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| Favorite Games of All-time | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 6 2010, 05:35 PM (1,004 Views) | |
| Omega | Sep 7 2010, 11:26 PM Post #11 |
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Master of The World
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Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy Overview: Naughty Dog makes good fucking games. Not only that, they make ground-breaking games. Jak and Daxter is one of them, and is one of the biggest names in the Action Adventure genre. Though the newer games aimed more at the teen audience with the liberal use of curse words and sexual references, the original is still my favorite. Possessing no profanity or violence of the extreme, Jak and Daxter is a timeless game that truely shows the power of the Playstation 2. Plot: Jak, a young boy in a strange world, and his friend, Daxter, wander off to an island off the shore of their village. Though against the advice of Samos, the sage of the village and apparent mentor of the two, who ordered them not to go. Upon arriving on the island (called "Misty Island"), the two roam around, spotting a strange gathering between two dark-skinned beings and "lurkers", a hostile creature that serves them. Having avoided detection (maybe?), the two wander around the island even more, until they find a large vat of black and purple ooze known as "dark eco". They fool around with several items before being ambushed by a lurker, who Jak confronts with a glowing object he picked up. The item explodes, killing the lurker and sending Daxter into the dark eco. He is then spat out in the form of an "ottsel" (part weasle, part otter). The two return to Samos to find out how to return Daxter to his original form, finding the only way to do so is to find Gol Acheron, the Dark Eco sage. Thus, the two must journey north, finding precursor artifacts to aid them in their quest to return Daxter to his original form. Now, the story, despite being in an E-rated game, is surprisingly complex, even epic for most children to understand. It's the archetyped "Journey to the West" style story, where the hero/heroine has to overcome several challenges to reach his/her destination. However, this story type has not died since B.C. times, so that's reason enough to give it the points. Graphics: Using the power of the Playstation 2, this game uses a variety of colors and shades to create an vast and vividly detailed world that ranges in style from bright and colorful, to dull and neutral, to even dark and shady. The characters, environments, everything is beautifully detailed, and easily earns a point. Gameplay: The gameplay of Jak and Daxter is very diverse, and varies at different points in the game. Normal gameplay consists of Jak running around collecting precursor orbs (currency) and power cells (needed to activate machinery and other "plot devices"). You have several actions, such as the roll, the jump/double jump, spin, punch, dive and other moves that can be creatively combined to make new attacks. There are several minigames that also alter gameplay, but not by much. Some use vehicles, while others involve a certain task, whether or not it's shooting enemies or fishing. Boss battles are present, but few and far between, and require the use of several different strategies to defeat. The gameplay is easily fun and enjoyable, earning a point. Characters: A wonderful aspect of the game I still enjoy to the day; the wide range of characters. The cast this game manages to work in an individual personality and flesh it out with the smallest amount of time possible, which is often insanely difficult to do. However, the characters we'll focus on are the mains ones (as usual). Jak: A mute boy who lives in Sandover Village, Jak is our main character. His best friend is Daxter, though the two contrast heavily. Jak is brave, daring and a little timid, whereas Daxter is cowardly, yet confident. A master of eco manipulation, Jak manages to use the main eco types throughout the game with skill and precision, and is even capable of using "white" eco. Not too deep of a character, but is fleshed out more in the later games when he can talk. Daxter: A whiny boy from Sandover village. Daxter is Jak's bestfriend, who often tries to be a voice of reason for Jak, who is far more reckless. Daxter is a natural born coward, who shies away from anything potentially life-threatning. He's a bit of a womanizer, constantly hitting on Keira, as well as a sarcastic wise-guy, always cracking jokes at anyone who happens to get on his bad side. In the end, Daxter does develop into a some-what brave character, who is willing to follow Jak into danger. Keira: Samos' daughter and good friend of Jak and Daxter, Keira is the mechanic of the group and serves as Jak's love interest. A charming, yet bold girl, Keira is always willing to help out the two, but often needs more and more power cells to accomplish a task. However, her engineering ability helps progress through the game, usually when it comes to places deemed "unpassable". Samos: A cantankerous old man who watches over Sandover village, Samos is the Green Sage, the master of green eco, a source of life energy for Jak and most of the world. Samos is almost supremely wise, but is often ignored by Jak and Daxter, much to his chagrin. Quick to anger, Samos is constantly insulting the two boys, especially Daxter, who receives most of his negative attention. Four main leads with solid personalities...I'd say that's a point. Voice Acting: I'm proud to say that this game has great voice acting. Seriously, I'm not kidding. The voice work for the game was brilliantly done, with little blunders in the delivery or emoting of lines or the sound quality. Simply amazing. Music: Well, this is where, like some other games, things drop off a little. The soundtrack and BGM for this game is very underwhelming despite it's amazing overall design. The background music is barely present, but still manages to be noticed. The music itself is not horrible, it's just not great. Levels: Holy shit. This game was the very first adventure game to go without loading screens for levels. Now that that is out of the way, the level designs are freaking amazing. They take advantage of the beautiful graphics, and are all unique unto themselves. Each pose new challenges and missions for you to take part in and are also great to simply revisit. Difficulty: Another game that suffers from the "curse of the E-rating". This game is unspeakably easy for an adventure game. Sure, certain missions will be hard, but not impossible. Often you can end up finding everything in just one or two days. Overall: Just like Ape Escape, this game missed a 10. What is different, is that it lost due to music, not voice acting. I give Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy a 9/10. |
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| Omega | Nov 13 2010, 10:03 PM Post #12 |
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Master of The World
