Peter's 2013 Gaming Awards

Well, it’s been a while since I put anything up on PG’s Game Room, but it seems to me like it’s that time of year again!

As per usual, this article only covers games I have played this year, not specifically brand-new games from this year. I will also throw up a mild Spoiler Warning for a couple games on this list. Enjoy!

Best Game Overall: Persona 4

Remember how last year I awarded this spot to the magnificent Persona 3, that game with a killer soundtrack, likeable characters, and a unique blend of traditional RPG mechanics and dungeon crawling with high school student life? Well, all the praise I heaped on that game can also be awarded to its sequel, the magnificent Persona 4. The Shin Megami Tensei series as a whole is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite game series, and I can’t wait to see what Atlus has in store for us in the future.

Most Under-Appreciated: Nier

Quick Update

So, it's been a while since I did an update detailing my future plans. Here goes.

1- Final Fantasy! So I finished Final Fantasy XIII-2. I know my review may have seemed unduly harsh, which wasn't my intention, but I will stand by my thoughts on the game. In truth, XIII-2 just seems like a 'filler' game to me. It's something they made in reaction to XIII's criticism, rather than a game they wanted to make, and I think that really hurt the game. Still, the game is very fun, and if you're looking for a good JRPG on a modern console, you can't go wrong with this one.

2- Xenoblade! I probably won't be getting to Xenoblade Chronicles as I had originally planned. It's a shame, because that game looks awesome and you should totally support it, but I don't have access to a Wii on a regular enough basis to invest in an eighty-hour epic RPG. Xenoblade Chronicles looks to be an excellent game, and I will hopefully play it some time in the future.

3- Ni no Kuni delayed! Level 5 and Studio Ghibli's gorgeous looking PS3 RPG has been delayed, from Q1 2012 to Winter 2012. While I'm dissapointed that I don't get to play this wonderful game soon, it seems that they are using the extra time to give the game a superb localization, on par with Ghibli's other work. Definetly looking forward to this one.

4- Game shopping! So, this weekend I get to go to my local game shops (CD exchange, Gaming Warehouse, and of course, Gamestop) and see what I can find. I'll edit this post with what I get when I have the chance, but I'm looking to play the original .hack games if I can.

5- Radiant Historia! I find that I only really have time to play one game during the school year now, and since I was intent on beating XIII-2, Atlus' excellent old-school RPG kind of got put on the back burner. No longer, and Radiant Historia will be the subject of my next review. Spoiler alert: It's fantastic, and if you own a DS, go buy it, now. They're reprinting it soon, so it'll be affordable.

6- Writing! So, the 'one piece a week or so' strategy for this blog is definetly a lot easier on me, and I think it's actually helped the blog produce more quality pieces. At the very least, it's better than clogging up the blog with new posts every day. So, I've got a couple other articles in mind, including a belated 'awards show' for every game I played in 2011, as well as an explanation of my own reviewing style.

I think that about covers it. :) Until next time, dear reader!

Edit: Got three new games while shopping today! No, couldn't find .hack, I'm going to have to go a-hunting some other time. In the meantime...

Rogue Galaxy (PS2)
Resonance of Fate (PS3)
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions (PSP)

JRPGs, dead? Hardly.

Anyone who stumbles across this blog will quickly realize that I am quite fond of console-style role-playing games, or to use their current term, Japanese role-playing games. These ‘JRPG’s have provided some of the greatest moments in gaming for me, filling my world with imaginative characters and a unique kind of gameplay that I grew to love.

‘JRPG’s were once extremely popular in the gaming community. While never expressly un-popular, the genre exploded into the mainstream with the release of Final Fantasy VII.  The Playstation era of RPGs featured many classic games, but thanks to Final Fantasy VII, these games were explosively popular. Games like Final Fantasy VIII and IX, Xenogears, Vagrant Story, Legend of Dragoon, and others provided the cultural definition of video game RPGs. This popularity continued and expanded with the PS2 era, when Final Fantasy X introduced many more into the RPG fold.

Today, however, these wonderful RPGs, once the pinnacle of gaming excellence, are fading- or so we’re told. The rise of the ‘western role-playing game’ has crushed the Japanese variety, with their more involving plotlines and focus on personal freedom- or so we’re told. JRPGs, we are told, are a dying art.

This is wrong. To be even more frank, this is bullshit.

