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Feb 8th, 2008 at 23:49:04 - Ragnarok Online (PC) |
GAMEPLAY
As expected, the game in fairly addicting. I find that hours of play does end to get monotonous for me, because of several high level characters, but there's always another self-proclaimed quest to take on to get away from the action of no-nonsense leveling and training. That can always wear a person out. If you do nothing but train, the game can easily loose it's interest, which is why I recommend getting a group or party together and go off on an adventure. Look for insanely hard monsters to fight, even if you know you'll die multiple times in the process. Or, go hunting for items that will increase your wealth or life or agility or anything. The point behind this game and other MMORPGs is interaction with other players, outside of the NPCs in a regular game. I for one, really enjoy talking to some people, who have a high leveled character and don't mind helping out in training or item seeking. Meeting people is always fun, and in RO it's not hard to find those who spent a lot of time on the game and reached level 99. They glow.
Sometimes the game tends to get a little boring, especially when the levels don't come as fast as they use to or if you are just wandering around by yourself. Some people enjoy the solitude, but I don't. Again, this game is interesting on its own with PLENTY of lands and dungeons to explore, the map is literally HUGE, but it's always funner in a group. War of Emperium, or the guild wars, is something I've never taken art in, but have heard many interesting things. I like the part in RO where Player vs. Player (PVP) is not allowed, meaning you can't go around killing other people. That is just rude, but there is a separate world, that can be reached through talking with the PVP sprite at every major city, that does allow PVP interaction. This world has a complete ranking system for who is in the lead and who has most kills. I personally haven't done a lot of PVP-in, but I know a good number of people who make character builds for the sole purpose of fighting other people.
Playing this game allows people to become experts at their own class. I know people who have written their own builds to get the traits they most want. Perfect dodge, or fast attack speeds. It takes a lot more work then you would believe to create a successful character. Also, it's important not to mess up on where you choose to put your stats points, because there is a stats wizard that allows you to redo all your stats, but the higher your level the more it costs to redo stats. My friend fell into this trap multiple times, it really does take good judgement and planning ahead.
DESIGN
RO is not much different from other massive multi-player online role-playing games. You have one character, who's class you can choose, and go around killing monsters. But the similarities stop there. Graphic-wise, it is not as advanced as say Oblivion or Lineage, but it is cute to look at with a wonderful soundtrack. The game gives off an over all good feel, that seems to suit all ages of players. It is cute..maybe too cute.
RO does not only carry the usual job classes like Knight, Mage, Archer, etc. It also has classes like Gunner, Ninja, Alchemist, Dancer, Assassin, and so many more. I think this is why this game is so interesting. It offers multiple character options. Not only that, but each job is exceedingly different from another. To start off you are a Novice, the beginning is very important because you get immediately start off with a number of stat points to put into your Novice. Each class that I previously mentioned has a specific characters build. I am most comfortable with an Assassin's build so I will use that as an example. To become a successful assassin the focus is on Dexterity, Agility, and Strength, but agility is he focus of all your stat points. To become an Assassin you must first become a thief, then you get to become an Assassin, were you'll stay till level 99.
You'd think that's where it stops, but no! Recently Gravity Co. Ltd. has launched a completely different set of classes, called Transcendent classes. After reaching level 99 the first time your character is reborn, and you become a Super Novice, then Super Thief, then an Assassin Cross. And there's a transcendent job for nearly every class. Sure, this might sound monotonous, and will be while you are leveling up, but the pay off is better skills and a cooler look. Isn't that most important.
Outside of such, Ragnarok really has no other purpose. There is no storyline that has to be completed, and I will that once you have all the money you need, all the items you want, and the job class you want there really isn't much else you can do. But you can always start over with a whole different class, or help other people, newbies especially because this is an online game and you meet a wide range of people from every corner of the globe. The original game is Korean, but has spread steadily into China, Japan, the UK, the Philippines, Brazil, and many other locales. Image the amount of friends you can make.
