Ramblings of 2009
Maybe the only one of this year… or maybe not. Either way, overdue for another update about nothing.
First up, games.
Valkyria Chronicles (PS3): Until this game came along, my PlayStation 3 was something that I regretted buying. Metal Gear Solid 4 came and… well, stayed there, waiting for me to finish MGS3 before starting it (will happen eventually!); Soul Calibur IV was a decent timesink, even if I can’t help but keep comparing it to Soul Calibur II, a much more entertaining game; and Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is every bit as awesome as it used to be, but the lack of anyone to really play it with puts a damper on things. But this game validated the purchase for me. I love Strategy RPGs (heaven knows I spent enough time on Final Fantasy Tactics back in the day), but it’s a genre that, whether due to how niche it is or other factors, has evolved very very little over the years. By all accounts they’re good games, but when you look at Disgaea and compare it to, say, Tactics Ogre, the core gameplay is still very very similar – turn-based movement on a grid map. But VC shakes that all up. Combining a 3rd person perspective Action Mode with real-time interception fire, the (admittedly poorly-named) BLiTZ combat system is a sorely needed step forward for SRPGs. Add to that the gorgeous visuals which looks like a beautiful watercolor painting brought to life, a great soundtrack, some interesting characters, and great Japanese voice acting (Lelouch-ian Maximilian = awesome), and you have a game that shows at least a part of SEGA is still capable of putting out amazing titles. This is the type of game that anyone who has ever wished for developers to try making new innovative games instead of making the nth iteration of a popular IP had in mind. Truly a masterpiece, and my favorite game of 2008.
Prince of Persia (PS3): I had my doubts going in for this game. Sands of Time was one of my favorite games from the last generation, and while the two follow-ups weren’t quite as amazingly, the trilogy still set a pretty high bar for this reboot-again of the PoP franchise. Does it live up to it? Well… somewhat. To get the first thing out of the way, this game is breathtakingly beautiful. Like VC, it impresses not by pushing obscene numbers of polygons or making them ultra-realistic shades of gray, but through fantastic artistic direction. I would say this is probably the best looking game I’ve ever seen, and actually made me wish I had a 1080P TV to play it on. As far as gameplay goes, I’d have to say it’s just decent. Much has been made about the (lack of a) death mechanic, but I honestly didn’t mind. It’s streamlined, and as far as an AI NPC sidekick goes, Elika is amazing, so it feels natural. But the combat system is really quite tedious, the Wings/Breath of Ormazd segments are terribly designed, and the story really wasn’t anything better than mediocre, capped off by an ending that I would have to say is very unsatisfactory. I did enjoy the game, but SoT it isn’t.
Next, anime.
ChäoS;HEAd: Based on a VN, this is a series I picked up on whim. It started off well, never making it clear to the viewer what is a hallucination and what is real, but it really faltered towards the end, when the story seemed hell-bent on compensating for the plot becoming clearer with terminology becoming ever more jumbled. The VN is certainly better, but somehow I don’t see me playing it anytime soon.
ef – a tale of melodies: I enjoyed a tale of memories a lot, so watching the sequel (of sorts) was a no-brainer. Maybe it’s because I watched memories together instead of week by week like melodies, but I wasn’t quite drawn into it. The music is fantastic though, and it was nice to see some cameos from the main characters from memories.
Other currently-airing series that I’m watching are Gundam 00 Second Season, Tales of the Abyss, and Toradora!. G00 S2 is coming along nicely, but TotA has become progressively less interesting, with some serious pacing issues – somewhat expected given that it’s based on a RPG and partially forgiven because of it, but still a problem. I’m sure I’ll finish it though. Toradora! is just light-hearted entertainment, but with some patience-testing thrown in due to the fansub group having some trouble with getting releases out.
And finally, books. The only thing I’ve been reading lately has been Star Wars novels. Since the last update, I’ve finished both the Legacy of the Force and New Jedi Order series. I’m not sure I’d call either of them great, but I suppose they’re entertaining enough. Now working through the previous books (almost done with the Callista Trilogy, and then read the Han Solo and Dark Nest trilogies).
Oh, and have to share this. A beautiful figure of Shiki from Kara no Kyoukai that I knew I had to have the second I saw it:
