I put some time into both of these games tonight. Both are part of a backlog I've been meaning to get around to for what seems like ages now. I tested Ultima: Exodus before but hadn't actually played it and Nightshade had been gathering dust on the shelf since I bought it.
Ultima, surprisingly enough, may become quite an addictive game. It's mixture of strategy and turn-based combat while simple, has that level grinding quality about it that tells me I could put 100 hours into it easy. The music isn't bad, though the constant flickering of the sprites on-screen can be a bit distracting, especially when blinking characters are the prompt for action. NES port or not, it still has that classic medieval RPG feel about it that many PC games had in the 80's. Oh and the battery still works too!
Nightshade is a neat game. Sort of a point and click adventure mixed with beat-em ups when you confront a baddie. The idea of a "popularity meter" that rises or falls depending on your actions is unique, the puzzles well thought out and exploration is fun. I will however, need to get used to the controls. It's not really meant for a 2 button gamepad but after a few hours I'm sure I'll get used to it.
Before I get down to the "nitty gritty" and offer my views on Fallout 3's strengths and weaknesses, I want to make one thing clear. When I write a review, especially an RPG, know that unlike many mainstream publications I actually spend the time to beat it first. That means my reviews are based on long play sessions which sometimes even include reloading game saves to explore alternate choice paths. I find it hard to use reviews for reference these days, especially for games longer than 20 hours or more. I couldn't count how many games that started off slowly, got bad reviews for it and ended up being fantastic games if one has the patience to ignore the reviews and find out for themselves. So as you read this, you know that this review covers the entire game with 100% completion. Maxed characters, all quests etc etc.
First off, let me say that my expectations of this game were moderate. I, like many others, was disappointed when Fable came out on the original Xbox and many of Peter Molyneux’s promises failed to materialize. So I approached this game with a bit more caution, not wanting to fall prey to the hype machine and Peter’s ambitious sales pitches. “Fool me once” and all that….
The biggest thing I found with this game, is that to me it felt like the Fable I had expected four years ago. The choice/consequence system, the social interaction and the size of the game as far as explorable landmasses were all things we thought we’d get with the first game. This time around it actually delivers. There is a lot more humor, more things to do and more interaction with the various NPCs throughout the game. The downside of that is with so many more options, you dilute the overall experience. Like Oblivion, it felt like there were 5 NPC models, Woman A, Child B, Man C that sort of thing. Coupled with the voice acting of the cookie cutter NPCs, it’s great for the first few hours, but then after a while you tune it out when it gets repetitive. On the flipside of that, is the voice acting of the unique characters. Those characters essential to the storyline had a good selection of Hollywood/theatre actors including Ron Glass of Firefly fame who provided a fantastic performance and Stephen Fry who voiced a hilarious narcissistic character.
While the AI for the most part was solid, the NPCs didn’t really do anything spontaneous other than mill around wandering aimlessly or running in fear. The canine companion you got, was on one hand very realistic in it’s behavior and mannerisms, on the other, a hindrance because sometimes he just didn’t follow you or just sat there like a lump and did nothing. I also found even when maxed out, I constantly had to heal him after a lengthy battle which was just a tedious chore post-combat. If you didn’t, the whining would drive you nuts until you did.
Don’t get me started on the amount of bugs and glitches in this game. Some are game breaking like having your characters stats wiped, others would interrupt the story progression like the infamous Monk quest. Then other times while exploring you’d get stuck by so many invisible environmental barriers you felt like you were navigating a river with a Galleon at midnight. Most of the points lost in my final score are attributed to these unacceptable issues that beta testing should have cured.
Graphics and sound for the most part were really well done. There was special attention to provide lots of humor in the townsfolk and their comments would adjust to your characters morality, infamy and appearance. The soundtrack was well chosen and the music always suited the event or area you were in. There was some frame stutter at times and the camera would go all snafu when you least expected it, but the scenery is quite nice and the vegetation lush and colourful. That alone sets it apart in this age of drab colours this generation. Details like firelight on rain or shadows on the buildings really add a nice touch and a sense of realism as does the really nice water effects. A great looking game and a great sounding one as well.
Gameplay is a mixed bag also. Combat is pretty straightforward and simple and inventory management is solid, but there’s no ability to assign quick slots. Meaning when you need to heal, it’s pause, inventory, scroll, select, confirm to do so which breaks up the pace of the battle. See, in a game where you have food, drink and potions, it’s always the lesser items that show up on your D-pad quick keys. Meaning if you have a piece of celery which would give you a paltry 80 points of healing, it takes priority over your life saving potions that will give you 700 and fully heal you. You basically have to either do the pause menu thing or eat everything from lowest to highest by pressing the button several times until your healed which means running off somewhere so you left thumb can get to the pad instead of the stick for movement. I also found the character always automatically putting his weapon away rather annoying.
Now for the flipside of gameplay, there was lots of variety. Puzzle solving, gambling, real estate & decorating, raising a family, exploring, entertaining etc etc. There is lots to see and do and many ways to enjoy yourself without even touching the main quest. The achievements for the most part are fun. One minute your hunting Gargoyle heads and exploring, the next your stripping your clothes off and risking a fine to perform a stunt of public indecency. Then you’ll find yourself on a treasure hunting mission and an hour later stopping by to see your wife/husband and kids while upgrading your furniture and bearing gifts.
The game as a whole package is solid and worth checking out. It’s an action RPG/social experience with a Charles Dickens/Harry Potter feel to it. As a gift I felt I got my money’s worth as it were. If your on the fence about it, wait til it drops to $30 or so. If you want a true RPG experience and intend to skip the social fluff and diversions this game offers, it’ll be a short one. 10 hours or 40, your mileage may vary.
First off, let me say I'm a huge BioWare fan. I'm also a Sega fan in general and while Sonic isn't super high on my top lists of titles or franchises, especially lately, I still enjoy the Sega Genesis titles from that series. So while you read this, keep in mind that these impressions come from someone with no particular loyalty to the series but instead, from an RPG fan, a BioWare fan and someone who doesn't get as much use out of his DS for lack of games suited to his tastes. In fact, this is the first DS game I've bought this year.
Now I admit, I was a bit hesitant on picking this up. This is after all BioWare's first title on the DS and also it's first ever handheld title period. Sonic as a franchise seemed almost un-salvageable as a quality series and it has earned some harsh criticism due to it's overall downfall. Don't get me wrong, I was looking forward to it's release, but that's as much from curiosity as it was the prospect of a DS RPG from my favorite developer. In the end it was my faith in BioWare as a developer while owning and loving every game they've made so far that convinced me to take a leap of faith and plunk down the $40.
OK so after I had wrote my last entry on this game, a couple more hours of playing and I had beaten it. Apparently the 3rd chapter is a lot shorter than the previous two. That's fine because it wrapped up the story and allowed me to begin a new game for better grinding and yoinkage. So here's my review of it:
I've enjoyed this game enough now that I have beaten it, that immediately following the ending and credits, I began a new game using the same character under the "Elite" mode which makes all the enemies of the game 50 levels higher than they were previously. So I haven't stopped playing it yet and that doesn't happen often after I beat a game.
The fact that you can grind and that enemies respawn gives this game a deeper depth and more play value. I suppose on one hand it makes the game easy if you level up well past that of the enemies as you progress through the story. Or you can think of it as a bonus for all the time you spent grinding for new items and EXP points.
Compared to the PC versions of Dungeon Siege, this one has a more Dark Alliance/Champions of Norrath feel about it. A bit glitchy at times and not overly complicated, the game has a laid back quality that makes it an easy game to just pick up for a few minutes and do some “yoinking”. Just be patient with the load times, even the 2nd model PSP has a bit of a wait while loading levels.
Graphics and sound are surprisingly good. Even the voice acting is well done and the character animations are fluid. The levels themselves are a bit generic but they are varied and there is a keen level of attention to detail to them.
Leveling up is fun because not only is there level specific loot, but there are many choices for attributes and abilities to put your earned points into. That gives you some flexibility in customizing your character and later on you can augment that with subclasses.
There are also crossover codes used between this game and Dungeon Siege II: Broken World for the PC. These codes unlock bonus items such and armour and weapons.
