That's right, I'm bringing it back. I haven't update this blog in at least an eon but I'm going to go ahead and do so RIGHT NOW by doing a game of the year post.
I'm not going to waste a lot of time, I'm going to get right to the nitty gritty.
2014 was an interesting year for games. There were a lot of good ones, but I'm not sure any 1 title really just blows the rest away and stands out as the best game of the year. I played a lot of games throughout the year and each one had some merit so here is a list.
BEST GAME TO RENT BUT NOT BUY
Titanfall - Xbox One
I had a ton of fun with Titanfall for about a week. Then the lack of content started to show. It's a damn fun game, calling down giant robots and piloting them for mass destruction is fun, jumping on a Titan's back and shooting out it's guts is exhilirating...however, there is only so many times I could do this online before I got bored. The idea of an online campaign was intriguing but it really didn't work. There is no story to be heard of and absolutely no single player. I'm the kind of guy who buys Call of Duty for the single player first, and the multiplayer second. I know that probably makes me a minority, but Titanfall choosing to completely ignore the single player was a mistake. It was such a great concept for a game and if they just had added more content, it could have been a GOTY contender, but as it is, it's the best game I could have rented all year because after a week, I played all of it.
Runner Up: Destiny - Xbox One/PS4
BEST REMAKE OF A GAME FOR A PREVIOUS GENERATION
Last of Us - Playstation 4
When Last of Us first came out I played it on the PS3 and it quickly became of the best games I've ever played. When they announced an HD remake for the PS4 I became very, very interested. It did not disappoint. The game is absolutely gorgeous, hell it was gorgeous on the PS3. On the PS4 it is gloriously beautiful. The higher resolution graphics take a fantastic game and just put it over the top. The story and gameplay remain unchanged and that was the highlight of this game upon it's original release. If you didn't play this on PS3 you absolutely owe it to yourself to play this on PS4. If you already played it on the PS3 and loved it, then go ahead and play it again. It holds up through multiple playthroughs and the enhanced graphics are excellent.
Runner Up: Final Fantasy X HD - PS Vita
BEST HANDHELD GAME
Bravely Default - 3DS
I almost put Smash Bros. here but I'm a nut for a great JRPG and they are so rare these days that I get pumped for every single one of them. Bravely Default was not a perfect game, some of the characters where borderline offensive, and the story was a little bleh, but the game itself was just aces. Being able to manually increase or decrease random encounter rate is an act of absolute genius. Being able to speed up combat to make fights shorter was brilliant. This game played to every bit of me that loved grinding for more power and more levels. I miss the days when JRPG releases were common but at least we're still getting some. If you're an RPG fan at all you should give Bravely Default a shot.
Runner Up: Super Smash Bros. 3DS
BEST ROLE PLAYING GAME
Child of Light - Multiplatform
RPG has been my favorite genre since I was a kid. I'm sad to see the state of the genre be as weak as it currently is. Child of Light is an incredible game, but I'm still a little sad that the best RPG of the year was a downloadable game instead of a full retail release. Child of Light is a game of whimsy, the dialogue is all presented in rhyming form, and the graphics are relatively simple and cartoonish, but they create a very distinct atmosphere. The gameplay is also simple but at the same time, unexpectedly complex. It's not a difficult game, but it's an entertaining game. For an arcade release, there is a lot of content here. It's a sad game that reminds me of an old fairy tale and everything about it is beautiful. Play this game.
Runner Up: Bravely Default - Nintendo 3DS
GAME THAT INTRIGUES ME THE MOST THAT I DIDN'T PLAY
Never Alone - Multiplatform
Another arcade downloadable title. It's amazing how many of these are becoming the games I'm most interested in when compared to marquise releases. It's become similar to the movie industry in that you watch the HUGE releases and enjoy them, but you're true loves are found in the independent game industry. Never Alone looks gorgeous. The little wolf sidekick is super adorable and the gameplay looks like platforming at it's finest. I know the game received relatively average reviews but I don't care. I'll play it soon enough and I'm thinking I'll love it. Only time will tell.
Runner Up: Murdered: Soul Suspect - Multiplatform
MOST DISAPPOINTING GAME
Watch_Dogs - Multiplatform
Now, I'm going to start this off by saying that I liked Watch_Dogs. However, the feeling I had when this game was shown at E3 compared to how I felt while playing it was night and day. When they showed it at E3 it looked revolutionary, like it was going to change the industry. When it finally came out, it was a sort of nifty sandbox game with a bland protagonist and a mediocre story. It wasn't at all revolutionary. The hacking stuff was pretty cool but it didn't really do much. The main character was so forgettable that I can't even remember his name and I have a 12" statue of him in my theater room. Watch_Dogs was not a bad game, it just could not live up to the hype created at E3. I'm not surprised it didn't, but I was still disappointed.
Runner Up: Transistor - Multiplatform
BEST SPORTS GAME
MLB THE SHOW: 14 - Playstation 4
The Show is the best representation of a sports game in video game form ever. It's beautiful, the graphics are good enough to fool an old man into thinking you're watching an actual game. The gameplay has been finely tuned every year and now it is nearly perfect. It's the culmination of years of devlopments. MLB is so good that they've basically wiped the competition off of the map. The Show is the only MLB release and that doesn't make them lazy. They capture everything great about baseball and distill it down until it becomes a very playable game, No matter what level of prowess you possess when it comes to the sport, The Show allows you to tweak the game to meet your skill. If you've ever had an interest in baseball, you'll find something to love about The Show.
Runner Up: NHL 15 - Multiplatform
BEST DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT
Super Ultra Dead Rising 3 Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX Alpha - Xbox One
Good DLC will take a game that you might be done with and extend it for a little bit longer. Super Ultra Dead Rising...blah blah blah did just that. I was done with Dead Rising 3 when this came out and it immediately piqued my curiosity. It takes a really good game and makes it better. Instead of just adding a level or some new weapons, it changes the entire game. It turns Dead Rising 3 into an arcade game and gives you scenarios that score points based on kills and gives you new characters and outfits to play with. The outfits allow for special powers, if you dress as Ryu you can Hadouken for example. It's not super deep but it's the perfect complement to Dead Rising 3.
Runner Up: Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island - Xbox One
GAME I'VE SPENT THE MOST TIME PLAYING
Binding of Isaac: Rebirth - PS Vita
I never played the original Binding of Isaac so this was completely new to me. The concept of roguelikes has always intrigues me but oftentimes I just find them frustrating. Something about Binding of Isaac clicks with me. I don't know if it is the massive amount of items and randomly generated maps, but I keep wanting to play more. The game can get boring, I've spent hours accomplishing nothing because I kept getting bad runs, but when you get beefed up to a God-like super badass, the game is awesome and all of the boredom is worth it. I'm still playing it on and off and I probably won't stop for a long time. It just sucks you in and doesn't let go. I could do without the kind of disturbing story and character design but I don't even notice that after awhile.
