Upcoming

Have to head out of town for a wedding, but upon my return will have a double-feature of a review featuring the long-overdue Lost Odyssey as well as Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors. I'm on the last disc of Lost Odyssey, and am going to start DQS tonight.

Hopefully DQS won't be another shoddy "Wii-make", and will actually have the decent graphics and gameplay that is expected of a Squeenix game, otherwise, it will face the wrath of one pissed-off gaijin come review time...

Angsty's going to Japan! ^_^

So after a surprising development this week, it turns out I will have the opportunity to head out to the Land of the Rising Sun a couple of months from now. I intend to document the trip fully and report on some of the myths surrounding gaming culture in the area. I plan on visiting Akihabara, a few game centers (where I fully intend to get my arse handed to me in a few rounds of Guilty Gear), check out Sword of Vermilion (Square-Enix's first arcade game), and generally take in the craziness that is Japan.

Anything in particular you want to hear about?

Games Your Girlfriend Will (probably) Play With You

In honor of V-day, I've decided to post my thoughts on a VERY difficult topic: what on Earth can you do to get your girlfriend to game with you? Especially if she hasn't picked up a controller since she was 5 years old, playing Super Mario Bros. on her older sibling's NES? Well, I'm dating a girl gamer -- but one that hates competitive gaming and prefers JRPGs and puzzlers, which works fine for me. Here are a few suggestions to get your "non gamer" girl to give your "childish" hobby a shot...

Warning: HALOZ!111!, Gears of War, etc. are not on this list. Sorry. I'm not saying girls don't play those games (quite the contrary, in fact - I know a few that do), I'm simply saying non-gamers would most likely be intimidated by them, and therefore not find them entertaining. I prefer fighting games (as compared to shooters) and my girl won't EVER touch one of those..the controls are simply too chaotic for someone who didn't grow up with the genre to grasp. D, DF, F + P doesn't mean much to a non-gamer, after all...

1.) Rock Band (PS3/Xbox360) - the ultimate party game, need I say more? You can create a band member and pick an instrument. Guitar, drums, or even the microphone. The difficulty curve allows individual band members to play to their skill level, and even failing a song or two doesn't seem to ruin the fun. The appeal of this game is its cooperative nature...that, and it's large catalogue of songs that don't suck.

2.) Dance Dance Revolution (PS1/PS2/Wii/Xbox/Xbox360) - Burn calories while playing games! How great is that? The downsides are that you require a decent pad in order to play well (one that won't slide all over the place and cause you to lose your footing), and that the various mixes require a lot of playtime in order to unlock most of the songs. Some of the earlier mixes (the ones on PS1) don't have many tunes that would be familiar to non-DDR fans...so do avoid anything before DDRMAX (PS2).

3.) Wii Sports (Wii) - Everyone knows this one, I'm not even going to bother. Suffice it to say I've seen people who haven't touched a controller in YEARS play tennis like pros.

4.) Super Mario Kart (SNES/N64/GCN/Wii*) - A racing game? SRSLY? Normally racing games are a bit complicated for non-gamers, but nothing's more fun than sending a blue shell careening towards the guy in first place. Item balance in the SNES and N64 versions still allowed those with skill to win most of the time, but GCN's Double Dash!! has some game-breaking items which, while annoying to those actually trying to be competitive, actually make the game playable for people who aren't used to racing games. *The Wii version isn't out yet and is apparently scheduled to hit in the second quarter of this year ... though my money's on the Xmas season.

5.) JRPGs (Just about every platform except the original Xbox) - what girl doesn't love an emotional story? Isn't that the reason you get dragged to romantic comedies more often than you like when you'd rather see Samuel L. Jackson cursing out mothaf***in snakes on a mothaf***in plane? Well then, my friend, let me introduce you to a little Japanese conglomerate called Square-Enix. This multimillion dollar corporation is responsible for churning out games from the Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts and Star Ocean series, among others. They're responsible for some of gaming's finest storylines (although there have been arguments that they have stagnated as of late, so I'm going to include games from other genres)...

Some suggestions:

Tearjerkers: Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy VII, Valkyrie Profile 1 and 2, Tales of (series), Lost Odyssey - These games all have strong characters and emotional moments that can (and HAVE) made grown men cry. They'll hook you both and keep you playing well into the morning hours.

Playful and Interesting: Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 - Disney and Final Fantasy? In the SAME game? These games have strong storylines and good gameplay to give you and your girl something you can play together.

More Complex Plotlines (careful with these): Xenosaga series, Suikoden series, Shadow Hearts series, Star Ocean series - these games have great plots and somewhat strong characters, and can fall into either of the above categories, but suffer a near fatal flaw... the storylines are exceptionally complex and may end up being a little difficult to get into at first.

Hopefully you've found the list helpful. Back to your regularly scheduled V-day.

Lost Odyssey impressions - 4 hours in

Well, it looks like not even the shoddiest packaging in the world can ruin what is possibly one of the better RPGs slated for this year (and no, FFXIII doesn't count because it WILL NOT BE COMING OUT THIS YEAR. SORRY.)

I'm 4 hours in, and despite a fairly slow opening, the game is ramping up quite nicely. The characters have personalities (although main hero Kaim has a bit of the "angsty brooding hero" motif going on), and the battle system is both basic and fun, playing out like a crossbreed of Final Fantasy IX and Shadow Hearts. There isn't a lot of grinding required for skill learning, either. Lots of achievement points can be earned early on as well, which is a nice touch :).

Aside from a few framerate hitches and slow story buildup (so far, though this is changing rather quickly as I progress), I have very little to complain about. Thanks Gooch, this almost makes up for the sub-par Blue Dragon. Almost.

Lost Odyssey packaging

Microsoft...

Tsk, tsk, tsk. I thought your NA Blue Dragon packaging was bad enough, stacking 3 DVDs on top of one another (as opposed to the custom case for the Asian versions, containing a flipcase holding all 3 discs), but your Lost Odyssey packaging takes the cake. It really shows how much you care about us RPG fans compared to the OMGHALOZ!!!1111!!!MOMGIMMECHOCOLATEMILK!!! crowd....

Not only did you stack the discs again, but to add insult to injury you stuck the forth one in a PAPER SLEEVE. Are you SERIOUS?! I just opened my game to confirm the rumor posted to Kotaku that this was indeed the case for all NA packaging of Lost Odyssey(PAL and Asia get a custom case with 2 flipcases inside that neatly holds all 4 discs and prevents scratching).

Yes, I understand that JRPG fans may not be the core audience of the 360, but we tend to be a very finicky lot when it comes to good packaging, and the plastic sleeve is a blatant collector's foul.

Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. Hopefully the game itself isn't this sloppy... The review will be up this weekend (barring, of course, any issues arising from possibility of scratched discs due to the stacking)...

(Image from kotaku.com)

Devil May Cry 4

Review 5: Devil May Cry 4 - Devils may cry, but you sure won't once you get a look at Capcom's latest masterpiece.




First, an important note: I am a self-proclaimed achievement whore, and as such am reviewing the Xbox 360 version of the game. I have not played the full PS3 version (only the demo), so all comments I make regarding graphics and control will apply to the 360 version only...

Finally.

After many months of waiting, the first "blockbuster" Japanese title of the next generation systems arrives, and not a moment too soon.

For those unfamiliar with the Devil May Cry series, it began life as a Resident Evil project during the early life of the PS2, and then evolved into a supernatural hack-and-slash popcorn game relying on tight combat controls and multi-hit combos, but including clever puzzles and storylines that - while shallow - manage to keep you playing. The series is much more offense-driven than an action game like Ninja Gaiden, and focuses much more on attacking and keeping the pressure on enemies, as opposed to defending or dodging. It isn't a button masher by any means (especially on the higher difficulty levels), but simply provides more focus on offense as opposed to other games of this type. The first game did well both critically and commercially, selling over a million copies worldwide. Two sequels followed. Devil May Cry 2 is widely considered a step back for the franchise, with its wide-open environments limiting the close-quarters based combat the series is known for. Part 3, on the other hand, was a "return to form" of sorts, and is widely considered the best in the series despite an extreme hike in difficulty.

DMC4 manages to keep all the changes to the series that made the third game great, while toning down the difficulty level substantially. This is offset somewhat by the inclusion of many different difficulty levels and bonus modes, including the tough-as-nails Bloody Palace (a bonus mode containing 99 levels of enemy fights), along with the inclusion of multiple playable characters.