If I had to wrap up an impression of this game in one sentence, it’d be: “Level grinding & looting without the burden of long story dialogs”.
I’ve been playing the hell out of this game lately. If I had to guess I’d say I’ve put in well over 15 hours by now, maybe more than 20. This is actually my wife’s game as she bought it new when it came out intending to dive into the PSP head first. I suppose in a way I’ve been using this game to ease my disappointment that the Two Worlds sequel wasn’t released in September and maybe not even in 2008 at all.
The fact that you can grind and that enemies respawn gives this game a deeper depth and more play value. I suppose on one hand it makes the game easy if you level up well past that of the enemies as you progress through the story. Or you can think of it as a bonus for all the time you spent grinding for new items and EXP points.
Compared to the PC versions of Dungeon Siege, this one has a more Dark Alliance/Champions of Norrath feel about it. A bit glitchy at times and not overly complicated, the game has a laid back quality that makes it an easy game to just pick up for a few minutes and do some “yoinking”. Just be patient with the load times, even the 2nd model PSP has a bit of a wait while loading levels.
I think I’m 2/3 of the way through at this point. Right now I’m messing around with the crossover codes used between this game and Dungeon Siege II: Broken World for the PC. These codes unlock bonus items such and armour and weapons. If I had to wrap up an impression of this game in one sentence, it’d be: “Level grinding & looting without the burden of long story dialogs”. Great game so far. As far as money value per PSP title, I’d say this one will more than justify the high price of the title ($49.99 when it was new).
Now before I get to my review, I want to say that I bought this game at a bargain bin price a month or so ago because my instincts told me it wasn’t a full price kind of game. Although late to the party in terms of writing a review (4 1/2 months after release) I can honestly say I’ve beaten it and have experienced all four player classes. This game has gotten a bit of a bad rap by the gaming press and much of it undeservedly so.
Now as many of you know, I’m a sucker for WRPGs (Western RPGs). That’s a bit of a stereotype I’m afraid but it has since taken root and is generally used on a wide scale to describe these type of games. A WRPG is basically a sword & sorcery type role playing game, usually developed by a European or North American company, and has plenty of Dungeons & Dragons or Tolkien inspired elements to it.
This game is a port of the 2006 PC Dark Messiah title and is more simplified and altered to better match the console experience. You have four player classes (Fighter, Archer, Mage & Assassin) and have no real customization of your character other than the equipment you choose to use. Leveling up is linear and since there is no respawn of enemies, it’s carefully spread out throughout the game.
Gameplay if I was to formulate an analogy, would be something like a cross between Thief, Tomb Raider and Oblivion. The combat is pretty straight forward, the controls work well and the platforming aspect of it using the rope bow can be very challenging and rewarding. It let’s you explore and challenge yourself on a scale I wish more games would offer. This exploration is a combination of acrobatics, skill and puzzle solving and is one of the best virtues of this game.
This would be what I’d call a “Lite” RPG, where one could argue this to be a “action RPG” or an “unsophisticated dungeon crawler”. There’s even a bit of humor in the game from time to time to keep the dark story in check. The story itself is pretty simple and really unimportant, and there are two different endings to the game for you to explore as well as a few in-game story paths you can follow.
The sounds & voice acting is generally well done, the graphics look a bit dated but still work well for the type of game and considering it’s a 2 year old port. There are a couple minor bugs but nothing game breaking or overly aggravating. You can expect a solid 20 hour game give or take a few hours depending on how you play it and the multiplayer is simple, mindless fun.
If you can find this game for $20 or less and would enjoy a “Lite” RPG, or a simple game with a fun laid back single player, I recommend this game wholeheartedley. Few instances in gaming does a “Jack of all trades, Master of none” type of title work out so well. Just don’t spend a lot of money on it hoping to get your WRPG fix until Fallout 3 or the Two Worlds sequel comes out.
For the crazy folks who haven't bought this game yet and those of you sitting on the fence, let me share my initial impression of this game with you. Furthermore, Let me convince you that tracking down a Limited Collector's Edition online is well worth it. This game certainly deserves a review but that will wait until I've beaten it a couple different ways first and that make take a while so hopefully this blog entry will suffice for now.