Runner Up: Forza Horizon 2 - Xbox One
BEST WIIU GAME THAT I PLAYED
Mario Kart 8 - WiiU (duh)
I didn't get a WiiU until later this year and I really only played 3 or 4 games for it. Mario Kart 8 is the one I spent the most time with and had the most fun so it's winning this category against minimal competition. It's Mario Kart...nothing new really. They haven't done much with the basic formula of Mario Kart for a long time. Sometimes they add a second person on the car, or a flying section, or some other gimmick but in the end it's all just Mario Kart. If you're reading this blog then I'm assuming you play video games and if you play video games you've played Mario Kart in one of it's forms. Mario Kart 8 is nothing special or new, but it's a ton of fun and that's what matters.
Runner Up: Wind Waker HD - WiiU (duh again)
GAME OF THE YEAR
Rayman Legends - Multiplatform
Yeah, this is it. My game of the year. Rayman Legends is incredible. Some of the finest platforming I have ever experienced. The graphics are pretty and colorful and the music is absolutely stunning. There are levels that go along with the music in perfect rhythm and they are breathtaking. Content is endless, you'll be playing this game forever to try to get everything and it never gets boring. I'm guessing this is not a popular pick for game of the year but it is without a doubt the best game I played in 2014. When I started preparing this article I made this decision knowing that if I thought of something else it could usurp it, but nothing came close. If you like the platforming genre even the tiniest bit you need to play this game.
Runner Up: Sunset Overdrive
There it is, folks. Is this the beginning of a new era of Game Beard posting? Only time will tell. I hope you enjoyed this article as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Top Ten Best Video Game Characters
I did a 10 worst characters list a while back so I felt I was overdue to talk about my 10 favorite characters. This is my opinion, not a definitive list so I'm sure some of your favorites won't be on here and some of my choices will make you go hmmmm... DEAL WITH IT...please.
I put a fair amount of thought into this and decided that I would use more story based characters so you won't be seeing Mario or Pac-Man on this list. It's not most iconic or popular characters...it's BEST characters as decided by me. My Beard is the law.
AS A WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN HERE.
10. King of All Cosmos - Katamari Series
Who doesn't love the King of All Cosmos? One of the most flamboyant and ridiculous characters in video game history, the King of All Cosmos is responsible for losing all of the stars during a drinking binge one evening and tasks his diminutive son with rebuilding the night sky by rolling a sticky ball around Earth collecting objects. He is rarely satisfied with the work and usually has something snarky to say about it. What really makes The King of All Cosmos stand out though is his design. Gigantic and rainbow headed with a giant purple crotch bulge, the King of All Cosmos has nothing to hide...and we've had everything to gain from his outlandish behavior.
QUOTES:
"We broke it. Yes, we were naughty. Completely naughty. So, so very sorry. But just between you and us, it felt quite good."
"This sky is not pretty at all. It's rough and masculine. Possibly sweaty."
"We are moved to tears by the size of this thing."
9. Terra Branford - Final Fantasy VI
It's my favorite game of all time so this list requires a character from it. I was torn on which to include, I thought about Kefka, Sabin, Shadow, Leo, etc... but in the end decided on Terra. She is the closest thing to a main protagonist the game has to offer. Born to a human mother and an esper father, Terra is considered a freak by some for her ability to naturally use magic. She is kidnapped by the empire and forced to do their bidding under the control of a slave crown, she encounters an Esper in the beginning of the game while working with Vicks and Wedge. The Esper kills them but leaves her alive after an odd connection between them develops. She spends the game confused about her self and her ability to love. Before the world is destroyed she learns of her half esper self and her ability to transform into an esper. She flies off in a terrified rage and is missing until after Kefka ravages the world. Later you find her in the care of a bunch of orphaned children and unwilling to continue the fight until her family is attacked by a monster released by Kefka's evil. She risks her life in the end, using the last of her power to save her friends. It's only after that she learns she will become completely human due to her attachment to the orphans she's grown to love.
QUOTES:
"Ewwww! Something's stuck to my leg!"
"Come with me. I'll lead you out with my last ounce of strength."
"It's strange, isn't it? The Empire used me, controlled my very thoughts...and now here I am, cooperating with the same people."
8. GLaDOS - Portal Series
GLaDOS or Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System is one of the most well written characters you'll ever encounter, GLaDOS is a walking meme, a robotic quote machine, hilarious and evil at the same time. She spends the series tormenting the main character with traps, puzzles, and clever dialogue. The only robot on the list, GLaDOS has as much personality as anyone. She's oozing with it. She lives to test and torture the main character and makes damn well sure you know it. In the second game she gets tricked and ends up in a potato battery...everyone loved potatoes! She works along side you and some of her backstory is revealed. You learn that she was a human at one point, an assistant to Cave Johnson named Caroline who was uploaded into the machine. At the end of the game she regains her power and deletes the portion of her memory so that she can be a cold, calculating machine again. She still allows the main character to escape though since she's decided that you are too dangerous to keep around. Oh yeah...she sings too.
QUOTES:
"Cake, and grief counseling, will be available at the conclusion of the test."
"Area and state regulations do not allow the Companion Cube to remain here, alone and companionless."
"There was even going to be a party for you. A big party that all your friends were invited to. I invited your best friend, the Companion Cube. Of course, he couldn't come because you murdered him. All your other friends couldn't come, either, because you don't have any other friends because of how unlikable you are. It says so right here in your personnel file: "Unlikable. Liked by no one. A bitter, unlikable loner, whose passing shall not be mourned. Shall NOT be mourned." That's exactly what it says. Very formal. Very official. It also says you were adopted, so that's funny, too."
7. Augustus Cole - Gears of War Trilogy
THE COLE TRAIN! Hell yeah! The big badass himself sits in the number seven spot on the list. He's here because he is a complete badass. Shooting the hell out of Locust and enjoying every minute of it. Before "Emergence Day" Cole was a world class Thrashball athlete, one of the most popular in the world. As he travels with your crew he is often remembered as such and still loved by the people. He rejects military promotion because he knows it won't change the number of locust he can kill. His finest moment comes in the third game, when he has a Thrashball flashback and using his athletic skills he risks his life to save the team and take down a horde of enemies. His energy and intensity are infectious, and you can't help but love listening to him talk. He wins out over the rest of the characters for just this reason.
QUOTES:
"Hell yeah, baby. Everyone wants to see The Cole Train play!"
"Yeah! Wooo! Bring it on, sucka! This is my kinda shit!"
"Delta squad is your house, bitch! You hear that shit? You grubby-ass bitches are goin' down! Like way down-dead down, so down you ain't even goona know which way is up! Your asses are gonna be cryin' to your skank-ass queen, 'Oh, mommy, don't let the bad man hurt us!' Fuck you! We're gonna whup your mamma's ass. Woo!"
