PG's Game Room

Moving Right Along...

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 17:04:00 +0000

Howdy, y'all.

In all seriousness, though, I know it's been a long time since I posted anything in this space. Things have been kind of hectic on my end, juggling between school, work, and family obligations all while trying to maintain a healthy social life and, of course, my crippling video game addiction. I just haven't had the time or, frankly, the willpower to write anything for PG's Game Room.

I still really wanted to get back into the swing of things, however, and since I kind of felt that the Game Room had a lot of excess baggage and that it would be difficult to continue on here, I've decided to start fresh. From now on, if you're at all curious to hear what I have to say about video games, trading cards, or life in general, you can head on over to my new blog, The Deck of Many Things. I can't make any promises as to how often I'll be able to post there, but it is my hope that I will be able to provide more quality content about topics that interest me, rather than focusing more on quantity (which, unfortunately, makes up the majority of my early PG's Game Room posts). Select posts from the Game Room may make their way over there, as well.

It's been a good run, and I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who helped me put the first blog together, as well as pleased if anyone enjoyed something I wrote.

Thank you!

~PG

Roll for initiative? ;) See you on the other side!

A Link Between Worlds- First Impressions

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 20:47:00 +0000

Confession time- Outside of a few minutes at the beginning, I've never played A Link to the Past.

Now that I have your attention, let me explain. I got into Zelda during the pre-release hype for Twilight Princess, and as a result I've always been more into the 3D Zeldas than the top-down ones. That’s not to say that I didn't enjoy them- the Nintendo DS Zelda games, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, remain two of my favorite games from the past generation- but the reason I was excited for A Link Between Worlds was more for the prospect of playing a brand-new handheld Zelda game than it was to revisit a classic.

Still, after my initial hours with Link’s latest adventure, the drive to go back and see what I've been missing out on is stronger than ever. The newest Zelda game seems poised to address many of the criticisms longtime fans have had for the more recent entries. Link’s adventure starts out humble, but within the first ten minutes he is given a sword and thrown into the introductory dungeon, a far cry from the notoriously lengthy prologue of, say, Twilight Princess. New items are acquired, monsters are slain, and before long Link is on a quest to track down a sinister man who is trapping the descendants of the Seven Sages inside paintings. The pacing, so far, is much faster.

I’m a big fan of the game’s presentation as well. The more cartoony visuals aren't quite as expressive as a game like The Wind Waker, but they do a good job of portraying the retro aesthetics of the world while still having the game feel new and fresh. The core gameplay is less touch-screen oriented than the DS entries, but items and gear can be seen and equipped on the bottom screen, along with a map where important locations can be marked down at the player’s discretion. Rupees aren't in short supply, either- as opposed to the limited wallets of other games in the series, I've scrounged up over 700 rupees as of the first real dungeon.

I’m only a few hours into A Link Between Worlds, and suffice it to say that this retro throwback has gotten it’s hooks into me. If I wasn't a huge fan of old-school Zelda before, I might very well be on my way to becoming one. Stay tuned for the full review!

Peter's 2013 Gaming Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Fri, 01 Nov 2013 23:41:00 +0000

Well, it’s been a while since I put anything up on PG’s Game Room, but it seems to me like it’s that time of year again!

As per usual, this article only covers games I have played this year, not specifically brand-new games from this year. I will also throw up a mild Spoiler Warning for a couple games on this list. Enjoy!

Best Game Overall: Persona 4

Remember how last year I awarded this spot to the magnificent Persona 3, that game with a killer soundtrack, likeable characters, and a unique blend of traditional RPG mechanics and dungeon crawling with high school student life? Well, all the praise I heaped on that game can also be awarded to its sequel, the magnificent Persona 4. The Shin Megami Tensei series as a whole is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite game series, and I can’t wait to see what Atlus has in store for us in the future.

Most Under-Appreciated: Nier

Good god, where to begin? Nier is a game that received mediocre reviews from critics, but I think that everyone who took the time to play it was caught a little off guard. There’s certainly nothing else quite like it, what with its quirky cast of characters (including, among other things, a flying talking book) and hodgepodge of various gameplay mechanics from many different franchises, including Zelda and Resident Evil. Those who got past the drab visuals and clunky combat found a game with a lot of heart- a fantastic story and amazing soundtrack serve as the highlights of the Nier experience. Give it a go if you have a chance, and make sure to play through it a couple of times to see the multiple endings.

Best Looking: Okami HD/ Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD ReMix (tie)

If nothing else, this shall be known as the year Peter forever changed his mind about HD rereleases. Now that I have an HDTV, I see the appeal of replaying an old favorite that won’t look like butt on your screen, and if that HD version happens to have new content in it, well, the more the merrier. Okami I’d never played before, so it was a treat to experience this gorgeous game and its watercolor art style for the first time. As for Kingdom Hearts, the amount of effort put into this remaster is stunning, and I can’t wait for the upcoming 2.5 Remix.

Most Disappointing: Ni no Kuni- Wrath of the White Witch

You did it to me again, Level 5. After Rogue Galaxy turned out to be a tedious hack-and-slash and White Knight Chronicles the most boring game I’ve ever played, I am further disappointed by a game I genuinely got caught up in the hype for. Ni no Kuni was heralded as The Savior by some, the glorious return of the console JRPG. Thing is, the genre never really went away despite claims to the contrary, and when you get right down to it Ni no Kuni is a pretty average game with an admittedly handsome presentation. Great visuals and music only go so far to salvage a game, though, and try as I might I just haven’t been able to enjoy Ni no Kuni as much as I wanted to.

Guiltiest pleasure: Darksiders 2

I really liked the first Darksiders- I’m a sucker for Zelda-esque adventure games, and Darksiders offered complex dungeons to explore, supplemented by meaty combat and a cool art style. So I was ecstatic to pick up the sequel, and even though Darksiders 2 is a very, very flawed experience, I still enjoyed my time with it. Death isn’t a particularly complex character, but neither was War, and the concept of playing as a badass Horsemen of the Apocalypse in an epic fantasy world is very appealing (even if the story is utter nonsense). I also liked the addition of RPG-style loot (better loot being something I’d like to see in the Zelda series), and there were far more dungeons in Darksiders 2 than there were in the original. Darksiders 2 is still pretty buggy and unpolished when compared to Darksiders 1, which I would probably still call the better game. But hey, I had fun with both of them.

Best Protagonist: The Demi-fiend (SMT: Nocturne)

The Demi-fiend may be a silent character, but he’s also an avatar for the player, allowing the player to shape the Demi-fiend’s personality through the moral choices they make in Nocturne. Does he seek to create a world populated only by the strong? Does he want to restore the world? Will he forsake those paths and choose to stand beside Lucifer? That’s up to you, but one thing we do know for certain about the Demi-fiend is that his normal attack animation is to run up and punch a demon in the face.

Best Side Character: Walter (Shin Megami Tensei IV)

On the other side of the personality spectrum we have Walter, one of Flynn’s numerous allies in SMT4. If it wasn’t obvious from the get-go, Walter represents the Chaos alignment, but unlike Jonathan from the Law side (who I got stuck with on my initial playthrough) his character arc is consistent and compelling throughout the game. Walter has lived his whole life under the thumb of the Luxurors, and when given a chance to alter the balance of power in the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado he jumps at it. He expresses doubt and fears about going against his friends, but ultimately decides to stand with his own principles. Without getting into details, this doesn’t end particularly well for him, but Walter is certainly one of the most memorable characters in the game.

Best Music: Nier

I already mentioned how Nier has amazing music, and that it’s one of the highlights of the experience. And while I’d encourage everyone who hasn’t to give the game a try, if you’re on the fence you should listen to the soundtrack and then go play the game.

No, I’m serious, go listen to it. Here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA482503D16FCCA5A

Best Moment: The Last Colossus (Shadow of the Colossus)

This is it. There’s no turning back. Your only companion throughout this journey is dead. There are men coming to stop you. But the end is within reach- your target stands before you, silhouetted by flashing lightening and soaked by the rain. It’s just standing there, waiting for you. Watching you.

And that music…

Worst moment: The Black Throne (Darksiders)

For the most part, the dungeon design in Darksiders 1 was pretty solid. The unfortunate exception to this rule is The Black Throne, which sullies one of the best ideas the game had, which was using the Portal Gun in a Zelda-style dungeon. With needlessly over-complicated puzzles and vague directions, not to mention a terribly anticlimactic and easy boss fight at the end, the Black Throne is easily the worst part of what is otherwise a pretty good game.

Shin Megami Tensei IV Review

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 21:33:00 +0000

Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei series of role-playing games have always strayed from the beaten path when it comes to RPG storytelling, featuring a unique and compelling blend of contemporary settings (usually with a dash of cyberpunk for good measure) and realistic, morally ambiguous plotlines that often demands difficult decisions from the protagonist, and in turn the player. The series’ main titles have often presented the player with multiple flawed yet compelling philosophies, and asked them to choose which path, if any, they would stand for. The latest entry in this series, Shin Megami Tensei IV for the 3DS, is no different in this regard, and ultimately tasks the player with charting a new course for the world.

The story of Shin Megami Tensei IV begins in the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado, a medieval society made up of a curious blend of European and Japanese culture, where children who come of age have a chance to become Samurai. Your character (named Flynn by default) is one of these chosen youths, along with the boisterous Walter, caring Jonathan, and standoffish Isabeau. Of course, this being a mainline SMT game, the group soon finds themselves in the post-apocalyptic ruins of Tokyo, which dwells beneath their kingdom. Tokyo has become a desolate place where humans dwell underground and demons roam the streets. Soon, the Samurai become embroiled in the politics of different factions across Tokyo, and discover horrifying revelations about the city and their own kingdom- revelations that will test their friendships and their loyalties, sending each one of them down a wildly different path.

Your companions will react differently to your decisions.

That isn’t really a spoiler, by the way, as the game makes it perfectly obvious that Jonathan will ultimately come to represent Law, Walter represent Chaos, and Isabeau some form of neutrality between the two. The Law-Neutral-Chaos alignment is something the series has been doing since the very beginning, and it is put to great use here. Unfortunately, the actual plot of Shin Megami Tensei IV is a tad weak compared to its predecessors. This is mostly due to the game’s pacing- despite a strong opening and a far more compelling second half, once the player is first turned loose on Tokyo the game opens up quite a bit, and it is easy to get so lost in the exploration and questing that the main plot loses a bit of its focus. It doesn’t help that the characters, while likeable, aren’t quite as fleshed out as we have come to expect from Atlus games. They are essentially extensions of their alignment, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing (and they do develop into their roles naturally), but the game is clearly more focused on the setting and exploration of the world than on the characters themselves.

Of course, the gameplay provides the meat of the Shin Megami Tensei experience. For those who don’t know, this is a turn-based RPG where the player is able to negotiate with demons in order to get them to join the party, essentially turning the game into a macabre version of Pokemon. Atlus has made several major improvements that certainly make SMT4 much more accessible and less tedious than earlier games in the series. In particular, the improvements made to demon fusion are a gift from YHVH, as you can now immediately select what skills will be carried over to your new demon. In earlier games, the skills would be random, causing players to cancel and reselect the fusion materials until they got the result they were after. The ability to pick and choose what skills are inherited greatly cuts down on the time spent in the Cathedral of Shadows, and makes it easier to make powerful demons. Being able to save anywhere is also a great addition, since it essentially gets rid of the frustration of running back to a save point after accomplishing something, only to die en route.

And die you will, because while SMT4 is more accessible than prior games in the series, it is by no means easy. The game actually suffers from a steep difficulty curve at the beginning, where you have no skills and are trying to successfully recruit a party of demons. After a couple trips to the game over screen (where you can bribe Charon the ferryman to return you to the world of the living), the game allows you to bump the difficulty down. The difficulty can be adjusted at any time, so players who find themselves growing frustrated have that option. For me personally, after that initial spike in difficulty was overcome, I found the lower difficulty to be a little too easy, and ended up playing the rest of the game on the normal setting. Make no mistake, SMT4 is challenging, but rewarding. It encourages the player to build their party with the proper arsenal of skills to hit an enemy weakness (which gains you an extra turn in battle), and to proceed with caution (getting ambushed by enemies is a veritable death sentence, so save frequently).

This should look familiar to SMT veterans.

Character development is a little more limited here than it was in the last game in the main SMT series, Nocturne. In Nocturne, you had a vast array of demonic parasites that would grant different abilities and stat increases. Shin Megami Tensei IV instead gives the player a handle of skill points to be distributed with each level up. Skill acquisition is handled by Demon Whispers. When one of your demons learns all of their available skills (or during randomly triggered conversations), they will allow you to transfer skills from the demon to the player character. It’s a simple system, and it does make it easy to build characters in certain ways (just transfer the skills you want from your demons and put the necessarily skill points into Magic or Dexterity), but I just found it to be a little less interesting than the skill system from Nocturne.

The game’s presentation is a little uneven. On the one hand, the 3D environments are quite nice, and are chock-full of loot to grab and enemies to slay. Shin Megami Tensei IV truly invites the player to explore its dark and desolate world- players will find themselves combing every inch of the map in search of treasure and rewards, whatever the danger might be. The battles, however, are presented from a first-person perspective, with 2D enemy sprites and static backgrounds. The same goes for the majority of conversations, and while the art is nice, it does give the game a slightly more ‘budgeted’ feel. The music is a similar mixed bag. Series mainstay Shoji Meguro did not compose the music for this game, and while the music is suitably atmospheric and fits the tone of the game, it also lacks some of the energy of Meguro’s works.

Still, at the end of the day, Shin Megami Tensei IV is a very good game. I don’t think it reaches the heights of Nocturne or Personas 3 and 4, but it’s still a solid RPG with an interesting world and challenging, strategic combat. Newcomers should prepare themselves for a bit of a shock when the game starts, but don’t be discouraged, Samurai- it’s a long journey ahead.

