Shadow Hearts Covenant = A RPG THAT'S JUST TOO GOOD

            Shadow Hearts Covenant, is a role-playing game released in 2004 for the Playstation 2. The game is not your run-of-the-mill j-rpg as it takes the traditional turn-based save-the-world formula, tosses out any semblance of pompousness, adds its own bizarre style and humor, and then follows an original cast of characters on an enjoyable adventure. While not utterly unique in its execution, the game is a great example of the genre done well.

            According to Gamefaqs.com, the game kicks off about six months after the conclusion of the originial Shadow Hearts, with World War I slowly gaining momentum and disturbances flaring up all over Europe. Karin Koenig, an officer in the German army, is sent with her squad to seize control of the sleepy village of Domremy. Shortly after arriving, Karin and her forces are routed in the village chapel by a dark, winged demon. The monster is actually a young man named Yuri Hyuga, the main character of the first Shadow Hearts, who has the power to assume the form of a wide variety of creatures and is safeguarding the village from invasion. Not willing to take defeat lying down, the Germans soon send Karin back in, along with a mysterious cardinal named Nicholai who's armed with a holy artifact. The artifact puts a curse on Yuri, stripping him of all his learned transformation abilities, containing his considerable power, and really ticking him off. As it so happens, the attack on Yuri was part of a scheme by a secret society called Sapientes Gladio, which, like any respectable secret society, is up to no good. When the village is subsequently destroyed, Karin defects to team up with Yuri so they can figure out just what Sapientes Gladio is planning and how to free Yuri from his curse. While the story does sound overdone, it’s the other absurd elements of the campaign that will really grab a hold of the player and make him or her finish the game. Absurdness like Joachim, a vampire trained as a pro wrestler, who fights with a giant mailbox will join your party. At one point in the game, your party gets lured to a lush island villa, where you have to fight a fierce boss monster that happens to be a giant, fluffy, pink kitten.these small moments of comedy serve, well to inject the game with a some truly funny humor, that many plot-heavy rpg’s seem to lack.

            When your party is thrown into one of the numerous random battles, you'll be presented with a turn-based system in which your characters will alternate with enemies depending on speed. Whenever you choose an action for any of your four party members, be it launching a melee attack, casting a spell, unleashing a special ability, or even using an item, a disc called the judgment ring will appear. A hand will start to sweep around the disc, and you'll need to time your button presses as the line passes through the colored pie slices that are present. Hit everything correctly, and your action will be successful. Many times, there's an extra red sliver on the trailing edge of a colored zone that will grant you a bonus if you hit it--attacks will cause more damage, items will heal more than usual, and so on. The catch is that these red zones require precision and careful timing to hit, and if you miss them, your move is over prematurely, or sometimes negated altogether. Lining up these criticals and hitting the zones is the attractive lure of the judgment ring system, which moves outside the traditional rpg practice of selecting an action and then just sitting back and watching your character carry it out. Furthermore, you can also add items to individual party members' rings to add various effects to them--you can add another strike zone, increase the zones' size, increase the damage, and so forth. For the faint of heart and less nimble of thumb, you can even set characters to "auto ring," which will let them make their moves without you doing a blessed thing. The system can be tricky to get a handle on, but once you grow accustomed to it, there's a certain tempo to the ring presses that almost makes it feel like a rhythm game. Master the timing, and even the slimmest of critical zones will fall to your button presses for a satisfying outcome. It's a great system, and an excellent way to combine a turn-based system's measured pace with an interactive element that requires careful concentration.

            The music, voice acting, and graphics are superb. The game truly does offer some haunting melodies that will stick with you long after you finish the main quest. The battle theme is surprisingly catchy, which is especially rare for an rpg’s battle theme which you will hear several times.

            Covenant, on average, will take you around 40 hours to complete and that does not even factor all the various side quests including extra weapons to acquire, special skills to learn, and bonus dungeons to master. According to vgcharts.com, the game has sold only 240,000 copies worldwide, which is just criminal for a game of this quality. If you consider yourself a fan of rpg’s, and you have not checked out Shadow Hearts Covenant, give it a buy. I give the game my highest recommendations. 

