Started Suikoden

So I started Suikoden recently and I have to say it's a welcome change from Wild Arms. Random battles are quick, fun, and now have up to 6 party members. It's different from any RPG I've played before for a few reasons. One reason being that you can recruit up to 108 members in your Squad. You're character is the leader of a resistance Army and you have your own Castle where all your recruits live. Not all of them are used in battle however, some start item shops,Inn's, or  bath houses in the castle. It's pretty fun to start recruiting people and see your castle fill out.

This game also seems pretty story driven, which is a little different but still entirely enjoyable. Also, you know exactly where you're supposed to go! Being that you are a Commander of sorts, your next move obviously needs to be very clear cut. I'm about 5 hours in and have really only come across one legitimate "Boss Battle". I'm sure there's more and even a different large scale battle, but I haven't played any yet. More updates as they come.

Also I just wanted to share a little something about Digital Downloads. There's talk that in the future all games will be digital downloads and Companies will do away with tangible Discs. It seems good in theory and will save on costs, but I've run into two problems with that recently. One, it eliminates collectability. I've sure developers could care less about that, but there is something to seeing a big stack of games collected on your shelf. With DDs that will cease to exist. Also, if the game has any glitches you're screwed. It's not like you can clean the disc or blow in the cartridge. I recently bought the DD(Digital Download) or Resident Evil 3 and I got to this part where the game screen goes black and won't progress. Nice. I wasted $6 on a game I can't finish. I contacted Capcom and they said they're worked on the issue. What if this happens with new release games? I'm sitting here with a glitchy game and can't do a damn thing about it. I hope thats not what happens because me recent experience makes me think it's a bad idea. We'll see what the future of gaming holds in store. Thanks for reading, later gamers!

Wild Arms: Final Thoughts

After a long weekend of re-doing boss fights, looking up guides, and actually having a little bit of fun I finally finished the game! I know in a lot of my previous posts I have given this game a really hard time, but as I write this I want to try to be as fair as possible. I recently found out this was only 1 of maybe 5 RPGs that came out on the PS1 before Final Fantasy 7. So this game really was innovative for the time and probably seemed really original. Unfortunately I'm a bit biased since I played this game post- FF7. With all this said it's time to lay down my thoughts and tell you what I think of the game.




Gameplay:

To be totally honest the game-play in this game is actually really unique. Not only for it's time but overall. The way you explore dungeons, upgrade abilities, build up to "limit-break" esc abilities is like nothing I've seen in an RPG before (outside of the sequels for this game).

As far as abilities go, each of the 3 characters you control in the game have their own unique way to level up their abilities. Cecilia uses magic and you don't simply start off with magic abilities. You find these items throughout the game called "Crest Graphs". You take these Crest Graphs to magic shops and they will exchange them for spells essentially. The more you find the more varied your spell arsenal becomes. Later in the game you can also find a "Secret Shop" that allows you to purchase higher level spells. Rudy has guns which are named ARMS in the game. You can find various ARMS and upgrade their stats, such as: Attack Power, Accuracy, and Ammunition. Lastly, Jack as any array of attacks called Fast Draw. He discovers them through the game either in story events or side quests. The battles themselves aren't anything too special. It's pretty much your basic turn based battle.

One really fun aspect of the game are the characters' various Tools. Each character will eventually acquire 4 tools. Each one has a different puzzle solving purpose. Maybe it's Jacks' lighter to make fires, Cecilias' canister to put out a fire, or Rudys bombs to blow things up. Now I've never seen a puzzle-solving dynamic this fun or unique. It makes the puzzles not only challenging but really fun. It makes you think how you can utilize these tools in unique ways. It also leaves you really satisfied when you finally figure out some of the more challenging ones.

The one thing that really did bug me is that there were WAY too many random battles, especially in dungeons. Just when your about to figure a section of a puzzle out theres a battle. It also can take like 7 attempts to run away at times.  Then after the battle you cant remember if you took a certain path already and end up wasting time back tracking.

Sound:

Personally, the sound of this game didn't wow me in any way. I can't remember any music from the game outside of the battle music, and thats only because i heard it every 30 seconds. The sound effects are okay I guess. They go with the game and add life to it. I wish I could write more here, but the sound in this game is just forgettable. There weren't any moments in the game where I really wanted to go find that song on youtube or anything. The only song that was the least bit intriguing to me was the ending sequence. It's got a soft acoustic guitar feel to it. it's calming and fits the scene well. Other than that, I think you'll live if you never buy the soundtrack to this game.