Four Things That Make JRPGs Great

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 18:38:00 +0000

What Makes A Great JRPG?

There’s something almost intangible about what makes an RPG truly special. Sometimes, the game’s mechanics, storyline, and presentation all come together and make a truly great experience, one that is more than the sum of its parts. Of course, sometimes one aspect of a game can be lacking, but it will have other features in excess, and it will still end up being enjoyable. Still other games just flat out suck, and fail to grasp even the fundamentals of good game design, making for a joyless, soul-crushing experience.

Now, I came off from playing Xenosaga Episode 1 (which is one of those games that flat out sucks, just so we’re clear) and was feeling very, very disengaged from gaming afterwards. A double dose of Ocarina of Time and Shin Megami Tensei IV provided a cure of sorts, and though the Xenosaga games left a bitter taste in my mouth, they got me thinking about what makes the RPG genre tick for me. Where do some games succeed where others fail? I don’t really have any grand thesis where this topic is concerned, since a lot of it boils down to personal preference, but there are a few things that I think makes RPGs that much more enjoyable. Interestingly, these are all things that Xenosaga Episode 1 completely failed to provide, so consider this a protracted takedown of this awful, awful game, as well as an opportunity to remember some truly fantastic games that are far more deserving of a player’s time.

I will, for the record, leave my original review of Xenosaga 1 on the site, even though it really isn’t representative of my opinion of the game anymore (I would have been much, MUCH harsher).

Number One- Have an Exciting Beginning

If you’re going to spend forty hours playing a single game, it should make an effort to impress you straight away. Be it with a flashy cinematic scene or a fun gameplay segment, the opening hours of a game should work to not only teach the player how to play, but also make an effort to awe the player and invest him or her in the world. Xenosaga’s opening can only be described as boring- despite a few intriguing plot elements being established, not a whole lot happens. After a confusing CGI scene where a group of scientists find some large golden monolith, we cut to our protagonist, as she runs errands on a spaceship for five hours. Not exactly the most engaging of introductions. Ironic, considering that the opening to Xenosaga’s spiritual predecessor, Xenogears, remains one of my favorites.

Think back to the opening sequence of Final Fantasy VII. I guarantee you that there isn’t an RPG fan alive who doesn’t remember that opening, and with good reason. It’s the best possible introduction to the world and characters of Final Fantasy VII, grabbing the player’s attention with the dramatic music and the sweeping shot of Midgar, and then further drawing them in with Avalanche’s attack on the Mako Reactor. The opening of Final Fantasy VII succeeds on both basic levels, as it begins the story in epic fashion and provides an exciting gameplay segment. I’m not saying that every game needs to start with an action sequence, though- but it’s still important to get the ball rolling quickly, before the player has time to grow disengaged with the game. For instance, within the first hour of Chrono Trigger, the central plot element of time travel has already been introduced and the player finds themselves in medieval times. The point is, the introduction to an RPG can either get the player ready to embark on an epic journey, or it can make them turn off the console and go do something productive.

Number Two- Make Exploration Fun and Rewarding

There’s nothing wrong with a linear game. Most games are linear, where the player progresses through events through a certain order. However, just because a game is linear doesn’t mean that exploration should be discouraged. When it comes to RPGs, allowing the player to go off the beaten path and find things has the dual effect of making the world more believable, while the player is gaining more enjoyment from exploring the game world. To its credit, Xenosaga offers some optional minigames and the occasional out-of-the-way treasure chests, but the environments are so oppressive and sterile, funneling the player from one cutscene to the next, that exploration feels like a chore. At least in a game like Final Fantasy XIII, the environments are really pretty and vibrant, and there is at least one location the player can explore to their heart’s content.

Truly great RPGs have always allowed the player to explore their worlds, so I could realistically give any halfway competent game as an example. Curiously, my pick for this spot is Star Ocean: The Last Hope, which I understand is considered by many to be the black sheep of the Star Ocean franchise, but hey, I liked it well enough. One of the reasons I enjoyed The Last Hope so much was because I enjoyed exploring the environments. The game is about a group of planetary explorers, so each new planet means a new area to run around in, where crafting materials and hidden treasure chests and found in every nook and cranny. Now, I’m not saying The Last Hope was a great game solely due to this element, but I think it does show how even a game with serious problems can be enjoyable when the player is having fun exploring (look at Skyrim, for example). Giving the player free reign to explore the environment is one of the best ways to increase their investment in the game’s world.

Number Three- Have a Fun and Engaging Combat System

Do I even need to say it? Xenosaga’s combat was terrible. It was obtuse, where even twenty minutes of tutorial didn’t manage to convey all of the mechanics. It was slow, where most encounters would take almost ten minutes, and the enemies were hard to avoid and respawned constantly. The music was the same for EVERY SINGLE BATTLE except one, and I didn’t even mention that in the review for some reason. Worst of all, it was boring, and outside of the occasional difficult boss, it required no strategy.

Having a battle system that is quick, easy to understand, and fun is a key aspect of any RPG, since it’s the portion of the game that you will be spending the most time with. I think Final Fantasy VI is a game that nails the speed of combat, with most battles being over in less than a minute. Final Fantasy X has an engaging and strategic combat system, where being able to see the turn order lets the player formulate a plan of action, yet the battles don’t become bogged down or repetitive (I’d argue that FFX has the best combat system in the entire series). And of course, I can’t mention excellent combat systems without bringing up the Shin Megami Tensei series. Nocturne introduced us to the Press Turn battle system, where hitting enemy weaknesses gave the attacker an extra turn of battle. This simple concept is part of what makes Shin Megami Tensei games so challenging, yet so rewarding.

Number Four- The Little Things Are the Most Important

This is kind of subjective, but it’s something that I’ve started to pay more and more attention to- the little details in RPGs are what make the experience truly memorable. Not just the minute details in the world or the game’s presentation, though those are important. You can have massive production values and a grand cinematic storyline, but it’s the little character moments and story beats that add value to the overall experience. For all of Xenosaga’s pretention towards epic storytelling, I never once felt attached to any of its characters. They felt uninteresting, detached, and were not relatable in the slightest.

I look back at many games and realize just how important those details are. It was the strange and colorful cast that helped to make Chrono Trigger so special. The very realistic and human drama of school life was at the center of Persona 4. Of course, the best Final Fantasies were the ones where we grew attached to the characters. Would Final Fantasy IX be nearly as memorable if we didn’t laugh at Zidane’s attempts to woo Princess Garnett, or cry at Vivi’s struggle to come terms with his identity and the inevitable end of his existence? The most important facet of RPG storytelling isn’t how convoluted the writers can make it or how much religious symbolism is shoved in, but the characters and how their relationships impact the plot.

So, there you have it. Four elements that I feel make for great RPGs, as well as aspects where Xenosaga 1 failed miserably. I'm not saying that every game need to have all of these aspects in order to be fun- but it certainly wouldn't hurt!

Final Fantasy Is Not Dead.

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 21:57:00 +0000

A link to the article.

The picture in question

Final Fantasy isn’t dead…

…but it is in trouble.

It’s no secret that Final Fantasy, which was once the go-to series for excellent RPGs, has seen a bit of a decline in recent years. In the most recent piece of scuttlebutt discussing this, an article on Wired.com proclaimed the death of the series, while showing a screenshot of the heroine Lightning (from the upcoming spinoff title Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII) dressed in a skimpy outfit. This was included with a snippet of an interview where the developers answered questions about Lightning’s redesign, including her increased bust size. The game itself, Lightning Returns, includes an assortment of outfits Lightning can switch between, which allow her to gain new abilities in combat.

Now, I want to be clear that I am in no way positioning this as a takedown of the Wired article- said article presented its own views of the series’ current situation well and I have no problem with that. I do think just a teensy bit hyperbolic to claim that Final Fantasy is outright dead (hyberbole is not uncommon in gaming journalism), especially when cheesecake and fanservice are nothing new to the series. What I do want to talk about is my own feelings towards the Final Fantasy franchise, where it is now, and what I’d like to see from it in the future.

My history with Final Fantasy is a strange one, mostly because I didn’t play the games when they first came out. I first discovered the series in my elementary school’s library, of all places, where the strategy guides for Final Fantasy X and the original Kingdom Hearts were (to this day, both games hold a very special place in my heart). I remember being drawn to the gorgeous cover of Final Fantasy X, flipping through the book, seeing all of the strange and wonderful creatures that inhabited the world of Spira… and then seeing the game in action at a friend’s house (he was stuck fighting Anima, if I remember correctly). Years later, I had a brief experience playing Final Fantasy VII at a science fair. Up until that point, my only real experience with an RPG franchise had been Pokemon, so Final Fantasy VII absolutely blew me away with characters and a story that immediately drew me in and sparked my imagination, even if I only played for about an hour or so (I attacked while its tail was up. Silly me).

The first Final Fantasy games I actually played to completion were the DS versions of Final Fantasy III and IV, two games which sparked my love of traditional RPGs. It was actually only a couple years ago, in 2011, where I really went crazy and played through most of the series- I played and finished (in order) Final Fantasies XIII, XII, X, X-2, VII, VIII, V, VI, IX, and XIII-2 in rapid succession. Around the same time, I was getting into Square’s other franchises, and I played Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, as well as Xenogears. It was a pretty amazing experience, and I think it’s safe to say that I really am a huge Final Fantasy fan, and a fan of Square in general. They have made some pretty amazing games over the years, truly special experiences that invite players to immerse themselves in fantastic worlds, populated by likeable characters that are embarking on epic adventures.

This brings me to Lightning Returns and the broader series of games in the world of Final Fantasy XIII. Every Final Fantasy has been divisive in some way, but XIII more so than others. I’ll freely admit that I enjoyed Final Fantasy XIII, but the more I read about the game’s troubled development and with the foresight of having played the other games in the series, it becomes clear that XIII, in many ways, missed the point of the franchise. For all of the bombastic music, gorgeous visuals, and colorful characters, Final Fantasy XIII never really allows the player to truly explore or become invested in its world, which is especially disappointing when the world in question is so striking. Even Final Fantasy X, with the ‘stranger in a strange land’ plot device, invited the player to learn more about its world and become invested in it, despite the game being more linear than past installments. XIII loses what really made Final Fantasy so special, despite providing the aesthetic many people have come to associate with the brand. The sequel XIII-2, on the other hand, had marginally better gameplay, but also managed to destroy the cohesion of the setting and coherence of the plot, providing a truly baffling continuation of an already troubled game. With two decent-yet-problematic entries in the series, the idea of a third continuation in Lightning Returns does draw some groans. Add that to Square Enix’s other mistakes, such as bloated development costs for games like Tomb Raider, poor MMOs like FFXIV Online (although if the beta is anything to go by, A Realm Reborn is pretty excellent), and crappy mobile games like Final Fantasy All The Bravest, and one can definitely see where the ire is coming from.

There’s no denying that Square Enix and the Final Fantasy name have lost a degree of significance and respect over the years- but I guess my point, finally, is that they aren’t out just yet. Final Fantasy is still trucking along, and it just needs to find better footing. It’s been reinventing itself constantly, but seems to have forgotten why people loved it to begin with. Fortunately, I think that there is hope for the future.

Have people actually been paying attention to Lightning Returns? Because it looks pretty darn fun. Yeah, it has that kind of obnoxious fanservice angle with Lightning’s costumes, but so did X-2 and that was still a fun game. Final Fantasy XIV may have been rushed out the door and tanked horribly, but A Realm Reborn is a staggering top-to-bottom rebuild of the game. Bravely Default for 3DS is a throwback to classic Final Fantasy that invokes comparisons to Final Fantasy IX, and it looks amazing. I think that Final Fantasy XV has the potential to be excellent as well. And it’s not like every Final Fantasy game released in recent years has been terrible- Final Fantasy XII, Dissidia, The 4 Heroes of Light, and Crisis Core are all really good games. There’s a chance that, finally, Square Enix is getting their act together and trying to make better games- and while we can’t say for sure how the games will turn out just yet, I for one think they still have it in themselves to create something great.

At the end of the day, Final Fantasy is a series with a legacy. It’s had some major bumps in the road, not every experiment has proven to be successful- but I don’t think Lightning showing some cleavage is really a total collapse of dignity any more than, say, Dirge of Cerberus. I don’t think Lightning Returns will be the savior of the franchise, but at the very least I think that it is a harmless spinoff, and that future games like XV and Bravely Default show a great deal of promise.

Let’s not forget all the good times we have had with this series- and remain optimistic for future adventures.

A Brief Look Back At Kingdom Hearts

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 21:06:00 +0000

So, probably the biggest ‘we knew what it was from the moment the trailer started but we didn’t care because it was awesome’ moment at this year’s E3 was the long overdue announcement of Kingdom Hearts III, which will be coming to the Playstation 4 and Xbox One sometime in the future. The Kingdom Hearts series has long been one of my favorite gaming franchises, and with the apparent conclusion to the saga forthcoming, I’ve prepared these brief descriptions of the earlier games, as well as my opinions on each entry. It has been a long, strange road for Sora and company, as well as for fans of the series- but with the third main game finally on its way, let’s take a look back at Kingdom Hearts.

Kingdom Hearts (2002) (Playstation 2)

The original Kingdom Hearts marks the beginning of what must be one of the strangest crossovers in fiction (Squaresoft’s particular brand of RPG with settings and characters taken from Disney films), but the original Kingdom Hearts made it work, and kicked off a series that has become even larger than Square’s own Final Fantasy was at the time.

