Finished: Final Fantasy VII
I think I’ve mentioned it before, but let me clarify. I did not own a Playstation until the mid 2000s, and finally bought a PS2 this year. I was raised a BBS and PC gamer, first with an Atari 400, then an Amiga 500, followed by a Powermac 7100, and culminating with a move to the Windows platform shortly before the launch of the Everquest beta. In fact, aside from the family NES, the first new console I owned was an Xbox, in 2002.
Along with a desire to dedicate time towards revisiting classics and old favorites, this lack of experience with what many would consider to be the glory days of the console has played a significant role in shaping the roster that would become my 2008 play list.
Along with the Metal Gear Solid games, a series that I’ll be taking up shortly, one of the key entries in my pile of shame (I’ve been collecting the games for the play list for some time now) was Final Fantasy VII.
I did experience a bit of Final Fantasy VII back in 1997. There was what came to be a communal Playstation at a friend’s house, and through that year and the next I either watched or played through maybe 8-10 hours of the game, was familiar with most of the summons, and knew bits of the story. Still, I’d never sat down and actually played the game (or most of the other games in the series, for that matter, as the only two I’d played through until recently were the original Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy X), and as such, I don’t have the intense familiarity and nostalgia with the Square Enix juggernaut that many gamers do.
Thanks to custom firmware and a couple of handy applications, I was able to rip my copy of Final Fantasy VII and play on the PSP, the four inch screen giving the graphics less of a dated feel. While the game does have moments where you are forced to navigate off in the background, rendering Cloud as a diminutive heap of pixels in the distance, overall the game felt at home on the portable, and ran without a hitch.
Total time from the main theme to finale was nearly 40 hours, and that was with minimal attention given to ancillary objectives such as Chocobo collecting, Fort Condor battles, or the various Gold Saucer challenges. Of the secret characters, I welcomed Vincent into the party but managed to tell off Yuffie, causing her to run off into the forest, never to be seen again.
I had wondered how the story and would hold up after these years and without nostalgia to bolster it, and was left pleasantly surprised. Sure, Final Fantasy VII has its over the top moments and bouts of melodramatic silliness (it wouldn’t be a JRPG without ‘em), but the chord of solid (and serious) storytelling held true throughout. While Aeris’ death — one of the most talked about moments in gaming history — was in no way a surprise, it was still affecting, and I felt for Cloud (er, driph), Barret, Tifa, Red XIII, and the rest of the cast, hoping that things would go well for them as their journeys progressed. Nobuo Uematsu’s soundtrack, backed by solid pacing and extraordinary cinematography, was effective and moving, and now that I’m able to connect the sounds with the moments I understand the emotional attachment many have to tracks such as “Aeris’ Theme” and “One-Winged Angel.”
My quibbles with the game are few. Mini-games, of which there were plenty, were a diversion at best and tedious at worst, although some, like the Fort Condor battles, were surprisingly sophisticated for playing such a minor role in the presentation. The random battles were bothersome but not gamebreakers, although I will admit to some tense (and impatient) moments running from point A to point B, cringing as the battle theme suddenly spooled up and the screen swirled. Finding just where to step was aggravating at times, the optional cue points an absolute necessity, although a healthy chunk of the blame can be attributed to playing the game on a screen it was never intended for.
So what’s next? Well, I’m already an hour into and enjoying the fan-service-heavy Crisis Core, to be followed by an evening spent with Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, Square Enix’ 2005 followup film. I’m even considering a run through the much-maligned Dirge of Cerberus, although I have a feeling I’ll have reached my fill of VII by that point. For now, I’m hooked, and while I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a fanboy, I am a fan.
I’m still utterly baffled by the exorbitant prices the discs fetch on ebay, though. 9.5 million copies of the game were sold, people! 9.5 million!
Final Grade: A
Filed under the play list, video games | Comments (2)Finished: Eternal Sonata & Cave Story
Eternal Sonata is a weird one, in some ways a very typical JRPG, but with a wonderful score and brilliant art direction. The gameplay was solidly okay: the combat system was entertaining, the lack of random battles a definite plus, but the dungeons weren’t particularly inspired (although beautiful), and without maps a couple of them would have been exercises in tedium.
