kinoko's GameLog

Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night (PS2) - Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:22:31

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:22:31 CST

GameLog #5, Part II, for CMPS 80K GAMEPLAY During my second session of Eternal Night, I was able to successfully guide Spyro in fending off an attack from the enemy Ape army that serve as the villains of this game. After ridding Spyro's homeworld of the invaders, I was able to meet up with Ignitus, Spyro's elder and mentor, and progress with the plot. After several boss battles and cutscenes, Spyro is encouraged to embark on a quest for a strange tree that he encounters in a vision, as well as seek out the mysterious Chronicler who manifests as a guiding voice throughout Spyro's ethereal dream sequences. While the concept itself may be lacking in originality and perhaps taking itself rather too seriously for a game about a purple dragon, I must admit that my curiosity is slightly piqued. Overall, the gameplay feels very similar to most other games within the 3D platform genre, with a distinct quirkiness and sense of freedom the promotes two-dimensional cardinality (in the ability to glide from platform to platform) that I would associate with playing a title from the Spyro series. Again, as a fan of the previous games, I am slighting disheartened by the absence of familiar elements of gameplay, such as the ability to collect and hoard brightly-colored gemstones for the sole reason of gaining completion points. Instead, however, players have the option of finding bonus items that unlock various goodies throughout the game, including truly beautiful concept artwork images. DESIGN While The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night is similar in most respects to the other Spyro titles, I think the design elements in this game (and, undoubtedly, its predecessor in the rebooted series) are a definite improvement on the original. The camera control is smooth and easy to use; the controller setup, while at first jarring in its difference to the original games, is very well-organized; and, as I have mentioned previously, the voice-acting is top-notch. What is best achieved, however, is the way in which the game implements challenge by requiring the player to utilize Spyro's various abilities by managing his available resources whilst quickly defeating enemies. The elemental powers with which Spyro is gradually gifted must be practiced if they are to be used effectively, and the Dragon Time ability which he gains near the beginning is made instrumental to solving a number of puzzles throughout the game. Another interesting addition to the game is the fact that Spyro can now reach higher levels in his skills by obtaining the equivalent of experience points, which may be cashed in for progression towards a new ability for one of the particular elements over which Spyro has control. The level design is also worth noting, since the Spyro games have, in my humble opinion, always been a good example of effective design for a three-dimensional platformer; the floating platforms utilize Spyro's glide and (in this game) time-influencing abilities well in the context of a 3D environment. In some aspects, however, the game is perhaps a little too challenging in that it requires the player to navigate complex levels at the same time as defeating enemies, a feat made particularly difficult by Spyro's limited magic points and restrictions on the range and effectiveness of his physical attacks. My major discrepancies with the game in terms of design so far would have to be the premise and initial setting of the storyline, in which the Ape army begins to invade and Spyro is motivated to fight them in order to protect his home, a device used frequently by Spyro games in the past. The character designs, while largely an improvement on the old series, are also sometimes a little odd-looking, especially since Spyro himself appears rather more bug-eyed than he did previously, a feature which I feel detracts from his appeal as one of the PlayStation's most iconic characters during their first generation of console. Additionally, there is little variation in the challenges presented to the player by this game, since they all follow the same basic mechanic of gliding from platform to platform and smashing up the enemies that confront him or her with a combination of elemental and mêlée attacks. However, as a fan of the series, I must admit that I intend to continue playing this game to its conclusion, even if everything besides the voice-acting were to become tiring for me as a player.

Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night (PS2) - Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:27:22

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:27:22 CST

GameLog #5, Part I, for CMPS 80K SUMMARY Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night is a three-dimensional platform game developed by Krome Studios and published by Sierra. It is the second and most recent title in the Legend of Spyro series, as reboot of Insomniac's Spyro the Dragon games. Much like the other games in this series, the player takes control of a small purple dragon named Spyro and uses his various abilities to traverse worlds, defeat enemies and solve puzzles. GAMEPLAY Although a fan of the original Spyro the Dragon games since childhood, I have not yet had the opportunity to play either of the titles from the newer series until I picked up the PlayStation2 version of Eternal Night earlier this week. For that reason, I was rather disappointed to find that the game picks up right where its predecessor, A New Beginning left off, as I was unfamiliar with the story and felt rather disoriented at being thrown into the plot headlong. However, I found it fairly easy to pick up the gist of the story, and was able to begin playing without too much confusion. After the initial cutscenes, the player is guided through a small area via on-screen tips which explain the various controls and commands available to Spyro. Having played only the earlier Spyro series, I had some difficulty adjusting to the differences of the newer version. For example, Spyro's gliding ability follows a somewhat different mechanic from the one that I am used to, and several of the other abilities such as charging down an enemy with Spyro's horns or having him shoot flames from his mouth are now controlled by different buttons than they were in the original games. Spyro also has several new skills at his disposal, such as the abilities to grapple onto ledges and deal mêlée damage to enemies. The interface is also incredibly different from how I remember it in the Insomniac games, since Spyro's fire (and other elemental) abilities are performed using MP, which is displayed by a gage at the top of the screen. Spyro's health is also recorded differently by a separate gage, which eliminates the usefulness of his sidekick, Sparx the dragonfly. Instead of changing colors to indicate Spyro's health, Sparx now simply points out various significant events and objects, and has thus far been genuinely useless. (In fact, he has become very reminiscent of the persistently-annoying Navi in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.) However, in all the areas that the game is unfamiliar to fans of the old Spyro series, it still manages to impress in a variety of ways. First off, the game boasts a truly talented voice-acting cast, a drastic improvement on the older titles and featuring the voices of Elijah Wood and Gary Oldman, among others. Furthermore, while the overall concept of an invading enemy is not entirely original to the Spyro titles (or, moreover, any other videogame), the plot succeeds in delivering a far deeper level of storytelling than the initial games were able to offer. Even this early on during gameplay, there is already a fair amount of intrigue regarding the motives of various characters, both old and newly-introduced, for example, the mysterious “Chronicler”, who communicates with Spyro during playable dream sequences, and give him the power of Dragon Time, allowing him to slow the progression of events around him. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:23:08.)

Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) - Thu, 21 Feb 2008 01:01:51

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 01:01:51 CST

(GameLog 4, Part II, for CMPS 80K) GAMEPLAY As I become better acquainted with San Andreas, I am glad to find that some of the tedium I encountered during my first session has worn off. Having by now become used to the gameworld city of Los Santos and its surroundings, I am more confident navigating the vast urban areas and undertaking missions. In this, my second gaming session, I once again took control of Carl and helped him to become reacquainted with his home turf. As with the rest of the GTA series, the missions that the player is asked to undertake begin as small, petty crimes – in this case, spray-painting walls with gang tags – but quickly escalate into more serious offenses such as the mass murder of an entire house of rival gang members. While killing on this scale is somewhat justified in the narrative (the victims consist largely of prostitutes and drug-pushers who are destroying the reputation of Grove Street), it is plain to see why a game like San Andreas might so radically increase public awareness of videogame violence in recent years. DESIGN While not necessarily innovative in its use of visuals or content, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas makes rather effective use of the PS2's capacity for interactive and immersive gameplay. The graphics, while not groundbreaking, are fairly well rendered, and do their job of conveying the gritty, urban streets of San Andreas to the viewer. The game also features some fairly decent voice-acting, and even through the characters are often stereotypical, they each add their own level of color and intrigue without deviating from the established, quasi-realistic tone for which the GTA series is known. What the game accomplishes well, as with previous installments in the series, is the freedom and ease with which the player can navigate the surrounding city, an event that is made particularly more entertaining when coupled with the player's ability to steal cars, bikes, and other assorted vehicles. The maps featured in both the lower left-hand corner of the screen and on the options menu make navigation even simpler, and when combined with the realistic style in which the streets are mapped and laid out, make for truly effective gameplay. Other fine details, such the ability to listen to a variety of radio stations while driving, collect a vast number of different weapons and vehicles, complete hidden stunts for bonus points, and engage in varying social interactions (most of which are threatening or deviant in some way) add further dimension and replay value. However, while San Andreas is undoubtedly entertaining, I would not consider it a personal favourite. Although the game's liberating escapist elements make for both fun and immersive gameplay, its violent (and in one, infamous scene, sexually explicit) content means that it is suited toward a limited audience of young adult males. Also, while its characters are obviously intended to be social stereotypes, the gender roles that are presented are unbalanced and often distasteful. While I think that perhaps critics of the Grand Theft Auto series assume that audiences will take the game more seriously than intended, it is easy to see where the basis for their argument stems from. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Thu, 21 Feb 2008 01:02:55.)

Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) - Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:53:51

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:53:51 CST

(GameLog 4, Part I, for CMPS80K) SUMMARY Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is an action-based crime game for the Playstation 2 which was published by Rockstar Games in 2004. Like other games in the GTA series, San Andreas focuses on an individual who is encouraged to lead a life of lesser morals in an urban setting that is rife with criminal activity. In this installment, set during 1992 in the fictional county of San Andreas, California, the player takes control of the game's protagonist, a young man named Carl who decides to return to his home of Los Santos after discovering that his mother has been murdered. GAMEPLAY Crime games are hardly my preferred genre, so I have mixed feelings about playing any title from the Grand Theft Auto series, let alone a game so controversial as San Andreas. Having played a little of Grand Theft Auto III in the past, however, I was well enough acquainted with the series to know what I could expect. I was happy to find that the game provided a great deal more detail than its predecessors, although the core mechanics of gameplay are essentially the same. Although the game itself is mission-based, the open-ended nature of the Grand Theft Auto series is obviously what gives it its appeal. While the player is encouraged to the complete the story for the sake of narrative progression, the overwhelming number of interactive opportunities around the city of Los Santos offers a freedom that the player will inevitably take advantage of. Furthermore, rather than offer tutorials, the game encourages free-play and experimentation, more or less throwing the player headlong into the gameworld with little or no direction. Left to his or her own devices, the player is intended to test the limits of the character's abilities his or her self. On-screen hints do provide some direction, but they are quite easily dismissed or even ignored altogether. While I can understand why the liberation incited by this scenario would make for entertaining gameplay, I found the lack of direction a little frustrating and even a little counterproductive, since it inspired me with little desire to progress with the actual plot. Despite my personal misgivings, however, I did gain a small measure of enjoyment during my first forty-five minutes of playing San Andreas, which I chiefly spent traversing the streets on a bicycle in pursuit of vehicles to steal (and subsequently ruin). A cautious player by nature, I did not find the game to be very challenging in my time spent playing so far; I have not yet managed to antagonize the police force anymore than Carl did during the opening cutscenes, most likely because my character's social deviations were limited to harassment, petty theft, and minor vehicle-related damage. (This entry has been edited2 times. It was last edited on Thu, 21 Feb 2008 01:00:49.)

