Added by finalkross on Dec. 31, 2008
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This post relates to:
NHL 09,
Braid,
No More Heroes,
Professor Layton and the Curious Village,
Fallout 3,
Burnout Paradise,
Left 4 Dead,
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots,
Patapon,
Grand Theft Auto IV
Considering today is officially the last day of the year, I guess I can give my top 10 for the year. This was really tough considering I played a boat-load of games and at the same time, there were games I didn't get to play (eg. Gears of War 2, Far Cry 2, Dead Space). Because I missed out on some key games, I just could not put them on a this list since I honestly didn't spend any reasonable time with them.
So here we go...
10. NHL 09I love sports games. I enjoy them because of the fact that when it comes to value, you can't go wrong since every game is different regardless if you play against a friend, a random person or the computer. For me, NHL 09 was by far the best sports game of 2008 since it offered so much to gamers. The gameplay was top notch; the new Be A Pro mode is something that other sports games have already copied and will continue to mimic for years to come and the online was also a real blast to play. I think even if you are not a fan of Hockey, you can still appreciate what it has to offer.
9. BraidIt wasn't hard putting Braid on my Top 10 list. I heard absolutely nothing about this game until people started talking about its cost. A game very few people knew about costing so much, needed to be tried out. The second I laid my hands on the demo, I knew I found the first XBLA game I actually wanted to use MS Points on. While Braid is a relatively short game, it's not an easy game and one that requires some thought when playing. You can rush through this in a no time at all, but in order to get the story, you will need to play through the worlds a few times and see the secrets of each level. The solutions for the puzzles are always there and it just requires you to simply take a second and look carefully. This is a game that will either be loved or hated and in my opinion one of the most interesting endings that can be interpreted in various ways.
8. No More HeroesI consider this year's Wii selection to be incredibly weak, but thankfully the only game I actually ended up paying for on my Wii was No More Heroes and I am glad that I did. If this game was released on any other system, it would have been just another GTA clone, but Suda-51 takes things to a whole-notha-level with this quirky action adventure game. Where have you played a game that has you one minute shaking trees to collect fruit then battling wave upon wave of crazy baseball players. The story is also really solid. If your an adult with a Wii, this is a game to definitely try out.
7. Professor Layton and the Curious VillageI love portable gaming and Professor Layton is exactly what a gamer on the go needs to play. The game takes the brain teasers you can find in various books and magazines and throws them into a murder mystery that is actually engaging. This is yet another title this year that most people probably did not play, but should have. It appeals to both kids who will learn from the game and adults who will be reminded of the games they played during their youths. The story is also not oriented solely for children, so anyone can pick it up and play. The puzzles were mixed quite well with a bit of everything, from your simple math questions, to trick questions and even bonus puzzles that were unlocked every week. Japan has already had two sequels to this game released and they are even planning an animated feature-film. I really hope to see those to games reach North America.
6. Fallout 3I was a big fan of the original two Fallout games so this was always going to be a purchase for me. While this is very different from those two games, it is still a great experience filled with an interesting story, a solid collection of different characters and such an open-world experience. Western RPG fans won't find anything to hate here and even those who might not typically play that genre will still find something of interest here. I have yet to meet a person who has not enjoyed this game and you really need to play this game.
5. Burnout ParadiseCriterion Games got DLC right. Why release a game and forget about it when you can continue to add content to keep players playing? Yes, you have plenty of other games that offer you extra content, but do they offer it for absolutely no cost? Very few do and Burnout Paradise gives you so much more for such a small price ($0). The game itself is filled to the brim with content with a great amount of Races, Crashes, Stunts and a very enjoyable online game. Then six months after the release, they give you the ability to play the game with motorcycles. There are still plans for more content including a new Island and they've recently announced and released bonus cars. Yes, there are some content that will cost you, but considering you can buy this for 30 dollars, you are getting more than triple that amount of content. Racing fans were spoiled with this one.
4. Left 4 DeadFirst impressions count for nothing. I can honestly say when I first heard and saw this game I could care less about it. I thought it was just another mindless action game that would only appeal Zombie fans. I apologize to Valve for doubting them. The moment I downloaded the PC demo just to try it out, I was already looking at the best way to buy it (Steam or Best Buy). The thing that sold me about Left 4 Dead is that every experience is different (similar to my love of Sports Games). One game you might decide to play with the computer. The next time you play, you'll be with three random people and then the next time you play, you're playing with friends. Because you're playing with different people you have to do things differently. If you're playing with run and gun people, your experience will be really different if you play with those who like to plan before heading forward. The game might seem short since there are only four movies, but thankfully the fact that each run through is different, you can end up spending a lot of time with this one.
