Apparently since the announcement of the remake of Final Fantasy 7, SqueeEnix's shares have increased to their highest point in years.
I suppose this is what I always suspected: People want more Final Fantasy 7 and only more Final Fantasy 7. Who cares about anything else SqueeEnix have done? Who cares about the Final Fantasy's that aren't VII? Hell, who cares about the entire genre that is JRPG's?
And that is the last question that disturbs me the most: This is an entire gaming genre that has more or less crashed, and burned, into stagnation. With Final Fantasy 7 being the nadir of the genre it is also it's death knell: No one cares about any other games since and no other entrant in the genre has come close to matching the sales of Final Fantasy 7. True there have been other gaming genre's that may have suffered a lull that lasted for a painful amount of time, but they will always be resurrected by any bedroom developer and a devoted audience. But the JRPG hasn't had such a luxury.
Mind you, I have Trails of the Sky attached my Steam account for a long time without actually playing. Maybe it's time I should...
Friday, October 30, 2015
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
World's Finest
Met a guy named Marty today. Nice bloke.
Anyway!
Recent news has emerged that a new DLC will be coming for Batman: Arkham Knight, in the form of Batman vs Superman Batmobile. It will include the new Batsuit and Batmobile from the upcoming Batman vs Superman movie.
One can only wonder how many were disappointed that it's not a feature that allows Batman and Superman to fight one on one.
Oh wait, Rocksteady is made of Batman fans and one can imagine Superman being treated on a level comparable to "He Who Should Not Be Named". Likewise, one can imagine a one-one-one feature being added just for the sake of seeing Superman getting his lights punched out by Batman - even if there is indeed something deeply unsettling about a symbol of hope being beaten up by a guy with loads of money.
Oh well, at least there's always Injustice: Gods Among Us
Anyway!
Recent news has emerged that a new DLC will be coming for Batman: Arkham Knight, in the form of Batman vs Superman Batmobile. It will include the new Batsuit and Batmobile from the upcoming Batman vs Superman movie.
One can only wonder how many were disappointed that it's not a feature that allows Batman and Superman to fight one on one.
Oh wait, Rocksteady is made of Batman fans and one can imagine Superman being treated on a level comparable to "He Who Should Not Be Named". Likewise, one can imagine a one-one-one feature being added just for the sake of seeing Superman getting his lights punched out by Batman - even if there is indeed something deeply unsettling about a symbol of hope being beaten up by a guy with loads of money.
Oh well, at least there's always Injustice: Gods Among Us
Friday, October 9, 2015
...Let us leave the confusion and all this illusion behind / Like birds of a feather on a rainbow together we'll find....
And another game has been cast down from the Hall of Shame: Pack your bags Leisure Suit Larry 7 Love for Sail!. You're outta here!
I find some interesting parallels between Leisure Suit Larry 7 and Final Fantasy 7. Namely:
Really, the mid-to-late nineties was a strange time for Adventure games. Generally it was a given that for the past decade the genre had gotten by on the notion that solid, and humorous, writing would overcome any technical limitations. However by this time, the technology had advanced to a point where it could match the writing on equal terms. So whilst we have games like Larry 7, Curse of Monkey Island, and excellent Grim Fandango, they arrived at a point where the genre was dying off. Still, one can't refute the satisfaction of seeing a genre end on a high note. And Larry 7 certainly belongs as one of best adventure games made.
When playing this game, one thing struck me is that this is game that, clearly, has been made with passion. It's as if Al Lowe and his team realized the tools they had at their disposal and put in all their effort to making the best game they could - and it shows considerably.
Firstly, the design of the game works a treat: It is easy to move around the ship setting and never once is it possible to die or end up in in an unwinnable situation - and coming from Sierra that's saying a lot. Secondly there's the graphics: The animation and art direction is superb and, for the first time, really fits the mood of the series. Thirdly the music is great: the midi music is finally ditched and in it's place are some really snappy jazz tunes. Fourthly the voice again keeps the pace set by the previous game and never once slips up. Larry is still pathetic, the narrator is still in scene-stealing form but credit must go to the hilarious Peg (seriously, she needs her own game). Fifthly, the humor is great: there are jokes that are laugh-out funny and there are various allusions to The Simpsons and Looney Tunes. And finally there are the additional features. Gimmicky I know but they had some amusement value.
