So I engrossed myself into this game, starting with the generic story start with the story of the troubled times that they were in, of course this is my critical view now, back when I first played it all I could think is it was awesome. And then from there the level of awesome escalated. Starting with the opening sequence that was way more intense then anything Ive seen in a long time, if it wasn’t as emotional pulling as Chrono Cross opening sequence, it was damn more intense.

Xenogears is arguably remembered most for its story, with music being a close second (at least in my mind, but story always comes first for me) But even as story was its greatest strength, it had to be its greatest enemy by far. The story had twists, numerous players acting in different directions (seriously there had to be like… 10 different factions working at one point in the game), baddies galore, location upon location and even your cast of characters, which was 9 different characters each with a back story that is intertwined with the world.

All thse story elements present in Xenogears kept its entry bar high for admission, I could imagine most off the cuff FF7 players finding themselves hating the long cut scenes, the confusing (at times!) story and the lack of 10 minute long summons. Im not sure if there would be a fix for that type of entry, without such a good story it would be a worse game, but because of the story’s complexity it was hard to immerse. Very catch-22 In my opinion.

Music, simply stated Xenogears had fricking awesome music. I still have the soundtrack today, I still listen to it today, in fact im listening to it right now the song? why its “Ship of Regret and Sleep”. This soundtrack proved to me that Yasunori Mitsuda is a pure genius, with the charming “Our Village is Number One” or the epic “The One Who Bares Fangs at God”. The music proved the world, the story was there and the music almost acted like a highway of delivery, provoking the emotion for it to be acted upon.

Even today, when people ask me what my favorite RPG I answer Xenogears, well actually I answer “I can give you like a top 3, Xenogears, Final Fantasy 8, and Dark Cloud 2″ . I still suggest it to people as a game to play for the RPG enthusiast. This game provides for me a template of what stories are capable of and at the time of conception I was rather entranced with the prospect of games like this coming out. But alas it was not to last as Square became Square-Enix and games like Xenogears seem to dwindle. And as Xenosaga failed to appease to the same level as Gears I am hoping even today for a game to fill that gap.

Thus, why Im looking forward ever expectantly to “Sand of Destruction” a new game for the Nintendo DS from Image epoch that’s coming to the US shores 2010. Ive heard words exchanging of the whispers of the word “Xenogears” being attached to this title. I look forward with bated breath.

Dragon Age took me by a blind side, considering its my first Bioware RPG ever and I didnt even think I was going to buy it until I turned the corner into the GameStop parking lot. I started as a Dalish Elf Warrior, and I was immediatly captivated, I had so many plans to just try out the game for a night then get back to Ratchet and Clank but the disc didnt leave the PS3 for a long time.

Now onto to the fine bullet points of the love of Dragon Age

Conversations

Ive played Oblivion and Morrowind, I know they have cool conversations and VO, but Ill be damned if it wasnt just boring most of the time to talk to just about anyone. Dragon Age has offered me something remarkable in the fact that every conversation seems to drive me to figure out what they know, I carefully consider my next choice in my list. Sometimes going for a quick intimidation or instead choosing to play it safe and learn more about the situation first. Of course when I go up to the shady Cult leader I immediatly think to kill him, but instead Ill just chat him up and see if a different solution emerges.

The whole system as a whole makes the world seem intresting, and the characters even more so. It makes me want to know more, where as a lot of games force the information on you, Dragon Age entices you to find it out.

Length

I like lengthy videogames, in RPGs I adore it. It even makes me look past a lot of the faults that cause the game to be stretched so long, mind you I dont ignore or miss these faults, Tales of the Abyss is probably the worst offender ever of the needless stretching (Im fairly sure its a rule on a Tales game that it shouldn’t ever be beat in under 60 hours) . But in Dragon Age, 40 hours in and Im not feeling any needless stretching, all these quests and events, conversations and relationship, battles and exploreing. All of it just seems exciting to me, not to say a lot of it isnt filler, there is filler. But they do an amazing thing with this filler, they wrap it so its harder to see or you dont care. What do they choose to wrap it in? Fun. Not that fun is the only option, a lot of games wrap filler in acheivements, points, unlockables etc etc. In my opinion this game is wrapped in fun.