3. Metal Gear Solid 4What a way to 'finish' a series. I remember having played this game, I was at one point really disgusted. If you've played this game, there is a moment near the end where our hero makes a key decision and when it occurs, I was really upset. But to Hideo Kojima's credit, he threw a curve ball to us and surprises us. Those who have kept with the series have nothing to complain about this game. Fans of the series got exactly what they wanted and hoped for since the questionable release of MGS2. It's hard to talk about this game without ruining key points of the game but when you look at this from a far, you can really appreciate the effort put into the story and gameplay. I would recommend that those who have not played previous games in the series to either hit up YouTube and watch clips from previous games or pick up the affordable MGS 2 and 3 otherwise you are cheating yourself and not getting the full MGS experience.
2. PataponWhile people have complained that Sony did not do enough for the PSP this year, I beg to differ. This year had more than three solid, must-own games that should be in your PSP collection including Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, God of War: Chains of Olympus and echochrome, which also was part of a slew of great downloadable PSP games that graced the system. But for me, the game that takes the cake as the best PSP game of 2008 is without a doubt Patapon. There is absolutely nothing available out there quite like this rythmn-based, real time strategy game. From the off-set, this game oozes with Japanese flavor and that's quite correct, but once you start playing, you see just how much depth is actually there. There is so much to do and your experience can be really different. This game looks beautiful, sounds incredible and is challenging in a great gradual pace that will never frustrate you. Sony took a chance to release this to North American gamers but I am glad they did. They went the right route in offering this game for only 20 dollars, which is a real bargain once you start playing it and something that Sony seems to be continuing with LocoRoco 2 rumored to also go the 20 dollar route. The sequel is already out in Japan and I bought it and they've done everything right yet again and offered even more content to fans of the series. While I have my doubts that Patapon2 Don Chaka will be released, so to change that I plead to PSP owners to pick up Patapon, you will not be disappointed.
1. Grand Theft Auto IVThere was not a single game this year that was talked about on so many levels like GTA IV. Economists looked at its sales potential, the Media followed it since of the history of the game and gamers watched the trailers over and over again to see if they could find secrets to the game. When it was finally released, I was completely surprised on just how well the game was done. Yes, there are some minor flaws, but on the whole, this was a great story, with fantastic characters and so many options. It actually gave gamers the role of a character that was learning as you played. Niko is not your normal character since he's a foreigner, with nothing and in the end, he's still viewed as a foreigner, but he and you have both learned a lot. There were some complaints from people who didn't like Niko because he didn't connect the same way as other characters but that was because he was an Eastern European, and there are only about 2-3 million of those in all of North America (estimated since he is Serbian and I know that there are only about a million Serbs living in North America). It was great how well RockStar had him trying to understand Western Culture all the while trying to fix a pivotal part of his past. The addition of choices and the fact that there were two significantly different endings really made this game stand apart from the rest of the series and it's now something fans will expect in the future. I am glad to say that GTA IV was in my opinion the best game of 2008.
Honorable Mentions go out to:
- Soul Calibur IV
- Prince of Persia
- Little Big Planet
- Rock Band 2
- Wipeout HD
- echochrome
- Castle Crashers
Games I didn't play in 2008 to be considered on this list:
- Dead Space (Own but have not opened)
- Far Cry 2 (Own but have not opened)
- Battlefield: Bad Company (just bought it)
- Gears of War 2 (might buy it eventually)
- World of Goo (will be playing the demo soon and then maybe buying it through Steam's End of Year sale that ends on January 2nd)
Now My Most Disappointing game for 2008:
SporeBoy was I really bummed out when I started playing Spore. It's not a bad game, far from it, but it just did not captivate me as much as I thought it would having read so much about it and enjoyed playing the Creature Creator. While I still bought this game, I never got far enough into because it just did not keep my attention. Maybe I'll give this another shot, but at this moment, I'd rather play something else in my stack of games.
This post relates to:
Battlefield: Bad Company,
Bionic Commando Rearmed,
Rock Band 2,
Spore,
Bill,
Louis,
Left 4 Dead,
You're In the Movies,
LittleBigPlanet,
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots,
Braid,
Patapon,
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney,
Professor Layton and the Curious Village,
Sonic the Hedgehog,
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames,
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts,
Super Smash Bros. Brawl,
Crysis Warhead,
Grand Theft Auto IV,
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King,
Bob Colayco,
PlayStation Home,
Super Mario Galaxy,
Sonic the Hedgehog
As you know, the Giant Bomb Golden Anniversary Year-End Awards Extravaganza Spectacular Celebrating 50 Years of Coverage of Excellence in the Fields of Electronic Entertainment and Taxidermy are currently going on, so I decided I'd weigh in with my choices for each of the categories the fine folks at Giant Bomb have set up. I'll spare my reasons why I chose what I chose in order to keep this blog post somewhat short. Well, here we go.