6. Scott Shelby - Heavy Rain
Heavy Rain is a very polarizing game. Seems like everyone either loved it or hated it. I'm very much on the loved it side of the spectrum. One of my favorite games of all time, Heavy Rain was less about action and more about story. The player switched between controlling a few different characters as they all hunt for the mysterious "Origami Killer" a person kidnapping and murdering children. Scott Shelby is an ex-marine and retired police officer working as a private detective on the hunt, a little portly, relatively plain looking, he's an everyman, the kind of guy a lot of people can relate to. Shelby has asthma which plays a role in the game on several occasions. As Heavy Rain progresses you learn more and more about Shelby. He had an abusive father and a brother who died at a young age due in large part to their father's drunken negligence. Drowning at a construction site because their father wouldn't come rescue him from a drain pipe slowly filling with rain. it drove Shelby slightly mad. It's at this point we learn that the detective who is seemingly hunting the Origami Killer is actually the killer himself. He's kidnapping children and putting them in the same situation that killed his brother, trying to find a man who can do what his father could not. He's cold and calculating and the reveal is a pretty serious twist. Heavy Rain wasn't without it's problems, but it's one of the few games that really tries to tell an excellent story and Scott Shelby is the central character throughout.
QUOTES:
"Goddamn Asthma. Can't breath when it rains. "
"My name is Scott Shelby, I'm a private detective. The families of the victims of the Origami Killer asked me to investigate the murders."
"I've been looking for a long, long time Ethan. Looking for a father, that would be able to do what mine could not do: sacrifice himself, in order to save his son. Oh, I searched, searched and searched... And then, I remembered you"
5. Ezio Auditore da Firenze - Assassin's Creed 2 and sequels.
Ezio Auditore has been the main protagonist of the last 3 Assassin's Creed games. We've watched him live out his life and grow as an assassin. He's a ladies man, a good looking, smooth talking, Italian Stallion. He was only 17 when we first meet him and completely unaware of his assassin background. He witnessed he hanging of his father and two brothers and learned of his true fate after fleeing with his remaining family. He trains as an assassin to gain vengeance on the Borgias who ordered the hangings. On the way he is involved with many famous people including Colombus and DaVinci. He uses his skills as an assassin to help them and many others, battling the templars and spreading the ideas of free living in Italy. His story comes to a conclusion at the ripe age of when he dies of a heart attack. It's a complete story about a true badass that everyone can love.
QUOTES:
"I heard your name once before, Desmond, a long time ago. And now it lingers in my mind like an image from an old dream. I do not know where you are, or by what means you can hear me. But I know you are listening."
"It's over Rodrigo. No more tricks, no more ancient artifacts, no more weapons. Let's see what you are made of, old man!"
"I thought... I thought I was beyond this. But I'm not. I've waited too long, lost too much. Requiescat in Pace, you bastard!"
4. Lara Croft - Tomb Raider Series
The boobalicious one herself. Sure, she may be most famous for the gigantic set of knockers her designers decided to give her, but there is a lot more to her character then just a pair of sweater puppies. Her character has changed a bit over time, but one thing never changes...she raids tombs. Her British accent is as iconic as her lovely lady lumps, and recent games have gone a long way to adding depth to her character. She's a female Indiana Jones essentially, and who doesn't love Indiana Jones? She's a badass with a take no crap attitude, a gun toting, tomb raiding, tea drinking, bad guy shooting British lady.
QUOTES:
"It seems father was full of surprises."
"I need Thor's belt to get to his hammer, and I need the hammer to kill a god."
"Don't you think you've seen enough? "
3. Solid Snake - Metal Gear Series
I've realized I've used the word "badass" a lot in this countdown so I'm a little hesitant to use it again. However, if there was ever a video game character that personified the concept of "badass" it would be Solid Snake. I'm not even going to try to cover the story here (I don't have all day) but Snake is the main protagonist throughout the majority of the series. Even when you are forced to control another, he is in the story doing badass stuff in a badass way.Depending on how you play the games he's either a mass murderer, taking down bad guys with neck snapping precision, a gun toting maniac, mowing down enemies with automatic weapons, or he can basically be a ninja, sneaking and maneuvering undetected through enemy territory. Usually not far from his cigarettes he has the grizzled voice of a veteran soldier that has seen more then most people could ever imagine. He takes down giant nuclear missile robots for breakfast and defeats robot presidents for lunch. Dinner is usually a light salad...a grizzled light salad.
QUOTES:
"Unfortunately, killing is just one of those things that gets easier the more you do it."
"Yeah. I do. I think at any time, any place, people can fall in love with each other. But if you love someone, you have to be able to protect them. "
"We can tell other people about - having faith. What we had faith in. What we found important enough to fight for. It's not whether you were right or wrong, but how much faith you were willing to have, that decides the future. "
2. Shepard - Mass Effect Series
The Mass Effect series is probably the best story driven game series ever made. Spanning three chronological games, you're brought along for a hell of a ride, starting off as the first human Spectre(an agent given great power and responsibility by an interstellar council of races) then moving on to uncover the approach of a swarm of machines bent on the destruction of all life, then finally culminating in the battle to try and save the universe. The game itself is designed in a way that I can't really talk about the character too much. The player is given choices on how they wish to proceed. Mass Effect did a great job giving the player choices actual weight since they effect the story in later games as well. You can play Shepard as a "Paragon" a "Renegade" or something in between. No matter how you choose to play the story is unfolded and you feel like you are directly responsible for the progression. It's a rare feat for games. Most games guide you along a path and you just play along. Mass Effect is one of the few games that gives you the control to act as you please, to carve out the story with your choices, and Shepard is always at the center.
QUOTES:
"I'm sorry, I'm having trouble hearing you- I'm getting a lot of bullshit on this line."
"What sound will you make when you hit the ground? You think you'll hear it before you die?"
"And I'm going to do what you brought me back to do. I'll fight and win this war without compromising the soul of our species."
1. Nathan Drake - Uncharted Series
Here we are at number one. My all-time favorite video game character, Nathan Drake. He's good looking, witty, fearless, and romantic. The ultimate ladies' man and a balls out adventurer, Nathan Drake is responsible for the death of at least a million evil henchmen through the course of his story. Claiming to be a descendant of the famous Sir Francis Drake he sets out on an adventure to find El Dorado. He travels all over the world and battles baddies in all sorts of locales, from rainforest to ruins to palatial mansions. His greatest attribute, and the reason he is number one on this list, is because he is so believable. Obviously he can take more bullets then the average human ever could and he heals by hiding behind cover, but he runs and stumbles through the jungles, barely making jumps and struggling at times to climb over objects. He's physically impressive, but he's not Superman, he makes mistakes just like any of us. He's the video game equivalent of Indiana Jones with a better sense of humor and there's nothing wrong with that.
QUOTES:
"Great, power's out, and a girl's trapped. I swear to God, if there's a Zombie around the next corner... "
"Man only interested in the climax. You must be a real hit with the ladies."
"Y'know, people are always telling me how lucky I am. But the truth is, everything I touch turns to shit."
I put a fair amount of thought into this and decided that I would use more story based characters so you won't be seeing Mario or Pac-Man on this list. It's not most iconic or popular characters...it's BEST characters as decided by me. My Beard is the law.
AS A WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN HERE.
