'Tis me again, another boring review, yes, I know... but EB had a sale on and I wanted a new game. So I bought this one, as far as the definition of new can be stretched.
This one bears a marked resemblance to Revenant Wings - to the point where Vaan and Penelo actually make an appearance! I've only played the GBA tactics version and really, this isn't different at all. Sure, the option is open to use the touch screen, but this really doesn't make the full use of it the way that FFXII:RW did.
It really is your basic, turn-based strategy game; you have a clan full of variously clad party member options and each "job" (because that's what we call classes these days) has -mostly- unique qualities and moves. Black Mages use the traditional fire, blizzard and thunder combination, White Mages do the usual healing jobs; then there's your melee classes/jobs like Gladiator, Fighter, Soldier, Berserker, White Monk, etc. I could go on, but you get the picture.
Most quests you can dispatch a party to (cheat's way of getting through the MASSIVE amount of jobs on offer quickly). But as well as the main storyline quests, there will be a few that you can't dispatch. Usually, there will be a reason for this - a new job on offer (take Veis, Assasin, for example, or the long-running feud between the Bangaa Brotherhood and the Nu Mou Nobles) or a particular item that is both functional and useful. Either way, you'll have to lead the charge yourself on these occasions.
In any one of these bouts, the rules are usually the same: follow the laws the judges hand down, or you'll be refused re-entry into battle if one of your party members falls to a foe. That means no use of Phoenix Down or Raise on anything that currently calls your clan host. You can, however, still use these moves/items on the undead. Go figure. If it were up to me, I would rather have had the law-breaker unable to re-enter battle, or disabled. Affecting the WHOLE clan is a bit much.
All in all, it's a very well structured game, the bones of which carried over in Revenant Wings. It's not boring or dragging, but the combat can be a bit samey, which is the real drawback in this case. Still, if you are anything like the perfectionist I am, you'll be searching all over to find all the job classes.
Verdict: A great time-waster if you have a few weeks free.
Showing posts with label game review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label game review. Show all posts
Monday, July 19, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
A Weighty Issue: The Pokewalker
Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows that I've struggled with my weight in the past. In fact, looking at the obesity figures globally, I'm not the only one. I'm not saying that I'm morbidly obese, but like every girl, I've been unhappy with the way I look.
But this isn't a story about my self-esteem issues. This is about the release of Pokemon SoulSilver and HeartGold on Thursday.
From the outside, the game is identical to the predecessors on the GameBoy Colour. In fact, I dug out my old copy and had a look at it. Thus far, it is very comparable to the old favourite, Pokemon Crystal. Most of the story has been carbon-lifted, including the physical manifestation and encounters with Suicune and his devotee Eusine. The graphics have more in common with the recent edition Diamond/Pearl. Musically, it's almost identical to the original version with the same city and cycling tracks used.
Funnily enough, most of my party is exactly the same as my old game - and with good reason. I have Pakka (Cyndaquil), Woopidoo (Wooper -> Quagsire), Clocky (Hoothoot -> Noctowl replacing my usual Pidgey - Kevie - for a reason), Rocky (the Onix I traded a Bellsprout for and who has become a lynchpin in many battles), Miracle (Togepi -> Togetic following the low-level evolution from my first game, when he evolved at level 18) and Ratty (Rattata -> Raticate... not sure why he hasn't been replaced yet but I think I'm waiting for Raikou).
I think I'm missing an Arcanine from my old game... I was a huge fan of the move Extremespeed. In any case, the game has aged well and the introduction of the Pokeathlon and the shift of the Safari Zone (very useful if you're a fan of just raising your six favourites) has benefitted the newer version (I know I won't be able to get my Lugia back until after the Elite Four).
The interesting part about all this and my fangirlism is the new device called the Pokewalker. Simply load a Pokemon that's stored in one of your deposit boxes, chose a route, clip it to yourself and start strolling. The Pokemon earns XP as you walk and there are opportunities to catch wild Pokemon and find useful items.
The funniest thing is that people are now trying to find every which way to defeat the purpose of the installed pedometer. Admittedly, I tried. I found myself stuck and bored at around a thousand steps. However, yesterday I wore it to work under my uniform. In one shift, I clocked over six thousand steps and another four thousand this morning.
The moral of this story?
Ten thousand steps is not really a lot. Really. Wearing a Pokemon on your belt all day might be daggy, but it's Nintendo's genius idea to keep everyone thinking about healthy ways of integrating gaming into a healthy lifestyle and let's face it - they could have done a lot worse than incorporate it into a favourite like Pokemon.
Super Mario Aerobics DVD, anyone?
But this isn't a story about my self-esteem issues. This is about the release of Pokemon SoulSilver and HeartGold on Thursday.
From the outside, the game is identical to the predecessors on the GameBoy Colour. In fact, I dug out my old copy and had a look at it. Thus far, it is very comparable to the old favourite, Pokemon Crystal. Most of the story has been carbon-lifted, including the physical manifestation and encounters with Suicune and his devotee Eusine. The graphics have more in common with the recent edition Diamond/Pearl. Musically, it's almost identical to the original version with the same city and cycling tracks used.
Funnily enough, most of my party is exactly the same as my old game - and with good reason. I have Pakka (Cyndaquil), Woopidoo (Wooper -> Quagsire), Clocky (Hoothoot -> Noctowl replacing my usual Pidgey - Kevie - for a reason), Rocky (the Onix I traded a Bellsprout for and who has become a lynchpin in many battles), Miracle (Togepi -> Togetic following the low-level evolution from my first game, when he evolved at level 18) and Ratty (Rattata -> Raticate... not sure why he hasn't been replaced yet but I think I'm waiting for Raikou).