2008 was definitely a great year for games and I hope 2009 is too. Killzone 2 looks pretty rad. ;)
Added by RenegadeSaint on Dec. 21, 2008
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This post relates to:
StarCraft,
StarCraft: Brood War,
Professor Layton and the Curious Village,
Gears of War 2,
Fable II
Welcome to The Haul
I know this might come as a bit of a shock, but I did not gain possession of a single game-related item this week. I suppose I could take pictures of my groceries and the presents I bought for my family members, but that doesn't sound particularly interesting. Instead, I'll just write a real blog.
So I've been a bit absent from your blogs as of late because I've been incredibly busy with school. I'm trying to take my cardiology test before I head home for Christmas, but the difficulty of the material isn't helping. As it currently stands, I'm trying to test on Tuesday (the 23rd) and then I will head to Michigan to see my family. I'm only planing on taking a few days off and then getting back to the grind, so gaming will be nonexistent.
I did start up Fable II a while ago and am now completely enamored with that game. Unfortunately, I've only been able to play twice and probably won't be getting back to it for a couple weeks. Beyond that, I've played a bit of Professor Layton here and there. As I mentioned before, it is an enjoyable game, but I'm not as impressed with it as most reviewers. In between bouts of studying I've managed to get a little StarCraft going. Sometimes my buddies and I go on B.Net (instead of studying) and play a few matches, but mostly I've been working through the single player. I've already beaten it once before, but wanted to brush up on the story and mechanics. I actually finished it for the second time today and played through two missions of Brood War, which I've never beaten before. If you haven't played these games, you owe it to yourself to experience the most well-balanced RTS game in history.
Still reading? If so, then I've got one last thing to mention: I won't be doing any sort of game of the year blog (I can tell you right now that Gears 2 is my GOTY). Instead, I'll be posting up a list of all of the games I've played this year and how long it took me to beat them (if I ever did). Until then...Happy holidays!
`Nick
Added by TheBeast on Dec. 17, 2008
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This post relates to:
Left 4 Dead,
Professor Layton and the Curious Village,
Fallout 3,
EVE Online,
Sins of a Solar Empire,
Spore,
Mass Effect,
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning,
Grand Theft Auto IV,
It's a phrase that's been overused and misused to the point where it's vacant of any distinct meaning, but I'll go ahead and use it anyway;
this year was a good year for games. Publishers like
EA and
Ubisoft pushed out more quality titles than we've seen for years and new releases from acclaimed developers such as
Rockstar and
Valve shot up the charts.
With the continuing popularity of 'casual' gaming platforms such as Nintendo's
Wii and DS, gaming is appealing to a much larger audience, brought to realization over the Christmas period when the horde in gaming stores is no longer young men with their copy of the new
Call of Duty, but parents, children & grandparents, clutching
Lips and
Guitar Hero.
The NPD suggests that the growth in sales of video game software and hardware in the US between 2006 and 2007 reached 2.1 billion dollars. That's more than it's seen over a period of 8 years prior to 2006. The industry is growing, and it's going to keep on growing.
So yeah, I've played a lot of great games this year - picking favourites is hard. Deciding why they're your favourites is even harder, but here's my shot at it - in no particular order:
Me, posing for L4D reference shots
Left 4 Dead
With the advent of FPS' came a realization which has stuck with us for decades; shooting things in the face is fun. Multiplayer FPS' came along and we developed that realization a bit; shooting things in the face
with friends is fun.
So perhaps Valve didn't need to come up with such a brilliantly executed, entertaining, polished and well balanced game to keep me entertained. But they did anyway.
It's hard to put a finger on what makes this game what it is, whether it's the thrill of being charged by a horde of rampaging infected, the delight of running in to the group of desperate survivors as a boomer and vomiting all over them, or the fact that the co-operative play is so well designed that you are not only at the mercy of a thousand zombies, but of your friends too. It's a perfectly rounded package that's going to keep me coming back for years.
Professor Layton & The Curious Village
Only with blind luck shall I prevail!
Shooting things is all well and good, but there's an equally, if not more satisfying genre of gaming which is oft missed by seasoned 'gamers'; the puzzler. Professor Layton's entertaining adventure takes us through St. Mystere as he and his sidekick, Luke, attempt to solve its mysteries by talking to its inhabitants, who don't like to give up information before you help them solve a puzzle.
