Archive for the ‘Gaming’ Category
This is a post of endearment and not of resentment, mind. Also, the term “classic-style” means to me that the RPG follows the format of older RPG video games, like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest (Dragon Warrior).
- You do not have a quest tracker or ingame journal. The gods help you should you take a break without writing down your current objective.
- You can’t see the enemy’s hp level. Shouldn’t the goblin be dead by now?
- You must grind to level up before reaching the next area. You better save before venturing forth two screens up, lest you be bested by a slime!
- You can’t save just anywhere. So, I really need to go to an inn or church to record my progress? Can’t I just scribble a note on the back of my map?
- You must traipse through dungeons basically having only one thing you need. You: “Hello?” Echo: “Hello! Come find good loot guarded by mean monsters!” Echo 2: “Well, you might not find any loot worth writing home about, but there are mean monsters!”
Read the rest of this entry »
Back when I started playing World of Warcraft, leaving Final Fantasy XI and all that I knew behind, I did a lot of things solo. My first character was a Hunter and it helped quite a bit during my time of leveling alone. I wanted to solo because in FFXI, I couldn’t do much by myself. However, as I played I eventually made friends and by the time my Hunter got close to 60, I was doing quite a bit of dungeon runs with them.
Read the rest of this entry »
The latest remake of Final Fantasy IV is on the Nintendo DS and seems to be the best ever. Apparently 3/4 of the story was left out of the original version, some of which have been added to this version. While the story is being expanded and improved, the graphics and cinematic cutscenes brings the story to life. Even though they aren’t PSP quality, they sure are endearing.
Another surprise is the craziness of the boss battles. They have been revamped and are more challenging. I had my reservations and even got frustrated at a couple bosses but, for the most part, it’s been amazingly fun to figure out the strategy for a particular boss. Almost feels like an endgame raid in World of Warcraft, like Molten Core, except without the stress of working with 39 other folks.
Anyway, reviewing Final Fantasy IV isn’t the focus of this post, rather it’s about my taking up Final Fantasy XI again due to playing FFIV. I installed the game last night and went through the process of reactivating my subscription and updating the game client. Tonight, I logged in for the first time in ages… and never left the moghouse. I have to learn the controls all over again. I don’t expect to play FFXI much, but there’s a little spot in me that’s pining to run through the world of Vana’diel once again.
On a whim I purchased the Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and must say, it’s pretty good. I never wanted to get it because I hate the art direction they went with it however, I wanted to play a game that took the Nintendo DS Lite’s capabilities, in terms of controls, to their full extent. Most games I have use either the stylus or the microphone and in a lot of cases only used them to a limited capacity. Not so with the Phantom Hourglass. You use the stylus exclusively in controlling your hero and solve some puzzles using the microphone, which is something that’s surprisingly enjoyable and makes up for the horrible graphics.
Good:
- Wonderful control scheme
- Able to jot notes on most maps
- Puzzles are fun to solve, especially ones involving boss battles
- The character animations are surprisingly fluid in contrast to the graphic textures
- Nothing’s more amusing than being ripped to shreds by enraged chickens
- It’s Legend of Zelda
Bad:
- I HATE the graphics (some people may like it, but it’s a direction I’m disappointed in seeing)
- While I love the control scheme, it’s a bit awkward to get the hero to tumble
Square Enix is doing a great job in sucking money from me. The latest siphon? Final Fantasy IV remake for the Nintendo DS. While not the first remake of this classic, it seems to be running up for the best. Complete overhaul in both graphics and gameplay tell the story of redemption of a fallen knight in a new light.
Have you pre-ordered your copy? On the fence? Check out the official site and watch the trailers. 
