This monthly blog is brought to you by Hewlitt Packard and Windows 7. After 6 years of dedicated service, I have at last retired my PC and bought a new one. I usually build them myself, but systems have gotten really cheap and with the recent(?) shift to SATA from IDE, I can't cut costs by recycling old components. After some web browsing, I ended up in Best Buy purchasing an HP Athlon quad-core (2.6GHz) with 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. The graphics card is a little underpowered (512MB ATI 4359HD), but I'd have to put a bigger power supply in to upgrade it. I never bothered with Vista, so getting used to Windows 7 has taken some time. A lot of things are easier, but other things have been buried pretty deep or hidden entirely.
This monthly blog is not brought to you by Square Enix. After 10 years of buying pretty much every game Square put out, an issue with my FFXI has caused me to cease my support of the company. Back in June, after a year of inactivity I cancelled my account once again. So imagine my surprise when I see a charge for $80.90 from SE in my checking account. Someone had opened up all 16 character slots at a cost of $27.95/month and bought a $25 server transfer. Since they only bill at the beginning of the month I was hit for two months of charges. They could find no evidence of third-party access they would not refund the charges. Since the odds of someone randomly using my account number and brute forcing their way past my password without leaving a trace is pretty slim, I am left with the conclusion that the intrusion came from within Square Enix meaning I can no longer trust my personal information on their servers. I have asked to have this information deleted and to recoup my losses I have decided to purchase any future titles second-hand. Not much of a boycott, I suppose, but like I'm going to miss out on FFXIII just because they screwed me out of 80 bucks. At least I'll know that when they release their final sales numbers, they sold one less than they could have...
October Gain +1725 - 94 Achievements unlocked
October Gain - Level + 0 Trophies + 0
Backlog decreased by 1 in October
Rank 15 on the MyGamercard.net RPG Leaderboard +2
Game spending vs. '08: Monthly -58% | Yearly -43 %
While I admit to holding off on all the DS RPGs, this fall still seems so quiet compared to recent years.
I never got into the 1st one and wasn't really expecting much out of this one, especially after the demo. I was pleasantly surprised by the finished product. The voices don't grate the ears, combat is quick (bosses excluded) and fun, and you have complete control over how you're characters develop their skills. Now if only the plot hadn't been pulled from the grand list of RPG cliches.
This one is pretty much on hold until I finish Dragon Age.
13:46 - Heading for the Wasteland of Silence
Juto 29/Crocell 28/Celestine 26/Argo 28
I enjoyed this so much on the 360 that I decided to grab the Game of the Year Edition and play through it again on my new PC. Actually, it was this game that finally forced me to get a new computer. When I bought it I didn't expect my old computer to run it well, but I figured with the graphics turned all the way down it might slug around just enough to be slightly playable. Instead I couldn't even get it to read the 1st install disc.
Anyway, an hour or so in and I'm in Rivet City deciding which quests I want to pursue.
This game was the subject of a fierce debate last year with a friend over the name of a character. The answer was fairly early into the game so we popped it in to settle the question. The argument was resolved in my favor and it was decided at some point in the future this fine game deserved another playthrough. That time has come.
7:20 - 8 Growth Stars
Serge/Leena/Greco - Hydra Marshes
A breath of fresh air after the disappointing Partners in Time. It is no coincidence that this coincides with Fawful's return to villain status.
18:09 - Peach's Castle
Mario 26/Luigi 26/Bowser 24
Dragon Warrior I
Level 20
The difference between levels 19 and 20 was amazing. DracoLord fell with little trouble this time.
Dragon Warrior II
Completed opening scene
Final Fantasy I
13:46 Lv 51 Knight/Ninja/Red Wizard/Black Wizard
Chaos defeated, game complete.
Final Fantasy II
02:36 Firion/Maria/Guy
The mission to Bafsk was a failure, guess it's back to Altair.
The first of five chapters, it won't take more than 4 hours or so to puzzle your way through the game. And the trip through was certainly worth it thanks to the hilarious dialogue. Well voiced with a rousing soundtrack and an ecclectic cast. The puzzles themselves weren't terribly difficult, though twice I found my thoughts moving in a different direction than the game required forcing trip to the FAQ. I will certainly be purchasing the complete set next year once the 5th episode is released. My score, slightly weighed down by a lack of replay value, is a 8.5.
