Going back over the year thus far.
By Hailinel 19 Comments
It's been quite the year for games so far. Though it's still a while before I can start thinking about 2010 as a whole, I thought I'd take a little time to organize my thoughts and hopefully keep some of what's already happened fresh in mind when the still-to-come holiday onslaught hits. Heck, I may very well have already played my game of the year. I just don't know it yet.
Fight, Fight, Fight!
It has been a hell of a year for fighting games so far. Putting aside the announcements of games to come like Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and the double-decker sandwich of Street Fighter Peanut Butter and Tekken Chocolate, the genre revival is still going strong. Super Street Fighter IV is, of course, a bigger, better, and more Korean edition of last year's Street Fighter IV, and more power to it for that. I wish I could say my interest in SSFIV was high, but after burning through single-player a few times and a few attempts at online, I fell back into the malaise of "I know this game is awesome. I just have no interest in playing it." At least, certainly not online. Street Fighter is a game I always associated with people crowded around arcade machines or couches, taking turns, and generally having a good time. The online experience is just lacking, and getting post-match hate mail isn't my idea of good fun.
And most recently, there's BlazBlue: Continuum Shift. Sure, the roster is still pretty small, especially compared to a game like Super Street Fighter IV. But the style and pace of the average BlazBlue fight is something I find more entertaining. The characters and their fighting styles are more diverse. You don't have an army of so-called shoto-clones all jumping in with fireballs, uppercuts, and a flying/twirling kick of some sort. And the story is by far the most thought out and meaningful I've ever seen in a fighting game. That's right, scoff if you want. The characters are actual characters, even if they do revel in tropes and stereotypes. The game doesn't restrict itself to "beat eight dudes, see ending." The narrative actually fleshes out characterization and motivations, and it does so in an entertaining way that refuses to take itself too seriously. And the narrative even has branches that veer from the canon paths, leading to some of the most ridiculous moments I've seen in a game all year. Noel's bad ending, in which she's berated by Kokonoe for getting the bad ending is glorious. My god, if only Street Fighter had this much personality.
I Don't Believe This.
Yes, that is my biggest gripe with this game. Not the plot holes. Not the at-times awkward and tedious button commands. Not even the awkward English language dialogue. Those eggs are missing their carton, David Cage, and I have been pulled out of your fiction. For shame.
Turn Left. No, Left. Left! Damn It.
Sands of Destruction was a game I had been anticipating for quite a while. It has an intriguing premise, in that the player controls a group of adventurers out to ostensibly save the world by destroying it. It also has a combat system inspired by a portion of the design team's previous experience on Xenogears. Unfortunately, the plot falls apart, and the combat system becomes so comically broken that winning some of the later boss fights comes down to whether or not the player has the opportunity to act first. So yeah, there's a lot of things wrong with that game, and it was a huge disappointment. But of all the ridiculous crap that the game throws at the player, I found nothing as aggravating as the Chamber of Knights; a large room in an abominable puzzle dungeon in which the player must hit an exact sequence of teleporters in order to reach the exit. I wandered around in there for four hours before I had to finally give in and use a FAQ.
Wait. What Are You Complaining About?
So apparently, I exist in a vast minority that didn't have a problem with the way Final Fantasy XIII was structured. Yeah, the game is a mostly straight path from start to finish, but so was Final Fantasy X. And while it does take a while before combat really opens up, I didn't find the game to be the thirty hours of tutorial that people have moaned about, either. Those first twenty hours or so were particularly driven by the story, and frankly, I was glad that the game took its time with certain things. It made it all the more sweeter when I reached that point where I finally had my full party and numerous limitations were lifted. That, and the combat in the game is legitimately challenging. Pressing X to select "Fight" over and over again isn't a valid option here unless you like hearing the Game Over music.Also, I liked the story and characters; even the supposedly obnoxious ones like Vanille and Hope. Hey, teen angst is justifiable when you watch your mom die and then have to travel around with the boisterous jackass responsible. Who wouldn't be in a pissy mood after that?
It's So Dramatic, It's Traumatic!
Seriously, Those Shoes Do NOT Go With That Dress.
Don't worry, kid. You'll grow out of it.
But anyway, Style Savvy. I actually learned a bit in playing this game. I'm not what one would consider the most fashion-conscious. I'm not some clueless rube that wears polka-dot shirts with plaid pants, but I'm not exactly what someone would call stylish. So when I see all the types of fashions and garments that the game has to offer and then asks me to put them together in a way that's fetching to the eyes, I take it as a challenge, and hey, I made some pretty darn good ensembles, let me tell ya. Also, the flamboyance that some of the major NPCs display is exquisite. This game not only taught me some things about style, it has style of its own. Not bad. Not bad at all.
And Now, I Shall Heal You By Shooting Myself In The Face.
What I'm not sad about, however, is the inclusion of the female protagonist. Her presence breathes new life into a game that's already been released twice on the PS2, and some of the game's more legendary events like Operation Babe Hunt change significantly when she's around (or not around, as the case may be). Still, in replaying the game, I'm reminded of the notion that the list of prerequisites to becoming a SEES member resembles something like this:
- Are you able to experience the Dark Hour? Y/N
- Do you have the potential to summon a Persona? Y/N
- Do you have a burning desire to stab at least one other member of SEES in the back? Y/N
A fun-loving bunch of cuddles, SEES is.
To Infinity, And Some Other Place!
Of course, there's still several months before the end of the year. The number of games I have left to look forward to is actually pretty small. Metroid: Other M is my top priority and a game I've been eager to play all year. I'm also looking forward to getting my mass slaughter on in games like Samurai Warriors 3, Dead Rising 2, and Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage. And then there's all the random surprises that could end up striking my fancy when I least expect it. I hope the rest of the year manages to keep the pace I've experienced so far. A few bumps in dungeon cartography aside, it's been great.And now, I leave you all with a complete-out-of-context Youtube clip.
Until next time!