I think I'm missing an Arcanine from my old game... I was a huge fan of the move Extremespeed. In any case, the game has aged well and the introduction of the Pokeathlon and the shift of the Safari Zone (very useful if you're a fan of just raising your six favourites) has benefitted the newer version (I know I won't be able to get my Lugia back until after the Elite Four).
The interesting part about all this and my fangirlism is the new device called the Pokewalker. Simply load a Pokemon that's stored in one of your deposit boxes, chose a route, clip it to yourself and start strolling. The Pokemon earns XP as you walk and there are opportunities to catch wild Pokemon and find useful items.
The funniest thing is that people are now trying to find every which way to defeat the purpose of the installed pedometer. Admittedly, I tried. I found myself stuck and bored at around a thousand steps. However, yesterday I wore it to work under my uniform. In one shift, I clocked over six thousand steps and another four thousand this morning.
The moral of this story?
Ten thousand steps is not really a lot. Really. Wearing a Pokemon on your belt all day might be daggy, but it's Nintendo's genius idea to keep everyone thinking about healthy ways of integrating gaming into a healthy lifestyle and let's face it - they could have done a lot worse than incorporate it into a favourite like Pokemon.
Super Mario Aerobics DVD, anyone?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Lock's Quest Review and other musings.
Well, I'm back!
I haven't started at the studio, so I'm still applying for work. Hey, if it keeps me paid, that's what I have to do. I've also got my birthday coming up in the middle of this month, so I'll be purchasing Pokemon: SoulSilver with the proceeds of said celebrations. I'm really looking forward to the port-over; I'm old enough to have bought the original Pokemon Silver when it was released as well as Pokemon Crystal which followed it. Needless to say, that will probably be the next review on my list.
Anyway, to the matters at hand - your timely review for Lock's Quest (DS).
So, the general idea is this - you're Lock, an amateur Archineer (a cross between an architect and an engineer) and your village is attacked by clockword droids (who may or may not be related to those in The Girl in the Fireplace - Doctor Who). In any case, you're given basic training in how to throw up a wall, put a turret next to it and defend both with your life.
Because Gods forbid you lose your objective.
Herein lies the funny part. Most of the time, you'll be asked to guard the ever-important Source Wells. Occasionally, you'll be asked to guard a gate. Or a blue-thing whose presence is never really explained. The funniest thing is that when you are asked to guard soldiers, not all of them have to survive to meet your objective.
Take this for example:
I was tasked with escorting the remaining force back to Antonia for the final showdown. Out of about six or so, only two made it to the end. I still completed the mission according to the game. While this made me very pleased that I could now shoot off to take down Lord Agony (one boss fight I was happy to be done with!), I was a little put out that these people seemed to think less of their "Kingdom Force" (see: fighting flunkies) than their Archineers (see: building AND fighting flunkies).
All in all, though, it was a fun little game, but not something that I will probably continue playing. The mechanics of wall and turret building get old very quickly and the length of the campaigns got a bit boring after a while. But as a cute little game with a vaguely interesting storyline, it's worth playing just to build your own fortress (and you really can't discount the traps you can set!).
I haven't started at the studio, so I'm still applying for work. Hey, if it keeps me paid, that's what I have to do. I've also got my birthday coming up in the middle of this month, so I'll be purchasing Pokemon: SoulSilver with the proceeds of said celebrations. I'm really looking forward to the port-over; I'm old enough to have bought the original Pokemon Silver when it was released as well as Pokemon Crystal which followed it. Needless to say, that will probably be the next review on my list.
Anyway, to the matters at hand - your timely review for Lock's Quest (DS).
So, the general idea is this - you're Lock, an amateur Archineer (a cross between an architect and an engineer) and your village is attacked by clockword droids (who may or may not be related to those in The Girl in the Fireplace - Doctor Who). In any case, you're given basic training in how to throw up a wall, put a turret next to it and defend both with your life.
Because Gods forbid you lose your objective.
Herein lies the funny part. Most of the time, you'll be asked to guard the ever-important Source Wells. Occasionally, you'll be asked to guard a gate. Or a blue-thing whose presence is never really explained. The funniest thing is that when you are asked to guard soldiers, not all of them have to survive to meet your objective.
Take this for example:
I was tasked with escorting the remaining force back to Antonia for the final showdown. Out of about six or so, only two made it to the end. I still completed the mission according to the game. While this made me very pleased that I could now shoot off to take down Lord Agony (one boss fight I was happy to be done with!), I was a little put out that these people seemed to think less of their "Kingdom Force" (see: fighting flunkies) than their Archineers (see: building AND fighting flunkies).
All in all, though, it was a fun little game, but not something that I will probably continue playing. The mechanics of wall and turret building get old very quickly and the length of the campaigns got a bit boring after a while. But as a cute little game with a vaguely interesting storyline, it's worth playing just to build your own fortress (and you really can't discount the traps you can set!).
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Happy New Year! (RockBand review)
Yes, yes, I know I'm always late with my reviews and what-not. You could sue me, but I have no money to speak of. Also, this diet I've been on has lead me to having a whopper of a headache and it's only Day Two! Still, I must persevere.
As you might have noticed, I bought RockBand. Just the plain variety. I'm looking for The Beatles one was well, but then, my twenty-third is coming up in a month or so, so I should hang that idea up for my friends to see. In any case, here's what I thought of the game.
Bloody. Addictive.
There's enough variety to keep me interested between the difficulty levels and it appeals to my perfectionist nature to try for a five-star rating on every song on every difficulty. I have to say that I primarily played this game on the drums, though I did make it through REM's Orange Crush on Bass playing on Expert difficulty. That, my friends, was fun.