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Sly Cooper and the Thievius Racoonus Overview: Jak and Daxter had ushered in the dawn of the PS2 era for me. Now we can count it as the true PS2 game reviewing dawn for now (since AE3 was more of a crafty beginning). Another great game series that I happen to enjoy to this day is that of Sly Cooper. These games never seem to get old and still retain their charm and sophistication. For the first time we got to see a thief as a main character in a videogame. Well, let's just say it feels GOOD to be BAD. Plot: The story takes place in our world, but populated by anthropomorphic animals (a furry's wonderland). We meet our hero atop a building in Paris, the police station. There, he discusses with his friend and computer expert on how to break in and grab a certain file. After grabbing the file and escaping from his pursuer/love interest, we get a bit of the hero's backstory. Born into a family of master thieves, Sly was next in line to recieve a book containing the writings of all of his ancestors: The Thievius Raccoonus. However, on the night he was supposed to inherit the book, a group calling themselves the Fiendish Five killed Sly's father and stole the book, splitting the pages amongst themselves. Being placed in an orphanage, Sly meets his two best friends, Bently the turtle, computer expert extraordinaire, and Murray the Hippo, the brawn and driver of the van. Together, they vow to track down the Fiendish Five and restore the Thievius Raccoonus. Now, again, the E-rating comes into play when judging story. BUT! This game has no need for plot handicap. It's already a good set up for a revenge story that happens to combine a romantic sub-plot as well, allbeit more present in the sequels. Characters: Well, this story has about nine actual characters, with only four being constantly seen. Though we do get some dirt on the FF, only one warrants a profile that I will write. Sly Cooper: Born into a family of thieves, Sly was raised from birth to know the secrets of his family's trade. In fact, his father was the greatest of his family up until Sly himself (by the end of the third game, at least). Sly is a bit of a loner in missions, he tends to do all the work, while Bently and Murray sit back and wait for him. His overall personality is that of James Bond mixed with Keiji Maeda (SB:SH), very stealthy and suave with that obsession with romance and care-free personality that both characters possess. He is; however, like Keiji, very serious in the face of the penultimate evil, the man who killed his father. Sly is very agile and stealthy, as his status should show, and very good at armed combat, but it's preferred to take out enemies silently. Bently: Bently is a turtle with mad skills with a computer. Bently is the one who analyzes things in the mission and has several gadgets to use. A very cowardly, concerned character, Bently is ALWAYS worried for Sly's safety, and isn't very supportive, possibly even pessimistic in believing the mission will fail no matter what unless everything is by HIS standards. However, Bently is a very good friend to Sly and genuinely cares for his safety. Murray: The big hippo who drives the van, Murray is the opposite of Bently, being a lumbering, unintelligent character who has alot of confidence in Sly's abilities. Murray appears in certain missions, making runs for keys and racing, but not much else. Murray has little to do in the game to differentiate him as a character, but it left alot open for his role in Sly 2. Inspector Carmelita Fox: An anthropomorphic fox, and an officer of interpol, Carmelita is a woman with a truely latin temper that happens to flare up when Sly is near. She is obsessive about Sly and capturing him to the point of following him EVERYWHERE she suspects he's been. Sly happens to have a thing for her, and she may for him as well, though it takes 3 games to come full circle. The two share a Lupin the III kind of relationship, without the sex...I mean...it's an E-Rated game...and Sucker Punch didn't want to draw in furries. Clockwerk: The embodiment of Jealousy and Hatred, Clockwerk is seen as the penultimate evil being in the Sly series, his body capable of living on after he has been taken apart, and his conscience removed. The leader of the Fiendish Five, Clockwerk is an immortal, mechanical owl, who has been around as long as the Cooper family, dating back as far as ancient Egypt. Clockwerk's hatred for the Cooper family drove him to create a body that would never age and would require no food or drink to sustain itself...only the hatred he felt towards the Coopers. He killed Sly's father and stole the Thievius Raccoonus in the hopes of showing the Coopers to be nothing without their "precious book". Gameplay: The gameplay in Sly Cooper varies depending on the mission. Most of the "jobs" begin in a starting area to access the hub. Once there, the player can choose which missions to participate in. Most of the missions are stealth based and require the player be "invisible" to progress with little effort. However, some are races or shooting missions that involve Murray. By the end, Bently even gets an arena shooter "hacking" mission. Using Sly's abilities, you travel within the mission area by manipulating the objects around you to remain undiscovered by guards and other sensory equipment. Along the way, you may find clues in bottle that can help unlock more abilities for Sly to use, like a slow-motion ability and the ability to place mines. At the end of each job is a boss fight that usually incorperates the moves you learned from a previous fight. Gameplay overall goes at a moderate pace, but can be slow or fast at certain times. Graphics: Using cel-shading and comic book like art, Sly Cooper delivers a very artistic design. Most of the level designs are dark, due to the nature of the game, but each still provides contrast from area to area. Characters are a bit "blocky", but it's mainly due to early cel-shading technology. Voice Acting: Simply amazing, each actor fits their roles well and emotes with little difficulty. Kevin Miller, the voice of Sly, does the best job out of all, with Matt Olsen being a close second. Music: A more average aspect of the game, Sly Cooper by no means will be blowing ANYONE away with its near non-existant soundtrack. However, the use of music in-game is very amusing, being slow and quiet when stealthy, and very loud and fast when spotted. Levels: Very massive and expansive, with each having a unique feel that fits in with the theme of the job location. The use of heights is what is truely astonishing in Sly Cooper, being the sheer height of each level makes most players develop vertigo. Difficulty: VERY easy. I played the whole game in under 10 hours with over 80% completion, getting every vault and clue. However, my first time playing this game showed it had some difficulty to those new to the gameplay dynamics. Overall: Like Jak and Daxter before it, Sly Cooper is a solid title for the PS2 that is STILL fun to play, though not as fun as its sequels. I give Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus an 8.5/10. Edited by Omega, Aug 14 2011, 12:05 AM.