Legend of Mana (PS) - Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:17:10

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:17:10 CST

(gamelog 3, part 2, for CMPS 80K) GAMEPLAY In my second session of Legend of Mana, I focused primarily on becoming more familiar with the game's battle system. Though I played through a couple of battles during my first session, being afforded the ability to further extend my party this time meant that I was able to take on more enemies and thus better understand the mechanics involved. I was pleased to find that the ability to customize extends also to the battle system. Essentially, the player had the ability to assign any available action to almost any of the buttons on the Playstation controller. This feature came in particularly useful as I began to encounter different enemies, since I was able to assign the most useful offensive and defensive moves available according to my situation. Winning battles with these moves also gains the player a new ability from time to time, and these new abilities will differ depending on the moves already equipped. The battle system in Legend of Mana is also real-time and action-based as opposed to turn-based, which I always find to be an interesting feature in an RPG. The system is very successfully integrated into the gameplay, and the shift between battle and field mode is very subtle, meaning that the player does not have to reorient his or herself a great deal when an enemy is encountered. Battle style also differs according to the player's self-designated class, since each class has a different method of attack. Other elements, such as interactions with NPCs, are also fun to participate in. The characters inhabiting an area have a surprisingly large number of things to say, and quite often asked for my input as a player, presenting me with a variety of responses to choose from which would, in turn, affect the outcome of the interaction significantly. DESIGN The most obviously innovative element in the way that Legen of Mana is designed is, as I have said before, the level of customization offered to the player. Although the game does seem to follow some sort of linear progression plot-wise, quests and events can almost always be completed out of sequence. The ability to decide who to recruit as a party member, which quests to complete, where to place certain areas on the world map (and so forth) all contribute to the extremely loose and free tone of gameplay, and permit prospective players with an unprecedented amount of control over how the game will advance. While I did not find the design of the playable character to be particularly memorable, the distinctive design of the gameworld and its NPCs is extremely successful in its contribution to Legend of Mana's overarching tone. This is even further enhanced by the dialog: the game has a very cute and whimsical feel to it that managed to overcome my better nature and win me over almost instantaneously. Although the dialog is, to be frank, rather silly, I found it to be surprisingly appealing when it was presented to me in the context of the bright and cheerful gameworld. In particular, I found characters such as the Sprouts (sentient, walking plants which happily exclaim “I have no soul!”) and the main character's pet cactus, to which you can relate your many adventures, to be particularly irresistible. Perhaps the one element of the game that was frustrating for me, however, was that the lack of an overall narrative (at least at this point) makes the game feel just a bit purposeless. While the overall goal of the game appears to be to replenish the land's magical energy or Mana, the lack of any evident conflict in the beginning is a little underwhelming in spite of the freedom it permits.

Legend of Mana (PS) - Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:27:38

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:27:38 CST

(gamelog 3, part 1, for CMPS 80K) SUMMARY Legend of Mana is an action RPG published by Squaresoft for the Sony Playstation in 1999. Unlike other role-playing games, the Mana series is distinctly different in that it allows the player a large level of customization. The objective is to progress through various quests in a loosely defined order that the player determines his or herself, which in turn expand the number of available routes the player can take. GAMEPLAY As I had not heard much about Legend of Mana before, I didn't quite know what to expect when I began playing. For that reason, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the game deviates from the standard RPG model in that it allows a large amount of customization, and hence in many ways is much more emergent than any other game of its genre. Since the game is by now nearly a decade old, it was produced with a great deal less aesthetic quality than modern games. Nevertheless, Legend of Mana makes use of the capabilities available to it, using cel-shaded sprites on a two-dimensional plane. As the game begins, a vague historical background of the world is related to the player, and he or she can choose the gender and class of the main hero. S/he may then continue customizing the game by choosing the location of the protagonist's home village. Once this is done, the protagonist will be left to his or her own devices, with no established direction in which to head. The lack of conventional narrative was something that I found to be particularly refreshing, since it leads the player to the immediate realization that the game itself is rather open-ended. After navigating around my character's home village, I was able to exit to the world map and choose the location of the second area: a substantially larger town. Engaging in conversation and other interactions with NPCs provided me with opportunities to progress further, both narratively and spatially. For example, by responding in a particular way to one particular character, I was able to recruit him temporarily into my party and enter a new area, whereupon I assisted him in a quest to find his missing friend. The completion of each quest permits access to a new area, which the player may place on any square of the map adjoining an existing location. However, since such quests are entirely optional and can be placed in many different locations, there are a large number of paths to potentially be taken. For me, this element sets the game apart.

Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) - Sat, 26 Jan 2008 02:12:13

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 02:12:13 CST

(gamelog 2, part 2, for CMPS 80K) GAMEPLAY After my second round playing Shadow of the Colossus, my appreciation continues to grow. Having fought and defeated many different Colossi by now, I am beginning to gain a better sense of how to do so. However, as my technique becomes more advanced, so do the Colossi I am pitted against. Each Colossus requires that the player adopt a new strategy or problem-solving method. Several are made easier when the player is comfortable riding Agro, and a few actually require the player to make use of the extra speed that is only attainable while the character is on horseback. Often, the game will grow rather frustrating. In one instance, for example, the Colossus I was required to defeat was hidden at the bottom of an underground lake deep inside a cave, the entrance to which was extremely well hidden. Once a Colossus has been found, defeating it is often just as much of a challenge. On occasions where I got stuck, the on-screen hints were a valuable source of information, and since they are relatively vague I still felt as if I was accomplishing something with every problem I solved correctly. DESIGN As I mentioned before in my last entry, the designs of each of the bosses – these giant and menacing Colossi – is distinctly unique, and serves the dual purpose of creating diversity in both characters and gameplay, since each Colossus' physical attributes play a crucial role in its defeat. This further advances the differences in battle-strategy in even the simplest elements, since a Colossus who moves around quickly and is difficult to latch onto will require that the player employ a completely different method of attack in order to vanquish it. However, the strategy dimension that is added to the gameplay is partially and illusion: a Colossus may be defeated using a path that is directly and actively chosen by the player, but the fights are directed in such a way that the strategy itself is more or less the same. For example, the player may be required to lure the Colossus into a certain area first, an event which can only be achieved if the player triggers it via the appropriate action. How the action itself is executed, however, is a direct resultant of the player's level of skill and control. As a broader variety of tactics are honed, so are other elements of the game. As the player is required to go farther and farther afoot in his or her mission of search-and-destroy, the broad expanse of this diverse yet eerily-empty terrain is opened up. Best accomplished, perhaps, is the sense of loneliness and isolation which the game's environment evokes. Coupled with a creeping sense of foreboding that is established with the advance of the plot, Shadow of the Colossus delivers a unique and complex tone that is achieved through subtle shifts rather than dramatic dialog. With the event of every Colossus slain, Wander is besieged by a visible, tangible darkness which renders him unconscious, and continues to plague him each and every time he awakens. What is most interesting about the design, however, is that there is no evident reward structure. Instead, the player is simply encouraged to move on to defeating the next foe. As the avid explorer will realize, though, it is possible to receive a sort of power-up for Wander's grab ability by returning to the spot where each Colossus was defeated and eating the tails of small lizards that now reside there. Overall, I found Shadow of the Colossus to be a very well thought-out and designed game which is incredibly innovative and original, and is only further enhanced by truly breathtaking graphics. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Sat, 26 Jan 2008 02:12:55.)

Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) - Sat, 26 Jan 2008 01:10:26