In a manner reminiscent of point and click adventure games, there are plenty of beautifully busy environments to click around to find their hidden secrets, puzzles range from easy to very taxing - giving me reason to pull out a pen and paper on more than one occasion - all brought together by an interesting and compelling storyline making for a great experience if you're looking for something new on your DS.
Note to self: Don't inquire about horse armour again.
Fallout 3
I'm a big
Fallout fan, so you might think I'd be huddled in a corner crying about how Bethesda stole its name and stuck it on an
Oblivion sequel. I'm not. I'm too busy exploring an epic wasteland dropping mini-nukes on super mutants, chatting with the inhabitants of Megaton and getting way too irradiated for my own good. Fallout 3 totally is 'Oblivion with Guns', and it rocks.
While the Oblivion engine is showing its age compared to that in free-roaming games like GTAIV and Far Cry 2 it's easy to look past thanks to the engaging characters, missions and overarching storyline which make it a thoroughly enjoyable and long-lasting game.
EVE Online: Empyrean Age & Quantum Rise
Yes, I know, EVE Online was release 5 years ago in 2003 - but
CCP's latest additions to the ever-expanding universe of New Eden, Empyrean Age and Quantum Rise give me a nice excuse to throw it in the mix.
In the grammatically correct words of the internet: "Pew, pew, lasergunz."
EVE Online, as the name suggests, is a sci-fi MMO which, in contrast to the typical MMO formula, is devoid of walking avatars and instead concentrates on a massive player driven economy, confining players to their spaceships. Everything in the universe is controlled by player corporations (the EVE equivalent of guilds), from the manufacturing of items and spaceships to be sold on the market, to the ownership of massive sections of space. As a result, you might log on one day to find the price of a certain ore has shot up due to a war between corporations in a distant part of space. It's all very exciting. The explosions are cool too.
"Gulp.", said Cpt. Picard.
Sins of a Solar Empire
One of the most overlooked titles of the year, Sins of a Solar Empire is a space-based RTS on an epic scale. Sins' slower pace provides a nice change from the typical RTS, supporting tactical thinking as opposed to twitch based micro-management so the game never feels formulaic, providing a different experience each time, even against AI.
Even though the game lacks a single player campaign (that's not to say single player skirmishes aren't great fun), as with most RTS', the gameplay really shines in multiplayer, whether you play cooperatively, or versus. The nature of the game means a single match can last many days, which is where the useful ability to save in-progress multiplayer games comes in handy. It's a game I've been coming back to over and over again and I still haven't hit the fleet size limit...
Spore 
Rated W for 'WTF?'
Perhaps a controversial choice, Spore was a letdown for many, so much hype, such little delivered. Just another 'The Sims' perhaps - exactly what EA and Maxis was planning for, no doubt. It's paid off - eclipsed only by
The Sims 2 and
World of Warcraft in PC sales charts, Spore has proven to be a massive seller. We'll be seeing expansions for many years to come - you have to hand it to EA and Maxis - they know how to breed a cash cow.
Personally, I think it's great. I love making stupid creatures and sending them out in to the wild. I enjoy terraforming planets in to a weird and wonderful shapes. I admire the amazing ease and power of the editors. I could spend all day making fat insectoids and making them dance. But I'm strange.
"Fancy bathroom..."
Mass Effect
I only bought it on the PC so for me, it was a 2008 release. Bioware have always been one of my all-time favourite developers - if there's anyone that can prove games can work as 'interactive fiction', it's the team that brought us
Knights of the Old Republic,
Jade Empire and
Neverwinter Nights. Mass Effect highlights this forté by bringing us yet another epic tale, this time with a third-person action twist.
From the moment I set foot in The Citadel (the games' main hub ship/city), I couldn't put this game down - it constantly feeds you new locations to explore, new side quests to unlock and a whole host of characters with unique and interesting personalities to talk to. The action is nothing special, but it doesn't need to be when the narrative is so strong.
Far Cry 2 
Shoot things, set things on fire, repeat.
Understandably, a lot of people hated this game, with it's large barren landscapes, constant attacks from hostiles (i.e. everyone) and repetive missions. I thoroughly enjoyed it. At the start of the game, after playing through an extended tutorial sequence, you are simply presented with a message telling you that your target is out there somewhere, find him. From then on, you take up missions from one of the two factions' leaders, or do side-quests for friends. Typically, these aren't anything special - find documents, destroy something, kill someone - the usual.
So why did I enjoy this game? Because no other game has matched the experience of driving through an enemy checkpoint, only to have them jump in a car resulting in an epic chase across beautiful African landscapes - often resulting in a knife fight as you dive out of your burning car to find your rusty guns have jammed. There's something about this drama that makes this game what it is - it was just great fun to play. Oh, and you can open the editor and make giant chains of explosives. Which is nice.
