• 12Jul 09

  Random Gaming Update

  Well I realized I kept complaining on the forums about how behind I was, so I decided to stop blabbing and actually play. So I've been playing back and forth on a few different games recently. None of them are beaten yet, but despite that fact, I'm having a lot of fun.

  
  Persona 4
  

  Well let's see...I'm around the middle of August in the game calender now I believe. My first playthrough, not following any guides. I'm probably doing everything wrong with the social links, but I don't care so much. This one is more about getting as many Persona as humanly possible right now haha. The game is surprisingly easy when you have two or three of your characters with their upgraded Persona. I finished the old school, Atari looking dungeon. First boss fight that was actually somewhat challenging, though mostly annoying. Why won't my Mind Charged Agidyne kill you!? Well eventually it did. And the culprit has been captured...allegedly. None of the characters seem very optimistic, so naturally neither will I.

  Just increasing some Social Links, though I'm mostly trying to increase my character parameters now. Diligence is a b*** Also overleveling when I can just to be safe for the next dungeon. And may I say...Shadow Teddie is the first boss in YEARS that legitimately frightened me. I'll have nightmares now. XD

  
  Tales of Vesperia

  
  It's starting to wind down, I'm nearly at the end. The final dungeon appeared, can't go in it yet though. You know, I remember when the sky changed in Tales of Symphonia and it was officially 'the end of the world.' But in Vesperia, it just keeps getting worse and worse...and worse. And then the s*** hits the fan a few times. But...Nam Cobanda opened. Yay gambling! Perfect way to cast all your troubles away. I'm holding off so I can get as many titles I can this playthrough, not to mention super annoying achievements. I really suck at the game, my FS hits are...pathetic. I always miss them! And I have to get 100 for EACH character!? Do you know how many of those I have total? Like 130 something. Can someone tell me those numbers will transfer over so I can actually FINISH the game?

  Anyway, there are so many side quests in this game, its insane. I'm about 120 hours on my first playthrough still. Seems like a lot I know. But it adds up doing all of the side quests when they turn up, leveling the skills on every new weapon I buy/synth, using artes on all of the characters so I can use their alternate artes individually as well. Yes, all of the characters, even the ones I don't use. With doing all of that crap, I'm slightly overleveled, so say certain people on what level you should be for the final boss. I'm at around level 75 for everybody, I don't intend to fight 'the third form' so I'm pretty confident regardless. Please transfer, damn FS'...

  
  Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness

  
  

  PSP version, I hear Disgaea 2 is coming on the PSP soon too. S***. I'm not far in this one at all. Just got Flonne, lots of characters to level up. It's a pain in the ass to do early. Right now I want to get my Female Brawler and Female Warrior to Level 10 so I can get the new ****s for that prerequisite. Ronin is one...can't remember the other. I'll buy the two new ****s then say bye bye to the ladies. Rinse and repeat to level 10 for everybody else. Have Flonne use a bow so I can unlock Archer, buy some crap Skulls so she has some attacks. Though I'm not sure if I want to use Flonne or just drop her and stick with the Cleric I've been working on since Episode 1. Just for the story, a part of me wants to use main characters. I'm in Episode 4 right now, most of my guys are low levels though, so I'll level them up before I bother heading into the new dungeon. Regardless, I'm enjoying it, Flonne is hilarious. And at first glance, Etna seems like a conniving b*** but just the way her character is, its the first time you actually kind of like it that way. I HAVE to see the alternate version where she kills Laharl. But he's such a powerful character...boohoo.

  
  Star Ocean: First Departure

  
  

  Played this for awhile today, hadn't touched it in a long while. But I really want SO2, so I want to beat it. Doing some side quests before I continue on with the story. The back tracking here is awful. It's physically painful. I mean, even back in the NES FF's they cared enough for the gamer to at least give us a damn airship. This will probably be another one I'll play through twice so I can see all of the characters. To those who are familiar with it, my alternate characters first time through are Ashlay, Ioshua, Erys, Mavelle, and Welch. Yep, Welch Vineyard from SO3. That took me for a loop...what exactly IS she? I'll go with ultra high tech hologram. Not a particularly useful character, but still very interesting. Besides the back tracking its actually a pretty decent game. I was surprised how little SO seems to have changed, especially looking at the menu. Assuming the remake didn't totally...remake everything. For being from 1996 I wasn't expecting so much detail in the items. Especially having played other not so well done games from around then, like Wild Arms and Suikoden, the originals.

  It's the side quests that make it long, probably fairly similar to ToV (doesn't have a prayer for the 15 hour game achievement). With just the story, its somewhat dull and short. Plus the character development, well...sucks. Not to mention there's Roddick's portrait. He looks pretty intimidating...or possessed.

