In the spirit of Halloween, I decided to play some Halloween themed games. I stayed on Armor Games, through out this.
I started with Salem. This is a pretty simple side scrolling game about hunting demons. I played until I died, as I wanted to get through a large amount of games. This happened on the second level, as soon as I got to the boss. It's a nice game, and true to the spirit of plat formers - Simple Controls, but very challenging.
I then moved on to Reincarnation :All Hallow's Evil, which is apparently a Halloween special of a small online game series. I have never played any of these, but I gave it a try. It's a point and click game where you are a demon trying to take a reincarnated soul back to the underworld. It's pretty interesting, but also fairly difficult. I stopped after about five minutes, because I was stuck.
Next, I played Ghostscape. This is another point and click adventure, but is significantly more sinister than the previous one. It has a haunting atmosphere, and you take on the role of a paranormal investigator trapped in a house. It is pretty nice, and one of the pictures in it kind of freaked me out. I also didn't finish this one, because I wanted to get through more in a short amount of time.
I encourage all those of you with Halloween spirit to go out, and play one of the many scary games out there. Happy Halloween!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Candy Box 2
As I said, after playing Candy Box 2 for a decent amount of time, I will make my first post about it (Most definitely not the last, as I believe this will be a rather long game.) Here it is -
I have begun on my quest to - Well, I really don't know yet. The beginning is rather interesting however, as it breaks the fourth wall after you get thirty candies. You request an ability from the developer. The next ones are cheaper, only five candies, and you eventually get the map. This allows you to buy stuff from the candy merchant and forge, and you can do your first quest in the house on the far right.
Completing this quest, of course, allows access to a new feature, the world map. In addition, eating candies actually does something in this game - it increases your health. I imagine this will become necessary with the later quests. There is also more to your inventory, although you do not auto-equip things like you do in the first, which is rather annoying.
The other annoying thing is that quests do not move as quickly if you are running the game in the background, which can be frustrating for those doing other things at the same time (Like writing a blog post.) You do still gain cookies
This is also the first game I have done technical changes in the save data of, as it is very easy to do so. After about a minute in the game, you can get the save data. If you copy it onto a word document, you can edit it. You can set the number of candies, and set whether or not you have some items. I did this, which I feel kind of bad about, but I needed to expedite my game so I could make this post. I gained a small (very small) amount of technical insight into game save coding as well. At least in it's most basic forms.
In addition, I will now take another look at the original Candy Box, as I never got very far with it (It doesn't have a save feature like the new one.)
Spoilers for the game will be the rest of this post. They aren't extreme spoilers though, because I'm not that far. Read at your own RISK.
I really like the way the quests work now, but they are significantly harder. I have also, finally, become able to craft potions.
There is also the dragon, and the ability to fight the developer. The developer is a hilarious fight. He killed me with a black hole. Not to mention that when you first encounter the dragon, its toes HP is literally written as "So much HP." I currently use normal boots, the octopus crown with jasper, the red gloves, and the enchanted monkeys staff, plus enchanted knight armor. I had cheated in the scythe, but I decided it was too powerful and I needed to earn it.
I have begun on my quest to - Well, I really don't know yet. The beginning is rather interesting however, as it breaks the fourth wall after you get thirty candies. You request an ability from the developer. The next ones are cheaper, only five candies, and you eventually get the map. This allows you to buy stuff from the candy merchant and forge, and you can do your first quest in the house on the far right.
Completing this quest, of course, allows access to a new feature, the world map. In addition, eating candies actually does something in this game - it increases your health. I imagine this will become necessary with the later quests. There is also more to your inventory, although you do not auto-equip things like you do in the first, which is rather annoying.
The other annoying thing is that quests do not move as quickly if you are running the game in the background, which can be frustrating for those doing other things at the same time (Like writing a blog post.) You do still gain cookies
This is also the first game I have done technical changes in the save data of, as it is very easy to do so. After about a minute in the game, you can get the save data. If you copy it onto a word document, you can edit it. You can set the number of candies, and set whether or not you have some items. I did this, which I feel kind of bad about, but I needed to expedite my game so I could make this post. I gained a small (very small) amount of technical insight into game save coding as well. At least in it's most basic forms.
In addition, I will now take another look at the original Candy Box, as I never got very far with it (It doesn't have a save feature like the new one.)
Spoilers for the game will be the rest of this post. They aren't extreme spoilers though, because I'm not that far. Read at your own RISK.
I really like the way the quests work now, but they are significantly harder. I have also, finally, become able to craft potions.
There is also the dragon, and the ability to fight the developer. The developer is a hilarious fight. He killed me with a black hole. Not to mention that when you first encounter the dragon, its toes HP is literally written as "So much HP." I currently use normal boots, the octopus crown with jasper, the red gloves, and the enchanted monkeys staff, plus enchanted knight armor. I had cheated in the scythe, but I decided it was too powerful and I needed to earn it.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Candy Box 2 Released!
Keeping with the tradition of posting about sitting and watching games, this seemed appropriate. Wait until you have thirty candies, and then the game really begins. I will be back to talk about it in two days, after I can get some time in with it.
This is currently only three days old! Finally, I'll be talking about something truly new.
This is currently only three days old! Finally, I'll be talking about something truly new.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Magic Quizzes
Last time I mentioned a test I took to see what kind of Magic player I was. The post is here, (If you are too lazy to look beneath this. Read it first too, as this is sort of a continuation of it.) and the quiz, once again, is here. I should have mentioned that there are some questions you may not be familiar with, I recommend skipping them. I have decided to take several more tests to see.
First, I'll analyze that one a little. That I found extremely interesting with it's answer of Johnny Control Rogue Social-Casual. This was excellent, although there were some questions I couldn't answer definitively on the quiz. I like to use my deck as a form of expression, prefer control abilities, always make my own decks, and play mostly to hang out and talk with others.
I took this and got Red-White. I was doubtful at first, but I realized that, as my personality goes, it fits. Deception annoys me, and I'd rather someone is brutally honest than kind. I am also a bit hypocritical in my views, I admit, as I lie far more than I would like to, and break some rules that I wouldn't want others to break.
I took this and got White-Blue. This one I feel is incorrect. It painted me as organized and rational. I am usually neither, but sometimes attempt to be.
I took this and was designated red. Red fits me, as I tend to act on impulse, and often make bad decisions based on my shortsightedness. I also do rather like some of red's abilities, but not as much as blue.
Personally, I see myself as Red-White-Blue. Closer to red and white, but with a bit of the ingenuity and curiosity inherent in blue.
I took this and got Wildcard the first time. This basically says I am generally pretty relaxed, and may lose a lot, but occasionally surprise people and blow them away. The second time I was a Megalomaniac (Which is exactly what it says on the tin.) which I got by screwing around with my previous answers a bit. It implied I care about winning a lot more than I do, and I really just like playing the game and tinkering with my deck.
Now, to the point (It wasn't just sharing my experiences with the quizzes.) Everyone plays magic for different reasons, and plays within it differently (Except for Spike and those of the first test's "Netdeck," which prefer fast consistent wins by a destructive combo or decks that are proven to win.) I recommend that those of you who play magic take a few of these quizzes.
