gameplay design

3 hours short length

Simple puzzle solving

Has no challenge




Final Verdict


Presentation 6.5/10 - fair shares of story-driven plot and horror presentation.

Gameplay 5/10 - shallow gameplay, lacking overall challenge, and too simple puzzle solving.

Graphics 9/10 - dark and gloomy environments, well made special effects, and the use of headbobing technique.

Music and Sounds 8/10 - outstanding music, realistic sounds, and fair voice cast.

Special Features 5/10 - needs more content.



Overall 5/10 - I really wanted to see Layers of Fear to be good, but unfortunately it hasn't worked it out at the end due to lack of the originally which is going to disappoint the horror fans who wanted to look for the game with intense gameplay design and more variation of puzzles that could define the modern horror genres, but this game doesn't have it because all you get is the nothing but just walk around discovering things is not what I'm been looking for, so to be fair I liked horror games I grew up playing back in my days, but I wish this game could have done something more interesting things than what we having on this game.
I wonder if the sequel is anything better which I had to wait for longer till the time is right for me to play and see if anything improves upon the original game.
I think it's better off waiting for sale go down for cheaper price from digital storefront because you won't able to enjoy the game with full price.
 


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Top 5 Character's Deaths in Horror Games

Hey it's nearly Halloween 2019, we spend time on crafting pumpkins, collecting trick o treat candy, flying on broomsticks, wore the scary costumes, giving everyone jumpscares, and all the scary shit that happening in the haunted houses.
If you're taught all the deaths in most of the horror films are quite as brutal, then it did a same way in horror gaming.
I've seen many of the death animation in video games which is more common on whether its an horror or non-horror genres.
It is quite shocking to see your favourite video games characters are getting massacred to death in every sequences with so many f***ed up ways to die which many of the horror fans considered these death animation as being the most graphical things in video game history, so I wanted to pick my very best 5 gruesome deaths that really defines the shock value of horror gaming.
Before you start watching these clip, this is not entirely recommended for those who had sick stomach, weak heart, and other types of fears who cannot handle with the content of the graphic horror scenes, so sit back, relax and enjoy my recent top 5's post.     

So without go further do, here is my top 5 Character's Deaths in Horror Games.     




5 - Alien: Isolation - Stabbed by the Xenomorph's tail


I grew up watching a several of classic horror films of 60's to 90's era. The movie that has caught my attention was 1979's Sci-Fi horror film Alien directed by Ripley Scott which was highly regarded as being one of the greatest Sci-Fi movies of all time and the success of the first movie has spawned with numerous of movie sequels, comics, and of course video games.

Alien Isolation is a Sci-Fi Horror game takes place in the event between the original 1979's Alien and the 1986 sequel's Aliens. The story focused on the woman named Amanda Ripley was been sent to the station to search for her lost mother Ellen Ripley (Signorney Weaver's character from the original 1979 Alien). Amanda has her ability to use her survival tactics such as stealth, combat weapons and crafting items to keep her alive from the hideous creature called Xenomorph.

There are the part in the game where you are being chased by the Xenomorph in the space station as I'm attempting to sneak into the other room without getting caught by huge ass Alien nearby.
Once I finally reached to the door that leads to the next room until the unexpected death sequence that had happened where I got brutally stabbed into the stomach by Xenomorph's deadly tail followed by getting your faces bitten in fade black screen, so that's what I call an instant death in video games. 

 


4 - The Last of Us - Both Joel and Ellie's Death Sequences


The Last of Us is a Survival Horror game originally released in 2013 for PS3, while the remastered version came one year later for PS4 in 2014. It was developed by Naughty Dog who are responsible with their successful series such as Crash Bandicoot (PS1 era), Jak and Dexter, and Uncharted.
The game focuses on the two survivors named Joel and Ellie are defending themselves in the post-apocalyptic outbreak of USA from hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures were infected by mutated fungus.

What made the game so gruesome is every all death animations of both important roles in the game where they get slaughtered and bitten to death by these nasty creatures as you're watching them die instantly by getting their neck and faces torn apart followed by pitch black screen which I finding it quite disturbing to see how realistic the death sequences looked on SONY's game system.

