Dragon questing, all fantasies final

I can’t claim to be a longtime fan of Dragon Quest. I made my introduction to the series with Dragon Quest VIII on PS2 and I never got beyond the first few hours. Consider it yet another game in my enormous backlog that took the backseat to other more pressing titles.

It had a small, but significant impact on me. I didn’t come close to beating it, but it did bring the series to my attention. Before then, I sort of looked at it as an alternative or less important RPG to the more universally recognized Final Fantasy franchise. It was illogical, but that’s how I felt.

It’s funny how fast things can change. Square Enix hasn’t done the Final Fantasy franchise many favors over the past few years, relentlessly flooding the market with Final Fantasy-tagged games of all varieties.

Square still separates its core Final Fantasy titles – though even the quality in said core titles has been called into question — from the rest of the pack, but it seems like they can’t make a game without slapping Final Fantasy in front of it. I’m feeling some serious Final Fantasy fatigue and the name is no longer synonymous with quality. READ MORE

Perfect Dark: Better remembered than relived

I like Joanna Dark. I like the world of Perfect Dark.

Even with the disappointing Perfect Dark Zero, I absolutely want Rare to revisit the franchise at some point in the future when they aren’t stuck in Avatar Land.

Long, long ago when an XBLA version of Perfect Dark was announced; that the N64 classic was getting all prettied up in HD, I was very excited. I preached the good word on this site and snagged it up as soon as it hit Live.

Here we are months later, and I still haven’t beaten it.

Why post about it now? Because after putting it down a while back, I’ve picked Perfect Dark back up in my quest to one day beat it on Secret Agent – the “medium” setting.

Since picking up the controller again, I fast remembered why I put it down in the first place.

Perfect Dark is still a good game in many aspects. I love the atmosphere, I love the character, and I love the music. Hell, the shooting is still solid even if things got a little awkward transitioning from the three-pronged N64 pad to the 360’s controller. READ MORE

BIT.TRIP Runner: Taking control of Commander Video

At this point, it’s safe to say the BIT.TRIP (Bit.Trip from here on out) series is the go-to set of games for me if I want to show off some quality WiiWare games. It’s pretty remarkable what the small bunch at Gaijin Games has done for themselves, besting even Nintendo at becoming the known quantity on WiiWare.

Gaijin got my attention with the first entry in the Bit.Trip series, Beat. Its simplistic, Atari-inspired graphics (albeit with a modern edge) are sleek and aesthetically sound. Gameplay is similarly simplistic and ridiculously addictive, even if its difficulty can be infuriating.

I scooped up both Void and Core, the next two Bit.Trip releases. Both are great games, both get thumbs up. However, neither compare to the awesome explosion of rainbows and pixels melting my face in Runner. READ MORE

Game of the Year 2009

Game of the Year

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Game o’ the year folks, that’s what Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is. It was hardly a competition. That’s not a slight on what 2009 had to offer as we got plenty of great games across all platforms, it’s just that Uncharted 2 is better than those great games.

While the original has become somewhat frowned upon these days by the press (oddly enough I recall them singing its praises upon release), I still look at it as a quality experience. But much like Mass Effect 2′s impact on its predecessor, once you experience the sequel, it’s hard to look back.

Naughty Dog built off a solid foundation, realizing the potential in the franchise the second go around.

Among Thieves is 2009′s best, and Ill make an even bolder claim, it’s the PS3′s finest game (hyperbole, hyperbole!). We’ll see how that title holds up post God of War III and The Last Guardian, but for now, the crown belongs to Naughty Dog.

And with that, my GOTYOMGathon is over. 2009 was great and all, but I expect 2010 to be flat out ridiculous; we’re not even a full two months through and games like Mass Effect 2 have already hit the market.

GOTY 2009: Best in XBLA, PSN, WiiWare

Best XBLA Game

Shadow Complex

‘Splosion Man takes an honorable third place in this competition, while Trials HD just misses the top spot thanks to a dramatic spike in difficulty that brings the game from thrill ride to epic battle of frustration and tears.

Shadow Complex scoops in and gets the award, though this wasn’t an easy decision.

