Videogame Thread

[Blackboxx]

Awww... Why, Lost Odyssey? Why? Why do you make me care for video game children so much?

Just look at them! Well... You'll have to wait a bit, but just see the crap their grandparents are going through to save them from a complete freeze over (think Day After Tomorrow, for anyone that has seen it).

[monsterfan]

Eh? You know, I got a question. Why is it that almost every game that's based on a movie have to either be really bad or just sucks? Why? I mean, sure their has to be some that are good but I can't really remember the last time I played a game based from a movie that was good.

[Nobility]

Actually, I know of a few movie-based games that were actually pretty good: Looney Tunes: Back in Action, the game, and The Monsters vs. Aliens console games were both pretty good. But the reason they're so often not is because games based on movies are often rushed-jobs, because they have to get them out before the movie premieres and they become obsolete.

Anyway, I'm kind of on an RPG mood lately. I JUST beat Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days for the DS, and it... kinda left me an emotional wreck, but also got me in the mood for some more Kingdom Hearts games, so I'm VERY eagerly awaiting Birth By Sleep (although I had heard it's as depressing as Days, so... crap ). I'm also really looking forward to Final Fantasy XIII, if only because I'll FINALLY have an excuse to play with my PS3! (Oh PS3, I want to love you so much, but all your games are FPS's!) I also just gave Phantasy Star Zero for the DS a go- wasn't too impressed. Too much slow combat, though I am intrigued by the Phantasy Star series as a whole. I wanna play me as some robot chicks (who LOOK like robots, and not... human females with oddly colored skin/end rant)! So I've got Phantasy Star Portable on my Q at Gamefly.

Quick question, has anyone played Eternal Sonata? And if they have, is it worth a look?

[monsterfan]

Oh yeah! I forgot about those games! They were pretty good! I loved/liked them a lot. Thanks Nobility. No, I haven't played Eternal Sonata, sorry.

[Baycrum]

I NEED to get 358/2 days
That title kinda makes me laugh XD
What does it stand for BTW?

[Nobility]

It's the 358 and a half days Roxas spends with the Organization. It's a midquel that takes place between Kingdom Hearts 1 and all the way to Kingdom Hearts 2 and Chain of Memories. A little warning though: the ending is really, really, REALLY sad. If you were at all moved by Roxas and/or Axel's plight in KH2, you WILL cry bucket fulls in this. It's still a really good game, just... sad.

[Blackboxx]

Finished Lost Odyssey... at 2:30 AM in the freakin' morning!!! I got so wrapped up in the climax that I refused to stop. Oh, lordie it was quite a good ending. There were hard fought victories, tense moments of dread, and the relief of a strong resolution.

Seriously, it has been a long time since I played an RPG that actually made every character in your party actually affect the story right up until the end. The final battle gave you a forced party consisting of only the "special" characters, but the side characters all threw their support in to bail you out of the boss' super cheap special moves, and cut him off from his source of power.

And once you finally subdue the douche (being treated to some of the most interesting battle music), your normal party members (including the two children that I find so adorable) have been exposed to too much magic energy and are in danger of being fried by the power they sealed up while the main characters are mostly helpless to stop it. The way they save them is costly... It was not a completely happy fairytale ending.

But, on the bright side, there is an actual ENDING. You don't just watch the party escape from the collapsing final dungeon, then go "YAY! We winz! Roll creditz! ;D". You watch them lament their loss (wont say what they lost. you have to play it to find out, but it was unexpected), yet plan for the future. Then you actually see them live that future! Sure, it's only a few weeks, months, perhaps a year (the kids are still kids), but you get an epilogue. Yes, I had to choke back more tears. The game just seemed to love taking stuff from my favorite characters, which hurt.

In summation: WOW! That was a fun game if you don't mind slow paced RPG battles. Story, character, secret treasures, art style (all except for the silly hats that the armies in this game wear) were all excellent. Anyone with an XBox360 who likes RPGs should check it out.

[Baycrum]

Jan 22, 2010 23:56:02 GMT -5 Nobility said:

It's the 358 and a half days Roxas spends with the Organization. It's a midquel that takes place between Kingdom Hearts 1 and all the way to Kingdom Hearts 2 and Chain of Memories. A little warning though: the ending is really, really, REALLY sad. If you were at all moved by Roxas and/or Axel's plight in KH2, you WILL cry bucket fulls in this. It's still a really good game, just... sad.

You wanna know what i thought it meant?
358 over 2 days.
I was like what does that mean?That Roxas has some sorta day confusion where he has 358 days in only two.

[monsterfan]

Blackboxx: Joy for you friend...even though I am late and stuff. Doom.

[Blackboxx]

I've been a little absorbed in my latest excursion into the realm of interactive electronic entertainment. It took me a long time to actually decide to purchase it, but I now have Final Fantasy 12. I gotta admit that it's fun.