3 - The Evil Within 2 - Soul Taken by Deadly Ghost

The Evil Within 2 (A.K.A Psycho Break 2 in Japan) is a survival horror game for PS4, XBONE and PC, which was developed by Tango Gameworks and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is a sequel to 2014's game The Evil Within was originally released for PS4, PS3, XBONE, X360, and PC.

It was created by Shinji Makami who was well known for his work on Capcom's Resident Evil series.  

This game takes place after the events of the original game. The story focuses on main protagonist named Sebastian Castellanos who had left his police department after his terrifying experience of Beacon Mental Hospital. Due to loss of his family has caused his regular lifestyle to becoming alcoholic and pissed off until he was approached by his former partner Juli Kidman, who currently worked with MOBIUS, reveals to him that his daughter Lily is still alive which he never believed her until he was been taken to secret MOBIUS facility and accepted Kidman's help that lead him into the STEM system entering at nightmarish locations that filled with horrid creatures, so his mission is to search and rescue his lost daughter.

I was so impressed with the sequel are definitely a step forward from the first original title with better storylines, great combat gameplay, and has large levels to explore which really adds the highlights of the sequel.
The scene where I got badly chased by the weird ass ghost girl while attempting to find a escape route as I aimed to survive through the level without being caught by the ghost nearby which instantly grabs you and sucking your own flesh of blood into icy cold corpse which is one hell of the death scene.

   



2 - Resident Evil 4 - Chainsaw Decapitation


Speaking of Shinji Makami, Resident Evil 4 is a Third-Person Survival Horror game originally released for Gamecube and PS2 in 2005, while it also got ported to other platforms for PC, Wii, X360, PS3, XBONE, PS4 and Switch in later years.

It was universally acclaimed at the release in 2005 as regarded as being one of the most influential games of 2000's which they viewed Resident Evil 4 as the biggest pioneer of third person shooter genres.
This game takes control of Leon S Kennedy has sent in mission to Spain as his goal is to locate and rescue President's daughter named Ashley Graham from the mysterious cult leader.     

What really made the game so bloody for mid-2000s era is the decapitation scene that was featured in the game. The part where one or two villagers that holds the chainsaw as they instantly ram their chainsaw into you in gruesome way while shredding your neck in peaces till your head falls down into the ground.
It is so ironic to see any of horror games on Gamecube or PS2 could able to handle the awesomeness of any death animations in video game, so that was bloody impressive for mid-2000s gaming.

1 - Dead Space 2 - Death by Eye Surgery


Dead Space 2 is a Sci-Fi Survival Horror game for PS3, X360 and PC was released in 2011. It was developed by Visceral Games and published by EA, as it was sequel to 2008's title Dead Space.
The game takes place in three years after the event of the first original game, it follows Isaac Clarke is awakened in an insane asylum by Franco Delille, an engineer on the Sprawl who was sent to rescue Isaac. With the already-ongoing Necromorph outbreak which leading the infector kills and mutates Franco into a Slasher in front of Isaac which causing him to escape on his own for survival through the nightmarish space station.

The series was highly known for its dark atmosphere and horrific tone that made the game as the most terrifying experiences of horror gaming.
There was the scene where Issac went into the surgery room as he lays down onto the operating machine to perform the eye injection with the needle.
During the sequence of operation where you need to thread the needle carefully into the iris without making the mistake.
If you make one sudden mistake by placing into wrong side of eye which leads the needle machine start gouching your eyeballs to death, so this is got to be not the only being one of the most scariest character's deaths in horror games I ever seen in entire life, but it is a horrifying part of the game where you didn't want to see any of characters having their eyeballs removed which really scares the f**k out of the players while playing in the dark room.

       




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Super Mario 3D Land 3DS Review

Super Mario 3D Land is a 3D Platformer Game for 3DS, Which was developed and published by Nintendo, as being the first Mario title being released for the 3DS in November 2011.