I'll say that RO is not a hard game to play. You point, click, and your character attacks. Simple as that. However, to make a powerful character there is a lot of other things to consider. I can not stress how important the distribution of stat and skill points are. You'd think it would be good to even out all the stats, that way your character would be good at everything. WRONG. A knight NEEDS a lot of vitality because they are slow and can not escape, but can take a beating. A wizard NEEDS a lot of Intelligence because their attacks are solely magic based and require a lot of SP or spell points to perform. Little things like these challenge the player to really think about their character, and I think it also helps bond the player to the character, because your character is truly of your creation, not a pre-made being like in most video games.
Level-wise, RO has a wide variety of dungeons and monsters. Settings include places a multitude of places like deserts and forests, and the games revolves around obvious Norse mytho themes. The city of Peyon, being the key starting point for all characters. Although the games has an open-ended plot, there are quest that keep the countless amount of players busy, by looking for limited or rare items, with an annual Christmas quest for the fun of things. I am surprised every time I get back into this game, it comes into phases, but there has to be something in the design that keeps me coming back for more.
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Feb 8th, 2008 at 20:55:31 - Ragnarok Online (PC) |
SUMMARY
Ragnarok Online, better known as RO, is an open-ended massive multi-player online role-playing game. Meaning you get to create a character, however you wish, and unleash him or her upon the rest of the community. Like all other MMORPG's like World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Lineage the game is simply you against a fantasy world of magic and mayhem. RO has dozens of character classes to pursue, plenty of side-quests and an on-going storyline called the War of Emperium, classically known as the guild wars, where player created guilds fight against one another for supremacy. Though there is no real story or plot line, the freedom allows players to try and make a name for themselves in the massive online community as they try to become the greatest warrior/archer/wizard/priest the world has ever known.
GAMEPLAY
I have tried a lot of MMORPGs, some I liked and other's I didn't. Final Fantasy 11 was among the ones that I did not like, but Ragnarok was one that I continued to return to, no matter how many times I told myself to stop. I find that it is truly a very addicting game. For one thing, I adore having freedom in my gaming experiences, and in RO I get to choose what is to become of my little Novice character, heck, I can even choose to play a male sprite if I so wished. Popular routes that a lot of new people take is pursuing the thief or archer classes. They are the easiest to level up, and might I add, leveling up in this game is just as time consuming as other leveling games. But like other leveling up games, RO rewards you with skill and status points that you can put into your character's skill tree to master a particular attack, or increase Agility or Strength, etc. Also what makes this game so great for me is the amount of friends I know who also play it. We coordinate times on when we should all sign in, and even created a guild that grew exponentially in number. It is very easy to get sucked into the game, especially in the beginning because the levels come so easily. I'm given ample time to interact with the people around me as I play, considering if they are also playing the game with me. Some people might call this a LAN Party, and that means things can get a little rowdy, but always exciting. Personally, there are three VERY important things that make a game good for me. Story/Plot, Graphics, and gameplay atmosphere. RO may not have an established story or plot line, but it allows the player to create his or her own plot (with friends). Furthermore, with the lack of plot, other than trying to obtain the highest level you can possible be, or have the rarest and most powerful items you can possible have, there is AMPLE time for classic dorking around. Graphic wise...I LOVE how cute everything looks. Some people don't like the anime-sque style, but I find it adorable. It's definitely not Warcraft elves or orcs, but the sprites in RO can change hair color, clothing color, and can equip a wide variety of other accessories like cowboy hats, or antlers. It gives it a personal feel to your character. And finally, atmosphere wise, the world Gravity Co. Ltd. has created is amazing, and sucks you right into the game. I love the detail and music and the interactions with other players who can be from a different continent for all I know. After all, who sleeps when you're hung up on a MMORPG, that's a waste of time you can spend leveling your character!
