Square Enix has sent over some new Final Fantasy XIII-2 screens. Most of them are shots of battle sequences, but there are a few images of event scenes too. Some of you will recall that FFXIII-2 was one of my top five games of E3 2011. If you need more background info on the game then check out this preview. So far, my only major issue with the game is that it doesn’t have a Reona Rewis song.
Enjoy the screens and let me know what you think (please)!
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It’s time for the summer of Bastion!!! Oops, I meant the annual Xbox Live Summer of Arcade. In case you missed it, here’s the schedule for Microsoft’s downloadable summer blockbuster extravaganza. All of the games cost…
It’s time for the summer of Bastion!!! Oops, I meant the annual Xbox Live Summer of Arcade. In case you missed it, here’s the schedule for Microsoft’s downloadable summer blockbuster extravaganza. All of the games cost 1,200 Microsoft Points, save for Fruit Ninja Kinect, which is 800.
| Date | Title | Price (MS Points) | |
| July 20 | Bastion | 1200 | |
| July 27 | From Dust | 1200 | |
| August 3 | Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet | 1200 | |
| August 10 | Fruit Ninja Kinect | 800 | |
| August 17 | Toy Soldiers: Cold War | 1200 |
As many of you know, I’m super high on Bastion and can’t wait to play it. I’m not too familiar with the other games (that aren’t Fruit Ninja). Do you have any recommendations? Which Summer of Arcade 2011 games are you planning to pick up?
What’s the oldest game you still play? I’m not talking about remakes or downloads of old games. I’m talking about a game that you still have the original cartridge or disc for. Do you even play old games like that?
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Scarlett Johansson breaking up with Sean Penn, fights with CSS stylesheets, or hoping the Google Nexus Prime will be endorsed by Optimus Prime, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
What’s the oldest game you still play? I’m not talking about remakes or downloads of old games. I’m talking about a game that you still have the original cartridge or disc for. Do you even play old games like that? Or are you all current gen?
As for me, I still play Final Fantasy: Tactics Advance (2003) every few weeks or so. As many of you know, I love the FFT series and portable gaming. FFTA was pretty much made for me and I’ll be keeping my DS Lite around for years so that I can keep playing it (…or until a downloadable version is released for the 3DS).
So how about you? What’s the oldest game you still play?
There’s a trio of interesting games out this week. Fighting-game fans will want to pick up Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition to take their Capcom fighter skills to new heights. If fighting giant robots are more to your liking then Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3 will do you good. Looking for a fitness game that’s more macho? Perhaps UFC Personal Trainer: The Ultimate Fitness System is just what the doctor ordered. Just don’t go all Cheick Kongo on your TV.
Any of you picking up new games this week?
I’m super tempted to start The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D this weekend, but I should save it for an upcoming trip to Hawaii. If I can fend off temptation for another week, I’ll be spending most of this weekend playing Dungeon Siege III. As noted in my review, the game is full of flaws — especially the crap multiplayer — but I’m still having fun with the solo campaign.
How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?
My review of Dungeon Siege III is up at Machinima.com. Please check it out and leave a comment if you have a moment. I enjoyed the single-player mode; it’s a fun, by-the-books action-RPG similar to Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance. The graphics are dated, but I still enjoyed hacking, slashing, and looting. Unfortunately, the game’s multiplayer is a wreck. It uses a limited system that doesn’t allow character importing and exporting. What the hell?!?
Anyway, here’s a clip from the review:
As a single-player game, Dungeon Siege III succeeds as a fun action-RPG. It doesn’t offer anything particularly new, but gamers that enjoy hacking and looting by themselves should have fun. As a multiplayer game, Dungeon Siege III is disappointing. Its inability to import and export characters limits the amount of fun, and the likely level of enthusiasm anyone will want to commit to the mode. Obsidian Entertainment did an acceptable job at advancing the Dungeon Siege franchise, but like the company’s other sequels, it did not take the franchise to new heights.
It’s a good game, but it could have been great.
I’ve been having lots of fun playing Dungeon Siege III for the last week, but some of its old-school RPG conventions are…comical. For example, I smashed hundreds of barrels and pots looking for…
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the congressional bill that looks to battle bogus 4G claims, Mark Cuban buying a baseball team, or the 2011 NBA draft, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
I’ve been having lots of fun playing Dungeon Siege III for the last week, but some of its old-school RPG conventions are…comical. For example, I smashed hundreds of barrels and pots looking for treasure. Why do people leave weapons and coins in barrels? Why do heroes think it’s okay to smash every barrel they see? Are you given a license to smash every barrel you choose when you’re issued a sword and shield? Hell, at several points in the game I was thinking, “You know, if I lived in the kingdom of Ehb, I’d make barrels and pots. With all these a-hole heroes smashing them, there would always be a demand. I’d be frickin’ loaded!!!”