First, I'll analyze that one a little. That I found extremely interesting with it's answer of Johnny Control Rogue Social-Casual. This was excellent, although there were some questions I couldn't answer definitively on the quiz. I like to use my deck as a form of expression, prefer control abilities, always make my own decks, and play mostly to hang out and talk with others.
I took this and got Red-White. I was doubtful at first, but I realized that, as my personality goes, it fits. Deception annoys me, and I'd rather someone is brutally honest than kind. I am also a bit hypocritical in my views, I admit, as I lie far more than I would like to, and break some rules that I wouldn't want others to break.
I took this and got White-Blue. This one I feel is incorrect. It painted me as organized and rational. I am usually neither, but sometimes attempt to be.
I took this and was designated red. Red fits me, as I tend to act on impulse, and often make bad decisions based on my shortsightedness. I also do rather like some of red's abilities, but not as much as blue.
Personally, I see myself as Red-White-Blue. Closer to red and white, but with a bit of the ingenuity and curiosity inherent in blue.
I took this and got Wildcard the first time. This basically says I am generally pretty relaxed, and may lose a lot, but occasionally surprise people and blow them away. The second time I was a Megalomaniac (Which is exactly what it says on the tin.) which I got by screwing around with my previous answers a bit. It implied I care about winning a lot more than I do, and I really just like playing the game and tinkering with my deck.
Now, to the point (It wasn't just sharing my experiences with the quizzes.) Everyone plays magic for different reasons, and plays within it differently (Except for Spike and those of the first test's "Netdeck," which prefer fast consistent wins by a destructive combo or decks that are proven to win.) I recommend that those of you who play magic take a few of these quizzes.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Magic: The Gathering
As I mentioned in my first post, video games will not be the sole topic here. This post will deal with the popular trading card game "Magic: The Gathering," and what I think of it. It will not be a standard review, as I have no idea how I would review a card game using my normal system.
I admit, I play this game. Quite regularly. Usually every other day or so with my friends while I eat lunch. In that way, it is a pretty great game for middle or high school students, but can be played by anyone, provided they know those who play.
Having yesterday helped teach this game to a person, I remember how hard it was to figure out everything in the beginning. It came fast, but is a little bit of information overload to start. It also will consume quite a bit of money over time. I have spent close to sixty dollars on cards, and just play casually. I know some serious players who have spent hundreds.
The basic rules are pretty simple. There are four ways to win: Bring your opponents life total down to zero (From twenty), deal a total of ten infect damage to him (Separate from the other type.), have their turn start with them being unable to draw a card, or finally, have a card that causes you to win or lose. The last option is very rare, and many of those cards are illegal.
There are also many formats of play. I will cover three of the most common. There is standard, which is a deck using the last three released sets. There is than modern, which legalizes all cards from the eighth edition onwards. Finally, there is legacy, which uses pretty much any card, outside a small banned list. Most decks created casually, with little attention to card set, fall under modern or legacy.
These decks all generally use sixty cards, with the option of using more, if you so choose.
I consider Magic primarily a social game. Every once and a while I get together with some of my friends, eat some food, play about a dozen games, and call it an afternoon. I play a game, talk about life (Real life, not the life in my game.), and generally lose. I don't care. There are several types of Magic players, at least as designated by Wizards of the Coast (Which I'll get into later.) which are the following; "Timmy", who always tries to get out the strongest monster and win big, "Johnny" who wants to win using a specific trick and in his style, and "Spike," who wants to win fast and consistently. The quality of winning matters to the first two, but not to the third (The first want to win using their style, the last just cares about winning.)
(Ignore this paragraph if you don't play Magic already. Or don't if you don't want too.) I took a test to find out what kind of player I am here. This one takes into consideration many things, and goes far beyond anything else I talked about (I'm a Johnny (With three each in Timmy and Spike) Control Rogue Social-Casual, which I more or less figured.) I could probably do an entire blog about that quiz. I probably will later. Maybe it'll be my next post. This lays out the motivations for players gen
At the core of this - Why do people play this game? Most people I know play it socially, with a few playing to win. There are many reasons you might play this game. The person I helped teach it too, my friend, lets go with "Marie", purchased a large amount of cards the were on a deal that day. Her sister (Let's say "Yukiko"), who I also helped teach, but has less money, simply anticipates the time when she can buy her own. I actually feel kind of bad for introducing them to this, as it could quite possibly suck up quite a bit of money over the years, but I do gain two new people to play with.
 |
| Nicol Bolas. The ultimate evil in the realm of Magic (And the most awesome dragon in the game. Plus a pretty useful planeswalker.) |
I admit, I play this game. Quite regularly. Usually every other day or so with my friends while I eat lunch. In that way, it is a pretty great game for middle or high school students, but can be played by anyone, provided they know those who play.
Having yesterday helped teach this game to a person, I remember how hard it was to figure out everything in the beginning. It came fast, but is a little bit of information overload to start. It also will consume quite a bit of money over time. I have spent close to sixty dollars on cards, and just play casually. I know some serious players who have spent hundreds.
The basic rules are pretty simple. There are four ways to win: Bring your opponents life total down to zero (From twenty), deal a total of ten infect damage to him (Separate from the other type.), have their turn start with them being unable to draw a card, or finally, have a card that causes you to win or lose. The last option is very rare, and many of those cards are illegal.
There are also many formats of play. I will cover three of the most common. There is standard, which is a deck using the last three released sets. There is than modern, which legalizes all cards from the eighth edition onwards. Finally, there is legacy, which uses pretty much any card, outside a small banned list. Most decks created casually, with little attention to card set, fall under modern or legacy.
These decks all generally use sixty cards, with the option of using more, if you so choose.
I consider Magic primarily a social game. Every once and a while I get together with some of my friends, eat some food, play about a dozen games, and call it an afternoon. I play a game, talk about life (Real life, not the life in my game.), and generally lose. I don't care. There are several types of Magic players, at least as designated by Wizards of the Coast (Which I'll get into later.) which are the following; "Timmy", who always tries to get out the strongest monster and win big, "Johnny" who wants to win using a specific trick and in his style, and "Spike," who wants to win fast and consistently. The quality of winning matters to the first two, but not to the third (The first want to win using their style, the last just cares about winning.)
(Ignore this paragraph if you don't play Magic already. Or don't if you don't want too.) I took a test to find out what kind of player I am here. This one takes into consideration many things, and goes far beyond anything else I talked about (I'm a Johnny (With three each in Timmy and Spike) Control Rogue Social-Casual, which I more or less figured.) I could probably do an entire blog about that quiz. I probably will later. Maybe it'll be my next post. This lays out the motivations for players gen
At the core of this - Why do people play this game? Most people I know play it socially, with a few playing to win. There are many reasons you might play this game. The person I helped teach it too, my friend, lets go with "Marie", purchased a large amount of cards the were on a deal that day. Her sister (Let's say "Yukiko"), who I also helped teach, but has less money, simply anticipates the time when she can buy her own. I actually feel kind of bad for introducing them to this, as it could quite possibly suck up quite a bit of money over the years, but I do gain two new people to play with.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
The return of Cookie Clicker - Is it even possible to stop?