First off, I'll tell you that I'm among other things, both a huge BioWare fan and a staunt supporter of western RPG's. I've played BioWare games since Shattered Steel and they've always managed to impress me. I'm also not a particularly huge fan of Star Wars yet KOTOR ranks very highly on my top list of games. I say that because this game reminds me a lot of it, but IMO Mass Effect is a better universe to play in.
Ok, enough with the "HTMbiography". Let me be frank: This game f*cking rocks. Becoming Keith once more here's what I call the "you've seen it" formula: Ths game reminds me of Babylon 5 mixed with KOTOR, Stargate, GRAW, Jade Empire and some dark humor reminiscent of Firefly. Maybe throw in a few likenesses to games like Elite and Freelancer as well.
Having read the novel I was already familiar with the Mass Effect universe, it's factions, races, technology etc. I've also read the author's work before in other series like Forgotten Realms. The same author is the lead writer for this series so it's nice to be spoiled by a game that matches the mind's eye of things written in the novel.
Jumping into the game felt both familiar because of BioWare's style of presentation as well as the familiarity I mentioned earlier. The game presents itself like an epic movie and gives you that big screen cinema feeling even in your living room. Gameplay consisting of various mini-games, exploration, squad combat, vehicles and dialogue sequences both keep the game fresh and interesting. The combat can be either strategic and complex or simple and efficient, the controls well thought out and easy to use with minimal effort. The leveling system and equipment customization is all they said it'd be and the morale choice thing provides humor, intrigue and a deeper connection with the main character that you play.
Graphics and sound so far are outstanding and although it has some minor pop-in and slowdown, it doesn't hinder the experience nor it is as bad as I keep reading on the 'net. The amount of instantly recognizable voice actors adds more of that big screen appeal as well.
One other major thing I personally found impressive is the character creation. Should you choose to make a custom character, the options are well laid out, easy to use and you can finally make a perfect moustache-less goatee!!!!! This truly is a next gen age we live in.
Should you buy the LCE version versus the regular? Is it worth the extra $10? You bet your space-faring ass it is! Besides the awesome tin case with artwork etched into it's surface, there are two mini books, one artwork and the other a Codex which is a guide to the various races you encounter. Also a second disc with loads of goodies like gamerpics, themes, videos, soundtrack etc. Those of you with a pre-order disc or have heard of it, imagine that content x3.
This game feels like a GOTY to me. It's also shaping up to be every bit the reason to buy a X360 I thought it would. BioWare is one of those few developers that I'd follow to any platform needed to play their games. Hell for a great game like this, I'd even go to Arby's the Wii. Yes I said it, thankfully however they spared me that indignity.
It's no secret that I'm not a big fan of downloadable content. I've ranted plenty on it since I bought a 360 last year. Sure it's fine for MP3's and movie rentals, just not games in my opinion. Disposable content for a buck or two that I don't feel I've invested in I haven't got a problem with. I even have content on my X360 in the forms of games, add-ons and other misc stuff. It's when it costs more than $10 and takes a sizable amount of space that I'd rather it on disc.
Something like Shivering Isles or Knights of the Nine I want to actually own. A case to display, a disc to hold onto that has resale value both which I feel are important as far as collect-ability (is that even a word?) and value for the money.
So when I found out that they'll be releasing Oblivion GOTY Edition (Sept. 10) I was excited. The GOTY edition will have both expansions on it as well as the main game. Now today, I found out that I'll be able to buy the 2 expansions separately at retail for $30. Even better!!
Someone at Bethesda must have heard my pleas/rants and those of others who aren't ready to be "nickel and dime to death" with crap they can't keep longterm. In any case I hope this will become a trend where gamers have options. I mean why not? Music and movies can still be bought in stores, so why can't expansions to console games?
On another note, Prima is releasing a 500 page GOTY Edition strategy guide that takes all of the new content into consideration.
Before you ask, no I haven't beaten the game yet. But I figured seeing as this is quite a large game and will take many many hours to complete, I'd post my review of it for those who may be on the fence about whether they should buy it or not. Like a "game for lunch" type deal but after say 10-12 hours in or so. I suppose this could even apply to the PC version as well to some extent.
