Daneian

Man, i dont know what it is but it seems like i've been hearing a lot of people going back to older Final Fantasy games lately. Maybe I'm just noticing it because i'm finally playing through the DS version of 4 for the first time right now. Anyways, because of that, i've been thinking about the Active Time Battle system some myself, especially since 4 was the first game to implement it and it has been used and modified so many times in the entries that have followed.

I'm not saying the ATB system is perfect, but i do like the action-forward layer of twitch it brings to the combat. I agree, it makes the gameplay frantic, but i think that's ultimately a benefit. It forces you to focus, and in doing so is able to trigger all sorts of emotions because its got you by the balls. There's tension in watching that bar fill up in anticipation of your move and it creates a palpable sense of dread that the enemy will get to act first, requiring you to alter your choice to compensate, even in a span of a fraction of a second. A weird side effect to it is that you're so hyper focused on selecting actions, the downtime between inputs can seem to take fucking forever because you're so invested. There are times when it makes the game feel slower, but i honestly cant tell if thats just a trick of the mind or not.

Tangentially, the DS version of 4 also added a casting timer on top of the ATB so you know exactly when your party members will act, which i think is great and want to know if the original had that as well, since none of the others do as far as i know.

I'd be incredibly interested to see what Jack Thompson thinks about modern games journalism flip on how videogames are negatively affecting culture. Wonder if he feels vindicated at all.

I'm pretty tired of Patrick talking around the issue here. How many self-centered intros have we had for Worth Reading where he's given us the definition of privilege, about his integrity as a newsman, and about his power to 'put butts in seats' at panels? Use your privileged position as a reporter with integrity to talk to the people who are sitting on your porch. Journalist up, do your job and do some actual reporting.

At the very least, mention The Fine Young Capitalists pro-women charity and all the potential good it could bring. Doesn't that qualify as a crowdfunding project?

Yeah, i wasn't expecting to ever get a sequel in the first place so I'll take whatever i can get. Bayo 2 seems to be upping the presentation and adding interesting new weapons but with how fully constructed the combat was in the first game, i wonder how much it can be safely expanded without it breaking, to say nothing of a possible third game.

@altairre: I enjoyed that video so much that i've watched pretty much everything on the gaming brits channel since you posted it. I respect many of his thoughts on game design. Thanks for that.

I must admit that I've have observed my change in videogames tastes with some amusement. I used to put a premium on a games story but i just can't bring myself to be interested anymore for a variety of reasons. There's some purity in the idea of dedicating yourself to a games systems and pushing yourself to poke at its every part, to be able to learn to do things you never thought possible within a game world. It'll be interesting to see how much of that education can transition to another title and then examine what it is trying to do.

I just beat Bayonetta's Non-Stop Infinite Climax difficulty last night and immediately restarted. I was amazed to see how much easier the prologue area is now than it was when i first started, as i was able to apply new concepts because i put in the effort to execute the lower level ones without thinking about it. I beat Ninja Gaiden at the time and its inscribed on my list of videogame accomplishments but I'm hoping to see what i can get out of something like that now.

@marino: Thanks Marino! Spent some time on this, so I'm stoked that someone appreciated it!

@yummylee:@mooseymcman: Thanks for the support, I agree with both of you. As with many other people, I'm less and less interested in reviews as a source of information on videogames. What I am looking for and trying to write (even if my style reads like a review, considering how many of them i've read in my day) is more thoughtful analysis on games themselves, whether its the larger presentation as a means to convey information or the construction of the mechanics. Articles from places like Actionbuttondotnet and Tevis Thompson have really expanded my appreciation for what games do and how to honestly think critically about the elements of the medium (if only i had their clarity and insight!)

@altairre: To be honest, though i beat Bayonetta soon after it was first released, it wasn't until recently that i decided to roll up my sleeves and see what it and other entries in the genre were really, truly about. I've been playing games my entire life, but it was only through a new interest in fighting games and their systems and learning about the basic concepts behind animation phases and cancellable moves that I've had reason to come back. It's been some of the most rewarding gaming I've had in years. To your point on Platinums games, i want to now go back and see what other games offer and how they differ. I want to go back to Ninja Gaiden and better understand it, I want to really get my head around Devil May Cry 3 and even finally play Viewtiful Joe. And Vanquish! I recommend reading Platinums blog if you haven't. To a relative layman, their Saurian Dash interview on his Wonderful 101 breakdown was eye opening.

@ezekiel: I feel you on that. I beat Rising at release and was left pretty cold The story, characters and presentation really put me off. For the reasons I wrote to altairre above, I would like to go back and see if i feel differently, but its about sixth in line (i've got a lot of these games to catch up on). Thanks for reading.

@brodehouse: All right, there's something i've been wondering (and it's not 'who is MC Itsuka?' as i just googled the reference ha!) but haven't wanted to be that guy: does the shorter hair mean Bayonetta doesn't lose clothes when she does her wicked weaves? As far as i can tell by the videos they've released, the answer seems to be 'no.'

@killroycantkill said:

I was using 'revue' in the theatrical sense (though maybe its redundant with 'burlesque') rather than a critical one and was trying to take a different perspective than a standard review. I found the mechanics of the dance super interesting but as i thought about it more, i extrapolated those concepts out and wanted to share.

Out of curiosity, since your question seems to be more about distinction between a review and a blog, which do show on the forums, what defining qualities separate them?

@viciousbearmauling said:

I'm aware of the art book and DVD but I've never seen them. I like the glasses factoid. Kamiya has always seemed like an all right, if blunt, guy. I thought the rivalry (hostility?) between he and Itagaki was weird.

I really respect the way Kamiya seems to come up with an interesting core concept and is able to fully flesh it out into gameplay and characters that are appropriate for it. A game like Wonderful 101 appears to capitalize on its idea of group action and uniting members in its gameplay and is able to wrap an interesting team around that. Okami seemed similarly complete. I can get behind the way he puts effort into developing new IP's and lets other people handle the sequels.

@csl316 said:

Bayonetta 2 and Wonderful 101 are giving me the itch for a WiiU but i just can't bring myself to pick one up yet.

All right, I've got to know- and not just becuase i've been eyeing Vanquish recently myself- what did i say to make you want to go back to it?

This film sure likes it super models.