One aspect of the game that has received relatively little mention is the co-op mode, a feature I’d love to see become an RPG standard. While the primary player still dictates the flow of encounters, movement within the overworld, and equipment setup, there is an option to hand control of any of the three primary party members over to a second (or third) controller during combat. The additional player then controls every aspect of that character (including their part during Harmony Chains) whenever battle is entered. The system works well, and is a nice bonus for those of you that game with friends or a significant other beside you. Aside from Super Mario Galaxy, this is the first game I’ve seen with an asymmetrical co-op mode. It’s a welcome innovation, and I hope to see more.
Eternal Sonata also had what was probably the preachiest ending ever, taking both the story and player in unexpected directions. Still, solid nonetheless, and I do suggest staying through the credits for the kōan-filled short, The Shape of Life. Or just watch it on Youtube.
Final Grade: B
I finished my playthrough of Cave Story on the PSP last week. The buzz on this game is justified, and it’s become my favorite 2D platformer to come out since the original Metroid. While I’m done with the game for now, there’s all sorts of secret bits for the completionists out there, including a hidden location, mystery items, and multiple endings (I received the standard ending). Play Cave Story!
Final Grade: A
Filed under homebrew, the play list, video games | Comments (2)Play List Update - May 6
Yes, I’ll freely admit being a few years late to the party. I’m currently in love with Cave Story.
The thought that everything within was created and coded by one individual blows me away every time I launch the game. From the fantastic gameplay and spot-on controls, to the endearing characters and charming soundtrack, every piece of this game is quality. Why hasn’t a publisher picked this up? Cave Story would be a natural fit as a portable or XBLA/PSN release.
The core gameplay is reminiscent of Metroid or Castlevania, a 2d platformer with multiple weapons and upgrades, puzzles, and challenging boss battles. My recommendation would be to play the PSP port (custom firmware required), where it’s a perfect fit, but barring that, Mac OS, Windows, Xbox and Linux versions are available. A Nintendo DS release is even in the works. You have no excuse not to play this game.
I’ve been writing a lot about Sins of a Solar Empire lately, so I figured it was about damn time I actually sat down and spent a few hours (okay, days) with the game.
While initially daunting (even after the not-so-illuminating tutorials), things fell into place about 45 minutes into my first match, a co-op 2v2 duel against the AI. Now I agree that the idea of a realtime Civ-style game sounds like a recipe for a complete clusterfuck, but I’ve gotta say, Ironclad nailed it. The pacing is mostly solid, and neither of us (both somewhat experienced RTS/4X players) felt harried by the system or interface.
By the third game, we were easily stomping the Normal AI and had moved up to Hard. Beyond just difficultly, the AI temperament can be set or randomized, although I have yet to figure out how much of an effect it has on overall challenge. Back in high school we used to play a port of Risk on the Mac SE, where the temperament choices were basically easy, crazy, and kick-your-ass. I dunno if the Sins AIs are like that.
The lack of any sort of campaign is disappointing. The manual and launch movie do lay out some very basic groundwork for a story, which leads to the thought that Ironclad may be planning some sort of campaign mode in the future. As it is, all three factions feel a bit dry, and I didn’t find myself particularly attached to any of them. With a dev team of less than a dozen people, I suppose the campaign sacrifice was necessary, but I really hope they add something eventually, I’d like to see the story play out.
Filed under the play list, video games | Comment (1)Play List Update - Apr 19
My personal belief is that tri-Crescendo designed Eternal Sonata as an open challenge to the cosplay scene.
Fifteen hours in and I know I’ll be seeing this one through to the end. While the gameplay is very much your standard jrpg fair, and the frequent mazes a bit tedious, it’s the wrapper they’ve encased these basic tenements in that really excels. The visuals and character design are stunning, the story solid, and the music is beautiful. Between each chapter is a small segment detailing points of Chopin’s life and his music; for me, those alone have been worth the price of admission.
Did a bit of tinkering with the PSP. Also, ripped my PSX copy of Final Fantasy VII in preparation for an upcoming binge on the series: Final Fantasy VII, then FF VII: Crisis Core, followed by a viewing of Advent Children.
Thanks to continued pressure from Adam, I’m chugging along in World of Warcraft again, and Vagary, my Undead Priest, is now level 49. I just want to see Burning Crusade content.
Filed under the play list, video games | Comment (0)The Play List, 2008.
A list of games on immediately available platforms that I want to either revisit or play through for the first time. In the case of games without a definitive ending, a solid experiencing of is in order. A good portion of this list additionally acts as my personal Pile of Shame, ie great games I own that I have yet to actually complete.
With a list like this, why do I even bother to buy new games?
Continue reading »