Posted on Aug 9th 2007 at 11:44:56 PM by (Tan) Posted under List em, Top 5, RPG
This week's List 'em is going to turn it up a notch. RPG's are one of the most popular genres in video games that seems to only get more popular as they become more complex. I myself played very few until the last 10 years or so when 3D gaming really took off. My list will be a bit biased as my tastes in RPG's are very specific. But that's why you should list yours as well. RPG's can really tell a lot about a gamers tastes and habits. So here's my picks in no particular order:
Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Game of the Year Edition, The - I have yet to write a review for this game because I wouldn't even know where to start. The first time I played this when it came out I was blown away. The sheer amount of things to do is enormous. You can repair weapons, trade, hunt, make potions & spells, enforce the law, preach faith, travel, the list goes on and on. Have a house or two, join nearly a dozen guilds all with different quests, goals and story-lines. That's all on top of playing the game's main quest!! Never mind the fact that this version has both expansions which double the game's size and depth. Many people complain this game is too big, but to me it raises the bar on how big an RPG can be. I've logged more hours into this game than any other RPG, probably top 5 all-time in terms of hours spent playing.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door - I'll be honest, me and Nintendo have parted ways a long time ago. Few games from the "Big N" catch my eye anymore. Most of them just don't jive well with me as a gamer or suit my tastes. The Paper Mario series is one glaring exception to this rule. I could've put the N64 Paper Mario in place of the Gamecube one and I would've been satisfied with my choice. I chose this one because it's longer, has a better story with more humor and feels more polished and deeper as an RPG. Where the N64 one provided a light-hearted laid back experience, this one provides a more strategic game with more exploration and environmental puzzles to figure out. Crisp graphics and sound, creative ways to use the menus and battle system and a more varied world to explore, if you don't own this game for your Gamecube or Wii, then get it. Your missing out on one of the best Nintendo games in the last 10 years in my opinion. If your on the fence and need more evidence, do check out the game page by clicking the name listed above, it's one of RF Generation's most comprehensive and complete game pages in the database.
Front Mission 4 - How would you like an RPG featuring giant robot fighting machines? How about customization of each character and "Wanzer" (name used for mechs) that rivals any RPG out there? Two different story-lines that twist and merge together later in the game into one big epic? How about if all that is neatly wrapped into an 80-100 hour turn-based strategy game with plenty of re-playability from the makers of Final Fantasy Tactics? If any of that appeals to you, then perhaps FM4 is up your alley. Different Wanzers that have different tactical roles make it possible to build your team from the ground up and play how you choose. Be it close combat, long range, medium range or a combination of those. Excellent battle animations, camera angles and sounds effects. It's very challenging and very involved and you get to know and like the characters so much that you immerse yourself in the storyline, even if there's a lot of scrolling and reading. If you've played FM3 on the PS1 you'll like this one too, and if you've played this one then try FM3 as well.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Let me say a few things first. Bioware rocks. Everything they touch has so far turned to gold from Shattered Steel 11 years ago to the upcoming Mass Effect this fall. They are everything EA is not and they are Canadian. Now that's out of the way I'll say my piece on KOTOR as the acronym for this game is known as. I'm not a big Star Wars fan. Sure I've seen the movies once or twice and I love some of the games, but nothing prepared me for the experience this game offered. Traveling planet to planet, carefully molding your character and embarking on an incredible story with an all-star cast of voice actors. Puzzles, exploration, great graphics/sound all in a turn based combat system that if you tweak the options doesn't pause at all. I say that because default settings the game will pause to wait for you to complete any given action so your not overwhelmed by the speed and ferocity of some of the battles. Change the settings and it's all in real time and very intense. Any game with a character like HK-47 is a winner in my book. He's the Star Wars equivalent of Bender from Futurama but much more maligned and violent.
Neverwinter Nights - I had a hard time choosing my final pick for this list. There's a good dozen or so games across many platforms that are worthy which I'll mention in my "Runner Up". This one gets my vote because not only is it based on the Forgotten Realms novels I love so much, but it truly is a fantastic game. It took everything that made Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale great series and tweaked it. Being able to identify characters, factions or places from books I've read makes it a game easy to become comfortable with and instantly familiar. Gameplay is smooth and the amount of content that expansions, modules and user made through tool-sets will keep you going for years to come. Another interesting piece of trivia is that the game engine Bioware built for this game was modified for KOTOR I & II. You want a PC game that will keep on giving? Well this is it!