Then there’s the matter of monsters dropping coins. Whether it’s poisonous slug creatures or a giant spiders, all the monsters in Dungeon Siege III drop coins (and sometimes weapons). This was understandable in 1996. In 2011, it seems silly. Why are monsters carrying around loose change? Where do they put the coins? Do they hide them in their rectum or silk glands? Do monsters think they can walk up to local merchants and buy things with their gold?
In 2004, InXile made fun of several RPG conventions with the awesomely tongue-in-cheek The Bard’s Tale. Seven years later, developers are still using these design techniques. I wonder what year it will be when RPGs are free or barrel smashing and hidden coins in monsters? Will I live to see the day?
Are there any old game design techniques that irk you because they should have stopped being used a long time ago? Or are you content to smash barrels and pots in games for the rest of your life?
It’s a great week for videogame releases! FEAR 3 has been getting some good reviews and is a fine pick for those longing for some atmospheric action. Shinki Mikami (Resident Evil) and Suda 51 (No More Heroes) team up on Shadows of the Damned. I totally goofed on Dungeon Siege III last week; it comes out this week. Sorry!
Last, but not least, is the first great games for the Nintendo 3DS — The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D!!! I’m so looking forward to diving into the game this weekend!
Any of you picking up new games this week?
In case you didn’t know, Redbox has gone national with its videogame rental service. Loads of excellent games are available at more than 21,000 Redbox kiosks around the nation (of Domination). Let’s celebrate this momentous occasion (okay maybe not momentous, but it’s definitely very cool) with a giveaway! Before I get to that, here’s a clip from the press release:
Redbox, America’s movie rental destination, will offer video game rentals at more than 21,000 redbox locations nationwide beginning June 17, 2011. Top video games will join new release movies for only $2 a day complementing $1 DVD and $1.50 Blu-ray daily rental prices. The announcement follows a test of video game rentals in select U.S. markets that began in August 2009.
Redbox has hooked me up with freebie coupons to share with you guys and gals. I’ve already contacted RPadholics Lunias, bsukenyan, BigBlak, and Redd75 so that they may claim their loot. If you’re interested in some free Redbox coupons, just leave a comment below.
Click here to find a Redbox location near you. Special thanks to Laura and Cat at Redbox for being super cool people.
Although Lara Croft is the first lady of modern gaming, Naughty Dog’s Uncharted games have supplanted Tomb Raider as the best action-adventure videogame series. Square Enix has Lara set for a huge comeback by delving into her past. The upcoming Tomb Raider game stars a young Lara Croft as she embarks on her first adventure. From what I saw at E3 2011, it looks like Lara will be taken to new heights by going in a very different direction.
From the gameplay I was shown, as well as the beautiful intro movies, it’s clear that Lara has been trained but hasn’t been battle tested. She’s capable, but not yet confident. I liked seeing the vulnerable side of her character…though she did a bit too much moaning and whining when she was attacked. There were times I wasn’t sure if she was under duress or on the verge of an orgasm.
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The gameplay had plenty of exploration and puzzle solving — two hallmarks of the Tomb Raider series. Exploring the caverns and outdoor areas was lots of fun. The graphics I saw were beautiful and it was a pleasure watching someone else play the game. The early puzzles I saw played up fire and water. Lara would have to manage her torch (stop thinking about her managing your torch) and relight as necessary. The caverns were full of streams and pools, making torch management an interesting gameplay facet.
While I didn’t get to see any of Lara’s famous gunplay, I saw her engage in a number fights using her limbs, a dagger, and a bow (with arrows…duh!). The back-to-basics fighting was appropriate for the early portion of the game as she was freshly shipwrecked, but I imagine she’ll be dual-wielding pistols towards the end of her adventure.
A lot of the fight scenes implemented quick time events. The amount of them surprised me. The developers are trying to give the combat a cinematic feel while also appealing to casual gamers that are familiar with the Tomb Raider brand. It’s an interesting gambit that potentially gives the game a broader appeal and also differentiates it from a more traditional title like Uncharted.
My demo session of Tomb Raider left me wanting more. The graphics were impressive, the story was interesting, young Lara is hot, the puzzle gameplay looked like fun, and the combat was different. My chief concern at this time is the combat. It was definitely atypical, but it wasn’t as fun to watch as the other facets of gameplay. Will the fighting be fun to play? That’s what I want to know…and I’m willing to watch Lara Croft for hours in order to find out.