Despite how lengthy and complex the series’ narrative has become over time, the original Kingdom Hearts has a simple but effective story, focusing on the friendship between Sora, Riku, and Kairi. The game introduces the concepts of Keyblades, various worlds, and the Heartless, but all of the excess lore and plot threads are absent here. That’s one of the things I like about the game- while it would continue and grow more elaborate in subsequent games, the narrative’s simplicity is also part of its charm. As far as the gameplay is concerned, Kingdom Hearts 1 is perfectly functional, although a lot of things (such as the clunky menu and dodgy camera) would receive welcome improvements later down the road.

There’s really not a whole lot else I can say about it- Kingdom Hearts 1 is a classic, many people would consider it the best in the series- and while I personally wouldn’t go that far (we’ll get to that), I do love the game.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (2004, 2008) (Game Boy Advance, Playstation 2)

Chain of Memories is an interquel, which directly follows the first game and sets up the sequel. It’s also where a lot of recurring characters and locations from the later games would be introduces, such as Organization XIII (and their iconic black coats), Twilight Town, and Nobodies. The game also uses a strange battle system, where decks of cards take the place of the series’ traditional menu. I haven’t played a lot of the GBA original, but I did play through the PS2 remake and found the battle system to be quite enjoyable there- it still plays similarly to any other Kingdom Hearts game, just with the additional rules provided by the cards.

I’ll admit, the biggest reason why I like this game so much is because of the second storyline. After finishing the game as Sora, a new game is unlocked where you play as Riku and learn what he’s been up to. Riku’s my favorite of the Kingdom Hearts protagonists for a reason- unlike Sora, he genuinely matures and develops over the course of the games, and Chain of Memories shows his redemption after his actions in the original game.

Chain of Memories wasn’t one to skip either way, though, because when Kingdom Hearts II arrived, it turned out that this side story might have actually been important.

Kingdom Hearts II (2006) (Playstation 2)

Kingdom Hearts II is better than the first game.

Yes. You heard me right. I’ll say it again.

KINGDOM HEARTS II. IS BETTER. THAN THE FIRST GAME.

The introductory sequence with Roxas is a fantastic, self-contained story that gives development and insight into one of the few genuinely interesting characters in this series (the other two being Riku and Xehanort). The combat is a hell of a lot more fun, with all of the major problems from the first game being remedied, and Sora has a lot more options at his disposal. There are a lot of various enemy types with the addition of Nobodies. The series of one-on-one duels with the Organization members are EPIC (excluding Demyx). It provides a satisfactory conclusion to the story that began in the first game and continued in Chain of Memories, disregarding all the games that came later.

Sure, Reaction Commands are kind of odd, but at least they were trying!

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (2009) (Nintendo DS)

This is where things get weird.

So, the way I understand it, everyone wanted Kingdom Hearts III, myself included. However, series creator Tetsuya Nomura was embroiled in the development of Final Fantasy Versus XIII (now Final Fantasy XV), and so they started making spinoff games instead. These spinoff games initially would be intended to fill minor plot holes in the series while we waited for a true Kingdom Hearts III, but instead ended up spiraling the series’ continuity out of control. That’s not to say that they’re all bad, but it’s this glut of spinoffs and side stories that makes the series seem nigh-on impenetrable to newcomers.

Anyways, 358/2 Days was another interquel, telling the story of Roxas’ time in Organization XIII and further elaborating on his development. I’ll admit, I really enjoy the character-focused storyline of Days and how it sets up the events of Kingdom Hearts II nicely. It’s the game itself that is kind of odd. It’s a functional game, but the DS controls are kind of awkward (a 3D action game controlled by a D-pad would tend to be that way). I liked the mission structure and the unique character progression system, though.

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (2010) (Playstation Portable)

Birth by Sleep is actually one of the best games in the series- it feels like this game had the effort of a numbered sequel put into its development, making it a great Kingdom Hearts 0 even if it wasn’t Kingdom Hearts 3. This prequel game sets up the story of series villain Xehanort, detailing his background and motivations, as well as delving into actual lore by talking about a Keyblade War that took place sometime in the past. In fact, as far as narrative is concerned, Birth by Sleep is the best of the bunch- the new protagonists are all well developed and likeable (well, Ventus is kind of annoying), it answers questions about the Organization members’ histories, explains the villains motivation, and provides a neat bridge to the first game. It also has the best combat in the series up until this point, in my opinion, with the addition of a customizable menu interface that lets players create new commands and slot whichever ones they want for use in battle.

So yeah, not much to say here. It’s a great game. Every Kingdom Hearts fan who hasn’t played it should play it.

Kingdom Hearts: RE:Coded (2011) (Nintendo DS)

...uuuuuuuuuuuugh.

Do I really need to say more?

I do?

Fine…

Kingdom Hearts Coded was originally a cell phone game in Japan, but was remade for the DS under the title RE:Coded. The game’s story doesn’t move the overall Kingdom Hearts story forward AT ALL, instead featuring a nonsensical romp through digital recreations of past Kingdom Hearts worlds. Every criticism you’ve heard people throw at the series, about how the story was just getting more and more confusing, and Square was just milking the series for profit? Well, those were silly when discussing great games like Birth by Sleep, but Coded validates those criticisms and deserves every one of them.

Remember how I mentioned that 358/2 Days had clunky combat, but this was remedied by a good story and a unique mission structure? Well, Coded has slightly less clunky combat (thanks to Birth by Sleep’s menu interface), almost no story to speak of, and spends its time retreading old ground. Outside of a greater emphasis on minigames, some of which are kind of fun, there is almost nothing of value in this game that would make recommend it to anyone other than the most diehard Kingdom Hearts fan who simply must play every game in the series.

The things I do to myself…

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream, Drop, Distance (2012) (Nintendo 3DS)

So after the miniature disaster that was Coded, faith in a Kingdom Hearts III coming anytime soon was dwindling, but Square saw fit to make one more side entry in the series. Kingdom Hearts 3D: Donald Duck Dies ties together the variety of plot threads that the other recent games brought to the table, and essentially sets up the now-official Kingdom Hearts III.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Derp, Derp, Derp is about Sora and Riku training to become Keyblade Masters in a variety of Dream Worlds, a concept that isn’t explained very well and should best be ignored. In fact, that sentence basically applies to the game’s plot as a whole- 3D is a mess of retcons, time travel, and nonsense ‘revelations’ that basically destroys any semblance of coherence the series had up until now. This is redeemed in small part by the epic series of final battles- at this point, all of the series’ main villains have been resurrected, and the stage is set for an epic conclusion in Kingdom Hearts III. The actual means of this resurrection, however, is best left forgotten.

Oh, I see I’ve left a few typos in when I was writing the game’s title? Well, it’s not like Dream, Drop, Distance is a better title.

All kidding aside, 3D is actually a really good game- the combat is fun, the music is fantastic, I loved the cameo appearances of characters from The World Ends With You, and the final few hours do provide a series of awesome battles and moments. Despite this, it also single-handedly makes the narrative a lot more convoluted than it needed to be, because I thought the series made logical sense up until that point (Birth by Sleep and Days are not that confusing). I’m still looking forward to seeing how the story will end, but Dream, Drop, Distance definitely overcomplicated things, despite a few cool moments.

My Review: Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille Zur Macht

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 21:46:00 +0000

It’s no secret that I am a big fan of storytelling in videogames. Oftentimes, I have praised videogames for their ability to immerse me in a story, but it is important to recognize that when I review a game- discussing story, gameplay, and presentation- I am talking about three equal parts of a greater whole. If one of these aspects is lacking, then the whole is greatly weakened. The best games are ones where the gameplay, story, and presentation are of the highest quality, and this brief tangent brings us to the subject of what I hope will be a three-part review of the Xenosaga series.

With the Playstation classic Xenogears being one of my favorite games, I was certainly interested in Tetsuya Takahashi’s first project after departing from Square and forming Monolith Soft. Originally meant to serve as a six-part, multi-generational epic that would encompass the entire universe from beginning to end (and perhaps include a remake or reimagining of the tale told in Xenogears), Xenosaga would instead be remembered as a case of failed ambition, and was cut to only three games after seeing disappointing sales. Still, the question does remain whether Xenosaga was able to still provide something special and unique, even if it would never reach its full potential. So, let us discuss the first entry in this most troubled of sagas, Der Wille Zur Macht- The Will to Power.

STORY

Thousands of years into the future, mankind only exists in deep space. Earth is remembered as an unattainable bastion called Lost Jerusalem, and the Galaxy Federation encompasses the remnants of our society. But not all is well, with an alien menace known as the Gnosis threatening mankind. In addition, mysterious artifacts known as Zohars (a term anyone who has played Xenogears will remember and immediately be intrigued by) are appearing, and various factions desire to control them. Enter Shion Uzuki, designer of an anti-Gnosis android called KOS-MOS, who must uncover the mystery of the Zohars, and the greater significance they have towards humankind.

It is difficult to discuss Xenosaga without comparisons to its predecessor Xenogears, which told an incredibly complex story that delved into Jungian psychology and heavy religious themes. Xenosaga would follow suit, but the story present in Episode 1 is only the first part of many (well, of three as it turned out). Unfortunately, due in part to the episodic nature of the series, the story comes across as a mere prologue for events to come. Characters are introduced, several mysteries that will hopefully be resolved in later episodes manifest, and the basic conflicts and intrigues are established, but not a whole lot really gets resolved in Episode 1. It is the beginning of a story, not necessarily a complete one in its own right. At least what is there is well written and presented quite nicely- the characters are suitably well-rounded for this type of space-opera storyline, and the universe clearly had a lot of care and thought put into every detail, as the setting is very well realized in the context of the story. Things do start off kind of slow, but they pick up and become more interesting later on… just in time for Episode 2.

GAMEPLAY

This is where the problems begin, unfortunately. Xenosaga Episode 1 feels more like a tech demo than a final product. It’s as if Monolith Soft and Namco threw together a bunch of unfinished gameplay concepts and rushed it out the door, and what we got was certainly a poor first impression of Takahashi’s planned epic. Episode 1 offers a lot of the things we’ve come to expect from console RPGS, including some minigames, sidequests, and optional boss, but there is still relatively little meat on the proverbial bone.

Episode 1 is a plot driven game, and as a result there is no overworld to explore. New areas are unlocked as the plot demands it, and it is only through plot convenience/a virtual reality system accessible from some save points that old areas may be explored, with few exceptions. Granted, this does still allow for some backtracking and exploration, making it different from a Final Fantasy XIII-esque plot railroad (from a gameplay perspective, at least), but it does make the expansive universe feel a little less cohesive, at least from my perspective.

Both the combat system and character progression suffer from a curious combination of being needlessly convoluted, yet strangely underdeveloped. The combat system in particular feels like a watered down version of the system from Xenogears, where different button combinations allow each character to perform different commands. The main foil to the combat system is the ability to Boost, which allows other party members to immediately take their turn ahead of when they normally would, by expending points from a gauge that slowly builds up over time. This adds a nice degree of strategy to combat, as enemies can Boost against your party as well, but it’s a quite simple ability that isn’t really explained properly in the game. Outside of the cursory infodump/tutorial at the games start, it is up to the player to figure out the ins and outs of combat, and when they do finally manage to slog through the needlessly complicated explanations and interface, they will find that there really isn’t a whole lot to it. At least the boss fights tend to be quite challenging and require a great deal of strategy when compared to normal enemy encounters, which grow repetitive very quickly.

Character progression is handled through a series of points that the party earns from battles. With three different kinds of points to spend (on Skills, Techniques, and Ether- the Xenoverse’s equivalent of magic), and multiple ways to use the accumulated points, there is once again a needless amount of convolution, particularly with something as simple as building up your characters. It doesn’t help that it requires cycling through three or four different menus in order to distribute points, nor that it’s not immediately apparent what your characters are gaining. It turns what should be one of the most exciting aspects of an RPG and makes it quite tedious. Also, like in Xenogears, some characters have access to giant mechs, known as A.G.W.S. (Anti-Gnosis Weapons System), which are very customizable and powerful- however, unlike in Xenogears, they are completely unnecessary, serving only as a novelty rather than an integral feature of the game.

SYMBOLISM!!!!!!!

Which brings us to the real problem with Episode 1, which isn’t the combat system, character advancement systems, or even the plot progression (which are all functional if not all that exciting). It’s the glacial pacing. Everything in Episode 1, be it normal battles, earning new skills, navigating through new areas, etc., takes much more time than it really should. The much-lauded story doesn’t pick up fast enough before the slowness of the gameplay will start to wear on the player. Hopefully these concerns are addressed in future episodes, but with such weak gameplay in the opening chapter, it’s easy to see why Xenosaga didn’t immediately grab its audience.

PRESENTATION

So the story is pretty good, although it functions as a mere prologue, and the gameplay is average when it’s not downright boring. So how’s the presentation? Fortunately, it’s pretty darn good. While not on the level of something like Final Fantasy X or Kingdom Hearts, the visuals in Episode 1 are quite good, both on an aesthetic level (the art direction is excellent throughout) and in terms of animation quality. The few CG sequences sprinkled throughout are directed a bit better than the in-game cutscenes, but they still deliver the Hollywood-esque feel that Monolith Soft was going for. The game’s sound is also pretty good, with a great English dub and a soundtrack by Yasunori Mitsuda, the legendary composer who also scored Xenogears, backed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra of all things.

I do have a serious complaint when it comes to the soundtrack, and that is the absence of it for 90% of the game. Mitsuda is a talented composer, and the music in Episode 1 is really good, even if I couldn’t call it his best work. However, it seems to only ever exist in cutscenes, with the majority of gameplay lacking any background music. I am told that the silence was a purposeful design choice, meant to invoke a sense of drama akin to famous films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, but if so, they failed. I’m all for dramatic silence, but such a thing requires that something dramatic be happening- the lack of music during long stretches of dungeon crawling or poking around towns only makes the monotony of the gameplay even worse, especially when the music is so good when it chooses to make itself heard.

