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Jan 24th, 2008 at 22:21:40 - Final Fantasy XII (PS2) |
SUMMARY:
Final Fantasy XII is the last PS2 entry in the insanely popular RPG series by Square-Enix. This iteration takes place in the world of Ivalice, a world engulfed in war between powerful empires and the neutral kingdom of Dalmasca is cought in the middle of all this chaos. The game begins at a time when Dalmasca has been occupied by the all powerful Archadian Empire. Players assume the role of Vaan, a young Dalmascan citizen who has decided to stand up to the invaders. Thus begins Vaan’s quest to take back Dalmasca from the occupying Archadian army.
GAMEPLAY:
Let’s get one thing out of the way: this is no typical Final Fantasy game. Gone are the random enemy encounters that broke the flow of the game. FFXII has an entirely new action-oriented combat system that allows players to move while in battle (as opposed to past FF games where the player stood still while deciding what to do) and the fixed camera is now fully controllable with the right analog stick. However even though at first glance this game looks more like a typical action/adventure game, it still plays like an RPG. Attack, defense, and speed are still determined by numerical stats and players still have to wait for their bar to fill up before they can make a move.
I’ve already beaten the game and I know that the first few hours of the game start s bit slow as they serve mostly to introduce the player to the new mechanics of the game (gambits, license boards, quickenings, etc.). There isn’t much character development until later on. In fact the motives of some of the characters aren’t really revealed until a good 30 hours into the game. Considering the fact that character development is such a huge part of any FF game, it is a bit surprising to see that the game focuses more on the warring nations as opposed to the characters themselves.
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Jan 13th, 2008 at 19:55:30 - Assassin's Creed (360) |
GAMEPLAY:
I’m about seven hours into the game and although the mission structure is starting to get a bit repetitive (get to the next city, talk to a few people, gather hints, assassinate someone, escape), there are just so many things to do and places to travel to that it never gets boring. The first few hours I mostly spent my time traveling around the game world but obviously the game is not just about exploring. There is definitely a lot of fighting too. When I started the game I wasn’t really familiar with the combat system so I tried to button mash my way out of it but it didn’t really get me anywhere. I had no choice but to try to avoid getting into any sort of confrontation with the guards unless I had to. However at this point in the game, I’ve learned some new moves (dodging, countering, etc.) that make the fighting more entertaining. The finishing blows are usually in slow motion and make me look like a total bad-ass. The combat system is pretty fun but it is no God of War. There’s nothing particularly bad about the system but it feels a bit too simple especially since there is only one button used for attacking.
As for the story goes, I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who is reading this but let’s just say that it involves going back and forth in time to try to change the future. For me personally (and I know many disagree with me) the storyline can either make or break a game. I absolutely loved the Legacy of Kain games simply because of their deep storylines. On the other hand, even though Resident Evil 4 was one of the biggest games of the decade, I wasn’t pulled into it as much as I should have because the storyline was so simple and cliché. With Assassin’s Creed, the storyline has been engaging so far but I have yet to see how it all unfolds. I really hope they don’t end the game with a disappointing ending (Halo 2, I’m looking at you).
DESIGN:
In my opinion this is the first true next-gen title on the market. While games like Halo 3, Bioshock, Call of Duty 4, Ratchet & Clank Future, etc. all claim to be "next-gen", none of them really do anything to differentiate them from what I've been playing for years on my PS2 and X-Box. Sure the graphics, audio, presentation, etc. have all improved but Assassin's Creed is so far the only game that actually FEELS next-gen. from the huge size and scope of the game to the incredible amount of freedom that the player has to go anywhere he/she chooses, this game screams next-gen. The graphics are amazing especially considering the size of the game. The level of immersion is unrivaled. There are no cut-scenes and the story is told entirely in-game. The cities look so amazing and believable that I honestly have little doubt that that’s what they actually looked like centuries ago. Speaking of believability, the animations in this game are almost life-like (no I’m not exaggerating). The controls, although a bit confusing at first, are quite intuitive and the storyline is very engaging. But perhaps the best thing about Assassin's Creed is that it makes the player want to PLAY the game, not finish it. The tension that builds up before the player assassinates an important public figure and the rush to escape the city after the assassination with dozens of guards chasing after the player through the heavily populated cities make some of the most exciting and exhilarating moments in recent videogame history. Add to that the sandbox elements, the huge size and scope of the game, the simple yet engaging combat system, and the ability to climb literally anything the player sees and you have a game that easily stands above the rest of the pack and shows the true potential of next-gen gaming.
That's not to say that this game is perfect. There is definitely room for improvement. If Ubisoft decides to make a sequel, they should add more variety to the missions, more interaction between the player and the NPCs (non-playable characters) and improve the A.I. Still, in my opinion Assassin’s Creed is the best game available for the 360 and PS3 so far.
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Jan 13th, 2008 at 19:49:43 - Assassin's Creed (360) |
SUMMARY:
Assassin's Creed is a third person action/adventure game set during the time of the crusades of the twelfth century. Players assume the role of Altair, a member of the Hashishin (or Assassins) and the main objective in the game, as the title suggests, is assassination.
GAMEPLAY:
After playing the game for about two hours I can safely say that Assassin’s Creed is definitely a true “next-gen” title. While games like Halo 3 offer the same old experience with improved graphics and some added features, Assassin’s Creed is a game that really shows the potential of what next-gen games are. Pretty much anything is scaleable in this game. There is so much fun to be had simply climbing up buildings and tall towers just to look down and see the sheer size of the game world. The cities themselves look amazing. So much attention has been spent in recreating these cities that I found myself just exploring the cities to see what they look like. And it’s not just the buildings and the architecture that brings these cities to life. It is also the hundreds of people that populate each city. They don’t simply stand idly by. They walk around, talk, and react realistically to what I do. The guards too are always on the lookout for any suspicious activity which makes the game even more fun and challenging to try to find the best way to get to the poor soul who is about to be assassinated. One thing I have to note about the gameplay is that this game is definitely not a button masher. In fact I haven’t completely gotten a hang of the combat system yet. That’s fine with me though. I’m having too much fun just exploring the cities and running away from the guards through the rooftops and alleyways. As far as the storyline goes, I’m not that far into the game to really say anything but apparently there is some weird sci-fi twist to it. Guess I will have to keep playing to find out.
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altfire has been with GameLog for 16 years, 10 months, and 10 days |
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