10. King of All Cosmos - Katamari Series
Who doesn't love the King of All Cosmos? One of the most flamboyant and ridiculous characters in video game history, the King of All Cosmos is responsible for losing all of the stars during a drinking binge one evening and tasks his diminutive son with rebuilding the night sky by rolling a sticky ball around Earth collecting objects. He is rarely satisfied with the work and usually has something snarky to say about it. What really makes The King of All Cosmos stand out though is his design. Gigantic and rainbow headed with a giant purple crotch bulge, the King of All Cosmos has nothing to hide...and we've had everything to gain from his outlandish behavior.
QUOTES:
"We broke it. Yes, we were naughty. Completely naughty. So, so very sorry. But just between you and us, it felt quite good."
"This sky is not pretty at all. It's rough and masculine. Possibly sweaty."
"We are moved to tears by the size of this thing."
9. Terra Branford - Final Fantasy VI
It's my favorite game of all time so this list requires a character from it. I was torn on which to include, I thought about Kefka, Sabin, Shadow, Leo, etc... but in the end decided on Terra. She is the closest thing to a main protagonist the game has to offer. Born to a human mother and an esper father, Terra is considered a freak by some for her ability to naturally use magic. She is kidnapped by the empire and forced to do their bidding under the control of a slave crown, she encounters an Esper in the beginning of the game while working with Vicks and Wedge. The Esper kills them but leaves her alive after an odd connection between them develops. She spends the game confused about her self and her ability to love. Before the world is destroyed she learns of her half esper self and her ability to transform into an esper. She flies off in a terrified rage and is missing until after Kefka ravages the world. Later you find her in the care of a bunch of orphaned children and unwilling to continue the fight until her family is attacked by a monster released by Kefka's evil. She risks her life in the end, using the last of her power to save her friends. It's only after that she learns she will become completely human due to her attachment to the orphans she's grown to love.
QUOTES:
"Ewwww! Something's stuck to my leg!"
"Come with me. I'll lead you out with my last ounce of strength."
"It's strange, isn't it? The Empire used me, controlled my very thoughts...and now here I am, cooperating with the same people."
8. GLaDOS - Portal Series
GLaDOS or Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System is one of the most well written characters you'll ever encounter, GLaDOS is a walking meme, a robotic quote machine, hilarious and evil at the same time. She spends the series tormenting the main character with traps, puzzles, and clever dialogue. The only robot on the list, GLaDOS has as much personality as anyone. She's oozing with it. She lives to test and torture the main character and makes damn well sure you know it. In the second game she gets tricked and ends up in a potato battery...everyone loved potatoes! She works along side you and some of her backstory is revealed. You learn that she was a human at one point, an assistant to Cave Johnson named Caroline who was uploaded into the machine. At the end of the game she regains her power and deletes the portion of her memory so that she can be a cold, calculating machine again. She still allows the main character to escape though since she's decided that you are too dangerous to keep around. Oh yeah...she sings too.
QUOTES:
"Cake, and grief counseling, will be available at the conclusion of the test."
"Area and state regulations do not allow the Companion Cube to remain here, alone and companionless."
"There was even going to be a party for you. A big party that all your friends were invited to. I invited your best friend, the Companion Cube. Of course, he couldn't come because you murdered him. All your other friends couldn't come, either, because you don't have any other friends because of how unlikable you are. It says so right here in your personnel file: "Unlikable. Liked by no one. A bitter, unlikable loner, whose passing shall not be mourned. Shall NOT be mourned." That's exactly what it says. Very formal. Very official. It also says you were adopted, so that's funny, too."
7. Augustus Cole - Gears of War Trilogy
THE COLE TRAIN! Hell yeah! The big badass himself sits in the number seven spot on the list. He's here because he is a complete badass. Shooting the hell out of Locust and enjoying every minute of it. Before "Emergence Day" Cole was a world class Thrashball athlete, one of the most popular in the world. As he travels with your crew he is often remembered as such and still loved by the people. He rejects military promotion because he knows it won't change the number of locust he can kill. His finest moment comes in the third game, when he has a Thrashball flashback and using his athletic skills he risks his life to save the team and take down a horde of enemies. His energy and intensity are infectious, and you can't help but love listening to him talk. He wins out over the rest of the characters for just this reason.
QUOTES:
"Hell yeah, baby. Everyone wants to see The Cole Train play!"
"Yeah! Wooo! Bring it on, sucka! This is my kinda shit!"
"Delta squad is your house, bitch! You hear that shit? You grubby-ass bitches are goin' down! Like way down-dead down, so down you ain't even goona know which way is up! Your asses are gonna be cryin' to your skank-ass queen, 'Oh, mommy, don't let the bad man hurt us!' Fuck you! We're gonna whup your mamma's ass. Woo!"
6. Scott Shelby - Heavy Rain
Heavy Rain is a very polarizing game. Seems like everyone either loved it or hated it. I'm very much on the loved it side of the spectrum. One of my favorite games of all time, Heavy Rain was less about action and more about story. The player switched between controlling a few different characters as they all hunt for the mysterious "Origami Killer" a person kidnapping and murdering children. Scott Shelby is an ex-marine and retired police officer working as a private detective on the hunt, a little portly, relatively plain looking, he's an everyman, the kind of guy a lot of people can relate to. Shelby has asthma which plays a role in the game on several occasions. As Heavy Rain progresses you learn more and more about Shelby. He had an abusive father and a brother who died at a young age due in large part to their father's drunken negligence. Drowning at a construction site because their father wouldn't come rescue him from a drain pipe slowly filling with rain. it drove Shelby slightly mad. It's at this point we learn that the detective who is seemingly hunting the Origami Killer is actually the killer himself. He's kidnapping children and putting them in the same situation that killed his brother, trying to find a man who can do what his father could not. He's cold and calculating and the reveal is a pretty serious twist. Heavy Rain wasn't without it's problems, but it's one of the few games that really tries to tell an excellent story and Scott Shelby is the central character throughout.
QUOTES:
"Goddamn Asthma. Can't breath when it rains. "
"My name is Scott Shelby, I'm a private detective. The families of the victims of the Origami Killer asked me to investigate the murders."
"I've been looking for a long, long time Ethan. Looking for a father, that would be able to do what mine could not do: sacrifice himself, in order to save his son. Oh, I searched, searched and searched... And then, I remembered you"
5. Ezio Auditore da Firenze - Assassin's Creed 2 and sequels.
Ezio Auditore has been the main protagonist of the last 3 Assassin's Creed games. We've watched him live out his life and grow as an assassin. He's a ladies man, a good looking, smooth talking, Italian Stallion. He was only 17 when we first meet him and completely unaware of his assassin background. He witnessed he hanging of his father and two brothers and learned of his true fate after fleeing with his remaining family. He trains as an assassin to gain vengeance on the Borgias who ordered the hangings. On the way he is involved with many famous people including Colombus and DaVinci. He uses his skills as an assassin to help them and many others, battling the templars and spreading the ideas of free living in Italy. His story comes to a conclusion at the ripe age of when he dies of a heart attack. It's a complete story about a true badass that everyone can love.
QUOTES:
"I heard your name once before, Desmond, a long time ago. And now it lingers in my mind like an image from an old dream. I do not know where you are, or by what means you can hear me. But I know you are listening."