CONCLUSION

It’s safe to say that Xenosaga did not start off on the right foot. Takahashi may have envisioned a grand epic of a storyline, which may or may not have been realized by the series’ premature conclusion, but Episode 1 on its own is kind of a poor game. Still, it is meant to serve as the beginning of something far greater- the story has the potential to become great, and the rest of the series may very well build on this troubled first installment to create something truly exciting. It’s just difficult to tell from Episode 1, which is a functional prologue and little else.

SCORE: C (Average)

Evolsaur Deck Profile- Digivolve

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 01:16:00 +0000

One of the most interesting decks from the newest era of Yu-gi-oh was the Dino Rabbit deck. Basically an assortment of cards with Rescue Rabbit and Tour Guide of the Underworld serving as a lynchpin, the deck was very powerful in its day, with its ability to quickly summon and utilize two of the most powerful Xyz monsters in the game- Evolzar Laggia and Evolzar Dolkka. A first turn Rescue Rabbit could Special Summon two level 4 Normal dinosaurs, and overlay them into a 2400 ATK monster with a Solemn Judgment effect, or a 2300 ATK monster with a Divine Wrath effect.

The thing is, the Evolzar monsters actually have their own archetype, one which, if used well, can be considerably more fun to use. These are the Evolsaurs, affectionately referred to as Digimon by some, which function as an Xyz toolbox that can summon the Rank 4 Evolzars easily, as well as utilize their own powerful effects.

So what are the Evolsaurs? Well, they are a group of Dinosaur-type monsters, supported by their Reptile-type cousins the Evoltiles. All of them are FIRE attribute, and they have a bevy of useful support cards as a result of this. The Evolsaurs effects are activated when they are summoned by the effect of an Evoltile, giving them functionality similar to the Gladiator Beasts’ ‘tagging out.’

The key cards to an Evolsaur deck will be the spell card Evo-force, which is simply an amazing card. By tributing one of your Evoltiles, you can Special Summon an Evolsaur from your deck and get that monsters effect. One of the best combos the deck can pull off is to tribute Evoltile Najasho with Evo-force- Najasho’s effect will activate when it is tributed and summon an Evolsaur from your deck, meaning that your Evo-force just netted you 2 monsters, who will activate their effects and then be used for an Xyz summon. The other Evoltile that should be ran is Evoltile Westlo, which when flipped will Special Summon an Evolsaur from your deck. I like to bring out Evolsaur Darwino with Westlo, which nets you a 2200 ATK monster that can also then be overlayed into Number 69: Vulcasaurus or another Rank 5 when the opportunity arises. Finally, the spell card Evo-diversity serves as a ROTA for the deck, searching your deck for any Evoltile or Evolsaur.

As for which Evolsaurs to include, Cerato is a 1900 beater that can become a 2100 beater AND a searcher when it is special summoned by an Evoltile. Diplo is an MST with a 1600 ATK body. Vulcano is a Call of the Haunted for Evolsaurs. There are many options; I have gone with what I feel are the best cards for a Rank 4 build, but there is also a Rank 6 variant meant for summoning Evolzar Solda. It’s up to the player to decide which monsters suit them best, but I would consider the trio of Cerato, Diplo, and Vulcano to be staples in an Evol deck.

The deck’s weaknesses have been well documented, but it’s worth restating here. Evols have received a lot of support throughout various sets, but the monsters themselves have rather average stats when compared to other archetypes. Vulcano in particular, despite having one of the most useful effects, comes with a paltry 1200 ATK. The Evol decks isn’t an auto-pilot deck, and it can be difficult to use properly, but it’s also one of the most entertaining new deck type I have come across. So, without further ado, here is my deck list.

MONSTERS x17

Evolsaur Cerato x2

Evolsaur Darwino x2

Evolsaur Diplo x2

Evolsaur Pelta

Evolsaur Vulcano x2

Evoltile Najasho x3

Evoltile Pleuro

Evoltile Westlo x3

Pyrorex the Elemental Lord

SPELLS x15

Dark Hole

Enemy Controller

Evo-Diversity x3

Evo-Force x3

Heavy Storm

Monster Reborn

Mystical Space Typhoon x2

Pot of Duality

Primordial Soup

Swords of Revealing Light

TRAPS x8

Call of the Haunted

Dimensional Prison

Mirror Force

Solemn Judgment

Solemn Warning

Threatening Roar

Torrential Tribute

Ultimate Offering

Extra Deck x10

Evolzar Dolkka x2

Evolzar Laggia x2

Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger

Grenosaurus

Number 17: Leviathan Dragon

Number 19: Freezadon

Number 39: Utopia

Number 61: Volcasaurus

My Review- Parasite Eve (PS1)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 15:21:00 +0000

“They don’t make them like they used to” is a phrase that is becoming more and more relevant as far as gaming as concerned. Looking at a company like Square Enix, it might be difficult to realize that, once upon a time, their non-Final Fantasy titles weren’t relegated to pointless mobile titles and blatant cash grabs, but were instead considered to be some of their best work. In between Final Fantasy titles, gamers were treated to unique games such as Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, and the subject of this review, Parasite Eve. Originally based on a Japanese horror novel, Parasite Eve blended concepts from the newly popularized Survival Horror genre with Square’s well-known style of quality RPG, creating one of the most unique games of the PS1 era. But is this ‘Cinematic RPG’ worth revisiting like other Squaresoft classics?

STORY

Set in New York City in the year 1997, Parasite Eve introduced gamers to the character Aya Brea, a no-nonsense NYPD officer who becomes embroiled in a strange and terrifying series of events that plague her city. While attending an opera performance on Christmas Eve, Aya witnesses the spontaneous combustion of the entire audience, with Aya mysteriously emerging as the only survivor. The act was performed by the lead actress of the opera, whose body has been taken over by a creature who identifies herself as ‘Eve.’ Eve tells a confused Aya that it is her mitochondria that spared her from death, and that the time will soon come for the mitochondria to be set free. What follows is a six-day war between Aya and Eve, as Aya attempts to put down the rebellion of the apparently sentient mitochondria, as well as uncover why she is apparently immune to Eve’s power.

Keeping in line with the ‘cinematic’ motif of the game, Parasite Eve is structured and plays out like a summer sci-fi blockbuster, but fortunately it is a pretty good one. The pseudo-science and technobabble used to explain the sentience of the Mitochondria sounds like something right out of an M. Night Shyamalan movie, but it does remain consistent throughout a story which, to its credit, sticks to its own internal logic. Aya is a great female protagonist, and the remaining cast, while small, is also well-rounded and engaging. Outside of a couple of grammatical errors, the game’s writing is pretty solid for a 90s RPG, showing that Square was putting more effort into their localization after the spotty translation of some of their earlier games (Final Fantasy VII included). In short, while Parasite Eve’s story doesn’t reach the heights of some other games, it’s still entertaining and engrossing enough to keep you playing, and it’s certainly better than the pen-vomit that would serve as plot in the two sequels.

GAMEPLAY

Parasite Eve isn’t a very long game, taking about ten hours or so to complete, although there is a post-game dungeon accessible through a New Game +. The game takes place across six days/chapters, with each day adding new locations to the world map of New York City. Generally, each chapter will have a single location serve as the main sequence of the chapter, following some exposition scenes.

Combat in Parasite Eve is very similar to another Squaresoft RPG, Vagrant Story, with a combination of real-time and turn based mechanics that actually works. Combat works on an Active Time bar similar to the Final Fantasy games, but Aya is able to move around the battlefield in real time. When the AT bar is full, Aya is able to use an item, one of her Parasite Energy powers (the game’s equivalent of spells, which drains the game’s equivalent of MP), or attack with her equipped weapon. When selecting to attack, a green dome will show the range of Aya’s weapon, and this range, along with other factors such as the weapon’s stats, will determine how much damage is dealt.

The core concepts of Parasite Eve’s gameplay are interesting, but I do have a few gripes. First of all, the controls aren’t that great. This is a common problem with PS1 action games, but its slightly more egregious here due to the game’s nature as a horror/RPG hybrid. While Parasite Eve does use analog control to move Aya, she runs so slowly that it can actively become a hindrance during combat. In trying to mimic the direction of horror games such as Resident Evil, Square made the mistake of incorporating some of the design flaws, including fixed camera angles which obscure key items. Unfortunately, they also included some of the more annoying aspects of RPGs as well, such as a high random encounter rate. Combining these problems makes exploration rather tedious. That’s not to say the mix of horror and RPG is entirely a bad idea, but it does come with some inherent problems native to both genres at the time of their release, although to Parasite Eve’s credit it didn’t incorporate the horrible tank controls of Resident Evil (unlike Parasite Eve 2, which plays like a bad RE clone). Finally, systems such as weapon customization aren’t explained that well in the game, meaning the player will have to experiment a lot or look up clearer instructions if they want to make stronger equipment.

PRESENTATION

I’ve praised the visual direction of PS1 Squaresoft games before, and Parasite continues the trend, with gorgeous pre-rendered backgrounds and well done FMV sequences. The in-game character models show a major improvement over the Popeye-armed denizens of Final Fantasy VII, as well, and they all animate very well. Of particular note is the enemy designs, which wouldn’t feel out of place in a standard horror game- there are lots of frightening depictions of mutated animals, both in and out of the FMVs. I would be remiss if I didn’t point out Yoko Shimomura’s excellent score for the game, which provides a suitable sense of atmosphere throughout.

CONCLUSION

Parasite Eve is a noteworthy experiment for Square. While I did have some issues with the gameplay, which at times proved frustrating, it is still one of the most unique PS1 games ever made, and it does provide a good story and an outstanding presentation. Frankly, this really is the kind of game that just wouldn’t be made anymore. For those who are curious or looking to play some of the PS1’s more interesting classics, the game is available on the Playstation Network for a very reasonable $5.99.

SCORE- B- (Good)

My Review- Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (PS2)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Tue, 28 May 2013 17:22:00 +0000

Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei series started out as an obscure series of dungeon-crawlers, and while they were popular in their native Japan, they didn’t initially catch on overseas, with only a couple of shoddily-translated spin-off titles making it over here. That all changed with the 2003 release of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, the third entry in the “main” SMT series. This is the game that, for lack of a better phrase, started it all, a high-quality RPG that would set the stage for Digital Devil Saga/Personas 3 and 4, and would establish Shin Megami Tensei as a shining beacon among its contemporaries. The question is, does it still hold up today?

STORY

The MegaTen games are known for their dark and twisted storylines, that tackle mature themes most other gaming franchises shy away from. Nocturne is no exception, and it provides one of the most unique narratives in gaming. Your character is a Japanese student who is off visiting a sick teacher. Along the way, he hears rumors of the Conception, an apocalyptic event that will somehow usher in a new world. Shockingly, these rumors turn out to be true- within minutes of his arrival at the hospital, the Conception reverts the world to a primordial state- a ‘Vortex World’ inhabited by demons. The main character survives the Conception and discovers that he has gained demonic powers, as well as the ability to recruit demons to fight with him. What follows is a war for Creation, because whoever triumphs in the Vortex World will have their desired philosophy, known as ‘Reason’, create the foundation for the new world. The Demi-fiend will play an integral role in deciding how the new world will take shape, but there are many forces who seek to use his power to their own ends… including a mysterious old man in a wheelchair, who may know the truth behind it all.

As evidenced by the preceding paragraph, Nocturne tells a story steeped in religious and philosophical themes. The idea of choosing the philosophical direction of the new world after the old one is destroyed is very intellectual stuff, and it provides a very unique focus for the story. The actual ‘plot’ (i.e., events that take place in the story) is somewhat lacking for the early parts of the game, and fans of more recent entries in the series (particularly Persona 3 and 4) may be put off by the lesser focus on character interaction in the story. However, Nocturne more than makes up for it later on, where the various philosophical points of each Reason begin to come to a head, and it is up to the player to decide which, if any, is worth siding with. There is also a lengthy sidequest, revolving around a semi-optional dungeon known as the Labyrinth of Amala, where further plot information (including the identity of the wheelchair-bound man and the truth behind the Vortex world) can be found, as well as a path to a sixth “true” ending.

GAMEPLAY

The basic gameplay of SMT: Nocturne is, of course, that of a console JRPG, with turn-based combat and an overworld to explore. The player will traverse the overworld via a small icon, and upon entering a new location, the game will switch to a third-person view (a first for the main series of Shin Megami Tensei, which up until then had been first-person dungeon crawlers). Even in most towns, random encounters can still occur, so the player has to keep on their toes. The game definitely places an emphasis on dungeon crawling and exploration, which is both a positive and negative trait, as sometimes it can be difficult knowing where to go.

Nocturne has gained something of a notorious reputation for its difficulty. A large part of this, I feel, stems from our collective unfamiliarity with the series at the time of this game’s release- not knowing what to expect from the MegaTen series, Nocturne would have come across as more difficult when fans of other RPG series gave it a whirl. That’s not to say the game is actually easy, because it most definitely isn’t. Like the other games in the series, Nocturne requires a good deal of patience and some trial-and-error in order to see the game through to the end. It’s not “Demon’s Souls” levels of hard, but the game is still quite strict.

This game did give the player a very powerful tool to help them on their way, however, by introducing a mechanic that would come to be a staple in the series- the Press Turn battle system. Like in many other RPGs, most enemies have weaknesses to different types of attacks. Nocturne rewards players for hitting these weaknesses by giving them an extra turn to attack. If an attack is absorbed or actually heals an enemy, then turns are lost. The trick is that enemies can use the same tactics on you, so it’s important to have a party that is best suited you each given area or boss fight. This where trial-and-error lends itself to combat, as most bosses will wipe the floor with unprepared players, requiring them to step back and figure out how to best take down the boss. Of course, there are alternatives to combat, as nearly every normal enemy can be negotiated with, in order to get them to join the party.

