Square Enix's latest Nintendo 3DS release, Heroes of Ruin, has occupied my time lately. Here are my thoughts on the game so far.

Hack-and-slash dungeon crawlers like Heroes of Ruin are all about the loot, and this game has plenty of it. There are hundreds of items available, although a fair share aren't usable depending on which character you choose in the beginning. There are four available and I chose the Vindicator, which relies on big sword types to unleash destruction upon enemies.

Controls are responsive and easy to use. The circle pad moves your character, and the in-game menus use the D-pad or touchscreen. Your regular attack is the B button, and three separate skills unlocked through leveling up can be mapped to the X, Y and A buttons. The character moves slower than I want it to, but rolling around speeds things up a little.

My biggest complaint about this game is the difficulty. It's just too easy. In most cases, enemies can be annihilated in no time. Plus, the game hands out health and energy potions like candy, so little skill is needed since you can pretty much go into a crowd of enemies and whack away at them without a fear of dying.

Watch out for my full review at www.theoaklandpress.com.

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