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| Omega | Nov 18 2010, 08:22 PM Post #13 |
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Master of The World
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Dynasty Warriors 3 Overview: Playstation Underground gave me my first look at Jak and Daxter, a game I previously reviewed. However, it also piqued my curiosity for another game...Dynasty Warriors 2. I had never seen it in stores, but the gameplay looked kick ass and I HAD to have it. Well, come 2003, I got my wish, but in its sequel, Dynasty Warriors 3. It was a game so simple, yet so challenging to master that it sparked an obsession that lasts to this day. Plot: Based off of the epic novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the player actually plays through the story as one of many warriors selected. The story, while not 100% accurate to either the story or the history the novel is based on, the story plays little in the enjoyment of the game. However, it cannot be ignored that the plot is barely there, and even for such a game, it cannot be excused. Characters: The characters in the DW series are based off of real people from the Three Kingdoms Era. Surprisingly, each has their own characterization revealed in cutscenes or through in-game dialogue that make each completely different from each other...even if some are grossly over-acted. Gameplay: VERY addicting gameplay consisting mainly of plowing through groups of enemy soldiers with combinations of normal and charge attacks, with an occasional musou, or super attack, thrown in. You essentially kill the leader or escort a certain person to clear the stage. Once that happens, you gain experience and possibly level up and gain new items and weapons. This makes replay value extremely high, since you can max out your characters by continuously playing. Graphics: Graphics are very well done for a more realistic PS2 title. Though not great by next-gen standards, it still holds up against other PS2 games that aren't cel-shaded. Voice Acting: Let's just say it's not pleasant in english...however, that 's why we have a japanese voice option, which are of a much higher quality. Believe it or not, I listened to the Japanese voices. Music: VERY GOOD. DW is know for the mainly metal soundtrack. Though the songs are boring in later titles, at the time it was comepletely different from DW2, making it an instant winner in this category. Levels: The stages are set up and designed with a few gimmicks in mind. Both taking advantage of their size and the difficulty of the game, the DW3 maps usually bum fucked younger players again, and again, and again and again till you started to ACTUALLY FEEL like you couldn't sit down. However, the stages blend perfectly with the setting of the game and the characters in it. Difficulty: The original executioner of the series. It's bad enough you were ALWAYS forced to run from Lu Bu, in DW3 there was no possible way otherwise. Even then, the game's A.I. was still challenging, and often would kill your key ally just as you were going to kill the enemy leader. The A.I. does this even on easy...believe me, I know. Overall: A challenging hack and slash from back in the day that I still hold dear in my heart. I give Dynasty Warriors 3 an 8.5/10 Edited by Omega, Mar 3 2011, 05:37 PM.
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| Omega | Mar 4 2011, 10:30 PM Post #14 |
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Master of The World
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Folklore Overview: One of my very first PS3 games, Folklore was a game that intrigued me by the fantasy driven story and the references to Irish mythology, but soon became far more than that. Plot: The story centers around Ellen, a young irish woman who lost most of the memories of her childhood, remembering only vague aspects of it. She is sent a letter supposedly from her mother, inviting her to meet her in a town called Doolin, infamous for being a sort of paranormal hotspot. Somewhere else in Ireland, Keats is a reporter for a magazine called "Unknown Realms", an occult and paranormal magazine that discusses the supernatural. While typing up another article, he recieves a call from a woman saying that faerys will kill her on the Cliffs of Sidhe in Doolin. Before Keats can extract anymore information, the woman hangs up. Both Ellen and Keats arrive in Doolin, with Ellen spotting a woman she suspects to be her mother waiting. As she approaches, however, the woman turns out to be dead and her body falls off the cliff. From here, it's just as Keats says: "A murder in the village of the dead? Tell me this is a joke?" An intricate story about amnesia, murder, long lost ties and the netherworld all in one. The story unfolds slowly as each chapter is completed, revealing another piece to the puzzle and uncovering more about Ellen's past. The ending is the best part. It's a mystery unto itself that makes the player wonder how it could be possible, but it's spectacular nonetheless. Characters: The player can take control of either Ellen or Keats, though both are needed to complete the game. They follow the same story, though they see it from different perspectives. Ellen as a character is very innocent and naive, wanting only to reunite with her mother. Her play style can be described as tactical, using creatures to lure enemies into traps and slowly pound away at their health. Keats is the antithesis of Ellen. Keats is a cynical, nihilistic individual who doesn't believe half the shit he writes about. He attitude is often sarcastic and witty, though he's overall quite apathetic to the netherworld and shows no real fear or excitement towards it. As a Guardian, Keats is a brawler, who summons parts of folks to attack enemies with raw power. Both are two sides of the same coin and a wonder to play as. Gameplay: Folklore plays out mainly like an action RPG, where you use the power of creatures known as "folks", which populate the netherworld as embodiments of the memories of humans who passed on. Elle nand Keats can capture folks by absorbing their "id" or soul. This is done by latching on with one of the shoulder buttons and then flicking the sixaxis controller up or doing special movements with the controller before flicking to capture stronger folks. At the end of each level, the player must destroy a gigantic folk