Apparently I unlocked the "Played too much Warhammer" achievement.
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
Why, you ask, is this MMO on my top games list, but not
Wrath of the Lich King? Warhammer may come across as 'just another WoW clone' - which it might be, to a certain degree - who wouldn't want a slice of the WoW pie? But it's more than that - it's taken the WoW formula and added more fun to it - epic battles to control keeps, great PvP combat and the best invention in any MMO ever, The Tome of Knowledge, the sole reason I haven't got much work done recently...
It's not perfect. Some mechanics and ideas are broken, it has some stability and performance issues, and there's a definite problem with zone and server balance - these can and no doubt will be fixed - hopefully before it loses too much momentum.
Grand Theft Auto IV 
Pedestrians + Taxi = Party
It's a 2008 top games list. How can I not include it? You've no doubt heard the praise the game has received all too many times. Rockstar have once again pushed the boundaries on what a free-roaming game can be, bringing Liberty City and its inhabitants to life right in front of your eyes as you complete missions, making friends, making enemies, and losing both. The exploration, drama and action all blend together in to an experience which is really hard to fault.
Honourable Mentions
The World Ends With You - Yet another compelling, intriguing world in a mini package.
Deadspace - Creepy, dark, gory, fun.
Rock Band 2 - It's more damn guitars 'n drums - which is so much fun with friends.
Prince of Persia - Beautiful visuals and smooth platforming brings this franchise back to where it should be.
Added by Dalai on Dec. 15, 2008
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This post relates to:
Media Molecule,
Gears of War 2,
Fallout 3,
Soul Calibur IV,
Shaun White Snowboarding,
Professor Layton and the Curious Village,
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots,
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures,
Rock Band 2,
Burnout Paradise,
Grand Theft Auto IV,
NHL 09,
Boom Blox,
LittleBigPlanet,
Left 4 Dead,
Michael Hollick,
Debi Mae West,
Kiefer Sutherland,
Jenny McCarthy,
World of Goo
So the VGAs... yeah. My thoughts on the winners.
- Studio of the Year (Media Molecule) - I was happy to see a newcomer like Media Molecule get the nod... well deserved.
- Best Shooter (Gears of War 2) - No quarrels here.
- Best RPG (Fallout 3) - It's not a pure RPG, but it was the best of the nominees.
- Best Fighting Game (Soul Calibur IV) - I would've gone with Super Smash Bros. Brawl... Snake and Sonic are much cooler than Yoda and Vader.
- Best Individual Sports Game (Shaun White Snowboarding) - Sure, whatever.
- Best Handheld Game (Professor Layton and the Curious Village) - This one was a toss-up... you can make a case for any of the 4 choices.
- Best Graphics (Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots) - I thought LittleBigPlanet was more pleasing on the eyes.
- Best Game Based on a Movie or TV Show (Lego Indiana Jones) - Meh, also whatever.
- Best Music Game (Rock Band 2) - High five, Alex Navarro!
- Best Driving Game (Burnout Paradise) - Probably the best choice for this category.
- Best Action Adventure Game (Grand Theft Auto IV) - No contest, in my opinion.
- Best Team Sports Game (NHL 09) - Sports games, eww.
- Best Soundtrack (Rock Band 2) - Seems unfair for a music game to win this, but it was the best.
- Best Xbox 360 Game (Gears of War 2) - Braid not nominated? That would've been my winner.
- Best Wii Game (Boom Blox) - Kind of a weird choice... Brawl or No More Heroes should've won and World of Goo should've been in the running.
- Best PlayStation 3 Game (LittleBigPlanet) - We're in agreement.
- Best PC Game (Left 4 Dead) - As long as it wasn't Spore, I was satisfied.
- Best Original Score (Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots) - My picks weren't even nominated so meh.
- Best Multi-player game (Left 4 Dead) - Seems like the clear choice.
- Best Performance by a Human Male (Michael Hollick as "Niko Bellic") - Best performance this generation, perhaps?
- Best Performance by a Human Female (Debi Mae West as "Meryl Silverburgh") - I guess, but I was pulling for Paula Tiso... awesome as Sylvia Christel.
- Big Name in the Game Male (Kiefer Sutherland as "Sgt. Roebuck") - Jack Bauer should win every year.
- Big Name in the Game Female (Jenny McCarthy as "Tanya") - If going by hotness, I would've gone with Eliza Dushku.
- Best Independent Game Fueled by Dew (World of Goo) - Hate the Dew, love World of Goo and was my choice, but Braid and Audiosurf deserve some praise.