In a way, perhaps it is fitting that this be the last Larry game that Al Lowe worked on. Larry 7 does everything so right, that it a followup may be near impossible to achieve. True there was that teaser at the end of the credits of Larry 7 but such a game has yet to emerge - even when Al has suggested he's still keen to make it happen. But if Larry 8 never shows, I'm not bothered. In fact, maybe it;s better that the series end at Larry 7 (of course, there are the bastardized sequels but we don't talk about them...)
So yeah Larry 7's reputation as the pinnacle of the series is justified and it's easily one of the best entrants in the adventure game genre. It's aged remarkably well and certainly worth a go.
Original image located here. Accessed 9th October 2015
I find some interesting parallels between Leisure Suit Larry 7 and Final Fantasy 7. Namely:
- Both are are the seventh installment of their respective franchises (well.....maybe not Larry).
- Both came out at roughly the same time (Larry 7 in October 1996, FF7 in January 1997)
- Larry got a significant graphical upgrade with it's animation and art style. FF7 drummed up a lot of buzz with it's use of cinematics.
- Both games took a successful formula and added a whole of new features on top
- And both are largely regarded as being the pinnacle of the franchises
Really, the mid-to-late nineties was a strange time for Adventure games. Generally it was a given that for the past decade the genre had gotten by on the notion that solid, and humorous, writing would overcome any technical limitations. However by this time, the technology had advanced to a point where it could match the writing on equal terms. So whilst we have games like Larry 7, Curse of Monkey Island, and excellent Grim Fandango, they arrived at a point where the genre was dying off. Still, one can't refute the satisfaction of seeing a genre end on a high note. And Larry 7 certainly belongs as one of best adventure games made.
When playing this game, one thing struck me is that this is game that, clearly, has been made with passion. It's as if Al Lowe and his team realized the tools they had at their disposal and put in all their effort to making the best game they could - and it shows considerably.
Firstly, the design of the game works a treat: It is easy to move around the ship setting and never once is it possible to die or end up in in an unwinnable situation - and coming from Sierra that's saying a lot. Secondly there's the graphics: The animation and art direction is superb and, for the first time, really fits the mood of the series. Thirdly the music is great: the midi music is finally ditched and in it's place are some really snappy jazz tunes. Fourthly the voice again keeps the pace set by the previous game and never once slips up. Larry is still pathetic, the narrator is still in scene-stealing form but credit must go to the hilarious Peg (seriously, she needs her own game). Fifthly, the humor is great: there are jokes that are laugh-out funny and there are various allusions to The Simpsons and Looney Tunes. And finally there are the additional features. Gimmicky I know but they had some amusement value.
In a way, perhaps it is fitting that this be the last Larry game that Al Lowe worked on. Larry 7 does everything so right, that it a followup may be near impossible to achieve. True there was that teaser at the end of the credits of Larry 7 but such a game has yet to emerge - even when Al has suggested he's still keen to make it happen. But if Larry 8 never shows, I'm not bothered. In fact, maybe it;s better that the series end at Larry 7 (of course, there are the bastardized sequels but we don't talk about them...)
So yeah Larry 7's reputation as the pinnacle of the series is justified and it's easily one of the best entrants in the adventure game genre. It's aged remarkably well and certainly worth a go.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
You can't kill the metal
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the original Sony PlayStation. And to mark the occassion, Sony asked their fans which was the best PS1 game of all time. The results were:
Not much i can say except is indeed satisfying to see MGS still reigning supreme :)
- Metal Gear Solid
- Final Fantasy 7
- Crash Bandicoot
- Crash Bandicoot: Warped
Not much i can say except is indeed satisfying to see MGS still reigning supreme :)
Friday, August 28, 2015
....We can sing in the glow of a star that I know of / Where lovers enjoy peace of mind....
And yet another game has been given the boot from the Hall of Shame. Clean up your desk Leisure Suit Larry 6, you're outta here!