My biggest complaint this series has slowly regressed as an RPG. In this game, the 4th entry, you're ability to influence characters at level up is down to nearly nothing. The boosts are nice, but you can only choose 3 of a hundred or so. Fusions as well, though they are extremely overpowered and really have no variety whatsoever. I don't mind more of the same, but this game's "improvements" went in the wrong direction. It has it's moments and might be worth a run or two for Marvel fans or those who enjoyed the previous titles, but overall it was a letdown. Here's hoping the inevitable sequel fixes what was broken. A 6.9.
Perhaps I'm biased towards Nintendo, but I just couldn't get into this game. While the early stages were fun at times, the later stages were just a pain in the arse, requiring pinpoint timing and a psychic ability to predict when offscreen enemies will suddenly attack. Sonic's greatest asset has always been his speed, but running anywhere is pretty much a death sentence. Most annoying was the artificial difficulty of the final stage where you were not even given a single ring to protect yourself with. Getting hit even once would send you back to the beginning of a back-to-back fight. Legions of fans swear by this game, but I can only see it as a relic of past best left there.
One genre that has not changed much over the years is the Strategy RPG. Select your units, and move them turn-by-turn across the map trying to exploit the weaknesses of the enemy. Valkryia Chronicles moves the genre ever-so-slightly forward by introducing a real-time aspect to the battlefield. As you advance your troops forward, the enemy units in range will begin shooting at you forcing you to use cover or find a way to slip behind them. Less realistic, though I certainly didn't mind, was the ability to select the same unit multiple times (with reduced movement). This was helped by tying the XP and base weapons to the troop type as opposed to the unit. No worrying about weaker units not getting the kill and the XP, you assign it at will amongst the five troop types. The main cast well voiced, though the scrubs sounded like they were phoning it in. Not that they were a part of the story at all. They each had their own idiosyncrasies, though it would take a trip to the encyclopedia to learn anything about them. The other aspect I didn't care for was basing the bonus XP and gold entirely on speed. This runs counter to my preferred slow and steady, wiping each unit out as I go and requires massive save file abuse to ensure that each move and shot proceeds exactly as planned. Missing is just not an option. Minor griping aside, the story is well told and I had a lot of fun with this. Highly recommended. It gets a 9.1 from me.
A first-person shooter wrapped in the trappings of a hack-n-slash RPG. An interesting combo and one that works quite well. It doesn't completely escape the repetiveness of the hack-n-slash; you are still killing lots of mobs, collecting loot, selling off the excess while grinding towards the next level, but the shift to FPS and need to aim does prevent the button mashing that most games turn into. The story is nothing special, the ending disappointing, and the bulk of the quests are offered through a bulletin board with no human interaction at all. some plot development would have been nice, but the core gameplay works well enough to more than make up for this. And it's even better when friends join in. 8.9 out of 10.
Tales of Monkey Islands Opening Theme
I had only only played Escape From Monkey Island once and very briefly so I wasn't sure exactly what I was getting when I started playing this, but the opening theme sure got me in the mood.
4 Pickups, 2 Additions, 1 Cancellation
Atlus and NIS America
Non-RPG
Another fall is upon us, but unlike previous years this one feels a little underwhelming. I should be swimming in RPGs by now. With my focus on cost-cutting this year, I suppose I shouldn't be complaining too much and I did end up with a few more games than in previous months. Several of these games were downloads. I'm still on the fence with digital distribution. It's great in the short-term, but what happens if I want to play it in the future and the game won't verify me because the company I bought it from no longer exists. But price trumps reason and $5 a piece for Drakensang and Elven Legacy was good enough for me.
I enjoyed a week of vacation this month. While I had a few things I wanted to accomplish while off work, I managed to get none of it done. In fact all I really did was sleep and game. What an awesome week! I also refocused my gaming efforts back to my 360 RPGs that week, catching up with the Mass Effect and Fable II achievements and brought Sacred 2 back out.
