To be honest, there wasn’t a ton of gaming this week. I was out of town for the weekend, which is when a lot of my gaming typically happens, but I did get some in during the week. For starters, we tried pushing into Act II Inferno on Diablo III a little bit, and actually made some progress (we’re roughly halfway through the act now). Said progress came an inch at a time, and involved a lot of running away from the more absurd mobs, but progress is progress. Can’t argue with that. Oh, the real money auction house also came online last week. I think it’s kind of crazy, and don’t plan on spending any money on it, but I’m interested to see the kind of economy that comes out of it. Now if only those stupid spam bots would stop sending me friend requests...

Anyway, we’ll keep chipping away at Diablo III as best we can. Otherwise I spent more time with my new 3DS playing Pushmo and Super Mario 3D Land. For me, Pushmo is the system’s breadwinner so far. I’ve done about 100 puzzles (I think there’s around 250 total), and the progression of the game is silky smooth. The puzzles come at a snappy pace, and they continually introduce new scenarios in a way that keeps it fresh. I would actually place Pushmo alongside other good puzzles like sudoku or Picross, and I have a feeling Pushmo is going to become the 3DS’ version of Picross DS for me. I kept going back to that for years, picking up and playing a quick puzzle or two whenever I felt like it, and Pushmo feels similar. There’s a simplicity to the basic idea (push/pull blocks to climb to the top) that makes it easy to just jump right in, but enough nuance and little details that give it a lot of lasting appeal. In other words, Pushmo is totally awesome.

I also played some Super Mario 3D Land, though not as much as I would have liked. I’ve finished the first two and a half worlds, which more or less serve to introduce a lot of the game’s mechanics. I’ve heard that the game starts slow but eventually ramps up, which seems accurate so far. Still, I’ve definitely enjoyed what I’ve played. Every time I play a Mario game I’m constantly reminded how good Nintendo is at making them. They just feel right. The responsiveness of the controls, the pacing and variety, the level design; when the big N brings it they can still knock it out of the park, and Mario 3D Land looks to be no exception. The 3D Mario games (I’m talking the Mario 64 kind of 3D here, not the Avatar kind) in particular have always grabbed me. Stuff like New Super Mario Bros. is fine, but can get kind of old after a while. I’m not sure exactly why it is, but the series’ 3D installments always feel fresher to me, and seem to present a lot more interesting ideas.

I haven’t necessarily seen a ton of that yet in Mario 3D Land, but the framework is there. There’s a lot of openness to the game’s big levels, and they do a good job of rewarding you for exploring the little nooks and crannies. The main way this comes into play are the three big coins hidden in each level. A few of those have already been a little tricky, and I’m sure they get even more so later on. I think they add a lot to the game; unlike a lot of collectibles they are used to highlight the game's tougher challenges. They're more than a simple photo hunt. There’s also a fun selection of suits both new and old, with the tanooki suit being the highlight. I also think it’s hilarious that a lot of the enemies have tanooki tails, from goombas to bullet bills to even Bowser himself. It seems like the sub-theme of the game, which is kind of rad.

I’m sure I’ll have more to say on Mario as I get into the meat of it, but that’s a quick first impression. I may or may not have much time for gaming this coming week; I’m getting ready for a big trip to the UK! But what time I do have will probably be spent on the same trio of games. The Civilization V expansion, Gods & Kings does come out this week, and I’m really looking forward to that, but I might save it until after my trip. We’ll see. That’s going to do it for now though, until next time!

Currently playing: Pushmo, Super Mario 3D Land, Diablo III

To the Moon: Main Theme

To the Moon has an absolutely beautiful soundtrack, and the Main Theme is easily among the highlights. The instrumentation is effective in its simplicity (I’ve always loved pianos), and conjures up some gorgeous chords that perfectly capture the game’s emotional journey. It does a great job of pulling at your heartstrings in all the right ways at all the right times. To the Moon’s pinnacle moments wouldn’t be nearly as memorable without the wonderful themes that accompany them, and the Main Theme punctuates the entire experience marvelously.

Okami: Shinshu Plains

I simply adore Okami’s soundtrack, and the theme for Shinshu Plains is one of my personal favorites. It’s the perfect song for an adventure this grand, as it has a tone that’s at once epic and majestic. The omnipresent beat that drives the song provides a solid foundation as it bounces back and forth between a solitary melody and a busier concoction of flutes, strings and horns. This dynamic seems to cover all the highs and lows that you would experience on such an epic journey, and it complements Okami’s colorful world incredibly well. I can’t imagine a better theme for one of gaming’s purest adventures than the one from Shinshu Plains.