"It's over Rodrigo. No more tricks, no more ancient artifacts, no more weapons. Let's see what you are made of, old man!"
"I thought... I thought I was beyond this. But I'm not. I've waited too long, lost too much. Requiescat in Pace, you bastard!"
4. Lara Croft - Tomb Raider Series
The boobalicious one herself. Sure, she may be most famous for the gigantic set of knockers her designers decided to give her, but there is a lot more to her character then just a pair of sweater puppies. Her character has changed a bit over time, but one thing never changes...she raids tombs. Her British accent is as iconic as her lovely lady lumps, and recent games have gone a long way to adding depth to her character. She's a female Indiana Jones essentially, and who doesn't love Indiana Jones? She's a badass with a take no crap attitude, a gun toting, tomb raiding, tea drinking, bad guy shooting British lady.
QUOTES:
"It seems father was full of surprises."
"I need Thor's belt to get to his hammer, and I need the hammer to kill a god."
"Don't you think you've seen enough? "
3. Solid Snake - Metal Gear Series
I've realized I've used the word "badass" a lot in this countdown so I'm a little hesitant to use it again. However, if there was ever a video game character that personified the concept of "badass" it would be Solid Snake. I'm not even going to try to cover the story here (I don't have all day) but Snake is the main protagonist throughout the majority of the series. Even when you are forced to control another, he is in the story doing badass stuff in a badass way.Depending on how you play the games he's either a mass murderer, taking down bad guys with neck snapping precision, a gun toting maniac, mowing down enemies with automatic weapons, or he can basically be a ninja, sneaking and maneuvering undetected through enemy territory. Usually not far from his cigarettes he has the grizzled voice of a veteran soldier that has seen more then most people could ever imagine. He takes down giant nuclear missile robots for breakfast and defeats robot presidents for lunch. Dinner is usually a light salad...a grizzled light salad.
QUOTES:
"Unfortunately, killing is just one of those things that gets easier the more you do it."
"Yeah. I do. I think at any time, any place, people can fall in love with each other. But if you love someone, you have to be able to protect them. "
"We can tell other people about - having faith. What we had faith in. What we found important enough to fight for. It's not whether you were right or wrong, but how much faith you were willing to have, that decides the future. "
2. Shepard - Mass Effect Series
The Mass Effect series is probably the best story driven game series ever made. Spanning three chronological games, you're brought along for a hell of a ride, starting off as the first human Spectre(an agent given great power and responsibility by an interstellar council of races) then moving on to uncover the approach of a swarm of machines bent on the destruction of all life, then finally culminating in the battle to try and save the universe. The game itself is designed in a way that I can't really talk about the character too much. The player is given choices on how they wish to proceed. Mass Effect did a great job giving the player choices actual weight since they effect the story in later games as well. You can play Shepard as a "Paragon" a "Renegade" or something in between. No matter how you choose to play the story is unfolded and you feel like you are directly responsible for the progression. It's a rare feat for games. Most games guide you along a path and you just play along. Mass Effect is one of the few games that gives you the control to act as you please, to carve out the story with your choices, and Shepard is always at the center.
QUOTES:
"I'm sorry, I'm having trouble hearing you- I'm getting a lot of bullshit on this line."
"What sound will you make when you hit the ground? You think you'll hear it before you die?"
"And I'm going to do what you brought me back to do. I'll fight and win this war without compromising the soul of our species."
1. Nathan Drake - Uncharted Series
Here we are at number one. My all-time favorite video game character, Nathan Drake. He's good looking, witty, fearless, and romantic. The ultimate ladies' man and a balls out adventurer, Nathan Drake is responsible for the death of at least a million evil henchmen through the course of his story. Claiming to be a descendant of the famous Sir Francis Drake he sets out on an adventure to find El Dorado. He travels all over the world and battles baddies in all sorts of locales, from rainforest to ruins to palatial mansions. His greatest attribute, and the reason he is number one on this list, is because he is so believable. Obviously he can take more bullets then the average human ever could and he heals by hiding behind cover, but he runs and stumbles through the jungles, barely making jumps and struggling at times to climb over objects. He's physically impressive, but he's not Superman, he makes mistakes just like any of us. He's the video game equivalent of Indiana Jones with a better sense of humor and there's nothing wrong with that.
QUOTES:
"Great, power's out, and a girl's trapped. I swear to God, if there's a Zombie around the next corner... "
"Man only interested in the climax. You must be a real hit with the ladies."
"Y'know, people are always telling me how lucky I am. But the truth is, everything I touch turns to shit."
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Tales of Tony Hawk...He's got THE RUNS
Started playing 3 games since my last Game Beard update. Based on the title of this entry you might be able to figure out that those 3 games are Tales of Graces f, Tony Hawk HD, and Need for Speed: The Run.
Tales of Graces f (I'm not typing the little f anymore after this) has been dominating most of my playing time as of late. I love me some Tales games, always have. Tales of Symphonia, Vesperia, Abyss...loved them all. Loved them for their flaws and for their strengths. I'm happy that as games keep changing, the Tales games basically stay the same. It's refreshing to know what to expect before I even start playing.
The downside to this is the Tales games rarely surprise you, and Graces isn't much different. They do make minor changes to the way character advancement works but overall, if you've played one Tales game you've played them all. This isn't a condemnation of the series by any stretch of the imagination, each iteration has been a solid if not amazing experience so I'm perfectly happy with them changing very little from game to game.
I'm about 25 hours in at this point (which is usually about halfway in my experience) so I've still got a lot of game left to play. Therefore, I'm not going to judge the game too much yet. As of right now, I'm loving it. It's everything I wanted and expected it to be. With a lack of JRPG's these days, Tales of Graces is like a breath of fresh air to this tired, old gamer.
Speaking of tired, old gamers, I was 18 or 19 when the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater debuted and I played the ever loving poop out of it and its sequels. Therefore, to say I was excited when I heard they were remaking it in HD and releasing it on XBLA would be an understatement. Now that I'm finally playing it, it's like eating a glorious sandwich with lettuce, mayo, tomato, and nostalgia on 2 thick slices of sourdough...well, sourdough might make it seem bad...but I did say delicious...whatever...it's great!
It's seems to be a perfect port, same levels, same controls, just better graphics...AND YOU CAN USE YOUR AVATAR! As much as I used to play it, I'm surprised by how much I've forgotten. It's almost like a new game to me. I vaguely remember the levels, remember the basic controls, but the details are a little blurry. It's great figuring something out and having that flash of nostalgia though. Like when I remembered to grind the helicopter to open up more area on The Hangar. If you were ever a fan of Tony Hawk games, you owe it to yourself to buy this.
Last game on my agenda this evening is Need for Speed: The Run. I've really barely scratched the surface, finishing one chapter out of ten, but so far I'm definitely enjoying it. The basic premise is you are running a race across the country from San Francisco to New York City. You play it out in short racing sections where you either need to make up time by reaching checkpoints, or pass so man competitors within a certain amount of time. There may be more variety but like I said, I'm really still in the early stages.