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 01:10:26 CST

(gamelog 2, part 1, for CMPS 80K) SUMMARY Shadow of The Colossus is an action-adventure game with a high emphasis on puzzle-solving. Published by Sony in 2005, the game centers on a male hero named Wander. Along with his horse, Agro, Wander must traverse a vast and secluded world in order to restore the life of a young girl. The goal of the game is for the player to take control of Wander and hunt down and destroy sixteen giant Colossi and return his deceased friend to life. GAMEPLAY Having seen a few brief glimpses of Shadow of the Colossus beforehand, I was excited to try the game firsthand. Well aware of the its reputation as a quickly-established classic, I was happy to discover that Colossus does not disappoint; the game's impressive design, unique and challenging battle system, expansive setting and stunning graphics are sure to win over virtually any players of all skill levels almost instantaneously. Most notably, the game is set in an expanse of blank terrain, untouched by civilization save for the mysterious temple-like building to which Wander first arrives in the opening cinematic. The land's sole inhabitant (aside from the odd Colossus or two) is the equally-mysterious Dormin; a godlike and slightly eerie bodiless voice who promises to grant Wander's wish to restore the life of his young friend in exchange for the destruction of the sixteen Colossi. Although a large number of background details pertaining the world and characters are left unexplained during the opening cutscenes, the player quickly learns via helpful on-screen instructions how to take control of the protagonist. Although some of the necessary abilities are a little difficult to pick up (such as directing the beams of light reflected from Wander's sword towards the resting place of each Colossus) the game allows the player to hone these skills by roaming freely around the world. While utilizing these skills becomes second nature with practice, the brief instructions given on-screen when the player encounters a new obstacle are relatively easy to miss. Doing so has the potential to create unnecessary challenges, as the abilities are not entirely evident. For example, the player has the ability to switch between weapons – a sword or a bow and arrow – at will via the buttons on the directional pad. The configuration makes up in convenience what it lacks in obvious placement, however, as all the buttons that the player needs to control Wander effectively are extremely accessible. Most impressive, perhaps, are the Colossi themselves. Each Colossus is unique, and the technique used to defeat it depends on both its build and location. Generally, Wander must endeavor to climb up the Colossus' massive body and locate its glowing vital points. Stabbing the vital points with a sword will wound the Colossus, eventually killing it. Where the game succeeds in this element is its ability to provide a variety of puzzles based on this theme; each Colossus is difficult to defeat because it is different from the last. In my experience thus far, the gameplay has proven to be extremely engaging. Whether riding Wander's horse, Agro around a seemingly-infinite terrain, or using a combination of logic and real-time action to defeat the first two Colossi, I have found this game to be immensely fun. However, I think what is most enjoyable about this game is the fact that it requires a different sort of skill-level than that demanded by most action-based games, an element that most definitely sets the title apart from its predecessors. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Sat, 26 Jan 2008 01:16:27.)

Radiata Stories (PS2) - Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:31:14

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:31:14 CST

Part 2, continued from first GameLog entry (for purposes of CMPS 80K) GAMEPLAY Having familiarized myself with the field and combat systems by now, I find I am able to appreciate the gameplay of Radiata Stories significantly more. So far, the characters have shown substantial development, and I confess several of them have become quite endearing to me. The story still continues to flow in the same mission/quest -based format, but I sense something larger at work here in terms of the overall plot. The disbanding and reforming of my party during missions is an event that I have become quite pleased with at this point, as it allows the player to send Jack out on solo-training, as it were. The option of challenging NPCs to fights (accomplished by literally annoying them into a battle via the “kick” action during field play) also offers a considerable amount of practice without the risk of the player getting a Game Over and having to reload should they lose. I find myself making frequent use of this opportunity, and so Jack has grown reasonably strong now in comparison to his teammates. This option also allows for a a very different variation in social interaction with NPCs than is usually present in classic RPGs; the player may choose to either talk to a friendly characters, kick them until they fight Jack (or send for the guard to fight him in their stead), or even recruit them into the party if certain requirements have been met. On that note: I'm beginning to get a broader scope of just how many recruitable characters feature in this game. While Jack is the only truly fully-playable character at this point, the cast of characters that may be recruited into one's party far exceeds one hundred, giving the game an extensive amount of replay value. DESIGN From what I have played of Radiata Stories thus far, I would say that most unique element is how effectively the game's light tone is extended to most every facet of it without undermining the actual gameplay. This sort of balance is a difficult one to achieve, and I believe the game has handled it very nicely. The way in which Jack interacts with the world around him is incredibly innovative in my opinion, and again, a cheerful humor is relayed to the player whenever he or she makes Jack do something untoward (such as kicking an NPC who is sleeping). Most impressive, however, is the complex and varied number of environments and the characters which inhabit them; everyone around Jack goes about their daily business, roaming from point A to point B to spend their time devoted to allotted tasks. This makes for amazingly complex social interaction between characters, as NPCs are frequently very difficult to track down. Additionally, the world and its environments are immensely vast, and each of the seven kingdoms and their surrounding areas never fail to be visually pleasing. The map feature makes it very hard to actually get lost, but at times even a single building (such as Radiata Castle) may take hours to fully explore. As a compulsive saver, it still irks me that I am often hard-pressed to find a suitable Save Point during missions. It is easy enough to win a long succession of battles without dying (provided one has an adequate stock of Herb Extract), but prospective players ought to be prepared to go an hour or so without saving while on a mission. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Mon, 14 Jan 2008 19:15:33.)