Another unique element in Nocturne is the character progression system. Both the main character and his demons level up and learn new skills, but what skills the main character learns are determined by what Magatama he has equipped. Magatama are insect-like creatures that serve as the catalyst for the Demi-fiend’s demonic power. By ingesting different Magatama, new elemental immunities and weaknesses are obtained (making Magatama instrumental in different boss fights), and different skills can be learned when leveling up, offering the player a good deal of customization when it comes to their character’s skillset. Of course, Demon Fusion returns as well, enabling the player to combine new demons into more powerful ones. Depending on the phase of the moon (an in-game timer) and what Magatama is equipped, the fused demons will be able to inherit different skills or more power, making timeliness something to consider when fusing demons. It is much more important to use this system properly than it is in games like Persona, since some bosses will require a very specific party in order to defeat them.

PRESENTATION

Nocturne is one of those PS2 games that have aged remarkably well. It utilizes the same engine as Digital Devil Saga and P3/P4, resulting in a crisp and clean looking game. Some of the areas and dungeons may suffer from some rather simple geometry, but the unique art style and design of everything is more than enough to give Nocturne some visual flair. Of course, Shoji Meguro’s soundtrack is excellent, giving a good sense of MegaTen’s trademark punk-rock vibe. There is no voice acting in this game outside of small voice clips in battle.

Does he look familiar? Capcom's Dante makes a surprisingly suitable appearance in this game

CONCLUSION

Nocturne might not be the prettiest, most accessible, or most story driven RPG ever made. What it is, however, is a game that wears its M rating on its sleeve, delving into mature topics and delivering Atlus’ unmatched storytelling panache in a unique fashion. All this is backed by solid gameplay systems and a rocking soundtrack. All of this makes Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne a fantastic game, and while I wouldn’t recommend it to series newcomers, for those who cut their teeth on Persona and are looking to try the other games in the series, Nocturne is an excellent choice.

SCORE- B+ (Great)

Top Ten Final Fantasy Villains

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:24:00 +0000

JRPGs have had their share of great antagonists over the years, but no franchise has even come close to the gallery of rogues and villains the Final Fantasy series has assembled over the years. These characters are often the most memorable aspects of each game- whether they are clad in giant suits of armor, or with flowing locks of white hair, out to destroy the world or obtain absolute power, there is no denying that the assorted villains of Final Fantasy have made their mark on the RPG genre, and gaming as a whole. And now that the obligatory introduction is out of the way, let’s discuss ten of my favorite Final Fantasy antagonists!

Now, keep in mind two stipulations for this list. First of all, the characters I have listed are from the ‘main’ Final Fantasy series (that is to say, they can be from I-XIV, as well as X-2 and XIII-2), which unfortunately rules out some great villains from spinoff titles, such as Delita from Final Fantasy Tactics. Secondly, I will only be giving one entry on this list per game in the series, for the sake of variety. Lastly, obviously since this is a Top Ten list, a few characters (some of which may or may not be popular) will be left off, so feel free to tell me about how wrong I was later.

So, without further ado…

10- Caius Ballad (Final Fantasy XIII-2)

"I shall remember your pain. It will be carved in my heart. Together with the memories of every other Yeul, cursed to die this way."

Now, Final Fantasy XIII’s infamous sequel does have numerous faults in the narrative department, but there is one constant element that manages to salvage the whole enterprise- the villainous Caius Ballad, who made for an intimidating and memorable villain after XIII’s noticeable lack of such a character.

What makes Caius so interesting to me, aside from the fact that he can transform into Bahamut (no, seriously, he can turn into Bahamut, it’s awesome), but that his motivations were unlike any prior antagonist in the series. Caius’s ultimate goal is to destroy time itself, so that his lover, Yeul, can be freed of a curse that forces her to constantly die and be reborn. It seems that failing to protect her so many times has driven the old warrior mad, and it also creates a nice parallel between the protagonists of XIII-2, Noel and Serah. It’s honestly one of the few genuinely emotional plot points in the game.

Also, he’s voiced by Liam O’brian. Just thought I’d mention that.

9- Shuyin (Final Fantasy X-2)

"Shuyin? Just a shadow. It may look like him, but the real Shuyin died long ago. Even after a thousand years, his hate and misery linger on. His feelings grew so strong, they began to act on their own... Eventually, they became a shadow—a shade that wants only to vanish, but cannot."

Ok, just to get this out of the way, Final Fantasy X-2 is not a great game. It suffers from a seriously inconsistent tone, several plot holes, a rather ridiculous premise, and for the most part only its solid gameplay and connections with the stellar Final Fantasy X make it any more than mediocre.

So, yeah, I’m as surprised as anybody to find myself including Shuyin on this list. Still, he does make quite an impression, standing out as a tormented soul desperately trying to right the wrongs of the past. Thanks in no small part to the 1000 Words scene (one of the best parts of the game, and perhaps even in the entire series), Shuyin manages to secure the number 9 spot.

8- Emperor Mateus (Final Fantasy II)

"You have braved the bowels of Hell to reach me. But the hand of man, which deals in false justice and forsaken love, can never hope to defeat the lord master of Hell!"

Putting aside that the Emperor debuted in one of the early NES entries in the series, which was also one of the entries we didn’t get in the US until the Playstation era, and that a lot of aspects of the character (including his freaking name) were added in subsequent rereleases…

…let us consider that this man made a deal with the devil, summoned legions of demons from Hell to make his army, and when he died, he literally conquered Hell itself in order to get revenge. That’s awesome enough to give Mateus a spot on this list.

7- Vayne Solidor (Final Fantasy XII)

"Your lives are forfeit, and your insurgence along with them. Dalmasca will again know order. For good and all, I shall put your futile attempts at rebellion to an end."

Vayne is a Yasumi Matsuno villain through and through- like Delita before him, he is a cold and calculating individual who seizes great political power, yet has complex motivations. Is he just a power hungry aristocrat? Is he under the influence of the Occuria? Or does he simply want to protect his brother? He seeks to control his own destiny, but is he just a pawn in a game far beyond his comprehension?

While some of Vayne’s complexity may have been lost during Final Fantasy XII’s rocky development cycle (which led to Matsuno’s resignation from Square), he’s still one of the most unique villains in the series.

6- Sorceress Edea (Final Fantasy VIII)

“Come with me to a place of no return. Bid farewell to your childhood.”

Forget about Ultimecia- before Final Fantasy VIII’s plot went completely off the rails (and no amount of absurd fan theories can salvage it), Sorceress Edea, feared leader of the Galbadian Empire, had the spotlight as the primary antagonist, and boy did she put on a great show.

In a game with character development as problematic as Final Fantasy VIII’s, Edea manages to stand out as a uniquely intimidating villain, who ends up playing an integral role in the story. As one of the few remaining Sorceresses, she is regarded with fear and distrust by normal people, which makes her rise to power (featuring the public execution of the Galbadian president) all the more shocking to the SeeD mercenary organization. It appears that Edea has a vendetta against SeeD, and after Squall and company botch an assassination attempt, she has an excuse to make a nuclear strike against their headquarters. She’s cold, resourceful, and has the might of the Galbadian military as well as her unique magical powers behind her.

Later, it turns out that the terrible Sorceress was once an ordinary woman who raised the main characters at an orphanage- the Edea they knew and loved is under the influence of another force. You see, there’s a sorceress from the future who wants to enact Time Compression because… you know what, screw this. If you want to know the plot of Final Fantasy VIII, play the game, because I’m not going to try to explain it here. All you need to know is that Edea is a terrific antagonist, and this makes Ultimecia’s complete derailment of the plot all the more aggravating.

5- Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII)

"There was one Soldier named Sephiroth, who was better than the rest, but when he found out about the terrible experiments that made him, he began to hate Shinra. And then, over time, he began to hate everything."

So… Sephiroth. Badass long coat and long silver hair. A master of the blade, the legendary SOLDIER member with a God complex. The one-winged angel himself. One of the most popular Final Fantasy villains of all time.

So, why is he only number 5 on this list?

Well, am I the only one who thinks Sephiroth’s massive popularity has more to do with the massive hit that was Final Fantasy VII, rather than any merit on the part of the character?

I mean, Sephiroth is cool and all, but disregarding his fan-service-y appearances in Crisis Core, Advent Children, and the rest of Final Fantasy VII’s expanded universe, there isn’t a whole lot to Sephiroth. He’s a sadistic madman with superhuman abilities, and he does try to drop a Meteor on the planet, but when you consider that he’s just an avatar for an alien monstrosity (Jenova) for 90% of the game, he loses a bit of his impact. Not to mention he completely upstages the Shinra Corporation guys, who were the primary antagonists at the start of the game.

Although he did kill Aeris…

…and has some of the most epic theme music of all time…

…okay, maybe Sephiroth is just popular because he’s awesome, and no amount of rational discussion can really invalidate that.

4- Golbez (Final Fantasy IV)

"Allow me to give you something—a gift, to remember our meeting by."

Golbez, to me, was one of the first truly great Final Fantasy villains. Considering that Final Fantasy IV was the game that really established the direction the series would take (i.e. story focused RPGs with denser plots and more focus on characters), it makes sense that the villain of the game would have a little more depth to him than prior antagonists.

Golbez is the mysterious man who takes command of the Red Wings after the protagonist Cecil is stripped of his command. It appears that he is manipulating the Kingdom of Baron from behind the scenes, using its military might (supplemented by his army of monsters) to conquer the surrounding nations and steal their Crystals for his own purposes. He maintains a forceful presence throughout the game- the heroes never truly defeat Golbez, and are always arriving too late to stop him, or getting their butts handed to him in due fashion. It’s only thanks to a late-game plot twist (that Golbez and Cecil are actually long-lost brothers) that he ends up joining the main characters to help combat an even more terrible threat.

Now there’s a villain for you- only exiting the stage because a Bigger Bad Guy showed up.

3- Kuja (Final Fantasy IX)

"Peace is but a shadow of death, desperate to forget its painful past... Though we hope for promising years. After shedding a thousand tears, yesterday's sorrow constantly nears. And while the moon still shines blue, by dawn, it will turn to scarlet hue!"

Not gonna lie, as divisive as he is among some Final Fantasy fans, I think Kuja is terrific. He is in the spirit of the classic Final Fantasy villains like Golbez, but invokes images of Sephiroth and Edea with his design and behavior, creating a nice mix between Old and New that is suitable for a game trying to pay homage to the legacy of the entire series. He’s smooth-talking, manipulative, and powerful, furthering Queen Brahn’s madness and profiting from her conquests. He also has a genuine character arc and develops nicely as the game progresses, which is a rarity for Final Fantasy villains.

His character design could’ve been better, certainly, but even that isn’t too egregious, as it keeps with the lighter tone of Final Fantasy IX.

2-Jecht (Final Fantasy X)

"You'll cry. You're gonna cry. You always cry, see? You're crying."

Some may question including Jecht on a ‘villains’ list, seeing as he isn’t a villain per se, but he is an unwilling antagonist, and besides, he’s on Chaos’ side in Dissidia, so there! Hmph.

Jecht is Tidus’ long-lost father, somebody Tidus regards with a combination of loneliness and loathing, borne from abandonment issues. When Tidus arrives in the world of Spira, he finds out that the reason his father disappeared was because Jecht also came to Spira, where he is remembered as a heroic Guardian. Tidus and his party also discover, to their horror, that Jecht has become the monstrous creature known as Sin.

Jecht is interesting because, as Sin, he has no control over his actions. As a person, Jecht truly loves his son and seeks to have Tidus end his misery, destroying Sin once and for all and ending the cycle of death and destruction imposed upon Spira. Jecht is technically an antagonist, but he’s a well-rounded character whose goals are beneficial, making him one of my favorite villains.

1- Kefka Palazzo (Final Fantasy VI)

"Hee, hee! Nothing can beat the sweet music of hundreds of voices screaming in unison!"

Do I even have to say it?

Final Fantasy VI is widely regarded as not only the best game in the series, but also one of the greatest RPGs ever made, period. And this is in no small part due to the actions of Kefka, the madman who leads the armies of the Gesthal Empire on their quest to gather magicite.

Kefka had had magical experiments performed on him, which are implied to be the cause of both his great power, and his madness. Thoughout the first half of FFVI, Kefka commits truly despicable acts. He poisons the water supply at Doma, killing innocent women and children, as well as Gesthal’s own POWs that were held captive there. The massacre of innocent civilians is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Kefka though.

In one of the most famous plot twists in gaming history, Kefka becomes the first villain to actually “win”. Midway through the game, Kefka obtains the power of the Warring Triad and manages to inflict devastation upon the world and murder most of the population. The World of Ruin section of the game shows a bleak and desolate post-apocalyptic world where Kefka has risen to godhood. When the party does gather to confront him, the battle shows parallels to Dante’s Divine Comedy, where they hear the meaning of life from the lips of God Himself… but God has the leering face of Kefka, and there is no meaning to life. It is pointless to go on.

Twisted, cruel, and downright nihilistic, Kefka is assuredly the best villain Final Fantasy has ever had.

Malefic Skill Drain deck profile

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:57:00 +0000

The Malefic monsters were introduced in the Yugioh 10th Anniversary film, Bonds Beyond Time, as a series of cards used by the villainous Paradox. They are essentially corrupted versions of iconic Yugioh monsters, mainly dragons such as Blue-eyes and Red-eyes. In the original Japanese, they were known as the 'Sin' monsters (a pun on the Japanese word for 'truth', pronounced Shin, a play on words which represented Paradox's twisted worldview that these corrupted monstrosities were the true Duel Monsters), but was changed to 'Malefic' by the censors at 4kids in their tireless effort to make everything boring. The Malefic monsters all share some things in common- they require a Field Spell to be active, there can only be one Malefic monster on the field at a time, and are summoned by banishing the original 'good' version of the monster.