I do think that rhythm gaming has perhaps reached its potential for entertainment value, but with that said, I'm enjoying my drumkit so much that when I went to a friend's for a week, I actively missed it. When I arrived home, I played for about five hours straight!
So what are the drawbacks? Natural rhythm helps, especially on the drums. Also, you don't get to choose your band members, unlike Band Hero. When you aren't concentrating on hitting the right buttons, you are forced to sit through cover bands that may or may not look like the bands released the songs they are performing... though sometimes they are pretty good.
On the whole, I would recommend this game. It's a great way to pretend like you have musical talent without the years of practice that mastery of an instrument demands.
In other news, I hear back on whether I have that job as a Community Manager tomorrow. Ooh, I'm so excited!
As you might have noticed, I bought RockBand. Just the plain variety. I'm looking for The Beatles one was well, but then, my twenty-third is coming up in a month or so, so I should hang that idea up for my friends to see. In any case, here's what I thought of the game.
Bloody. Addictive.
There's enough variety to keep me interested between the difficulty levels and it appeals to my perfectionist nature to try for a five-star rating on every song on every difficulty. I have to say that I primarily played this game on the drums, though I did make it through REM's Orange Crush on Bass playing on Expert difficulty. That, my friends, was fun.
I do think that rhythm gaming has perhaps reached its potential for entertainment value, but with that said, I'm enjoying my drumkit so much that when I went to a friend's for a week, I actively missed it. When I arrived home, I played for about five hours straight!
So what are the drawbacks? Natural rhythm helps, especially on the drums. Also, you don't get to choose your band members, unlike Band Hero. When you aren't concentrating on hitting the right buttons, you are forced to sit through cover bands that may or may not look like the bands released the songs they are performing... though sometimes they are pretty good.
On the whole, I would recommend this game. It's a great way to pretend like you have musical talent without the years of practice that mastery of an instrument demands.
In other news, I hear back on whether I have that job as a Community Manager tomorrow. Ooh, I'm so excited!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Review: Scribblenauts and the highs and lows of job-hunting in the Tech industry
Back again!
This time 'round, I'm reviewing Scribblenauts. Now, normally my friends and family know that I'm a great advocate of the game-reviewer Yahtzee from renowed web-series Zero Punctuation. I am not worthy to polish the man's sneakers when it comes to reviews. But this one time I actually thought I'd be smarter than him... after all, I love JRPGs and he generically wants to rid the world of andro-boys (you keep your mits OFF Riku, mister!).
I am sorry to say that I rue the day I turned my back on his sagely wisdom of all things gaming. Scribblenauts is nine-tenths of things I dislike about games. But let's start at the beginning, shall we?
The graphics are charming to begin with - the childish scrawling almost endearing - but they quickly grate on the nerves when nothing sits properly or works appropriately. Maxwell's smug grin says "Nyah, told you that wouldn't work". One feels the inevitable pull of wanting to smack it off his face.
The innovative game mechanic of "scribbling" on your notepad to summon various objects gets old after you've exhausted summoning Cthulu, God, the Devil, Harry Potter, various members of a game company and any other mythological creature you can think of. Except Timelords. Who doesn't put a TARDIS in a game? That's just plain wrong.
There is no story or point to the game, it is simply one pointless puzzle after another. It all seems just a general waste of time... until the game freezes and you have to start AGAIN on that puzzle.
Not my choice of the week, for certain. It made me wish I'd opted for Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility instead, or even Band Hero DS. God only knows that Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands was more entertaining than this woeful offering. Don't bother with it if you know what's good for you! Heed Yahtzee's wisdom!
Right, onto the other topic of my post. I've been job-hunting for nearly two months now, so I am happy to report that I have had an interview for the position of Technical Writer at a software company. The writing test and phone interview went alright, so I'm really hoping that they like me enough to do one or both of these two things: 1 - Give me a face-to-face interview and/or 2 - Give me a job. I'm getting desperate now.
None of the game companies have written back yet. I will have to try more and harder. I must get a job, I must!
Graduation is coming...
This time 'round, I'm reviewing Scribblenauts. Now, normally my friends and family know that I'm a great advocate of the game-reviewer Yahtzee from renowed web-series Zero Punctuation. I am not worthy to polish the man's sneakers when it comes to reviews. But this one time I actually thought I'd be smarter than him... after all, I love JRPGs and he generically wants to rid the world of andro-boys (you keep your mits OFF Riku, mister!).
I am sorry to say that I rue the day I turned my back on his sagely wisdom of all things gaming. Scribblenauts is nine-tenths of things I dislike about games. But let's start at the beginning, shall we?
The graphics are charming to begin with - the childish scrawling almost endearing - but they quickly grate on the nerves when nothing sits properly or works appropriately. Maxwell's smug grin says "Nyah, told you that wouldn't work". One feels the inevitable pull of wanting to smack it off his face.
The innovative game mechanic of "scribbling" on your notepad to summon various objects gets old after you've exhausted summoning Cthulu, God, the Devil, Harry Potter, various members of a game company and any other mythological creature you can think of. Except Timelords. Who doesn't put a TARDIS in a game? That's just plain wrong.
There is no story or point to the game, it is simply one pointless puzzle after another. It all seems just a general waste of time... until the game freezes and you have to start AGAIN on that puzzle.
Not my choice of the week, for certain. It made me wish I'd opted for Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility instead, or even Band Hero DS. God only knows that Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands was more entertaining than this woeful offering. Don't bother with it if you know what's good for you! Heed Yahtzee's wisdom!
Right, onto the other topic of my post. I've been job-hunting for nearly two months now, so I am happy to report that I have had an interview for the position of Technical Writer at a software company. The writing test and phone interview went alright, so I'm really hoping that they like me enough to do one or both of these two things: 1 - Give me a face-to-face interview and/or 2 - Give me a job. I'm getting desperate now.