I love the fact that there are no preset classes for each character (not that I hate classes, but sometimes I like to take a break from them). Instead, you get to decide which abilities your characters learn as you collect points from defeating monsters. Being the hybrid lover I am, I made every character dip into a few different roles;

My favorite, Basch, is becoming what FF considers to be a dark knight. I am teaching him offensive magic (black, arcane, and time) as well as equipping him with heavy armor, the biggest two-handed weapon I can find, and plenty of magic passive abilities.

Number two is Ashe. She is becoming my paladin. She also gets heavy armor, but I'm giving her the old sword and board setup; one-handed weapons and a shield. Instead of offensive magic, she is learning the defensive stuff; healing, buffs, restoration, etc.

Then, there's my dedicated speedster, Balthier. He's using ranged weapons, light armor, and debilitation techniques; resistance swapping, stat reduction, charm, and steal.

Battles usually start with Basch leading the charge with his spear/kitana/broadsword and drawing everything close. Ashe follows to deal support damage until such time that someone needs to be healed. Once a crowd forms, Basch weakens them with whatever elemental spell would be most useful (ice, fire, lightning, shadow, wind, etc.). All the while, Balthier has been robbing things of their items. Once everything has been damaged, he will back up and start picking things off while Basch and Ashe clean up.

There are 3 other characters, but I don't particularly like them, so they just ride the pine.

Anyway... Fun stuff, but FF13 can go rot. Tunnel zones are so frikkin boring. I just don't understand why anyone would design an RPG like that. I hated it in FF10, I'll hate it in FF13. But that's just me. Sorry to vent like that.

[monsterfan]

Lol. It's okay (the hating tunnel thingie). We all vent like that around something in games. It is naturally! I've been playing old playstation one games for a while now! Boy are they great, just like I remember them! Mostly been playing PS1 games that deal with Looney tunes for some reason like Sheep Raider, Bugs Bunny lost in time, and Bugs bunny and Taz: Time Busters.

[Blackboxx]

I guess this is the closest I will ever get to being a necromancer. Rise, my fallen thread. RISE!

Okay, sinister implications aside, I have been spending the past few months trying to find a video game worthy of my time. Seeing as the summer draught is approaching (very few big releases through the summer), I had to find something fast. It wasn't easy, but I found it.

Monster Hunter-tri for the Wii (yes, I own the kiddie system). As the title suggests, the game stars you, a monster hunter. The wilds of the world are teeming with various creatures, some violent, some intelligent, some passive. Your occupation charges you with the responsibility of venturing out into the wilds to gather resources for a seaside village being menaced by a giant sea creature. This creature is disrupting the ecosystem by eating the fish the villagers gather, destroying the fishing boats, and just generally showing up when it isn't wanted. The village constantly needs repairs whenever this thing attacks, and that's why they need you. You get the stones they need to build structures (which are oddly enough, straw huts), you take meat from the monsters you kill for food, and hides for clothing and stuff.

As far as fighting is concerned, you get to pick from several varieties of weapons to take with you. You can even gather materials to use in upgrading and forging new ones. This effectively encourages you to actually hunt all the different types of monsters and do it many times just to see what you can gather form them.

But it's more complicated than pick a target, mash the attack button, collect loot. Monsters have behaviors. Some roam in packs. Attack one, and the whole herd may assault you. Take down the leader and the rest may flee. Some don't like you desecrating their companion's corpse and will wait for you to start gathering to blindside you. Carnivorous monsters may be able to smell when you cook meat and interrupt your meal.

Oh, and you can play multiplayer online with your own custom character (simple by parts character creation for only basic things, but there are still some good options). I can see this game lasting me quite a long time (of off-and-on play, it is highly repetitive and grindy). I've plugged in six hours so far and I've only done two of the game's many missions. Gathering stuff is just so darn addicting since it's actually useful.

[Baycrum]

You guys ever try Fable 2 for the XBOX360?I only played an hour(where I also play most ps3/XBOX360 games like Portal and Bioshock) but it was SO COOL!Now I must save for a 360 just to play Fable 2 again.I played Halo online and totally killed my stepbro's scores and rank....XD
anyways I might rent some wii games so got any recomindations.Also monsters hunter sounds good.

[Blackboxx]

Apr 27, 2010 16:01:03 GMT -5 Baycrum said:

You guys ever try Fable 2 for the XBOX360?I only played an hour(where I also play most ps3/XBOX360 games like Portal and Bioshock) but it was SO COOL!Now I must save for a 360 just to play Fable 2 again.I played Halo online and totally killed my stepbro's scores and rank....XD
anyways I might rent some wii games so got any recomindations.Also monsters hunter sounds good.

Heck yes. I played Fable 2. It is definitely an awesome game for atmosphere, foolishness, appearance modding, and voice work. The combat is fun since you can seamlessly switch combat styles (mapped to a single button for all functionality, yet it's more complicated than button mashing). The only downside is a lack of challenge. You don't die, you just fall down and get up in a few seconds. Any exp on the ground disappears, but enemies are limitless so it's not an issue.

As for Wii games, I have a few that I found rather enjoyable, but it would help to know your genre preferences.

If you like RPGs, the only good one I've seen on the system so far is an obscure game called Opoona. It's simple, yet creative with an emphasis on befriending certain NPCs (not as party members, but they do wind up extremely helpful late in the game). There are other RPGs, but even as a fan of the genre, I can't in good conscience recommend them.

If you like platforming, Mario Galaxy is a must buy (with the sequel due out next month). It was the first 3D Mario title that I played to completion (and I did it twice, thanks to the nifty replay option). I beat the other ones, but I didn't bother trying to collect all 120 stars. If you have siblings or friends willing to join you, the New Super MArio Bros Wii game is a good game. It's tough as all get out, but who cares when you're picking up and tossing your partners into a pit for ****s and giggles? Even complete failure is fun in the right company.

Fighting games more your thing? Then you should consider Smash Bros. Brawl. Perhaps rent it first. It seems to be a polarizing game. People either love it for simple, mindless fun, or hate it for not being Smash Bros. Melee 2 (mechanics changed that makes the game more casual friendly). Then there's Tatsunoko Vs Capcom. Pick any two fighters and go to town on another team of two. It has a lot of classic Capcom characters, as well as some not so well known ones. But... I never really knew much about the Tatsunoko company, so all I noticed was that a lot of their character designs were similar; white spandex suit, cape of some sort, and a helmet. Oh... and three or four of them like yo-yos as weapons. Ah well, it's just fun and flashy.

I don't know exactly how to classify this game, but A Boy and His Blob is just too darn precious. You're a six year old boy who finds a pet blob one night, and discovers his interesting powers. He can transform into different items by eating various flavors of jelly beans. Using his different forms, you must find your way through a bunch of stages, unlocking bonus challenges and features as you play. I guess I'd say it's a side-scrolling platformer puzzle game.

If you like adventure games, no one in their right mind would advise against The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (game came out well before those accursed movies, so don't let the title scare you off). It is the longest LoZ game to date, and is also very high on atmosphere. If you enjoy it, you may want to check out Okami (remake of a PS2 game with Wii controls). The unique art style, paint brush actions, and the fact that your character is a dog goddess should tell you something about its originality (even if the gameplay is nothing too new, it's fun).

If you don't mind probing a few measly humans, Destroy All Humans: Rise of Big Willy is fun. It's a hit or miss game, mind you. If you played any of the other games (one is on the 360 in case you were wondering), you will notice many things wrong. Customization options are reduced (though still plentiful), graphics are sub par compared to its PS2 brothers, the Wii controls are very jarring (but functional once you get accustomed), and the big one; NO RICHARD HORVITZ OR GRANT ALBRECHT voicing the main characters. The imitators suffice, but I still tear up every time I see the opening cut scene. I can forgive it because they found the perfect way to placate me; a zombie gun. This is definitely a game to keep away from the little kiddies (nothing too objectionable, but it pushes the boundries of the T rating), but if that's not a problem, you should enjoy it. The humor is lacking from its predecessors, but not absent.

Hoooooo dang... I ramble on a bit much. But I would also recommend Monster Hunter. It's not a typical RPG (no levels to gain, no magic to cast), but offers some good role playing options. You can customize your physical appearance, and modify certain aspects later. You can upgrade and customize your equipment with tons and tons of skills. Too bad there is no explanation of what each skill means (in game or in the instructions, I had to find the meanings on the internet). When an RPG says you have the 'Whim' skill, what would that mean to you? Why, it means you have a lesser chance of your pickaxes and bug-nets breaking on you, of course! Just be warned that this game is a major time sink. You spend a LOT of time gathering items (many of which are taken from monsters, so despite no exp or levels, it is still worth it to kill things). After all, where there is hunting, there is gathering.

I play a LOT of video games... If I can say that much about a game system I rarely use, imagine what I have to say about my preferred consoles. If you ever want more recommendations on a different console, please ask. I absolutely LOVE talking about video games, so don't think it would be an imposition. I've played a bit of everything; all the systems, all the genres (but not all the titles, duh). I'm also very opinionated and downright puritanical at times (look me up on gamefaqs.com if you want to see me when I slip into a jerkass mood, same username).

[Baycrum]

Hmm There's some I'll put on my List.
I like Destroy all Humans but if The Subs are reeeeaaallly bad I won't play.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl is DEFINATLEY on *DUNDUNDUN* ON THE LIST!
I hear A Boy and his Blob is a 2D Platformer but not like Super Mario Bros. Wii,does it look good or is it just Wiiware,cause I thought it was a game for SNES.
I LURV LOZ on the original NES (YES while all the other kiddies had 64s and PSs I had a NES)
Mario Galaxy sounds good!I already have super Mario bros Wii so I'll get that.
Opoona I haven't heard of but I'll try to find it.


By the way,what are your TOP TEN FAVORITE GAMES and TOP TEN GAMES I'D RATHER JUMP IN A ABYSS THAN PLAY?
Thought that might get this Thread to live,