Now Playing (14/05/10)

Now that the exams are over, it's time to clear up some back log in my gaming queue. If that sentence sounds like I'm dreading it, I guess you might be right. Some games I find it a chore to go through, but I just HAVE to complete it or, in some cases, just try it. I feel compelled to at least try the many games people have been talking about recently so that I can at least form my own opinion of it (e.g. Modern Warfare 1 and 2). Story-driven games, like RPGs, need to be completed in order to really have a good feel of how it all comes together. With that said, I tend to neglect some gems which I really enjoyed (KotOR, Mass Effect, Pokemon Diamond, Team Fortress 2 etc...), due to the need to try out various new games. People who know me probably know that I don't game a lot (really!), so a game has to REALLY catch my attention and suck me into its world before I even consider playing more than 2 hours of it. Anyway, I hope to update this blog regularly with stuff that I'm currently playing during this June holidays.

On to the list!

Game: Final Fantasy XIII
Platform: PS3
Genre: RPG
Playtime: 5 hours this week (31 hours total)
Thoughts:
The game final opens up in Chapter 11, but a lot of design missteps prevent it from being the definitive Final Fantasy Experience (TM). For one, the area is big, open, and void of any major landmarks. This makes navigating through the vast open plains confusing. The map doesn't help much either as it rotates according to which way you are facing and does not have a compass. The new quests that you can choose to embark on just feels like FFXII's hunting quests. Not much point doing them except for the reward materials. Where are all the mini-games? Where is Gold Saucer?! Man, I really miss FFVII...
Apart from those 2 complaints, the fighting is still as hectic (and fun) as ever. It gets really irritating when trying to stagger a Behemoth for the 5th time, though once you get a hang of it (and changed your Battle Team to appropriately deal with specific types of enemies), it's really rewarding. But, as good as the battle gameplay is, this game still fails as a Final Fantasy game as the story and atmosphere does not meet expectations. The story is cheese. Like a triple-cheese stuff crust pizza, dipped in cheese fondue. My tolerance for cheese is quite high (I watch tons of anime), but this is too much!

Game: Fifa 10
Platform: PS3
Genre: Sports
Playtime: 5-7 hours this week
Thoughts:
We'll nothing much to say except that multiplayer co-op mode games are damn fun. Nothing beats being able to work as a team to pull off spectacular goals (or kills, depending on what type of game you're playing).

Game: Trine
Platform: PC
Genre: Platformer/Puzzle
Playtime: 5 hours this week (new)
Thoughts:
Bought it on impulse during one of Steam's regular sales, but I don't regret it. The visuals are really good, dialogue well written (quite funny actually), and generally quite impressive for an indie game. My only complain is that the puzzles are... not really puzzles? There's usually a rather straight forward to solve anything blocking your way. I prefer Braid's incredibly satisfying puzzles compared to this, but Trine deserves its hype even if it was for its game engine alone.

Game: Battle of the Immortals
Platform: PC
Genre: MMO
Playtime: 7 hours this week (new)
Thoughts: A free-to-play micro-transaction MMO. I quit this game due to the inventory system. They are literally forcing you to pay for more bag space because the default inventory slots are NEVER enough. If you want to try this game out, sure, go ahead. But be warn, the inventory is not the only thing about this game that sucks.

Game: Heavy Rain
Platform: PS3
Genre: Interactive Drama
Playtime: 6 hours this week (new)
Thoughts:
For a game that supposedly lasts 8 to 10 hours, it doesn't seem like I'm near the end yet. Probably about 60% done, so I think I'm gonna clock the full 10 hours. Really, I don't know how to describe this game. It's emotionally engaging and draining. Heavy Rain requires your full attention while you play it. In many instances, you have to make a quick, painful decisions that have long-lasting effects on the plot. This game will pull your heartstrings and really require your full emotional attention. Extremely good graphics, emotionally-charged music, engaging plot, edge-of-your-seat gameplay. It really needs to be experienced alone. Shaping up to be the best game I've played this summer break. Perhaps I should do a "Best Game of Summer 2010"?

Game: Picross 3D
Platform: DS
Genre: Puzzle
Playtime: 3 hours this week (new)
Thoughts:
Just like it's predecessor, Picross 3D is simple yet addictively fun. The added dimension makes it harder to spot mistakes, but at the same time, its also somewhat easier than the 2D version. Perhaps they toned down the overall difficulty because of the added dimension?

Game: Pokemon Soul Silver
Platform: DS
Genre: RPG
Playtime: 5 minutes this week (new)
Thoughts:
Don't like the crappy-looking starter Pokemon. Too many new games to play so I don't think I'll be wasting time on this remake.

And I think that's all the game's I've played this week (I won't be playing any more games for today, Friday). Been a great week for gaming, especially after Heavy Rain arrived at my doorstep. Looking forward to completing Heavy Rain and perhaps Trine next week, and quickly get FFXIII over and done with.