World

Here is a bit of a halfway like halfway disappointment. As I am a fantasy novel enthusaist I greatly enjoy the high fantasy world crafted here, of course I cant help but feel there is a few fall shorts in the mix of what is going on. The world on a whole just feels less epic then it should, which is a shame because it really deserves an epic world. But regardless this I still love the history embedded into the world, and how it makes me feel that I came into the middle of a very long time line. Every good story starts at the middle!

Story

The story is awesome, I wonder if I had no player interaction in the events and it just played out cutscene to cutscene if it would be half as intresting. But that is not the way of it in this case, I feel a direct involvment in the line of things working, I am the catalyst to a lot of these events and my choices affect real outcomes. The power of that leads into one of the biggest sought after peaks in video game story telling, which is immersion into the world you are playing.

Closing~

Basically I really like this game, I got it for the PS3 and the idea of the better UI and toolkit is making me strongly consider purchasing for the PC as well. So strongly in fact that Im fairly sure im going to do that.

Demon’s Souls was just fun, I enjoyed it. And put an unordinary amount of time in it, you see because as a video gamer growing up sucks. You get less time and with less time you spend it in a more careful manner. These actions of course lead to you throwing away great games right after their complete because it took 1 week to beat Uncharted 2 now the next big thing is out! With Demon’s Souls I actually continued to play well beyond the one week, two week… hell I played it off and on again for 5 weeks straight!

Now, Its on to Dragon Age: Origins I think. This is going to be a new expereince for me. As reputably a RPG Fan I consider myself to be I have yet to play a single RPG under the Bioware development. This of course brings me shame, but also excitement to see a new way (to me anyways) that an RPG is done. And the result is of course fantastic.

The thing that’s surprised me most about Dragon Age is the conversations, in other games (Oblivion) the conversations were very bland and I didn’t really enjoy them. More I just was getting through to get to the combat and exploring. But wow is it intresting to get to a new place and go around and talk with every single damn occupant and learn about everything they know. I spent about a hour straight just listening to a bunch of traveling elves tell me about how much Werewolves suck. No cut scenes, no awesome special effects, just chatting with someone and learning more about the world and their situation… why is that so interesting?

The world in Dragon Age speaks to me, hell it pretty much serenades me. I, being a fan and indulger of Fantasy novels for about 10 years or so now find this epic/high fantasy setting absolutely delicious. This world takes a lot of the ideas generated through the very well crafted fantasy novels and fleshes them out rather nicely in the world. It would be all too easy I think to just put a player in a fantasy enviorment and explain nothing and have none of the back history and story thats tied to this game. But this does, and as many fantasy novel enthusiasts will tell you there needs to be a good history to the world crafted, or why would it be interesting.

So, now I take my Bard, Shapeshifter, warhound and Warrior out into the forest, going werewolf hunting. Extremely giddy to find out whats kinda werevoles they will be and what story will unfold because of it.

And the final Two items are Ratchet and Clank and Pokemon. I just bought Ratchet and Clank 5 days ago or so and have barely even touched it. But the amount I did touch, well it has been Fantastic. But what struck me so heavily right away is that despite any gloss to distract me otherwise, this is the same Game that came out a couple years ago with the first Ratchet and Clank Future, which that game was almost exactly the same as Ratchet and Clank 2: Going Commando. And I play this newest game RCF:ACIT and I feel so heartly reminded of my time as a youngster playing Going Commando with vigor into the late hours of the morning.

The guns are nearly the same, the combat acts the same. I went into the newest one already strafing and side jumping. But oddly all of these so similiar features didnt bother me at all, in fact I think they add to the expereince. Same game in all aspects, just a newer model. And I reallly dosent bother me at all, im still having fun.