Good games going on around here. I've still got a couple sitting on the shelf waiting to be played. Darkness 2, Kingdoms of Amalur, Vanquish, etc...I plan on finishing Tales of Graces before I start up anything else though.
Look forward to more opinions in the future, gentle readership. Until next time...Stay bearded.
Tales of Graces f (I'm not typing the little f anymore after this) has been dominating most of my playing time as of late. I love me some Tales games, always have. Tales of Symphonia, Vesperia, Abyss...loved them all. Loved them for their flaws and for their strengths. I'm happy that as games keep changing, the Tales games basically stay the same. It's refreshing to know what to expect before I even start playing.
The downside to this is the Tales games rarely surprise you, and Graces isn't much different. They do make minor changes to the way character advancement works but overall, if you've played one Tales game you've played them all. This isn't a condemnation of the series by any stretch of the imagination, each iteration has been a solid if not amazing experience so I'm perfectly happy with them changing very little from game to game.
I'm about 25 hours in at this point (which is usually about halfway in my experience) so I've still got a lot of game left to play. Therefore, I'm not going to judge the game too much yet. As of right now, I'm loving it. It's everything I wanted and expected it to be. With a lack of JRPG's these days, Tales of Graces is like a breath of fresh air to this tired, old gamer.
Speaking of tired, old gamers, I was 18 or 19 when the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater debuted and I played the ever loving poop out of it and its sequels. Therefore, to say I was excited when I heard they were remaking it in HD and releasing it on XBLA would be an understatement. Now that I'm finally playing it, it's like eating a glorious sandwich with lettuce, mayo, tomato, and nostalgia on 2 thick slices of sourdough...well, sourdough might make it seem bad...but I did say delicious...whatever...it's great!
It's seems to be a perfect port, same levels, same controls, just better graphics...AND YOU CAN USE YOUR AVATAR! As much as I used to play it, I'm surprised by how much I've forgotten. It's almost like a new game to me. I vaguely remember the levels, remember the basic controls, but the details are a little blurry. It's great figuring something out and having that flash of nostalgia though. Like when I remembered to grind the helicopter to open up more area on The Hangar. If you were ever a fan of Tony Hawk games, you owe it to yourself to buy this.
Last game on my agenda this evening is Need for Speed: The Run. I've really barely scratched the surface, finishing one chapter out of ten, but so far I'm definitely enjoying it. The basic premise is you are running a race across the country from San Francisco to New York City. You play it out in short racing sections where you either need to make up time by reaching checkpoints, or pass so man competitors within a certain amount of time. There may be more variety but like I said, I'm really still in the early stages.
Good games going on around here. I've still got a couple sitting on the shelf waiting to be played. Darkness 2, Kingdoms of Amalur, Vanquish, etc...I plan on finishing Tales of Graces before I start up anything else though.
Look forward to more opinions in the future, gentle readership. Until next time...Stay bearded.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Mass Effect 3: About Damn Time I Played It
I was very late on the bandwagon playing Mass Effect 3. Despite really enjoying the first 2 games I had somehow convinced myself that Mass Effect 3 wasn't going to be very good or I wasn't going to enjoy it or something...I don't know. I can now safely say (upon completion of the game) that I was very wrong indeed.
The game has been out long enough now that there isn't anything new I can say about it. Odds are anyone who wants to know about the game at this point has already either played it, or read about it so I'm not going to go in depth with detail. Instead, I'll waste your time with my feelings and opinions.
It's a beautiful game both mentally and visually. The graphics are on par with anything I've played on the Xbox. Some of the set pieces are absolutely breath taking and the action at times is over the top with awesomeness. From a mental standpoint, Mass Effect 3 picks up right where the first 2 games left off. Excellent storytelling and acting weave a masterful tale that grips you until the very end when it kind of peters out into a little poof. Really, the only disappointing part of the entire trilogy is the very end. I'd hate to sound like every other person out there but the fact of the matter is, the ending just isn't very good. All of the build up and time spent over 3 truly great games deserves a better ending. I'm not going to spoil what happens for the few people who haven't played it yet but it was definitely a disappointment. I had the ending spoiled for me, and when I heard what happened I didn't really get what all of the ire was about. It sounded like a fine ending to me, but when I actually played the game, I understood a lot better. It's not necessarily what happens, but how it happens. It's just a dud.
The gamepay though is spot on. They've taken the basic formula found in the first game and spent 2 games honing it and trimming the fat until they've distilled it down to near perfection. The action is fast paced and exciting, the controls are tight, combat is just an absolute blast. If you have a Kinect you can control your squad mates with your voice, or tell the game when to pick up items and salvage materials with a single vocal command. It's pretty cool, but doesn't really add or detract from the experience. I found myself using it once in a while as a novelty but nothing more.
Sound in this game is excellent. The gun shots hit enemies with the most satisfying of thuds, space ships fly through relays, monsters growl and stomp as they attack, biotic attacks buzz and hum with power. The music is very subdued but fits the game perfectly. It's done in a way that you only notice it when you're supposed to and it's done to perfection.
The enemies are another minor flaw in the game. The lack of variation gets a little stale after awhile. It's a lot of the same basic enemies over and over again with an occasional stronger enemy thrown in the mix. The enemies do use tactics pretty well though. They will duck in and out of cover to fire, use cloaking to get in the middle of your group then lay waste to your team with powerful close range attacks. The game is pretty tough on normal difficulty(which is what I played on) but never so tough that you get frustrated. Each death felt like it was my fault for not using proper strategy rather than AI cheating or overpowered enemies.
In the end, I went into Mass Effect 3 with pretty tempered expectations and came out extremely pleased. Why my expectations were tempered in the first place, I do not know. I loved the first 2 games in the series so it made sense that I loved this one as well. Whatever the reason, I'm glad because it made me enjoy the game that much more. I rented it so I didn't get to try any of the multiplayer but I've heard good things about it. Maybe when I can find it cheap I'll buy it so I can check it out and speak more thoroughly on it then, but for now I'll just say I've not heard anything bad about it. Mass Effect 3 is an almost perfect conclusion to the trilogy. A wild ride for 99% of the game that peters out at the very, very end. Far from enough to keep this game from being a must play though.
The game has been out long enough now that there isn't anything new I can say about it. Odds are anyone who wants to know about the game at this point has already either played it, or read about it so I'm not going to go in depth with detail. Instead, I'll waste your time with my feelings and opinions.
It's a beautiful game both mentally and visually. The graphics are on par with anything I've played on the Xbox. Some of the set pieces are absolutely breath taking and the action at times is over the top with awesomeness. From a mental standpoint, Mass Effect 3 picks up right where the first 2 games left off. Excellent storytelling and acting weave a masterful tale that grips you until the very end when it kind of peters out into a little poof. Really, the only disappointing part of the entire trilogy is the very end. I'd hate to sound like every other person out there but the fact of the matter is, the ending just isn't very good. All of the build up and time spent over 3 truly great games deserves a better ending. I'm not going to spoil what happens for the few people who haven't played it yet but it was definitely a disappointment. I had the ending spoiled for me, and when I heard what happened I didn't really get what all of the ire was about. It sounded like a fine ending to me, but when I actually played the game, I understood a lot better. It's not necessarily what happens, but how it happens. It's just a dud.
