You know, this was an interesting concept. You play as a character from a good RPG, that is optional to the point that you can completely miss him and actually miss all references to him. You play as Vincent Valentine, a gun-toting and awesomely designed character that is intense and awesome.
What really drags this game down is the camera and controls. It's a decently solid title with some interesting moments and some great fun but it fails in some basic places. The number one thing I can remember is the camera. It was not responsive. The only other thing I can remember is the difficulty, it is sometimes easy as pie but the next level could be intense and frustrating.
For a game like this, it is hard to say I love it. I mean I stopped playing this game for about 3 years before coming back and beating it. The gun customization system was a pretty cool concept and definitely I would like to see more of it. This was not a bad game and I wish Square Enix had used the engine again (with some tweaks) because it was fun to play.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Resident Evil 5 (PS3)
Oh Capcom, how far you have fallen? I started the series with RE4 and loved it. I even went back and played the original game and enjoyed that as well. Sure both RE and RE4 are completely different in terms of what they are, but then this game happened.
At no point in this game was I afraid. In fact, you can see most of what is supposed to be scary early due to Sheva being immensely overpowered. For a while, I gave her the stunrod and nothing else. I had so much ammo, I didn't know what to do.
Now, the series has lost the survival horror aspect from the first game, but how does this stack against RE4 in terms of being a 3rd-person action/shooter. It's almost on par but lacks in the uninspired and often frustrating boss fights. It just kind of falls flat on the radar compared to the spike that was RE4.
Sure, there is fun to be had in this game. It sets up a nice story about what happened after Umbrella's demise but parts of it were just clunky and the whole last section was a complete letdown. I won't let this experience sour my future with the series but honestly, I probably won't touch this game again.
At no point in this game was I afraid. In fact, you can see most of what is supposed to be scary early due to Sheva being immensely overpowered. For a while, I gave her the stunrod and nothing else. I had so much ammo, I didn't know what to do.
Now, the series has lost the survival horror aspect from the first game, but how does this stack against RE4 in terms of being a 3rd-person action/shooter. It's almost on par but lacks in the uninspired and often frustrating boss fights. It just kind of falls flat on the radar compared to the spike that was RE4.
Sure, there is fun to be had in this game. It sets up a nice story about what happened after Umbrella's demise but parts of it were just clunky and the whole last section was a complete letdown. I won't let this experience sour my future with the series but honestly, I probably won't touch this game again.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention (PSVita)
A game that tugs at my heart. This was my first game for my PS3 back when I got it and this was one of the first I got for my Vita. I love the Disgaea series, for one reason. The amount of content is astounding. Everything is at an extreme. The levels, the maps, the weapons, everything. Sure this game has some flaws but this particular version has something the PS3 version doesn't, this one has more stuff.
Let's get off with the bad, this is a very grind heavy game. A great deal of your time will be spent grinding levels on characters. Even leveling items is time consuming. Now this is only bad if you don't reap the rewards of this grinding, what are the rewards? Taking down that ultimate boss, damage in the billions, and the coolest equipment in the game.
The story of this game is alright, I find it to be the weakest out of the series so far but all the characters are lovable and prove that just because you are evil, doesn't mean you can't have a little fun. The new unique skills for generic characters are a welcome change and are often incredibly useful. More than once my Healer was doing great deals of damage because of the new skills in this game. With awakened skills as well, it just sets this game above the PS3 counterpart.
Did I have fun with this game? Yes, more than I did with the first release. Will I continue to play it? Of course, that is the fun of this series. The post-story bosses are the challenge, the true draw. They are what pushes you forward. Being able to take down a level 9999 boss is just so rewarding. I've never done it but I've come close.
Let's get off with the bad, this is a very grind heavy game. A great deal of your time will be spent grinding levels on characters. Even leveling items is time consuming. Now this is only bad if you don't reap the rewards of this grinding, what are the rewards? Taking down that ultimate boss, damage in the billions, and the coolest equipment in the game.
The story of this game is alright, I find it to be the weakest out of the series so far but all the characters are lovable and prove that just because you are evil, doesn't mean you can't have a little fun. The new unique skills for generic characters are a welcome change and are often incredibly useful. More than once my Healer was doing great deals of damage because of the new skills in this game. With awakened skills as well, it just sets this game above the PS3 counterpart.
Did I have fun with this game? Yes, more than I did with the first release. Will I continue to play it? Of course, that is the fun of this series. The post-story bosses are the challenge, the true draw. They are what pushes you forward. Being able to take down a level 9999 boss is just so rewarding. I've never done it but I've come close.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Retro Atari Classics (NDS)
Beep beep blip beep. I've never been a fan of old arcade games. This opened my eyes to it a little bit. Sure the games are fun but they are meant more for an old mindset of gaming. Not achieving the ending or accomplishing something. More simply put, they aren't for gamers like me. Sure they are fun little distractions but they are not whole games anymore.
I still pop this in from time to time just to have a little mindless fun with Centipede but I never spend a lot of time with it. All in all, it is fun but nothing to sink time into. High scores just aren't as appealing as they used to be.
I still pop this in from time to time just to have a little mindless fun with Centipede but I never spend a lot of time with it. All in all, it is fun but nothing to sink time into. High scores just aren't as appealing as they used to be.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Pokemon Rumble Blast (3DS)
One of the first games I got for my 3DS. For being a close to launch title, this wasn't too bad. Let's get this out of the way, it was repetitive. Very repetitive. The story is bland and definitely not a draw. What's the major draw of this game? Getting to play as nearly ever pokemon as you power your way through masses of others. Sure, it gets old and there can be a lot of cheap battles but it is fun. Pure clean fun.
It doesn't hold up well, even now. I would say with the library the 3DS has now, this is easily skippable. If you like pokemon though, you will have some fun with it. Just don't expect too much going into it and you will get more than what you expect.
It doesn't hold up well, even now. I would say with the library the 3DS has now, this is easily skippable. If you like pokemon though, you will have some fun with it. Just don't expect too much going into it and you will get more than what you expect.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Pokemon: Pearl (NDS)
The fourth gen. A new frontier. I played this game after a very long hiatus from the series. I have to say, this was a surprise. They added a lot to the series from the last game I had played. I was surprised at the depth it went into.
What else can I say, this is a simple catch everything that moves game and then battle them to the death. Of course, you have to train hard to win but that's just common sense.
What else can I say, this is a simple catch everything that moves game and then battle them to the death. Of course, you have to train hard to win but that's just common sense.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GCN)
Sailing, not something that inspires excitement. Being in the ocean for long periods of time with little interaction with things is definitely not something that would come across as a good game idea. This game changed that mindset. Zelda has always been about the adventure. Getting further from home or discovering new things with the new items that you find. This game does not disappoint.
Let me get the bad stuff out of the way, it's short. I promise. The biggest issue I have with this game is just one specific part and to not spoil it, I will just say that it is a huge fetch quest. It is tedious and incredibly drawn out. It is the only smudge on this otherwise great game.
Why is this game so fun? Simply put, it is a big adventure. A giant sandbox with no sand. Sure you have to sail everywhere but that is half the fun. Sometimes you run across an event or a monster or you see something in the distance that looks interesting. It's about setting out and seeing what you can. Sure there are parts where it is frustrating and you don't know where to go but that is half the fun. Figuring out where to go at each point and then what to do is fun.
Was this game as good as the other Zelda games? Of course, it's one of my favorites. Will it be remembered fondly by others? Not really, because of that one part that is just a minor flaw in the design, a lapse in judgment. Should you play this gorgeous game? Of course, what is more fun that heading out on an adventure just for the sake of adventure? Nothing.
Let me get the bad stuff out of the way, it's short. I promise. The biggest issue I have with this game is just one specific part and to not spoil it, I will just say that it is a huge fetch quest. It is tedious and incredibly drawn out. It is the only smudge on this otherwise great game.
Why is this game so fun? Simply put, it is a big adventure. A giant sandbox with no sand. Sure you have to sail everywhere but that is half the fun. Sometimes you run across an event or a monster or you see something in the distance that looks interesting. It's about setting out and seeing what you can. Sure there are parts where it is frustrating and you don't know where to go but that is half the fun. Figuring out where to go at each point and then what to do is fun.
Was this game as good as the other Zelda games? Of course, it's one of my favorites. Will it be remembered fondly by others? Not really, because of that one part that is just a minor flaw in the design, a lapse in judgment. Should you play this gorgeous game? Of course, what is more fun that heading out on an adventure just for the sake of adventure? Nothing.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Pokemon: LeafGreen (GBA)
What can I say about Pokemon that hasn't been said already? This game was a good step into my past. I had orginally gotten Red version for my Gameboy at the start of my gaming tenure. It was fun but I didn't know what I was doing. In fact, I had like three Pidgey's for a while and used my Master Ball on a Pikachu later in the game.