My Top 5 Gaming Wishes

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone. Now that I'm back from my not-actually-that-long haitus from Turkeyland, I feel like prepping for the next holiday season. These five items are things I personally would love to see in the near future (not in any particular order). So, here you go.

5- Final Fantasy Versus XIII gets a 2012 Release Date.
A guy can dream, right? Seriously, though, this one has gone on long enough. Square has been teasing this game ever since Final Fantasy XIII was announced, and seeing as they've been saying they want to cut development times down, I'm hoping we can see their six-years-in-the-making action RPG sooner rather than later.

4- Kingdom Hearts 3 gets announced for current-gen consoles- specifically, PS3.
This is another one that may exist only in the realm of wishful thinking, but it's still a strong desire of mine. The Kingdom Hearts series has mostly been releasing spinoffs (Birth by Sleep being the closest thing to a 'main' title we've seen in years), and many fans are pining for a true current-gen Kingdom Hearts game for Playstation 3. The labyrinthine narrative of Kingdom Hearts needs to find some closure, but more than anything else, I want this game to be out before Square can be tempted to new hardware.

3- JRPG comeback
The classic role-playing games of yesteryear have been overshadowed of late by their Western counterparts, which is a shame, but not entirely unfounded. That's not to say we haven't gotten great JRPGs over the years, but few of them were truly innovative. I was disapointed with the gaming community's reaction to the delightfully experimental Final Fantasy XIII, but  I do feel that a truly great JRPG, one that will revitalize the genre, is just around the corner. As excited as I am for Level 5 and Studio Ghibli's excellent looking Ni no Kuni, which may be the best JRPG in years, I don't think it's the type of game to hit the innovative sweet spot the genre needs right now. We'll have to wait and see.

2- Operation Rainfall Is Successful.
If you don't yet know what Operation Rainfall is, look it up and support them. They are a grassroots movement petitioning Nintendo to localize three excellent looking JRPGs for Wii- The Last Story, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Pandora's Tower. Remember how I was looking for a great and innovative game that could revitalize the genre? Xenoblade could very well be that game, as could The Last Story (itself made by famed Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi). The fact that these games weren't instant candidates for localization is just sad.

1- Mistwalker makes a PS3 title.
Mistwalker studios is the company helmed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and has made excellent RPGs such as Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, and The Last Story. Sakaguchi apparently has a grudge against Sony (he's mentioned this before), and all of his big titles have been on 360 (which shot him in the foot with regards to sales) or Wii. While I've been hoping for years to see PS3 versions of Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey (ESPECIALLY Lost Odyssey), I'd settle for an original game from them. Think you and Sony can put your differences aside, Hironobu? For me? Please?

Well, that's that. What are your gaming wishes?

Ni No Kuni- New Footage

RPGFan posted a great deal of new footage from Level 5's latest game, and their collaboration with famed anime company Studio Ghibli, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the Whitw Witch for PS3

http://www.rpgfan.com/news/2011/2403.html

The game looks absolutely gorgeous, but that's not the only reason to be excited. When one of the best RPG companies out there team up with the makers of great films such as Spirited Away and Ponyo, you know the end result will be something special.

Ni no Kuni is scheduled for a US release in 2012. I've been waiting for a great JRPG like this- looking forward to it.

Upcoming Games I'm Looking Forward To.

In case you don't know, the next year is going to be AMAZING for RPG fans such as myself. Without further ado, let me list the upcoming games that make me really excited for the coming years.

EDIT: Added a couple of games to the bottom of the list!

Chrono Cross: Technically, this isn't a new game, but the ESRB recently rated this PS1 classic, meaning it will probably be re-released soon. Chrono Trigger is probably my all-time favorite game, so I'm looking forward to finally playing the sequel.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: This is probably the biggest RPG released this year. While I wasn't Oblivion's biggest fan, I enjoy a good fantasy yarn, and Skyrim's gorgeous looking open world already has my interest piqued. 11/11/11 can't come soon enough.

Final Fantasy XIII-2: I've said my piece on this before. I really enjoyed XIII, despite it's little flaws, and any opportunity to play a Final Fantasy game on a modern console is great. It looks like they've improved on XIII's biggest problem (lack of exploration), and I'm all set for the next Final Fantasy. Besides, it'll be a nice appetizer before Versus XIII.