 Link to image: http://www.psp-themes.net/data/media/5/Shadow%20Hearts%20Covenant.jpg

Other Links:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/915253-shadow-hearts-covenant

http://www.vgchartz.com/game/2017/shadow-hearts-covenant/

An Interesting Story

            There once was a man named Tom. Tom lived the simple life of an accountant, until one day, while driving home from the office; he received an urgent phone call from his wife. His wife exclaimed, “It’s happening! The world’s going to oblivion! The kids and I are scared, please hurry!!” Tom could tell that his wife was serious, because as he exited off the highway, everywhere around him nukes were going off quicker than a hyena to its next feast. Everywhere around Tom, mushroom clouds started forming and Tom had the hardest of times steering his vehicle toward his home. As Tom approached his home, his wife jumped out from the house and exclaimed, “Hurry into the house!” As Tom descended into the basement with his wife and two daughters, the adults could see an object dropping from the sky not more than 2 meters away. The parents could only gaze and hold their children as tightly as possible for they knew what that object would bring with it. As Tom braced for impact, holding his children as tightly as possible, his wife pushed the rest of the family deeper into the cellar. As Tom exclaimed, “Brittany!” he could only get a glimpse of her smile as she locked the cellar door. The children were crying in the background, as Tom banged on the door as hard as possible to try to save the life of his wife. Boom. Tom felt a shock of energy and as he emerged from the cellar, holding his daughters, the world seemed no more. Tom and the kids had begun their journey on the post-apocalyptic Earth.

Tales of the Abyss = THE BEST TALES GAME

            In the long history of Tales games, an extremely popular Japanese role-playing game franchise, their have been many stellar additions. None stand out to me more than Tales of the Abyss, the eight mother ship title in the Tales franchise and an excellent Playstation 2 game in its own right.

            According to Gamefaqs.com, Tales of the Abyss follows the story of an arrogant amnesiac named Luke fon Fabre. Turns out that Luke was kidnapped seven years ago, and the shock of that event made him lose his memory. Since his return he has been confined to his family's estate, forbidden to leave until he reaches maturity. As a result, Luke is a spoiled, naïve brat with very limited social skills. He spends his days training in martial arts and talking to the servants around the mansion. That all dramatically changes one day when a woman named Tear shows up and attempts to assassinate Luke's master. She fails, but in the commotion somehow Tear and Luke both get magically transported to another part of the world, and they must figure out how to return home, and of course prevent a war and save the world along the way. Fortunately Luke doesn't have to go it alone. There's a small cast of helpful supporting characters that you'll meet along the way, including a snooty princess, an accomplished swordsman who's terrified of women, a furry little arsonist creature who has been exiled from his tribe, and more. The unique relationships between the characters are developed over time to give your party a special dynamic that you'll appreciate throughout the game. The characters in Tales of the Abyss form their own little unique cutout lending much to the enjoyment of the voice acting and the lengthy cut scenes. The dialogue, again is fully-voiced, and provides the perfect amount of quirkiness, humor, and seriousness that helps to make Tales of the Abyss story and enjoyable ride that you will want to see through to the end.

            The gameplay doesn't veer too far from the well-worn path of previous role-playing games. You move from town to town and dungeon to dungeon completing quests and vanquishing enemies to move the story along. When you're exploring a dungeon or traversing the overworld, you'll encounter monsters, which initiates a battle. You can take up to four characters into battle, and three of those characters will be controlled by artificial intelligence. The artificial intelligence is customizable, so you can set a variety of parameters to influence each character's behavior. It works well, and the characters usually do a good job following orders. The battlefields are large and 3D, so you're free to run around as much as you want, which comes in handy when you need to evade enemy attacks. The mechanics of battle seem simple at first, and indeed it's quite easy to hack and slash your way through most of the early battles in the game. However, as the game progresses, slight but significant layers of depth are added to the combat. In battle you have several different attacks that can be strung together to form combos. There's a standard attack that can be modified by pressing the left analog stick in a specific direction. Each character can also use "artes," which are special moves that inflict more damage and often have elemental properties. Most of the time in battle you'll be stringing together combinations of standard attacks and artes. Battle’s are very fast paced, with attacks and artes flying every which way, and you must constantly be on your toes to succeed.

            Tales of the Abyss is overall an standout of example of what a Japanese role playing game can accomplish. According to vgchartz.com, Tales of the Abyss has sold over 570,000  copies which is amazing for a JRPG. Hopefully with these numbers, we can see more Tales titles in the future. 

 Link to image:

http://bzzz.3dsbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/tales-of-the-abyss-thumb.jpg

Other links:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/929343-tales-of-the-abyss

http://www.vgchartz.com/game/2325/tales-of-the-abyss/

Dark Cloud 2 = A Fantastic Playstation 2 RPG

Every so often a game comes along that's so well crafted, and downright enjoyable that you just can't help but like it. Dark Cloud 2, the sequel to 2001's PS2 action RPG Dark Cloud, is such a game. The latest in the series improves on its predecessor in nearly every way, as it tightly integrates the combat, world building, and weapons management of the first game into a more cohesive, enjoyable whole. Add together these elements, astounding visuals, superb music and voice acting, and high production values and you have Dark Cloud 2, one of the role-playing games for the Playstation 2.

According to Gamefaqs.com, you play as Maximilian, Max, for short, a tech-minded whiz kid with a knack for creating strange inventions. As the game unfolds, Max's pendant, an object he inherited from his missing mother, is a time-travel device, and after defending it from the attacks of a very demented clown, he meets Monica. Monica is a princess from the future on a grave mission: She's come to enlist Max's aid in thwarting an evil tyrant from the past who's erasing the future by meddling with the present. In fact, this great villain has already wiped out pretty much the entire world, save Max's village. Max and Monica are determined to stop this madness by visiting key points around the world and restoring the land, buildings, and people at those points to make the future what it should be. The story is bearable, and while it still falls in the typical Japanese role-playing game clichés, you will want to see whether Max and Monica accomplish their mission.

The gameplay of Dark Cloud 2 is superb and by far one of the game’s strongest assets. First of all, the weapon system in Dark Cloud 2 is very complex and in-depth. You build up your weapons by synthesizing them with other items such as crystals and gems. There are 10 areas that you can build up your weapons in: attack, durability, flame, chill, lightning, cyclone, smash, exorcism, beast, and scale, and each will affect your weapons differently. Both characters have two types of weapons, right handed melee weapons and left handed projectile weapons. Monica can also transform into different monsters in the game them with badges that you will acquire and fight with them. For Max, he can hop in his robot called the “Ridepod” and fight with it. You can upgrade the Ridepod throughout the game and customize it however you want! Another cool element of Dark Cloud 2 was the fact that you can invent weapons and other items using Max's camera. Max can take pictures of various objects and monsters throughout the game and he can use them as ideas for an invention. You can combine three ideas to make a new invention! The more ideas you find, the more items you can make! The dungeons are as good as ever! The idea is still basically the same: you progress through each floor of the dungeon, killing monsters along the way, until you reach the boss, but now there are places in the dungeons where certain events will happen. The bosses are a little harder in this game, and there is certainly more of them! The greatest part about the boss battles, and all of the battles that you will partake in, is that you can switch to the other character at any time you want. This can be helpful if one character is about to die, or if you just want to use the other person for awhile. Georama mode is back and better than ever! In Dark Cloud 2 you find “geostones” in the dungeons that let you build different things out of your materials and place them in the lands that you travel to in order to create a lively town and to restore the future. Yes, you can travel to the future to see how your town developed! You can also paint houses in the sequel, which lets you customize even more!

The graphics, sound, and control are all top-notch with the cell-shaded graphics and the beautiful orchestra popping out of the game to your full enjoyment.

Dark Cloud 2 is one of those games that will truly make you question why all j-rpgs cannot play this splendidly. According to vgchartz.com, Dark Cloud 2 has sold over 960,000 copies, which is spectacular for a j-rpg. Hopefully, we can expect a Dark Cloud 3 in the future. 

Link to image: http://salty.gibbering.net/Images/Articles/DarkCloud2/06.jpg

Other links: 

http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/561438-dark-cloud-2

http://www.vgchartz.com/game/3050/dark-cloud-2/

Ratchet and Clank = An Instant Classic

Ratchet and Clank was a PlayStation 2 game released back in 2002. It was published to much anticipation and excellent reviews from all major gaming publications for good reason, as Ratchet and Clank is one of the best PS2 games that I have ever played.

            According to Gamefaqs.com, you take on the role of Ratchet, a Lombax, a strange creature that looks like a cross between a rabbit and a cat. He's a mechanic who is busy working on his spaceship one day when a mysterious object falls out of the sky. Ratchet is curious to find out what the object is, so he takes a little quest over to the crash site and finds out it's a small robot.  It turns out the object is a robot, named Clank. Clank was the result of a glitch that occurred while he was being assembled, in an evil ruler named Chairman Drek's, factory. Clank escapes after finding out that Chairman Drek is planning on building a planet by using parts of other planets and threatening to destroy anyone who dares to challenge him. Clank tells Ratchet about Drek's evil plans and they end up teaming up together to defeat Chairman Drek. While not a story with the most meaning, it is an enjoyable story that will keep you guessing what is next for the heroic duo.