Final Fantasy VIII: Liberi Fatali

Final Fantasy VIII has one of the most famous openings in gaming, and that is in no small part due to the epic song that accompanies it, Liberi Fatali. The Latin chorus kicks off the song in dramatic fashion, and remains the heart of the song throughout. The drum snares add a slight military vibe, one that’s prevalent throughout the entire game, and the rest of the orchestration comes together to create an awesome action theme (something the game's soundtrack does well in general). Liberi Fatali not only makes the opening scene that much more intense and memorable, but also serves as a strong overview to Final Fantasy VIII on the whole, and remains one of gaming’s most iconic themes.

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I finally did it, I finally took the plunge. I am now the proud owner of a Nintendo 3DS. I’ve known for a while that I was going to get one, but I decided to wait until E3 was over to see if there would be any 3DS related announcements (price drop, hardware revision, etc.). I didn’t expect any, and it seems my instincts were dead on. Thus, the time felt right. I just got it yesterday, so I haven’t spent that much time with it. I spent an hour or so just fiddling with it at first; it’s a slick system. The “dashboard” interface is smooth, and getting online and browsing the shop is quick and easy. The 3D also looks great, the circle pad feels better than I thought it would, and the system is comfortable to hold. Overall I’m really impressed with the hardware and system design after a few hours.

Now it’s time to dig into the software. The system came with a few little things already on it, like Face Raiders and the AR Games. They’re dumb, but I guess that’s also kind of the point, to be silly little freebies to waste a few minutes on. As for software that I actually bought, that would be Super Mario 3D Land (still think it should be called Super Mario Land 3D) and Pushmo. I haven’t played Mario yet, but I did play through a few dozen puzzles in Pushmo. That game is pretty awesome. Intelligent Systems has always been one of my favorite developers, and their talent comes through in Pushmo. It’s a seemingly simple block pushing/pulling puzzle game that ends up showing off a lot of creativity and variety, and I can see how it will probably end up getting pretty devious later on. In other words, easy to learn, hard to master. I’m looking forward to playing more of that, and also to diving into Mario, which I’ve heard good things about.

Anyway, most of the week wasn’t spent on the 3DS. It was spent on things like Diablo III and The Walking Dead. I won’t ramble much about Diablo anymore, since I’ve done enough of that over the past few weeks. Just a quick update: we’re now at the start of Act II on Inferno. And yes, the reports of a giant difficulty spike between Acts I and II on Inferno are completely true. Blizzard actually says they’re going to adjust the difficulty in a patch, which will be nice. I thought Act I was tough without being too ridiculous, and if they adjust Act II towards that then it will feel good. Right now it’s just kind of silly in a way that encourages stupid, desperate, cheesy tactics. It’s not much fun, so I might take it easy on that until the patch comes out (they said later this month, but it’s Blizzard, so who really knows).

Ultimately, however, Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead was the highlight of the week. I played the first episode (which was pretty short), and I really liked it. Like my favorite adventure games, the writing is sharp (there were one or two really good heart-tug moments) and it has a dynamic cast of characters, ones I presume will end up being pretty memorable. I say “presume” because this first episode was so short that I didn’t really have time to get attached to anyone yet. That’s the main reason why I debated on waiting until all five episodes were out before playing, but it is what it is. As such, all I can really say is that it got off to a good start, and I hope they keep it up. The pairing of Lee and Clementine in particular seems to be setting up a touching dynamic, and I’m interested to see where all of these characters’ stories go.

The actual gameplay is a pretty standard point-and-click style adventure game setup, which is perfectly capable at getting the job done. Rather than solving a lot of puzzles, however, the interaction focuses primarily on having you make various choices, usually along the lines of siding with one character over another. The main ways this manifests itself is in multiple scenarios where two people are getting attacked by zombies, and you can only save one of them. Those scenes are kind of neat, but I also found them to not be as gripping as they could; I need to spend more time with these characters before I can care that much about them. If they continue to build up these characters throughout all five episodes, however, then I definitely see the potential for some really great moments. Especially if the writing stays this solid.