I had a post a while back about cookie clicker. Actually here. Since then, I've been playing it a lot. I am finding it quite difficult to stop. I turn it on all the time, and just let it run beneath everything else anyone is doing. Note - There are spoilers here for the game after you have acquired antimatter condensers
The main reason is that I just keep getting new stuff unlocked, and just feel the need to keep going, to unlock the next thing. Now that the Grandmapocalypse has begun, everything is infinitesimally more interesting.
I don't know exactly what I have to do, and that is part of the thrill. All I know is that the grandmatriarchs have awoken, whatever that means. One of my friends told me the grandmapocalypse has begun, and that I need to be careful. The background now does have creepy disfigured grandmothers, but I don't know what other changes there have been. I don't want to look it up, because I don't want the experience to be spoiled. There was also a strange red cookie instead of the golden ones at one point, that halved my cookie production. The new ticker is also now running various (horrifying) grandma related news stories. However, my grandmothers are now super effective
The grandmothers had been growing more and more creepy, especially with the altered grandmas upgrade. Those ones look like mutated slime monsters. The news ticker also ran many of them saying creepy things. "We Rise" being one of them, among others. I feel like this was a nice foreshadowing of what has begun to happen in my game. I hope that as I continue to play there are more and more surprises and interesting events. I know that there is a dungeon update coming soon, and am thrilled for it.
The main reason is that I just keep getting new stuff unlocked, and just feel the need to keep going, to unlock the next thing. Now that the Grandmapocalypse has begun, everything is infinitesimally more interesting.
 |
| IT HAS BEGUN. |
I don't know exactly what I have to do, and that is part of the thrill. All I know is that the grandmatriarchs have awoken, whatever that means. One of my friends told me the grandmapocalypse has begun, and that I need to be careful. The background now does have creepy disfigured grandmothers, but I don't know what other changes there have been. I don't want to look it up, because I don't want the experience to be spoiled. There was also a strange red cookie instead of the golden ones at one point, that halved my cookie production. The new ticker is also now running various (horrifying) grandma related news stories. However, my grandmothers are now super effective
The grandmothers had been growing more and more creepy, especially with the altered grandmas upgrade. Those ones look like mutated slime monsters. The news ticker also ran many of them saying creepy things. "We Rise" being one of them, among others. I feel like this was a nice foreshadowing of what has begun to happen in my game. I hope that as I continue to play there are more and more surprises and interesting events. I know that there is a dungeon update coming soon, and am thrilled for it.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Keyboard and Mouse vs. Controller
This will not be about console vs. computer gaming. This will be about the merits of the control system used.(The keyboard scheme versus some various controllers.)
It truly depends. Keyboards have more buttons, and therefore allow for more combinations and unique keys, but it is harder to learn each one, and is not as comfortable as a controller would be. It is also not designed for gaming, and can get very confusing to someone without an excellent memory.The mouse is wonderful, if simplistic,and lets do about anything, as long as it is built well into the game. This is the way to get the most commands, as it is basically limitless.
Controllers have much more limited commands, but can still be used for just about everything. In addition, they often have analogue sticks, which are very nice for controlling movement and cameras. They are also much more comfortable to use for a long time, and are designed for gaming, with controls very similar across consoles. The controller you use also matters. In my opinion the best controller is that of the PlayStation consoles. It is very comfortable and has an easy layout. The tablet controller for the WiiU on the other hand, is very strange, and presumably not very comfortable.
The classic controller for the Wii U also does this, which no doubt annoys many people. The X-box controller too, is not as great, in my opinion, but this may simply be because I am accustomed to the playstation ones.
I will not say one is definitively better than the other, but as my computer crashes every time I run something stronger than Pac-man, (Exaggeration. In case you didn't get it.) I stick mostly with controllers.
It truly depends. Keyboards have more buttons, and therefore allow for more combinations and unique keys, but it is harder to learn each one, and is not as comfortable as a controller would be. It is also not designed for gaming, and can get very confusing to someone without an excellent memory.The mouse is wonderful, if simplistic,and lets do about anything, as long as it is built well into the game. This is the way to get the most commands, as it is basically limitless.
Controllers have much more limited commands, but can still be used for just about everything. In addition, they often have analogue sticks, which are very nice for controlling movement and cameras. They are also much more comfortable to use for a long time, and are designed for gaming, with controls very similar across consoles. The controller you use also matters. In my opinion the best controller is that of the PlayStation consoles. It is very comfortable and has an easy layout. The tablet controller for the WiiU on the other hand, is very strange, and presumably not very comfortable.
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| Note that the analog sticks are above the buttons. That is extremely weird. One of the many reasons I currently hate Nintendo. Well, I have a very complicated love/hate relationship. |
The classic controller for the Wii U also does this, which no doubt annoys many people. The X-box controller too, is not as great, in my opinion, but this may simply be because I am accustomed to the playstation ones.
I will not say one is definitively better than the other, but as my computer crashes every time I run something stronger than Pac-man, (Exaggeration. In case you didn't get it.) I stick mostly with controllers.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Supernatural: The Video Game
Welcome to my first ever "rant about why a game should be made and how and why it could be done effectively, while still knowing next to nothing about actual game design possibly making me look like a pompous idiot." post. There is no Supernatural video game (Referring to the popular television series.), but I wish there was (Yes I am a fan, no I do not "ship" Sam and Dean, I find that mildly disturbing.)
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| The Main Characters of the series (From left to right) Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, and Castiel (He's more of a frequently recurring character). |
The idea is not a new one - Have a game where you are a Hunter in Sam and Dean's world, (They are the main characters, and hunters, for those who do not know, Hunters as in "Monster Hunters." [Not related to the game series I have mentioned before]) and go around dispelling ghosts, killing vampires, and dealing with demons. There are games that let you do similar things, but not like how I envision this could be. How would this game would appeal to people that don't watch the show? Here are some ways that it would be great and successful among everyone, if well implemented -
Character Creation
You would need to be able to make your own character. I think the idea of playing as one of the brothers might be disliked by some for interrupting canon, assuming it wasn't a game narrative of the T.V. show (Which I wouldn't like.) Also, those who don't watch the show wouldn't care about being Sam or Dean, and would probably rather be a hunter of their own design. Of course, there could be DLC allowing you to play as them, or other hunters, for specific missions. You could also still interact with them, or compete with them to find and destroy a specific monster.
Finding and Choosing Targets
You should also be able to research what kinds of mysterious phenomena are going on, and decide which to go after. You should have to investigate what it is and what kills it, contacting you're numerous sources, but also be able to cut to the chase if you have a hunch, or know what to do. Actually finding the targeted monster should be challenging, and require inquiry, as shown in the T.V. shows. This may require you to go into disguise (Such as pretending to be members of the F.B.I.) or follow a suspected Vampire. There should still be an overarching story however, as repetitive doing of these may get boring without some interesting plot twists.
Fighting
Fighting in this game should be unique. Anything that could be realistically used as a weapon, should be able to be. Monsters should be able to knock things out of your hands and vice versa, and you would have to learn how to skillfully use something. Their would also be things that you didn't have to fight, or even encounter directly, such as ghosts. As in the show, you would have to find the grave, dig it up, and salt and burn the bones.
Complex Socialization System
You need to be able to mold your characters personality, and have free reign in conversations. This helps you feel it is "you" in the game, and will motivate you more to care for the character. It's also a lot more fun that way. Bioware would be a good choice in this regard, as they are rather good at this.
