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Review by: Dave Kozicki
Back Story
Odin Sphere is one of many “Japan only” RPGs that are finally starting to trickle down to European regions. It’s a damn shame we only get to taste the best of what Japan has to offer at the end of the PS2’s lifespan. Let’s hope this opens the floodgates to many more titles of this caliber.
With so many games going for flash over substance nowadays, it’s a real treat to have a lash at something that takes it back to basics and gets it right. No sleight of hand tricks, just a well thought out, well crafted piece of interactive entertainment. I’ve seen a lot of RPGs in my time, so why does Odin Sphere stand out from the crowd? For starters, it breaks the classic RPG mould. Instead of giving you a party of characters to switch through, each of the five characters’ adventures you play are contained in a volume of a book being read by a typically Anime little girl. Each book has a different perspective, so the story unfolds Rashomon style, as we see how each character’s actions impact the overall storyline. Oh yeah, it’s also a 2D side scrolling RPG. Sound cool? A little different? You bet your sweet ass it is!
You kick off with Volume one, “Valkyrie”. A terrible battle has ensued, and a tussle with the famed Shadow Knight has claimed the life of your sister Griselda. She entrusts you with her mighty spear and asks you to carry on her fight, and prays your father, King Odin (yes, it’s that Odin), will be proud of her exploits, now that she is passing into the afterlife. Before you can say “Great Odin’s Raven!” (sorry…couldn’t resist) you’re off to slice an dice the enemy.
Combat is fairly basic with a series of attack combos unleashed when you hit square, coupled with jumping, and gliding attacks with X. Stronger attacks can be used sparing with triangle to conjure up mini cyclones and other unnatural forces of nature. But, before this degenerates into a button bashing horror story, Odin Sphere creates an innovative way to bring a little strategy to the RPG. It’s called the POW meter.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?
To keep you on your toes, in the top left corner is a POW meter. Each time you attack, it drains a bit off the meter. Attacking hard and fast will quickly empty the bar and your character suffers from fatigue and gets dizzy, taking them out of the action. It’s a fantastic little idea, and really changes your tactics. Instead of rushing headlong into a battle, you find yourself sizing up the opposition first, looking at the defensive position, are they attacking from the air, are they in a defensive position on the ground? All these factors come into play.
It adds incredible depth to a simple scrolling format, as each battle has a different flavour to the last. As you take down the enemy troops in your bid to unravel the secrets behind the Crystallization Cauldron (mystical artefact of immense power), the speed at which you despatch your would be attackers can lead to big rewards. With a quick take down (or the right potion) enemies cough up goodies or flashing treasure chests (no…we’re not talking about Scarlett Johansson’s boobies) that disappear if you don’t crack them open in time, and their bounty is lost.
As you clear each stage, you’re given a score based on speed, damage taken etc. The better your score on each level, the greater the treasure you receive at the end. It’s just like getting your holiday loading on top of your regular pay, a little bonus to keep you satisfied and offers incentive to take it up a notch next round.
YOU GO THIS WAY, I’M GOING THAT WAY
As you knock out a level, you reach an exit sign that leads you to the next battle. This is where it gets interesting. The storyline branches in several directions from here (via the map) and you can take any branch you’d like. The neat thing about the map is that it shows you exactly what you’re in for. Each level has a star rating for how difficult your enemies are, what rewards you’ll receive after your skirmish and even if it’s a mini boss or boss battle. I love it. You can level up, do one section, go back, try a harder branch to get greater rewards…it’s a bee-yoo-ti-ful idea.
FEEL THE AWESOME!
There’s so much on offer here it’s hard to jam it into one review, so here’s some of the cooler moments. Fallen enemy soldiers souls transform into phozons which you can absorb for XP with R1, you can get into basic alchemy and cooking, food and health are very important and you actually gain XP the more you eat! The sheer sense of scale is overwhelming, with Odin taking up nearly half the screen.
But, it’s not just he who dwarfs you. Your first major boss is a massive dragon that envelops the whole screen. The ground tremors as he approaches and his look is exceptionally detailed for flat graphics. Ahh…the look of the game. I can’t go on enough about it. Ridiculously out of proportion characters with massive upper bodies and little chicken legs below, every female character has an inherent sexuality to them, the Valkyries look like they’re wearing French maid’s outfits, the Forest witches have their long dresses hiked up at the front to show off garter belts and suspenders, wizards look like a classic wizened old bastard should, down to the bushy beard and pointed hat.