While the story is weak, the game itself is made of the good stuff. It’s a hybrid of sorts as it borrows elements from games like Metroid and Contra, mixing ‘em up with great results.

There’s a hefty amount of item collecting that transforms you from a weakling to a walking death machine, and there’s plenty of bad dudes to shoot down with your latest abilities. Chair was clear from the beginning that Shadow Complex is inspired by many titles, it’s just good to see it all come together in an excellent $15 package.

Given the massive success Shadow Complex was, it’s safe to assume we’ll be seeing more of the series in the future. Now if only we could eliminate the moronic bigot Orson Scott Card from the equation… READ MORE

GOTY 2009: Best Exclusive for 360, PS3, Wii

Best Xbox 360 Exclusive

Halo 3: ODST

Because I’m tired of looking for lame trophy images on Google, we’re going to jump right into this round which strictly pertains to console exclusives. It was a tough decision to make, and while some people might want to roll their eyes at “OMG another Halo,” ODST is undoubtedly my 360 exclusive of the year.

Yes, it’s Halo and yes, it has its Halo moments. However, the bulk of ODST is a different beast altogether, even if most people don’t want to recognize it as such. You’re not the rampaging Master Chief, you’re a rookie that’s completely underpowered, making strategy a necessity this time around.

There’s a mood to ODST that’s never been felt in Halo before – it’s dark, it’s depressing, and thanks to impressive lighting and an amazing soundtrack, there’s a level of atmosphere that went unsurpassed in 2009. The single player experience may end quickly (fact: shooters end quickly), but what’s there is a much more memorable experience than 2009’s other shooter offerings.

Package that with the always fun Horde Firefight mode, and I’d say it’s a game well worth the $60. READ MORE

GOTY 2009: Winners and losers, we got ‘em both

Round two of our (my) Game of the Year awards are upon us and we’re (I’m) going to get a little random with it here. Not all of these topics are related, but who the hell cares? Still, they’re worth mentioning before getting into some of the meatier awards.

And yes, each game gets one of these horribly photochopped trophies I stole from some random Google images.

Hit the jump to see the winners and losers. READ MORE

Dante’s Inferno impressions — A lukewarm inferno

It’s been a while since I’ve gamed on my PS3, but the early Dante’s Inferno demo got my attention so I quickly logged into PSN and downloaded the new hotness.

I’ve been one of the few who’ve been OK with the project since its introduction, even if extreme liberties have been taken with the property (I blame society). I only ever grew tired of the game when Visceral decided to take its advertising campaign in the most juvenile direction possible, but I still held out hope that Dante’s would be a quality game.

And, it’s not bad per se, it’s just not all that good either. So many people have pinned it as a God of War rip-off and having finally played it myself, I truly got to feel that sensation everyone else has. Dante’s Inferno is EA trying to have a God of War of their own. READ MORE

Borderlands impressions — Space Cowboy 101

Gearbox sold me on Borderlands. It took them right up until launch, but they convinced me to drop $60 and score a copy. True enough the positive reviews that came rolling in helped their cause, but I was drawn to Borderlands prior to any published reviews.

I’m not sure yet, but I think I’m going to be addicted. I think I’m going to want to play other games, but my desire to progress in Borderlands is going to have me neglecting other obligations.

Borderlands is very much a hybrid game. It combines a first person shooter experience with leveling, quests and loot typically associated with games like Diablo.  And, that’s the hook.

It’s got an MMO-light addiction element to it. I want to get that next level like I want to replace the antiquated gun I’m using – it keeps you playing longer than you should, and keeps the hours flying by. READ MORE

Muramasa impressions — Vanillaware’s 2D stunner

I’ve had my eye on Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii) for a long time now, which isn’t a particularly hard thing to do given how beautiful its 2D art is. Developer Vanillaware crafted a similarly beautiful game on PS2 called Odin Sphere, so I suppose it should come as no surprise.

Beauty isn’t everything, however. Despite its graphics, I simply couldn’t get into Odin Sphere.

Although they share some similarities, Muramasa promised an experience much more in tune to something I could enjoy, blending a healthy dose of both action and adventure. I’m still fresh on the experience – about an hour and a half in – but it’s shaping up to be a solid Wii entry. READ MORE