The gamepay though is spot on. They've taken the basic formula found in the first game and spent 2 games honing it and trimming the fat until they've distilled it down to near perfection. The action is fast paced and exciting, the controls are tight, combat is just an absolute blast. If you have a Kinect you can control your squad mates with your voice, or tell the game when to pick up items and salvage materials with a single vocal command. It's pretty cool, but doesn't really add or detract from the experience. I found myself using it once in a while as a novelty but nothing more.
Sound in this game is excellent. The gun shots hit enemies with the most satisfying of thuds, space ships fly through relays, monsters growl and stomp as they attack, biotic attacks buzz and hum with power. The music is very subdued but fits the game perfectly. It's done in a way that you only notice it when you're supposed to and it's done to perfection.
The enemies are another minor flaw in the game. The lack of variation gets a little stale after awhile. It's a lot of the same basic enemies over and over again with an occasional stronger enemy thrown in the mix. The enemies do use tactics pretty well though. They will duck in and out of cover to fire, use cloaking to get in the middle of your group then lay waste to your team with powerful close range attacks. The game is pretty tough on normal difficulty(which is what I played on) but never so tough that you get frustrated. Each death felt like it was my fault for not using proper strategy rather than AI cheating or overpowered enemies.
In the end, I went into Mass Effect 3 with pretty tempered expectations and came out extremely pleased. Why my expectations were tempered in the first place, I do not know. I loved the first 2 games in the series so it made sense that I loved this one as well. Whatever the reason, I'm glad because it made me enjoy the game that much more. I rented it so I didn't get to try any of the multiplayer but I've heard good things about it. Maybe when I can find it cheap I'll buy it so I can check it out and speak more thoroughly on it then, but for now I'll just say I've not heard anything bad about it. Mass Effect 3 is an almost perfect conclusion to the trilogy. A wild ride for 99% of the game that peters out at the very, very end. Far from enough to keep this game from being a must play though.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Assassin's Creed 3 TRAILER TALK
Man, the trailer for Assassin's Creed 3 has really left me divided. Part of me absolutely loved what I saw and is more excited for this game then any I can think of in recent memory.
Another part of me hated what I saw and is completely worried about the game being a steaming pile.
Deep down, I know I should probably fall somewhere in between right now. The game isn't due out until late October/early November and information about is will slowly leak out over the months leading up to the release.
Seeing some screenshots of Boston and New York has me leaning back towards excited. I can see the old Ass Creed gameplay being applied there with roof running and parkour and all that jazz. The stuff from the original trailer in the woods is what really had me kind of worried. I don't want to be sneaking around in the woods, I want to be running through a city. If they forest parts are a smaller part of the game then I welcome them as a change up from the basic city parts, but if they are more prevalent then I may not love it as much.
I preordered the game from Best Buy strictly because I got a kick ass metal case. I may get it day one, I may not. Technically, I shouldn't even be thinking about it until I finish Revelations. I've had Revelations since day one and I've really barely put any time into it. If history holds true then one day I'll pick it up and I won't put it down until I'm finished with it. That's what happened with the last two Ass Creed games.
Anyway, my curiosity is definitely peaked at this point. It's good to see the game go in a different direction as long as they don't lose the soul that made it so great in the first place. They haven't let us down with the previous three Assassin's Creed games (the first one gets a bye since it was the first and they learned so well from it) so I have to imagine they won't disappoint with Assassin's Creed 3.
Another part of me hated what I saw and is completely worried about the game being a steaming pile.
Deep down, I know I should probably fall somewhere in between right now. The game isn't due out until late October/early November and information about is will slowly leak out over the months leading up to the release.
Seeing some screenshots of Boston and New York has me leaning back towards excited. I can see the old Ass Creed gameplay being applied there with roof running and parkour and all that jazz. The stuff from the original trailer in the woods is what really had me kind of worried. I don't want to be sneaking around in the woods, I want to be running through a city. If they forest parts are a smaller part of the game then I welcome them as a change up from the basic city parts, but if they are more prevalent then I may not love it as much.
I preordered the game from Best Buy strictly because I got a kick ass metal case. I may get it day one, I may not. Technically, I shouldn't even be thinking about it until I finish Revelations. I've had Revelations since day one and I've really barely put any time into it. If history holds true then one day I'll pick it up and I won't put it down until I'm finished with it. That's what happened with the last two Ass Creed games.
Anyway, my curiosity is definitely peaked at this point. It's good to see the game go in a different direction as long as they don't lose the soul that made it so great in the first place. They haven't let us down with the previous three Assassin's Creed games (the first one gets a bye since it was the first and they learned so well from it) so I have to imagine they won't disappoint with Assassin's Creed 3.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Final Fantasy XIII-2 which I think is like 20 or something.
I don't know exactly how many Final Fantasy games there are. I've played every numbered edition except for 14 and I've played a couple on the Gameboy back in the day, and I played Mystic Quest. When you add all of those together along with the Crystal Chronicles games you get...probably closer to 25 but whatever. There's a lot of them and most of them fall somewhere between good and amazing. The scale for me goes FFVIII on one end and FFVI on the other. Every other game falls somewhere between these two on the scale. Something like Mystic Quest falls on the VIII side of the scale. FFXIII-2 definitely fits in the group of better Final Fantasy games.
Upon rereading that paragraph up there I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense. All I was trying to say is that FFXIII-2 is a really good game. If you played FFXIII then you already have a pretty good idea what XIII-2 is about. The combat is exactly the same, utilizing "paradigm shifts" to change character classes mid-fight to make for fast, seamless combat. When I first played XIII the idea of the combat really turned me off. I didn't like the idea of losing meticulous control of my characters. I wanted to input each individual command myself. After playing the game though, I understood the system a lot better and it very simply works. Taking out the menus allows for really fast and exciting fights. You can pay more attention to the action on screen instead of constantly being lost in the next menu.
The biggest difference between XIII-2 and XIII is...well, XIII-2 is a lot better. They took all of the good from XIII and eliminated most of the bad. It doesn't feel linear anymore, it doesn't take 75% of the game to really open up, and you don't have to play for 20 hours before you can develop your characters and party properly. The most notable difference is the lack of a third story character. Instead of swapping between characters like in XIII, you use Serah and Noel for the entire game. The third party member is a monster that you can capture yourself. Most of the monsters you encounter in the game are capturable, you don't have to do anything special, it just randomly happens. This adds a really cool element to the game. Each monster represents one of the available combat classes (Ravager, Commando, Sentinel, etc...)and you level them up with objects that are dropped by monsters or purchased from the Chocobo lady who acts as a store.