            The heart of this game is the variety of weapons that will be at your disposal. You can choose from a selection of 17 weapons, ranging from a simple gun that shoots energy bullets to a glove that tosses mines to a handheld multi-missile launcher. In the beginning, you will limited to your Omniwrench 2000 and your Bomb Glove, but as you progress, you will gain access to the other weapons. Most of the weapons will have to purchased from a Gadgetron vender, where you can also purchase ammo for your weapons, but there will be a few that you will receive free of charge after completing a specific objective. Don't feel like shooting a room full of enemies? Then just pull out your Glove of Doom and allow your mini-Terminators to do your job for you.    

            Each level of the game takes place on a different planet, excluding a few times when you'll have to backtrack to a past-traveled one to finish a goal made possible after receiving a certain item. For instance, there is a goal on Planet Aridia in which you are supposed to get the Trespasser, a gadget that allows you to bypass locks. The problem is that you need to have the Swingshot to complete this goal and you don't get the Swingshot until later in the game. Once you do, you will have to go back to Aridia to finish that objective. You start out on the planet Veldin, a lonely, dry, and desolate area populated by you and a few enemies. From there, you will visit various locales, each very unique and different from the last. For instance, one moment you'll be on an urban-like planet and the next you'll be on a beach resort in Planet Pokitaru. If you ever get tired of the main game at any point, you can always hop in your ship and re-visit any of the past planets whenever you feel like it. You can re-play a planet using a powerful weapon; such as the R.Y.N.O. to see how much easier that planet is with that weapon.

            According to vgchartz.com, Ratchet and Clank has sold over 3.33 million copies worldwide and for good reason. Ratchet and Clank truly embodies the fun in a video game with a great storyline, cool weapons, top-notch gameplay, and wonderful graphics. Ratchet and Clank is an incredibly fun game, and anybody will really enjoy it. 

 Link to image: http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/1675/193952-ratchet_clank_1280_776616.jpg

Other Links:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/561107-ratchet-and-clank

http://www.vgchartz.com/game/6404/ratchet-amp-clank/

Final Fantasy 12 = A Pretty Good Game

I was one of the people who were hanging out for Final Fantasy XII ever since the first few previews and pictures emerged several years ago. The game was finally released in the United States late 2006, and the wait was finally over. Square could have simply made another X-style game, with turn-based battles and very limited exploration, but luckily they chose to step out in a bold new direction. The result is a vast game which manages to not only be an extremely memorable entry in the Final Fantasy series but also a fitting swansong to the spectacular life of the Playstation 2.

            According to Gamefaqs, the story is much less invested in its characters, but attempts to immerse you in a world. The game initially introduces Vaan, a sandy haired youth who was orphaned during a war with the invading nation of Archadia. After the preliminary introductions, Vaan becomes involved in a plot to overthrow the Archadian Empire by restoring the rightful heir to the Dalmascan throne. What sets this story apart from others is that it never feels as if you're controlling a solitary band of heroes out to save the world. The game does a great job of making it feel like Vaan and his friends are just a small part of a greater rebellion. It is also commendable in how it steers away from the normal trite story of world-destroying supervillain. Instead, it's a much more realistic story of the effects of shady politics, imperialism and war between nations and how the citizens of a conquered state are affected.

            As much as the story diverges from the norm, the gameplay is almost unrecognizable as a Final Fantasy game. True, the overarching concepts that have always guided Final Fantasy remain the same, but everything has been tweaked and altered to the point that even RPG veterans will have a learning curve when it comes to understanding all the new mechanics. Naturally, these mechanics are all related to combat. The first time you meet an enemy, you'll realize Square has eliminated random encounters. Enemies are strewn throughout the area and you will fight them just as you see them – if there are two skeletons and you get near them, you'll fight two skeletons. There is not a transition to a battle screen either, so exploration flows smoothly into combat. An even bigger change is Square's dismissal of the ancient turn based battle system. Now, combat occurs in real time. Far from devolving into a mindless brawler, this new system requires a great deal of strategy and foresight, all while dealing with the fast-paced nature of combat. A key part of this new format is the Gambit system, which allows you to completely automate your character's actions. While this may sound as if it negates the need for the player to participate in combat, or takes control away from the player, neither notion could be further from the truth. For instance, you may set a character's Gambits to allow him to attack and use special techniques, but not use support or curative magic. However, if said character has purchased the required License Board spot, and you have the magic, you can make him cure himself when it is needed. And Gambits are by no means as simple as that example. There are an infinite number of variations you can create, such as having a character with less than 20 percent health automatically use cure, or protect. You can make a Gambit that allows a character to automatically use a certain type of magic on a target that is weak against it. This allows you to customize a set of actions for any situation you'll encounter. What the Gambit system accomplishes is letting the player automate minor actions in order to pay greater attention to the flow of battle and to devise complicated strategies. Another new element of combat is the Quickening. Quickenings would be nothing more than glorified limit breaks. Even summons have been totally changed. The new Espers are nothing like the traditional Final Fantasy summon monsters. Not only do none of the usual summons appear – no Ifrit, no Shiva, no Bahamut – but they operate nothing like they usually do. Rather than a summon acting like an overpowered spell, summoning an Esper creates a new party member for a limited period. Once summoned, the other two party members disappear and are replaced by the monster. Once on the field, it acts according to pre-set Gambits. This character tradeoff is usually worth it, as the attacks summons can use are devastating to the enemy.