Complex Morality System
Things you do need to have consequences, but not necessarily immediate ones. Say you kill Bobby Fischer (A father-figure to the main characters, and rather important to storyline). Not only does this remove you from canon, but you lose an informant. Other hunters should be mad at you, possibly attacking you, and Sam and Dean would be pissed. However, non-essential characters should not be killed willy-nilly either, as it could get some bad karma, or make the police come after you. You may also have to make hard choices, such as choosing whether or not to kill a vampire that has never killed anyone. If you do, it will never hurt anyone. If you let it free, it may start killing and you have to deal with it, or it might become an ally and informant of great assistance.
Open World
I mean this here, and I mean world. Well, not exactly world, but at least several large cities and some smaller towns. As many as possible, bigger than the map for Grand Theft Auto V. I know that creating a giant world, especially one that giant, must be extremely difficult and take a long time, but the profits would make up for it, as I'll explain next.
Why people would buy this:
- For the series. Many people love this show, and would love to play a game version.
- For the unique challenge. As I am suggesting it, there would be no game like it out there. A new niche in gaming either fails horribly or succeeds greatly. I suspect the latter.
- There is nothing to compete with it. Similar to the above, if someone wants a game like this, they have to get this game.
- For the characters and story. Well written, it would provide a nice addition to the series, and allow minor characters to be explored more, or characters that appeared once to appear again and develop.
- For the experience. If it becomes popular among someone's friends, they may want the same experience.
I won't go into more technicalities, or argue about what console it should be on (I say Vita. It's the one I have, and it needs more good games. I say this wistfully and somewhat jokingly.) I simply say that it needs to be made. If a game developer stumbles upon this, the idea is yours, please make it (Talk to the creators of the show first though, that would avoid some problems).
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Compare and Contrast - Persona 4 Golden and Persona 4: The Animation
As I mentioned in my review of Persona 4 Golden, there is an anime that was created based on it. This is one of the three animes I have actually watched (Side note - Angel Beats and D.Gray Man are the others.) As this was based on the original version of the game there are some substantial differences, and there are many differences between it and the original game as well. However, as I have played only Golden, I will compare The Animation to that game.
Things that stay the same -
The story, of course, stays the same in The Animation, with most stuff left alone, and changes made to the social links (I have not played through all social links [Naoki or the Foxes, for example] so I am unaware of some of the changes made in those.) The social links are with the same people as the game, minus the two exclusive to Golden.
The characters are also the same, but a few are slightly modified, and a few minor (read "Nameless or otherwise unimportant") characters, such as the teachers, except for King Moron, are removed. For example, Daidara sells you weapons in the game, but, as weapons are not used in The Animation, he has been changed to the master of fireworks.
Another thing that is the same, are the voice actors in Golden and in The Animation are the same (At least in the English dub.) This does not seem significant unless you know two voice actors (Those of Teddy and Chie) change between the original game and golden. This is strange as the animation is based on the original, not golden. However, though it was released in Japan before Golden was, Golden was released in the United States before the Dub was created, making this the likely reason for this choice.
Things that Change -
Social links, as mentioned above, change immensely. For one, the strength social link is with Kou Ichijo, specifically, and does not go through his personal issues. In fact, from what I can tell, no-one gets their social link storyline much. The main characters don't get it at all, just a social link when they join the party. Also, Yumi Ozawa is completely removed in favor of Ayane Matsunaga for the sun social link (You choose towards the beginning of the game which one you follow int the game.) I personally preferred Yumi's, but the writers of the anime, apparently, did not. Additionally, the Golden exclusive social links were not included, and Marie did not appear at all (A shame, as I truly felt she added to the story).
As mentioned (far) above, the characters do not use weapons at all. They rely entirely on their Persona's while fighting, and there is, of course, not a turn based fighting system, or level based upgrades (Spoiler, skip to next paragraph to avoid.) besides the upgrades of their personas to there ultimate versions (Not the super ultimate version featured in also in golden though.)
Personas, at least those of Yu Narukami, the protagonist, are handled differently as well. As opposed as having over one hundred Personas to chose from, he has one for each social link, his initial persona Izanagi, (Spoiler, skip over the rest of the paragraph to avoid.) and the persona's Lucifer and Izanagi-no-Okami, the ultimate persona for the Judgement social link (Notable as it doesn't appear in the Animation. The Judgement social link is the bond created by the group searching for the truth.), and the sole persona of the world Arcana, respectively. Izanagi-no-Okami appears only in the epilogue episode/movie "Persona 4: The Factor of Hope" as the persona Yu obtains when he faces Izanami to save the world.
Additionally, the King's Game scene was better in the Animation. By far. If you watch up to it in the Animation it justifies the entire thing in terms of hilarity. At least in my opinion.
Both Persona 4:The Animation and Persona 4 Golden are excellent. If you are unable to play Persona 4, I strongly recommend you watch the Animation, as the story is great and there are many moment of hilarity. Warning - There is mild language and adult themes. Quite a few adult themes. If it were a movie, it would be PG-13. Here is a link to the first episode on YouTube. If you wish to watch the rest, find them yourselves (It should be pretty easy).
Things that stay the same -
The story, of course, stays the same in The Animation, with most stuff left alone, and changes made to the social links (I have not played through all social links [Naoki or the Foxes, for example] so I am unaware of some of the changes made in those.) The social links are with the same people as the game, minus the two exclusive to Golden.
The characters are also the same, but a few are slightly modified, and a few minor (read "Nameless or otherwise unimportant") characters, such as the teachers, except for King Moron, are removed. For example, Daidara sells you weapons in the game, but, as weapons are not used in The Animation, he has been changed to the master of fireworks.
Another thing that is the same, are the voice actors in Golden and in The Animation are the same (At least in the English dub.) This does not seem significant unless you know two voice actors (Those of Teddy and Chie) change between the original game and golden. This is strange as the animation is based on the original, not golden. However, though it was released in Japan before Golden was, Golden was released in the United States before the Dub was created, making this the likely reason for this choice.
Things that Change -
Social links, as mentioned above, change immensely. For one, the strength social link is with Kou Ichijo, specifically, and does not go through his personal issues. In fact, from what I can tell, no-one gets their social link storyline much. The main characters don't get it at all, just a social link when they join the party. Also, Yumi Ozawa is completely removed in favor of Ayane Matsunaga for the sun social link (You choose towards the beginning of the game which one you follow int the game.) I personally preferred Yumi's, but the writers of the anime, apparently, did not. Additionally, the Golden exclusive social links were not included, and Marie did not appear at all (A shame, as I truly felt she added to the story).
As mentioned (far) above, the characters do not use weapons at all. They rely entirely on their Persona's while fighting, and there is, of course, not a turn based fighting system, or level based upgrades (Spoiler, skip to next paragraph to avoid.) besides the upgrades of their personas to there ultimate versions (Not the super ultimate version featured in also in golden though.)
Personas, at least those of Yu Narukami, the protagonist, are handled differently as well. As opposed as having over one hundred Personas to chose from, he has one for each social link, his initial persona Izanagi, (Spoiler, skip over the rest of the paragraph to avoid.) and the persona's Lucifer and Izanagi-no-Okami, the ultimate persona for the Judgement social link (Notable as it doesn't appear in the Animation. The Judgement social link is the bond created by the group searching for the truth.), and the sole persona of the world Arcana, respectively. Izanagi-no-Okami appears only in the epilogue episode/movie "Persona 4: The Factor of Hope" as the persona Yu obtains when he faces Izanami to save the world.
Additionally, the King's Game scene was better in the Animation. By far. If you watch up to it in the Animation it justifies the entire thing in terms of hilarity. At least in my opinion.
Both Persona 4:The Animation and Persona 4 Golden are excellent. If you are unable to play Persona 4, I strongly recommend you watch the Animation, as the story is great and there are many moment of hilarity. Warning - There is mild language and adult themes. Quite a few adult themes. If it were a movie, it would be PG-13. Here is a link to the first episode on YouTube. If you wish to watch the rest, find them yourselves (It should be pretty easy).
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Cookie Clicker - The Appeal of Sitting and Watching
Two games that I never would have thought I'd enjoy, yet find endlessly amusing, are Cookie Clicker, and Candy Box. These games require a minimal amount of actual effort, but can be rather entertaining to play. I'll start with Cookie Clicker.
As the title implies you click on a cookie. From clicking on this cookie you get cookies. That's the start. After a while you can buy things to make the cookies for you, requiring your attention less and less, and eventually you make many each second. If you do want to pay attention there are amusing scroll titles at the top, and you can make decisions with your cookie very quickly. However, there is nothing more to the game than getting cookies.
The other game I mentioned, Candy Box, starts out similarly. You gain 1 candy per second, and can eat them, or throw then on the ground. Don't do that, wait. Eventually you will have enough to buy a sword and start going on quests to get more candies and special items. You can get a lollipop farm, and find the old witches house. Supposedly there is an alchemy function as well, but I have never gotten that far. I enjoy this one even more than cookie clicker, as there are so many hidden things for you to find.
Why do I enjoy these games? It might be because I am almost always doing something else on the computer at the same time, and these require very little attention. It is an amusing distraction from the other things, and will not punish you for taking some time away from it. It rewards you for doing so, actually. However, it doesn't make you keep coming back and waiting in such a way as many social games, such as Farmville do. It is also great fun to compete with your friends to see who can get the most cookies or items, just make sure to screenshot it for proof, friendships have been ruined over less.
If you know of any similar games I would love to have you suggest them to me. Please post them in the comments section.
As the title implies you click on a cookie. From clicking on this cookie you get cookies. That's the start. After a while you can buy things to make the cookies for you, requiring your attention less and less, and eventually you make many each second. If you do want to pay attention there are amusing scroll titles at the top, and you can make decisions with your cookie very quickly. However, there is nothing more to the game than getting cookies.
The other game I mentioned, Candy Box, starts out similarly. You gain 1 candy per second, and can eat them, or throw then on the ground. Don't do that, wait. Eventually you will have enough to buy a sword and start going on quests to get more candies and special items. You can get a lollipop farm, and find the old witches house. Supposedly there is an alchemy function as well, but I have never gotten that far. I enjoy this one even more than cookie clicker, as there are so many hidden things for you to find.
Why do I enjoy these games? It might be because I am almost always doing something else on the computer at the same time, and these require very little attention. It is an amusing distraction from the other things, and will not punish you for taking some time away from it. It rewards you for doing so, actually. However, it doesn't make you keep coming back and waiting in such a way as many social games, such as Farmville do. It is also great fun to compete with your friends to see who can get the most cookies or items, just make sure to screenshot it for proof, friendships have been ruined over less.
If you know of any similar games I would love to have you suggest them to me. Please post them in the comments section.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Roguelikes and their Appeal
Roguelike games incorporate a very small genre, and are relatively unknown to many "casual" gamers. This is unfortunate, as many are quite enjoyable. They are small, quirky, and usually short games, that you either enjoy immensely, or hate with a passion.
A Very Brief History of Roguelikes
The term "roguelike" refers to the game "Rogue," a small ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Exchange. It's basically the keys of a keyboard, and not as complicated as it sounds. Go here for more information. ASCII here is used as a design type, easy to run on basic computers. Look at the picture below for an example.) based game which is the first of the genre. Several similar games came before it, but this was the one that pioneered it for the future. Now there are many roguelikes, and some have become very popular, albeit, generally among a specific crowd. The meaning of the term "roguelike" too, is sharply disputed, though most agree that it's key factors are permanent death, and randomization.
Why They are Often Avoided
Roguelikes are often looked over because of there apparent simplicity, unnecessary complexity (I'll explain in one second) and general bad graphics. In addition, few actually know what it is, because "Rouge" is such an old game. I introduced several of my friends to the genre recently, and they had never seen anything like it.
The games often appear to be ridiculously simple at first glance -
However, there are many complex rules. You must play close attention to your health, hunger, and items, and do not know what your items do until you try them out. This can be potentially dangerous, as any old flask you encounter may be a flask of incineration, rather bad to drink. For the rest of that game then, any flask that would have been the same color, staff that would have been made of the same wood, or scroll that with the same inscription will be renamed to what it does. However, this will be reset between games. If a pink potion is a potion of healing in your first game, it may still be a potion of incineration in the next. This, and the monsters becoming stronger faster than you level up, make this an extremely difficult game. The difficulty curve is very steep in roguelikes.
Many roguelikes have graphics similar to the one above (in the ASCII format) or have very grainy graphics, such as the picture below.
This may lead people with certain graphical standards to avoid most of these. It's a shame, as they are missing on some rather enjoyable games.
The Enjoyment Factor
These games are extremely difficult, but also very unique. This can lead the adventurous gamer to enjoy these immensely, but those who want to play it safe are better staying with whatever they had been playing before. There is also a great amount of luck involved, and a substantial amount of pleasurable torture (If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's my blog about that. It's not one of my best ones, but it will give you an idea of what I mean.) I have played many, many, many, many rounds of roguelikes, but have never finished a game, always dying. Only about half the time is it even from monsters, other times I starve, or set myself on fire (Those flasks of incineration scare me so much.) or die in other ways that are my fault, but not totally, as I lacked the materials to save myself.
Where to Start -
If you are at all interested in what I had to say, here are some good places to start with roguelikes. Most of these you will have to download, but they are really small. All mentioned below are available for free, so give it a try.
Brogue, a nice and simple one, and a good introduction to roguelikes, can be found here.
Rogue, the original, can be found here.
Dungeon Crawl: Stone Soup, my favorite of the complicated ones, is available here. The tile version has the graphics shown above, while the console versions graphics are more similar to that of Rogue.
Nethack, another popular free roguelike, is available here. This is one that I have not played, and therefore can not recommend strongly.
There is a roguelike available for free on PSN mobile as well, Adventure Bar Labyrinth. It is free, and a rather nice game, albeit there are some things you have to get via in-game purchases (with real money.) This one is very different from the others, as the potions and scrols you get are pre-identified (The staffs however, are not), there are some ways to get out of the dungeon while keeping your items (most, but not all, require paying real money, or finding extremely rare items) and a kitchen system that allows you to make recipes and gain bonuses for the dungeon.
