My DS is burning of playing RPGs
On this holidays my Nintendo DS has been my night companion for when it was too hot (or too early) to sleep, and I've been playing three RPGs quite a few hours.
Final Fantasy III
I've talked previously about this game and how difficult it is, but I'm very persistant so I've progressed some in the game.
I'm not probably yet even halfway it, but it's really fine. The Jobs stuff is a bit hard at first (you have to level each job for each character if you don't like to stick to just one specific job per char), but after the first levels it pays off when having a good party.
I don't get stuck on what to do next (I just sometimes need to level up a bit before progressing), the story up to now is simple and typical, and the GFX and controls are nice and do their job perfectly.
I will keep playing it until the end probably...
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
This has been a small nice surprise. A mixture of realtime RTS with action-RPG, with 3D scenary and beautiful 2D pixel characters and creatures game...
It continues the story of FFXII and the adventures of Vaal, converting the espers to troops to command, invoke and use to fight enemies, conquer magic sources and destroy resurrection crystals.
The game is very tactical, highly dependant on the weaknesses and natures of each level enemies (you can be easily defeated if you don't take into account it, or easily win in just 5 minutes on some battles if you do so). It is like playing Magic The Gathering with a Final Fantasy theme.
I will write a full review for other of my blogs, but being more than halfway of the game I see one important problem: The formula that works marvels for the first time, great for the 10th, and ok for the 40th, starts to be too repetitive and boring nearing the 100th time...
All the battles tend to be very similar and I'm becoming tired of it, so I'll set it aside for a few days before finishing it (I'm on chapter 6).
Orcs & Elves
The same game I played more than one year ago on a mobile phone, this time on the Nintendo DS.
The game is pretty much the same as the J2ME Orcs & Elves 2 version, but with a heavy visual tweak and some polygons. The upper screen always shows the first-person view of the character, having the touch screen for inventory handling, automaps, shopping and options.
The game features a bunch of weapons, some enemies (with slightly different patterns, like "fire and hide", "keep distance", etcetera) and around 5 hours of gameplay for your first run on normal difficulty.
The engine itself is not bad. Not only combines 3D scenery with 2D sprites (with good amount of detail), but also implements a lot of the typical "Eye of the Beholder" era map tricks: hidden rooms, teleporters, triggers for events or enemies, special objects...
The downside is the short duration: 5 hours for non-random maps means you might give it a second run to become even stronger (you will already have the full range of weapons at the end), but not much more. Also, the story is a bit silly sometimes, but you can live with it.
Tags: Videogames
Been a bit off lately
Just a quick post explaining the lack of stuff here...
First of all, I've left (again) World of Warcraft. I still feel I don't have enough time to play it properly and, while the new expansion looks fantastic, playing it will be posponed to the future. I prefer playing non MMORPGs right now (and I have a lot of games to finish).
About Warhammer 40.000 miniatures, I haven't yet started to paint the armies, but I'm working on a scenery modelling that, if doesn't results too bad, I'll post some pictures (an ork mek facility, where the Stompa might have been built).
It's been a long time since I attempted some modelling, but being orks it is easier (and I have quite a few spare parts, plates and banners to place on it).
And finally, also regarding W40k but this time on the PC, my copy of Dawn of War II finally arrived, and I must say I'm impressed it is in fact two games in one!
- The multiplayer battles are more like the tabletop game. Almost no base management, so you focus on battles with small squads. The number of units per squad is smaller than the real one (4 on space marine tactical squads, 3 on devastator ones, etcetera), but after a few CPU skirmishes I enjoy it a lot. Also the new army painter tool is fantastic (although we still don't get all units preview...)
- The singleplayer campaign is in fact an RPG-RTS! You progress through the story obtaining squads (one of each), leveling units and your commander, and getting items (armours, weapons, accesories) much like in WoW. I feel like playing a space version of Warcraft III. Highly recommended!
I expect to make some posts soon but I first have to finish the single player campaign (not too difficult on Sargeant level but requires a lot of time and you can't save mid-game).
Dear Final Fantasy III Designers
The next time you want to extend one game's length, try innovating or creating content. But please, avoid forcing the players to grind levels from the very start of the game }:(
I don't know if it is a big, lengthy game or not, but it is the hardest Final Fantasy I've touched. Apart from the initial cave, I'm having to grind levels to be able to do anything "not from the main quest". And even there it is dangerous; if you have bad luck (a lot of so hated random combats), yo can die.
Usually, level grinding is performed optionally for one of this reasons:
- Lowering the difficulty level: If enemies are level 5 and you level 15, you will have no problem on killing them.
- Balancing speed-runs: If you're going too fast across the main storyline, probably you'll end facing an enemy or boss that you won't be able to kill until you level up.
- Grinding money or items: Along with experience, monsters usually drop money and/or items, so it's like a 2x1, extra levels plus extra gold.
- God feeling: If a level 5 enemy is easy at level 15, imagine being level 50 or 60, it's almost like being a god. *
I at last don't see in that list something like "Make the game last longer", because that's a cheap and dirty trick.
* Beware of games that auto-level enemies acordingly (like Final Fantasy VIII)
Tags: Game Design Videogames
World of Darkness MMORPG gets launch date
After almost two years of mutism, at least some news: The World of Darkness multiplayer online game is still under development and will appear on 2010.
Let's hope to see more info and details soon...
Left 4 Dead: A computer version of Zombies!!! ?
I know it is not a CRPG, but I'm addicted to Left 4 Dead.
Simple, fast, fantastic in cooperative play, and unlike it seems not short-lived. I'm enjoying it so much it reminds me the old times of "really simple but addictive" games. I just want to kill zombies all the time!
I thought it was a fresh idea (as fresh as a zombie themed game can be this days xD)... until I came with a boardgame, Zombies!!!
I've bought it this xmas (and some expansions are on their way) and played a lot with my girlfriend (yep! girls do play geek boardgames too ;)
Instead of writing a lot, I encourage you to read the rules (can be downloaded from the official site) and have a look at some photos I've taken of actual playing it:
The goal of the survivors, being the first to reach the helipad
The city layout is random and changes on each play
Event cards serve to either help you, or be bad with the other players
Reached the mall, just fight a zombie or two and get those bullets and lives
As the game progresses, the city gets usually infested with the horde
Miniatures are great (I've ordered 100 glow-in-the-night zombies :D )
Start to see similarities? Left 4 Dead has removed the event cards (and placed instead the AID, Artificial Intelligence Director), has added special zombies, coop play, fps elements, but overall looks a lot like a computer version of Zombies!!!
Even some terms as "reach the heliport", "horde" and some event card effects are used in both places with exactly the same purpose.
Anyway it was just a rant, each one is great in its field and I love both!
And as an extra, a small 4kb flash "implementation" of Left 4 Dead (thanks Javi!)
Tags: Boardgames Videogames Zombies
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