Another game that follows this strict formula is Pokemon, I could go pick up the latest DS version and the first Gameboy version and they would play remarkably similiar, like… almost exactly similar. One could make the argument that Pokemon Platinum is the same game as Pokemon red with a few sprinkles of features. Core formula stays the same and that’s what their banking on, because the core is that fucking good.

This exact same Pokemon core has attributed to me buying every iteration of the Pokemon franchise, from Red, to Platinum. And now I am at the tettering edge of waiting for the next Pokemon Iteration, which is Soul Silver. This is beyond insanity as it is a remake of a Game that is itself the exact same as a game thats been out for like 13 years now! I can only attribute this crazyiness of me playing and buying the same game over and over again with a new layer on it to black magic…… or a really good core design.

Something to be said for just having a good game, not innovative, not revolutionary. Keep churning out good games that are almost the exact same. Ill keep buying them, same game, different year, could care less

Borderlands, Ratchet and Clank, Brutal Legend, Assassins Creed, and Dragon Age Origins. Each at a 60 dollar price point, yeah I think this Holiday season will do just fine~

But no less, am I allowed to complain about too many good games? It seems counter intuitive, I love good games just as much as I hate bad games, which is a lot. But my complaint inst the over abundance of Good games but rather the timing and I cant help but feel that there is something missing from the formula here. See, this summer wasnt exactly the most boring summer for video game releases… but yeah it was fairly boring for video game releases, considering the biggest release for about a 4 week period for me was Shadow Complex (which was an awesome game, do not misunderstand) but rather it shows that no big releases hit during that time.

And this is one thing I dont know if Game Publishers look at, I hope they might from now on, Just look at how much press Prototype, Red faction and inFamous got in the summer. It wasnt that they were bad games and didn’t deserve it… but had they been released Today well I think they would be swept under the carpet every so quickly just as I see Borderlands and Ratchet and Clank going. People dont stop caring about video games in the summer, in fact… I think a lot of people of the school age variety happen to have a lot more time on their hand during this festive season and more money too. But on the press side too, because there is a lack of good games, if there is a good game it quickly reaches everyones lips and eventually everyones hands as they procure a new copy. Take Batman Arkhum Asylum for example, which was really the start of the fall video game rush and it was a huge subject of everyones desires.

Now, I know a lot of my games listed wont have to worry, but I for sure see Ratchet and Clank going under the rafters as it gets over stepped by all the other games. And I just have to think, if it came out in July that it would be quite the big deal. Now? I’m fairly sure no one even knows its coming out.

To wrap up the rambling, keep making good games and releasing them, Just try to not do it in 3 weeks of each other! My summers need less boredom.

Going up this small area, just a tower filled guarded by two Mind flayers, who will in fact flay the shit out of our mind if you give them a chance (dont worry I checked to make sure, yep Mind Flayed), there was an event that played as I ascended, it portrayed to final boss room ( events like this cut scene are a rarity in Demon’s Souls) and the boss summoned a Black Phantom and gave him his power. Then once I regained control it popped up the message… “Black Phantom Sas97867_Liue has invaded” Besides immediately popping up into fear for my life mode which happens once of the blood seeking Black Phantoms invades, I didn’t really know what to think of the situation… until I arrived in the final boss room that is. There I faced the black Phantom summoned, he was the boss. Given extra power as benefit of being one, that’s right. The final boss of area 3 in this immense rpg was another player. I was giddy with excitement over this wondrous revelation.

This other player took advantage of my surprise and got behind me to deal a critical blow, I have to props him on his quick and easy execution of me. After my embarassingly easy death to one player I resolved to realize what was awaiting me and attempted again, this time greeted by a different black Phantom, who was nice enough to send me a message over PSN saying “I WILL NOT KILL U”. My years of skepticism came into play as I decided to not trust him… turns out it didn’t matter as he delivered a ‘Dragon Bone Smashed’ right through my sternum.

As I began to slide off this big slab of metal I was thinking how awesome this was, force me to be better then another player to ascertain my Demon Soul from this boss, it was brilliant. But then I began to wonder why it was awesome, and it came to me that this was such a progressive idea, have players be the boss. More then that though, a dynamic environment… maybe the MMO of the future, there is NPCs but then a character defeats a boss, well now he is the boss. Have to defeat him to move on, once he is dead? well you can take over being the boss obviously, the position is after all open!

