My Review: Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille Zur Macht

It’s no secret that I am a big fan of storytelling in videogames. Oftentimes, I have praised videogames for their ability to immerse me in a story, but it is important to recognize that when I review a game- discussing story, gameplay, and presentation- I am talking about three equal parts of a greater whole. If one of these aspects is lacking, then the whole is greatly weakened. The best games are ones where the gameplay, story, and presentation are of the highest quality, and this brief tangent brings us to the subject of what I hope will be a three-part review of the Xenosaga series.

With the Playstation classic Xenogears being one of my favorite games, I was certainly interested in Tetsuya Takahashi’s first project after departing from Square and forming Monolith Soft. Originally meant to serve as a six-part, multi-generational epic that would encompass the entire universe from beginning to end (and perhaps include a remake or reimagining of the tale told in Xenogears), Xenosaga would instead be remembered as a case of failed ambition, and was cut to only three games after seeing disappointing sales. Still, the question does remain whether Xenosaga was able to still provide something special and unique, even if it would never reach its full potential. So, let us discuss the first entry in this most troubled of sagas, Der Wille Zur Macht- The Will to Power. 

Evolsaur Deck Profile- Digivolve

One of the most interesting decks from the newest era of Yu-gi-oh was the Dino Rabbit deck. Basically an assortment of cards with Rescue Rabbit and Tour Guide of the Underworld serving as a lynchpin, the deck was very powerful in its day, with its ability to quickly summon and utilize two of the most powerful Xyz monsters in the game- Evolzar Laggia and Evolzar Dolkka. A first turn Rescue Rabbit could Special Summon two level 4 Normal dinosaurs, and overlay them into a 2400 ATK monster with a Solemn Judgment effect, or a 2300 ATK monster with a Divine Wrath effect.

The thing is, the Evolzar monsters actually have their own archetype, one which, if used well, can be considerably more fun to use. These are the Evolsaurs, affectionately referred to as Digimon by some, which function as an Xyz toolbox that can summon the Rank 4 Evolzars easily, as well as utilize their own powerful effects.

So what are the Evolsaurs? Well, they are a group of Dinosaur-type monsters, supported by their Reptile-type cousins the Evoltiles. All of them are FIRE attribute, and they have a bevy of useful support cards as a result of this. The Evolsaurs effects are activated when they are summoned by the effect of an Evoltile, giving them functionality similar to the Gladiator Beasts’ ‘tagging out.’

My Review- Parasite Eve (PS1)

“They don’t make them like they used to” is a phrase that is becoming more and more relevant as far as gaming as concerned. Looking at a company like Square Enix, it might be difficult to realize that, once upon a time, their non-Final Fantasy titles weren’t relegated to pointless mobile titles and blatant cash grabs, but were instead considered to be some of their best work. In between Final Fantasy titles, gamers were treated to unique games such as Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, and the subject of this review, Parasite Eve. Originally based on a Japanese horror novel, Parasite Eve blended concepts from the newly popularized Survival Horror genre with Square’s well-known style of quality RPG, creating one of the most unique games of the PS1 era. But is this ‘Cinematic RPG’ worth revisiting like other Squaresoft classics?

My Review- Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (PS2)

Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei series started out as an obscure series of dungeon-crawlers, and while they were popular in their native Japan, they didn’t initially catch on overseas, with only a couple of shoddily-translated spin-off titles making it over here. That all changed with the 2003 release of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, the third entry in the “main” SMT series. This is the game that, for lack of a better phrase, started it all, a high-quality RPG that would set the stage for Digital Devil Saga/Personas 3 and 4, and would establish Shin Megami Tensei as a shining beacon among its contemporaries. The question is, does it still hold up today?

STORY

Top Ten Final Fantasy Villains

JRPGs have had their share of great antagonists over the years, but no franchise has even come close to the gallery of rogues and villains the Final Fantasy series has assembled over the years. These characters are often the most memorable aspects of each game- whether they are clad in giant suits of armor, or with flowing locks of white hair, out to destroy the world or obtain absolute power, there is no denying that the assorted villains of Final Fantasy have made their mark on the RPG genre, and gaming as a whole. And now that the obligatory introduction is out of the way, let’s discuss ten of my favorite Final Fantasy antagonists!

Now, keep in mind two stipulations for this list. First of all, the characters I have listed are from the ‘main’ Final Fantasy series (that is to say, they can be from I-XIV, as well as X-2 and XIII-2), which unfortunately rules out some great villains from spinoff titles, such as Delita from Final Fantasy Tactics. Secondly, I will only be giving one entry on this list per game in the series, for the sake of variety. Lastly, obviously since this is a Top Ten list, a few characters (some of which may or may not be popular) will be left off, so feel free to tell me about how wrong I was later.

So, without further ado…

Malefic Skill Drain deck profile

The Malefic monsters were introduced in the Yugioh 10th Anniversary film, Bonds Beyond Time, as a series of cards used by the villainous Paradox. They are essentially corrupted versions of iconic Yugioh monsters, mainly dragons such as Blue-eyes and Red-eyes. In the original Japanese, they were known as the 'Sin' monsters (a pun on the Japanese word for 'truth', pronounced Shin, a play on words which represented Paradox's twisted worldview that these corrupted monstrosities were the true Duel Monsters), but was changed to 'Malefic' by the censors at 4kids in their tireless effort to make everything boring. The Malefic monsters all share some things in common- they require a Field Spell to be active, there can only be one Malefic monster on the field at a time, and are summoned by banishing the original 'good' version of the monster.

They also, basically, suck. At least, a lot of the Malefic monsters do, since their trading card game incarnations come with a whole host of drawbacks. Cards like Malefic Blue-eyes White Dragon and Malefic Rainbow Dragon need you to banish the original monster from your Main Deck, which can result in a ton of dead draws and make for a very inconsistent deck (don't even get me started on Malefic Red-eyes Black Dragon, which is just a terrible card). Not to mention, Malefic monsters stop your other monsters from declaring attacks. That's not to say that the Malefic archetype as a whole is worthless- on the contrary, a skillfully built deck can utilize the best aspect of the Malefic monsters (the ability to effortlessly summon high level monsters), while simultaneously working around their negative effects and limiting the opponent's ability to respond.

Dragon Quest VI

What's this? A new game review? Well, sort of.

One of the downsides to college is that I don't have a lot of free time to devote to writing. If I want to fit any gaming in, then that pretty much has to dominate any free time I have. Unfortunately, this pretty much means that I won't be able to do the same kind of game reviews I used to write. However, I find that I kind of missed writing about games I played, so I decided to try something a little different. Consider this a quicker summary of my opinion on a game rather than a complete analysis. For games I finished that I didn't get around to reviewing (specifically, Persona 3 and Kingdom Hearts: Dream, Drop, Distance), I'll most likely get around to writing about in this format. It's less time-consuming than what I used to do.

Anyways, I recently finished Dragon Quest VI for the Nintendo DS, the last of the 'Zenithia' remakes. Like it's predecessors, Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation incorporates a rather unique twist on the standard Dragon Quest formula. In this case, the game features two different worlds that can be switched between, adding a new emphasis on exploration and discovery. Unfortunately, this focus puts the game's story on the backburner. Dragon Quest games aren't usually very story focused games, but they usually have some memorable or charming characters or tales to tell. Dragon Quest VI mantains the characteristically lighthearted atmosphere of the series, but its characters are very hollow and the story doesn't really ever pick up. Coming off of Dragon Quest V, one of my favorite games in the series, this is rather disappointing.

Still, playing a Dragon Quest game for the story is missing the point, and while the renewed emphasis on exploring the Overworld does make the game's pacing somewhat uneven, Dragon Quest VI is still a classically styled RPG that will appeal to anyone looking for such a game. I wouldn't recommend it without hesitation to newcomers, but people who are familiar with the Dragon Quest series and what it demands of the player should enjoy it.

Final Fantasy Type-0/ Bravely Default: Flying Fairy- Localization Woes

Square, I really don't know what has gotten into you lately. If you guys want to improve your company's image, why don't you localize these great looking games that people really want and would sell well?

Instead of, you know, more FFXIII sequels?

Linked below is a petition to bring Final Fantasy Type-0 to the states, as well as the Facebook page for a group trying to do the same with Bravely Default: Flying Fairy, two excellent looking handheld RPGs that Square Enix has for some reason currently passed up for localization. Final Fantasy Type-0 was originally announced in 2006 as part of the Fabula Noval Crystallis project, alongside Final Fantasy XIII and the ever-delayed Versus XIII, and is an action-RPG in the vein of the excellent Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. Bravely Default, on the other hand, is a homage to classic Final Fantasy (much like it's predecessor, 4 Heroes of Light), and has been compared to series installments such as Final Fantasy IX.

http://operation-suzaku.com/  - Final Fantasy Type-0

http://www.facebook.com/#!/BringBravelyDefaultFlyingFairyToTheWest  - Bravely Default


After the success of Operation Rainfall, there can be no doubt that we as gamers are willing to purchase these Japanese games, if only these companies would release them over here. Let your voices be heard, show Square Enix that they have a market, and support efforts to convince them that localizing their games is worthwhile.

And, while we're at it, it wouldnt hurt to convince them that Dragon Quest VII on 3DS is worth bringing over, right? Operation Dragonfall, anyone?

Dragon Quest VII Remake for 3DS

Square Enix announced a 3DS remake of Dragon Quest VII: Warriors of Eden, originally released on the Sony Playstation, in the latest issue of Jump Magazine. Not many details are known at this time, but early screens show a 3D graphical upgrade (the original game is similar to the style used for the DS remakes of IV, V, and VI), apparently players will be able to trade 'lithographs' via Streetpass, and the game has a February 7 release date in Japan. No word yet on a US release (what are the odds), but in this case let's be optimistic.

Oh, and Happy Halloween! >:D

Peter's 2012 Gaming Awards

What's this? Peter's making an update on PG's Game Room?! What is this madness?!?

Yes, I apologize for my prolonged haitus. I'm afraid there really isn't much I can do about that; college has been taking up a lot of time and I haven't found much enthusiasm for writing in a while. Still, with a few new games behind me and not that many projects for the rest of the year, I thought it'd be time for a 2012 Award-type article!

Yes, much like that thing I wrote back in February, this is a series of titles given to games that I played this year. So, without further ado, lets get into the best and worst gaming experiences I had this year.


Best Game I Played In 2012: Persona 3

Persona 3 was my first experience with the Shin Megami Tensei franchise, and I must say, I regret not getting into these games sooner. Despite my initial skepticism, Persona 3 proved to be one amazing game. Traditional RPG combat and roguelike dungeon crawling, combined with an incredible story with great characters and dark themes, Persona 3 is easily one of the best games I've played in a long time.

Runner Up: Radiant Historia