Who knows when the next episode will come out. I thought it was supposed to be out by now, but no luck there. Otherwise I’ll probably be spending more time with my 3DS this week, and will mess with Diablo as I feel like it. And that will do it for now, until next time!

Currently playing: Pushmo, Super Mario 3D Land, Diablo III

Shadow of the Colossus: To the Ancient Land

One of my favorite things about the Shadow of the Colossus soundtrack is how it successfully bounces back and forth between the extremes. It has tons of great, intense battle themes and an equally impressive suite of quiet, introspective ones. To the Ancient Land is perhaps my favorite among the later, as its peaceful combination of flutes, vocals and strings produce some truly beautiful chords. It also has a subtly epic feel to it that fits perfectly with the game’s grand, majestic world, making To the Ancient Land a fitting preface to this larger than life adventure.

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP: The Prettiest Weed

Indie games have really been nailing their soundtracks lately, and Sword & Sworcery is no exception. It’s a funky soundtrack to accompany a funky game, and The Prettiest Weed is one of my favorite tracks on it. It opens with a few solitary piano notes, and quickly layers in a steady drum beat along with the main melody. It has a head bobbing pace to it that complements the game’s simple adventuring nature, yet the sounds produced by the main melody are psychedelic enough to accurately represent the game’s slightly “out there” vibe. That’s what makes Sword & Sworcery such a memorable game, and its soundtrack is equally so.

Persona 3: The Battle for Everyone’s Souls

The Battle for Everyone’s Souls is a fantastic final boss theme, and is a big part of what made Persona 3’s final fight so memorable to me. It hits hard and fast, and never lets up for the duration of this demanding encounter. It jumps out of the gate with some heavy guitar riffs, and quickly ups the pace as it transitions to the song’s primary melody. This lets you know up front that you’re in for a tough fight, but it also does well to supplement its guitars with some effective piano and vocal work. The vocals in particular stand out, reciting an epic rendition of the Velvet Room theme that only ups the energy level. The Battle for Everyone’s Souls remains one of my personal favorite final boss themes, and provides a great finish to a lengthy, exciting JRPG.

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This week was a little all over the place. Diablo III remains the primary focus, and we’ve ventured forth into Hell difficulty. As of now my Witch Doctor is level 57 and we’re near the end of Act II on Hell. It’s nice to finally be challenged; Normal and Nightmare were both way too easy. It’s kind of ridiculous to be forced to play through a game twice just to get a decent challenge. Then again, the Diablo franchise is built on repetition, so it makes some kind of sense. That doesn’t mean I like it, and my biggest complaint about the entire game is how repetitive and grindy it can be. I expected that going in, and I’ve been good about pacing myself and not burning out, but I still wonder if it will get to the point where it’s just too much. If I have to grind for 20+ hours just to get decent gear for Inferno, after having played through the game three times already, that would probably be the breaking point. I’ll take it as I go though.

Anyway, Hell can be quite the challenge. Regular mobs and bosses are still pretty easy, but the elite mobs can occasionally be kind of brutal. In addition to the standard damage and health buffs, they also now get three different modifiers. They’re randomized from a wide variety of abilities, such as reflecting damage, teleporting or dropping pools of fire on the ground. Some combinations of these can be rough; restricting your movement while placing hazards under you is particularly nasty. Most of my play group has had to fiddle with our builds to account for the increased difficulty. I’ve become attached to two skills in particular: Zombie Bears and Spirit Walk. Zombie Bears is pretty much what it sounds like, and just deals tons of damage to a tightly packed group. Spirit Walk, on the other hand, is a great “get out of jail” card. I can use it to evade a lot of attacks and moves that would restrict my movement, and I can’t count the number of times it’s saved my life. It’s invaluable as far as I’m concerned.

So Diablo III keeps rolling, and I’m still really enjoying it. Otherwise I’ve been playing a haphazard selection of other games, including finishing both Magicka and Trials Evolution. “Finished” might be a bit of a stretch for Trials. I’ve done as much as I’m going to do, which involves unlocking the Extreme tier of tracks (which required getting a whopping 135 medals) and beating the first of those tracks. It only took me 292 faults too! I had stayed pretty reasonable with my fault count until then (almost always single digits), but that tier is a big step up. I was actually really disappointed when I hit 250 faults and it told me I only had 250 faults remaining. Even if it's a high number, why would they limit the number of faults you’re allowed at all? That’s just lame. Finishing the track is hard enough, and if (like me) you don’t care about your score, why should you be cut off after X number of deaths? That was a bummer, and a little frustrating seeing as at least 100 of those faults were burned on literally the last jump of the track. I wouldn’t have been a happy camper if I had been forced to redo the entire track again at that point.