            Final Fantasy XII is a game that many will claim to hate or love. To me, the game is a crowning example of how the rpg genre is changing for the better. The days of bland j-rpg’s are over and in its place the gaming crowd is getting something much better. According to vgchartz.com, the game has sold over 5.95 million copies worldwide. This only speaks to the fact that the gaming world is ready for a change in its rpg’s and that is what Final Fantasy 12 is. I would definitely recommend FFXII to anyone looking for a refreshing change to there traditional role-playing game. 

Link to image: http://www.gametab.com/images/ss/ps2/2603/box-l.jpg

Links:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/459841-final-fantasy-xii

http://www.vgchartz.com/game/765/final-fantasy-xii/

Gears of War 3 = The BEST 3rd PERSON SHOOTER THIS DECADE!

   When I played the first Gears of War, words could not describe my amazement. After 3 long years of waiting, we are finally graced with Gears of War 3 which I can honestly say is one of the best games of this console generation.
   According to Gamefaqs, Gears of War 3 takes place two years after the events of Gears of War 2. The game kicks right off with a dream sequence from within the mind of the series main protagonist Marcus Fenix fighting off Locust left and right and foreshadowing events soon to take place. After this sequence the game quickly introduces more series regulars (as well as some new ones to the team) such as Dom, Marcus's right hand man who is obviously still struggling with events that happened to him in the second game. After a few intense battles the main plot of the game is finally introduced. Adam, Marcus's father happens to still be alive and is a prisoner to the locust. He has the solution to the lambent problem and possibly a way to help bring this years long war that has almost wiped out humanity to an end, it's up to Marcus to find his father and help bring this war to an end. The campaign is a non-stop ride of blasting your way through lambent, locusts, and anyone that could get in your way. Four player co-op is also available for those that would like to undertake the adventure with friends.
   The gameplay here is very standard for a Gears title. If you've never played a Gears before, it's an over the shoulder third person shooter. It revolves around taking cover in conveniently placed chest high walls and taking out the enemies as quickly as possible with many weapons like the Lancer, a regular assault rifle with a chainsaw bayonet or a Sawed off Shotgun that makes any foe near it blow up into a million pieces. Not much to be said about how these games are played that hasn't already been said. Expect a very polished, fast paced shooter that rewards those who use strategy and teamwork.
   Now we get into the meat of any Gears game, the multiplayer. One of the best improvements to Gear 3 is the implementation of dedicated servers versus regular players hosting matches. This eliminates any of the "host advantage" that have plagued the last two Gears game, and have made the online experience so much more smooth and almost lag-free. Gametypes are what you would expect from Gears. The two staple gametypes of Gears return, Execution/Warzone which are 5v5 Elimination Round Based games. King of the Hill and Capture the Leader, has also returned. New this time around though is Team Deathmatch. What separates this TDM from other shooters is that there is a cap on respawns. Each team starts off with 15 respawns. Once they are all used up, they are gone for good. This keeps matches going fast and really allows new players a chance to get into the fight and not worry about dying in seconds without having a chance to play. This is by and far the most popular mode online and arguably the most fun too. Weapon balance is on point and the controls are as smooth as any shooter should be.
   Gears of War 3 is a game that will be talked about to the future generations. People will continuously brag about how future games will never live up to what Gears 3 did. According to Vgchartz, Gears of War 3 has sold over 5.29 million copies worldwide, solidifying the game as one of the best of this decade.

Link to image: http://fronttowardsgamer.com/wp-content/uploads/Gears-of-War-3-Article-Image.jpg

Other Links:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/xbox360/991468-gears-of-war-3
http://www.vgchartz.com/game/44123/gears-of-war-3/