called a "folklore" which contains a memory needed to advance the storyline. Outside the netherworld, the real world is for exploring and finding information to solve the murder mystery. A blend between the two styles makes the game rather entertaining to plot hounds like myself who like to see character and story development along with interesting gameplay. Graphics: Wonderfully made, the whole game is like a moving, interactive painting. Each level, each character, each creature is designed to be magnificient. Can't describe it any further than that. Voice Acting: While not substantially amazing, the actors do pretty good irish accents that are applicable to several types of native speakers (yes, even the stereotypical voice Scarecrow has). While there's not much in the way of emotion, this is a dub afterall, and it's not an anime game so the VAs are unknown talent that were recruited for the game. Music: Unbelieveable. Every single piece of music for this game is pleasing, but can be very subtle at times when called for, and very loud when needed as well. My favorite piece is the BGM for Doolin village, the very first thing you hear gameplay wise. It's well done, catchy and beautiful to listen to on its own. Levels: Though few in number, the levels are beautifully designed and are full of creativity. Each is supposed to represent an archetype of humanity's ideas of the afterlife and are again fused with Irish folklore and mythology for a unique feel. Each is different with a variety of specialty enemies. Difficulty: The game is challenging. Not too difficult to the point where it's unbeatable, but not so easy that you'll kill it in hours. Fuck, I had the guide and still needed a few days to beat it because of the god damn bosses. Overall: Though classified as a cult-classic game, I'd say that we need MORE games like Folklore. It's poignant, philosophical and introspective throughout and while providing a good storyline, it challenges our notion of the afterlife and what happens when we die. I give Folklore a 10/10. |
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| Omega | Mar 21 2011, 10:07 PM Post #15 |
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Master of The World
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Sly 2: Band of Thieves Overview: The sequel to Sly Cooper and the Thevius Racoonus, I was anticipating this game since the first worked its way into my heart. Did it live up to its predecessor? We'll see. Plot: Sly 2 takes place a year or so after the original Sly Cooper story, with Clockwerk now as a display in an exhibit. Hoping to steal the Owl's parts, Sly breaks into the Natural History Museum in Cairo, Egypt in order to snag them. Just as he reaches the location of the parts he finds them all but missing, with Carmelita waiting for him with a new partner from Interpol, Constable Neyla. At first dumbstruck, Neyla lets out a hint that the Clockwerk parts were stolen by the infamous Klaww Gang. Escaping the museum with his friends, Bentley and Murray, Sly once again sets out on an adventure, this time to prevent the bane of the Cooper family from rising again. Sly 2 is famous for reshaping the series following, offering a more complex story with better character development, even going so far as to focus as much on Bentley and Murray as it does on Sly. The interactions between characters and the different plot events all feel real and genuine, with many I wasn't expecting then and even now I will admit I couldn't see the surprise twist...both of them. Characters: Sly and the Gang return for their second game, allbeit with slightly altered roles. Bently and Murray now both work as field operatives along with Sly and assist in his heists. Murray has become a more brave person since Sly 1, while Bentley still has to follow that path, and even has an entire chapter devoted to him rescuing his friends. Carmelita returns as well, but other than them, a whole new cast of villains takes center stage. The Klaww Gang consists of Dimitri, former artist and con-artist who speaks in slang only, Rajan, an angry tiger who acts as chief of spice production, The Contessa, a black widow spider who works for both Interpol and the Klaww Gang, Jean Bison, who is the head of shipping and a product of the old west, and finally Arpeggio, a parrot desperate for a chance to fly, even enough to risk reviving Clockwerk to do it. Neyla is by far the most interesting of the bunch. Interpol agent, backstabber, secret Klaww Gang member, all balanced perfectly and with the player totally oblivious. Gameplay: Very little has changed for gameplay, save for a few aspects. A life bar was added instead of horse-shoes for extra hits. This is because you now play as Bentley and Murray as well as Sly, with Murray being more specialized in hand-to-hand combat and straight-forward brawling. Otherwise, the skills from the previous game are now mostly bought on "Thief net" where you trade in valuable objects for cash and use coins to purchase the moves. Boss fights are now more up-front and direct, essentially just you whacking at the other until they drop. Graphics: The first thing I noticed when playing Sly 2 was the graphical difference between it and 1. The characters are rendered better and are more expressive compared to the previous game. Cutscenes are the most obvious difference, being faster in pace and more vibrant in color. Voice Acting: This is one of the few offputting things about the Sly series, the voice acting, despite how much I praise it, is subject to moments of "WTF?". The actors sometimes forget to emote and the dialogue devlivery is thus bland as a product of it. Otherwise, the voices are solid for most parts of the game. Music: A big step up from Sly 1, the musical score in 2 is far and away superior. I can actually hear the music, and each piece fits the theme of the stage. Though still not as great as some other games I've mentioned, it's at least on the board now. Levels: The best part about 2, the open, expansive levels. All missions take place in this massive microcosm, with a few being accessed through doors that lead into secret areas. These areas are sometimes accessible and other times they're not, but overall the levels are good enough on their own. Difficulty: Much harder than Sly 1, but nothing too much for someone with experience. Overall: Better than Sly 1, but there's little room for improvement on maxed out areas. Because of the slight changes made to the music and levels, I give Sly 2 a 9.5/10. |