Graphics:

Like I mentioned before, this was Pre-FF7 so not much can be expected. The characters look extremely blocky, which was common in early on in the first fully 3D consoles such as the PlayStation. But to be totally honest I don't really mind it that much. That's the era that brought me into gaming and those kind of graphics are endearing in away. There's a certain charm to it and brings me back to the good ol' days.

The spell and attacks effects are basic but work well with what they're trying to do. There are really no pre-rendered backgrounds like in Final Fantasies. The building and world map graphics are pretty similar to the characters graphics which kind of adds a wholeness to the game. But the one thing that kills the game aesthetically for me is practically everything is earth toned. The towns, dungeons, and castles are all a shade of brown, green, or gray. The only real color we get is in the characters' costumes. Cecilia has a bit of pink, Rudy has a red shirt and blue hair. Overall it's just kind of ugly to look at.

I guess you can say it adds to the feeling of the game, like its supposed to put you in the setting of that time. But I just find it unappealing. Also I have to add, where is this "Wild West" theme that seems to follow the series? It certainly didn't start here because there is nothing remotely Western about this game. There are Knights in Armor, Kings, and Demons. The game never even hints at it being remotely Wild West esc.

Story:

The game starts in a really odd way actually. You start the game separately with each character until they each find their way to Adlehyde. They all meet in this town and decide to travel together. After your first quest, finally the opening title sequence rolls. When this happened I had two thoughts: This is either the shortest game ever or I just got a game over somehow. It turns out this is when the game really starts.

So the story essentially revolves around Jack , Rudy, and Cecilia stopping the world from falling apart (in more ways than one). Demons have been in Felgaia for sometime are about to take over. The world loses hope in itself and the guardians of the planet cease to exist. The 3 heroes travel around trying to restore hope in the world and the spirits of the guardians to help defeat the demons. At least I think this is the plot....It was pretty hard to follow and I couldn't really get into it.

You go off on side quests that are part of the main game that deviate you from the main story for hours at a time. The story seems to just go all over the place for me. One thing that this game did that I really hate in RPGs is that Rudy, essentially the one main character, has no dialog. Why? Chrono Cross did this and so did Legend of Legaia if I'm not mistaken. I hate it. You never get to know what the character is like, you're just told instead of experiencing it. Most of the dialog is kind of cheesy and the revelations the characters have just seem forced. There isn't a lot of build up. In a good story the story arcs make sense and there events that correlate to why they happen. In Wild Arms it just seems to happen only to serve the purpose of moving along the story as opposed to it coming to fruition based on past events.

Finally, the one HUGE thing that killed the game for me was not knowing where you're supposed to go. There are an uncountable amount of times where you either need to collect something, kill a monster, etc. After you complete the task and the event following, nothing happens. You are just expected to walk around and talk to everyone in town and towns you've been to before to figure out where to go next. You could play this game for probably close to 80 hours just because you'd be wondering around helplessly trying to figure out what to do next. There are even ESSENTIAL items to completing this game that aren't given to you as part of an event in the main story. You have to find them on your own.

Here is the best example I have of this (*WARNING SPOILER ALERT! SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.). At one point in the game you un-earth an ancient Golem and eventually bring it back to life. You can also you it as vehicle to cross certain terrain you can't cross with any other vehicle in the game. Well how to do you summon the Golem? You need an Ocarina. Where is this Ocarina, does someone give it to you or tell you where it is? Who knows and of course not! First, you have to find a secluded house in the forest that has no visible game graphic on the world map until you're on top of it and it says "Forgotten Ruins". If that's not bad enough, you have to walk around a house to find it. Once you play the ocarina, only then can you summon the Golem and ride it. How cryptic is that? The Golem is so essential that you can't enter the final dungeon of the game without it. That is just plain ridiculous. I would have never figured that out without a guide.