They also, basically, suck. At least, a lot of the Malefic monsters do, since their trading card game incarnations come with a whole host of drawbacks. Cards like Malefic Blue-eyes White Dragon and Malefic Rainbow Dragon need you to banish the original monster from your Main Deck, which can result in a ton of dead draws and make for a very inconsistent deck (don't even get me started on Malefic Red-eyes Black Dragon, which is just a terrible card). Not to mention, Malefic monsters stop your other monsters from declaring attacks. That's not to say that the Malefic archetype as a whole is worthless- on the contrary, a skillfully built deck can utilize the best aspect of the Malefic monsters (the ability to effortlessly summon high level monsters), while simultaneously working around their negative effects and limiting the opponent's ability to respond.

This deck utilizes two things in order to accomplish this. One, it uses the best main Malefic monsters in the game, the ones that are summoned by banishing their original form from the Extra deck rather than the main deck. These are Malefic Cyber End Dragon and Malefic Stardust Dragon, respectively a 4000 ATK beater and a monster that protects your field spells. The second thing is a variety of anti-meta cards, which can both maximize the effectiveness of the Malefic monsters while limiting the opponent's options. Cards like Skill Drain, Eradicator Epidemic Virus, and The Seal of Orichalcos are what make Malefic decks truly formidable.

The basic strategy of the Malefic Skill Drain deck is to use the field spells Geartown, Necrovalley, and the Seal of Orichalcos (Malefic World is included in the event that the deck's Synchro monster, Malefic Paradox Dragon, can be summoned). Geartown allows you to summon the mighty Ancient Gear Gadgiltron Dragon when it is destroyed, Necrovalley will prevent your opponent from utilizing their Graveyard, and The Seal will power up your monsters while simultaneously protecting itself from destruction. When a field spell is active, you can summon your big monsters like Malefic Cyber End. Skill Drain can stop your opponent's monster effects without hindering your own monsters (the Malefics will lose some of their drawbacks with Skill Drain active, and the deck also features monsters like Beast King Barbaros for more combos with Skill Drain), and the Virus cards can tribute your powerful Dark monsters to deal with your opponents Spells, Traps, or weaker monsters, further crippling them.

The rest of the cards included in the deck are up to personal preference. I've included Compulsory Evacuation Device and Forbidden Lance because they are very versatile cards that can be used for offense or defense, and The Huge Revolution is Over is a viable alternative to Starlight Road. While you won't often need to summon him, there is also a single Rank 8 Xyz monster in the form of Hieratic Sun Dragon Overlord, which in a pinch can clear your opponent's field. In a more competitive build, I'd advise against Malefic Parallel Gear and Paradox Dragon, but in this deck I have included them (Paradox Dragon requires the Malefic World field spell, but its still a 4000 ATK monster that can steal an opponent's Synchro Monster from the grave).

So, without further ado, here is the deck list!

Deck List.

MONSTERS x 16

Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon

Beast King Barbaros x3

Fusilier Drago, the Dual-Mode Beast

Malefic Cyber End Dragon x3

Malefic Parallel Gear x2

Malefic Stardust Dragon x3

Malefic Truth Dragon

Thunder King Rai-oh x2

SPELLS x 16

Dark Hole

Forbidden Lance

Geartown x2

Heavy Storm

Malefic World

Monster Reborn

Mystical Space Typhoon x2

Necrovalley

Pot of Avarice

Pot of Duality

Terraforming x3

The Seal of Orichalcos

TRAPS x 8

Compulsory Evacuation Device

Dark Bribe

Deck Devastation Virus

Eradicator Epidemic Virus

Skill Drain x3

The Huge Revolution is Over

TOTAL: 40

EXTRA DECK x 10

Cyber End Dragon x3

Malefic Paradox Dragon x3

Stardust Dragon x3

Hieratic Sun Dragon Overlord of Heliopolis

Dragon Quest VI

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 19:22:00 +0000

What's this? A new game review? Well, sort of.

One of the downsides to college is that I don't have a lot of free time to devote to writing. If I want to fit any gaming in, then that pretty much has to dominate any free time I have. Unfortunately, this pretty much means that I won't be able to do the same kind of game reviews I used to write. However, I find that I kind of missed writing about games I played, so I decided to try something a little different. Consider this a quicker summary of my opinion on a game rather than a complete analysis. For games I finished that I didn't get around to reviewing (specifically, Persona 3 and Kingdom Hearts: Dream, Drop, Distance), I'll most likely get around to writing about in this format. It's less time-consuming than what I used to do.

Anyways, I recently finished Dragon Quest VI for the Nintendo DS, the last of the 'Zenithia' remakes. Like it's predecessors, Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation incorporates a rather unique twist on the standard Dragon Quest formula. In this case, the game features two different worlds that can be switched between, adding a new emphasis on exploration and discovery. Unfortunately, this focus puts the game's story on the backburner. Dragon Quest games aren't usually very story focused games, but they usually have some memorable or charming characters or tales to tell. Dragon Quest VI mantains the characteristically lighthearted atmosphere of the series, but its characters are very hollow and the story doesn't really ever pick up. Coming off of Dragon Quest V, one of my favorite games in the series, this is rather disappointing.

Still, playing a Dragon Quest game for the story is missing the point, and while the renewed emphasis on exploring the Overworld does make the game's pacing somewhat uneven, Dragon Quest VI is still a classically styled RPG that will appeal to anyone looking for such a game. I wouldn't recommend it without hesitation to newcomers, but people who are familiar with the Dragon Quest series and what it demands of the player should enjoy it.

SCORE

STORY: The game's weakest element by far. Boring characters and rather uninteresting events, with the traditional Dragon Quest charm making up for a rather dull story. 5/10

GAMEPLAY: Classic turn-based RPG gameplay, with numerous secrets to discover. 9/10

PRESENTATION: Beautiful 2D sprites and backgrounds. The music leaves a little to be desired. 7/10

TOTAL: 21/30

Final Fantasy Type-0/ Bravely Default: Flying Fairy- Localization Woes

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 19:41:00 +0000

Square, I really don't know what has gotten into you lately. If you guys want to improve your company's image, why don't you localize these great looking games that people really want and would sell well?

Instead of, you know, more FFXIII sequels?

Linked below is a petition to bring Final Fantasy Type-0 to the states, as well as the Facebook page for a group trying to do the same with Bravely Default: Flying Fairy, two excellent looking handheld RPGs that Square Enix has for some reason currently passed up for localization. Final Fantasy Type-0 was originally announced in 2006 as part of the Fabula Noval Crystallis project, alongside Final Fantasy XIII and the ever-delayed Versus XIII, and is an action-RPG in the vein of the excellent Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. Bravely Default, on the other hand, is a homage to classic Final Fantasy (much like it's predecessor, 4 Heroes of Light), and has been compared to series installments such as Final Fantasy IX.

http://operation-suzaku.com/ - Final Fantasy Type-0

http://www.facebook.com/#!/BringBravelyDefaultFlyingFairyToTheWest - Bravely Default

After the success of Operation Rainfall, there can be no doubt that we as gamers are willing to purchase these Japanese games, if only these companies would release them over here. Let your voices be heard, show Square Enix that they have a market, and support efforts to convince them that localizing their games is worthwhile.

And, while we're at it, it wouldnt hurt to convince them that Dragon Quest VII on 3DS is worth bringing over, right? Operation Dragonfall, anyone?

Dragon Quest VII Remake for 3DS

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Square Enix announced a 3DS remake of Dragon Quest VII: Warriors of Eden, originally released on the Sony Playstation, in the latest issue of Jump Magazine. Not many details are known at this time, but early screens show a 3D graphical upgrade (the original game is similar to the style used for the DS remakes of IV, V, and VI), apparently players will be able to trade 'lithographs' via Streetpass, and the game has a February 7 release date in Japan. No word yet on a US release (what are the odds), but in this case let's be optimistic.

Oh, and Happy Halloween! >:D

Peter's 2012 Gaming Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 22:35:00 +0000

What's this? Peter's making an update on PG's Game Room?! What is this madness?!?

Yes, I apologize for my prolonged haitus. I'm afraid there really isn't much I can do about that; college has been taking up a lot of time and I haven't found much enthusiasm for writing in a while. Still, with a few new games behind me and not that many projects for the rest of the year, I thought it'd be time for a 2012 Award-type article!

Yes, much like that thing I wrote back in February, this is a series of titles given to games that I played this year. So, without further ado, lets get into the best and worst gaming experiences I had this year.

Best Game I Played In 2012: Persona 3

Persona 3 was my first experience with the Shin Megami Tensei franchise, and I must say, I regret not getting into these games sooner. Despite my initial skepticism, Persona 3 proved to be one amazing game. Traditional RPG combat and roguelike dungeon crawling, combined with an incredible story with great characters and dark themes, Persona 3 is easily one of the best games I've played in a long time.

Runner Up: Radiant Historia

Most Underappreciated Game: Final Fantasy IX

Seriously, Final Fantasy IX does not get the credit it deserves from some people. Sure, it isn't the flashiest Final Fantasy game, but it's one of the best RPGs the original Playstation had to offer, and thats saying something. Filled to the brim with iconic Final Fantasy references, FFIX is a major tribute to Hironobu Sakagichi's legendary series.

Plus this is the game with Vivi.

VIVI IS AWESOME.

Best Looking Game: Final Fantasy IX

Yes, I played a lot of recently released games this year, all with sleek and modern visuals, but you know what? Many of these games pale in comparison to what Final Fantasy IX's prerendered backgrounds achieve.

I mean, holy CRAP. Memoria has got to be one of the most memorable Final Fantasy dungeons in the entire series, simply on the merit of it's gorgeous backgrounds.

Runner Up: Final Fantasy XIII-2

Most Disappointing Game: White Knight Chronicles

I'll bet that anyone whose read my reviews would have expected me to call Final Fantasy XIII-2 my biggest disappointment of the year. Actually, I recently gave XIII-2 another chance and found it to be a much more enjoyable game than I had previously thought, largely due to playing White Knight Chronicles. Level 5's a rather hit-or-miss developer, but they've made some really entertaining games. White Knight Chronicles, however, is the definition of an average game. There's nothing particularly wrong with it, but there's nothing good about it either. It's just so boring. At least XIII-2 has some memorable moments.

Runner-up: Rogue Galaxy (sheesh, Level 5. You'd better step up your game with Ni no Kuni next year).

Best Protagonist: Stocke (Radiant Historia)

The fact that Stocke was such a good character was one of many pleasant surprises which made Radiant Historia (one of the best games on the Nintendo DS) such a memorable experience. A soldier who finds himself torn between loyalties, Stocke is on a quest to prevent an apocalypse by using the power of time travel. What makes Stocke so engaging are the little moments where the player has to make a decision on his behalf, providing a clear view of Stocke's motivations and thought process.

Runner up- Zidane Tribal (Final Fantasy IX)

Best Side Character: Vivi (Final Fantasy IX)

I mean, come on. Just wook at that widdle face. Vivi is one of the best characters in the Final Fantasy series, and exists at the heart of Final Fantasy IX's central question- how do we make the most of our lives, knowing that we are doomed to die?

Runner up: Junpei Iori (Persona 3)

Best Villain: Takaya (Persona 3)

At its core, Persona 3 is a game about death. Everyone will eventually die, but you shouldn't give up on life even when faced with the inevitable. If you do, you'd end up like Takaya. The leader of a group called Strega which serve as the main antagonists of Persona 3, Takaya is a charismatic, tortured young man who seeks to live every moment to its fullest, yet has no value for his own life or that of others.

Runner-ups (ooh, a tie!): Heiss (Radiant Historia), and Caius (Final Fantasy XIII-2)

Most Frustrating/Cheapest Moment: Anytime You Fight Caius (Final Fantasy XIII-2).

Caius is one of the best aspects of the newest Final Fantasy title- a man motivated by love and duty, so desperate to save his love Yeul that he would destroy time itself so that she could live.

He's also a total pain in the ass to fight. And you fight him over and over again...

Best Music: Persona 3

Shoji Meguro's compositions for Persona 3 are sometimes trippy and eclectic, sometimes haunting, yet they perfectly suit the strange events that befall these ordinary students.

Runner-up: Radiant Historia

Best Setting: Vainquer (Radiant Historia)

A fully realized setting is a difficult thing to accomplish in a video game, but Radiant Historia's war-torn land of Vainquer, despite borrowing copious steampunk elements from Final Fantasy VI, is nonetheless a very fleshed out setting, as Stocke and company are embroiled in its political turmoil.

Best Location: Memoria (Final Fantasy IX)

However, if I had to give an award to one individual location, it would be Final Fantasy IX's Memoria, a haunting (literal) walk down memory lane.

Well, that's that for this year. I've played a lot of great games, and gotten a new favorite series thanks to Persona. Here's hoping next year will be just as fun. Until next time!

Top Ten Battle Music

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 14:16:00 +0000

As promised, here is a second top ten list of video game music, this time focusing on battle themes.

Honorable Mention: The boss battle music from Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga.

While I’m not sure this song was good enough to make the top ten, a friend of mine brought it up recently, and Superstar Saga is an awesome game that deserves at least an honorable mention. What I didn’t know back when I played the game was that the soundtrack was done by none other than Yoko Shimomura. No wonder it’s so good.

10- Awakening (Xenogears)

This is another instance from Xenogears where the story and music overcome crippling gameplay issues. Taken on its own, Xenogears’ final boss is a tedious, overly long battle that requires a series of miniboss fights in order to make Deus not impossible to defeat. However, in context of the story, the music perfectly captures what is happening; a battle against God.