Fortunately I got it done, and promptly decided that was enough Trials for me. I don’t really know what to make of it overall. I can kind of see the appeal, but I also just don’t think it’s as good as other similarly tough games such as N or Super Meat Boy. Maybe it’s just a personal taste thing, but as I described last week the learning curve, pacing and level design just didn’t sit right with me. It does control well though, so I do give it props there. I also don’t really know what to make of Magicka either, which we finally finished after weeks of it being on the backburner (mainly thanks to Diablo III). It was a fun game for a while, but got really tedious near the end. The joy of fiddling with the different elements and combining spells wore off about halfway through for me, and the later levels were a drag. The movement and spellcasting aren’t quite snappy or responsive enough to provide the control you really want in sticky situations, which the last few levels made abundantly clear. I felt like we snuck though a handful of spots by basically cheesing the game, which is never the most satisfying feeling.

Still, Magicka isn’t terrible, and is an okay co-op game if for no other reason than the sheer insanity of it. It has some neat ideas, but it doesn’t do the best job at keeping them interesting for the entire game; it just lost steam. Finally, to top it all off I played Botanicula in its entirety yesterday. That’s a cool little game, all three or so hours of it. I really appreciated the length actually, especially since it came with an appropriate $10 price tag. It’s a pretty simple point-and-click adventure, a genre that I tend to run hot and cold with, and Botanicula is one of the good guys. It’s absolutely bursting with charm and personality, is paced well and has some clever puzzles. It expertly rewards poking around and interacting with stuff, and the puzzles never quite get so obscure to be frustrating (though a few got dangerously close).

Botanicula also looks and sounds great. I love its funky style, and the sounds effects crack me up. Most of them sound like the developers just reeled off a bunch of silly noises and stuck them in the game. It’s a big part of the game’s goofy charm. It turns out I’m a fan of goofy, so I really liked the game, and would recommend it to anyone in the market for a fun three hour point-and-click adventure game. Anyway, I’ve gone on long enough. Next week will surely involve more Diablo III, and I should finally start on The Walking Dead. I’ve been tempted to just put that off until all five episodes are out, but I think I’ll go ahead and do them one at a time. And that’s going to be all for now, until next time!

Currently playing: Diablo III, The Walking Dead

This past week was, unsurprisingly, a lot more Diablo III. We finished the game on Normal late last weekend, and have continued to push forward into Nightmare difficulty, which hasn’t felt like a huge step up to be honest. A few of the elite mobs can get a little tricky, but it’s still been pretty easy (Normal was incredibly easy). As of the time I write this we just finished Act III on Nightmare, and my Witch Doctor is level 50. This playthrough has actually been much faster than the first, since we’re skipping all the dumb story stuff. We’re just going.

Speaking of, I do find the story to be pretty dumb. Then again, I didn’t care for the stories in the previous games any more than this one. There’s about three or four actual “characters”, all of which have little to no personality, and the plot can basically be summarized into “Hey guys Diablo’s back, kill him!” (spoilers?). That’s not as reductive as you might think either. I tend to prefer character driven stories, and that’s just not Diablo. It doesn’t bother me though, as I don’t come to this series for great storytelling, and what’s there isn’t intrusive enough to be annoying. It just kind of sits on the periphery, not really adding or subtracting anything from the game. The cut scenes look great though; this is Blizzard after all.

Anyway, everything else about it is still good. We’re getting to the point where it actually matters what gear we have, and what skills we’re using to some extent. I’ve been fiddling around with different builds and stuff, and it’s fun to experiment with it all. I’ve discovered some new favorites, and still don’t really get what purpose some of my skills serve. Maybe some of them are better in single player, who knows. That’s really all I have to add to last week’s Diablo III thoughts for now. We’ll keep playing and I’ll keep updating as we do. I’m still really enjoying it, and still looking forward to the higher difficulties.

Otherwise I picked up Trials Evolution and have been playing that during Diablo downtimes. I just completed the A License Test and got the last bike (I think?). I’ve been enjoying the game overall, but I do think there are a few wonky things about it. First, the game doesn’t do the best job at teaching you the more nuanced maneuvers you can pull off. Often times when I have trouble with a spot I feel like there’s some key thing I’m missing, some way of shifting my guy a certain way to make him take a jump or a hill better. In a technically demanding game, it’s always nice to have as much information as possible available up front. In Trials I feel like I have to keep beating my head against the wall until something eventually clicks.

In addition, some of the levels have environmental effects that mess with you as you’re driving, which I find incredibly annoying. For example, one level shoots large streams of water at you while you’re driving, which pushes your guy all around. To me this adds more trial and error to the game, as you can’t really prepare for these things until you’ve seen them at least once. Even then it’s not always super clear how they affect you, and it’s just another layer of not being properly prepared. I tend to like technically demanding games (Super Meat Boy being a great recent example), but the ones I like tend to have one thing in common: transparency. It’s always clear what you’re supposed to do and how you’re supposed to do it; the challenging part is then actually pulling it off. The harder levels of Trials are still challenging to pull off even once you know what to do, but getting to that point is an extra layer that feels counterproductive to me.

That being said, Trials does control very well, and I do really like the challenge it offers. There’s a real “touchy feely” aspect to the physics as you lean forward and backwards, which leaves a lot of room for finesse and improvement; I bet there are some amazing Trials players out there. I don’t really care for the silly minigames, but I have been enjoying most of the normal races. I’ll keep rolling with that, and I’m also wanting to play The Walking Dead at some point (the second episode should be out soon, right?). But that’s going to be all for now, until next time!

Currently playing: Diablo III, Trials Evolution, Magicka?

God of War: Vengeful Spartan

For all the awesome songs that are on the God of War soundtrack, I’ve always considered Vengeful Spartan to more or less be the main theme for the game, if not the entire franchise. It sets the tone for the series perfectly, with its meaty horns and manly vocals simulating the barbaric violence these games are known for. Just as impressive is how the rest of the instrumentation and chords manage to evoke an ancient Greek vibe. God of War is best defined by both its brutality and its setting, and Vengeful Spartan nails it on both fronts.

World of Goo: Ode to the Bridge Builder

There are so many great songs on the World of Goo soundtrack, but perhaps none of them capture the game’s adventurous spirit quite like Ode to the Bridge Builder. The song mostly consists of a single trumpet backed up by a marching drum beat, while backup vocals in the second half give it an extra layer of epicness. Combine that with the song’s nonchalant pace and it makes me think of a solitary and confident traveler setting off on an adventure, ready to tackle whatever comes his or her way. World of Goo certainly throws plenty of challenges at you, and Ode to the Bridge Builder is a great song to tackle them to.

Demon’s Souls: Main Theme

Believe it or not, this song was one of the original inspirations for doing this blog series. Demon’s Souls’ Main Theme is raw, chilling and suffocating, not unlike the game itself. The opening drum beats are hollow and isolated, representing how lost and alone you can often feel while playing. As the song progresses the tempo starts to ramp up, and some truly unnerving vocals take center stage. This is the song starting to get its hooks in you; it has a nervous energy about it, and it just keeps pressing harder and harder until it reaches a fever pitch. Demon’s Souls is an engrossing game with thick, oppressive atmosphere. Listening to this theme immediately sucks me right back into that world, and all the exciting moments that come with it.

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Have you heard? Diablo III came out this week! I’ve been playing it! But yeah, Diablo III is pretty fun, and I say that as someone who didn’t really care much for Diablo II. I remember playing through the original Diablo way back when it came out and thought it was fine, and then tried my hardest to enjoy Diablo II. It just didn’t happen. I’ve never been the world’s biggest loot lust guy (which is still true), I’m a bit of a completionist, and I played Diablo II purely single player. I think all of these things combined to cause me to burn out on the game well before its end. It was always in Act III too. I hated that damn forest; what a grind.

