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Jan 31st, 2007 at 19:17:59 - Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) |
Well, I've beaten Shadow of the Colossus, so I can now give a complete analysis of what I think about the game. As I mentioned in my first post, this is a short game. However, it is so engrossing and fun that I can easily see myself playing this title quite a few times. The colossi are a thrill to see and even more of a thrill to climb and defeat. And because reaching and fighting the colossi are the only objectives in this game, you don't have to worry about starting over again and having to complete a multitude of side quests and tedious tasks before getting to the meat of the game. The world of the game is vast and is made up of mountains, forests, valleys, lakes, deserts, and temples. Just exploring the landscape is pleasurable in and of itself. The designers stuck with earthy colors - various shades of brown, green, red, and the occasional blue (for water) permeate the lands. This creates what I consider to be a very tranquil and calming atmosphere during exploration, which is in complete contrast to the invigorating battles with the colossi. In terms of overall difficulty, I'd say this game is fairly challenging. It does get progressively more so (the last battle is especially difficult!!!), but I never got so frustrated that I wanted to stop playing. The number of challenges include:
1) Controlling the character - the controls are very touchy, and if you aren't careful your character can fall off a ledge or a colossus very easily.
2) Grip meter - you have a meter that begins to shrink while you are holding on to something, and you must regain your footing before that meter runs out or you will fall off. A colossus will not idly stand there while you climb it; it will try to shake you off, thus testing your ability to find places to rest while your grip meter rebuilds.
3) Finding a colossus - in the beginning this is not very hard to do, as your sword emits a light that guides you to the next location as long as you remain under sunlight. However, as you progress, it gets harder and harder to locate the next colossus because the paths become more hidden, you can't always use the sword to guide you because there is little sunlight, and sometimes the light from the sword is misleading because the path is not that linear.
4) Defeating a colossus - again, initially not so hard. All you have to do is scale the colossus, locate its sigil of power (its weak point), and stab it until the colossus dies. However, subsequent colossi are more difficult to scale, get more aggressive, and some have multiple sigils that must each be destroyed.
There are some things that help make the game less stressful: you slowly regain health when hurt (no need for healing items), your horse allows you to traverse most of the land very fast, you have unlimited arrows, and falling down - even off of a giant colossus - does not do nearly as much damage as you might expect it to. Overall I'd say this game has a good balance of difficulty; not too hard for most players, but challenging enough to make it a very rewarding experience when you complete it. The ending is a bit confusing and leaves some questions to be answered, but it is still a very well done game.
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Jan 30th, 2007 at 21:15:14 - Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) |
Shadow of the Colossus for the PS2 is a short game. I got about halfway through the game in less than 5 hours. I believe the curtness was a conscious decision by the developers. This game is described as a strategy/action adventure game. You do not level up, you do not gain new weapons, and there are very few characters introduced as it progresses. I believe this was also not a coincidence. This game was meant to be immediately accessible to players. After a beginning cut scene that partly explains what your goal is and how you are to go about it, you are thrust into this forbidden land with only your horse Agro, a mystical sword, and a bow with arrows. What separates this game from any other is the fact that there are no enemies other than the giant colossi that you must defeat. Here are some specifics about the game so far...
Gameplay - essentially the game has a very simple formula: locate the next colossus using your sword of light, find a way to reach it, then locate its weak point/s and defeat it. While this description of the gameplay might make it seem too easy or uninteresting, this is definitely not the case. First of all, with the exception of the first couple colossi, they are not easy to find. The paths are deceptively simple, but each subsequent one is harder to locate. And once you find the colossus, you must find a way to scale it. This too gets harder, and it doesn't help that your character, Wander, is extremely susceptible to falling and slipping all over the place. The major thrill for me was climbing these huge creatures and finally managing to stab their mystic sigil (their weak spot).
Characters - your character, Wander, is brave but somewhat awkward in his movements. I think the developers wanted to challenge the player by making him or her deal with the awkwardness of Wander and make it harder to scale the colossi. The colossi are gigantic creatures composed of a combination of earth, stone, and fur (yes, fur), and they are a sight to behold. Some are passive, while others are aggressive and will attack you as soon as they see you.