What makes this game better? Everything. The fact that after you beat it, you don't end up with just nothing to do is the best part. Being able to pull in new pokemon from other regions was a nice touch. Sure the story was the same as it was a long time ago, but I don't care. I play this for the collecting. Sure it has a good RPG background and the mechanics are solid. You know exactly what you are tasked with and why.
That said, I feel this game was slow. But so was the first game. The pacing is just so slow that often I would just wander from trainer to trainer just to level the team I had been building since the start just to beat the Elite Four. I do that in almost every pokemon game now though, so it is not new.
What would I like to see done to the series as a whole? Probably a new type. Something weak to dragon but strong to ice. That way we can have a dragon-ice-new type starter set. I'm tired of grass-fire-water.
What makes this game better? Everything. The fact that after you beat it, you don't end up with just nothing to do is the best part. Being able to pull in new pokemon from other regions was a nice touch. Sure the story was the same as it was a long time ago, but I don't care. I play this for the collecting. Sure it has a good RPG background and the mechanics are solid. You know exactly what you are tasked with and why.
That said, I feel this game was slow. But so was the first game. The pacing is just so slow that often I would just wander from trainer to trainer just to level the team I had been building since the start just to beat the Elite Four. I do that in almost every pokemon game now though, so it is not new.
What would I like to see done to the series as a whole? Probably a new type. Something weak to dragon but strong to ice. That way we can have a dragon-ice-new type starter set. I'm tired of grass-fire-water.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
Here we go, a good reason to own the Wii. This game was one of the best 3D Mario experiences I've ever had. It was a solid title to this great series and definitely warrants a play. Why? Because this game has what many Mario games needed. Challenge.
Getting through the main story of this game is not the difficult part. No, beating the big baddy (you can guess the last boss) is just the beginning of the fun. Collecting all the stars is the hard part. Where in typical Mario games, you just have to look high and low for them. In this, you have to look everywhere, literally. With many of the galaxies being fairly large, these can be anywhere.
Sure the levels may not be hard, where is the difficulty? Comets. With the comet system, the levels get harder or different based off which comet is there. Sometimes they are nice relaxing "find all the purple coins" kind of challenges. Other times it "time limit, go" kind of challenges. You always know what you need to do but it does add to the fun.
I would say that this is a must own for the Wii but most people that own a Wii have this already. Sure the camera can get goofy at times. You can't blame it when it suddenly is not on the same plane as Mario. Still, this is a solid title...only trumped by the sequel.
Getting through the main story of this game is not the difficult part. No, beating the big baddy (you can guess the last boss) is just the beginning of the fun. Collecting all the stars is the hard part. Where in typical Mario games, you just have to look high and low for them. In this, you have to look everywhere, literally. With many of the galaxies being fairly large, these can be anywhere.
Sure the levels may not be hard, where is the difficulty? Comets. With the comet system, the levels get harder or different based off which comet is there. Sometimes they are nice relaxing "find all the purple coins" kind of challenges. Other times it "time limit, go" kind of challenges. You always know what you need to do but it does add to the fun.
I would say that this is a must own for the Wii but most people that own a Wii have this already. Sure the camera can get goofy at times. You can't blame it when it suddenly is not on the same plane as Mario. Still, this is a solid title...only trumped by the sequel.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Guilty Gear Judgment (PSN)
It's a shame that I can't play this on my Vita cause I thoroughly enjoyed this fighter. Sure I was terrible at it and I never really did much except look at the move list and just do them in Training, but it was fun nonetheless.
This was my first exposure to airdash type fighting games, which would eventually lead me to Blazblue. I don't know if this game is an airdasher but I don't care. It was fun. The fighting game was solid, had a good cast of characters, and wasn't super complicated until you actually wanted to be good.
The action game though, I spent most of my time trying to beat this and still haven't done it. The last boss is just insane. I have made it to him as Ky or Sol, I can't remember. I wish I could beat it but I have tried my best and not even come close.
I look forward to playing more games in the series someday.
This was my first exposure to airdash type fighting games, which would eventually lead me to Blazblue. I don't know if this game is an airdasher but I don't care. It was fun. The fighting game was solid, had a good cast of characters, and wasn't super complicated until you actually wanted to be good.
The action game though, I spent most of my time trying to beat this and still haven't done it. The last boss is just insane. I have made it to him as Ky or Sol, I can't remember. I wish I could beat it but I have tried my best and not even come close.
I look forward to playing more games in the series someday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)