September Gain +1915 - 48 Achievements unlocked
September Gain - Level + 0 Trophies + 0
Backlog increased by 1 in September
Rank 13 on the MyGamercard.net RPG Leaderboard +7
Game spending vs. '08: Monthly -51% | Yearly -40 %
While I picked up a few more games than intended, three were cheaply obtained ($10) and the fourth was financed partially by trading in the individual games of the compilation (Metroid Prime).
I played it briefly when it came out last year, clearing chapter 2, but never got back to it. A regrettable mistake as this is a game worth playing. An unique blend of real and turn-based combat with a touching story.
Kind of a hands-off approach to leveling and equipment, but the lack of micro-management is a bit refreshing.
Currently in Chapter 13, the Naggiar Plains, where things just got interesting.
My 360 focus in the 2nd half of the month saw me set it aside, but it will be beaten by October's end.
This game was the subject of a fierce debate last year with a friend over the name of a character. The answer was fairly early into the game so we popped it in to settle the question. The argument was resolved in my favor and it was decided at some point in the future this fine game deserved another playthrough. That time has come.
3:07 - 5 Growth Stars
Serge/Pierre/Kid - Viper Manor
A breath of fresh air after the disappointing Partners in Time. It is no coincidence that this coincides with Fawful's return to villain status.
8:37 - Toad Town
Mario 14/Luigi 14/Bowser 17
Dragon Warrior I
Level 20
The difference between levels 19 and 20 was amazing. DracoLord fell with little trouble this time.
Dragon Warrior II
Completed opening scene
Final Fantasy I
13:46 Lv 51 Knight/Ninja/Red Wizard/Black Wizard
Chaos defeated, game complete.
Final Fantasy II
02:36 Firion/Maria/Guy
Minwu has left the party.
I didn't have high expectations going into this game, so I was pleasantly surprised with how well it turned out. At it's core it is a fighting game, but RPG conventions are quite prevalent and ultimately your level and equipment will have a direct result on the fight, though skill and luck can certainly make a difference when overmatched. A hero and villian from each of the first 10 games is playable, along with a character from XI and XII you can unlock after beating the game. Though I've not played as any of the villians, each of the hero characters has a unique ****combining physical and magical attacks. My favorite ended up being Terra of FFVI (go figure), whom I mostly get airborn while flinging ranged spells. The battles initially play out as a tug of war as you seek to damage your opponent's bravery stat and add it to your own, hopefully driving it to 0 for a massive bonus to your bravery. Eventually you'll launch an HP attack converting your bravery into an equal amount of HP damage. The game was quite challenging when your opponent was more powerful than you and it doesn't take long for them to become quite skillful at dodging or reflecting your attacks, forcing you to master your own timing or rely on a lucky hit. The story is... sufficient (I'll excuse it for being a crossover game) and the amount of post-game content is staggering. It will certainly keep you busy for awhile if you want it to. I do recommend it to anyone who enjoys Final Fantasy. 8.6 out of 10.
I've mentioned this elsewhere, but a long time ago when I was but a wee lad with an NES I rented a game called Dragon Warrior. The concept of experience and levels was foreign and besides, I only had 3 days to play; no time for grinding. As one might expect I didn't get far on that rental. It would be years and another system before I would even attempt another RPG. So when I began my "History of the RPG" backloggery sidequest it was with a bit of dread that I would have to play this again. Final Fantasy felt easier with each port, but this port seemed unchanged from the original. A relic from another time, it's hard to give this game an unbiased look, especially with my negative memories of it. I did find it more playable this time around. Though it did require more grinding than I wanted to give it, at least it was on my GBA and I could do/watch other things while playing. My biggest complaint is the 1 on 1 combat. While you get a few offensive spells, I found my magic best left for healing so I never used them. Which means a battle pretty much consisted of me hitting the fight command every round until I needed to heal. As with many early games, the plot was giving to you at the beginning as opposed to something that happened as you proceeded. Play it if you want to see one of the foundations of modern RPGs, but only if you don't mind devoting most of your playtime to leveling. Score pending completion of DQII.
