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).
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
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 |
Friday, September 27, 2013
Review of Persona 3 Portable
Now I will cover a title in the fourth of my four favorite game franchises. In this, Persona may be last, but is certainly not least. Like Metal Gear, I was introduced to the Persona series with a game later in the series, Persona 4, and actually, it was that games updated Vita re-release titled Persona 4 Golden. Here I will review Persona 3 Portable, because it was released first.
Disclaimer (Again. Sorry, but I play old games.) - This is a game that was released in 2010. The original game was released in 2007, and it's updated re-release FES was released in 2004. I understand this, but this does not make the game any less purchasable or playable.
Story - 10
The Persona games have some of my favorite storylines. This one is made even better by the ability to go through as either the male or female protagonist (You choose one at the beginning, and do not get to use the other unless you play through the game again and select the other. One theory is that they were in a car crash when young, and whomever you play is the one that survived.) There is no major difference in the overarching storyline, but many, many, smaller changes. You have different social links, certain events happen slightly differently, and your initial persona looks different.
The base Idea is that you are the Protagonist (You choose your own name. The canonical name [As per the upcoming movie] is Makoto Yuki.) and you must fight the shadows of the hidden hour. There are also 22 social links (21 in the original, as they exluded Aigis.) which each have their own sub stories and tie ins. Together there is a large and moving story, that is beautifully written.
Graphics -5
The graphics in the PSP version are worse than those on the Playstation two, unfortunately. I do not have a comparison, but for reference purposes, below is a screenshot of the PSP version of the game.
Also, unlike the Playstation 2 versions, you do not get to walk around, but instead slide over using a pointer. Some people like this more, some, like me, like it less. However, conversations take place via character portraits with different emotions. They are nice, very similar to those on the top picture.
Features - 8
The fighting in the game is actually very similar to that in Pokemon. You choose a persona and use it's powers to fight shadows. Each persona has it's own special abilities. However, the most interesting feature of this game are its Social Links. The social links are relationships you form with people around the city, and the higher the social link, the more bonuses you receive when creating Persona's of a a specific arcana that is tied to the person you have the social link with. They are the bonds you create with people that you spend time with, and there is a story within each of the 22 social links that develops as you advance it.
Gameplay - 6
The actual playing of the game is enjoyable, but not as enjoyable as sitting back and just enjoying the story. I actually sadden whenever I have to go to Tartarus and advance the levels of my Persona's. I prefer to go through the daily high school life and develop my social links, which I enjoy because of their story more than their gameplay purpose.
Content - 7
The original game, via the male protagonist storyline takes about 70 hours to complete (With an additional 30 hours in FES's epilogue. This epilogue was not included in the portable version, and is only available as part of FES) A second run-through would take substantially less, as you stay the same level, with the same equipment, as before. The secondary characters, however, have all been reduced to level one. This could be done to complete social links you weren't able to complete, or collect and fuse persona's you missed. After doing all this you may want to do the female protagonist's run-through, which should be a little shorter if you do it afterwards, as you will probably skip some of the repeated dialogue. Still, skipping repeated dialogue, it would take about 65 hours starting from level one.
Difficulty -6
The normal difficulty is difficult, but not super hard. There is a useful tutorial that appears when necessary that explains nicely how everything works. These are usually short paragraph descriptions of features. There are several difficulties, with "maniac" being the most difficult, and beginner being least. The difficulty curve is not extreme, but can be annoying while training in Tartarus. The bosses are generally difficult, but, towards the endgame, you could easily be over-leveled making them rather easy. And then there is the optional "ultimate boss" who is nigh impossible, even on the easiest setting.
Soundtrack - 8
The soundtrack is pretty great. I really like the lyrical songs, although some of them are half or all Japanese.
Burn My Dread and Soul Phrase being my favorites of these. Some of the basic background songs are really pretty annoying though. One plays during some social link events that sound like it's saying "double-brown double-brown triple-brown meow triple-brown triple-brown triple-brown meow" over and over.
Voice Acting - 8
There is voice acting, and it is very well done. My largest complaint is that there is not enough of it. It is only used during storyline advancing conversations, and not in social links. It would have been better if it was in social links. I also would have liked to be able to toggle it to Japanese, but that's kind of a big stretch.
Rating - M
Deserved. Some of the Persona's have slightly suggestive designs, and there are mild amounts of offensive language. Plus there's the second picture up there, something slightly mature in theme.
Overall - 9
As with the other games I have reviewed so far, this is one of my all time favorites. The story alone makes it worth playing for anyone that's a fan of anime or fantasy or really just good stories. The gameplay is rather unique and interesting, and is easily grasped. My recommendation - if you don't have this or have never played it, buy it immediately. If you have a PSP or a Vita get the Portable version (It's available on PSN). If you have a Playstation 2 get FES and play that one. If you have both, go for portable. You may not get the epilogue, but you get the entirety of the female protagonists storyline.