9- Master of Shadow (Persona 3)

“Mass Destruction” is the song from P3 that most people remember (with good reason), but my personal favorite is this song, which plays during the Full Moon bosses that serve as story-centric encounters in Persona 3. This strange mix of rock and techno still somehow manages to be eerie and dramatic, as your party of high school students face against symbolic representations of the Major Arcanas.

8- Enter the Darkness (Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep)

If there is any one battle theme from Birth by Sleep (which already features one of the best soundtracks in the series’ history) that players will remember long after they finish playing, it is this one. The game’s recurring boss, antagonist Vanitas, would be a pretty forgettable villain on his own, if not for the sheer menace of his battle theme.

7- Saber’s Edge (Final Fantasy XIII)

Final Fantasy XIII had great music. Anyone who says otherwise is lying to themselves. Despite not featuring series great Nobuo Uematsu, XIII managed to deliver a fantastic score. This is another situation where the most ‘famous’ song from a game isn’t featured on my list, but rather a different song; in this case, the dramatic orchestral boss theme ‘Saber’s Edge’ in place of ‘Blinded by Light’.

6- The Final Battle (Chrono Trigger)

Surprisingly, something related to Chrono Trigger isn’t at the top of the list! As much as I love the game, I really couldn’t justify putting this song higher when stacked against all the other wonderful songs on this list. Still, Chrono Trigger’s final battle against Lavos is one of the most epic confrontations in gaming history. Lavos, the planet-killing parasite, is revealed to have been directly responsible for evolution on our planet, including the growth of the human race. It’s a battle across time with what is essentially God.

5- J-E-N-O-V-A (Final Fantasy VII)

One could make a convincing argument that the alien monstrosity known as Jenova is the real villain of Final Fantasy VII. After all, Sephiroth’s physical body was at the Northern Crater for the entirety of the game; his consciousness merely manifested itself through Jenova’s cells. If you want to be technical about it, Jenova was the one who actually killed Aeri… but I’m getting ahead of myself. Jenova’s battle theme is pretty trippy, but it suits the alien nature of this menace.

4- Darkness of the Unknown (Kingdom Hearts II)

Ah, Kingdom Hearts II. Nobody seems to agree on whether or not you’re better than your predecessor. Regardless, this game’s three stage final boss fight is awesome, but what makes it even better is the ties to Birth by Sleep. ‘Darkness of the Unknown’ shares a name with ‘Fate of the Unknown’, referring to the three unsung heroes from Birth by Sleep. And, if you listen closely, the leitmotif central to ‘Darkness’ is, in fact, Terra’s theme. Realizing who/what Terra is makes the final battle of Kingdom Hearts II that much more epic.

3- The Battle for Freedom (Final Fantasy XII)

This is turning into the Final Fantasy/Kingdom Hearts list, isn’t it? It’s not my fault, they have awesome music!

…really, there isn’t much to say about this one. The Battle for Freedom has a long intro, followed by one of the most epic final boss songs in the series’ history. Final Fantasy XII grounded its story in the believable plight of a small nation, and their bid for freedom manages to provide surprisingly high stakes compared to the usual ‘save the universe’ fare the series offers.

2- An Earnest Desire of Grey (Radiant Historia)

Radiant Historia features some of Yoko Shimomura’s best work, but the final boss theme of the game is perfect. It takes some context to fully appreciate, but hearing this song cemented Radiant Historia as one of my favorite games, as well as one of the best DS games ever made.

1- The Other Promise (Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix)

Technically, I’m cheating here (including two songs from what is pretty much the same game), but come on; there’s no way I can’t include this. One of the most heartbreaking boss themes I’ve ever heard, as Sora and Roxas battle for control. Absolutely beautiful.

Top Ten Pieces of Game Music

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 18:10:00 +0000

Whether you are watching a film or playing a game, music can play a large role in defining the experience. Those memorable pieces stick with us long after we’ve shut our systems off or walked out of the theater, and they’re a large part of what makes visual media so engaging. Being a fan of RPGs, I have heard many wonderful pieces of music from many talented composers. What follows are ten pieces of non-battle music from games I have played. A list of battle music might come somewhere down the road.

10- The Poem for Everyone’s Souls (Persona 3)

Persona 3 has a very eclectic soundtrack, but one that perfectly suits the tone and plot of the game. Shoji Meguro, the composer for the Shin Megami Tensei series, created a lot of J-pop and rock-type songs to suit the teenage protagonists and high school setting, but one of the more memorable pieces from the game is the song that plays in the Velvet Room, where you can create new Personas. The music gets steadily louder and more dramatic as it progresses, creating a suitable atmosphere to the tarot-card alchemy that is probably going on as it plays.

9- Ruin and Creation (Star Ocean: The Last Hope)

I’ve been told that The Last Hope is the worst Star Ocean game, but seeing as it’s the only one I’ve played, I’ll just have to take their word for it. One weakness the game reportedly does not have, however, is a lacking soundtrack. Motoi Sakuraba delivers a pretty great score for this game, but by far the best piece is the opening track ‘Ruin and Creation’, which plays over the opening cutscene showing nuclear weapons devastating Earth, and the new spacefaring society that rises from the ashes.

8- Xion’s Theme (Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days)

While the character does have her share of detractors, I personally found Xion to be the best part of the first DS Kingdom Hearts title. Let’s face it; Roxas is a pretty boring character on his own (he spends half of the game as a generally emotionless puppet), and Xion not only provides someone to spur Roxas’ growth, but ends up forming the emotional core of the story. (SPOILER AHEAD) This particular iteration of her theme song only plays during one scene; when she dies.

7- Place of Memory (Final Fantasy IX)

I’ve used Final Fantasy IX’s final dungeon as a sort of counterpoint to Final Fantasy VIII’s. FF8’s last dungeon is hideously overcomplicated and makes no sense in context with the story, while FF9’s final dungeon is very simple but fits the themes of the story- life, death, and the meaning of it all- perfectly. As the party begins by wandering through their own memories, they end up playing through the process of creation in reverse, watching the world unmake itself until all is inky blackness.

6- Omen (Xenogears)

Xenogears is a long, frustrating slog of a gameplay experience, but good lord, does it have fantastic music. This song, aside from containing the melodies from the beginning and end of the game and encompassing the entire game’s storyline, is what made Xenogear’s final dungeon bearable. With no random encounters and a really tedious puzzle to solve, nothing could interrupt the haunting mystery of Omen.

5- End of the World (Kingdom Hearts)

Yoko Shimomura is one of my favorite composers, and one of my favorite songs by her is ‘Destati’, the bombastic vocal piece that serves as one of Kingdom Heart’s main themes. This remix of that theme plays at the End of the World, and turns what would otherwise be a boring retread of previously explored areas into what is easily the best final levels in the series, as Sora and company explore the domain of the Heartless and the remains of the worlds they have destroyed. It ends on one of the best pre-final boss monologues in gaming history.

4- Prisoners of Fate (Chrono Cross)

The Dead Sea is my favorite part of Chrono Cross; it’s a moment where the player is forced to witness the consequences of the player’s intentions in Chrono Trigger, which unwittingly doomed an entire existence to nothingness. What follows, however, is a scene where the protagonists of Chrono Trigger accuse Serge, the new main character, for the devastation he just witnessed. Cue heartrending music.

3- The opening of Twilight Princess.

Nintendo had this annoying habit when they were making Twilight Princess of not releasing their music (hell, they still don’t), not giving it an interesting name, and making their soundtracks MIDIS instead of better music. Twilight Princess still managed to deliver a decent soundtrack despite its limitations, but my nostalgia for this piece is still unmatched. Now, if only I knew what it was called…

2- Ending Theme (Final Fantasy X)

When most people think of Final Fantasy X’s soundtrack, they think of ‘To Zanarkand’, the memorable piano piece that opens the game. For me, though, the best song in FF10 is the ending theme, which plays over one of the most beautiful scenes in the game and contains both ‘Prayer to Yevon’ and ‘To Zanarkand’, and closes FF10 on the most tragic yet beautiful note possible. And people wonder why this is my favorite Final Fantasy.

1- To Faraway Times (Chrono Trigger)

What is there to say? Yasunori Mistuda is one of the best composers in the business, Chrono Trigger is one of the best RPGs ever made, and this is still one of the best end credits songs imaginable.

7/22/2012 Update

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 17:14:00 +0000

So, in a weekend full of Rising Dark Knights, I've been playing an RPG featuring the original Dark Knight of the RPGverse, Cecil. Specifically, I've been playing Interlude, the brief chapter that takes place between Final Fantasy IV and it's recent sequel The After Years, packaged neatly together in the Complete Collection for PSP (should I ever review the PSP version of IV, I'll probably make an argument as to just how 'complete' said collection really is, but that's not what I'm here to discuss). Honestly, it'd be impossible to recommend The Complete Collection to people who have already played the aforementioned games on the merits of Interlude alone. It's a brief (maybe two hours long) chapter that fills in a tiny gap between the two main games, that takes you through three recycled dungeons from FFIV (including the freaking Sealed Cave).

Meanwhile, I'm still playing Persona 3. While I'm still enjoying the game very much, it is getting a tad long, and I have a feeling I've got a long ways to go. I'm pretty sure now that I won't be moving on to the extra FES content after finishing the main game, or at the least I'll take a break to play Dream Drop Distance for a bit when it comes out.

Deck Profile: Masked Heroes

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:24:00 +0000

Ok, I lied. The deck profile AFTER this will be about Malefics.

Credit goes to Youtuber Chroahcresta, Hero user and duelist extraordinaire whose deck ideas helped greatly with the construction of this particular deck.

Elemental Heroes are one of the longest-running archtypes in Yu-gi-oh, making their debut as the cards used by protagonist Jaden Yuki in the second anime series, Yu-gi-oh GX. Heroes have managed to stick arpund in various forms ever since then, with Destiny Heroes and Evil Heroes being introduced throughout GX's run, and with new monsters being introduced in the GX manga. This Hero deck utilizes a unique subset of Heroes introduced in the manga, one that doesn't see a lot of play; the Masked Heroes. Like Batman, these masked avengers are here to win your duels. That is to say, if Batman was a Yugioh player. And he dueled for you. Umm...

Unlike their counterparts, the Masked Heroes don't have enough cards to support an entire deck on their own- counting their key Spell card, Mask Change, there are only five of them available in the Trading Card Game. Still, utilizing these cards in an Elemental Hero deck adds a surprising amount of versatility to the deck.

Strengths

Instead of a normal Trap lineup, this deck utilizes Quick-play Spells and Monster Effects such as Honest in place of Traps, and runs three Royal Decrees to help stop the Opponent's trap cards. Now, the two key cards to this deck are Super Polymerization and Mask Change. Super Polymerization is easily one of the best Fusion Spells in the game, if only because IT CANNOT BE STOPPED. It's actually part of Super Polymerization's effect that nothing can be activated in response to it. Cards like Solemn Judgement, Magic Jammer, Dark Bribe, etc., cannot stop this card. On top of everything else, the card can use your opponents monsters as fusion material. Once Elemental Hero Escuridao is officially available in the U.S., that means that Super Poly will allow you to Fusion Summon using whatever your opponent throws at you. Now, your opponent could still activate a Bottomless Trap Hole or a Torrential Tribute to get rid of the monster summoned with Super Poly- UNLESS you have Super Polymerization as the second link in a chain. For example, activate E: Emergency Call, and chain Super Poly to it. After performing the Fusion summon, the chain will resolve with ECall's effect, adding an Elemental Hero to your hand, since your opponent cannot respond to Super Polymerization or interrupt a chain that is resolving, he will be unable to prevent your summon.

The other key card, Mask Change, is obviously the card needed to summon a Masked Hero, of which there are four; Acid, Dian, Goka, and Vapor. Mask Change, like Super Poly, is a Quick-play that lets you send a Hero from your side of the field to summon a Masked Hero of the same attribute. Note that this card works with any HERO, making Masked Heroes an archtype that works in any HERO deck, although Elemental Heroes work the best to provide the necessary attributes. Mask Change opens a great amount of combo potential in this deck. For example, you can use Mask Change to summon a new monster during your battle phase, giving you another attack on your opponent's Life Points. Or you could avoid an opponent's Spell/Trap card by removing the target of the card, and replacing him with a Masked Hero. Or, you could perform one of the two best combos in the deck. By Mask Changing Elemental Hero Absolute Zero into Masked Hero Acid, you activate Absolute Zero's effect of destroying all your opponent's monsters when he leaves the field, and Acids effect of destroying all their Spell/Trap cards when it is summoned. On the flip side, you could Mask Change Elemental Hero Gaia into Masked Hero Dian, using Gaia to halve your opponents monster's ATK, then using Dian to kill it and summon an Elemental Hero to your side of the field. Simply put, Mask Change is an incredible card.

The rest of the deck is a pretty straightforward HERO deck, albiet one with lots of Quick-play spells and Royal Decree. The HERO deck staple, Elemental Hero Stratos, is present and accounted for, as is a pretty standard Monster lineup. An interesting addition to this deck is Elemental Hero Prisma. Prisma's effect of sending a Hero to the grave and copying his name isn't as useful here, but by revealing Elemental Hero Terra Firma and sending either Ocean or Woodsman to the grave, Prisma can be used to summon Absolute Zero or The Shining with a Miracle Fusion.

Weaknesses

Obviously, Hero Decks have never been the most powerful deck in existance, nor are they a particularly 'meta' deck right now. They're tricky to play properly, and since they rely on monsters of a specific Type (Warriors), and on Fusion Summoning, clever opponents can usually figure out a way to counter Hero decks. While the Royal Decrees provide a measure of defense against some of these tactics, if your opponent manages to shut down your ability to Special Summon, you're pretty much screwed.

Oddly enough, one of the deck's biggest weaknesses is it's own key card, Super Polymeriation. Super Poly is one of the best side deck choices to counter Hero Decks, pretty much for the same reason they're a staple in this deck. They can't be countered, Royal Decree obviously can't stop them, and they can steal your Fusion monsters to summon something of the opponent's. Granted, most players these days will be running Xyz monsters, or sometimes Synchros, but it's something to watch out for all the same. Speaking of what people are usually playing, while this deck is relatively fast, meta decks like Wind-ups or Dino Rabbit are most likely going to be faster (although, Super Polymerizing somebody's Evolzar Laggia would be pretty funny).

Monsters x 16

Effect Veiler

Elemental Hero Heat

Elemental Hero Ice Edge

Elemental Hero Ocean x3

Elemental Hero Prisma x2

Elemental Hero Stratos

Elemental Hero Voltic x2

Elemental Hero Wildheart x2

Elemental Hero Woodsman x2

Honest

Spells x 21

Dark Hole

E: Emergency Call x3

Forbidden Chalice

Forbidden Lance

Fusion Gate

Mask Change x3

Miracle Fusion x3

Monster Reborn

Mystical Space Typhoon

Pot of Duality

Reinforcement of the Army

Super Polymerization x3

The Warrior Returning Alive

Traps x 3

Royal Decree x3

Extra Deck x 15

Elemental Hero Absolute Zero x2

Elemental Hero Escuridao (when released)

Elemental Hero Gaia

Elemental Hero Great Tornado

Elemental Hero Nova Master

Elemental Hero Terra Firma

Elemental Hero The Shining x2

Masked Hero Acid x2

Masked Hero Dian x2

Masked Hero Goka

Masked Hero Vapor

Final Fantasy VII PC Rerelease: The Fanboys Strike Back

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 22:31:00 +0000

So, Final Fantasy VII is getting a PC rerelease! Yeah, apparently they're adding an achievement system, upscaling the game to HD, and adding an optional feature that'll make the game easier for potential newcomers. Sounds cool, right? I mean, it's a completely harmless gesture by Square Enix to make one of their best games available to more people. A nice little present that nobody is being forced to buy.

Oh, right. I forgot who I was dealing with for a second.

DAMMIT PEOPLE, THIS IS WHY WE CAN"T HAVE NICE THINGS.

I've said it before how Square Enix probably has the worst fanbase in the history of fanbases. Square may have made some questionable decisions of late, but they are nowhere near the anathema that many of their so-called 'fans' claim them to be. It's been kind of funny to see these people rage and whine everytime Square did anything, but now? Bitterly complaining that a harmless rerelease isn't the fabled full 3D VII remake that a) was never announced and b) has never existed? This is just sad.

It's times like these that make me embarrased to be a gamer. I understand that Youtube commentators are essentially a fungus growing between real gamers' toes, but honestly, the fact that so many people can be so bloody volatile just makes me sad.

You've hit a new low. Congrats.

Peter's Dragon Deck

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 23:49:00 +0000

So, I just finished my new Yugioh deck. And, I've got to say, I'm kind of proud of this one. No, it's not the type of deck that you could take to a tournament, but it's my deck, and it's one of the better ones I've had for use against my friends.

After a brief turn to a pretty basic Synchro deck, I decided to return to my more traditional focus on Dragon-types, with the release of the Dragons Collide structure deck serving as the basis. The idea is pretty simple- use Red-eyes Darkness Metal and other cards to summon a lot of powerful dragons and clear away threats from my opponent with powerful Spells and Traps- a fairly basic, if effective, strategy.

I'll put the deck list below, but before that I'm going to talk about the strengths and weaknesses of this deck, along with some of the better cards in it. Consider this the beginning of a semi-regular column on Yugioh decks. I'm not the best player out there, but I've enjoyed this game for a while, and with the advent of www.duelingnetwork.com, it's easier than ever to try out new decks and see what can be done with them.

Strengths

Obviously, the primary focus of a dragon deck is to summon powerful Dragon-type monsters. Dragons are one of the most prolific types in Yugioh, and with good reason; they're awesome, and very versatile cards. Many of the best cards in the game are Dragons, and this deck utilizes a lot of these titans.

The two key cards to the deck are Eclipse Wyvern and Red-eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, two of the best cards for Dragon-decks to be recently released and the only monsters run in pairs. Eclipse Wyvern, when it is sent to the graveyard, lets you banish a level 7 or higher LIGHT or DARK Dragon from your deck, and if it is banished, add that card to your hand. This makes Eclipse Wyvern the perfect discard fodder or target for Foolish Burial, as well as material for Lightpulsar's summoning. On the flip side, Darkness Metal Dragon is a level ten monster with 2800 ATK, which can be summoned by banishing a face-up Dragon and, once per turn, allows the player to special summon a Dragon-type EXCEPT another Darkness Metal, because otherwise Dragon OTKs would be far too easy. Since every monster in this deck is Dragon-type, Darkness Metal has a lot of fodder for its effects. Oftentimes the summoning of Darkness Metal also means the summoning of another powerful dragon, such as Lightpulsar or Galaxy-eyes.

Lightpulsar Dragon is another powerful card which deserves mention. A 'Chaos Dragon' of sorts, Lightpulsar can be Special Summoned by banishing a LIGHT and DARK monster in your graveyard, or specialed from the grave by discarding a LIGHT and DARK. Lightpulsar's true power lies in its other effect, which allows it to Special Summon a level 5 or higher DARK Dragon from the grave when it is destroyed. This works well with Lightpulsar's weaker little brother, Darkflare Dragon, but it also combos great with Darkness Metal- if both cards are destroyed by an opponents Mirror Force or Torrential Tribute, you can summon Darkness Metal with Lightpulsar's effect, and then vice-versa, effectively wasting your opponents card and leaving you with 5300 ATK power on your field.

Weaknesses

It's important to be aware of the weaknesses in your deck before sitting down to play. Aside from general weaknesses with my builds (I build decks more to have fun with them, rather than by some arbitrary formula), the biggest weakness to any dragon deck is momentum. Dragon decks pretty much rely on a strong start to win; catching the opponent off balance with a sudden assault, and setting proper defenses up to keep your Dragons alive. Wasting precious defense cards early in the game while waiting for the cards you need to summon a Darkness Metal or other monster will usually cost you the game. This deck also isn't very good for topdecking; it's essential to keep a decent pool of resources on hand in case things don't go your way. You shouldn't use up all your available cards unless it will guarantee your win, because things can and probably will go very badly for you should you need to topdeck. This deck (currently) has no Xyz monsters to support it, although later I plan on obtaining Queen Dragun Djinn, Neo Galaxy-eyes, and some Hieratic Xyz monsters once they go down in price.

Keep in mind that this deck is NOT compatable with the recent banlist, although it's easy to find legal substitutes for some of these cards (Duality instead of Pot of Greed, for instance). Future decks will stick to this list more likely than not. But, without further ado, here is my dragon deck!

Monsters x 19

Alexandrite Dragon
Axe Dragonute
Bright Star Dragon
Darkflare Dragon
Debris Dragon (Tuner)
Delta Flyer (Tuner)
Divine Dragon Apocralyph
Dread Dragon (Tuner)
Eclipse Wyvern x2
Galaxy-eyes Photon Dragon
Lightpulsar Dragon
Magna Drago (Tuner)
Mirage Dragon
Prime Material Dragon
Red-eyes Darkness Metal Dragon x2
Van'dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord
Vice Dragon

Spells x 13

Different Dimension Reincarnation
Dark Hole
Dragon's Gunfire
Dragon's Mirror
Foolish Burial
Heavy Storm
Brain Control
Monster Reborn
Mystical Space Typhoon
Photon Sanctuary
Pot of Greed
Soul Exchange
Swords of Revealing Light

Traps x 8

Call of the Haunted
Fiendish Chain
Magic Cylinder
Magic Jammer
Mirror Force
Seven Tools of the Bandit
Shadow Spell
Starlight Road

Total- 40

Extra Deck x 10

Five Headed Dragon
Dark End Dragon
Iron Chain Dragon
Light End Dragon
Red Dragon Archfiend x2
Red Nova Dragon
Stardust Dragon x2
Trident Dragon

Persona 3: First Impressions

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 19:20:00 +0000

So, I haven't been feeling the best lately. Aside from getting my wisdom teeth taken out (which went well and I am mostly recovered by now), I haven't been able to muster much enthusiasm for anything recently. What with Rogue Galaxy falling by the wayside and trying to muster up some excitement for college in the fall, I've been very apathetic as of late.

Wait... apathetic? Apathy syndrome?

...here we go.

I've actually been holding onto a copy of Persona 3: FES for a couple of months now, that I got from my girlfriend as an anniversary present (thanks, Jackie!). Since I was in the middle of Xenogears at the time, I didn't pick it up right away, and after finishing that game I wasn't in much of a mood to start another lengthy RPG.

I've always been interested in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise, the series P3 is a part of, but P3 is my first time actually owning a game in the series. Well, after starting it today, I've been unable to put the game down because I was having so much fun. That pretty much gives away my first impression of the game in a nutshell, so I won't waste anymore time here. PG needed a game to break him out of his case of Apathy Syndrome, and P3 thus far has proven to be an effective cure. This will be the next game I review for the site, and further information will come through updates and the review itself.

Back To The Shelf: Rogue Galaxy.

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Triezenberg) — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 20:16:00 +0000

Pictured: Not my shelf.

So, I decided that I'm not going to keep playing Rogue Galaxy for now. This is unusual for me, because I like to finish everything I start, and it annoys me to have to put a game down. But this is one of the rare instances where a game really isn't doing it for me, and I have to put it away and do something else.

It's not that I think Rogue Galaxy is a bad game. On the contrary, I had some fun with the ten hours I sunk into it. It's just that, for whatever reason, the game wasn't able to hold my attention. The last time this happened to me was with the intensely dissapointing Final Fantasy XIII-2. Despite some redeeming elements that made my time with the game bearable, it just doesn't seem worth putting in the forty or so hours necessary to complete it. For all of Rogue Galaxy's positive elements, what I experienced wasn't enough to make me want to finish it. That's what this new column, 'Back To The Shelf', is about; a sort of mini-review for games I give up on, allowing me to put down exactly what about the game turned me away from it.

It's important to consider that my distaste for Rogue Galaxy is in part due to the questionable condition of my disc. I bought the game used at a local store which has been convenient in the past (it's where I got my copies of Dark Cloud, Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter, Kingdom Hearts 2, and Dragon Quest VIII, all games I love), but for some reason, the game's opening cutscene would not play. I had seen an opening for the game online, but my copy skipped straight to the (rather boring and sterile) title screen. Not the best first impression for a supposedly breathtakingly gorgeous late-era PS2 game. The game also advertised a lack of load times, and while I took this with a massive amount of salt, the games performance seemed to stutter frequently (particularly on the second planet, Zerard), and I began to wonder if the condition of my disc was to blame for performance issues on a Playstation 2 game. Rogue Galaxy is a very pretty game, but nagging suspicions that I was missing something plagued me during my initial foray into the game.

Still, the main problem for me was the story. Level 5 is not a company renowned for great storytelling, but rather for charming and whimsical characters and gorgeous watercolor-esque visuals. Rogue Galaxy has both of these, but the main story seems very lackluster to me. The main character is mistaken for a famous bounty hunter by a group of space pirates looking to recruit this 'Desert Claw', and like a complete idiot he plays along with it. The main plot didn't really go anywhere during my time with the game, but I did get to suffer through awful dialogue, telegraphed character behavior (one would-be plot twist is revealed early in the stupidest way possible), boring characters (except for Simon. Simon rocks)., etc. The story is one of the most important parts of an RPG for me, and Rogue Galaxy gave me no reason to see its tale through.

Level 5's games usually make up for their lackluster stories with fantastic gameplay (see the Dark Cloud games for the perfect example of this). Rogue Galaxy has many of the things one would expect from a Level 5 game, including great weapon and item creation systems and a boatload of optional content. Like I said, Rogue Galaxy isn't a bad game, and I perfectly understand why so many people love this game. However, by the end of the Rosencaster Prison/Daytron Factory dungeons (two back-to-back lengthy dungeons), this game's combat was driving me insane. Rogue Galaxy's combat is pretty much the same as that from the Dark Cloud games, althoug it incorporates elements from the then-recent megahit Final Fantasy XII to limited effect. The problem with Rogue Galaxy's combat, for me, is the sheer amount of micromanagent required to survive even the most basic of random battles. You're constantly having to pause the game to heal and revive your brain-dead teammates, constantly casting buffs and activating abilities, and this constant stop-and-go kills the pacing of what should be a fast-paced action combat system. I know I've enjoyed games with similar features, such as FFXII and Xenoblade, but these games leaned more towards the turn-based than the action-heavy. Rogue Galaxy's combat simple wasn't very good, and it's not that the enemies were particularly hard (except Mimics. Seriously, screw Mimics), just ridiculously tedious to fight. I only got a game over once, on a boss fight against three walkers (it was actually more of a miniboss, the dungeon's actual boss was an annoying three-stage fight), but normal enemies were ridiculously cheap, turning every dungeon into a lengthy slog.

I'm disappointed in Rogue Galaxy. Like I said, I don't think the game is bad, but I had a very frustrating time with it. In any case, I'm much more hesitant to try White Knight Chronicles, Level 5's next big RPG for the PS3, now. Rogue Galaxy could very well be a better game than I'm giving it credit for, and perhaps I will go back and try it again later, but that's why I'm not reviewing it. It's just going back on the shelf.