tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56875926092117293662024-03-13T22:57:05.514-04:00PS Thrii60PS Thrii60 is a site I set up so I could share with other gamers my thoughts on new games, gaming news, and my opinions on what I've heard others say. I'll try not to be insulting, but I will definitely disagree with some sites out there.dphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07716969351879695436noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687592609211729366.post-22366010622061420632011-04-01T11:34:00.000-04:002011-04-01T11:34:00.205-04:00Your New Addiction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJeHERsMZh3ewLURdgQAW7yJoAAjYYNb2bvZBYDOSLfkWXEkFYQAWJu8aJcKnW3NKOFBXEHkQ03SCfbX7dBibo1_jGC-Nj9HS-thMJ7O5s85qs-ER4-mVyJUWFHlAq_k3lWYi6uXPq21c/s1600/desktopdungeons.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJeHERsMZh3ewLURdgQAW7yJoAAjYYNb2bvZBYDOSLfkWXEkFYQAWJu8aJcKnW3NKOFBXEHkQ03SCfbX7dBibo1_jGC-Nj9HS-thMJ7O5s85qs-ER4-mVyJUWFHlAq_k3lWYi6uXPq21c/s320/desktopdungeons.png" width="320" /></a></div>Head on over and <a href="http://www.qcfdesign.com/?cat=20">download yourself a free copy</a> of <i>Desktop Dungeons</i>. That is, of course, if you haven't already done so. I feel like I might be late to the party on this one, but for anyone who hasn't checked it out yet, prepare to lose some precious time.<br />
<br />
The game takes place in a single dungeon, and you either win or lose (mostly lose) in around 10 minutes. But that doesn't mean you stop playing. Nope, you go back in for more punishment. Each randomly generated dungeon begins with only a few visible blocks surrounding you, and as you explore, you uncover potions, spells, shrines, and, of course, enemies. None of the enemies move, and only attack you when you attack them, so it's more about figuring out how to level up to beat the dungeon boss(es). I've never had so much trouble deciding whether I should click the button and consume my mana potion or not. You see, it's easier to beat enemies at the same or lower levels than you, but beating more powerful creatures grants greater experience, albeit at the cost of life and mana. So is that mana potion worth the experience?<br />
<br />
All the classic RPG staples are here. Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, Gnomes, all able to play a stock set of character classes. Everyone's got their different bonuses, strengths, and weaknesses. It's not a new idea, just a perfectly-executed old idea. Actually, you should stop reading this and start playing.<br />
<br />
-dpdphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07716969351879695436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687592609211729366.post-38900442784752566822011-03-31T18:01:00.003-04:002011-03-31T18:07:02.801-04:00Gray Matter Review<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ieVbZyTuBy00vvrwO0LMaD1_fPnWNz9tocpupBcrnsT2ZA061n2izPO2L8KqkIlLanNLQJAmBkGyuWE1jHf31Yv1BbMwobL05ZRpXZGDLYEEc-HsQUBSS1yAanzpljEf4oZoTnGRfmN_/s1600/GrayMatter1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ieVbZyTuBy00vvrwO0LMaD1_fPnWNz9tocpupBcrnsT2ZA061n2izPO2L8KqkIlLanNLQJAmBkGyuWE1jHf31Yv1BbMwobL05ZRpXZGDLYEEc-HsQUBSS1yAanzpljEf4oZoTnGRfmN_/s200/GrayMatter1.jpg" width="188" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's right. For my first shot at a true review, I'm giving a go at the off-the-radar PC adventure game, <i>Gray Matter</i>. I finally got myself a new PC. My laptop is around 5 years old, and having to turn it on, then wait 5 minutes before I could use it had to stop, so I head over to Best Buy and picked up a new Asus. And why not try a PC while I'm at it? <i>Gray Matter</i> is available for $30, but I downloaded it off Amazon for $15. I don't really know why it was that price, though. Maybe just because it was a download, or maybe my account had some kind of credit.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enough of that, though! Review after the jump.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="blurb blurb_collapsed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It would be easy to harp on the problems with Gray Matter (slow-moving, some awkward conversations, leaps in logic), but that would be ignorin</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="blurb blurb_expanded" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">g what it is supposed to be. Point-and-click adventure games, at their heart, tell a story with the help of the player. So one way to rate the game would be to rate how appealing the story is, and Gray Matter's story is intriguing and well-paced, littered with interesting characters. At times, the voice acting can fall flat, but in a $30 game, this is not a huge problem, and the acting is far from distractingly bad, ala Final Fantasy X and others. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="blurb blurb_expanded" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="blurb blurb_expanded" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The heart of the story revolves around Samantha Everett, a stage magician who uses tricks (illusions, Michael!) to get what she needs from others. The magic interface is well done, and you find yourself looking forward to the next time you have to use your magic book and various items to dupe a student or professor. There are actually several things happening in Sam's life, both on her own and within her new "job" as assistant to Dr. Styles, a reclusive ex-professor at Oxford (where the majority of the game takes place) who now stays home and conducts endless experiments in his basement. The game deserves credit for bringing all these plot points together competently.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="blurb blurb_expanded" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyOMw7JZjbyHNA_x0aqaiTNDcegjqcfCQzZ-a2yQ9Rw3L1D96yIwtMzlp5kJsi2nvkmsTZ2FDMXUFbSpfzjc5xsEA7SyjJfGYLtq3uHNZ9beko4ybskOQpXJDE3FqVIQL4m99DcnxCwA6/s1600/graymatter2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyOMw7JZjbyHNA_x0aqaiTNDcegjqcfCQzZ-a2yQ9Rw3L1D96yIwtMzlp5kJsi2nvkmsTZ2FDMXUFbSpfzjc5xsEA7SyjJfGYLtq3uHNZ9beko4ybskOQpXJDE3FqVIQL4m99DcnxCwA6/s320/graymatter2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="blurb blurb_expanded" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The other way to grade the game would be the content of the puzzles, and as far Gray Matter goes, the puzzles are not only satisfying, but actually fit organically into the story, a place where many adventure games fail. At no point will you be forced to complete a non-sensical sliding block puzzle just because the developers aren't original enough to come up with anything else. Sure, there are a few puzzles that seem to stretch the rules of ordinary logic, but nothing so jarring that you lose the sense of immersion.