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Jan 26th, 2008 at 00:28:27 - Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) |
GAMEPLAY
The more I play this game, the more I think that it has seriously become a world on its own. Although it is just a video game that you can save, turn off, and then come back to pick up where you left off, it is not any different than a good book like Lord of the Rings, where you can put down and pick up with the characters just as you left them. I really do feel like I'm part of all the conflict that is going on, especially when there are times where the player is allowed to choose one of two or more answers to a question. Kind of like a choose your own adventure type of thing that gives more freedom to the player.
Furthermore, the idea of side quests are appealing to me, because it lessens the seriousness of the game. It makes me feel like Link, or whatever you wish the hero's name to be, has a life outside of this mess that he's be prophesied to take care of. It adds character depth to the two-dimensional being. And I am someone who is always amazed with detail, which is why this game is in such high standings with me. It is, unlike a lot of the other Legend of Zelda games, because they are made simple for the hand-held Game Boy, but I like how this was the turning point for all the other Zelda games that were released for the Game Cube and the Wii. Though I have not played the new released like Wind Waker, Majora's Mask, and Twilght Princess, I am glad to know that Ocarina of Time was the jumping point for the Legend of Zelda games into larger consoles. Meaning, all the games after this one derived their design and gameplay from the original.
I am absolutely in LOVE with the storyline, because it goes beyond just a simple hero's journey. In fact the situation was birthed because of the Hero's mistake, and now he must go about setting things right. The creaters put a new twist on an age old story, and threw in characters that would never be forgotten. Most impressive.
I forget to mention, that although the game is single player there are a lot of opportunities for bystander interaction. I know that before I said there would be zero to none due to the concentration this game required, but I forgot how good it would be to have some added support in the background. Traveling time between areas in Hyrule give ample amount of time to discuss the game. The world of Zelda is actually quite large, and can take a long time when without a horse.
DESIGN
I speak highly of Ocarina of Time because it has a fairly developed plot and people that immerse you in this other world. The game revolves around legends and magic, everything that interest humans, and different races of people that seem to parallel our own world. There is a lack of levels, per say, but there are dungeons that the player is expected to beat in a certain order. Also the game does a great job at interlocking the dungeons by placing important weapons and items needing in one dungeon in another. I think this was a very innovative idea, because games before this placed items accessible as their need came along with the journey. The entire act of LOOKING for the item made this game a new experience.
The basic style of this game was made into a single-player adventure game. However, the dungeons themselves offer a load of puzzles that need to be solved and doors that need to be unlocked. Ocarina of Time even uses real world physics to more from one dungeon level(basement) to the next. For example, jumping off a higher point in order to use Link's weight and momentum to break through a spider web on the floor, which covered the hole that lead to the second basement.
Also the amount of different NPC that you encounter and their importance is also unlike a lot of other games, simply because this game is placed within a span of a 7 years gap. The dynamics you see as young Link and the relationships he has with people and the world changes when he grows older. The worlds become scarier, and the puzzles become harder. Almost like a metaphorical way of depicting the process of aging.
It was also an interesting idea to allow Link to return to his child form whenever he wanted to. By replacing the Master Sword back into the Pedestal of Time Link is able to transform into a child again, and vice versa. In fact, so beat some of the dungeons changing back and forth is required, like in the Spirit Temple where half of the temple needs to be completed as a child before beating it as an adult.
There are very few cut scenes, or cinamatics in this game, although a lot more compared to even older games. It as enough scenes to move the plot around, not like the later Final Fantasy games of Square Nix that had enough cut scenes and cinamatics to make a full length DVD. I don't find it's lack of cut scenes alarming, it has a lot of characters that move the plot along and help answer the player's questions. Including a fairy, Navi, who follows Link around and explains to him the best way to defeat a monster or where to go next. This system does get annoying when you simply want to goof off, but was placed there to help players when they are confused with what to do next. And I admit, I'm grateful for having Navi around when I get stuck on some parts.
Space wise the creators seemed to have based the game off of how one would see the real world as you journey through the land on foot or on horseback. There is a passage between night and day as you move across the land from Lake Hylia to the Kokiri Forest. Also the design of all the different dungeons vary greatly. From inside a large tree, to a volcano, to the belly of a whale, to a grave yard or under a lake. There is no two dungeons that look the same, but have similar puzzles that need to be completed and bosses to defeat. In exploration of a dungeons the space around the hero is very important. You can look in every direction and see monsters approaching. When you get hurt you loose hearts, and there is even a way to increase the number of hearts you have in order to increase the number of hits you can take.
As you move through the story you learn how to use magic, and obtain a magic meter that limits the amount of magic you can perform before running out. However, there are always healing potions to restore life and magic like any good games does. There are even revival fairies, so if you cature one it will come out and revive you when you die. All of these implements make his game player friendly. There is always someone there to help, always a new grotto to discover, and new surprised under ever corner. It is obvious that the creators put a lot of time and thought into the creation of this game, and it's true when people say not to leave any rock unturned, because in this game you might be missing out on a great reward. Like a new weapon or more bombs, or increase in life.
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Jan 25th, 2008 at 21:55:40 - Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) |
SUMMARY
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time follows the game's protagonist, Link, through his quest to save the Land of Hyrule from the evil Gerudo King, Ganondorf. In order to do so Link must journey across Hyrule, for the sake of Princess Zelda, collecting spiritual stones that are needed to open the Door or Time. Upon gathering the three stones Ganondorf strikes, and Princess Zelda is forced to flee. Link is put into a deep sleep for seven years and reemerges as the Hero of Time. In his absence, Link learns that the peaceful land of Hyrule he knew in his childhood had been taken over by Ganondorf and his minion. He sets of, as the Hero of Time, collecting Elemental Medallions in order to add strength to his body and would ultimately prepare him for the final battle with Ganon. With the help of friends, old and new, Link learns that he holds a piece of the mythical Triforce, the foundation of Hyrule, as does Ganondorf and Princess Zelda. Ganondorf plans on stealing all three pieces of the Triforce for himself.
GAMEPLAY
This is one of my favorite games of all time, and it is a game that I highly recommend for anyone who has not had the chance to play it. Throughout the game I have actually grown attached to the main character of the game, Link, and fell in love with the Land of Hyrule due to its realistic atmosphere. The game grabbed me from day one, though it took a while for me to get into the character , but the creature creation was what surprised me. I actually felt chills when I came up against monsters in the Shadow Temple, or any of the undead monsters. The musical aspect of the game also played a very big part in setting the atmosphere, because I'm a big fan of good music, and this game let me play my own songs that had magical properties--turning day to night, making it rain, etc. Character wise, I feel like the protagonist, Link, was actually ridiculous, simply because this game was so realistic I couldn't help but think how stupid it is to do half the things that he does. That is how attached I became to the character, which was an amazing feeling.
Looking at the story alone, I will call it a novel, because the game spans across 7 years, where you actually get to see Link grow up and night pass into day. Also, the people around Link also grow up, and one victory leads smoothly into another battle until the very end.
However, one of the games bad points is that it is very much a single player game. Although you can have people watching there really isn' much interaction between you and the bystanders, unless the sole purpose of their presence is to watch you play. The Ocarina of Time is one of those games that suck you into the world, and you forget about time and the people around you because it deals with a lot of concentration. Especially when it's your first time playing. Furthermore, I don't really think this is a game for all ages, because there are some graphical aspects of violence and dark worlds that still scare me. Places that I still refuse to go because it scares me, but that's what makes this game incredible.
I like it because it is not something cute like most of Nintendo's games, with the exception of games like Resident Evil. The realism of the game, and the in depth story is gripping, but I agree that it is a game that you will need to get used. There are a lot of details and side quests that really have no purpose in the main plot, but are placed there to enrich the game and deserves some attention.
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tako_yaki has been with GameLog for 16 years, 10 months, and 9 days |
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