Compare to the other Larry games, this represents unfamiliar territory for me: I'd seen the other games whether being played or witnessing the box art. This however completely escaped my notice at the time. Why, I wasn't aware there was a Leisure Suit Larry 6 until I saw Leisure Suit Larry 7 in a game store! (and considering that this is a series that lacks a fourth entrant, that's saying something).
Anywho, having played Leisure Suit Larry 2 and 3, I can safely say that this game is a definite improvement. The character designs are superb, the locales are interesting and the voice acting is superb. Maybe it was case of the technology having advanced enough to make a decent game. Or maybe it was a simple case of having better writing then the preceding games.
I did call out Larry 3 for being ambitious but in Larry 6, the general goal is more scaled back (ie, attempt to sleep with as many women as possible). And that in turn provides a sense of focus. As a result, the jokes are great, the problems are solved through logical means and there is a clear beginning, middle and end. Leisure Suit Larry 2 and 3 may have been meandering but that doesn't seem to be the case here - and Leisure Suit Larry 6 is all the better for it.
And it's good to see that the unwinnable situations are less in number. True, I fell foul of two of them when playing this game and had to start over, but it's good to see that Sierra at this stage were starting to realize this flaw and were taking steps to correct it. True one could suggest that the games LucasArts were churning out may have made Sierra nervous but 'A' for Effort.
In addition, special mention must go the voice acting. Larry sounds pathetic and the ladies certainly have plenty of character that stretches beyond a character portrait. But the real star is the narrator, sounding smug, snarky and taking great delight in commenting on Larry's pathetic existence. Indeed, seeing as so many voices are spot on, it makes a fascinating contrast to the likes of Metroid Other M and the outrage it inspired when the previously silent character of Samus Aran was given a voice.
All in all, Leisure Suit Larry 6 may have completely escaped my interest first time around - so it;s funny to see it turn out to be a such a superb game. And then, from Leisure Suit Larry 6 comes Leisure Suit Larry 7....
Original image located here. Accessed 28th August 2015
Compare to the other Larry games, this represents unfamiliar territory for me: I'd seen the other games whether being played or witnessing the box art. This however completely escaped my notice at the time. Why, I wasn't aware there was a Leisure Suit Larry 6 until I saw Leisure Suit Larry 7 in a game store! (and considering that this is a series that lacks a fourth entrant, that's saying something).
Anywho, having played Leisure Suit Larry 2 and 3, I can safely say that this game is a definite improvement. The character designs are superb, the locales are interesting and the voice acting is superb. Maybe it was case of the technology having advanced enough to make a decent game. Or maybe it was a simple case of having better writing then the preceding games.
I did call out Larry 3 for being ambitious but in Larry 6, the general goal is more scaled back (ie, attempt to sleep with as many women as possible). And that in turn provides a sense of focus. As a result, the jokes are great, the problems are solved through logical means and there is a clear beginning, middle and end. Leisure Suit Larry 2 and 3 may have been meandering but that doesn't seem to be the case here - and Leisure Suit Larry 6 is all the better for it.
And it's good to see that the unwinnable situations are less in number. True, I fell foul of two of them when playing this game and had to start over, but it's good to see that Sierra at this stage were starting to realize this flaw and were taking steps to correct it. True one could suggest that the games LucasArts were churning out may have made Sierra nervous but 'A' for Effort.
In addition, special mention must go the voice acting. Larry sounds pathetic and the ladies certainly have plenty of character that stretches beyond a character portrait. But the real star is the narrator, sounding smug, snarky and taking great delight in commenting on Larry's pathetic existence. Indeed, seeing as so many voices are spot on, it makes a fascinating contrast to the likes of Metroid Other M and the outrage it inspired when the previously silent character of Samus Aran was given a voice.
All in all, Leisure Suit Larry 6 may have completely escaped my interest first time around - so it;s funny to see it turn out to be a such a superb game. And then, from Leisure Suit Larry 6 comes Leisure Suit Larry 7....
Monday, August 24, 2015
Bond. Azure Bonds.
Another game has been struck down from my Hall of Shame. Goodbye Curse of the Azure Bonds!
Boy has this been along time coming: I recall playing this over twenty years ago on my C64! True it was well and truly on the way out by then but I still played it and enjoyed it. After all, it was in the same series of the legendary Pool of Radiance so it has to be good, right?
This may sound strange but I compare Pool of Radiance to Super Mario Kart in that the first game introduced the concept and did it so well that the successive games haven't really done a lot to add to it. And that is the main problem I found with Curse of the Azure Bonds: It may have introduced two new classes, the Paladin and Ranger, as well as Dual Classing (keep in mind this was based on 2nd AD&D edition rules) but somehow it seems smaller then Pool of Radiance.
I recall Pool of Radiance being full of large areas to explore. In Curse however, the same area size is still present but there seems to be less of them. Also many of the areas are divided up. Case in point: The opening area, which is split between the city of Tilverton (where the PCs start the game) and the Thieves Guild. Now according to the background, Tilverton is a major city - it has a large temple and is visited by royalty. But for such a city it certainly seems small. And the Thieves Guild also seems small - especially when the thieves in question seem organized (one can imagine the thieves in Kovel Mansion in Pool of Radiance sniggering at these guys). True, Curse may have introduced an overworld map but the reduced areas somehow do take a lot of the immersion away from me.
Other things of note is the inclusion of Alias and Dragonbait from the original novel, Azure Bonds (for the unfamiliar, they're the two characters on the box art above). Sure they weren't much help but it was great to see them and have them join my party. It was also great to see Akabar, Olive, and Nameless too.
Also, the last battle was one tough nut to crack. It took me several attempts due to me being swamped by the Margoyles and the Priests of Bane. But when I finally managed to wipe them all out, the Big Bad, Tyranthraxus, turned out to be surprisingly easy to defeat. Anticlimax much?
Grumbling aside, I did enjoy Curse of the Azure Bonds. True it's part of the Gold Box series and I played those games a lot when I was a kid but seeing it now, it holds up surprisingly well. This goes to show that a well-designed game can outlast the march of time.
Also it's fun to see the same party I took all the way through Pool of Radiance return and go to even greater strengths.
Furthermore it's always pleasing to complete a game I started playing over twenty years ago :)
Original image located here. Accessed 24th August 2015
Boy has this been along time coming: I recall playing this over twenty years ago on my C64! True it was well and truly on the way out by then but I still played it and enjoyed it. After all, it was in the same series of the legendary Pool of Radiance so it has to be good, right?
This may sound strange but I compare Pool of Radiance to Super Mario Kart in that the first game introduced the concept and did it so well that the successive games haven't really done a lot to add to it. And that is the main problem I found with Curse of the Azure Bonds: It may have introduced two new classes, the Paladin and Ranger, as well as Dual Classing (keep in mind this was based on 2nd AD&D edition rules) but somehow it seems smaller then Pool of Radiance.
I recall Pool of Radiance being full of large areas to explore. In Curse however, the same area size is still present but there seems to be less of them. Also many of the areas are divided up. Case in point: The opening area, which is split between the city of Tilverton (where the PCs start the game) and the Thieves Guild. Now according to the background, Tilverton is a major city - it has a large temple and is visited by royalty. But for such a city it certainly seems small. And the Thieves Guild also seems small - especially when the thieves in question seem organized (one can imagine the thieves in Kovel Mansion in Pool of Radiance sniggering at these guys). True, Curse may have introduced an overworld map but the reduced areas somehow do take a lot of the immersion away from me.
Other things of note is the inclusion of Alias and Dragonbait from the original novel, Azure Bonds (for the unfamiliar, they're the two characters on the box art above). Sure they weren't much help but it was great to see them and have them join my party. It was also great to see Akabar, Olive, and Nameless too.
Also, the last battle was one tough nut to crack. It took me several attempts due to me being swamped by the Margoyles and the Priests of Bane. But when I finally managed to wipe them all out, the Big Bad, Tyranthraxus, turned out to be surprisingly easy to defeat. Anticlimax much?
Grumbling aside, I did enjoy Curse of the Azure Bonds. True it's part of the Gold Box series and I played those games a lot when I was a kid but seeing it now, it holds up surprisingly well. This goes to show that a well-designed game can outlast the march of time.
Also it's fun to see the same party I took all the way through Pool of Radiance return and go to even greater strengths.
Furthermore it's always pleasing to complete a game I started playing over twenty years ago :)
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