A Very Brief History of Roguelikes
The term "roguelike" refers to the game "Rogue," a small ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Exchange. It's basically the keys of a keyboard, and not as complicated as it sounds. Go here for more information. ASCII here is used as a design type, easy to run on basic computers. Look at the picture below for an example.) based game which is the first of the genre. Several similar games came before it, but this was the one that pioneered it for the future. Now there are many roguelikes, and some have become very popular, albeit, generally among a specific crowd. The meaning of the term "roguelike" too, is sharply disputed, though most agree that it's key factors are permanent death, and randomization.
Why They are Often Avoided
Roguelikes are often looked over because of there apparent simplicity, unnecessary complexity (I'll explain in one second) and general bad graphics. In addition, few actually know what it is, because "Rouge" is such an old game. I introduced several of my friends to the genre recently, and they had never seen anything like it.
The games often appear to be ridiculously simple at first glance -
 |
| Screenshot of Rogue. It's a lot more complicated than it looks to play. |
Many roguelikes have graphics similar to the one above (in the ASCII format) or have very grainy graphics, such as the picture below.
 |
| Screenshot of Dungeon Crawl - Stone Soup |
The Enjoyment Factor
These games are extremely difficult, but also very unique. This can lead the adventurous gamer to enjoy these immensely, but those who want to play it safe are better staying with whatever they had been playing before. There is also a great amount of luck involved, and a substantial amount of pleasurable torture (If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's my blog about that. It's not one of my best ones, but it will give you an idea of what I mean.) I have played many, many, many, many rounds of roguelikes, but have never finished a game, always dying. Only about half the time is it even from monsters, other times I starve, or set myself on fire (Those flasks of incineration scare me so much.) or die in other ways that are my fault, but not totally, as I lacked the materials to save myself.
Where to Start -
If you are at all interested in what I had to say, here are some good places to start with roguelikes. Most of these you will have to download, but they are really small. All mentioned below are available for free, so give it a try.
Brogue, a nice and simple one, and a good introduction to roguelikes, can be found here.
Rogue, the original, can be found here.
Dungeon Crawl: Stone Soup, my favorite of the complicated ones, is available here. The tile version has the graphics shown above, while the console versions graphics are more similar to that of Rogue.
Nethack, another popular free roguelike, is available here. This is one that I have not played, and therefore can not recommend strongly.
There is a roguelike available for free on PSN mobile as well, Adventure Bar Labyrinth. It is free, and a rather nice game, albeit there are some things you have to get via in-game purchases (with real money.) This one is very different from the others, as the potions and scrols you get are pre-identified (The staffs however, are not), there are some ways to get out of the dungeon while keeping your items (most, but not all, require paying real money, or finding extremely rare items) and a kitchen system that allows you to make recipes and gain bonuses for the dungeon.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Why "Way to Fall" was Perfect for the End of Metal Gear Solid 3
WARNING - SPOILERS CODE RED
There will be many (unmarked) spoilers for Metal Gear Solid 3, and the other Metal Gear games in this post. Do not read it if you wish to avoid them.
First, have a grasp of the plot of Metal Gear, or this will make no sense. Second listen to the song here. It is accompanied by lyrics, read them there, listen carefully, or read them here.
"Way to Fall" by Starsailor is an excellent song. And I really didn't like it when I first heard it. I was actually looking for the lyrics to "Snake Eater" (The intro song of Metal Gear 3). and saw it on the list of metal gear songs. I hated it. I liked the song, it sounded nice, but I despised the chorus. The chorus is still my least favorite part of the song, but I enjoy it now.
This song embodies Big Boss/Naked Snake (They're the same guy, and I'll go with Big Boss for the rest) at the end of Metal Gear Solid 3. Funnily enough, "Way to Fall" was not written for it either. The games director, Hideo Kojima, came across it, and loved it. It was this stroke of luck that made the end perfect. I will now go through a couple part of the song, and how each part makes it great and is extremely appropriate.
"Son, You've got a way to fall."
The son here is quite obviously Big Boss, although there is no clear parent. "You've got a way to fall" is far more important, however. Big Boss does indeed at this point have a way to fall. At this point, he is a hero, having saved the world from a nuclear disaster. However, look at him here, as he is given the title "Big Boss" (End of Metal Gear Solid 3)-
This is the face of a broken man. He had to do something that killed him inside. He had to kill his mentor and mother figure, The Boss. And he had to do so because the plan formed for her screwed up. She went along with it, knowing that she had to die in order to avoid a war, and died a True Patriot (There's a reason for the capitalization if you're someone who isn't familiar with Metal Gear.) This ate at him, and truly began to fall. He becomes the villain, trying to accomplish the Boss' wishes by any means necessary, eventually forming a group known as "Outer Heaven." Outer Heaven is an extremely dangerous mercenary group, a place where soldiers could feel like they belonged, which doesn't sound so bad, until you look at how they accomplish it (eternal warfare). He had a good intention, but it went astray, and he fell. Hard.
"Oh, I've got something in my throat. I need to be alone, while I suffer."
The scene depicted in the picture above has him shunning everyone he knows, and despairing. He goes then, to the Bosses grave, lays her gun, and a bouquet of Stars of Bethlehem, salutes, and sheds a single tear. He does this alone, and never gets any true friends. He also suffers, greatly, both emotionally (His killing of the Boss eats him inside) and physically (At the start of the main game of Metal Gear 5 [The Phantom Pain segment] he had been in a coma for nine years from severe injuries he had obtained.), eventually dying in a painful way because of a virus designed to target him, among others.
"Son, You've got a way to kill."
This applies greatly, provided you take it literally. Depending on how you played the game, Big Boss may have already killed a large number of soldiers. There is only one you are required to kill - The Boss. Later on however, the Boss kills a significant number of people through his missions, and through his soldiers, (And would have killed many more, if his Metal Gear had not been destroyed) and tortures some as well. This happens after the end of this game, so at this point he still has, again, literally, a ways to kill.
There are other parallels as well, but these are the strongest ones, and the easiest to explain. There are also some parts of it that go deeper than this, more into assumptions that I have no basis in game canon for, so I will, for now at least, keep those theories to myself.
There will be many (unmarked) spoilers for Metal Gear Solid 3, and the other Metal Gear games in this post. Do not read it if you wish to avoid them.
 |
| Big Boss, with quite a way to fall. |
First, have a grasp of the plot of Metal Gear, or this will make no sense. Second listen to the song here. It is accompanied by lyrics, read them there, listen carefully, or read them here.
"Way to Fall" by Starsailor is an excellent song. And I really didn't like it when I first heard it. I was actually looking for the lyrics to "Snake Eater" (The intro song of Metal Gear 3). and saw it on the list of metal gear songs. I hated it. I liked the song, it sounded nice, but I despised the chorus. The chorus is still my least favorite part of the song, but I enjoy it now.
This song embodies Big Boss/Naked Snake (They're the same guy, and I'll go with Big Boss for the rest) at the end of Metal Gear Solid 3. Funnily enough, "Way to Fall" was not written for it either. The games director, Hideo Kojima, came across it, and loved it. It was this stroke of luck that made the end perfect. I will now go through a couple part of the song, and how each part makes it great and is extremely appropriate.
"Son, You've got a way to fall."