  

  So that's all for now...stupid multiple playthrough's. Whatever happened to beating a game and having that be the end of it? No...I'll save that rant for another day. Also for clarification, in the Disgaea section, Gamespot bleeped out my use of the word c-l-a-s-s. I'm not sure why that's naughty but apparently it is. o_O
  

  • Posted Jul 12, 2009 1:16 am PT
  • Category: Games
  • 5 Comments
  • Tag
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Digg
• 4Jul 09

  Birthday's Are Annoying

  I'm not one of those idiots who reminds people when his/her birthday is coming up. Though honestly mine is, except unlike when I was in high school, the birthday's are increasingly unimpressive and even unwanted. I'm just annoyed, like I have been every year for the past few years. Relatives call the house, asking what I want for my birthday. The last couple years, it felt like the gaming side of things, especially being the RPG nerd I am, was at a bit of a lull. It is annoying though, since I don't really know what I want. Although for the first time in a couple years, I have a list of things I actually want. Unlike before when I was given some crappy comedy's that are still in their shrink wrap. How about Adam Sandler and Kevin James for some gay fake wedding love? *gags on non-commentable object*

  I did recently buy a 360 though, plus my PSP is a bit dusty. What I have on my list so far? Well I shouldn't really say so far, I'm probably already finished.

  PSP:

  Star Ocean II

  Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth

  Jean D'arc

  Legend of Heroes/Brave Story (not sure which, low on my list anyway)

  Riviera: The Promised Land (SRPG with cute anime characters and a bit of comedy; classic)

  Xbox 360:

  The Last Remnant (downloaded on hardrive eliminates lag problems allegedly)

  Star Ocean: The Last Hope

  Last Odyssey

  PS3:

  Eternal Sonata (added content, dungeons, and playable characters, why not?)

  Metal Gear Solid 4 (Maybe...I guess...? Still have to play and beat the other three. XD)

  Yeah, the PS3 is a little limited, but it'll be beefed up with FFXIII and Versus in...2-5 years? Sadly, I'm STILL mostly using the advanced system for playing backwards compatability on my old PS2 games I still have to beat. I play DDS and my PS1 RPG's on the PS2 still since its upgrade screws them up for whatever reason.

  So, decent list people? Anybody played some of these yet? Or maybe some I need to scratch off and cast into unholy hell before I make a horrible decision? Let me know!

  • Posted Jul 4, 2009 3:31 am PT
  • Category: General
  • 4 Comments
  • Tag
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Digg
• 19Jun 09

  I Sold My Soul For an Xbox 360

  I did the very thing I never thought I could do. I've loathed the Xbox ever since the original came out. All of that Halo crap and even the idea of 'Live' made me ill. Plus I don't like green. Especially since it looked pretty puke green too. But the issue I have been having would be expectations. I bought the PS3 because I thought it was going to be like the souped up PS2. Meaning, it would be a haven for my RPG dorkiness and I'd be a gleeful, happy fool. So there I was with my PS3, waiting for those awesome RPG's. Well...Oblivion, Valkyria Chronicles and STILL waiting for Final Fantasy XIII...I'm a little pissed off. Still has great action games, graphics are amazing, good system. But I want my RPG's, I can replay the same great games on my PS2 for so long. I need something new.

  I realized that the 360 was getting all the RPG's, and I was perplexed as to...why? Isn't this supposed to be the FPS system? It always was before, so why the hell is the 360 of ALL systems, stealing MY RPG's!? Months passed and finally I couldn't take it anymore, I caved and bought a 360 and Tales of Vesperia with it. Now as tempted as I am to rant and rave at ToV's awesomeness, that can wait for a review. However I must say, practically that game alone has been worth it. With playing it constantly, being 80 hours in and no end in sight for the story's conclusion, I had some kind of a revelation.

  I had always hated the thought of Xbox, never liked it from the beginning. I was a Nintendo fan as a kid and a major Playstation fan as I grew up. I'm just an RPG guy, I don't care so much for other genre's quite so much, especially FPS'. But I realized something, the system really has nothing to do with anything. You buy a system because of what you expect from it, and a major part of that is expecting what games will come out for it. So I realized, there is nothing wrong or bad about the 360, despite my major, psychotic reservations. It's really about the games, what games you want to play. And the fact is, its looking more and more that the 360 is the Next Gen's RPG console. Even Sony's/Square Enix's flagship, Final Fantasy XIII is getting a 360 port. Regardless, the fact remains, I want to play new RPG's and they are being released on the 360.

  There is nothing inherently wrong with the 360, hell, it isn't even about the 360. Just so long as it functions to play these games years in the future, I have no issue. And why should I? Having no actual care about the mechanics of these machines, I just buy them so I can buy good RPG's to play. So after many years, I say there is no reason to have hate or disdain for a system. You don't buy the system for the system, you buy the system for the games. And the games I want are and most likely will keep going to the 360. I have no Halo love as an Xbox owner, I even kept that bastard headset in the box and threw it in my closet, never to be seen for five to eight years. Love the games, don't hate the system. Unless it gets a Red Ring of Death, then throw it out the window. Speaking of throw, we might as well band together and overthrow Bill Gates while we're at it.

  • Posted Jun 19, 2009 2:10 pm PT
  • Category: Games
  • 2 Comments
  • Tag
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Digg

See Previous Blog Posts »