Final Thoughts: Don't Play It
All things considering (price on the PlatStation Network of $5.99, fun puzzle solving, and nostalgic graphics) this game should be worth a play through right? Maybe. But I personally can't recommend it. The puzzles are fun, really fun, but it just doesn't save the game from how cryptic it is. There are parts in the game that are down right agonizing to figure out without a guide. I personally used one for a good majority of the game. I wanted to finish it to see the whole thing and I was pretty sure I never would without a guide. The game is just difficult for the wrong reasons.

The fact that the game rarely explains what to do next is annoying to me. Some might see it as a challenge but it takes away too much from the game for me. I'm also recalling a few puzzles near the end of the game and am baffled at how anyone is supposed to figure them out. Even in the guide it says "if you didn't know where to look this would be difficult for you to get." The fact that I had to switch online walkthroughs is a testament to the difficulty and crypticness of this game. As I was looking for images and screen shots I was reading comments about the game and most of them said something like "This game was awesome! But I got stuck and never finished it..." So unless you like extreme challenges or plain don't mind using a walkthrough then I'd say avoid this game. It's not worth the headache and the ending isn't too satisfying either.

For my next game...I think I'm going to avoid playing Wild Arms 2 for awhile haha. So that pretty much leaves Suikoden. I might hold off on playing it for a bit considering how much of a chore Wild Arms was. Thanks again for reading everyone. Spread the word and share this blog with your friends who enjoy games or just want something interesting to read. Later Gamers!

Collection Update & New Review Coming Soon

Over the weekend I found some good deals on a few games. Those games being Dragon Warrior VII and Wild Arms 1&2. I've played Dragon Warrior VIII for the PS2 but not 7, so I'm interested to see if it's as enjoyable. It's apparently the best selling PS1 RPG in Japan (even above Final Fantasy 7) so it must be half-way decent.

Also, I just beat Wild Arms 1 about an hour ago so look for a review of it in the next few days. It might seem silly to essentially buy the same game twice, but the way I look at it is this: I'll have the game on two platforms. I can have my Wild Arms on the go or sit down on a console. The combined price for a virtual download and hard copy is less than half the price when it was brand new. Lastly, I just want to have the hard copy as a collectors item.

Anyways, thanks for reading as always. Once I get back to the states I want to start doing videos so spread the word if you think anyone would be interested in this sort of thing. I know Shanna has it in her RSS feed to share so thanks for that! Well I hope you all have a great finish to your weekend everyone. Later Gamers!

Oh the games I lost...

So I just wanted to share a sad story about games I had and lost. As you know I'm trying to build up my game collection, but I cringe at the games I had lost to a move or other factors. I had to re-buy 3 Final Fantasies that I use to have, thankfully for a discounted price. I also use to have games like the original Resident Evil and 3, Saga Frontier 2, Star Ocean 2, Tales of Destiny (which is pretty pricey now), and the one that hurts the most...Suikoden II. This is the most sought after game for the PS1 and is valued anywhere between $120-$300. AKK =P.

But what's done is done and I can't change anything. I'm looking forward to all the new games I'm buying up that I never got a chance to play. I'm also close to finishing Wild Arms (I think?) so look for a review sometime soon.  Have a great weekend everyone. Later Gamers!

New Game to the Collection!

The collection is getting bigger slowly but surely! This week I won an auction for the highly valued Valkyire Profile. It's apparently one of the more expensive games for the PS1. I never played it and honestly know nothing about it haha. But I soon will! Looking forward to playing this game. Let me know if you've played this game and if it's any good. Later Gamers!

Woah....what happened?

So last post I'm talking about how I hated Wild Arms....like almost 20 hours in theres a HUGE plot twist and also sheds light on the name of the game. It may be 20 hours too late but it's re-energized my interest in this game. I actually care about the plot! We'll see if it's enough to save the game....

Also, I'm currently the highest bidder for Suikoden 2 and Valkyrie Profile , 2 of the rarest RPGs for the PS1, in a few ebay auctions. Crossing my fingers for no one raising the bids! Thanks for reading. Later Gamers!

God I hate Wild Arms

I've never seen an RPG, or game for that matter, like this. IT NEVER TELLS YOU WHAT TO DO NEXT! Usually in a good RPG it explains that the character needs to go to location X to do Y. But in Wild Arms you complete the event and that's it. No further dialog. You just explore around forever until you happen to stumble upon the next event in the game.