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| Omega | Mar 21 2011, 11:04 PM Post #16 |
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Master of The World
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Kingdom Hearts Overview: I remember my first time seeing this game, I thought that Sora was a girl. I was mistaken, but that's the way things are with Square Enix (back then it was still Squaresoft). I had very low hopes for this game even though I got it of my own volition. I would be pleasantly surprised. Plot: The story starts off with the player helping a teenage boy named Sora navigate through his dreams, building the base stats for Sora in the process. After doing all this and destroying a boss at the end, you find out that Sora lives on a place called the "Destiny Islands". It's here that Sora lives with his friends Kairi and Riku, all of them promising to leave to far off worlds someday. Wouldn't you know it, one day dark clouds hover over the island and usher in shadow-like beings that Sora originally saw in his dreams. In the midst of all this, he suddenly possesses a magical weapon called the "Keyblade", which, yes, is shaped like a key. This seems to be the only weapon available that can hurt the creatures, so Sora accepts it. After battling some more creatures and witnessing more odd events he wakes up in a mysterious place called Traverse Town, where many of the kids from the Island were whisked away. He begins to scout out his surroundings as his half of the adventure begins. On the flip-side, in the Disney Kingdom (not fucking kidding), Donald Duck wishes to visit King Mickey, only to find him missing. In his wake, a letter addressed to everyone mentioning how stars are disappearing at an alarming rate, and has thus gone to investigate it. Worried about King Mickey's safety, Donald and Goofy go searching for the King, their first stop being Traverse Town.... Now, that was a LONG intro to the plot, but believe me it takes alot more explaining than that. I'm all for complex plots, but not something that needs about 5 minutes to read. Comedy aside, the story, while confusing and convoluted at times, is still very good and engaging. The premise was rather fresh for any type of game at the time it came out and still astonishes me at how it could have worked...Disney Meets Final Fantasy: Fed bronze but it shat out gold. Characters: There are really only three main characters that we see constantly in Kingdom Hearts who are actually original. Sora provides the typical goof-ball hero, Riku is the brooding and popular emo and Kairi is the fulcrum of the romantic love triangle and plays the damsel in distress. Essentially each character plays on stereotypes that we've already seen in anime and other videogames, including the goofy hero with an emo rival (Naruto anyone?). Aside from this, despite being stereotypes, the direction the characters go are very well done and subtle to say the least as they make it less apparent that they actually are stereotypical characters. Sora is goofy, but he's not the goofiest, in fact he's more stubborn and level-headed than most characters in his role. On the otherhand, Riku fits the emo model but rarely frowns or shows negative emotions, all the while still being the friend who likes to be by himself. As for our Villain, Ansem is about as disappointing as Venom in terms of his overall effect. He's not intimidating, campy or anything that makes a villain appealing. Hell, after having to face Sephiroth, I thought this guy had snuck on to the set and pretended to be the final boss. Overall good, but with some flaws. Gameplay: Follows the style of action RPG, with the player using both the selection screen and controller to fight in real-time battles. Essentially you'll have enemies that you need to kill in order to progress to the end of a level in order to seal the keyhole of the planet in question. After that, you are often rewarded with a new keyblade, often more powerful than the one before it. You can also buy and make weapons for Sora, Donald and Goofy, along with other items to boost abilities. In certain levels, you may be joined by a special ally who you can switch out with Donald or Goofy. They often have much higher stats, so it's good to keep them in. Travelling between planets happens to be the worst part of gameplay. It drags on and on and isn't so much difficult as it is just simply tedious, especially near the end where you can die ALOT. Graphics: Standard of Square games, the graphics look great, but I'll point out my actual complaint right off the bat...the characters. It's one thing to be unique with characters, striving to make them different. However, it's also a complete 180 when your characters look like they've been raiding David Bowie's closet. Not only that, the proportions are off in terms of shoe size compared to the rest of the body. Sora's fifteen and I'm sure his shoe size is around that area. Not to mention the weird as hell pants he wears, I still can't wrap my head around that one. Voice Acting: A very solid aspect of this game. The VAs hired were a combination of Disney and Anime VAs who do a tremendous job voicing their characters. Each fits and emotes well and interacts with other characters well in drawn out dialogues. Simply amazing. Music: The musical score is from Squaresoft...why are we even discussing this point? Levels: Consisting of multiple "chamber" areas, each area having the potential to be a resting area or a heartless filled raping pit. Each design fits the Disney or FF theme or recreates it perfectly (in the case of Tarzan and Aladdin). Though sometimes confusing, the puzzle aspect offers a healthy break in the carnage. Difficulty: Kingdom Hearts has two modes: Normal and Hard. Both are relatively difficult, but it's all subjective. One player's setup may be more effective than another. That, and there are bosses so hard that Ansem looks like a poser by comparison. Hell, I'd dare say that this incarnation of Sephiroth is one of the hardest bossess of all time. Overall: The game is fun and enjoyable, with an endearing storyline, though it loses points in areas for just the dumbest things that could have been done. I give Kingdom Hearts an 8/10. Edited by Omega, Apr 4 2011, 05:10 PM.
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| demon vayu | Apr 9 2011, 07:47 PM Post #17 |
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harbinger of the fall
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here are my favorites:[trying to avoid repeats] GameCube- Custom Robo Need For Speed Most Wanted Tony Hawks' Underground PS2- Shin Megami Tensei Digital Devil Saga 1+2 Samurai Warriors 1, Samurai Warriors 2 empires Warriors Orochi Medal of Honor: Vanguard Star Wars The Force Unleashed the Sims 1 Scarface PS3- Bladestorm Fist of the North Star: Kens Rage Warriors: Legends of Troy Mod Nation Racers |
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----I - Magician_________________________________________________________II - Priestess The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge,___________________________The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. he sealed his fate... Entrusting his future to the cards,_________________________The silent voice within ones heart whispers the most man clings to a dim hope.________________________________________________profound wisdom. Yes, the arcana is the means by which all is revealed._________________________IV - Emperor Attaining ones'_________________________________________________________The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. dream requires a stern will and unfailing determination.________________________Only Courage in the face of doubt can lead one to the answer ----III - Empress________________________________________________________VI - Lovers The arcana is the means by which all is revealed._____________________________The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. Celebrate life grandeur,__________________________________________________There is both joy and wonder it's brilliance,___________________________________________________________in coming to understand another. it's magnificence________________________________________________________VIII - Justice ----V - Heirophant_______________________________________________________The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. The arcana is the means by which all is revealed._____________________________To find the one true path one must seek guidance It is indeed a precious gift to______________________________________________a midst uncertainty. understand the forces that guide oneself.____________________________________X - Fortune ----VII - Chariot_________________________________________________________The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. The arcana is the means by which all is revealed.______________________________Alongside time exists fate, One of life's greatest blessing is the freedom__________________________________the bearer of cruelty. to pursue one's goal._____________________________________________________XII - Hangedman ----IX - Hermit___________________________________________________________The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. The arcana is the means by which all is revealed.______________________________In the face of disaster It requires great courage to look and oneself__________________________________lies opportunity for renewal honestly and forge your one's path__________________________________________XIII - Death ----XI - Strength_________________________________________________________The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, The arcana is the means by which all is revealed._____________________________he sealed his fate... Only with strength_______________________________________________________Entrusting his future to the cards, can one endure suffering and torment_______________________________________man clings to a dim hope. -------------------------------------------Yet arcana is the means by which all is revealed.---------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------Beyond the Beaten Path lies the absolute end.------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------It matters not who you are, Death awaits you.------------------------------------------------------------- | |
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| Omega | Apr 14 2011, 08:45 PM Post #18 |
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Master of The World
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Kingdom Hearts II Overview: Having exceeded my original expectations, Kingdom Hearts had become one of my favorite games at the time. When word got out about Kingdom Hearts II, I was excited, and rightfully so. Plot: The story is actually a year or so after KH, with several events transpiring beforehand in KH: Chain of Memories. You take control of a boy named Roxas, who lives in Twilight Town with his friends Hayner, Pence and Ollete. Things seem normal until strange things begin to happen, and Roxas is approached by a man named Axel, who claims to be his friend, as well as a man who hides his face, known as DiZ. Slowly we find out that Roxas is the "Nobody" of Sora, a shell of a human after their soul is removed. Sora, Donald and Goofy have been kept in suspended animation since Chain of Memories, now needed once again to take on the mysterious Organization XIII, the Nobody scourge and the return of the Heartless. Now, the main problem I find with this game is that while claiming to be the second game, it's part in the story is actually the third in chronological order. Though confusing, the story plays out well and integrates characters who played relatively minor roles in the previous game into much larger roles, namely the Final Fantasy characters. Overall, pretty solid. Characters: Many characters return from KH to perform as solidly as they did before, albeit with some changes. However, it's the new cast of characters that steals the show. Organization XIII has one of the best line ups for villains in a Square Enix title, with a unique range of personalities and awesome powers. Meanwhile, the dynamic between members of Organization XIII, Sora and other characters serves to give each of them depth and to show off their respective attributes. However, I think that many of the Organization XIII characters weren’t fleshed out enough in the game for anyone who didn’t play Chain of Memories to really know the characters. Some like Xigbar have very little screen time and end up being enigmas to us, just another boss to defeat. Gameplay: Little has changed from KH to KH2, but a few things have. First, you now can transform by fusing with your team members (Donald and Goofy only). These transformations have different powers and abilities, such as dual wielding, levitation, etc. These forms bring a new dimension to the combat, allowing a temporary boost in strength to devastate minor enemies or strike down bosses. However, there’s one disappointing addition…quick-time events. Ever since God of War, these tedious moments in gameplay have plagued everything from FPS’s to