The game was combined the elements from both traditional 2D Mario side-scrolling games and modern free-roaming 3D Mario games similar to Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Bros 3.
It was critical and commercially success at the release which sold over 12 million units making it a sixth best-selling 3DS title. The game was considered as technical marvel which showing off the 3DS's third-dimension auto-stereoscopic effect which I think it's amazing to see how this game was being capable of utilising the 3D effects for the groundbreaking graphics design seems to be very impressive for the Nintendo's handheld device.
With the colourful and cartoony graphics are very appealing to the casual audience, it starting out pretty good with the clever level design for its puzzle and platforming gameplay featuring some wacky stages, several of awesome power-ups, collecting coins, finding secrets, cool bosses, and has more content were included in the game, but there are some minor problem in the game that I finding it not as good as in comparison with the earlier 3D Mario titles, but please don't get me wrong I still liked Super Mario 3D Land as I much prefer this game over the other 3DS's Mario titles because it has creative stages to choose, fantastic overall presentation with memorable characters and bosses, awesome looking graphics for handheld system, and has fair amount of replay values which really adds the positively to this game that the 3DS owners are able to enjoy this type of game.

So without go further do, let's start the review.



Presentation

The game is obviously taking place in Mushroom Kingdom just like every Mario games. It starting out very dark night storm with a tail-like branched tree known as Tail Tree, which stands on Princess Peach's castle grounds, is completely being flowned away which were taken by Bowser who is using them to bestow Squirrel Tails on his minions allowing them to perform new abilities in limited flight.
A day later where Mario and Toads had discovered a flying envelope as they find out that Bowser has finally taken their Princess once again which leds Mario and Toads set out their action to locate and rescue Peach.

Yeah it's a Mario game with small opening intro doesn't really need much of the storyline in the game, all you had to do is to rescue damsel in distress in video game which is not a problem because this is what makes this gaming franchise so interesting to play when seeing the princess getting kidnapped by the villain is the part we liked from the Mario game.
We all know Mario is a most loved video game mascot that made the franchise a biggest landmarks of Nintendo and we also have Luigi, a Mario's younger brother was known for being a biggest scaredy cat, but also a great video game sidekicks in Mario franchise, were included in the game as a unlockable playable character.
One of the biggest examples of female video game characters that always getting easily kidnapped in every single game is the reason why it made Princess Peach so memorable in Mario franchise. She has friendly personalities and charming voice that I really liked her as a gaming princesses.
Bowser is always been a recognisable video game villain in every Mario titles as I finding him as funny and entertaining for his goofy sense of humour that really adds the positively of his character's development.
The game still retaining a same minions from the earlier Mario games such as Koopa Troopa, Goomba, Boo, and Chain Chomp but also introducing newer ones like Morty Mole, Coin Coffer, Draglet, Wallop and all others were making a first debut in the game.
With great opening intros and favourite characters in the game, I really liked the concept of the levels that take place in different locations such as overworld in world 1 which filled with colourful blocks and blue skies at the background, while level design has simple environment that made the stage just like most of the Mario games.
I also liked the setting at the another worlds with different scenery such as yellowery desert places in World 2, Icy cold level in World 3, greenery looking forrest in World 4, and all others seems to be looking fascinating for whole Mario franchise was known for colourful and cartoony platformer game.
I like how the level stages are mixed with isometric view and traditional side-scrolling style which made the game look very unique for the 3D style platforming title which is highly designed for 3DS are more towards on gimmicky 3D effects as it looked really impressive when turning on the 3D effects to see how amazing the game look on the piece of hardware are being capable of running a third-dimensional environments in the game.


Overall, it has great opening intros, memorable characters, and fantastic presentation.