I got so sick of it and started using an online guide. If I never used it I'd probably still be roaming around and most likely would have stopped playing it. Whatever amount of hours it boasts to have is probably true. I'm around 16 hours or so in, but who knows how close I am to finishing it.

There are parts that thoroughly perplex me how someone is supposed to figure out without a guide. There are essential areas you need to go to that have no visible icon. There only invisible until you get close enough and then it reveals the name of the town/ dungeon. You also have to talk to random people in towns for the next part of the story to start up. Like a random guy in the bar, a mayor, etc. The crypticness knows no end!

It seriously isn't even fun anymore. Also, there are WAY too many random battles. I just wanna finish the damn thing!  The puzzles are still fun, but man the whole game feels like one big puzzle.

What do I do next? Who knows!

First Purchase and Crazy Ebay Auction

Hello everyone. I'm still playing through Wild Arms, about 9 hours in now. It's continuing to frustrate me but I must press on! Anyways I wanted to tell you that I've been looking on Ebay recently I made my first purchase towards completing my collection. I saw a bundle deal of Final Fantasy 8,9, and 10. It was priced lower than other auctions for just FF8 so I snagged it before someone else did!

I'm not looking to dink and dunk games one by one right now, just bundle packages that come with a lot of games or a reasonably good price. When I get back to the states I'll start looking into it more seriously. That's all the updates for now, but I did want to share a hilariously over-priced auction for Final Fantasy 7. Now I realize people might go crazy for the black disc factory seal, but take a look at this....

Um....good luck trying to sell that buddy. So if anyone sees a good deal while browsing a store or the internet let me know! Thanks for reading. Later Gamers!

Decided on Wild Arms, First Impression

First off, I changed the margins a bit to the blog. Before it was way too narrow and just unappealing. Since I tend to write a lot I figured this would be better. Let me know if you like this set up.

On to the games...So I ultimately decided on Wild Arms 1 as my next game to play. Before even playing it I thought it would have more of a "Wild West" theme to it. It has about as much of a Wild West theme to it as Final Fantasy Tactics does. One guy has a gun that they call an "Arm". That's about as Wild West as it gets, so far.

The one thing that I REALLY like about the game so far is the action puzzle-solving dynamic. There are three playable characters each with their own unique tool to use in the game. One has bombs to blow up walls, boxes, etc. One has a lighter to light candles and set things on fire as well as a pet that can move long range to hit switches. Lastly, there is a girl that has a clock that can move back time. Outside of reseting a puzzle it's kind of a pointless tool so far.

Overall the graphics are okay. They're kind of blocky in the battles, but  remind me a lot of Harvest Moon characters. The back grounds are nice, but everything seems to have an earth tone to it which is a bit ugly a times. I just would like some more color.

The battle system is typical. Turn based system with each character having unique abilities to level. Although each characters' abilities can be customized and upgraded. Rudy has a gun that you can customize by adding a  bigger clip size, more power, or more accuracy. Cecilia uses magic and when you obtain a "graph" item you take it to the magic shop to create a new spell. It's cool because after you create it you have the option to re-name it if you want. So far it remains to be seen if Jack's attacks are customizable.

The last thing that I want to say that's pretty annoying so far is not knowing where to go. After an event is complete and your obviously supposed to go somewhere else the game is never clear about it. You  have to explore around forever, asking people and just picking up the hints about where to go next. I guess this can be seen as challenging, but after Lunar where it's very clear where to go next it's just a bit frustrating. To make matters worse there is an open world map like Final Fantasies as opposed to Lunar where the only purpose the world map serves is to select the town you go to. So it takes figuring out where to go that much longer.

So I'm only about 5 hours in and overall it's enjoyable. The story is a bit bland but I'm willing to see where it goes. The action element is enough to keep me coming back. I always look forward to puzzles. More to come soon. Later Gamers!

Lunar Silver Star Story: Final Thoughts

 

So I finally put some time in this weekend and finished this game. To be honest before I picked it up this weekend I was dreading it. I knew what I had to do next in the game: I had to back track and fight a ton of unnecessary random battles. Nothing frustrates me more in an RPG. I understand having to go back to old cities, but in great games it's streamlined  so it doesn't seem like a chore. So after getting past that part oh boy was I in for a surprise. The 2nd act of the game seemed to drag and frustrated me a bit. But I'm glad I trudged through it because the final act kicked you in the face and didn't apologize! It was one of the more memorable and  unique endings to any RPG I've ever played. So here are my thoughts on the game overall.

Gameplay:

Lunar presents some interesting features in this RPG adventure. There's no unique puzzle dynamic or world exploration means however. Outside of just walking from city to city there isn't much of world map at all. You get an airship but never control it (which is annoying -_-). Stores are standard: buy weapons, items, and armor. No custom upgrades or anything. Although at the end it's pretty cool because your old friend owns a store and lets you take anything you want for free. So before your final assault you can just stockpile!

The battle system is pretty unique. It is turn based, but it's based on how close you are to your enemy. You have to be close enough for melee, Area of Effect attacks, etc. So in that aspect it's kind of unique. Also, each character has a pretty specific role in battle (meleee, caster, healer) so you don't have to worry too much about what each person is going to do each round. It's also nice midway through the game because Alex gets an ability to wipe out an entire group of monsters in one attack so random battles aren't such a nuisance. Overall the game-play is solid and enjoyable

Sound: 

The sound effects are pretty cool. There's some memorable sounds from sword slashes, spells, etc. They did a good job to match the style and graphics. Now as for the soundtrack, it's pretty great. There are quite a few memorable tunes; including the battle theme, Meribia, Luna and Alex's song, as well as the song Wind's Nocturne sung by Jenny Stigile Magallanes in the boat cut scene (from what I gather is pretty beloved in the Lunar series).

Now I did play the PSP version so I don't know how the original soundtrack sounded in comparison. They do repeat tunes quite a bit, but they match the tone of the game so it works. What I really love is near the end they remix a lot of songs. They either  make it sound more powerful/ inspiration or emotional. I especially love all the music in the finally cinema. I now know why the PS1 complete version came with the soundtrack: It's pretty good!

Graphics:

                                                        

So above you'll see a comparison of the opening scene graphics from the Sega Saturn/ PS1 version and the PSP version. I'll have to say the PSP ones are just more appealing to me and I don't know if the PS1 graphics' charm would be enough for me. Anyways, the PSP graphics were a nice upgrade and worked really well. I enjoyed how they looked and they added a lot of character to the game. What i particularly love about Game Arts games is that the text boxes have hand-drawn versions of the characters to show emotion. It adds a lot to dialog and helps you better understand the feeling the writers were trying to get across. 

Speaking of hand drawn characters, the part I might love more than anything about the graphics are the cut scenes. They aren't like most RPGs where they make it 3-D, rather there are Anime style hand-drawn animations. It's super appealing and goes well with the style of the game. I almost prefer it to almost any other CG cut scene I've scene. Something about it seems more authentic. The facial expressions are just more believable and you can get more attached to whats going on in the scene as opposed to just watching it for the sake of following the story. The graphics and cut scenes have that certain charm that I can't put my finger on, but are like nothing I've come across before either. I really enjoyed them overall.

Story: 

From top to bottom this story is solid as can be. There is a wide cast of characters that all have depth, a nice back story, and great character development. You can really connect with all of them. It moves at a nice pace but does seem predictable at times. Which is okay with me as long as it is engaging. I really enjoyed following Alex and Luna and wanted to know what would happen in the end. There is a heavy emphasis on the power of love which can be seen as cheesy but I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. The middle act drags a bit, but oh my God does the end of the game kick ass. 

All kinds of loose ends are tied up, there's a few "surprises", plenty of story arcs, new music remixes, and maybe the most unique way to end the game I've ever seen. Normally RPG endings go something like this: Defeat the final boss, final cinema, credits, THE END. But with Lunar you're allowed to walk around and see how the minor characters stories are tied up. It's a welcome change to a pretty standard way to end games. I don't wanna give away too much in case you're planing on playing it but it is awesome overall. I can't help but think it has a hint of Christianity though with the Goddess becoming a human story line. 

Final Thoughts: Play It

Overall this game is good and solid. It's definitely above average, but I don't know if it can really compete with the Final Fantasies of the RPG world. It's not supposed to though. It's a charming love story with a unique way to do an RPG with its hand draw animation and fun cast of characters. I will say the ending part of the game is by far the best. The whole story wraps up so beautifully and makes the whole experience worth it. If you enjoy RPGs at all you should pick it up. I clocked in at around 27-28 hours on the game clock, but I cant be sure how much I really played because I left my PSP on over night one time haha. So you're probably looking at a little over 20 hours if you don't dilly dally around. 

As for my next game....I'm pretty much limited to the PS1 classics library on the PlayStation Network. So right now I'm thinking either Suikoden (A grand scale war-style RPG) or Wild Arms (More action-oriented with a wild west theme).  I'm leaning towards Wild Arms, but what do you think? Let me know! Thanks for taking the time to read this all and continuing to check out the blog. Later Gamers!

                                         

My Entire PS2 RPG Collection

Yeah those two games right there are it. Kingdom Hearts 2 and Final Fantasy 12. Man those 2 game couldn't be farther apart in quality. Who would have thought an RPG  where your party Members are Donald Duck and Goofy would even come close to rivaling Square-Enix's second Final Fantasy on the PS2? Well it did and far surpassed it. Although this blog is dedicated to PS1 RPGs I decided to share my small PS2 collection with you and my thoughts on the games. So here it goes...

So Kingdom Hearts, wow. Seriously who thought Sqaure-Enix and Disney working together could make such a memorable game? For those not familiar with the game it's about a young boy who's out to save the world from all the "Heart" being taken out of it. Sounds cheesy I know but that's the Disney side of it. So the main character, Sora, is warped into the world of Disney, traveling through different worlds based on movies such as Aladdin, Pirates of the Caribbean, Mulan, and many more. In each world you basically play a shortened version of the movie plot while throwing in the story of the Heart and saving people from becoming "Heartless".

Despite it's light-hearted premise it's has some dark story arcs and is an enjoyable experience overall. And this is probably the only time I'd EVER  call Mickey Mouse a Bad Ass.  Seriously he freaking pwns noobs in this game. You only wish you could fight with him more because King Mickey, as he's known in the game, is by far the best  fighter you'll get on your team through the game. The mythos of the heartless enemy is interesting and the addition of the "Nobody's" adds further depth(and confusion) to the story. I don't wanna ruin any major plot points but if you haven't played Kingdom Hearts 1 or 2 you should do yourself a favor and play them. They have a more action-oriented battle system so if you don't like the tradition turn based system common in Final Fantasy then this should be a welcomed change.

Now on to the disappointment known as Final Fantasy 12...I was actually really excited for this game because it took place in the world of Ivalice which was the setting for the highly popular PS1 Classic "Final Fantasy Tactics". The first disappointment is ,outside of the name, it pretty much has nothing to do with FFT. Yeah it has the name which is cool, but I think they only did this to push sales. So there are a few new additions to the game which I actually liked.
1.) The Jobs board. Basically it's like an MMO in that you get a quest to go find/ kill something and you get rewarded for each one you complete. There are close to a hundred if I remember correctly so that should add some hours and fun to the game.
2.) Leveling system. Instead of generic characters you can upgrade them to specialize in weapons, summons, and abilities. So it's pretty customizable. Adding more depth to the game.

Now for the rest...the game basically plays itself in battles. You set up actions before the battle so they act according to a set of priorities. Example: Top priority to heal if life is below 50%, second is revive if someone dies, third attack, etc. It's nice to innovate but it acts more like a movie than playing it at all. And that's the problem as a whole, it just feels like a movie more than a game and its just boring. The dungeons are long and a bit boring at times. To top it off the two main characters, Vaan and Ashe, are so annoying and I feel like other characters should have/ could have been the main characters. Vaan and Ashe just aren't interesting.

My favorite character of any Final Fantasy is a guy by the name of Balthier. He's a sky pirate with a really interesting past. It gets revealed slowly through the game and you end up wanting to know more about him than anyone else (well at least I did). Also, he's just funny! His dialog is super witty and I find myself begging for cut scenes so I hear hear him spit a gem of wisdom out. I actually tried playing through this game TWICE and stopped both times. I couldn't muster up the will to do it. It's pretty, intriguing to a point, but it just becomes a chore and games shouldn't be that.

So there ya go, my small collection of PS2 RPGs. I actually would love to own Kingdom Hearts 1 because that game was awesome as well. I'm sure there are better PS2 RPGs but this is basically all I've played and all I own. I'm still playing through Lunar so as more updates come I'll post them. Later Gamers!