So I ended up agreeing with many of the winners, even if some of the awards are bullshit (Big Name in the Game, Movie or TV Show Based Game.) Oh well, I'm hoping for a more legitimate awards ceremony instead of the celebrity asshatery that occurs.
So what awards matter to me the most? My personal game awards... coming in January!
Added by RenegadeSaint on Dec. 7, 2008
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This post relates to:
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway,
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES,
Chrono Trigger,
Ridge Racer 7,
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe,
Prince of Persia ,
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Welcome to The Haul.
So I know I said I'd be cutting back on my purchases, but there have been too many good deals to pass up lately. This Haul is a hefty size, but that's partly due to the Thanksgiving holiday stopping me from receiving a couple of packages that should've made last week's edition. Either way, I got some decent stuff this week.
On another note, I've been playing quite a bit of Professor Layton lately and I am really enjoying it, despite a few quirks. My biggest problem with it is the repetitive nature of solving all of the puzzles. I love a good brain teaser, but there's nothing else to do in the game. Yes, you're solving several mysteries in the process of playing through the game, but you don't really do anything to solve them; you just progress the story by solving riddles. I still recommend it, but if you dislike puzzles or feel dumb when you can't solve one, then this game is not for you. I'm also a little antsy to finish that game up so I can start another DS game, which you'll see down below...
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES Bundle (PS2) - New
- Price: $19.99
- Location: Amazon.
- Comments: I used to be a huge RPG fan and this game has received some amazing marks, piquing my interest. The FES version is bigger and better and this special package comes with the art book and original soundtrack that were released with the game's first run. In case you were wondering, the sleeve case is exactly the same as the one that came with the original release. Also, great price.
Chrono Trigger (DS) - New - Price: :( ... Still totally worth it.
- Location: Amazon.com
- Comments: Simply one of the greatest games ever created. I bought this in spite of already owning the original SNES version and the PS version (Final Fantasy Chronicles). I've beaten it more times than I can count and I will beat it again as soon as I finish Professor Layton. I am overjoyed to have this game sitting on my desk. :-D Also, I pre-ordered, so it came with a two track sampler soundtrack.
Prince of Persia Limited Edition (360) - New
- Price: :(
- Location: Amazon.com
- Comments: The game looks great and I wanted the LE, so I pre-ordered. It cost the same amount as the standard version, so it's understandably lacking in extra content. There is a nice sleeve cover and an extra disc containing a documentary and the music of the game.
Ridge Racer 7 (PS3) - New
- Price: $9.95
- Location: Amazon.com
- Comments: Cheap PS3 exclusive. Also, not a bad game.
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Kollector's Edition (360) - Price: $44.99
- Location: Amazon.com
- Comments: I'm not terribly interested in this game, so I was mostly just jumping at the price. I have heard a lot of good things, so I'll probably run through the single player and see how it is, but I don't see it lasting. This "Kollector's Edition" has some of the worst packaging I've ever seen (it's literally falling apart already) and the game disc is in a sleeve with the extras disc, so I can't put it out on my shelf. Also includes a comic book and lithograph.
- Recommendation: Do Not Buy
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Limited Edition (360) - New
- Price: $29.99
- Location: Newegg.com
- Comments: This game looks spectacular and I've been waiting for a price drop on the LE for a while now. Includes comic book, map, and Sgt. Matt Baker action figure.
`Nick
Added by Pepsiman on Dec. 3, 2008
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This post relates to:
No More Heroes,
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES,
Space Invaders Extreme,
Professor Layton and the Curious Village,
Grand Theft Auto IV,
Mega Man 9,
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4,
As you may have heard by now, we moderators have been asked to discuss the past year in games through the guise of a "best of" list. This year might not have been quite the hurricane of releases which made people reference 1998 again, but that doesn't mean this year's entrants were slackers. Since I'm somewhat constrained to a budget thanks to the wonders of being a college student, though, my exposure to this year's games was relatively limited. I didn't live under a rock, though, so even if finances prevented me from playing everything I would have liked, I still managed to spend good stretches of time with a number of this year's contenders. In addition, quality-wise, the games that made it aren't listed in any particular order, as doing that much is a tad difficult for the likes of me. But, having said that, an endorsement is an endorsement and the games here are ones I'd wholeheartedly reccomend you go and pick up.
2008: The Year of the Oddballs
Having played video games since the age of four, I've acquired somewhat eccentric tastes. Sure, I can enjoy a good round of public favorites such as Halo and Gears of War, but when it gets down to it, it's the games with quirk and spunk that I find myself drawn to. Sometimes they're successful at wearing their weirdness proudly and other times they aren't, but for 2008, I'm concerned only with the games that came out and did that successfully, making for a memorable experience. After all, it's only after a good amount of insanity that we can truly appreciate normalcy. And with that, let's proceed to break down this year's games through my eyes.