The story is...well, it's pretty convoluted. Basically, Serah and Noel are travelling through time gates fixing paradoxes all while searching for Lightning who is trapped in Valhalla battling this dude Caius who is also travelling through time and trying to stop you while also battling Lightning in Valhalla and he has this girl Yuel who exists in different times and is a different person but looks the same and is dead but isn't dead and Noel knows her but doesn't know her and and and and and it's time travel. The whole thing is a bit messy but it's still pretty entertaining. I kind of lost interest in the story about 3/4 of the way through but it didn't have an impact on my overall enjoyment of the game. It's a lot of JRPG stuff you've seen and done before. Most of the main characters from XIII play some small part in the story so that's pretty interesting.
They definitely paid attention and fixed a lot of the problems people had with the first Final Fantasy XIII and that is awesome. However, when compared to the glory days of the franchise (I'm talking IV, VI, VIII here) they're still way behind. The paradigm system works in a really interesting way, and it is entertaining, but it still feels like they keep taking more and more of the "game" out of it and making it more of something we watch while interacting with slightly. I'd love for them to take a big step backward for the next installment but it is highly unlikely. I'll still look forward to it, and still play it, and more than likely still enjoy it. The Final Fantasy series is really one of the few franchises that has pretty much never let me down. VIII was pretty mediocre, and I don't count XI or XIV since I don't really play MMO's. The rest of the titles have all been quality and as long as they keep that up, I'll continue to be a fan. Whether a fan or not, XIII-2 is worth checking out.
Upon rereading that paragraph up there I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense. All I was trying to say is that FFXIII-2 is a really good game. If you played FFXIII then you already have a pretty good idea what XIII-2 is about. The combat is exactly the same, utilizing "paradigm shifts" to change character classes mid-fight to make for fast, seamless combat. When I first played XIII the idea of the combat really turned me off. I didn't like the idea of losing meticulous control of my characters. I wanted to input each individual command myself. After playing the game though, I understood the system a lot better and it very simply works. Taking out the menus allows for really fast and exciting fights. You can pay more attention to the action on screen instead of constantly being lost in the next menu.
The biggest difference between XIII-2 and XIII is...well, XIII-2 is a lot better. They took all of the good from XIII and eliminated most of the bad. It doesn't feel linear anymore, it doesn't take 75% of the game to really open up, and you don't have to play for 20 hours before you can develop your characters and party properly. The most notable difference is the lack of a third story character. Instead of swapping between characters like in XIII, you use Serah and Noel for the entire game. The third party member is a monster that you can capture yourself. Most of the monsters you encounter in the game are capturable, you don't have to do anything special, it just randomly happens. This adds a really cool element to the game. Each monster represents one of the available combat classes (Ravager, Commando, Sentinel, etc...)and you level them up with objects that are dropped by monsters or purchased from the Chocobo lady who acts as a store.
The story is...well, it's pretty convoluted. Basically, Serah and Noel are travelling through time gates fixing paradoxes all while searching for Lightning who is trapped in Valhalla battling this dude Caius who is also travelling through time and trying to stop you while also battling Lightning in Valhalla and he has this girl Yuel who exists in different times and is a different person but looks the same and is dead but isn't dead and Noel knows her but doesn't know her and and and and and it's time travel. The whole thing is a bit messy but it's still pretty entertaining. I kind of lost interest in the story about 3/4 of the way through but it didn't have an impact on my overall enjoyment of the game. It's a lot of JRPG stuff you've seen and done before. Most of the main characters from XIII play some small part in the story so that's pretty interesting.
They definitely paid attention and fixed a lot of the problems people had with the first Final Fantasy XIII and that is awesome. However, when compared to the glory days of the franchise (I'm talking IV, VI, VIII here) they're still way behind. The paradigm system works in a really interesting way, and it is entertaining, but it still feels like they keep taking more and more of the "game" out of it and making it more of something we watch while interacting with slightly. I'd love for them to take a big step backward for the next installment but it is highly unlikely. I'll still look forward to it, and still play it, and more than likely still enjoy it. The Final Fantasy series is really one of the few franchises that has pretty much never let me down. VIII was pretty mediocre, and I don't count XI or XIV since I don't really play MMO's. The rest of the titles have all been quality and as long as they keep that up, I'll continue to be a fan. Whether a fan or not, XIII-2 is worth checking out.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Garcia "Effing" Hotspur and The Shadows of the Damned
There is a decent chance you've never heard of this game and there is a very good chance you haven't played it. The game sold horribly and had no advertising at all. It's made by a small company who have made other commercial failures in the past that have been critically successful and Shadows of the Damned fits right into that category.
The thing is, this could be a very popular game if people gave it a chance. Sure, the story and dialogue is waaaay out there but it's genuinely hilarious although a bit creepy at times, and the gameplay could easily be mistaken for Resident Evil 4 at first glance. The over the shoulder camera and aiming are right out of Capcom's horror series but that's where the comparison's end. Where Resident Evil is sort of slow and clunky, Shadows of the Damned is fast paced and slick. Taking down hordes of demons with a multitude of insane demonic weapons is (excuse the pun here) fun as hell.
I'm going to stop there. I could sit here and write up a few paragraphs about the gameplay and story and graphics and music but it won't make a difference. This isn't the kind of game that can really be described by a block of text. Look, everything about this game is ridiculous and over the top, from the giant demons to the endless sexual innuendo. It's game that really needs to be played to be appreciated. Some people are going to absolutely hate everything about this game that I think makes it great. Hating this game isn't wrong, in fact, I could completely understand it. Some people can't appreciate good demon sex humor as much as I can. If you can though, this game is aces because when you look past all of that over the top humor there is a good game underneath. It's not a big named title by a big named developer and that will just about always mean a game will sell like crap, but Shadows of the Damned deserves your time. It's too good of a game to be relegated to the bargain bin (although that's what will happen) so when you see it for $10 make sure you buy it. You won't regret the decision.
The thing is, this could be a very popular game if people gave it a chance. Sure, the story and dialogue is waaaay out there but it's genuinely hilarious although a bit creepy at times, and the gameplay could easily be mistaken for Resident Evil 4 at first glance. The over the shoulder camera and aiming are right out of Capcom's horror series but that's where the comparison's end. Where Resident Evil is sort of slow and clunky, Shadows of the Damned is fast paced and slick. Taking down hordes of demons with a multitude of insane demonic weapons is (excuse the pun here) fun as hell.
I'm going to stop there. I could sit here and write up a few paragraphs about the gameplay and story and graphics and music but it won't make a difference. This isn't the kind of game that can really be described by a block of text. Look, everything about this game is ridiculous and over the top, from the giant demons to the endless sexual innuendo. It's game that really needs to be played to be appreciated. Some people are going to absolutely hate everything about this game that I think makes it great. Hating this game isn't wrong, in fact, I could completely understand it. Some people can't appreciate good demon sex humor as much as I can. If you can though, this game is aces because when you look past all of that over the top humor there is a good game underneath. It's not a big named title by a big named developer and that will just about always mean a game will sell like crap, but Shadows of the Damned deserves your time. It's too good of a game to be relegated to the bargain bin (although that's what will happen) so when you see it for $10 make sure you buy it. You won't regret the decision.
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