Anyway, I’ve been much smarter about the way I’m playing Diablo III, and it’s led to me liking it a lot more so far. Rule number one is that I’m not playing it single player at all. A handful of friends have the game, and I’m simply not playing if they’re not on. This was a lesson I learned from Borderlands, that other loot lust game. I loved Borderlands, but it was also mind numbingly dull whenever I played it by myself (which I practically never did). That was my main problem with Diablo II, so I’m taking that lesson to heart. Otherwise I’m just not worrying about stuff overly much. I don’t need the best gear, I don’t need to see every class, I don’t need to explore every inch of the map, etc. Those are some of my completionist tendencies that can lead to extreme burnout, and I’m keeping that stuff in check.

It also helps that I think Diablo III is a better game than its predecessor. Micromanaging the little tasks (stash, blacksmith, socketed gear, reviving, potions, etc.) is way less tedious than what I remember, and the way the skills have been revamped is absolutely fantastic. I love knowing that I’ll unlock every skill just from leveling, and can switch them around on the fly as I want. It makes me want to experiment more rather than be overly concerned with min-maxing, because I know I’m never making irreversible choices. That they’ve then managed to offer a ton of different skills that still allow you to customize your character in countless different ways is pretty impressive. And it’s not like there won’t be room for number crunching and min-maxing my skills at some point (likely after I hit the level cap). It’s just that by letting me try all of the skills without having to blindly commit points to a skill tree, I’m better able to make informed decisions. It lets me build the character I want to build without having to start over from scratch if I make a bad choice. Combining accessibility and depth; that’s what it’s all about.

Those skills are doled out at a great pace as well, and I feel pretty comfortable and knowledgeable of each and every one of my skills just by fiddling with new ones as I unlock them. To me, this is the real draw for playing Diablo III. I know everyone gets really into finding better loot, but I find the actual skills much more interesting. Loot is just higher numbers and more DPS; skills change the way you play. That doesn’t mean it’s not exciting when I find new awesome gear. I’m just not the kind of person to farm a boss over and over in hopes of an upgrade. I’m more excited to hit the level cap, thus unlocking all the skills, and fiddling with different character builds. I’d really like to dig into that stuff, and hopefully come up with something cool to try and tackle Inferno mode with.

Right now though, I’m at level 31. I’m playing a Witch Doctor, named Jimarcus. He’s awesome. I’ve seen a lot of polls along the lines of “What class did you choose in Diablo III?” Every one of them has shown the Witch Doctor to be the least played class, which I don’t get. I mean, I can summon giant spiders, explosive frogs, and eventually zombie bears. I’m not going to lie; I chose the class because I saw it had a skill called “Snake to the Face”. Pure gold. I’ve not been disappointed either, as the Witch Doctor has plenty of incredibly goofy looking skills that also get the job done, which is what I signed up for. Maybe most people take their Diablo too seriously or something. As for me, I’ll never get tired of hearing Jimarcus scream as he hurls frogs at giant demons.

Pretty much everything else you probably already know. The Diablo formula is well established by now. In fact, excluding the skill related stuff I mentioned above, I’m continually reminded of how similar this game is to Diablo II. The enemies, the characters, the setting, the story beats, the general progression; it’s all super familiar at this point. The Diablo series is basically a thinly veiled excuse to get you hunting “dat phat lewts” at this point, defined by 2 simple steps: 1. Stay awhile and listen. 2. Diablo’s back, kill him again! It’s simple, it’s silly, but it’s fine. The game is generally executed well enough on pretty much every front for me to be okay with that. It’s got snappy pacing, looks and sounds great, and has enough interesting stuff going on to be a fun time. I’ll of course keep rolling with that, and am sure I’ll have more to say on it next week. Maybe we’ll find some time to finish Magicka sooner or later as well. Anyway, that’s all for now, until next time!

Currently playing: Diablo III, Magicka

Uncharted franchise: Nate’s Theme

When I think of the Uncharted games, I primarily think of fun, action filled adventures driven by a lovable cast of endearing characters. That’s a lot of what I get out of the series’ primary theme song, Nate’s Theme, as well. The rolling drums and bold horns certainly speak of high adventure, and the strings give a nice touch that hints at the series’ more subtle, character driven moments. The pacing of the song dips up and down to great effect, and some of the chords are quite beautiful. A great theme for a great series.

Advance Wars: Dual Strike: Tag Power

I really like a lot of the music from the Advance Wars series, with each CO having their own awesome, catchy theme. Dual Strike’s Tag Power theme is kind of my guilty pleasure among them. Every time I activated a tag power I couldn’t resist cranking up the volume for this song. It harnesses all the energy and personality that defines the series’ tone, and cranks it up to 11. That it accompanies the most thrilling moments of gameplay only adds to the excitement, and this is one of those songs that never fails to put a smile on my face.