The son here is quite obviously Big Boss, although there is no clear parent. "You've got a way to fall" is far more important, however. Big Boss does indeed at this point have a way to fall. At this point, he is a hero, having saved the world from a nuclear disaster. However, look at him here, as he is given the title "Big Boss" (End of Metal Gear Solid 3)-
 | |||
This is the face of a broken man. He had to do something that killed him inside. He had to kill his mentor and mother figure, The Boss. And he had to do so because the plan formed for her screwed up. She went along with it, knowing that she had to die in order to avoid a war, and died a True Patriot (There's a reason for the capitalization if you're someone who isn't familiar with Metal Gear.) This ate at him, and truly began to fall. He becomes the villain, trying to accomplish the Boss' wishes by any means necessary, eventually forming a group known as "Outer Heaven." Outer Heaven is an extremely dangerous mercenary group, a place where soldiers could feel like they belonged, which doesn't sound so bad, until you look at how they accomplish it (eternal warfare). He had a good intention, but it went astray, and he fell. Hard.
"Oh, I've got something in my throat. I need to be alone, while I suffer."
The scene depicted in the picture above has him shunning everyone he knows, and despairing. He goes then, to the Bosses grave, lays her gun, and a bouquet of Stars of Bethlehem, salutes, and sheds a single tear. He does this alone, and never gets any true friends. He also suffers, greatly, both emotionally (His killing of the Boss eats him inside) and physically (At the start of the main game of Metal Gear 5 [The Phantom Pain segment] he had been in a coma for nine years from severe injuries he had obtained.), eventually dying in a painful way because of a virus designed to target him, among others.
"Son, You've got a way to kill."
This applies greatly, provided you take it literally. Depending on how you played the game, Big Boss may have already killed a large number of soldiers. There is only one you are required to kill - The Boss. Later on however, the Boss kills a significant number of people through his missions, and through his soldiers, (And would have killed many more, if his Metal Gear had not been destroyed) and tortures some as well. This happens after the end of this game, so at this point he still has, again, literally, a ways to kill.
There are other parallels as well, but these are the strongest ones, and the easiest to explain. There are also some parts of it that go deeper than this, more into assumptions that I have no basis in game canon for, so I will, for now at least, keep those theories to myself.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Review of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater HD
I skipped over this one briefly, but I feel it is time to return to it. This is Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater, the first Metal Gear game I truly played. (I promise this is the last review for a while. I wanted to round out my favorite games.)
Platforms - Playstation 2(Original), Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Playstation Vita (HD version), Nintendo 3DS (3D version)
Story - 9
The base story was about as good as that in Metal Gear Solid 2, but was much better implemented. There were more reasons given for things, and less unexplained plot holes. It takes place before the other games, in the Cold War. You play Naked Snake, the genetic father of Solid Snake, the protagonist of the other games. The biggest plot problem - You couldn't pick up enemies weapons, which should have been possible before the nanomachines were integrated into soldiers systems (An explanation given in earlier, and upheld in later, games.)
Graphics - 7
The graphics here are pretty great. They are rather nice, if a little jittery in some places. And now for a screen shot -
Features - 8
This game introduces the Camo Index, a score that shows how well hidden you are. The top right corner of the screenshot above. The percentage there is 0. Hidden well you can usually get to 90 or 95, and there is one suit, that, in certain circumstances, gives you 100. You also have stamina, not present in Sons of Liberty, which is the bar divided into four at the top right. It goes down over time, and you will heal slower and your hands will shake if you have low stamina.
Gameplay - 8
The gameplay in Snake Eater is definitely better than that of Sons of LibertyThere is a lot of fun to be had playing this game. There are many ways of sneaking around, and some ways are almost comical (The box, and the crocodile cap, for instance.) There are also tons of different weapons, and many different camouflages with different abilities.You are given incentives for using non lethal weapons, (In the Vita version at least, there is an award given for killing no-one while playing. I missed it by one person, but I'm pretty sure that was because another soldier shot at me, I dodged, and it hit and killed another soldier.) Defeating bosses using only non-lethal weaponry also gives you special camouflage.
Content - 7
There are many hours of content, and decent replay value in this game. Note that, while this is a war game, it is NOT a fighting game. On normal difficulty, or anything above, straight up fighting is likely to just kill you. To get everything is quite difficult, and takes a long time. A normal play through takes maybe 10 hours, to do it on beginner (assuming you know what to do) takes maybe four to five hours.
Difficulty - 7
On normal difficulty, this game is pretty hard. You really need to use stealth to get through, and ration the usage of your weapons and healing supplies. Extreme is very difficult, I can't even get past the first boss. European extreme is ridiculous. You have to complete the game without being seen. On the traditional scale of 1-10 this difficulty gets an 11. Seriously, it deserves it. I predict maybe a couple hundred people have ever beaten European Extreme. With a game that sold 3.6 million copies, that truly isn't that much.
Sound Track -10
The sound track is amazing. The Snake Eater rendition of the main theme is the best, in my opinion, and then there are the songs "Snake Eater" and "Way to fall". Snake Eater is as catchy as the cold. The credits theme "Way to Fall" by Starsailor is so appropriate, I'll probably do another post on how excellent of a choice that was, and just how well it foreshadows things, and shows everything, and is just... Well, Perfect. Excellent job Kojima, and Starsailor.
Voice Acting - 10
Again David Hayter is beautiful as Snake, although this time he plays Naked Snake, also known as Big Boss. The voice actors for the others were also great, the only one I truly dislike being that of the Fear, which is not as creepy as it could have been.
Rating - M
Very appropriate, with mild language and heavy violence. Although non-lethal options are encouraged, there are some pretty violent ways to kill people. Also, EVA and the Boss have some scenes with partial nudity, so, this is quite a good rating.
Overall - 10
This game was so great, I can't even explain all of it. The mastery was amazing (Spoilers abound through the rest, so skip if wishing to avoid.) How many games have you come face to face with those you killed, having you question your actions? That was a stroke of brilliance, and everything was well implemented. And the ending? I leave EVA's final words - "Everything she did, she did for her country. She sacrificed her life and her honor for her native land. She was a real hero. She was a true patriot." (In regards to the boss.)
 |
| Naked Snake, minus one eye. (At this time, he is Big Boss.) |
Platforms - Playstation 2(Original), Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Playstation Vita (HD version), Nintendo 3DS (3D version)
The base story was about as good as that in Metal Gear Solid 2, but was much better implemented. There were more reasons given for things, and less unexplained plot holes. It takes place before the other games, in the Cold War. You play Naked Snake, the genetic father of Solid Snake, the protagonist of the other games. The biggest plot problem - You couldn't pick up enemies weapons, which should have been possible before the nanomachines were integrated into soldiers systems (An explanation given in earlier, and upheld in later, games.)
Graphics - 7
The graphics here are pretty great. They are rather nice, if a little jittery in some places. And now for a screen shot -
 |
| Screenshot of the Vita version of the HD re-release. This person obviously does not understand how camouflage works. |
This game introduces the Camo Index, a score that shows how well hidden you are. The top right corner of the screenshot above. The percentage there is 0. Hidden well you can usually get to 90 or 95, and there is one suit, that, in certain circumstances, gives you 100. You also have stamina, not present in Sons of Liberty, which is the bar divided into four at the top right. It goes down over time, and you will heal slower and your hands will shake if you have low stamina.