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="blurb blurb_expanded" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="blurb blurb_expanded" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There are minor annoyances, as well. Some were mentioned earlier (and it should be noted that while the game moves slow, the music is good enough that you never really mind), but something that can be particularly bad is that only a handful of areas stretch beyond the confines of one screen, and it can be unclear when you are in one of these areas. If what you need to solve the puzzle is just off the screen, it may take you a while to figure out. Luckily, there are guides to get you through some of the smaller actions you need to take that aren't quite clear, these included.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="blurb blurb_expanded" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">Overall, Gray Matter deserves your attention if you enjoy this type of game. The story is interesting and well-written, pushed forward by puzzles that never lose their sense of place.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">Final grade: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">80</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">(played on PC, also available on Xbox 360)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-dp</span>dphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07716969351879695436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687592609211729366.post-53686891339796761332011-01-16T15:40:00.071-05:002011-01-16T16:44:04.910-05:00About 2010<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTqtkIydKSQv4H8RM1OLrO1AOl18mNpRXbddeRjSpz6JkrXBZ6wSNhshFeW-AYysav6Sw8a3804N17gh-8Vszr26GDd1OJvN3j25f6K3JXP2eH7NeCwARRFY7Ynx-CXHGSKG-zpT5t3v9/s1600/ps3+controllwer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTqtkIydKSQv4H8RM1OLrO1AOl18mNpRXbddeRjSpz6JkrXBZ6wSNhshFeW-AYysav6Sw8a3804N17gh-8Vszr26GDd1OJvN3j25f6K3JXP2eH7NeCwARRFY7Ynx-CXHGSKG-zpT5t3v9/s1600/ps3+controllwer.jpg" /></a></div>I'm only one guy, and can't have played enough games to create a proper "Best of the Year" list, considering some of the games everyone's talking about I've never tried myself (i.e. <i>Call of Duty: Black Ops, Red Dead Redemption, Halo: Reach, Starcraft 2</i>). How did I spend my gaming year, though? That's a question I can answer!<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
-dp<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8b63_mVLJ3thAm3dbnuDiqPs-hbGQnUTuC3b4BUjlPrwxmWVukVXW5N1oJuoeC75NsaAWHNpmO_dd1h5Hthh9UduAMl6PSykcBUAhFeNtrnx8VkP3JW_eB0Iubt0Oew9xkyl72UnvF9n0/s1600/Mass-Effect-2-bioWare_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8b63_mVLJ3thAm3dbnuDiqPs-hbGQnUTuC3b4BUjlPrwxmWVukVXW5N1oJuoeC75NsaAWHNpmO_dd1h5Hthh9UduAMl6PSykcBUAhFeNtrnx8VkP3JW_eB0Iubt0Oew9xkyl72UnvF9n0/s200/Mass-Effect-2-bioWare_b.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The year definitely started off strong! <i>Mass Effect 2</i> is a game, defying traditions, that came out in January but was still at the top of many "Best of" lists at the end of the year. An incredible game that removed the cluttered item interface from the first game (hopefully they learn their lesson for <i>Dragon Age 2</i>) and focused on the story and gameplay. Searching planets was a chore, sure, but that's forgivable in the light of such an amazing accomplishment in gaming. I also loved the ability to play with the same character I played in the first. It made it that much more relatable to me, and I can't wait to complete her adventures in <i>Mass Effect 3</i>, which finally <a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/vga-10-mass-effect/708362">takes place on Earth</a>, a place I've always wanted, for some reason, to visit in the previous games.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwq8rkau8zN8wvYaF-e59K5mj2G-VriqMEmT6MbmUSqu4pBik3OGz-34v-Qcz3BK-rKwH4S3iAnjlPJy4yLet6WssydiNuAdEiadqHOz_ZHdvCBBPIs73M2Achc8E6Bg3mnMsHcpEgeg1Y/s1600/fang-and-vanille.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwq8rkau8zN8wvYaF-e59K5mj2G-VriqMEmT6MbmUSqu4pBik3OGz-34v-Qcz3BK-rKwH4S3iAnjlPJy4yLet6WssydiNuAdEiadqHOz_ZHdvCBBPIs73M2Achc8E6Bg3mnMsHcpEgeg1Y/s200/fang-and-vanille.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Next came <i>Final Fantasy XIII</i>, which I will first say I understand all the criticism it's received. However, I loved this game. Not as much as <i>IX</i> or <i>XII </i>or <i>VI</i> or <i>VII</i> or <i>VIII</i>, but failing to live up to those games in no way makes it a bad game. The story took too long to unfold, Hope is one the worst characters in video game history (I think anytime you hear someone say "Don't you see?" in video games <i>or</i> movies, the script writers should immediately be discredited), but the combat system makes every fight something you actually need to think about, and the graphics are truly something to be marveled at. Beyond that, though, the true genius of this game comes <i>after</i> you've beaten it. You can finally super-power your characters and complete the difficult missions. This is a much different (and better, in my opinion) approach than previous Final Fantasies, which have super powerful optional fights, but allow you get your characters so over-powered that the final story boss fight is a joke. This way, you had to struggle to defeat the final boss, and <i>then</i> you could overpower you characters to beat the tough optional fights. I'm not going to change anyone's mind, I know, if you don't like this game, but <i>I</i> think it's a more than worthy entry to <i>Final Fantasy</i> legacy, and can't wait for <i>Versus</i>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7WZQ8K4spKy_bTBS_odZwlAWKGFz25of4-E6I2CvcSRXBqzXXNCAeshVEGDys4qCUH2MV5-G-Hr3SSY4sjOjj9nyhhH98YRaDUR1N1rvVJ4Z_ypguv-ubyiPvKU-qpyhN78LbFpXfX4q/s1600/heavy-rain-main2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7WZQ8K4spKy_bTBS_odZwlAWKGFz25of4-E6I2CvcSRXBqzXXNCAeshVEGDys4qCUH2MV5-G-Hr3SSY4sjOjj9nyhhH98YRaDUR1N1rvVJ4Z_ypguv-ubyiPvKU-qpyhN78LbFpXfX4q/s200/heavy-rain-main2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Next came one of the most innovative, though flawed, game I've ever played. <i>Heavy Rain</i> is something I really describe, but you know what it is and what is accomplished, whether you enjoyed it or not. Aside from anything else, how many game have allowed to interactively strip a woman to get ready for a shower? Sure, it could be considered exploitative, but the quick-time interactive design was completely new and an interesting way to tell a story. It's a story that's been told before, sure, in movies all over the place, but you've never been able to be a part of the story like this before. Quite the achievement.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3GohQXwjf3-iWPQoDbcnyjIqZLd1JptAUM2LvUi_weqxSJzdHlE4Suoc86uXWAOaf1g2sl2EeJZdY3h4cZRVcS3AZ1xvf0kHsY2pIFZgL24naqtZIjFxI8LSU3d1qpTUmLWXMYtv-p1X/s1600/LIMBO+Screenshot+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3GohQXwjf3-iWPQoDbcnyjIqZLd1JptAUM2LvUi_weqxSJzdHlE4Suoc86uXWAOaf1g2sl2EeJZdY3h4cZRVcS3AZ1xvf0kHsY2pIFZgL24naqtZIjFxI8LSU3d1qpTUmLWXMYtv-p1X/s200/LIMBO+Screenshot+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>As far as downloadable games, I was also to play both <i>Limbo</i> and <i>Super Meatboy</i> on the XBox 360 arcade. I beat <i>Limbo </i>and got cut off from <i>SMB</i> when my XBox red-ringed, but both these games were a lot of fun for different reasons. Simple side-scrollers need some innovation to survive these days, and, like <i>Braid</i> last year, these two bring it. <i>Limbo</i>'s eerie atmosphere and ultra-violence stand out in a world that is unforgiving even to children, and <i>Super Meatboy</i> is as hard as they come, but never gives you time to get too upset, since dying immediately brings you back to the start of a 15-second level. And when you finally beat that level, it's fun to watch all your characters try again at the same time in the interesting replays that show up afterwards.