The game's story centers around Nero, a younger, more emo replacement for series lead Dante. Nero is "cursed" with the Devil Bringer, a demon's arm that brings an entirely new dimension to the combo-driven gameplay. Instead of simply relying on sword and gun attacks, Nero is able to grab enemies with the Devil Bringer and pull them in Scorpion-style ("GET OVER HERE!") for an extended combo, or simply smash them to the ground for massive damage. The addition of the Devil Bringer allows for a new dimension in attacking, and you end up missing this addition dearly when (*SPOILER*) control shifts back to Dante halfway through the game (*END SPOILER*).

The game's presentation values are extremely high, with beautifully detailed graphics that the series is known for. The choreography of the cutscenes is also exceptionally high-quality, and is a step above not only previous games in the series, but most other next-gen games as well. Not quite Heavenly Sword, but close. Some sound effects are reused from previous games in the series, and the cheesy-but-charming scriptwriting and voice acting are back in force. Hope you like one-liners, because just about every cutscene is chock-full of them. The villains of the game (which I won't name here due to spoilers) have loads of personality too.

Though the game is made for a Playstation controller, it manages to control fine on the 360. The only real complaint I have is that the lock-on feature is difficult to access mid-combo due to its mapping to RB. Rumble is a plus, and adds a lot to the action-driven gameplay. There are also lots of achievements to unlock, both for completion and for skill. Completionists be warned: completing the game on Devil Hunter (Normal) does NOT unlock the achievements for completing the game on Human (Easy).

DMC4 has everything that a next-gen entry in the series could be expected to have, from interesting gameplay innovations like the Devil Bringer to beautiful graphics, loads of unlockables, and a story that opens up some interesting questions for where the series is headed. Keep 'em coming, Capcom!

Rating System: Who needs stars and numbers? I'm all about the otaku emoticons!

*-* = Amazing
^-^ = Good
-_- = Fair
T_T = Poor


Graphics: *-*
The game's graphics are more than substantial, and are just about everything that could be expected from a next-gen Devil May Cry. The environments are rich and detailed, there are destructible objects in every stage, and the cutscenes are beautifully choreographed. Aside from a few framerate hitches when things get REALLY intense, it's next-to-impossible to tell that development on this game was lead on PS3. The game looks beautiful on the Xbox 360.

Sound: ^-^
The one-liners common to the series are here in full-force, and some sound effects are reused from previous entries in the series. The fact that the same annoying heavy-metal tune plays every time you battle an enemy is annoying as well. Overall, not bad. The inclusion of L'Arc En Ciel's "Drink it Down", along with the beautiful opera sung by heroine Kyrie are stellar, and more than make up for the disappointments.

Replayability: *-*
With extra difficulty modes to unlock (which, in turn, give you more achievements for beating them), the Bloody Palace (survival mode), and a gallery containing both artwork and a series summary, there are plenty of reasons to sink lots of time into beating the game multiple times. Getting all 1000 achievement points for this game is no easy task.


Downloadable Content: -_-
Nothing planned at this time. On the positive side, there's tons of content in the original game. Only thing that I could possibly wish for is online co-op...


Fun Factor: *-*
The combo-centric gameplay is smooth as silk, and the storyline - while somewhat insubstantial - provides enough interesting questions to keep you interested in what happens next. Expect some twists and turns along the way. The difficulty curve isn't too steep, but plan on spending some time leveling up in previous missions along the way...


Overall: *-*
Thank you, Capcom, for a job well done.

DMC4 Impressions

I'm about 3 hours into Devil May Cry 4 for the Xbox 360 and am happy to report that it's pretty much as good as I expected. XPLAY stuck this game with a 3/5, I believe it deserves more credit. It isn't the most original game released for the next-gen systems, but it's definitely the strongest game in the series thus far, both in gameplay and aesthetics.

I'll have more when I post my review, but I need to slay a few more demons first (and, hopefully, squeeze a few more achievement points out of the game)... Expect something this weekend.

- Your friendly neighborhood demon-slaying,
Angsty Gaijin ^-^

Upcoming...

Just wanted to let all two of you who read this what to expect for upcoming reviews...


This Week: Devil May Cry 4 (360) - Achievements? YES,PLZ.

Next Week: Lost Odyssey (360) - Sakaguchi? GIMMEH.

Sometime in March (HOPEFULLY): Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Delay makes Gaijin a sad panda.