None of the game companies have written back yet. I will have to try more and harder. I must get a job, I must!
Graduation is coming...
Monday, December 22, 2008
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney -or- The Interactive Novel
Okay, so I may have borrowed my mate's copy of Phoenix Wright and expected it to be just as easy. Wrong. NOT easy.
What's really interesting is that this is less of a game and more of an interactive novel. You find the evidence, attempt to make sense of it, while proceding through the storyline. It's mainly reading Apollo's internal monologue and people shouting at him. Sounds like a typical day for me, actually.
It's not a bad game on the whole, if you like to spend forever reading and not sussing out what's really going on. There's the whole big backstory involving Phoenix Wright and the previous prosecutor, but I won't spoil it for those who want to play it.
In other news, I hope you've all been and checked out the Game On exhibit at the Queensland State Library (SLQ) in Brisbane, Australia. Three decades of gaming history. It's brilliant. THEY HAVE BOMBERMAN! You could easily spend an entire day wandering around playing the different games. It's brilliant and I had an amazing time yesterday. I took my elderly grandma with me and even she had a fabulous time. So for all of you who miss your SNES, who remember the first lot of pokemon and who remember when Atari was a household name and not a t-shirt, this is the place to be.
On a side note, check out the studio that the exhibit has put together here. Spot the girl on the design team? Yeah? That's me. Oh yeah. Yours truly scored a spot on the design team at a public studio! Bookmark the page and watch the progress as we stumble through six-weeks of game-making. It's sure to be a laugh and a half!
What's really interesting is that this is less of a game and more of an interactive novel. You find the evidence, attempt to make sense of it, while proceding through the storyline. It's mainly reading Apollo's internal monologue and people shouting at him. Sounds like a typical day for me, actually.
It's not a bad game on the whole, if you like to spend forever reading and not sussing out what's really going on. There's the whole big backstory involving Phoenix Wright and the previous prosecutor, but I won't spoil it for those who want to play it.
In other news, I hope you've all been and checked out the Game On exhibit at the Queensland State Library (SLQ) in Brisbane, Australia. Three decades of gaming history. It's brilliant. THEY HAVE BOMBERMAN! You could easily spend an entire day wandering around playing the different games. It's brilliant and I had an amazing time yesterday. I took my elderly grandma with me and even she had a fabulous time. So for all of you who miss your SNES, who remember the first lot of pokemon and who remember when Atari was a household name and not a t-shirt, this is the place to be.
On a side note, check out the studio that the exhibit has put together here. Spot the girl on the design team? Yeah? That's me. Oh yeah. Yours truly scored a spot on the design team at a public studio! Bookmark the page and watch the progress as we stumble through six-weeks of game-making. It's sure to be a laugh and a half!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters (another review!)
I finally got my fifth game in the Ratchet and Clank series. Coming off the back of Ratchet: Gladiator, I was expecting to be impressed. I'd loved the arena combat game and the storyline laid lightly atop it. What I found was only very slightly disappointing. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start at the beginning.
Why THIS game?
Those who know Insomniac's reputation of cranking out awesome platforms won't ask this question, but for the uninitiated, I'll expound. The makers of this awesome series, Insomniac Games, are world-renowned for their sharp wit and funny dialogue that punctuates a challenging but enjoyable game that even older players still enjoy. With that in mind, it's also worth remembering that the recent PS3 release Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction was rated as one of the best PS3 releases to date. When taking this into consideration, it's hard to pass by such an acclaimed series. Especially when your protagonists are a small furry creature with a big gun and an undersized robot.
How does it handle?
In my honest opinion, this could handle better. It's obvious that it was shipped straight from the PSP, as the controls were sticky and Ratchet's movements were blocky. Also, a lot of the mini-games ("Clank Challenges") were buggy and I had to restart numerous times. Something for the QA testers, I shouldn't wonder.
That said, the lock-strafe is still included -particularly useful in a firefight with the boss-man- as well as third person mode. The rotating camera also returns and is an excellent addition when you don't want to jump off a clif just before a continue point.
How does it look and sound?
Insomniac's reputation as a leader in imaging and audio is put to the test here. Apart from returning voice actors (including my very favourite, James Arnold Taylor), the music is more of the same. That doesn't mean that it's annoying, quite the opposite. The veteran fan will appreciate it, but those who haven't played a Ratchet and Clank game before might want to check out the earlier offerings as well.
But what about the weaponry?
Ah yes, the reason to play. Big guns. Very. Big. Guns. It's amazing that such a small Lombax can lift something like the R.Y.N.O (which stands for Rip Ya a New One), but he does and we are pleased. The choices this time are confined to a handful of spectacular weaponry. My favourites include the returning Agents of Doom and the new Bee Mine (I had endless fun shouting 'Killer beeee myne!' every time I dropped a hive for my enemy's destructive pleasure). Also returning is the perennial favourite, the R.Y.N.O... although the best version I've seen of this mortar launcher is the RY3NO (which later becomes my second favourite weapon, the Rynocerator... carnage incarnate!).
That said, the weapon levelling systems have changed again, so the veteran fan will be shaking their head sadly at having to reacclimate again to new ways of getting a stronger weapon. So far, the only weapons I haven't maxed out are the Laser Tracer and the Sniper Mine (a cross-bow type weapon good for picking off low-level enemies).
And the story?
... will have you scratching your head a bit. From kidnapped little girls to a Technomite plot to clone Ratchet, most players will wonder why on earth did Insomniac try to be so complicated? We love this series for it's simple premise of blow stuff up, save the day, enjoy the fight along the way. Still, it has promise and the laughability of Captain Qwark never goes astray.