This idea almost goes in line with the current Trend, the current Trend which Demon’s Souls and Uncharted 2 follow. Multiplayer, and the phasing out of pure single player experiences. Why have an MMO where they add pvp in? why not have PVE and PVP be the same thing? I don’t know about you, but to me this idea sounds simply awesome.

So, finally defeating a Black Phantom (A fellow Temple Knight actually, I used a Mercury winged spear which poisons them and then used my Quality +4 Halberd two handed to bring the pain) I claimed my ‘Yellow Demon’s Soul’ and looked toward 4-2 and 5-3, my next goals.

Then his response…. “That demon spawn of a game?! Horrible” this… coming from a guy whos favorite game of all time is Xenogears, who played every Final Fantasy, you got into RPGs because of Final Fantasy 7. Pretty much a carbon copy of me and he absolutely despises Final Fantasy 8, whereas I find it to be on my top 5 games ever.

Then of course I thought of why this is, and listening to his complaints, well I can see where the hate comes from. His complaints started with the normal drag, the Draw System. The progressive system that allows the user to obtain magic from their enemies and cast it right back at them. And I immediately thought “No what a great system it was!” but then, It dawned on me how often I found myself spam drawing from enemies when I found a new spell. How I would sit in battles that would go for 15 minutes while I drew a full stack of 100 of each spell from the enemy for each character, I didnt have to do this most of the time, but It got me the coveted spells.

Now you would think, I spend all this time getting these spells its time to use them to glorious effect in battle. I would say “Hold on there a minute!” and my complaint coincided with my co-workers here in the Junction System, a system so well thought up and so deep. But the end result? you never wanted to cast one magic spell ever for fear of depleting your supply and thus depleting your Junctioned stat. Every playthrough of every game ran in the same vein, Guardian Forces summon and spam Attack. Certainly dosent sound as fun on paper.

The banter went on, from him citing the worst villain in Final Fantasy History (Ultemicia was kinda lame), to me citing the excellent webbed storyline of Squall and Lagunas adventures. Eventually we both gave up the argument, as he kind of admitted there were great parts that were pure fun (hello Card game) to me admitting that some parts didn’t go as well as planned (Draw system).

But whatever, the game was still awesome

I think its more like satisfaction, and that’s where Demon’s Souls comes into play. A lot of times I found myself angered and frustrated at this game, but for some weird reason whenever I went into a signature swearing rant about how the same fing Black Phantom Knight killed me for the 5th time in a row I find this odd smile on my face and the words are said with laughter. Am I having a fun experience? probably, but much more important is that I’m having a satisfying experience. Im leaving every play time with this game feeling fulfilled!

An experience from the past weekend of play illustrates that if in an unconventional way. I find myself yet again challengeing 2-2, Ive attempted this level a couple times, and I cant really give a concrete reason why I gave up for a while. Maybe had something to do with those Lavabugs numerating the area outside. Those were nasty. But I disgress, I went back into 2-2, I wouldnt say I blew through it, but I got to the end with no deaths along the way, there were challenges, but the slow moving Lavabugs were easily dispatched and I found myself outside the door to the 2-2 Boss, titled FlameLurker, not knowing what to expect I ventured forth.

FlameLurker destroys the norm I have yet gathered from the bosses so far. My experience so far listed, 1-1 had the gloopy slow moving pile of goo that was Named Phalanx, 1-2 had the powerful nearly immobile Tower knight, 2-1 Armored Spider who was completely immobile, then 3-1 and 4-1 which were planted in place. Now… we have 2-2 Flame Lurker, Moves faster then you, quicker, fast strikes and powerful aoe attacks, Basically like a lava covered Gorilla. And he tore me apart, I was expecting a slow moving careful experience, but yet I found myself rolling around and dodging this angered Fire Demon, after dieing 4-5 times, (and doing a little grinding in between) I ended up defeating the big beast. Now I dont think if you asked me while I was dodging and rolling hoping to avoid the Flame Lurker on my 3rd try, if I was having a fun time that I would have responded yes, but was it satisfying? absolutely. I loved the idea of these different bosses giving me no quarter and forcing me to yet again evolve the play style to defeat them. And when their defeated… that’s the most satisfying thing of all