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXL5sI7jrFQtgJDf6oJuqoh_wjHaVRd5QZnjtbvPxm4i5apaTLhdQrRRe-9724XtJedeClwIJEhx8Wkbq9foMxX6cXLrBBIpg-eNxRw0Y3HKMaLXPh2682yJIeBjzROmP59s2X7afK0Zph/s1600/3d+dot+game+heroes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXL5sI7jrFQtgJDf6oJuqoh_wjHaVRd5QZnjtbvPxm4i5apaTLhdQrRRe-9724XtJedeClwIJEhx8Wkbq9foMxX6cXLrBBIpg-eNxRw0Y3HKMaLXPh2682yJIeBjzROmP59s2X7afK0Zph/s200/3d+dot+game+heroes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I also got a chance to play <i>3D Dot Game Heroes</i>, a retro experience that's derivative, sure, but way too much fun to let that bring you down. Check out that fully upgraded Giga Sword, that fills the <i>entire screen</i> and kills things you can't even see with one swing! Try it if you haven't.<br />
<br />
Other notable games include <i>God of War 3</i>, which, while awesome, is hopefully the last in the story, although I'm sure it won't be. In the first game, when you had to move the caged prisoner in the path of fire and kill him to move on, it was quite the revelation when you realized what you had to do. In the third game, while deaths became more gruesome, this was commonplace and no longer new. That fight with Chronos, though...pretty incredible! <i>Sonic the Hedgehog 4</i> was nothing special, but I may try again sometime soon. I really want to like it.<i> </i>I love <i>Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood</i> so far, but haven't played enough to give it a proper review. The multiplayer is great though, even if it takes a while to find a game.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfMJX6KJF-An4YIe12uVPvBRpAflZFg-hN8muocgH4e3x4kNICvo6QM1YOKOqB2RhpKHGSpGGIdCbRI2WDGhu0MkPqFLMiC0vLmS1ZGYB_gkIghy51gUNXMcyLvC7-VtY-O_rXL6Z6VrM/s1600/barroth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfMJX6KJF-An4YIe12uVPvBRpAflZFg-hN8muocgH4e3x4kNICvo6QM1YOKOqB2RhpKHGSpGGIdCbRI2WDGhu0MkPqFLMiC0vLmS1ZGYB_gkIghy51gUNXMcyLvC7-VtY-O_rXL6Z6VrM/s200/barroth.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>In the Wii category, I only played one new game but boy was it a time sink! <i>Monster Hunter Tri</i> was such a revelation to me, and I spent hundreds of hours fighting the same monsters with online friends, trying to get the next best piece of armor. Both the single player game and the online multiplayer are an excellent way to spend your time. I've heard it's nothing compared to the difficulty of the previous entries, but for me this game was, except for one game, the one I spent most time with in 2010.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiW_0p73jh4X-tehkqG3IAGuanxOf61oerKZCMixtDou_CMmxiKzy4zMwZhi3kXljAa4Cc2_1_0qkB3rnTusPoJm3Hq4qPBwZuqLpxkcaHO68bhyphenhyphen1-UY5xmhpec5h-po2B-XWwE0aLxNh/s1600/demonssouls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiW_0p73jh4X-tehkqG3IAGuanxOf61oerKZCMixtDou_CMmxiKzy4zMwZhi3kXljAa4Cc2_1_0qkB3rnTusPoJm3Hq4qPBwZuqLpxkcaHO68bhyphenhyphen1-UY5xmhpec5h-po2B-XWwE0aLxNh/s320/demonssouls.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And that game I spent more time with was, once again, <i>Demon's Souls</i>, my pick for the <a href="http://psthrii60.blogspot.com/2010/01/another-best-of-decade-list.html">game of the decade</a>. As far as I am concerned, no other game carries the depth, mechanics, and gameplay to make for such an infinitely replayable adventure. Due to unforeseen popularity, Atlas has kept the servers open until its 2-year US anniversary in October, 18 months longer than originally planned. If that doesn't speak for it's abilities to suck you in, I don't know what does. New players are always coming in, and I suggest you join.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8wfDJvfsHhuDl9QRk-TOWIhfmTl_1_Y9DII-IUFFYshyphenhyphenkAPZ43LW7t7qDcAr_5_IB41yk3100jz9zDdC_E3YmVd2GmFr7fnX4xREXLH5d6yW38AiTWTbhzFN8JJbBKVvg1XQpNipQPRH/s1600/sacred2-055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8wfDJvfsHhuDl9QRk-TOWIhfmTl_1_Y9DII-IUFFYshyphenhyphenkAPZ43LW7t7qDcAr_5_IB41yk3100jz9zDdC_E3YmVd2GmFr7fnX4xREXLH5d6yW38AiTWTbhzFN8JJbBKVvg1XQpNipQPRH/s200/sacred2-055.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I also bought a copy <i>Fallout: New Vegas</i>, which I've only played for about an hour and so can't weigh in, and <i>Sacred 2: Fallen Angel</i> is a worthy time sink. Mindless <i>Diablo</i>-style gameplay and endless quests in a huge and beautiful world, but that game's 2 years old.<br />
<br />
So in the end, I'd give my "Game of the Year" to <i>Demon's Souls, </i>once again, but since that was a 2009 release, I'll give it to <i>Mass Effect 2</i>. Here's looking to another great year in gaming!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDdFmbTaLnUdCN6ZzieJ0KruqmilP7rpEZ8h4s6gOa-kgHtc7cP6FVJvIqtTHePy2UV718KLYRpl9dn4NtQf8xOM4tRVeJUj3t0OgKkmTRX2rdNxSZLz-2jbnGVLtKHsIbVzzyt5ZmGbx/s1600/Mass-Effect-2-Shepard-and-Tali.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDdFmbTaLnUdCN6ZzieJ0KruqmilP7rpEZ8h4s6gOa-kgHtc7cP6FVJvIqtTHePy2UV718KLYRpl9dn4NtQf8xOM4tRVeJUj3t0OgKkmTRX2rdNxSZLz-2jbnGVLtKHsIbVzzyt5ZmGbx/s400/Mass-Effect-2-Shepard-and-Tali.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687592609211729366.post-26854392532744625612010-01-30T20:35:00.000-05:002010-01-30T20:35:22.729-05:00Mass Effect - Pre-review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4dJ3OAXmehqHobn4OVFeCF7oUP4ZWtObHEw721IpOGrTbo3sSQWKcL7PaTfnoc8HNkbIPMmQULuTctLoZSWKlVEXouPa7W0hTw9UQtxqaz_fSQ6uWrEXaFMktPu36dZDn2P_i01kZMY4/s1600-h/masseffect2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4dJ3OAXmehqHobn4OVFeCF7oUP4ZWtObHEw721IpOGrTbo3sSQWKcL7PaTfnoc8HNkbIPMmQULuTctLoZSWKlVEXouPa7W0hTw9UQtxqaz_fSQ6uWrEXaFMktPu36dZDn2P_i01kZMY4/s320/masseffect2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'll try my hand at an actual review when I finish playing, but I just want to give my impressions so far. This game makes <i>Dragons Age: Origins</i> look like something BioWare threw together real quick while they were on break from their real job, which was making <i>Mass Effect 2</i>. I can't reccommend this game enough! Get it today. If you don't have an Xbox 360, get one of those, too, or play on your PC if it can handle it.</span> <br />
-dpUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687592609211729366.post-39049493851438023192010-01-24T16:29:00.000-05:002010-01-24T16:29:35.832-05:00Part II: Where the Numbers Go Awry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJntIjOb8y2r8p8oj2i9L7m-I1gcuT4aWdk8rholiUrhJZLrJKmLQe2PA7fsmj6bYVq8cW6pNMecXO__A3fsPA_J9KVOpgKkS2OtwcwPe3AcXqL-7dm0RomSCFKN-SK-Y5Qr7QVUZqIVa2/s1600-h/Terra_on_Magitek_Armor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJntIjOb8y2r8p8oj2i9L7m-I1gcuT4aWdk8rholiUrhJZLrJKmLQe2PA7fsmj6bYVq8cW6pNMecXO__A3fsPA_J9KVOpgKkS2OtwcwPe3AcXqL-7dm0RomSCFKN-SK-Y5Qr7QVUZqIVa2/s320/Terra_on_Magitek_Armor.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sticking with US release #'s here, I hadn't played <i>Final Fantasy II</i> until it was released much later for the GBA. So I'm going to skip it and go right to <i>Final Fantasy III </i>(later <i>VI</i>). Like the original NES, I also never owned a Super Nintendo. This time, however, a friend of mine was kind enough to lend me his system and the game, so I could play it myself. And thank God, too, because this game would change the way I look at video games, RPGs especially.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(Again, spoilers ahead.)<br />
<a name='more'></a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This game is everything I wanted RPGs to be. Up to this point, I had played mainly on my Sega Genesis: <i>D&D: Warriors of the Eternal Sun</i>, <i>Shining Force</i>, and others I can't remember. Along with <i>Final Fantasy</i>, I also played <i>Ultima</i> (at a friend's place) on the NES. I remember wondering why the characters couldn't be fleshed out with their own stories. All these games, except for <i>Shining Force</i>, had generic classes with a story that revolved around the world, not the characters you play. And while the characters in <i>Shining Force </i>had names and pictures that were singular, they were hardly fleshed out. <i>Final Fantasy III</i> changed that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Each character here had their own back story. As a player, you could relate to each one like characters in a movie or a novel. My team consisted of Locke, Celes, Terra, and Shadow, but there was any combination of characters players could use during their quest.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQmWuOwZNOAKUDKFy8uGfr6uX_YlEl0rLNi8vnL3DmZ3QrQlnsAX6TohsLGwSpRP2kWEKGYfqcg20e-P2zpNE1NQ0MT5awEMtIphpsTj2tu_50Jx_Slw2JTglqHZtmj96pZg_ffuXu6_6/s1600-h/shadow-final-fantasy-vi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQmWuOwZNOAKUDKFy8uGfr6uX_YlEl0rLNi8vnL3DmZ3QrQlnsAX6TohsLGwSpRP2kWEKGYfqcg20e-P2zpNE1NQ0MT5awEMtIphpsTj2tu_50Jx_Slw2JTglqHZtmj96pZg_ffuXu6_6/s200/shadow-final-fantasy-vi.jpg" width="151" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And there were beautiful moments, too. The amazing opera scene was unlike anything I had ever seen. After the world was torn, Celes was alone on an island, looking to find her friends. While the clock was ticking to jump off the floating island, players had to wait an uncomfortable amount of time or lose Shadow forever. The split final dungeon with the epic, multi-tiered final boss. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While it embarrasses me a little to admit it now, I even bought the soundtrack for this game...and listened to it, too. A lot. I used the music in my video making class in High School, as a soundtrack for my own movies. I ran to it with the disc in my discman. I lived this game for a good portion of my life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwTW60OF1Tsn9ytI2b82Ewc8bmVMVeINVUE4sYl-PsnGYWimfcEqpVIWXLlYZadCakrifDWcGljr6D3P3Yw9hOuA36kdNmGE_osAYTE6dihVFZAA1v8PZoT_pRaFzBQVAdnxQguYoLrxJ/s1600-h/352648-locke_cole_amp_celes_chere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwTW60OF1Tsn9ytI2b82Ewc8bmVMVeINVUE4sYl-PsnGYWimfcEqpVIWXLlYZadCakrifDWcGljr6D3P3Yw9hOuA36kdNmGE_osAYTE6dihVFZAA1v8PZoT_pRaFzBQVAdnxQguYoLrxJ/s320/352648-locke_cole_amp_celes_chere.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The depth of the characters first drew my attention when, while the party was asleep at an inn, Locke and Celes both met outside and just talked. I had never seen anything like this before in a video game, and it immediately connected me to the characters and drew me into the world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While I may give you a different answer if you ask me what my favorite <i>Final Fantasy</i> game is, there is no doubt that if you asked which <i>Final Fantasy</i> game influenced the way I played and enjoyed video games the most, my answer would be <i>Final Fantasy III</i> for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.<br />
</span><br />
<br />
<br />
-dpUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687592609211729366.post-91626965641278177242010-01-21T13:17:00.000-05:002010-01-21T13:17:14.879-05:00My Life and Final Fantasy: Part I<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Kmx1EM5Ncmv9wcyEYhr4roZ7EkwWCtVbab5fXNtjdi8hHTihzaKDJd_uni7ZSyJmoXZ48NTM6YXdlast9sfW0abFDMZBWe_Ir3RRqPgz4yMqPkjADkAanJKqVEySamxilZtEeQwRYJHH/s1600-h/aeris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Kmx1EM5Ncmv9wcyEYhr4roZ7EkwWCtVbab5fXNtjdi8hHTihzaKDJd_uni7ZSyJmoXZ48NTM6YXdlast9sfW0abFDMZBWe_Ir3RRqPgz4yMqPkjADkAanJKqVEySamxilZtEeQwRYJHH/s320/aeris.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In case you didn't know, <i>Final Fantasy XIII</i> is due out in the US this March...finally. I've been excited for this game since I beat <i>FFXII</i>. I honor of the event, I figured I'd write a little about each <i>Final Fantasy</i> and how it affected me, my gaming life, and what my experience was. I feel like I may be in a minority because I seem to love the installments that enrage others, and be a bit disappointed in the installments that others love. Oddly, I didn't know how the general public felt about each game until pretty recently with all the "Best of the Decade" lists going around. Largely, I think the <i>Final Fantasy</i> series, at least the main intallments <i>I-XII</i>, can do no wrong, though there was one game in particular I was less happy with than the rest.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So hit the jump for the first installment...<i>Final Fantasy</i>. <br />
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oh, and in case anyone reading may have not played these games, and are still planning on it, there are spoilers ahead. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8tYZhrm1lhjpJMZiwVOI1PZty8Ai_UvSQ8A8y6Dcd-Fh9ZnmHzy32PI5D3y3jIDCp2CPgRaumub620lqsc2NRLfjRNZF5QdXwAPW4-wxd5sXdjQYpl2KphV4aY8Dk1ivj5r69KfarZog/s1600-h/runjumpshoot24b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8tYZhrm1lhjpJMZiwVOI1PZty8Ai_UvSQ8A8y6Dcd-Fh9ZnmHzy32PI5D3y3jIDCp2CPgRaumub620lqsc2NRLfjRNZF5QdXwAPW4-wxd5sXdjQYpl2KphV4aY8Dk1ivj5r69KfarZog/s200/runjumpshoot24b.