So, is it worth playing?
Oh, totally. Prime example of why companies should stick to what they know and do best but if they want to bring a game back, to rework it to make it acceptable for the fans. Myself, I'd give it an overall rating of 7.5/10. The return of this awesome series was good, if nothing else.
Why THIS game?
Those who know Insomniac's reputation of cranking out awesome platforms won't ask this question, but for the uninitiated, I'll expound. The makers of this awesome series, Insomniac Games, are world-renowned for their sharp wit and funny dialogue that punctuates a challenging but enjoyable game that even older players still enjoy. With that in mind, it's also worth remembering that the recent PS3 release Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction was rated as one of the best PS3 releases to date. When taking this into consideration, it's hard to pass by such an acclaimed series. Especially when your protagonists are a small furry creature with a big gun and an undersized robot.
How does it handle?
In my honest opinion, this could handle better. It's obvious that it was shipped straight from the PSP, as the controls were sticky and Ratchet's movements were blocky. Also, a lot of the mini-games ("Clank Challenges") were buggy and I had to restart numerous times. Something for the QA testers, I shouldn't wonder.
That said, the lock-strafe is still included -particularly useful in a firefight with the boss-man- as well as third person mode. The rotating camera also returns and is an excellent addition when you don't want to jump off a clif just before a continue point.
How does it look and sound?
Insomniac's reputation as a leader in imaging and audio is put to the test here. Apart from returning voice actors (including my very favourite, James Arnold Taylor), the music is more of the same. That doesn't mean that it's annoying, quite the opposite. The veteran fan will appreciate it, but those who haven't played a Ratchet and Clank game before might want to check out the earlier offerings as well.
But what about the weaponry?
Ah yes, the reason to play. Big guns. Very. Big. Guns. It's amazing that such a small Lombax can lift something like the R.Y.N.O (which stands for Rip Ya a New One), but he does and we are pleased. The choices this time are confined to a handful of spectacular weaponry. My favourites include the returning Agents of Doom and the new Bee Mine (I had endless fun shouting 'Killer beeee myne!' every time I dropped a hive for my enemy's destructive pleasure). Also returning is the perennial favourite, the R.Y.N.O... although the best version I've seen of this mortar launcher is the RY3NO (which later becomes my second favourite weapon, the Rynocerator... carnage incarnate!).
That said, the weapon levelling systems have changed again, so the veteran fan will be shaking their head sadly at having to reacclimate again to new ways of getting a stronger weapon. So far, the only weapons I haven't maxed out are the Laser Tracer and the Sniper Mine (a cross-bow type weapon good for picking off low-level enemies).
And the story?
... will have you scratching your head a bit. From kidnapped little girls to a Technomite plot to clone Ratchet, most players will wonder why on earth did Insomniac try to be so complicated? We love this series for it's simple premise of blow stuff up, save the day, enjoy the fight along the way. Still, it has promise and the laughability of Captain Qwark never goes astray.
So, is it worth playing?
Oh, totally. Prime example of why companies should stick to what they know and do best but if they want to bring a game back, to rework it to make it acceptable for the fans. Myself, I'd give it an overall rating of 7.5/10. The return of this awesome series was good, if nothing else.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Review: Final Fantasy XII - Revenant Wings
This is one of Square Enix's more brilliant excursions into RTS (Real-Time Strategy) games, since it's original debut as Final Fantasy XII. One year has passed and the land of Ivalice is pretty much at peace. Or so everyone thought. Because now there's an odd airship (that I renamed The Phantom) in port at Rabanastre, a lost sky continent has reappeared and things are about to go from bad to worse for air pirate Vaan and his trusted navigator and poor cook, Penelo...
Game Play:
Like all the best Final Fantasy games, you play in a party. You can have full control over each member or set different members to use certain tactics. I prefer to have full control over my characters, but that doesn't automatically mean that your characters will do everything you direct them to, which can work in your favour but often doesn't.
The espers (renamed as Yarhi) return, as do the quickenings. Like the original, you gain them steadily throughout the game. This can get particularly annoying when a) You don't have enough auracite to form a pact with a more powerful new one or b) You have too much auracite and not enough new espers/yarhi to form pacts with. The second one is particularly accurate once you reach the end of the game and the only yarhi left to form pacts with only become available after you whup them in seriously difficult side missions.
The upside to party-fighting is that you can split the group up and send each half to mow down enemies on each side of the fighting map. Also, thanks to the inclusion of summoning gates, if you lose a Yarhi, even the most powerful ones from Rank III, you can re-summon them at full strength. There is a limit to how many you can summon, but they are useful when entering battles that are dangerous to central party members.
Interface - The Nintendo DS:
In truth, there's probably nothing gained from using the dual screen. A similar style of RTS play was demonstrated in Tactics and the GBA (Game Boy Advance) version worked just as well. But it is handy to have the map in the top screen to show you mission objectives and enemy locations. The touch screen also makes it slightly easier to control larger parties (once summoning yarhi has become second-nature).
Graphics/Music/Sound:
Harking back to the days when Nintendo made excellent use of the angular sprites, most of the game is enacted through little representations of the characters so beautifully represented in the original FFXII. The only time the player is shown the resplendant original portrayals is during dramatic cut scenes.
The music is quite beautiful and changes with each mission. My personal favourite is the music played during the adventure on the Isle of the Yarhi, the place from which all Yarhi are summoned. In retrospect, it casts the Final Fantasy regular back in time to the tenth official installment in the series during Yuna and Tidus' fateful excursion to Macalania Woods.
The sound effects are enjoyable and not really repetitive. Still, like will all games, you wouldn't want to be listening to them constantly. There's good breaks and even usage of them.