Of course I was interested… one would almost say intrigued in how much I would enjoy the co-op, I of course figured it would be a simple shoot til they die situation with numerous waves of enemies one after another endlessly until a magical switch hit and bang you are now done congratulations. Of course that was exactly what the co-op was, but oddly enough it was still enjoyable. I think the enjoyability of it goes up as it gets harder and if I did choose to participate in voice chat I could see some team work coming into play and helping out with the fight “Get that Sniper behind us!” Overall though… eh, not sure. It is fun, but whether it makes me want to come back to play it is questionable. I’m feeling no urge to go try Nepal streets in hard mode after beating it on normal. And absolutly no drive at all to try the co-op with some people I don’t know. Maybe Im not giving it enough chance, I plan to play it again a couple times and hopefully get a death match game in there some where too.

Beat the single player, was fun, was better then Uncharted 1 (in my opinion at least) and thats about all you could put into the ending without talking about the actual game. And as fear of spoilers I will hold back from revealing too much.  I will say that I only have good things to say about Naughty Dog studio, I wasnt always so sure about them (Crash Bandicoot and I was never a Jak fan) but I hope they continue to do the good things they do and I hope that other studios notice that this is how you make a great game, actually putting heart into rather then churning the wheel to turn out more shovel ware thats taken in and forgotten the next day. Why do more studios not desire for their game to be talked about 1 year, 2 years even 5 years down the line? Its boggling to me.

Next step in Uncharted 2 for me? Crushing difficulty. Of course as I was informed by my friend there is a check that you need to complete hard to access Crushing difficulty. So, Hard then crushing. Maybe Ill be able to knock out the rest of the trophies through those two. 50% completed, 50% to go, but I may give up. I have zero platinums ( a source of embarrassment for me among the PS3 elites) and I don’t know if that’s going to change with Uncharted 2, I don’t like the look of the “Soften with gunfire then kill ten in a row” trophy, it almost looks as terrible as “Collect all blast shards” bronze of inFamous. But who knows, maybe Ill man it up. I think Uncharted 2 will come after I continue on my path of Demon’s Souls.

Uncharted 2 is a 2 year development cycle sequel to a very successful game. As such, you would think Naughty Dog would have just made a quick new story that was painfully like the first one and released it to critical mediocrity, safe in the knowledge it would sell at a reasonable amount and they would be profitable. But! they did not go down such a path, Uncharted 2 reaches the rarely seen level of better Sequels, its a hard concept for a lot of developers. Don’t give us the same game because you know we will buy it, give us a better one because you know we will love it more (totally looking at Capcom, and Megaman super X-Battle Network 4000000 or whatever the newest version of the same GBA game from 2001 is called.)

So here we have Uncharted 2, better in every way over the first Uncharted. But what makes it better? Subjective rambling incoming! Smoother and cooler graphics, Brilliantly executed and displayed story, Multiplayer! and of course production values (voice acting is again off the fing chain).

Of all the nice things I have to say for this game I noticed something, and any review read will probably point out the similar… oddity. And that’s the flow of game-play, its brilliant game, fun and exciting. But the flow will work something like this… Story-> Climbing -> Gunfight! -> Puzzle -> Gunfight! -> Story -> Stealth -> Chase Scene… etc etc. Now all these parts are cool, but the fact they are so clearly defined can be a little jarring sometimes. Mercenaries don’t you dare run in on me while I’m solving this puzzle, wait until I’m done!!!

2/3 through the game and its still amazing me with all it can do, I really hope a lot of people take note from this game for future Games, it does a lot of things right.

Oh yeah, the Zombies in the first Uncharted were dumb,  I hope there isn’t Zombies in 2.