An unimpressive title all around with a unique, but ugly grainy graphic filter. A strategy RPG, your crew of 5 never changes. They have names, though they are rarely referenced and are better known as MACE-1 through 5. In fact, once the plot starts to get moving they really don't even factor into the story. They're there, but they aren't the ones influencing the plot. An interesting tactic, certainly, but I felt it distanced me from what was going on. Your zoids are limited to just a couple of weapons and the upgraded versions. Deciding on which one to take was tough, as it forced you balance range, power, and accuracy. After the first few missions, difficulty spiked harshly. Enemies came in waves with several reinforcements, but you rarely had time to finish the first one before the next wave was on you. Constantly outgunned, outsupported, outleveled, and outskilled, it really felt at times the game was out to get you. Enemies were usually several levels ahead of you, and though I don't think it much difference statistically, it did give them more points to spend equipping skills. The 2nd run and the extra boss encounters were actually fun, but not worth the 1st trip through. Not recommended unless you enjoy a game that gives every advantage to the opponent. 5.2/10.
While it can't escape the repetiveness that is inherent in the hack-n-slash genre, it does enough things right that you don't mind. The world is vast and varied. The enemies are scaled to just above your level until you hit the region's cap, ensuring a steady stream of useful loot. The plot is perhaps the weakest point, serving really only as a means to push you to the next region. While there are 500+ side quests, they are mostly just fetch or kill so many mobs quests. Most are fairly easy to accomplish and yield good xp. Character advancement is mostly based on choosing and leveling 10 skills. There aren't enough points to max everything, so what you focus on really can make or break your character. Combat Arts don't level with you and are instead advanced by finding dropped or trading for runes. But increasing the power will also increase the recharge time. Balancing this is key to the characters that can't depend on pure melee attacks. The only decent view is a zoomed-out overhead, although that may not be such a bad thing since most enemies attack in mobs. This is a game that can keep you busy for a long time, if you want it to. My score is 7.7.
Angela - Spiral
Angela has a new album out called Land Ho! I've been listening to the band since I watched Soukyuu no Fafner years ago and heard Shangri-La and Seperation, the opening and ending themes. Atsuko has a such phenomenal voice. And Fafner is still one of my favorite animes.
4 Pickups, 2 Additions
Atlus and NIS America
Non-RPG
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
After my disinterested July, I set a goal for myself to beat at least one game each week. I'm not sure how long I can maintain such a pace, but I did make it through August. Inspired by a few friends I've decided to try to drop by unfinished backlog to 80%. It is currently down .5% to 83.7%, though my September/October preorders will likely limit any progress until closer to year's end.
I've taken up biking, though my legs haven't carried me as far as expected. My current route takes me about 7.5 miles, though I plan to up that to around 10 miles soon. I have my eyes set on a 30 mile trail about 9 miles north of where I live, but I don't see myself riding it anytime soon. Maybe in the spring.
While I posted a brief entry about my recent Chicago trip, I've posted a wider selection of pictures at my website. Unfortunately, I accidentally deleted my previous set of pictures during my last hard drive format, so I couldn't rebuild the image gallery with my older pictures. I may play with the html and see if I can manually add the old gallery in there, but it isn't a priority.
August Gain +510 - 37 Achievements unlocked
August Gain - Level + 1 Trophies + 36
Backlog decreased by 3 in August
Rank 20 on the MyGamercard.net RPG Leaderboard -1
Game spending vs. '08: Monthly 28% | Yearly -38 %
Splurging on the Batman Collector's Edition killed my numbers more than expected. Turns out August '08 was one of the few months I didn't go overboard.
The last of the DLC, Mothership Zeta, arrived. While previous DLC has taken you to regions around the wastelands, this one took you up to outer space. An enjoyable experience, if a little repetitive. Every section of the ship seemed to boil down to blowing up generators. The ending certainly made up for that though. I missed a few items for the last achievement, so I need to make one more trip through. Hopefully I left a save before the point of no return, else it's back to the beginning of the ship. (1530/1550)
Dragon Warrior I
Level 12
I've obtained the first of the three required objects
Dragon Warrior II
Not started
Final Fantasy I
13:46 Lv 51 Knight/Ninja/Red Wizard/Black Wizard
Chaos defeated, game complete.
Final Fantasy II
02:36 Firion/Maria/Guy/Minwu
The mission to Bafsk was a failure, guess it's back to Altair.