Final Fantasy IX: You’re Not Alone

You’re Not Alone is one of the pinnacle tracks on Final Fantasy IX’s fantastic soundtrack. It begins with a steady beat accompanied by a low hum. It's a nice contrast to the quiet melody that soon kicks in, and this melody continues to get more prominent as the song goes on. Forceful drums step in to supplement the the main beat, and something akin to an electric guitar take over the song’s melody, along with even more chanting. By constantly layering in more instruments and melodies, You’re Not Alone produces a dramatic buildup that punctuates one of the game’s most dramatic scenes, and also sounds pretty darn awesome on its own.

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This week I played through Enslaved: Odyssey to the West from start to finish. It wasn’t a long game, but I definitely enjoyed it overall. The highlight has to be the animations, particularly the faces. I know this game came out in a pre-L.A. Noire world, but in some ways its facial animations are just as good, if not even better. They don’t have that weird disconnect from the rest of the body that the L.A. Noire faces do, and are almost as lifelike at the same time. It’s impressive stuff.

In fact, the game as a whole looks pretty great, and I really enjoyed the lush, colorful environments. I found the world at large pretty engaging, and liked seeing all the different sights and sounds it had to offer. The game has its own unique atmosphere, which I always appreciate, and uses it to tell an interesting story in its own subtle way. Enslaved is not a game that shoves its story and ideas down your throat; it’s more inclined to let its characters lead the way, and let you take from it what you will. I generally prefer character driven stories in games, and it helps that Enslaved’s characters are as likable as they are (even if they can be a bit stereotypical at times). There are really only two characters, Monkey and Trip, which lets the game focus on them a lot rather than focus on many different characters a little bit each. I felt like I got to know them pretty well as a result, and found their constant back and forth to be genuine and appealing. By contrast, I didn’t like Pigsy at all, who joined the cast for the last third of the game. He was an awful attempt at a comic relief character, and introduced a dumb, weird side story that I would have prefered to do without.

Anyway, constantly following the two primary characters reminded me of the 2008 Prince of Persia in some ways, both as a storytelling device and as a gameplay template. Monkey and Trip work together to get through areas, with Trip providing intel and often acting as a button pusher/door opener, while Monkey of course provides the muscle. He’s also extremely acrobatic (like the Prince), so there’s plenty of “platforming” thrown into the mix as well. I put platforming in quotes because it barely qualifies. The game literally won’t let you jump if it would lead to your death, so I just ended up spamming the jump button during platforming segments as I rotated the joystick around, which proved to be the fastest, most efficient way to get through these parts. It’s basically on autopilot, and thus pretty dumb and meaningless.

Enslaved’s combat is also incredibly simple. Tell me if you’ve heard this before: press X for a light attack and Y for a heavy attack. Sure, you do have a few other moves, such as a stun, a dodge and a projectile, but it’s all pretty basic stuff. The game tries to bulk itself up a little via collectibles and upgrades, and while none of that is bad I still never found any of it to be that interesting either. The core combat just doesn’t have a lot to it; adding a little bit of dressing on top doesn’t do much for it. Still, being a little bland is about the only complaint I can make, as what’s there is fine for the most part. The one legitimate problem I did have with the combat was the camera. It just stuck way too close to Monkey most of the time, making it really hard to see everything you needed to see on the battlefield. The controls in general also didn’t feel as responsive as they could have been; I think there was a bit too much animation priority or something. Which makes sense in some ways, as the animations are one of the game’s highlights, but could still be a little annoying.

Like I said though, the combat, collectibles and upgrades weren’t bad, it’s just all stuff I’ve seen done (and done better) many times before. For me, Enslaved’s high points easily outweighed the rough spots, and I really enjoyed the adventure on the whole. We also kept trucking with Magicka this week, though we didn’t end up playing it a ton. Not much news to report there; the game continues to be completely insane. Otherwise I’m battening down the hatches in preparation for Diablo III. I wasn’t the world’s biggest Diablo II fan, but I also only played it single player, and I plan on playing it strictly with friends this time, which should help out a lot. So I’m going to give it a solid go. And that’s all for now, until next time!

Currently playing: Magicka, waiting for Diablo III!