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| Cover design, minus clutter.. From left to right, Top Row - Thanatos (A persona.) and Aigis, Bottom (Starting lower left corner) Yukari Takeba, Akihiko Sanada, Mitsuru Kirijo, Male Protagonist, Female Protagonist, Junpei Iori |
Disclaimer (Again. Sorry, but I play old games.) - This is a game that was released in 2010. The original game was released in 2007, and it's updated re-release FES was released in 2004. I understand this, but this does not make the game any less purchasable or playable.
Story - 10
The Persona games have some of my favorite storylines. This one is made even better by the ability to go through as either the male or female protagonist (You choose one at the beginning, and do not get to use the other unless you play through the game again and select the other. One theory is that they were in a car crash when young, and whomever you play is the one that survived.) There is no major difference in the overarching storyline, but many, many, smaller changes. You have different social links, certain events happen slightly differently, and your initial persona looks different.
The base Idea is that you are the Protagonist (You choose your own name. The canonical name [As per the upcoming movie] is Makoto Yuki.) and you must fight the shadows of the hidden hour. There are also 22 social links (21 in the original, as they exluded Aigis.) which each have their own sub stories and tie ins. Together there is a large and moving story, that is beautifully written.
Graphics -5
The graphics in the PSP version are worse than those on the Playstation two, unfortunately. I do not have a comparison, but for reference purposes, below is a screenshot of the PSP version of the game.
 | ||||
| The best picture I could find. It makes sense in context. Which I refuse to give you (Spoilers. I refuse to spoil Persona 3. In anyway. Except for the bare minimum of origin plot) |
Features - 8
The fighting in the game is actually very similar to that in Pokemon. You choose a persona and use it's powers to fight shadows. Each persona has it's own special abilities. However, the most interesting feature of this game are its Social Links. The social links are relationships you form with people around the city, and the higher the social link, the more bonuses you receive when creating Persona's of a a specific arcana that is tied to the person you have the social link with. They are the bonds you create with people that you spend time with, and there is a story within each of the 22 social links that develops as you advance it.
Gameplay - 6
The actual playing of the game is enjoyable, but not as enjoyable as sitting back and just enjoying the story. I actually sadden whenever I have to go to Tartarus and advance the levels of my Persona's. I prefer to go through the daily high school life and develop my social links, which I enjoy because of their story more than their gameplay purpose.
Content - 7
The original game, via the male protagonist storyline takes about 70 hours to complete (With an additional 30 hours in FES's epilogue. This epilogue was not included in the portable version, and is only available as part of FES) A second run-through would take substantially less, as you stay the same level, with the same equipment, as before. The secondary characters, however, have all been reduced to level one. This could be done to complete social links you weren't able to complete, or collect and fuse persona's you missed. After doing all this you may want to do the female protagonist's run-through, which should be a little shorter if you do it afterwards, as you will probably skip some of the repeated dialogue. Still, skipping repeated dialogue, it would take about 65 hours starting from level one.
Difficulty -6
The normal difficulty is difficult, but not super hard. There is a useful tutorial that appears when necessary that explains nicely how everything works. These are usually short paragraph descriptions of features. There are several difficulties, with "maniac" being the most difficult, and beginner being least. The difficulty curve is not extreme, but can be annoying while training in Tartarus. The bosses are generally difficult, but, towards the endgame, you could easily be over-leveled making them rather easy. And then there is the optional "ultimate boss" who is nigh impossible, even on the easiest setting.
Soundtrack - 8
The soundtrack is pretty great. I really like the lyrical songs, although some of them are half or all Japanese.
Burn My Dread and Soul Phrase being my favorites of these. Some of the basic background songs are really pretty annoying though. One plays during some social link events that sound like it's saying "double-brown double-brown triple-brown meow triple-brown triple-brown triple-brown meow" over and over.
Voice Acting - 8
There is voice acting, and it is very well done. My largest complaint is that there is not enough of it. It is only used during storyline advancing conversations, and not in social links. It would have been better if it was in social links. I also would have liked to be able to toggle it to Japanese, but that's kind of a big stretch.
Rating - M
Deserved. Some of the Persona's have slightly suggestive designs, and there are mild amounts of offensive language. Plus there's the second picture up there, something slightly mature in theme.
Overall - 9
As with the other games I have reviewed so far, this is one of my all time favorites. The story alone makes it worth playing for anyone that's a fan of anime or fantasy or really just good stories. The gameplay is rather unique and interesting, and is easily grasped. My recommendation - if you don't have this or have never played it, buy it immediately. If you have a PSP or a Vita get the Portable version (It's available on PSN). If you have a Playstation 2 get FES and play that one. If you have both, go for portable. You may not get the epilogue, but you get the entirety of the female protagonists storyline.
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