G-pinions

I wouldn't be a very good videogame writermajigger if I wasn't up at five in the morning bringing you the hottest news from our neighbors to the north, Japan.

So, here's the deal: First, a date, price, and some news on the DS. November 21st, $149.99, and it will include PictoChat, a neat lil' piece of software that lets you send pics and text that you create in it to anyone nearby. Also, the system will wake out of sleep mode if it senses another DS in the area, for assumed pic sending and chatting galore (and, y'know, playing games). The system will be backwards compatible with the GBA, but no dice on system-link multiplayer (the DS doesn't have the appropriate link cable port). So, I'm glad it's nice and cheap, and hasn't been delayed (unlike a certain PSP - first quarter 2005 my ass!); now I just want to see some actual games.

Second item of the night: The much rumored PS2 revamp (and smallening, similar to what the PS1 did after being out for several years), the PSTwo, was unveiled. And dare I say, it's smaller than I would have ever imagined (and half the weight, with a built-in network adapter). I mean, I could fit at least three of these puppies in-between the layers of my ice cream sandwich. And of course I desire one right away, even if it doesn't affect the way I play my games whatsoever. HOWEVER, there are two small problems, and one massive issue with this thing. As far as the small stuff, it's top-loading now, which seems counterintuitive to the size change, and it doesn't support the old multitap (it's just too damned petite) so anyone who wants to game with more than two people has to cough up another $20 or whatever again to do so. The BIG issue is that it doesn't support the hard drive. Now, I wasn't exactly planning to buy one, and I assume neither were the vast majority of PS2 owners, but really, is there any more of a direct way of shitting down the throat of Square-Enix? "Please, abandon our system, for we've just done about everything in our power to stop people from playing Final Fantasy XI in the future". What the FUCK is Sony thinking? I know the HDDs weren't exactly flying off the shelves, but I'd rather they spend their time and money making that happen than tantalizing me with a videogame system that fits snugly in my ear canal. Oh, and it comes out November 1st for $149.99. It will be interesting to see how it competes with the DS, seeing as they've turned into nemesis' for the holiday season. Anyhow, enjoy some sexy shots straight from the catwalk:

This month had some pretty huge stuff on it, the quality of which ranged from pretty disappointing to shockingly entertaining. It also took me a hell of a long time to get to writing this, what with my gaming time being chock full of flaming wreckage and goody two-shoes behavior. In fact, several of the demos on here come out this Tuesday in completed game form. Oh well, let's hear it for consistency.

Demos:

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War - Look, Ace Combat is the best flight combat series out there (that I've played). The problem is, it's been that way since the second game in the series, and hasn't changed much since then. There just isn't much competition. So by now, although still fun, and still "gee whiz those planes look purty", I'd rather be doing something else. It's just not that compelling nowadays, and if I do want to do some flying for the sake of flying, I'll pop in Crimson Skies. The whole new wingman mechanic is pretty cool, and the story bits are decent, but I was really expecting something new from the gameplay. I just feel like there's no way I'd play this unless I was forced to for review purposes.

Asterix & Obelix: Kick Buttix - I'm fairly sure I'm the only one who will ever read this site who has heard of (and used to be a big fan of) Asterix & Obelix, the best thing to come out of France since baguettes. These two Gauls spend their time boozing, eating wild boar after wild boar, and smacking around Romans. The comics are great, and have been translated admirably into this game. The sense of humor is there, the moves are there, and the charming story and characters are there. If you've never heard of the series (and you haven't), you'll probably find it to be a decent platforming collect-a-thon with some fun combat, and if you're me (and have heard of it) you'll probably pick it up one day for $5.

Def Jam Fight For NY - I was fairly weary of the license when the first game in this series came out, but it turned out to be a decent wrestling game with a goofy hip-hop sheen. DJ:FFNY, on the other hand, has turned out to be a fantastic fighting game with a goofy hip-hop sheen. The combat is gorgeous, smooth, and visceral, and the cast has plenty of colorful characters even if you're not a big rap fan. The background interaction kicks ass too, with crowds pushing you back into the action if you get too close and brooms and bottles to be picked up and used. Another title I'll be picking up when it's nice and cheap.

Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone - This plays pretty much exactly how you'd expect it to, based on what it is - an action game using the Lord of the Rings engine with a lesser-known license and three characters you can switch between at any time. The enemy designs are cool and the combat is fun enough, but unless you're a fan of R.A. Salvatore's work I doubt it's worth picking up.