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I never owned a Nintendo Entertainment System, so any experience I had on it came from going to my friends' places and playing their systems. Because of this, I never actually played <i>Final Fantasy</i>. Instead, I spent God know how many hours at my friend, Rob's place, watching him play. I could watch it for hours. We had a spreadsheet with all the enemies. At the time, we thought the new promoted characters looked amazing, so much cooler than the dinky fighters they were before. I remember in the Fire Giants' Cave, we (and when I say "we", I guess I mean "Rob") were thrilled at the amount of opal armor that was in chests. When he finally opened the chest that had something like 10GP, we all facetiously started yelling out in excitement at about 2 o'clock in the morning. We had to shut ourselves up after that. I guessed the ending, too. I remember seeing a blacked out picture of Chaos in a magazine, and thinking he looked a bit like Garland. Kind of snowballed from there. I played it again on my GBA years later, but the experience wasn't the same. That's right. For me, I had more fun watching someone else play <i>Final Fantasy</i> than actually playing it. I think this is the only game I've experienced, at least <i>fully</i> experienced, this way, watching as a bystander rather than taking part in the action.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilz7MRXT2XQtp9H3yTGh3VZUn1_-F0rMPUtwBFc8h0rfm90KtT6xerviarGwdAlm7684jvRfXfFRHSll6qPou1yMHG50L-KFyGCZpZ-ECecqhKrlCpwJeIstFzxYrhH8kOIMomk7rM1wKw/s1600-h/ff1_boss_warmech_nes.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilz7MRXT2XQtp9H3yTGh3VZUn1_-F0rMPUtwBFc8h0rfm90KtT6xerviarGwdAlm7684jvRfXfFRHSll6qPou1yMHG50L-KFyGCZpZ-ECecqhKrlCpwJeIstFzxYrhH8kOIMomk7rM1wKw/s200/ff1_boss_warmech_nes.gif" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I still have never seen the <i>Warmech</i> enemy on the bridge. This seems more like a cruel joke on the developers part, though. There was an enemy in the game you almost never face but shows up in one spot for unlucky travelers. Facing this enemy would almost certainly result in death, and there was nothing you could do to prevent it...if it happened. He had an attack that could destroy your whole party in one hit, the first in a long line of near impossible, without level-grinding for hours, enemies to inhabit <i>Final Fantasy</i>. Thankfully, they made them fully optional later (hello, Ruby Weapon!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stay tuned for the next installment.<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
-dpUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687592609211729366.post-29424600905446070962010-01-19T12:14:00.000-05:002010-01-19T12:14:36.962-05:00Weighing in on Darksiders and Bayonetta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUuawX_l-GVii6mE8LJRUqP3qdHUY05W1uApRs5_XIyMlcduwVNOKGKfh8pBPiN6dDR8qhyphenhyphen2Lmo4RQLbOKOTCnOrdKPGoDyulHgg75d8Mi4QChhBG2kMjikfsYTK4r-6NKg2eymv4HDL1x/s1600-h/bayonetta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUuawX_l-GVii6mE8LJRUqP3qdHUY05W1uApRs5_XIyMlcduwVNOKGKfh8pBPiN6dDR8qhyphenhyphen2Lmo4RQLbOKOTCnOrdKPGoDyulHgg75d8Mi4QChhBG2kMjikfsYTK4r-6NKg2eymv4HDL1x/s320/bayonetta.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'll admit right up front that I finished neither game, and that I played both on the PS3, which I heard the load screens were significantly longer for <i>Bayonetta</i> on the PS3, though I, myself, don't have anything to compare them to.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wanna hear what I have to say? After the jump...<a name='more'></a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the few hours I've spent with each game, I have to say I was disappointed with both, and in the case of <i>Bayonetta</i> I think the disappointment may be with myself. I've never been a fan of the <i>Devil May Cry</i> series, so I feel like I just can't get into these games. <i>Bayonetta </i>included, I feel like all I do is mash buttons constantly while a wave of enemies invades the screen to a point where I wouldn't even be able to tell where my character is if I didn't know she was in the middle. I've read that the boss fights require strategy and take her moves to a different level, and the two bosses I fought I see this clearly. These were the moments while playing this game that I felt everything started to click and the action flowed smoothly. These were the moments that I was finally enjoying myself. Unfortunately, directly after that, I would again be forced to watch a too long cut-scene with over-the-top dialogue and ridiculously sexed-up action (and I liked <i>MGS4</i>!!)</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Again, I feel a little disappointed</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> in myself since the reviews for this game were so good, as well as the <i>Devil May Cry </i>series, but I can't see why. <i>Bayonetta</i> is a button-mashing game filled with caricatures involved in a barely comprehendable apocalyptic plot. Having said that, there are a few brilliant moments that show me what the game could have been.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2HdTQPiMsdjBITE8jeEYjlC0iNB1fFcUGSqr4sgh20oHtFDFBVzEdFXsVc0NE7Kusd-7u_slNmr8Ec6GIAM1vpATfRMZYfFh7Cbp8kNaRBja2DV-TZqvN3byu_xw5b0tJ6WowfZJm0htE/s1600-h/darksiders161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2HdTQPiMsdjBITE8jeEYjlC0iNB1fFcUGSqr4sgh20oHtFDFBVzEdFXsVc0NE7Kusd-7u_slNmr8Ec6GIAM1vpATfRMZYfFh7Cbp8kNaRBja2DV-TZqvN3byu_xw5b0tJ6WowfZJm0htE/s320/darksiders161.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Darksiders</i> is a different kind of disappointment. There was nothing wrong with the game per se, but while playing I found myself wanting to play something else, namely <i>God of War III</i>. <i>Darksiders</i> provides much better pacing than <i>Bayonetta</i>, and the characters, while not exactly well-rounded, are at least not offensive stereotypes. War himself is cool-looking and Mark Hamill has a part! Alas, this game is pretty much God of War-lite (just look at the character's name). You collect souls as currency for upgrades, open chests filled with different colored souls (green for health, blue for currency, yellow for skill power), and carry a big sword. The fighting itself is very well done,actually, and, unlike <i>Bayonetta</i>, flows naturally. This is all fine, of course, except for a few little things that make this game merely something to hold you over until <i>GoW3</i></span><i> </i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">rather than its own game. When you've beaten down a larger enemy, the "O" icon appears over their heads (probably a "B" on the X360), signaling for you to hit that button to grab onto the character. I thought, "All right, a cool, violent, mini-game that'll end up with me pulling out some kind of organ." Unfortunately, that's as far as it gets. You hit the button once and watch War pull off some pretty cool, not too detailed moves to kill the baddy after hitting hitting only the one button. To sum up, <i>Darksiders </i>is decent game and there's probably a lot of fun to be had, but it just left me wanting the real deal.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'll have to wait for that.</span><br />
-dpUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687592609211729366.post-55179771382874765832010-01-19T00:23:00.002-05:002010-01-19T09:51:18.476-05:00Another "Best of the Decade" List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7CYK7xmrD13ffUaKMV7DWhD-WJwRH3vyHqHLsHWAnNhzCekCHmdyNa1LwpKYk7ghkGk6yo93J8RikwUYu9Q50hSZ33bifrypMybWaViv5YR65Hnhz5HuP0KQBI6d9BpBs3dRXeo5a9qDo/s1600-h/pin04_l_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7CYK7xmrD13ffUaKMV7DWhD-WJwRH3vyHqHLsHWAnNhzCekCHmdyNa1LwpKYk7ghkGk6yo93J8RikwUYu9Q50hSZ33bifrypMybWaViv5YR65Hnhz5HuP0KQBI6d9BpBs3dRXeo5a9qDo/s200/pin04_l_01.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I know these are abundant right now, but I'm gonna start this blog with my picks for this category. A couple reasons why: It's fun, and viewing this list will allow you, the reader, to see if you're going to spend a lot your time agreeing with me, or thinking up clever ways to tell me why I'm wrong.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Take a look after the jump.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Best Traditional RPG: </b><i>Final Fantasy XII </i>(PS2)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9AbZyixFZz16wtSxf_EMzAR6OSe8FJ1pVgA02GNHey3kWlENVZVJzsJqWktIPE79KhdAW-vIwDAPdu0rmzdsZxBQVU6CnH9EmQ1kp2aep40kA-Kx6LXUNVoJoEhEYYEmP-8Stut2XANK/s1600-h/FinalFantasyXII.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9AbZyixFZz16wtSxf_EMzAR6OSe8FJ1pVgA02GNHey3kWlENVZVJzsJqWktIPE79KhdAW-vIwDAPdu0rmzdsZxBQVU6CnH9EmQ1kp2aep40kA-Kx6LXUNVoJoEhEYYEmP-8Stut2XANK/s200/FinalFantasyXII.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I just found out recently how controversial this pick is. I can't believe how many people were so turned off by this game. An ingenious combat system, likable characters, and a huge world all help to round out what I think is the best traditional RPG of all time. This game took the standard formula and turned it on its ass. Of course, I'm also a huge fan of FFIX, which I also found out is not a popular choice, but it was so simple and fun that I was drawn to it time and again. Back on course, though. FFXII was a beautiful experience that has not yet been replicated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Runners-up: </b><i>Dragon Quest VIII </i>(PS2)<i>, Final Fantasy IX </i>(PS1)<br />
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Best Non-Traditional RPG: </b><i>Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind </i>(Xbox)<br />
</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTDxoCeO6E0WTmRu46X_Kq0QERhbQPeB4Zw1FRh9214oPDWav0nzr95Yrt9VATRIBp1HmZMtm4t0VQb3hhbbGbx9QBfscI_YKOD9v-DIH6QoZKaUHkWC97OrzOF_rXvDQbNRoNzNxnBKY/s1600-h/morrowind04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTDxoCeO6E0WTmRu46X_Kq0QERhbQPeB4Zw1FRh9214oPDWav0nzr95Yrt9VATRIBp1HmZMtm4t0VQb3hhbbGbx9QBfscI_YKOD9v-DIH6QoZKaUHkWC97OrzOF_rXvDQbNRoNzNxnBKY/s200/morrowind04.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As a fan of both Fallout 3 and Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, this was kind of a difficult decision in this category. However, since <i>Morrowind </i>was the first of these I played, I had to pick this. Unlike the other two, <i>Morrowind</i> throws you into the world with hardly a clue of who you are or why you're there. It's unforgiving in a way that <i>ES4</i> and <i>Fallout 3</i> both baby you through a tutorial sequence before you're on your own. And that makes it more rewarding. When you figure out what <i>Morrowind </i>is all about, you're left breathless and in awe. At least I was.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> <br />
</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Runners-up: </b><i>Fallout 3 </i>(Xbox 360/PS3)<i>, Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion </i>(Xbox 360/PS3)<i>, Mass Effect </i>(Xbox 360)<i>, Jade Empire </i>(Xbox)<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Best Adventure Game: </b><i>Shadow of the Colossus / Ico </i>(PS2)<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLb6Qqr2VcLuELXXxnG90V2AZMMkW7-dXG0O39maiDtxoe2mJ89yR9fQNS8gx5jBjylotwZRjDDYH9SO_opQgZ_dWhc23iwQEfhPs3PiAmJqxFprWIyWFJ1Frb_zrL8GZypR16BFWSkQVY/s1600-h/video-game-shadow-of-the-colossus-37265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLb6Qqr2VcLuELXXxnG90V2AZMMkW7-dXG0O39maiDtxoe2mJ89yR9fQNS8gx5jBjylotwZRjDDYH9SO_opQgZ_dWhc23iwQEfhPs3PiAmJqxFprWIyWFJ1Frb_zrL8GZypR16BFWSkQVY/s200/video-game-shadow-of-the-colossus-37265.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm going with the dual pick because, while <i>SotC</i> was the better game, <i>Ico</i> was released with little to no fanfare, and became a kind of legend that <i>SotC</i> could follow. Both world's are so fully realized and immersive that it's impossible not to get wrapped up in them. And even though the language spoken is not of this world, the emotion present in both games, especially <i>SotC</i>, is unbelievable. If you've played this game, you know how you feel when a Colossus comes crashing down after you've felled it. Both triumphant and regretful.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Runners-up: </b><i>Legend of Zelda:Twilight Princess </i>(Wii)<i>, Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask </i>(N64)<i>, Okami </i>(PS2)<i>, </i></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Beyond Good and Evil </i>(Xbox)<i>, Baldur's Gate II: Dark Alliance </i>(Xbox, PS2)<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Best Action/Adventure Game: </b><i>Assassin's Creed 2 </i>(PS3/Xbox 360)<br />
</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPuQCAcbJ6Bxh0BFgeEyPva_DZpaiBMv6CtwX83nE7sGt-9N6lqHczUFYau89Bzs8FpgKe1MpNOMjCDLInwQdihH6jYT9973HPIkDJp8UA9dSz4NiCMkEko_0SVla6p0gRHUsjFGX4dkq/s1600-h/assassins-creed-2-characters-screenshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPuQCAcbJ6Bxh0BFgeEyPva_DZpaiBMv6CtwX83nE7sGt-9N6lqHczUFYau89Bzs8FpgKe1MpNOMjCDLInwQdihH6jYT9973HPIkDJp8UA9dSz4NiCMkEko_0SVla6p0gRHUsjFGX4dkq/s200/assassins-creed-2-characters-screenshot.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And I liked the first one. This fully realizes what the first game should have been: open world, involved story, and kick-ass assassin moves. When you get between two guards for the first time and sink a hidden blade in both their necks at the same time, you get chills. Not to mention the protagonist is extremely likable and exceptionally cool (I'm talking about Ezio, not Desmond, who was little lame). I enjoyed every second of this game, and look forward to the next (final?) installment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Runners-up: </b><i>Psychonauts </i>(Xbox/PS2)<i>, Batman: Arkham Asylum </i>(PS3/Xbox 360)<i>, Uncharted 2 </i>(PS3)<i>, No More Heroes </i>(Wii)<i>, God of War II </i>(PS2)<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Best FPS: </b><i>Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath </i>(Xbox)<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi422alZ39NE83xioaygxR3CwY8W-0fWCo1b_1dz3NH2jHIB8u06PGUri5qWjhSEAJgpUTdrwLKH6knCpEp2bpBOiCBdMfu1ua_ivxpQQejuaUjrat6BlBXbRz_YhOKOnv1wSsMEBAepUXN/s1600-h/wallpaper_oddworld_strangers_wrath_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi422alZ39NE83xioaygxR3CwY8W-0fWCo1b_1dz3NH2jHIB8u06PGUri5qWjhSEAJgpUTdrwLKH6knCpEp2bpBOiCBdMfu1ua_ivxpQQejuaUjrat6BlBXbRz_YhOKOnv1wSsMEBAepUXN/s200/wallpaper_oddworld_strangers_wrath_.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not technically a First-Person Shooter, but enough of it is to be counted, this game was unfortunately the last of the <i>Oddworld</i> series, a group of fun games that went through a major overhaul with this game. At the beginning, you are a simple bounty hunter trying to raise money for a simple operation. This changes quickly, though, as you find yourself fighting to stop the genocide of an entire species. The story recalls environmental themes while providing entirely original "ammo" in the form of cute little animals, some of which talk to you while loaded into your crossbow. If you still have your Xbox and have not played this, do yourself a favor.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Runners-up: </b><i>Condemned: Criminal Origins </i>(Xbox 360)<i>, Bioshock </i>(Xbox 360/PS3)<i>, Perfect Dark </i>(N64)<i>, F.E.A.R. </i>(Xbox 360/PS3)<br />