No More Heroes has its problems, make no mistake about it. It can get extremely repetitive and there are definitely some rough edges in a few of the game's more prominent features. But for every misstep it has, No More Heroes more than compensates for it with its great combat and superb sense of humor. The smart implementation of Wii controls make fighting a really visceral experience, especially due to its overly gory nature. It makes sure that combat is hardly a passive experience and manages to keep things fresh for the 12 hours or so spent beating the main campaign. As for the humor, much of the dialogue, vocal or otherwise, has Suda51's signature charm attached to it. But unlike much of the things attributed to him, No More Heroes' humor is actually rather accessible. You don't need to know about the otaku subculture in the anime world to still get a hearty laugh out of a voicemail regarded a tape containing footage of pillow-humping. That sort of stuff is just universal. Suffice it to say that No More Heroes has enough going for it that it is certainly worth the reduced price tag Ubisoft has been asking for it. It makes for one of the Wii's most definitive experiences, discarding the system's numerous stereotypes along the way.
What isn't there to love when a game can come with free toilet paper?
Persona 4 is nothing short of the swan song the PlayStation 2 deserves after seven years of being a really active console. For the most part, where Persona 3 went awry, Atlus went out of its way to eliminate such issues and, in the end, create an RPG that's even more recommendable. What you have is therefore a game whose battle system is accessible, yet deeply refined, along with a deeply introspective, original storyline with very human characters and a relationship system which is even more relevant than ever. I personally don't play a lot of Japanese RPGs out of a lack of interest, but this game has done a good job of showing me the genre at its very best. In short, Atlus has created one of the few games in my 14-year playing career that I actually fell in love with. I can't say for certain that it will bode as well for anybody else, but at least for me personally, Persona 4 is the game from 2008 I'll remember most fondly, and that's saying something when considering the remainder of this list.
This actually is and isn't what it seems simultaneously.
I admit it: despite the fact that I'm far too young to have ever been exposed to an actual Space Invaders arcade machine, I've played renditions of the original game for longer stretches of time than what would likely be considered sane. There's something about how something so basic actually represented technological limitations at its time that I find compelling. But I know that Space Invaders as a whole hadn't been relevant for a very long time, or at least not to the extent that the very first game ever was. That's where Space Invaders Extreme comes into play. It messes around with the underlining formula just enough to make the experience feel really new, but not to the extent where the franchise is mauled beyond recognition. It's a Space Invaders game indeed, but an awesome one at that. With an awesome soundtrack and, at least in the DS version, clever battles that take advantage of both screens, it's $20 that's very well spent. Much like its predecessor, Extreme has gotten a lot of love from me and then some, a sensation which few games ever manage to even remotely elicit at all.
Figuring out the method to the madness is half the fun of it all.
Professor Layton is a man who likes to make people's heads hurt. He might not know it since he happens to be a logic whiz himself, but he has a knack for getting himself and his partner into situations which can boggle the mind for good lengths of time, leaving it up to you to take care of the mess. Highly intellectual without being pretentiously frustrating, Professor Layton and the Curious Village is a game which knows how to make finding solutions a really gratifying experience. Unlike a lot of other games where puzzles are merely obstacles in the way of the protagonist, Layton's puzzles are an integral part of the plot. Solving them one by one unravels the plot more and more and this is made especially enjoyable thanks to an extremely colorful cast who are all very distinct in their own individual ways. The fact that the game is also extremely easy to get into for just for a few short bursts makes Professor Layton a game which complements the DS quite well. If nothing else, it's very efficient at killing time for you.
Level 5, despite being a Japanese studio, conveyed the rural European atmosphere superbly.
I don't have anything against mainstream games in particular, but if the introduction to this section is any indicator, it takes even more effort for them to make a lasting impression on me. After all, the huge releases, at times, can be crammed together into a small time frame, making it difficult to stop and smell the roses for an extended period of time without missing something else. Grand Theft Auto IV is thusly one of the few games which ensures that you don't regret stopping to smell those metaphorical roses, even if they are the only things whose scent you feel for some time to come. Indeed, the game has such a brilliant mixture of things that there aren't that many glaring weak spots at all. The story, for example, takes a giant progressive leap ahead of previous installments in the series by being both original and populated with humanized characters. Niko in particular is an enthralling persona as he's a guy who does bad things who isn't necessarily inherently evil himself. The gameplay is solid and Grand Theft Auto-esque, featuring smart refinements wherever necessary. The soundtrack is also, once again, really strong, with greatly-written talk radio stations to boot. As a whole, its legacy in the frachise will be at least as grandiose as previous entries, not because it revolutionizes much, but because it takes those previous revolutions and shows how to smartly expand upon them.