Runners Up: - So many games to list here, I really should have done a top 10 or 20, but I'm sure your eyes are already bugging out with all this reading, so here goes:
Jade Empire, Fable, Rogue Galaxy, D&D Heroes, Icewind Dales I & II, Baldur's Gate I & II, Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance I & II, KOTOR II, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, The Bard's Tale, Front Mission 3, Fallout 1 & 2, Pirates of the Caribbean, Shining Force Neo, Paper Mario, Suikoden IV and Tales of Symphonia.
Oh there's more, but that's just off the top of my head. Now it's your turn. If you don't care for RPG's then maybe your Top 5 hated ones instead just to be fair and allow participation.
Before I get down to the "nitty gritty" and offer my views on Fallout 3's strengths and weaknesses, I want to make one thing clear. When I write a review, especially an RPG, know that unlike many mainstream publications I actually spend the time to beat it first. That means my reviews are based on long play sessions which sometimes even include reloading game saves to explore alternate choice paths. I find it hard to use reviews for reference these days, especially for games longer than 20 hours or more. I couldn't count how many games that started off slowly, got bad reviews for it and ended up being fantastic games if one has the patience to ignore the reviews and find out for themselves. So as you read this, you know that this review covers the entire game with 100% completion. Maxed characters, all quests etc etc.
First off, let me say that my expectations of this game were moderate. I, like many others, was disappointed when 
First off, let me say I'm a huge BioWare fan. I'm also a Sega fan in general and while Sonic isn't super high on my top lists of titles or franchises, especially lately, I still enjoy the Sega Genesis titles from that series. So while you read this, keep in mind that these impressions come from someone with no particular loyalty to the series but instead, from an RPG fan, a BioWare fan and someone who doesn't get as much use out of his DS for lack of games suited to his tastes. In fact, this is the first DS game I've bought this year. 
OK so after I had wrote my last entry on this game, a couple more hours of playing and I had beaten it. Apparently the 3rd chapter is a lot shorter than the previous two. That's fine because it wrapped up the story and allowed me to begin a new game for better grinding and yoinkage. So here's my review of it:
Now before I get to my review, I want to say that I bought this game at a bargain bin price a month or so ago because my instincts told me it wasn’t a full price kind of game. Although late to the party in terms of writing a review (4 1/2 months after release) I can honestly say I’ve beaten it and have experienced all four player classes. This game has gotten a bit of a bad rap by the gaming press and much of it undeservedly so.
and those of you sitting on the fence, let me share my initial impression of this game with you. Furthermore, Let me convince you that tracking down a Limited Collector's Edition online is well worth it. This game certainly deserves a review but that will wait until I've beaten it a couple different ways first and that make take a while so hopefully this blog entry will suffice for now.
It's no secret that I'm not a big fan of downloadable content. I've ranted plenty on it since I bought a 360 last year. Sure it's fine for MP3's and movie rentals, just not games in my opinion. Disposable content for a buck or two that I don't feel I've invested in I haven't got a problem with. I even have content on my X360 in the forms of games, add-ons and other misc stuff. It's when it costs more than $10 and takes a sizable amount of space that I'd rather it on disc.
Before you ask, no I haven't beaten the game yet. But I figured seeing as this is quite a large game and will take many many hours to complete, I'd post my review of it for those who may be on the fence about whether they should buy it or not. Like a "game for lunch" type deal but after say 10-12 hours in or so. I suppose this could even apply to the PC version as well to some extent.
This week's List 'em is going to turn it up a notch. RPG's are one of the most popular genres in video games that seems to only get more popular as they become more complex. I myself played very few until the last 10 years or so when 3D gaming really took off. My list will be a bit biased as my tastes in RPG's are very specific. But that's why you should list yours as well. RPG's can really tell a lot about a gamers tastes and habits. So here's my picks in no particular order:
