Choice VS Narrative: Why Didn’t I Ever Get Into WRPGs?

One question I’ve asked myself a lot, and that some of my fellow gamers have been simply incredulous about, is why I don’t enjoy playing the Western Role Playing Games that have become increasingly popular over the years. And, honestly, I really didn’t have an answer for a while. It’s true that I do enjoy the gameplay style of the Japanese variety, but that’s largely because I grew up playing games like Pokemon and Final Fantasy, and that’s no real reason as to why I couldn’t enjoy this particular type of game. It was while reading about the recent fan backlash against Mass Effect 3 that I started to put together what it is about WRPGs that just doesn’t appeal to me. It got me thinking, and in order to figure it out, I looked back to the first WRPG I ever played: Knights of the Old Republic 2.

Old Review: Kingdom Hearts RE: Chain of Memories (PS2)

My Review- Kingdom Hearts: RE:Chain of Memories (PS2)

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories was a Game Boy Advance game that served to bridge Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2. The original game is largely known for it’s card-based battle system, a departure from the pure action-RPG style of the other games in the series. Square decided in 2006 to remake Chain of Memories for the PS2 and bundle it with Kingdom Hearts II- Final Mix +. For some reason, they decided to only localize Re:Chain of Memories as a stand-alone game, instead of the whole KH2-FM+ package, which I am definitely NOT bitter over at all, but RE:CoM is still a fun, if slightly strange, addition to the Kingdom Hearts series.

STORY

RE:Chain of Memories’ story takes place in Castle Oblivion, a mysterious place run by Organization XIII. Series protagonist Sora ends up wandering inside the castle and is told by one of the Organization members that something dear to him is inside, but in order to find it, he must give up something in return. Using the mysterious powers of the castle, Sora must navigate the various Disney worlds from the first game in order to re-discover his memories. Sora and his friends discover that the further they go into the castle, the more memories they lose, while other memories are remembered. However, the Organization has sinister plans for Sora, and he may not be able to trust his newfound memories.

Christmas party! And BBS update

Going to be in Chicago for the next three days to celebrate the holidays with my extended family. Wishing everybody happy gaming in this post-Christmas season. ;D

Also, I beat the first campaign of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Terra's, and I'd like to share something I noticed. Remember how everybody complained Kingdom Hearts 2 was too easy? Well, Square listened.

Oh, boy, did they listen.

The difficulty of the game is actually very fair, up to a point. The difficulty spike of Terra's final boss (not going to spoil much here) is ludicrous. He's basically a copy of you, and has all of the abilities you had prior to entering the fight. In this regard, whatever preperations you had for the boss can be used right back at you, including your limit breaks, shotlocks, and healing spells. The ONLY way to do serious damage against him is to block and counter his attacks (which, by the way, if you get caught in one of his combos, you are DONE), deflect his ranged attacks back at him, or abuse your own shotlock and constantly recharge it with Elixers. Now, it's only natural that a final boss would be hard, but this one seemed overly so, especially compared to everything we'd fought prior to him.

Terra's story, at least, was interesting. I'll be starting Ventus' campaign next.

My Review: Chrono Cross (PS1)

My Review: Chrono Cross (PS1)

            If you were to ask me what the definition of a ‘perfect’ video game was, I’d probably show you my copy of Chrono Trigger and answer, “This”.  Squaresoft’s Super Nintendo classic combined the talents of prominent developers from both Squaresoft and then-rival Enix, and this mixture of developer talent created one of the most beloved RPGs of all time, featuring a cast of lovable characters, gorgeous graphics, and a fantastic soundtrack composed by Yasunori Mitsuda and Final Fantasy standby Nobuo Uematsu. To this day, there hasn’t been an RPG quite like Chrono Trigger- it’s a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Needless to say, when Squaresoft began working on a sequel for the Playstation, expectations were justifiably high. Chrono Cross, released in 2000, distances itself a bit from its predecessor, featuring several new gameplay and storyline features. This was, I fell, a wise decision, because once it steps out of its predecessor’s shadow, Chrono Cross is just as ahead of its time and imaginative as Chrono Trigger.

            STORY

            Fate has no forgiveness for those who dare stand against it.

Old Review: Final Fantasy VI (GBA)

I finished this game in September, and wrote this review immediately after. Without a doubt, Final Fantasy VI is one of the best RPGs in existence, and arguably Square's finest work. Also, seeing as the game is out this Tuesday on PSN, I figure this was timely. ;P

My Review- Final Fantasy VI (GBA)

            Every series has a game which pretty much every other installment is compared too, a game which embodies the creative ideas behind the franchise. For example, Zelda has Ocarina of Time, a game which many consider to be one of the best video games ever made. For Square’s venerable Final Fantasy series, that game is arguably Final Fantasy VI. Originally released on the SNES as Final Fantasy III, the sixth fantasy is one of Square’s most famous RPGs ever, and remains to this day an excellent installment in this great series.

            STORY

            Could anyone be so foolish as to repeat that deadly mistake?

Old Review- Dragon Quest IX (DS)

In all honesty, one of the best RPGs in recent memory. I wrote this review in March, right before I beat the game.

My Review- Dragon Quest IX : Sentinels of the Starry Skies (DS)

The Dragon Quest series is one of the most famous in RPG history, right up there with Final Fantasy. Created by Square’s rival company Enix, the Dragon Quest series began on the NES and is widely seen as the first ‘console-style’ role-playing game. The series was taken over by Square Enix (the two rivals having merged), and with help of developer Level Five (creators of Dark Cloud and Rogue Galaxy), they brought the series into the 21st century with Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, which is often recognized as one of the best role-playing games on the PS2.. Journey of the Cursed King had a massive open world, superb voice acting, and a lengthy quest, while keeping series traditions intact. It was surprising, then, when series creator Yuji Horii announced that the 9th installment would be on the Nintendo DS rather than a modern console. Dragon Quest IX continues the trend of obscenely long subtitles, but does it live up to its respected name?

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.

Old Review: Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2)

My Review- Kingdom Hearts II (PS2)

The first Kingdom Hearts is a classic action-RPG, despite the odd premise of a Disney-Final Fantasy crossover. In recent years, the series has spawned numerous spin-offs and side stories, but in 2006, Kingdom Hearts received a true sequel. Kingdom Hearts II brought numerous improvements to the slight problems the original had, but it also brought a change in tone and style that directed the future of the franchise. Does it live up to it’s famous predecessor?

STORY

Kingdom Hearts II begins a year after Chain of Memories, and immediately after 358/2 Days. At the start of the game, you’re playing as a boy named Roxas (the protagonist of Days, who has no memory of past events) in the world of Twilight Town, via tutorial. Roxas is having mysterious dreams about Sora, the protagonist of the Kingdom Hearts series, but he has no idea what they mean. Roxas also discovers that he is capable of using the Keyblade. Over the course of the week, we discover Roxas’ identity (if you’ve played Days, you already know), why he has a Keyblade, and his connection to Sora, and from there the real plot of Kingdom Hearts II begins.