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Best Wii Game: </b><i>No More Heroes</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> </i><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDIJZEPj-2q1NHoKUO8XX3sQdBKr8w-GZqfocgaUzRN2G8D-eUEsnMbO22xzn-fMlTIlEEq5pzUdshn36HUXhs5k3yYykYDG-ERUoBDs_CUCHXdP77a4gGCo9MFghQw4nbG1JKJz1lcYv/s1600-h/no-more-heroes-cosplay1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDIJZEPj-2q1NHoKUO8XX3sQdBKr8w-GZqfocgaUzRN2G8D-eUEsnMbO22xzn-fMlTIlEEq5pzUdshn36HUXhs5k3yYykYDG-ERUoBDs_CUCHXdP77a4gGCo9MFghQw4nbG1JKJz1lcYv/s200/no-more-heroes-cosplay1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Up for its own category because it's not really competing with the current generation, I think the Wii deserves its own mention. In my opinion, the Wii cannot come close to the Xbox 360 or PS3 in graphics or depth of games, but the games <i>do</i> provide a different kind of entertainment, all apparent in <i>No More Heroes</i>. This game provides frantic action and a fun, quirky, adult story. Violent and mature in a way that many Nintendo games aren't, <i>No More Heroes</i> provides a unique experience that couldn't be duplicated on the fancier systems.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Runners-up: </b><i>Resident Evil 4 </i>(never played the GC or PS2 versions)<i>, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, World of Goo</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Best Multiplayer: </b><i>Baldur's Gate II: Dark Alliance </i>(Xbox 360/PS2)<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> </i><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Q4okIiPFiefR9P7Irb5r-x5K_hY1ZZm7kAoqoz2gbAZWzXVzG69d8rJ9MviXczen5o2yipTzUnKCQtsf5lNAqx6vt7FQjM6uRqY-cQGKyIGjFGSyzMVZHskfCn0vQrrPX3aF4clN58Yy/s1600-h/baldurs-gate-dark-alliance-ii-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Q4okIiPFiefR9P7Irb5r-x5K_hY1ZZm7kAoqoz2gbAZWzXVzG69d8rJ9MviXczen5o2yipTzUnKCQtsf5lNAqx6vt7FQjM6uRqY-cQGKyIGjFGSyzMVZHskfCn0vQrrPX3aF4clN58Yy/s200/baldurs-gate-dark-alliance-ii-2.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> </i>We're talking console here, remember, and from a guy who sucks at first-person shooters. <i>BGII</i> provided hours of entertainment that could be enjoyed with someone in the same room. What is a deep game in single-player mode becomes even deeper when you use skills and spells that complement those of your teammate. Many hours were spent and beers were consumed during multiple plays through this game with my former roommate. We knew how each other played and which skills to use when and where. A dark alliance.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJiFJW8_81GLgUEMdZ6tiArZHlXm3-C4AasoHlyCQQzJxoMmzIb0IF_CP7Z-CfcKN409VKADbYWGbxxLOt223loLXuBLD7QVNzh66MBcJ-QgEbCgarfqK4ybGcLLglxbMSweUVfZTJ2tc/s1600-h/zeldafsart1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJiFJW8_81GLgUEMdZ6tiArZHlXm3-C4AasoHlyCQQzJxoMmzIb0IF_CP7Z-CfcKN409VKADbYWGbxxLOt223loLXuBLD7QVNzh66MBcJ-QgEbCgarfqK4ybGcLLglxbMSweUVfZTJ2tc/s200/zeldafsart1.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I also want to give a special mention to <i>Legend of Zelda: The Four Swords</i> and <i>Final Fantasy: The Crystal Chronicles</i>, both for the Nintendo GameCube. These games employed multiplayer modes that allowed for the use of your Gameboy Advance as controllers with an extra screen. An ingenious mode that unfortunately has been forgotten.<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Runners-up: </b><i>Perfect Dark </i>(N64)<i>, Guitar Hero: World Tour </i>(PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)<br />
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Best Downloadable Game: </b><i>Braid </i>(Xbox 360, PS3)<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> </i><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyy3UJmGhXS8GEjRPM8HUgTw8yR3JQoJt3eDO5YcdQS0UJ1eAsra2n3ROWJyzFJo6x8F9Da448Qruxsq67MmJkkC4fwQC86i1vV1ebiTBoqKfMNz8sMK59fV4Bpsp8SqNqQ3ZLEdJH44OO/s1600-h/braid_title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyy3UJmGhXS8GEjRPM8HUgTw8yR3JQoJt3eDO5YcdQS0UJ1eAsra2n3ROWJyzFJo6x8F9Da448Qruxsq67MmJkkC4fwQC86i1vV1ebiTBoqKfMNz8sMK59fV4Bpsp8SqNqQ3ZLEdJH44OO/s200/braid_title.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> </i>Easily my top choice for this category, <i>Braid</i> provided a game with a simple concept, paired it with an incredible story, and made something deep, artsy, and incredibly playable. I'm not going to say much about this game because you know it. If you love it, you know why it's here. If you hated it, it's probably because you thought the price was too high.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Runners-up: </b><i>Rez HD </i>(Xbox 360)<i>, Geometry Wars </i></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(Xbox 360)</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>, World of Goo </i></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(Wii)</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>, Shadow Complex </i></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(Xbox 360)</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>, Super Stardust HD </i>(PS3)<br />
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Best "Original" Game: </b><i>Little Big Planet </i>(PS3)<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> </i><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheeOp7lCqN3U88l9JkYBpvwFtcrPY4Bno7beCXBoFqiVDXpRoj1ypyBaRk3CYe_tP1y8UHPSKrvEdcXfmW2M6aTKvfnK2s38nv8P4hs6zXDOIDeNTLvR1j9Qnq-pFJqG3Uj1SE9J3GP6qI/s1600-h/little_big_planet1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheeOp7lCqN3U88l9JkYBpvwFtcrPY4Bno7beCXBoFqiVDXpRoj1ypyBaRk3CYe_tP1y8UHPSKrvEdcXfmW2M6aTKvfnK2s38nv8P4hs6zXDOIDeNTLvR1j9Qnq-pFJqG3Uj1SE9J3GP6qI/s200/little_big_planet1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> </i>A kind of weird category but I needed to include <i>Little Big Planet, </i>and other games that don't fit somewhere else. This game starred a lovable little character in a fun game with a lot of replay value, and then added to it with an extensive, but still user-friendly, level creation tool. Then it allowed you to share your creation with others over the internet, making the game, quite literally, infinitely replayable. You can make your own collectibles, create your own enemies, and try to kill other players in innovative ways. My only complaint is that more people didn't play my level. I spent a lot of time on it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Runners-up: </b><i>Katamari Damacy </i>(PS2)<i>, Crayon Physics Deluxe </i>(PC)<i>, Portal </i>(PS3, Xbox 360)<br />
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Best Handheld Game: </b><i>Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars </i>(DS)<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> <br />
</i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlG99eyOFNis3oLPgz4TfPOUy-_CYSSxMcQdkjupKuJRXY5ryuEtcV9Dmx3dzaOL3da9XPvkiLUqce7R2MQHWEwhyphenhyphenVtB_nupiIrdKgOerQcQKpHPedS94sF0DVy1Ecv-x9TRyR09BLiRbF/s1600-h/gta-chinatown-wars-screens-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlG99eyOFNis3oLPgz4TfPOUy-_CYSSxMcQdkjupKuJRXY5ryuEtcV9Dmx3dzaOL3da9XPvkiLUqce7R2MQHWEwhyphenhyphenVtB_nupiIrdKgOerQcQKpHPedS94sF0DVy1Ecv-x9TRyR09BLiRbF/s200/gta-chinatown-wars-screens-1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not only the best handheld game, but also the best of the series as far as I'm concerned, and just because of the addition of a simple option, the "quick trip". This ingenious solution allows you to fail a mission, and, instead of having to drive there all over again, dumps you right back where the real mission began. To add, there were fun mini-games that take advantage of the DS's touch pad, and an interesting drug trade feature that allows you to explore a fully realized Liberty City on a tiny screen.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Runners-up: </b><i>Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap</i> (GBA)<i>, Golden Sun </i>(GBA)<i>, New Super Mario Bros. </i>(DS)<br />
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Game of the Decade: </b><i>Demon's Souls </i>(PS3)<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> </i><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-_oWoaiiu6PB5erQ4_eNuYKEisFt8ZztoBfVr2Vk-ammAkfYhZeRKmc8mjFiFiXKWCKOgHQPjn84gHSn1XYb6vM3mBG5ZjlbmNKuApU-scGN8y5hGFvaa9hiZRT7QzLOqHvaLHl-QXoJ/s1600-h/demons_souls_21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-_oWoaiiu6PB5erQ4_eNuYKEisFt8ZztoBfVr2Vk-ammAkfYhZeRKmc8mjFiFiXKWCKOgHQPjn84gHSn1XYb6vM3mBG5ZjlbmNKuApU-scGN8y5hGFvaa9hiZRT7QzLOqHvaLHl-QXoJ/s320/demons_souls_21.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sure, this probably could have been at the front of most categories mentioned so far, but putting it here pretty much accomplishes that without me having to write about six different times. <i>Demon's Souls</i> provides fully customizable character creation, unparalleled single-player fighting, an entirely original multiplayer system, and more, into a complete package that has more replayablility than any game I've ever played. I've spent close to 400 hours on this game spread over six different characters. Just when you think you've discovered everything the game has to offer, you discover the multiplayer, a mix of calling other PCs to help you defeat a boss, and PvP, that extends the replay value immensely. Yes, it's hard. Yes, you will die over and over again. And yes, when you overcome a hurdle, you'll feel a sense of accomplishment unrivaled in modern-day video gaming. I can't say enough about this game.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Runners-up: </b><i>Final Fantasy XII </i>(PS2)<i>, Shadow of the Colossus </i>(PS2)<i>, Okami </i>(PS2)<i>, Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind </i>(Xbox)<i>, Mass Effect </i>(Xbox 360)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And just a few other categories that I think are worth mentioning:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0saX2fi0ihx3qCcxu0xuNx5JttRDk87Rt4zo6hKhOFqa0024vhGqsHLkzYvKMe-k60ynEBhYxCg5Nd4p0Va0C8ETwNrOeDyFmGzlvkaz0Fk-N30MvJvmGT7dpL-NdqZoevAl4F0aoUr49/s1600-h/ellen_folklore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0saX2fi0ihx3qCcxu0xuNx5JttRDk87Rt4zo6hKhOFqa0024vhGqsHLkzYvKMe-k60ynEBhYxCg5Nd4p0Va0C8ETwNrOeDyFmGzlvkaz0Fk-N30MvJvmGT7dpL-NdqZoevAl4F0aoUr49/s200/ellen_folklore.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Most Underrated Game: </b><i>Folklore </i>(PS3)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Most Overrated Game: </b><i>Grand Theft Auto IV </i>(PS3, Xbox 360)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_QHmyJCXjMI4YYB_vpSdsKaN42JtLfaRFzQ8DVpmhhqn3wLf7NXPFj2ggqWKTbFp71zVer-btzwre1e20jABzUi2EqZWBdpRbhDPUlylvFxQ2L8Kb5iOeVtwmX32vLlsW1k8pT2jQ-yw/s1600-h/greatmightypoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_QHmyJCXjMI4YYB_vpSdsKaN42JtLfaRFzQ8DVpmhhqn3wLf7NXPFj2ggqWKTbFp71zVer-btzwre1e20jABzUi2EqZWBdpRbhDPUlylvFxQ2L8Kb5iOeVtwmX32vLlsW1k8pT2jQ-yw/s200/greatmightypoo.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Best Game that Defies Categories: </b><i>Conker's Bad Fur Day </i>(N64)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Game that probably would have been Game of the Decade if I played it: </b><i>World of Warcraft </i>(PC)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Anyone reading? Did I miss anything? It's a little different from other lists I've seen now that I look back at it in that there's a lot more games from older consoles. Not to say I don't love my new stuff, but damn they made some good games this whole decade!<br />
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687592609211729366.post-34822536378630237232010-01-18T17:41:00.000-05:002010-01-18T17:54:10.066-05:00Another Gamer's Blog<span style="font-family:arial;">Why am I starting another gamer's blog? Simply, because other gamer sites don't offer everything I want, and because I like to write. Not to say the other sites are bad, just that I have different opinions that I would like to share with other people...if anyone happens to ever read this blog. If not, it's good writing practice.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Here's a bit about my gaming interests and whatnot:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I've got a PS3, Xbox360, Wii, and a DS. I like to think this makes me unbiased as to what I say about particular games, no matter what system they appear on. I do, however, prefer my PS3, so if I write a review on a game that is released on both the 360 and PS3, I will more than likely be talking about the PS3 version. I don't game on my PC, so this site will be missing that.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I love RPGs and adventure games, but am inclined to play any game that is "good". I'll go into a "Best of the Decade" later so you can see which games had an impact on me. I like to play FPS's but take part in very little multiplayer. Not because I don't like it, but because I'm not that good at it. Maybe I'll try again later. Modern Warfare 2 has been calling to me for some reason.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">If anyone's reading, thank you, and feel free to comment. Talk to you soon.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0