Nothing says "This game can be whimsically absurd" quite like moments where you make that helicopter fly even after losing the back half of it.
Yeah, it has bugs. And of this writing, it still has yet to get that patch which has been in the pipeline seemingly since the beginning of time. But if you can get past that, you'll find a game which has all of the charm of the developer's previous effort,
Alien Hominid, without nearly as much of the harshness. Whereas that game took a page or two from side-scrolling shooters such as Contra and Metal Slug, Castle Crashers opts to mirror the gameplay from the side-scrolling beat-em-ups you probably played excessively during the 90s. There isn't anything really all that innovative in there at all, but when considering that few games in the genre actually have all of their underlying mechanics work really well, Castle Crashers is fine. The real star of the show is probably
Dan Paladin's artwork, though. It's not the first time the world his seen his simplistic, yet hilarious style, but the game is still nonetheless a very good showcase of it. All of the visuals have a very unique personality and it's actually enough motivation to keep on playing the game just to see what sights will turn up next. Castle Crashers can still be a problematic game, but underlying its problems is a game whose brilliance can still shine through in some areas and manages to make it all still be fun nonetheless.
Even the cliche obstacle-ridden level has an edge of its own.
Mega Man 9 is a hard game. Very, very hard. Chances are high that your self-esteem will probably take a beating whilst playing it. But for me personally, Mega Man 9 is an ode to games of a previous age of games long deemed forgotten. I admit that I grew up on the Sega Genesis, a system which was prominent mainly after the 8-bit era's prime. But I still have a soft spot for the older games, or at least ones which haven't lost what made them special decades ago. Mega Man 9 is controversial in whether it actually achieves that, but I find that, for what I want out of it, it does. It provides new content under a very old skin and, for what that's worth, it does that very well. It's a combination which numerous games have tried over the years, but failed to do well. I admire the fact that
Inti Creates went out of its way to adhere to NES limitations and came out with a great game that could potentially belong in that intended generation. Harkening back to such an archaic period may not be everyone's taste, but I found that very idea to be a really fun one and with a low price of admission to boot, too.
Play smartly and you'll turn out okay in the end.
2008 was a great year for one and all, even those who are dollar-conscious like myself. Whether it was the "mature Wii game" everybody wanted in the form of No More Heroes, an epic crime drama as seen in Grand Theft Auto IV, or a grand throwback to the games of yore in the form of Mega Man 9 and Castle Crashers, 2008 had plenty of releases to satisfy nearly every taste imaginable. And, knowing my luck, there's still much more to play from this year which will actually end up defining my 2009 in games. If this year didn't turn out to be that great for you, then be glad there's always that horizon out there as developers work to bring out more games in the future. You don't do this stuff for as long as I have without knowing that the lulls are eventually resolved and the great times come back.
Until next time where I probably write something of a much less substantial length,
Pepsiman
Added by StevieQ on Nov. 30, 2008
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This post relates to:
Gears of War 2,
Fable II,
Surf's Up,
Professor Layton and the Curious Village,
Halo 3
Week of 23-11-08 to 30-11-08
Gamerscore: 5775 (+0)
Games Played: Gears of War 2 (X360)
Well, I didn't gain any Gamerscore, but then again I only played my Xbox one day this week.
I played a couple rounds of Gears yesterday, but I hit an absolute lagfest and quit. The multiplayer is marginally better after the update, but still brutally slow and frequently laggy. It's a great game, but the multiplayer is best played privately, with people who you know have good connections.
It snowed yesterday! Yay! It rained today! Yay! The snow's gone already! Yay... wait... that sucks.
The snow was beautiful. When I walk home from school I walk through a small forest that hasn't been developed. The snow was hanging off the tree branches, crystalline in the afternoon sun. I was the first to walk there, and the snow was completely undisturbed. Time almost seems to stand still after a fresh snowfall.
Now, it's all gone. The grass can be seen again and a thick slush covers the roads and sidewalks. It's gross.
I wrote two reviews this week. Read'em, ignore'em, whateva:
Fable II review
Surf's Up review
That's all. If you see me online this week (which you will), I'll likely be playing Lost Odyssey, The Orange Box, or Gears 2.
Oh, and two more reviews are due out this week.One for Professor Layton and the Curious Village should be done by tommorrow, and one for Halo 3 should be up by next weekend.
Merry gaming!
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