Gameplay

The game has 8 worlds with 4 or 5 each levels, but featuring some unlockable bonus worlds which require all three star medals on each levels.
You get to play as Mario in 3D platforming perspective as your main goal is to head from start to finish by completing level within time limit.             
The circle pad lets you control Mario in 360 degrees, while using jump button makes him jump on obstacles, enemies and objects, while using the dash button to make him run faster.
You can also perform different techniques in the game such as ground pound, backfilp jump, dive jump, rolling forward, and wall kick which makes it easier to use these techniques for platforming gameplay.
During the gameplay, Mario has ability to climb on the pole, balancing on ropes, and swimming under the water. There are returning power-ups that give him ability forms such as Mushroom which turns him into regular size Mario, flower that allow Mario to throw fireball, leaf that makes him float slowly and whip enemies, star that turns him invincible, and statue leaf that transformed him into statue. The game also introduce a two brand new power-ups which really adds a newer addition to this game such as boomerang flower that throws boomerang and invincibility leaf that makes Mario unstoppable.
There are useful items still retains in the games such as 1-up mushrooms that adds your player's extra life, cannons that allow blasting you to another stage, checkpoint flag which lets you continue where you left off, face blocks that creates path to reach a higher area, note blocks that scattered musical notes by collecting them fast as possible to gain items, warp pipes that access you into underground area, and red coins which requires 8 collectable red coins to gain rewards.
The game also introduces new items that adds the edition to the gameplay aspects such as flip panels are used for creating several connected panels that help Mario go across the large gaps of levels, propeller boxes which makes Mario to fly above the air then slowly fall back down towards the ground, and accessing to mysteries boxes which gives you a bonus task to defeat minions in 10 seconds as they award you with the items.
As the new features were added to this game, I also wanted to talk about the overall stages in the game were played on 3D perspective as the levels in the game has open-space area where you can able to explore around to find hidden areas, discovering new items, collecting coins, accessing bonus stage and other cool stuff in the game.
What I liked about this game is that the gameplay style is mixed with the earlier 3D Mario games with more focused on traditional side-scrolling platforming which retains similar elements from the 2D Mario games such as Mario's health system is now based on the side-scrolling titles rather than being a numbered health meter and the levels rather have a time limit and even feature Goal Poles as opposed to collecting Power Stars is kinda like the Super Mario Bros in 3D form which I kinda like the idea of the gameplay concepts.
There are a great variety of levels to choose from that I really liked the most was the world 1 - 3 which is athletic course in high sky where you can jump off the cliff from the above, world 1 - 4 which lets you control switchboards by pressing panels from forwards to backwards, world 2 -2 which has flip panels to create paths, world 2 - 3 which requires you to use propeller box to float down slowly in the sky, world 2 - 4 that switches red and blue panels as same time you jump on, world 3 - 2 is an underwater level where you can swim under the water, and theres so many things that the levels are filled with hazardous objects, wacky puzzles, and has really weird creativity in the game which is a best part of any Mario game like this.
There are some minions are actually pretty good in the game like Coin Cuffer that dispense coins when hit, Draglet that shoot Fireballs at the player, Inky Piranha Plant that spits ink that blocking the player's view by covering screen with black ink, large Bullet Bill that is fired out of a Banzai Bill Cannon, Bob-Omb that chase the player and explode after chasing the player for a set amount of time, and theres many more types of enemies were included in the game.

I got to say that the gameplay is still plays decently for its playstyle between the 2D and 3D Mario games, and has unique levels with bigger variety of enemies and design in the game, but I do find the controls are not as good in comparison with other 3D Mario titles, but it doesn't mean its sabotaged the overall game. The only thing that slows down the pace of the game is the use of dash button which I don't think it's fully designed for the 3D platforming genres. I don't really mind using the dash button if it is a 2D side-scrolling game like Super Mario Bros, but when it comes with 3D games like Super Mario 64 then it would have been better if Mario can run automatically itself by pushing circle pad forward without having to use a dash button which I much rather prefer it on 3D platformer games like Super Mario 64. I had trouble to perform a dive jump which requires to hold the dash button while pressing the crouch and jump button together to make him dive jump forward which is the part I don't like compared with previous 3D Mario games that you can only push the stick forward while pressing crouch and jump together is much more easier that using the dash button.
Another disadvantages in the game that kinda makes the game too easy to beat is using the assist item called invincibility leaf which currently appears in an assist block after losing five lives. This item gives Mario permanent invincibility for one course only, alongside the Tanooki form's abilities that helps the player to skip the whole level which I kinda think it's ruining the whole fun of the game, so I don't highly recommend using this item unless if you are being a down right awful at beating the stage.
The positive part of the game was the bosses which I think that is entertains me the most from mini bosses to main boss himself Bowser are the reason it made the game quite ironic on whole franchises.
The whole 8 special stages are magnificently fun which I think it really increases the overall challenge in the game, so there are the stages which has different objectives such as collecting time items or stomp enemies to increase time limit and there's purple shadow that starts chasing you while attempting to reach a goal pole which are these part of the game that I really enjoyed the most. 
So far, I did managed to enjoy the whole game and I was happy to see this game can pull off nicely on 3DS.