even DW spin-offs. These are lazy cop outs to make games more cinematic and allow the player to perform magnificent feats that are usually unable to be achieved due to the restrictions of the gameplay style. Not only that, these events have made it into the game as “reaction commands” that can completely nullify an enemy attack, cause devastating damage or become necessary to even advance in a fight. I found that this made boss battles less challenging as the godly Sephiroth from the previous title fell like a mere child before me within four bouts and I was only at level 40. Though I found them irritating most of the time as it took away from my actual participation in the fight, I do admit that the reaction commands came in handy for facing the Nobodies and showed the difference in strength between them and the Heartless. Mostly I liked those RC’s that served as counters since it made more sense, seeing as how there’s no real way to counter and enemy attack other than a meager press of the square button that was often useless. Graphics: As spectacular as ever, the guys at Square continued to put a lot of effort in their designs. The best part about this game IMO is that all the terrible designs for Sora and his crew were changed and heavily improved upon with more realistic outfits that actually look pretty awesome. Organization XIII brought many interesting character designs that mostly center around facial differences and hair style, but work really well. My favorite aspect about them, however, are the weapon designs. Very outlandish, but awesome nonetheless, Xaldin still has the coolest fucking weapon I’ve ever seen in a FF game, let alone a spin-off. Voice Acting: Still great, many VAs reprised their roles for this game, save for Lance Bass, who voiced Sephiroth in KH, replaced by George Newbern from FF:AC. Otherwise, the cast is still pretty solid with many new actors playing the role of Roxas and the Organization members. Many of them are staples of anime, and have made names for themselves in the industry. Music: Just as good as the original. In my personal opinion, I think “Simple and Clean” is superior to “Sanctuary” for best song, the overall composition is still amazing to listen to. Also, like it’s predecessor, instrumental “This is Halloween” is epic win. Levels: Levels now have a bit of variance. Some are linear, others are very confusing, depending on the nature of the subject matter, and some like the Little Mermaid world, are none of the above. In fact, that world in particular consists only of mini-games based around songs from the movie and getting the highest score possible. This adds a fresh feel to the gameplay itself, and seeing the characters engage in these timeless songs was actually humorous, but didn’t strike me as bad. Difficulty: Having played through on both normal and hard difficulty, I can say that this is FAR easier than the original. Due to the inclusion of the transformations and reaction commands, the game becomes a cake walk after attaining a certain level or procuring a particular weapon or item. Still challenging for n00bs, but for veteran players it’s far too easy. Overall: Though the game took a few steps back from KH, it is still the superior title. The difficulty and a few frustrating elements of gameplay may be disappointing, but the numerous pluses are worth every bit of it. I give Kingdom Hearts II a 9/10. |
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| Omega | Apr 30 2011, 01:09 PM Post #19 |
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Master of The World
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War of the Monsters Overview: Discovered on the same demo disk that alerted me to the presence of a Jak and Daxter sequel, War of the Monsters is a game that still fills me with nostalgic memories. Plot: Earth is invaded by aliens during the 1950s. Using a special plasma barrier developed by American scientists, the Alien hordes are decimated. However, their spacecrafts crash land on Earth, leaking out their radioactive fuel. The fuel taints whatever it comes into contact with, transforming it into a giant monster. Now, these monsters fight against each other and the Alien scourge. The plot has actually very little to do with the game. Only for the character backstories do we see any semblence of a coherent plot, though it isn't the focus of the game itself. Characters: The monsters are the only characters in the game, and each are amazing. All ar homages to old movie monsters like Godzilla, King Kong, and even Super Robots. Each has their own distinct advantages in fights, though the problem is that characters aren't balanced statistically, each seems to have a specialty that just requires a certain skill set to be used going into the game. The only obvious nerfed character is Zorgulon, who is the equivalent of Dan Hibiki in Street Fighter, but with less appeal. Otherwise, there's several technique, speed and power types to choose from. Gameplay: Gameplay consists of three main modes: Arcade, Vs and Minigame mode. Arcade has your selected monster plowing through set opponents until they reach the end, including Boss fights as well. Vs. is simply that, fighting against friends or computer controlled oppoents. Up to 4 combatants can take part in a match. Minigames include dodgeball, destroying buildings and a long-jump minigame. Fighting is done with precise inputs of square, triangle and the d-pad. You can also use special long and short range attacks by pressing /\ and ( ) or [ ] and X at the same time. Along with the natural combos that each monster has, you can use environmental weapons to attack foes as well, causing special effects or doing increased damage. Strategy as well as power must be applied to win. Graphics: While not up to Squaresoft/Square-Enix level standards, the graphis are pretty good in the game. The art style reflects that of the 50's B-Movie craze, and is executed well. Voice Acting: There are only a few humans that appear, so there's no real voice acting used in the game, so I'll leave this be. Music: Music is very low key, and doesn't shine as much as it could. It consists of orchestra and brass ensembles to create the main BGM track. Levels: The different stages are fully interactive with desructable environments and hidden effects like causing tidal waves, volcanic eruptions and more. Each is unique, diverse, and full of surprises. Difficulty: The game isn't too hard if you know how to play it right. Most enemies will fall in one on one matches with you, but sometimes they'll gang up on you and will force a strategic method to be employed. Bosses are ridiculously difficult, but not insurmountable, each having a weakness to exploit. Overall: WotM is a game that really is an all-rounded title. It's sad to see that there won't be a sequel, but even so, the original is still a fun game to play. I give War of the Monsters a 8/10. Edited by Omega, May 1 2011, 09:50 AM.