Gameplay - 8
The gameplay in Snake Eater is definitely better than that of Sons of LibertyThere is a lot of fun to be had playing this game. There are many ways of sneaking around, and some ways are almost comical (The box, and the crocodile cap, for instance.) There are also tons of different weapons, and many different camouflages with different abilities.You are given incentives for using non lethal weapons, (In the Vita version at least, there is an award given for killing no-one while playing. I missed it by one person, but I'm pretty sure that was because another soldier shot at me, I dodged, and it hit and killed another soldier.) Defeating bosses using only non-lethal weaponry also gives you special camouflage.
 |
| Perhaps the best stealth innovation since the cardboard box. |
Content - 7
There are many hours of content, and decent replay value in this game. Note that, while this is a war game, it is NOT a fighting game. On normal difficulty, or anything above, straight up fighting is likely to just kill you. To get everything is quite difficult, and takes a long time. A normal play through takes maybe 10 hours, to do it on beginner (assuming you know what to do) takes maybe four to five hours.
Difficulty - 7
On normal difficulty, this game is pretty hard. You really need to use stealth to get through, and ration the usage of your weapons and healing supplies. Extreme is very difficult, I can't even get past the first boss. European extreme is ridiculous. You have to complete the game without being seen. On the traditional scale of 1-10 this difficulty gets an 11. Seriously, it deserves it. I predict maybe a couple hundred people have ever beaten European Extreme. With a game that sold 3.6 million copies, that truly isn't that much.
Sound Track -10
The sound track is amazing. The Snake Eater rendition of the main theme is the best, in my opinion, and then there are the songs "Snake Eater" and "Way to fall". Snake Eater is as catchy as the cold. The credits theme "Way to Fall" by Starsailor is so appropriate, I'll probably do another post on how excellent of a choice that was, and just how well it foreshadows things, and shows everything, and is just... Well, Perfect. Excellent job Kojima, and Starsailor.
Voice Acting - 10
Again David Hayter is beautiful as Snake, although this time he plays Naked Snake, also known as Big Boss. The voice actors for the others were also great, the only one I truly dislike being that of the Fear, which is not as creepy as it could have been.
Rating - M
Very appropriate, with mild language and heavy violence. Although non-lethal options are encouraged, there are some pretty violent ways to kill people. Also, EVA and the Boss have some scenes with partial nudity, so, this is quite a good rating.
Overall - 10
This game was so great, I can't even explain all of it. The mastery was amazing (Spoilers abound through the rest, so skip if wishing to avoid.) How many games have you come face to face with those you killed, having you question your actions? That was a stroke of brilliance, and everything was well implemented. And the ending? I leave EVA's final words - "Everything she did, she did for her country. She sacrificed her life and her honor for her native land. She was a real hero. She was a true patriot." (In regards to the boss.)
 |
| The Boss. |
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Review of Persona 4 Golden
After reviewing Persona 3 Portable, I feel the logical next step would be to review my original experience with the persona series - Persona 4 Golden!
 |
| The original members of your party. I'd add more, but this time, those are spoilers. From right to left they are: Yosuke Hamamura, Protagonist (The anime has his name as Yu Narukami. This is held up in Persona 4's sequel - Persona 4 Arena [It's a fighting game, and substantially different]), Chie Satonaka, and Yukiko Amagi. (This caption is really long. Sorry.) |
Platforms
Vita (Golden), Playstation 2 (Original) The sequel is Persona 4 Arena on the Playstation 3. It's significantly different than the style of this game (No social links, and it's a 2d fighting game. Personas are implented much differently. However, characters from Persona 3 make an appearance.)
Story - 10
This game has an amazing storyline, and the Golden versions is even improved further with two new social links, an epilogue, and a new extension to the main storyline you get, provided certain prerequisites are met.
The basic storyline (Without spoilers) is that you are the protagonist (No female route this time, sorry) and you arrive in the small town of Inaba to live with your uncle for a year. Suddenly, wacky things start happening (Murders, actually) and you obtain the power of Persona. It's up to you(And your team) to solve the crime. And there are twenty-three social links to add to the game (although one of them doesn't add much.)
Graphics -6
This game's in game graphics are pretty good, and consistent with the anime style of the game. The avatars shown when talking are even better than before, in my opinion they look better than the the picture (far) above.
Features - 8
There are many features in this game that are carried over from Persona 3. There are, as previously mentioned twenty-three social links, two of which were added in the re-release. One of these is Marie, whose story adds greatly to the rest of the game, and Adachi, a returning character, who gains a fairly interesting social link. Persona's can be fused more effectively now, as you choose what skills they inherit.
Something I forgot to mention in the other game is that you can eat places to get bonuses to your social stats. In this one you can tackle the Mega Beef Bowl rainy day challenge, which requires a perfect balance of stats to complete. It raises two random ones slightly by trying.
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| Did I mention the game is also hilarious at times? Also, the graphics are a bit better in game, this isn't a great screenshot. |
Gameplay - 7
The fighting is not quite as boring, and on a second play-through you keep only your money and social stats. Persona's and skill cards registered in the compendium will also be available for purchase.
Content - 8
There is slightly more content in this game than in Persona 3, with 208 available Personas (Albeit, there are 214 in persona 3 portable) There are also more social links available, with Adachi's jester social link (The first of that type) making it twenty three. The storyline takes about ninety hours to complete listening and reading most of the dialogue. A second run-through takes substantially less, with forty to sixty hours average.
Difficulty - 6
The normal difficulty is pretty hard. Easy is a cake walk, nice for someone only there for the story. Very hard is rather difficult, with the second battle requiring some pretty developed tactics, or you will die. Also, if you're a low level, do not open any chest the navigator has a bad feeling about. If you do you will die.
Soundtrack - 9
The soundtrack in this game is even better than 3 Portable, although it doesn't have as many great lyrical songs. The main walking around songs are less annoying, and feature some interesting lyrics. The end theme is great, but not as good as Kimi no Kioku, which is a flippin' masterpiece. However, you get Reach out to the Truth, I'll Face Myself (The normal version is better than the battle version) and a couple others that are pretty good. Golden introduces "Shadow World" only heard in the intro, but it's a pretty good one as well.
Voice Acting - 8
The voice acting was great, probably a little more spot on than 3 portables was. Again, there just wasn't enough of it. I want full voice acting, not just little giggles (Which were still better than nothing), during my social link scenes. Is this too much to ask for?
Rating - M
Justified. There is some strong language, but the semi-explicit designs of some of the Persona's are probably the main problem (Mostly of gods half naked, which is a common depiction anyway, so it's not that bad). Then there are some adult themes, like murder. And there's also the drag beauty "queen" contest (Okay, that doesn't contribute much to the game's rating, as it's pretty PG, but I wanted add it somewhere.)
Overall - 10
Another of my favorite games of all time, I rate this slightly higher because it is more accessible, (If you don't have a Vita you can play the original on the Playstation 2) has an excellent storyline, better written social links, and is slightly more realistic (I said slightly.) I strongly recommend everyone play this (Or watch the Anime, it's actually good) to get the story. It is excellent, and well worth your time.
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| The Protagonist, and his original persona Izanagi |
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