Overall, it has decent gameplay, bigger variety of levels, and cool bosses.



Graphics

I was surprised with the game definitely has the best looking graphics I ever seen on 3DS hardware.
I liked the design of the levels filled with colourful environments, great use of plain textures, has incredible use of cartoony animation on characters and enemies, and of course the overall settings of scenery for levels which made the whole presentation of the game is looking fantastic especially with the use of the 3D effects which allows 3DS utilising with the third-dimension auto-stereoscopic effect showing off the 3D environments of levels is looking spectacular to see a whole game without having to use 3-D Glasses as having the 3D effects turned on the device which really surprises me to see a full proper 3D games with more of the in-depth view pushing towards the screen is what the modern gaming technologies are being capable of handling the 3D effects well in the game.

Overall, it has colourful environments, great use of plain textures, incredible use of cartoony animation on characters and enemies, the overall settings of scenery for levels, and technically impressive 3D effects.



Music and Sounds

Super Mario franchise are always has the greatest original soundtrack in gaming, so with this game was composed by Mahito Yokota was most known for his collaborations with Koji Kondo in the Super Mario Galaxy series and Super Mario 3D World. He did a stunning job of making music in every levels to make it obviously sounds like from the previous Mario games.
The sound effects is actually sounds brilliant on stereo speakers of the 3DS handheld system. I really liked the old-school style of sound effects from the older Mario games and yes Mario has a ironic voices in every game that made the sounds so recognisable on Mario franchise.

Overall, it has outstanding music and sounds in Mario series.



Special Features

The game has unlockable contents and replay values that adds the positive part in the game.
You have Luigi as playable characters, has 8 special worlds, galleries on photo albums, and being able to re-visit a same original level to search for more star coins.

Overall, it's a fantastic addition to this game.



Advantages


Fantastic presentation

Decent gameplay

Bigger variety of levels

Cool bosses

Excellent graphics

Outstanding soundtrack

Replay values

Unlockables features



Disadvantages


The controls aren't as smooth as the other 3D Mario titles

Assist item that kinda ruins the fun of the game



Final Verdict


Presentation 9.5/10 - great opening intros, memorable characters, and fantastic presentation.

Gameplay 8/10 - decent gameplay, bigger variety of levels, and cool bosses.

Graphics 9.5/10 - colourful environments, great use of plain textures, incredible use of cartoony animation on characters and enemies, the overall settings of scenery for levels, and technically impressive 3D effects.

Music and Sounds 10/10 - outstanding music and sounds in Mario series.

Special Features 9/10 - unlockable contents and replay values.


Overall 8.5/10 - I think this is by far my favourite Mario game on the 3DS. I really liked the game for its clever level design, style of platforming gameplay in unique way, the graphics is looking appealing for 3DS standards, and has tons of replay values that I highly recommend to pick this game for not just a casual audiences, but also a fan of the genres are able to experience the epic 3D platforming action.
It maybe not be the best Mario game in the whole franchises, but it is clearly the best Mario game on the 3DS libraries that I personally enjoyed playing it over the hours of fun.
As always, I'm a huge fan of Super Mario games because these are my childhood gaming that I grew up playing on Nintendo consoles back in my old retro gaming days.
If any of you are interested getting this game, it's a cheapest way to pick this game for less than £8 from Amazon or Ebay.


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This is Zeeshan Mirza's Blog and I'll see you next time, happy blogging everyone.