Radiata Stories (PS2) - Sun, 13 Jan 2008 18:17:58

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 18:17:58 CST

SUMMARY Radiata Stories is an RPG published by Square Enix which follows the story of protagonist Jack Russell in his efforts as a newly-appointed knight. The player must take control of Jack and guide him, along with his comrades, on various missions and quests. Through combat-based encounters with enemies and interactions with friendly (and not-so-friendly) characters, the player is able to complete these quests and hone the various skills possessed by Jack and his party. GAMEPLAY While Radiata Stories follows the basic template of RPGs that have come before it, its light-hearted sense of humor sets it apart from the others and their tendency towards the dramatic. Although unsure what to make of the rather whimsical-looking dragon shown in the opening cutscene, I found myself responding well to the designs of the main characters. I was, however, a little disappointed to find that the protagonist embodies the general diamond-in-the-rough archetype of the unpolished hero. Inexperienced, lazy, and just a little obnoxious, Jack's personality was one that I met with indifference at the onset of the game. His ignorance of both the vastness of the world beyond his home and the significance of his deceased father's past do add dimension to his character, however the ulterior function of these traits as plot-devices is perhaps a little too obvious. The plot and gameplay were quick to remedy my disinclination, though. Rather than giving allowing the player to explore his or her environment or gain some easy battle experience, the game throws the player without warning into the battle that serves as Jack's knighting trials. Being ill-prepared for such an event, I lost quite badly in the first round to the cool and aloof Ridley Silverlake, a young prospective knight who (to Jack's horror) happens to be a girl. The setup of this duel is quite deliberate. Not only does the player have insufficient knowledge of the battle system this early in the game, the difference between Jack and Ridley's strengths is far too great for Jack to actually succeed, even under the control of a far more experienced player. I found this break with tradition to be a pleasant surprise that added to the gameplay experience significantly, and also found that I could more easily identify with Jack once he had been taken down a metaphorical peg or two. In general, I found the live-action battle system easy to learn but difficult to master. Parrying attacks, for instance, takes a certain amount of practice, and without command of this essential skill the player is likely to see the Game Over screen more than a few times. Gameplay in the field has its share of interesting features too, most notably the “kick” action controlled by the X-button, which allows Jack to investigate his environment by kicking objects, enemies, and townspeople alike. The ability to see enemies approaching in the field view is not new to this game, but it adds an element of decision to battle (whether to fight, and what to fight) that is especially helpful, since Jack and his party can only restore Hit Points through healing as opposed to saving. Perhaps one of the most notable elements of the game is the steady flow of time and gradual shifting between day and night, and the level of detail with which this affects Jack's environment, right down the daily lives of the surrounding NPCs. In the first town I journeyed to, becoming involved in the lives of the townspeople provided a pleasant distraction as I waited for the story to progress. However, I did find myself growing frustrated when I could not find a Save Point in or nearby said town, particularly after several hours of gameplay that was largely devoted to traveling and leveling up my party. (This entry has been edited2 times. It was last edited on Mon, 14 Jan 2008 19:23:54.)