Second Sight - Alright, here comes the disappointment. After one brief playthrough (well, not even through, as we didn't even finish the demo) with Tom, he declared it a crappy game. I told him we needed to give it more time, and more time for oursleves to learn the controls. Well, after playing it again, I'm inclined to agree with Tom. Well, it's not so much a crappy game as it is an average game (though they are fairly interchangeable), and not at all of the quality I've come to expect from Free Radical. It's true that they've never made anything besides an FPS, but based on those I would have figured they could handle any genre. Second Sight, based on what little I played, just feels sloppy. The Psi powers aren't intuitive to use, and the level in the demo doesn't really encourage their use at all. So unless the final game is drastically more tightened than this demo, I'd say this has slipped to the very bottom of my 'must-play' list for the next sixth months, which probably means I'll never get to it. A shame, really.

Spy Fiction - It is indeed the most derivative Metal Gear clone I've ever played, but at least the basic game mechanics are solid because of that. I really just didn't want to play this one, but I was surprised at the quality of the presentation. Really, there's no reason to ever buy or play this game, but know that if it accidentally finds it's way into your collection, you won't be entirely let down.

Star Wars Battlefront - So, I suppose that I can't vouch for the online play (though most reviewers so far have have loved it), but this multiplayer demo rocks. It's a very good-looking game, especially on the PS2, and no matter what side or character class you pick, it's lots of fun. It plays similarly to Socom, with the emphasis on run-and-gun gameplay over any sort of stealth. The vehicles are awesome too, and more importantly, well-balanced. I know that any Star Wars fan would micturate themselves over this game, but anyone would enjoy the hell out of it even if they haven't seen the movies. It's just lots of chaotic fun, and who doesn't like that? The only slight complaint I have is with the somewhat slow default walking speed, but I get the feeling that won't matter as much online. Pandemic is now 2-for-2, let's see what else they can do.

Everything else:

Meh. Monthly MGS3 and Gran Turismo videos, blah blah blah, some nice Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Champions: Return to Arms trailers, an awesome Neo Contra one, and a bunch of other stupid crap like a feature on Playboy: The Mansion. It's tough to compete trailer-wise with the internet, but it's still cool seeing some of these on my tv. They just need more Japanese game demos and extra features to keep me entertained. Oh well, I'm sure I'll find something to like next month.

This is really pissing me off. I already complained about how hard it is to be good in Fable, but this just steams my turkey. So after this long-ass bandit camp mission (great mission, but that's irrelevant), you have to fight this massive fella named Twinblade. The whole mission was to exact revenge on him; he's a bandit. So I promptly kick his ass, at which point a bunch of story twists and such happen. When the cutscenes are over, he's standing there telling you to finish him off, and all the other bandits surround you are yelling the same. The mission objective marker is even right on him. I run around for a bit, nothing seems to happen, so i walk up and punch him. Apparently this pisses him off, and I have to fight him and all his bandits off until they're dead. As I'm headed home and the mission ends, I notice I've just been given 120 EVIL points. What the fuck!? Now I'm more evil than good, just for killing an evil man and smashing a few barrels. Fuck that! I want to be good for chrissakes, good!

So, since Tom the jerk factory posted about Fable even though I bought it (twice, no less), I have no choice but to bore you with more stuff about Fable. It is most certainly a great game, as Tom's posts will attest to. It's great-looking, it's fun, and you really do see the consequences of your actions and all that jazz. However, it's not perfect. In fact, I would go so far as to call it unpolished. Even though it's nowhere near as ambitious in scope as when it began pre-production, it's still a bit too ambitious for it's own good. Lionhead and Big Blue Box obviously spent a hell of a long time on the world of the game, the character interaction dynamics, and designing interesting quests. However, there are still some fairly general problems I have with the design, as well as a few minor ones. And anyhow, you know what's great about the game, so I'd rather get out some frustrations than regale you with the obvious overall coolness.

The first problem I have is that it's too hard to be good. Call me a flaccid wang, but I want to be known for my kindness rather than my cruelty. I mean, I don't take shit from people (like when they assume they can use my services and then not pay me - dead asshole), but I'm not going to go out of my way to be a jerk to someone. Sure, I smash the odd barrel, but I do it when the guard's not looking so I don't have to kill him when he tries to fine me. Trouble is, the game makes it really hard to play it completely straight. If you accidentally smash an upstairs window while admiring somebody's house, you'll have a dozen guards on your ass in no time. Either you have to pay a huge fine, or leave town until things have settled down. Both of those are a hassle and a waste of money and time, and it makes it very tempting to just rob everyone blind before I leave or take down a handful of guards and not have to leave at all. And I can understand the game tempting you on both sides, but when a farmer whose stones I'm protecting is going out of his way to tell me how valuable they are over and over, well, it seems like it would be to my benefit to slaughter him and his wife, take their damn stones, and possible fart a couple times in their house. Now that I've chosen the path of good, I'd just like it to be a bit easier to experiment with things without having to leave the area afterwards.

Another problem I noticed is that while Fable is surely epic in scope, and completely free-form in structure, it seems to try to keep things a lot more linear than you'd like them. It's always pushing you back on the path of the next mission, whether it's your guild master blabbing in the narration about where to go, wandering people you talk to constantly saying you're needed in such and such area, or the general feeling of unaccomplishment if you're not on a mission. The whole idea was to encourage people to go off the beaten path and find their own quests and callings and mistresses, but as much as I try I'm rewarded a hell of a lot more by defending an apple orchard against some trolls because the game asked me to. It's tough to earn money for fun, dating, and upgrades when you're just wandering around, and while playing the various traders like a stock market can net you good amounts, it's a bit too laborious to be worth it.

While those are my main problems, a slew of little ones exists. There's obviously a shitload of things to do in the game, but rarely does any single game mechanic work flawlessly. For one, the map and the menus both have their problems - the former being too general at times and constantly confusing to navigate (why the hell didn't they just make it player-centric?), while the latter is just redundant in places and generally not nicely organized. Fighting is certainly varied for what is basically a hack n' slash game, and usually pretty rewarding, but there are some spotty collision detection and balance issues once in a while. That, and blocking is just very badly incorporated into the mix. Messing with your inventory is damn near impossible while fighting if you need more than eight items at your disposal, so make sure you go into battle prepared to swap items and spells like a pro; why wouldn't they just have the game pause when you do these things?

So those are some issues I've had with Fable so far. It's a great game, and I'd still recommend it to every Xbox owner, but it has it's share of problems. Once again, read Tom's post if you want straight praise, I just figured I'd speak from the other side of the coin, even if said coin is still wonderful.

It's kind of funny the way things work out. Since Fable became a reality, I said I would not buy this game. "Nick is buying it," I reasoned, "There is no need for me to buy it as well. I'll simply borrow it when he's done. How long can that take anyway?" Then, a week before release, my good friend and next door neighbor Scott was conned into pre ordering the thing. If I had any inkling to purchase this game before, certainly that was extinguished when someone not 5 minutes from my home purchased it. Now that the game is released, do I still feel like waiting for sloppy seconds?

As class was canceled yesterday, I had an entire day with nothing to do. My thought turned to Scott and hopefully many hours of Timesplitters and Pikmin 2. How silly of me, not realizing what yesterday was. Scott told me that, in just a few hours, Fable was going to be available and he was going to pick that up. For the first time ever, it actually seemed like Fable was really going to come out.

I have been reading about this game for years now. When I first heard about it, back in the Project Ego days, I burst out a most evil laugh. This crappy new console, headed by the most evil man in computing, was going to be the home of the most ambitious game in the history of video games? How could I not laugh? Only a year or two before Fable was announced, Nintendo had a similar idea for their system. When they revealed the 64DD, the disk drive for the N64, they showed a game called Mother 3. The third game in the beloved Earthbound series would feature a completely wide open world with the ability to affect change as time passed. The example Nintendo gave, of planting a seed and coming back years later to find a massive tree, was the same one Peter Molyneux gave about the world of Fable. Surely, if Nintendo wasn't able to finish this game, Lionhead wouldn't be able to.

Now, a dog year after it was first announced, I was actually going to walk to Gamestop to pick it up.

I have to admit, I don't know if any game is worth a 7 year wait, but my 2 hours with Fable were absolutely incredible. First of all, unlike Galleon, another game exclusive to the Xbox that was in development forever, Fable looks gorgeous. The world looks kind of like Hyrule, but everything is so much more detailed. It seemed like every 5 minutes, Scott would stop controlling the character and just admire the scenery for a second. It looks that good.

The story is, apparently, much cooler than I imagined. Considering how much I read about the game beforehand, it's kind of weird how I never came across why this quest existed in the first place. Towards the very beginning of the game, your home town is ransacked by bandits. Good times, right? Apparently, you don't know bandits. They kill everyone in the town and kidnap your sister and mother. They don't say what the bandit's intentions are with the women, but I assume they are most unpleasant.

A stranger appears and tells the boy he is not safe in town (duh!) and promptly whisks him away to some secret training facility. This is as far as we got before I had to leave, but any story revolving around vengeance has to be great. Furthermore, it now makes perfect sense why you can chose to be evil or good. With the weight of the world on your shoulders, it's understandable if you want to fart in ladies faces and kill everyone you see. Why not? You've had a hard life.

As far as problems with the game go... I couldn't find any. It's impossible to judge an epic quest in only two hours of playing, but I really saw nothing wrong with the game. It seems like talk of this being a mere 15 - 20 hours was a gross exaggeration. Considering how almost nothing happened, story wise, in 2 hours of playing, combined with how fun it is to talk to everyone and explore every inch of your surroundings, the game seems like it could last a very long time.

I guess if I have to complain about something, it would be the omission of a female main character. I know, I'm crazy. Every game where you have the option to play as a woman I take them up on it. But this game could really benefit from that. In such a realistic and wide open world, where you decide everything that happens to you from when you're a small child through adulthood, it would be a blast to play as a girl as well.

Speaking about the decision making ability, for some reason, decisions in this game seemed far more important than in Knight of the Old Republic, another game that let you be good or evil. I think it has to do with starting this game off as a child. In KotOR, though your decisions affected an entire galaxy, it never felt as important. You were on a quest and it was hard to take yourself out of your immediate task and realize this is your life. This is who you are.

Fable does an amazing job of making you realize that you can build what kind of person you are from the ground up. Even though it was fun to punch a child and destroy a man's possessions, I felt guilty watching Scott do it because I was scared about being punished. Any game that can force you to have a moral fiber is certainly doing something right.

I could probably talk about this game for 1,000 or more words, but I'll have to save that for another post. Suffice it to say, I am not going to run out and buy this game today, but only because I don't have the money right now. The game seems to be everything the hype promised, if not more. I always thought the Game of the Year would be decided between Halo 2 and Grand Theft Auto 3.3, but Fable looks like it can be right there. Maybe they had to cut a lot of things during the course of development, who cares? The game is a blast as is.


UPDATE - Better Out Than In

Remember when I said I would be back with another post about Fable? School got canceled again today and, instead of going home like I normally would, I found my way back to Scott's to play some more Fable. Man this game is good.

Scott played a few hours without me yesterday and I was quite upset to see what he had done with the character. Choosing the path of the dark side, his character was turning out to be a horrible, horrible man. By committing random crimes, Scott made everyone hate him. Some people may like this, but I was a little bummed out watching Scott walk around and hearing everyone insult him or fear him. It's fun being a jerk sometimes, but when no one likes you it's kind of sad...

We started a new game, though, so I was able to play the beginning this time. The control of this game is just perfect. The D pad is used for quickly accessing items. So, if you're in battle and need health, an apple will all of a sudden equip itself on Up D and let you heal yourself easily. Awesomeness.

The first mission you are given in the game is to kill a bunch of beetles with a stick. As you enter the forest, you hear the booming, Obi Wan-aqua voice of your master remind you to "Use your stick!" This promted many jokes about how great Star Wars would have been if the ultimate power was The Stick instead of The Force.

Another thing that made me laugh was one of the first little tasks you have in the very beginning of the game. A man runs hurriedly towards you, crying that his bladder is full and ask if you would please watch his store while he takes care of business. This is one of your first good/evil choices in the game. You can choose to break his barrels while he's gone. Scott and I did this the first time, though nothing was even in the barrels. Kind of lame when you break the law only to fight more mosquitoes.

Anyway, the second time I played through this I actually did stand watch. Then this little kid comes up, even smaller than me, and starts egging me on. "Come on! Smash the barrels!" he urged with his British whine. Then he called me a sissy. I tell you, if Scott wasn't there saying we had to play this guy as pure good, I would have ripped the kid's head off. The nerve, calling me a sissy! Maybe if there actually was anything worth stealing in the barrels.

There's a great boasting system in the game too. At one point, you go into battle with a friend. Before battle you can boast that, not only will you kill more enemies than her, but that you'll kill 10 more than whatever she will kill! Of course, it would be cooler if Scott could back up his talk, but it's pretty cool anyway.

I guess that's it for now... I'll write more later, though. You can count on that.