Overall Impression:
It's really quite an enjoyable game with good plot structure for the game narrative and excellent pick-up if the player can't understand it by the end. While it does have its faults, it is perfectly playable during long trips and excellent escapism with the nostalgic element for those who played its predecessor on the playstation 2. I'd give it an 8/10.
Game Play:
Like all the best Final Fantasy games, you play in a party. You can have full control over each member or set different members to use certain tactics. I prefer to have full control over my characters, but that doesn't automatically mean that your characters will do everything you direct them to, which can work in your favour but often doesn't.
The espers (renamed as Yarhi) return, as do the quickenings. Like the original, you gain them steadily throughout the game. This can get particularly annoying when a) You don't have enough auracite to form a pact with a more powerful new one or b) You have too much auracite and not enough new espers/yarhi to form pacts with. The second one is particularly accurate once you reach the end of the game and the only yarhi left to form pacts with only become available after you whup them in seriously difficult side missions.
The upside to party-fighting is that you can split the group up and send each half to mow down enemies on each side of the fighting map. Also, thanks to the inclusion of summoning gates, if you lose a Yarhi, even the most powerful ones from Rank III, you can re-summon them at full strength. There is a limit to how many you can summon, but they are useful when entering battles that are dangerous to central party members.
Interface - The Nintendo DS:
In truth, there's probably nothing gained from using the dual screen. A similar style of RTS play was demonstrated in Tactics and the GBA (Game Boy Advance) version worked just as well. But it is handy to have the map in the top screen to show you mission objectives and enemy locations. The touch screen also makes it slightly easier to control larger parties (once summoning yarhi has become second-nature).
Graphics/Music/Sound:
Harking back to the days when Nintendo made excellent use of the angular sprites, most of the game is enacted through little representations of the characters so beautifully represented in the original FFXII. The only time the player is shown the resplendant original portrayals is during dramatic cut scenes.
The music is quite beautiful and changes with each mission. My personal favourite is the music played during the adventure on the Isle of the Yarhi, the place from which all Yarhi are summoned. In retrospect, it casts the Final Fantasy regular back in time to the tenth official installment in the series during Yuna and Tidus' fateful excursion to Macalania Woods.
The sound effects are enjoyable and not really repetitive. Still, like will all games, you wouldn't want to be listening to them constantly. There's good breaks and even usage of them.
Overall Impression:
It's really quite an enjoyable game with good plot structure for the game narrative and excellent pick-up if the player can't understand it by the end. While it does have its faults, it is perfectly playable during long trips and excellent escapism with the nostalgic element for those who played its predecessor on the playstation 2. I'd give it an 8/10.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Classic Games: Return of the Phantom
Okay, I know I'm a bit obsessed with my Phantom of the Opera. But this game is one of the best known game versions of my favourite story and I thought I'd give it a try.
What a laugh!
The game, made by Micropose in 1993, is the pinnacle of all that is cheesy in the early computer game days. What it lacks in gameplay it makes up in graphical and historical accuracy. The tinny organ music is looped and repetitive, but for those who adore the story behind Phantom, following the storyline through the game is a great source of amusement.
Unfortunately for the Phantom purists, we're forced into the role of Raoul (the Vicomte de Chagny) after being thrown from a fly loft by Erik, the titular Phantom. You then spend the rest of the game hunting him down, only to have him live and come back to try to kill you again!
How this game could have been improved:
PLAY AS THE PHANTOM! I really hate Raoul. He was never a favourite character. He was smarmy and uppity and a lot of other nasty adjectives that I can't add to this assignment. Ugh. Playing as the Phantom would have added much more class and intrigue to the game. After the recent insurgence in interest into the famous book and play, I'd be surprised if this game concept did not come up with some of the bigger game companies.
What this game did well:
The representation of the Opera Populaire. Loved it. The chandelier scene was faithfully represented and the events were quite faithfully followed.
So, what's it worth?
For phans and fans of classic games alike, it rates about a 6.5/10. A lot of the score is for just being Phantom of the Opera. Oh well.
What a laugh!
The game, made by Micropose in 1993, is the pinnacle of all that is cheesy in the early computer game days. What it lacks in gameplay it makes up in graphical and historical accuracy. The tinny organ music is looped and repetitive, but for those who adore the story behind Phantom, following the storyline through the game is a great source of amusement.
Unfortunately for the Phantom purists, we're forced into the role of Raoul (the Vicomte de Chagny) after being thrown from a fly loft by Erik, the titular Phantom. You then spend the rest of the game hunting him down, only to have him live and come back to try to kill you again!
How this game could have been improved:
PLAY AS THE PHANTOM! I really hate Raoul. He was never a favourite character. He was smarmy and uppity and a lot of other nasty adjectives that I can't add to this assignment. Ugh. Playing as the Phantom would have added much more class and intrigue to the game. After the recent insurgence in interest into the famous book and play, I'd be surprised if this game concept did not come up with some of the bigger game companies.
What this game did well:
The representation of the Opera Populaire. Loved it. The chandelier scene was faithfully represented and the events were quite faithfully followed.
So, what's it worth?
For phans and fans of classic games alike, it rates about a 6.5/10. A lot of the score is for just being Phantom of the Opera. Oh well.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Another game review and reflections
It's been a while since I did any sort of reflections as far as the lectures go. As far as being interesting, my attention has been waning. Same goes for the tutorials. I find myself walking out of lectures and seriously considering not showing up to tutorials because I have better things to do than spend two hours having my opinions rubbished or doodling in my notepad while the lecturer drones on in a monotone over the games she plays with her husband. The only time I think I resurfaced was when the clip from Pokemon was playing.