Story: Don't know much right now. The story takes a back seat to the gameplay. All I know is that I'm trying to revive my loved one by defeating the 16 colossi. Hopefully I can say more in my second log.
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Jan 19th, 2007 at 15:35:10 - Final Fantasy XII (PS2) |
Played some more FF XII today. I'm beginning to like my party members. The main protagonist, Vaan, is still somewhat annoying, but the rest of the characters each have an interesting story attached to them. Balthier, for instance, is a very complex character. It is not clear yet what his true motivations are for joining the party. He is a rogue pirate, a charmer, and a clever man. Other characters' motives are kept secret as well. This has always been the case for RPG games, especially so of one of Final Fantasy's caliber. The story is wrapped in intrigue, with twists and turns, people seeming to switch sides, and so forth. I have played about a dozen hours overall, and I still have not learned that much. This is not a fault of the game, however. The mystery is one of the major factors that drives me to play more, to discover how the pieces come together. This franchise is known for its good storytelling, so I am looking forward to surprising revelations, backstabbings, and an epic conclusion. Of course, even a good story is not enough to keep someone playing if the game play is not fun. Fortunately, FF XII is fun to play - the removal of random battles is wonderful in my opinion, as I never liked walking ten paces only to suddenly be drawn into battle. The ability to avoid enemies when I want to is great, and the when I want to fight, I don't even have to push any buttons. I suppose the gambit system does not immerse you in the fight the same way as pushing buttons, but it is nice for the weaker enemies not to have to keep hitting 'attack', 'defend', etc. And if I really want to, I can manually control their actions. This is a wonderful move for the FF series I think, giving people a choice between letting the characters just go at it, or allowing you to control all their actions. The only thing that would improve the battles would be the inclusion of more diverse magic attacks. Perhaps it is because I need to open up more magic possibilities with the license board, but I do not have much besides being able to cure ailments and one summon spell. Using the same strike over and over on a monster gets tedious and boring to watch, and it seems strange that an RPG such as this one does not have more in the way of magical attacks, or at least makes it a chore to obtain them. This is a small problem though, and it does not affect the game as a whole.
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Jan 19th, 2007 at 14:50:28 - Final Fantasy XII (PS2) |
My first entry for Final Fantasy XII is centered around city exploration. In huge RPG games such as this, talking to people and doing side quests are usually just as important as progressing in the story. Wandering around the city Rabanastre can sometimes get overwhelming. It's huge, with many parts to explore and lots of people to talk to. Unlike the main quest, where you are given a direction or perhaps a task to fulfill, there is generally no help when it comes to exploration. Like any good RPG, FF XII includes fun little diversions from the story. Before advancing in the story too far, I did several 'monster hunts' to level up and get rewards. The rewards are not always worth the trouble, but at least the experience of tracking down a specific monster is usually fun. On another note, I really like the art and architecture in this game. Rabanastre is a sprawling city, and its towers and buildings stretch up impressively, giving it a grand scope. The deserts and other areas around the city are not quite as impressive, but the design of the monsters is very inventive, ranging from modifications of real-world animals (Fire Horse, for example) to the extremely fanciful (Death Wall). Another reason for spending a good amount of time in the city is upgrading equipment. Buying a really good sword or shield is very expensive! Selling loot from monsters and treasures picked up along the way are the most common ways to make money. I wish things were not nearly as expensive, as it can take an hour or so just to make enough money to buy one sword. This makes the game experience lag a bit, but not enough to make me stop playing. The music in the city is pleasant but also forgettable. It is a good thing that it is not annoying, because I spent hours in the city - not all at once, but overall, I have spent a good portion of the game simply talking to people in the city, getting quests, upgrading and selling things. One caveat I have with this game are the saving crystals. In order to save my progress, I must find one of these crystals that are spread about. They are usually very easy to locate, but even so, I wish it were not a requirement. I suppose I am spoiled by games like The Legend of Zelda, where you can save at any time. I do plenty of running around in FF XII, and I just wish I did not have to run to a crystal every time I am finished playing. All said and done though, FF XII is an enjoyable game, and my next entry will be more about the story and main characters.
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rsmithca has been with GameLog for 17 years, 10 months, and 6 days |
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