It’s been a while since a full-blown game post, and now’s about the time for another 🙂
I took a break from my DS, returning to the PSP for a few games. I started with Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (above left). This is the prequel (of sorts) to Final Fantasy VII. While Crisis Core has impressive production values and is technically astounding, about half way through it began to lose my interest. This was due to the gameplay design being flaky, the challenge low, and the dungeons and combat far too iterative. The story – whilst obnoxious in the way anything related to FF7 always is – was interesting enough to keep me until the end. And I’m glad it was, since I genuinely appreciated the way they tied up Zack’s story and paved the way for the events in FF7. That said though, unless you are a FF7 super fan, this game is touch to recommend.
Next on my list was Wild Arms XF, also for PSP (above right screen). This is the fifth Wild Arms game I have played, but since it was reinvented as a tactical RPG it didn’t feel at all stale. In fact XF turned out to be one of the better tactics games I’ve played in some time, full of interesting maps, creative challenges and fun character classes. It did however suffer from a fatal flaw – it was too easy to break…
So, as an aside, what does ‘breaking’ a game mean? Typically it means exploiting some aspect of the game beyond the probable intention of the developers to essentially remove all challenge. Stacking avoidance as a rogue in WoW for instance, or handcuffing in SF2. Or, more likely these days, simply playing so far above the curve that challenge loses all meaning.
In Wild Arms XF’s case it meant exploiting the ability of two classes in unison to give yourself infinite moves. Once I worked this out (and I’m usually good at working such things out) I quickly lost interest in continuing with the game. Even so, I got a good 30 odd hours of play out of this one, which is high for the PSP. And even though I didn’t finish it, I really enjoyed it and would give it a thumbs up.
I’ve also been playing the Wii quite a bit recently. In addition to Super Smash Brothers Brawl (which I am taking a break from after unlocking all the characters) I finished off every game in Metal Slug Anthology (above left shot). This is a collection of the first 7 Metal Slug games (MS1 through MS6 and MSX). Side-scrolling shooters don’t come much better than these, but anyone that has ever played one know they can be an exercise in frustration. I beat every one on free play therefore, as much to enjoy the animation (a hallmark of this series) as to boggle at the difficulty.
I then turned to MySimms, which I’m actually still playing now. First of all, this game is not even close to the grandeur of Animal Crossing (which remains one of the best games ever made). Secondly, it suffers from horrible load times and laggy gameplay. But it has an undeniable charm that keeps me coming back for more. I’m currently two thirds of the way to completion, and can’t say whether I’ll actually finish the game, but I can’t say I haven’t been enjoying myself so far.
One Wii game in particular deserves special attention:
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life As A King is the first piece of WiiWare I have bought. WiiWare are original available only via download, and being a FF game, this is the flagship. In the game you play a boy king with a magical ability to create buildings from scrath. Naturally therefore, the game is a SimCity-esque town simulation. And yet there is much more to it than that, for the raw materials for building come from dungeons surrounding your city. Every day adventurers explore the dungeons, killing monsters and earning experience and treasure. What makes this game unique is you have no control over these adventurers – in fact all you know of the adventures is a days-end summary. And yet the game quickly became strangely compelling, as I sent the little guys off to the various dungeons hoping they were able to overcome the challenges within and return with treasure from which I could expand my kingdom.
The game initially seems shallow, even boring. And for some, this is all it will be. But play long enough and you begin to notice real depth to the proceedings. Many decisions must be made about what to build and where, and exactly how to spend your gold. Should you upgrade the sword shop, or perhaps raise the pay of the adventurers? Should the White Temple be placed in the residential district, or next to the castle? Is that level 29 warrior powerful enough to solo a dungeon, or should I put him in a party? Many tiny choices are what the gameplay here is about, and for me they summed to a compelling experience. I’m looking forward to restarting on Very Hard mode, which promises many more dungeons, items and options for the player.
In other words, especially as a $15 download, I highly recommend this game. (I’ll be springing the additional $15 for the optional content before I restart…)
I’ve now returned to my DS after my PSP sojourn. After a month of hardly picking it up, I quickly remembered why the humble DS is the best gaming system ever made:
The leftmost shot above is Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring Of Fates. In short: the story is crap, the graphics could have been a bit better and the control is slightly iffy. But the gameplay is great. Lots of fun, monster-killing, level-grinding, farming for materials and patterns makes this an action-RPG power gamers dream. I love it, and will immediately start again in the hard mode (Meta game) as soon as I beat the normal one. (Although not quite the same, a game like this one only serves to restate the bloody obvious that Blizzard should get Diablo 1/2 out on DS ASAP)
The right shot above is Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Time, which is Chunsoft’s latest ‘casual version’ of their aged and beloved Fushigi no Dungeon series. In other words, this is Rogue with a Pokemon texture on top. I started playing and then put this one aside, since I had quite literally just previously beaten Shiren The Wanderer, a game so punishing my brain hurt after extended sessions. I loved the first Pokemon Rogue though, and this one’s going to Puerto Rico with me 🙂
Before I end, I leave you with a couple of shots of a game on my shelf (in my large-ish ‘to play’ pile) that beckons me every time I glance its’ way:
This game, for the PSP, is of course R-Type Tactics. Even though I haven’t played it – haven’t even opened the package, I just know this one’s going to be a killer. As in hands down the best tactical shooter ever made. Especially since reviews tend to use terms like ‘unplayably complex’ and ‘for mathematicians only’. You know I’m right, don’t you?
Next game post (whenever that is): game book reviews!