I miss Penny giving the lecturers. She delivered the information in an interesting manner and I found it easy to comprehend. Because of that, I found it easy to retain the lecture content. Tutorials are still boring me to the teeth. If it wasn't too late in the semester and I had the option, I'd switch out. I often find myself wondering whether Marco actually plays games or just reads about them. You can't really define what it is you get from a game. Here's an example.
I recently got myself a second copy of Kingdom Hearts II, since my first copy was stolen. I restarted it and immediately remembered why I loved it so. The compare/contrast nature of Disney worlds with original characters and those taken from Square Enix's well-known series Final Fantasy give the game it's nostalgic feel. The opening cutscenes give a great abstract look back for those who didn't play the two previous games (yes, two. There was Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, the second of which was never released in Australia).
The storyline is possibly it's greatest asset. The epic story of Sora's search for his best friend Riku and desperation to return home to Destiny Isle takes him to places where the most iconic of Disney's characters reside.
The final battle sees Riku and Sora reunited and teamed up against a foe that would see Kingdom Hearts (the final resting place for all hearts) destroyed.
The graphics are beautiful and the music is performed by Japan's best-known popstar - Hikaru Utada. She performs two songs over the two PS2 games, Simple and Clean for I and Sanctuary for II. Both are beautifully written and sung as well as fitting the story wonderfully.
Biased as I am, I'd have to give it a 10/10. It never disappoints me.
I miss Penny giving the lecturers. She delivered the information in an interesting manner and I found it easy to comprehend. Because of that, I found it easy to retain the lecture content. Tutorials are still boring me to the teeth. If it wasn't too late in the semester and I had the option, I'd switch out. I often find myself wondering whether Marco actually plays games or just reads about them. You can't really define what it is you get from a game. Here's an example.
I recently got myself a second copy of Kingdom Hearts II, since my first copy was stolen. I restarted it and immediately remembered why I loved it so. The compare/contrast nature of Disney worlds with original characters and those taken from Square Enix's well-known series Final Fantasy give the game it's nostalgic feel. The opening cutscenes give a great abstract look back for those who didn't play the two previous games (yes, two. There was Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, the second of which was never released in Australia).
The storyline is possibly it's greatest asset. The epic story of Sora's search for his best friend Riku and desperation to return home to Destiny Isle takes him to places where the most iconic of Disney's characters reside.
The final battle sees Riku and Sora reunited and teamed up against a foe that would see Kingdom Hearts (the final resting place for all hearts) destroyed.
The graphics are beautiful and the music is performed by Japan's best-known popstar - Hikaru Utada. She performs two songs over the two PS2 games, Simple and Clean for I and Sanctuary for II. Both are beautifully written and sung as well as fitting the story wonderfully.
Biased as I am, I'd have to give it a 10/10. It never disappoints me.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Invitations and a review
The other two members of my group, Amy and Courtney, will also be posting on this blog from now on. They will also be writing in their own journals, but most of the image work completed in photoshop will be posted on here for convenience. As a courtesy, the posts not done by me (Gemma Sinclair) should not be marked (if it makes it any easier, I can remove them).
Since we haven't done much this week re: assignment, a reflection on this week's lecture is in order. First of all, I have to say that Penny is a far better lecturer. She makes it easy to listen and take in and, most importantly, understand. The lecturer this week (who started to introduce herself but failed to say her name) was awful. I left halfway through because she was going too fast and not explaining anything clearly.
I also have a bone to pick with our tutor. He clearly isn't much help in regards to our assignment and makes us play silly pillow-tossing games at the beginning of class. Call me old-fashioned, but I like a structure of tutorial questions, assignment work, discussion about the last lecture and various help. What we're doing at the moment is footling about and not getting help. Example? In two minutes, we were expected to come up with a concept for a game. The ASSIGNMENT in two minutes!!! Then he kept interrupting us as we were reading out our ideas and finding fault with them, making every idea sound stupid. Example of this was when I was trying to read out the rules and he kept stopping me and asking me to repeat something related which I had said only two minutes before! Surely this is a stupid thing to do. I really hated it. It's rude to interrupt. I'm not sorry for saying this, because I'll expect him to be reading this and learn from it: help the students, don't hinder them. You're there for support, not to shoot every idea down in flames.
Sorry for the rant, but there you have it.
I suppose it's time for another review of a commercial game. This time, I'd like to review a console game, particularly for the nintendo Wii.
Title: Pokemon Battle Revolution.
Style: RTS (real time strategy), turn-based.
Aim: You play as a Pokemon trainer, new to Poketopia; an island in the middle of nowhere, where trainers gather to test their skills against each other in a series of colosseum events. Your aim is to complete all the challenges in all the colosseums and become the world's greatest pokemon trainer.
Personal Opinion:
Unfortunately, I'm of the opinion that the game should get progressively harder, not be dead easy up to a point and then slam you with every nasty attack known to trainerkind. The stadiums I'm referring to are the Sunset and Magma Colosseums (that damn Lopunny! Rawr!).
On the other hand, it is very well reminiscent of the great large console games for Pokemon (for those who remember Pokemon Stadium and Pokemon Colosseum from the Nintendo 64). The graphics have been improved for a better look overall and the animations for the attacks have vastly improved with graphic capabilities of the Wii.
The actual battling is brilliant, admittedly I am biased towards the classic RPG. Uploading (or 'copying') my own pokemon to the game made it even more enjoyable.
Rating:
The gameplay can get a bit monotonous and you often find yourself wondering when the hell it is going to end. However, the graphics are wonderful and you can always mute the annoying announcer's voice (if I hear 'Ripped by Roar of Time' one more time, I'm going to throw the Wii remote into the screen!).
Overall, I'd give it 7/10.
Since we haven't done much this week re: assignment, a reflection on this week's lecture is in order. First of all, I have to say that Penny is a far better lecturer. She makes it easy to listen and take in and, most importantly, understand. The lecturer this week (who started to introduce herself but failed to say her name) was awful. I left halfway through because she was going too fast and not explaining anything clearly.
I also have a bone to pick with our tutor. He clearly isn't much help in regards to our assignment and makes us play silly pillow-tossing games at the beginning of class. Call me old-fashioned, but I like a structure of tutorial questions, assignment work, discussion about the last lecture and various help. What we're doing at the moment is footling about and not getting help. Example? In two minutes, we were expected to come up with a concept for a game. The ASSIGNMENT in two minutes!!! Then he kept interrupting us as we were reading out our ideas and finding fault with them, making every idea sound stupid. Example of this was when I was trying to read out the rules and he kept stopping me and asking me to repeat something related which I had said only two minutes before! Surely this is a stupid thing to do. I really hated it. It's rude to interrupt. I'm not sorry for saying this, because I'll expect him to be reading this and learn from it: help the students, don't hinder them. You're there for support, not to shoot every idea down in flames.
Sorry for the rant, but there you have it.
I suppose it's time for another review of a commercial game. This time, I'd like to review a console game, particularly for the nintendo Wii.
Title: Pokemon Battle Revolution.
Style: RTS (real time strategy), turn-based.
Aim: You play as a Pokemon trainer, new to Poketopia; an island in the middle of nowhere, where trainers gather to test their skills against each other in a series of colosseum events. Your aim is to complete all the challenges in all the colosseums and become the world's greatest pokemon trainer.
Personal Opinion:
Unfortunately, I'm of the opinion that the game should get progressively harder, not be dead easy up to a point and then slam you with every nasty attack known to trainerkind. The stadiums I'm referring to are the Sunset and Magma Colosseums (that damn Lopunny! Rawr!).
On the other hand, it is very well reminiscent of the great large console games for Pokemon (for those who remember Pokemon Stadium and Pokemon Colosseum from the Nintendo 64). The graphics have been improved for a better look overall and the animations for the attacks have vastly improved with graphic capabilities of the Wii.
The actual battling is brilliant, admittedly I am biased towards the classic RPG. Uploading (or 'copying') my own pokemon to the game made it even more enjoyable.
Rating:
The gameplay can get a bit monotonous and you often find yourself wondering when the hell it is going to end. However, the graphics are wonderful and you can always mute the annoying announcer's voice (if I hear 'Ripped by Roar of Time' one more time, I'm going to throw the Wii remote into the screen!).
Overall, I'd give it 7/10.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Design Concepts: The Board (and a review!)
After talking it over with Amy on the weekend (and after playing my brand-new Doctor Who board game, for research purposes, of course!), we came to the conclusion that a circular board, similiar to the one we played the game on, with the path that the pieces follow slowly spiralling into the centre would be a good idea. We'll discuss further artwork concepts with Courtney (who I'm sure is feeling a little left out, given Amy and I live so close to each other and can wander over to each other's place whenever we have a brilliant idea) in a team meeting.
Speaking of my new Doctor Who game, it's about time I stuck in a game review... so here it is!
Game:
Doctor Who: The Time-Travelling Action Game
Style:
Board game
Design:
The board is hexagonal, a style carried over from the popular BBC1 television show. There are mechanical moving parts as well as a light-up and noise-making TARDIS (the time-travelling machine featured in the show).
Aim of the Game:
Each player is dealt four 'monster cards'. They must then race each other to defeat each of their monsters using regeneration energy and return to their starting space.
Hazards:
Gameplay is made more difficult by the TARDIS, which changes the images on the board through what's known as a 'time continuum shift'. This means that even if you are only a few squares away from a monster, seconds later it could be on the opposite side of the board.
Personal Opinion:
I played this game with Amy Vellnagel, so we both enjoyed the fact it was related to Doctor Who as we are both fans of the sci-fi show. However, those who are unfamiliar with the monsters and creatures from the show could find it slightly confusing.
The actual playing of the game needs to be quick, which I found hampered the game. The board changed every thirty seconds, which was not long enough to make a decisive move. However, this may be better for those who have played it a few times and are comfortable with the short time gap.
Rating:
I really do love Doctor Who and the gameplay was fun, if a little difficult. I'd give it 8/10 and recommend it to other Doctor Who fans who can play it with other fans.
(This game can be found at Gamesworld, North Lakes)
Speaking of my new Doctor Who game, it's about time I stuck in a game review... so here it is!
Game:
Doctor Who: The Time-Travelling Action Game
Style:
Board game
Design:
The board is hexagonal, a style carried over from the popular BBC1 television show. There are mechanical moving parts as well as a light-up and noise-making TARDIS (the time-travelling machine featured in the show).
Aim of the Game:
Each player is dealt four 'monster cards'. They must then race each other to defeat each of their monsters using regeneration energy and return to their starting space.
Hazards:
Gameplay is made more difficult by the TARDIS, which changes the images on the board through what's known as a 'time continuum shift'. This means that even if you are only a few squares away from a monster, seconds later it could be on the opposite side of the board.
Personal Opinion:
I played this game with Amy Vellnagel, so we both enjoyed the fact it was related to Doctor Who as we are both fans of the sci-fi show. However, those who are unfamiliar with the monsters and creatures from the show could find it slightly confusing.
The actual playing of the game needs to be quick, which I found hampered the game. The board changed every thirty seconds, which was not long enough to make a decisive move. However, this may be better for those who have played it a few times and are comfortable with the short time gap.
Rating:
I really do love Doctor Who and the gameplay was fun, if a little difficult. I'd give it 8/10 and recommend it to other Doctor Who fans who can play it with other fans.
(This game can be found at Gamesworld, North Lakes)
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