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| Omega | May 1 2011, 09:50 AM Post #20 |
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Master of The World
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Warriors: Legends of Troy Overview: My history with the game has been brief, the span of a few months being the sum total of my relationship length. However, what started as an idea of hurling insults became a legitimate love for a game that deserves so much more. Plot: Thousands of years ago, the hand of Helen, daughter of Tyndareus, king of Sparta, was contested by many of the Kings and Princes of Greece. The King was at his wits end. He did not want to show one lord favor, for doing so would risk making an enemy of the others. However, King Odysseus of Ithaca came before him with a proposal, in exchange for his recommendation for the hand of the beloved Penelope. He insisted that Tyndareus force the Kings to vow to protect the marriage of Helen and swear to bear no ill feelings towards that man. They did, and so Menelaos became Helen's husband. Meanwhile, on Mount Olympus, Zeus, king of the Gods was approached by Athena, Hera and Aphrodite after Eris, goddess of discord, tossed at them a golden apple with the words "to the fairest". They asked Zeus to decide, but he refused, again knowing to choose one would make an enemy of the others. Instead, he tasked the young prince of Troy, Paris, with the task. The three goddesses approached him in the nude, and bribed Paris with gifts of Conquest, Wealth and Love. Being a gentle soul, Paris chose Love (Eros) and thus he chose Aphrodite. When Paris visited Sparta, Aphrodite made Helen fall in love with Paris. The two returned to Troy, infuriating Menelaos, and thus causing the beginning of the Trojan war. From then on, the blood of both Trojans and Greeks would stain the shores of Ilion. The story is of course an interpretation of the old legend of the Trojan War, but how Koei executed it was perfect, showing background to the war as well as that of the characters. The battles and actions not shown in the war are explained through an artistic Greek style mural. The story flows well, and is simply narrated perfectly. Characters: The game is told from the POV of 8 main characters: Achilles, Odysseus, Ajax, Patroklos, Hektor, Paris, Penthesilea and Aeneas. Though the character roster doesn't include every major character in the Trojan War, it's sufficient enough to tell the story without digressing too much. Each character has a personality reflecting their poetic counter-parts, which is very accurate to say the least. Even the names are pronounced correctly. Each is fleshed out due to the abundance of cutscenes and their length of time. Gameplay: Typical DW set up with a few twists. Attacks are slower, kills are not as numerous, you can pick up and use enemy weapons, there's boss battles with quick-time events, more strategic dueling, less charge attacks and a fury mode instead of a musou attack that slows down time, but has no special attack. Before a battle, you have to add items to a grid of a specific size, forcing you to work within your means and try to get the best set-up for your playing style. The only problem I found with gameplay is the secondary missions which aren't obvious and have you running around like an idiot trying to find each one. Not only that, some are hard as shit to complete, making it a tad too difficult to. The worst part of that set-up is that some major items can only be unlocked by completing the secondary missions as well as hidden 3rd missions on EXPERT. The biggest difference between Legends of Troy and DW though, is the Kleos system. A combination of combos and health, you earn kleos (“glory” in Greek) by hitting enemies. When performing a finishing move or by killing a foe with an alternate weapon, you get more kleos. As you earn more kleos, you can heal yourself from any damage sustained during the mission, but be warned, this by no means makes your character invincible. If you’re caught in a crowd, especially with any special enemy classes, you’re as good as dead. When the battle is over, you can use kleos to purchase items. Graphics: Wide-ranging from dark to bright, the graphics in Troy are right on the mark for a next-generation game, with the character models receiving the most praise. Each character is highly detailed, down to stubble on their chins or the fine marks on their skin. The atmosphere is very gritty and natural, but like most games trying to accomplish this, they can seem muddy or dirty, but not to the extent of most FPS titles on the market. Voice Acting: Simply fantastic. Each VA gives a solid performance as their characters, with biggest props going to Colin Glazer and Paulino Nunes, who play Achilles and Hektor respectively. The emotion and vocal inflection the actors show is done really well. The script itself was written well, and manages to not be cheesy, though it may be due to it being a North American game, not a dub. Music: Legends of Troy uses Greek orchestral BGM, with bold, powerful tracks for battle scenes, and wide-ranging for anything else, creating a magnificent score. Levels: Each stage was designed off of actual Mediterranean settings. All of them are expansive, though they tend to repeat a lot. Some sections of the maps are off-limits in battles, which defeats the purpose of having the map, though the Trojan War did take place in a much smaller area than the Three Kingdoms did. Difficulty: Oh my God. This game has ramped up difficulty beyond what was thought possible. The system progressively gets harder, even though you’ll still die a lot on easy mode. After leveling up, easy mode becomes obsolete, but then there’s hard and expert, which will kick your ass regardless of your statistical advantage. The most difficult part are the duels that occur later in the game. You’re unable to run, you can’t heal as well as you normally can, and you are sometimes drawn into parry battles and deadlock confrontations that can be down-right nerve racking. Just a word of advice going into the game: don’t think you can “beat Lu Bu” when going into the game, that mentality will get you killed. Overall: Another great addition to the Warriors family, Legends of Troy could easily become a regular addition, provided Koei Canada is willing to change some aspects for the better. I give Warriors: Legends of Troy an 8.5/10. Edited by Omega, May 1 2011, 10:30 AM.
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2:05 PM Jul 11