It's hard to avoid spoilers for high-profile games and Metal Gear is one of the series. I went into this game knowing much of the plot that would slowly be revealed, but even that did not fully prepare me for the multitude of cutscenes that tied the game together. The game map was far smaller than I expected and I'm pretty sure I spent almost as much time watching the game as I did playing. When actually playing, the game was solid. Remaining hidden was easier said than done and the boss required a pretty good strategy to succeed. A fun game, nonetheless, and worthy of a replay, though my stealth skills need a lot of work. 8.4.
An interesting story with a unique art design. At its heart, it's a point-and-click adventure, though it's driven more through conversion than scouring the background. For the most part the game does a good job of guiding you along and pointing you towards what you need and where to go, though sometimes (particularly late game) it leaves you with only a vague clue or nothing at all. The plot is the main focus of the game and while it relies on a large number of coincidences, it moves well and the comes to a satisfying conclusion. I'm not sure exactly how long it took, as the game clock continued to move while I had the DS in standby, but it kept me busy for longer than I expected. My score is a solid 8.
A rarity this day age other than the occasional portable Castlevania, Shadow Complex is a Metroid-like 2D platformer. The plot has a few holes in it, but the game mechanics are sound. The power-ups are standard fare, double-jump, missiles, armor, etc, though some fun can be had with the more unique foam gun and fusion helmet. While you move on a 2-D plane, the game itself exists in 3-D. These means enemies will often come at you from the background. Shadow Complex's biggest fault is that aiming at these foes doesn't always go as planned. This is fine on the easier difficulties, but on the hardest setting the extra few bullets you take could mean the difference between life and death. I've been through it several times and I haven't tired of it. I can't recommend it enough, especially to those who miss the days of 2-D. 8.8.
While I did end up enjoying this game, it's still not one I can easily recommend. Combat is fun as you try to link as many attacks and combos together, but enemies frequently jump in strength requiring hours of grinding (or some of the weapon/armor DLC, much of it free). A vast number of characters (30) join over the course of the game, but with a party limit of 4 and a significant time investment needed to level a new characters skills up to a useful level means you'll likely settle on just a few favorites. The graphics were lackluster and the 2-D character sprites didn't mesh well with the 3-D background and monster models. The story was weak as well and eventually culminated in a series of long and drawn out sequences (ending included) that went on for just a little too long. My score is a 7.1.
I picked this up on a recommendation and a leftover collector's box and must admit I was pleasantly surprised with the game. Free to travel the island, but limited by the gadgets you've obtained, slowly opening up the whole of the island. The plot was paced fairly well and kept the game moving forward, though the optional Riddler challenges kept distracting me from continuing the game. 240 of the challenges were placed in the game, ranging from simply smashing chattering joke teeth or finding trophies hidden in various nooks and crannies, to the more difficult clues that challenge to to scan a point in the room that matches the given clue. Some of these are fairly easy to figure out, but many took some deep thought and a bit of luck. I'm pleased to say I was able to solve all of them (as well as the game) without referencing an online FAQ or strategy guide. From using many of the same voice actors from the animated series of the mid-nineties to the numerous references dropped everywhere, you can tell the developer put a lot of care into crafting this game. My only complaint of note is that you spend the game fighting the same foes. Final score 8.8.
Played on co-op with a friend, we found the game quite hilarious. And when the game was moving, it was fun as well. The many puzzles seemed overly complex at first, but by the end of the first movie we had pretty much figured out what the game was asking of us there. It was these many puzzles kept the game interesting. My biggest complaint were the many sections of infinite spawning enemies. It was rather annoying being constantly harassed by enemies while trying to work out a solution. Especially when they all have bazookas. If you enjoyed Lego Star Wars, you'll likely enjoy this one, as it's much the same. 7.7 out of 10.
Shaun Barrowes - Light of the Day Dark of the Night
The ending theme to Shadow Complex.
The Arkham Asylum Collector's Edition containing replica batarang, art book with leather cover and bat-shaped case.
2 Pickups, 3 Additions
Atlus and NIS America
RPG
Mario & Luigi: Bower's Inside Story | Fallout: New Vegas
Non-RPG
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
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