I know I'm raving on, but it’s rare that a RPG takes you somewhere you didn’t expect, and this one does it constantly, with it’s tongue planted firmly in its cheek, and never to the detriment of gameplay. RPG fans…look no further.
Verdict:
I give major points for style, and this puppy has got it in spades.
Flag on the play…
Review by: Dave Kozicki
There are some games out there that are so freakin’ awesome, the controller literally flies into your hands as you press start and a crowbar and pallet of lube could not pry it out of your hands. Too much of it is never enough, and after five minutes you know this is going to be a classic. Then there are others that are painful. Games that make you want to hurl…twice. Games where you find yourself thinking please don’t let me play this again…it hurts…bad. See what I'm getting at here? You guessed it. NFL Tour favours the latter and has taken a little shine off the usually dependable EA line of NFL inspired games.
Where does one start? Graphics wise, there’s not a huge leap in the eye candy department from the previous NFL Street titles, with NFL Tour looking a smidge above last generation, which ain’t good. Remember all the crazy, outrageous moves they threw into the series? The momentum shifting Gamebreakers, those crazy aerial and acrobatic manoeuvres, wall runs, somersaults, backspins…they’re all gone, replaced with some really awesome button mashing and SIXAXIS shaking…very ordinary.
Remember those crazy stadiums, ramps and street arenas…they’re gone too. Instead, the matches take place in an indoor field, which is a cross between a hockey rink, and football field, without a ramp in sight! It’s almost like EA forgot what made the series so successful in the first place, and has given us a Brady Bunch watered down version that barely resembles it’s predecessors.
Your main task is to create a character and assign him a look, build and position (quarterback, running back etc) and take him through an exhibition tournament. Make sure you choose wisely young Padawans, for you cannot change any aspect of your guy once the first round begins.
Count off 44 offensive plays, 20 defensive plays, a football field, two teams, a ball, and it all comes down to monster mashing the buttons. Tiburon has really broken the mechanics down to basics (to its own detriment) and the result is callused thumb and RSI wrist injury. Whether on offence or defence tapping X when the opposition approaches triggers a “reversal” (spin move or takedown) and shaking the SIXAXIS...err shakes off or slips you past defenders. It sounds slicker than it is, and the game reverts to a simple button-bashing affair with none of NFL Street’s trademark flair.
Once you take the field, the flaws become ridiculously apparent. It’s easy enough to navigate through the plays, but once you snap, your options are R2 for turbo and X for a pass or “reversal”. That’s it. Oh you thought I wasn’t finished? So did I. Occasionally to mix it up you use the SIXAXIS to shake free of a defender, but this feels tacked on and lacks any real impact on the state of play.
However the worst offence takes place defensively. Instead of using the time honoured “play the game from the same view” mechanic, they opted to switch it on defence, so you are actually downfield running towards your opponent. I can’t even put into words how wrong it is reversing the defence…it’s a deal breaker. It feels like EA cut every corner and produced a bare bones rehash of the NFL to be quickly produced and cash in on the “Madden” fever that grips the US. It’s poor form, and frankly, EA, you should know better.
NFL Tour is the TV dinner of gaming, momentarily satisfying, yet will ultimately leave you sick to your stomach if you sample too much.
Verdict:
Pick any other game with “NFL” in its title over this.
A journey of endless possibilities turns out to be quite the linear adventure.
Review by: Dave Kozicki
Being the studious little scamp that I am, I decided to have a little looksee into what the developers thought of their creation, Infinite Undiscovery, so I could get on board and ready for it when the disc came in for review. I “discovered” that tri-Ace were throwing out lines like “RPGs will undergo a true evolution” and that this project had been worked on for ten years to utilise the true power of next generation consoles. I’ve gotta say, I beg to differ. Maybe that’s true in opposite world, but in the really real world, I just didn’t see it.
This is not to say that it’s necessarily a bad game, far from it. There are some intriguing ideas thrown out there, it’s just seriously flawed, and to be frank, looks like it was rushed out and could have easily been produced for last gen. I found the whole experience just a little bland and stale, lacking the impact of juggernauts like Final Fantasy; it was significantly smaller in scale than the superb Oblivion and missing the quirkiness of a DragonQuest adventure or even the unique style of Odin Sphere or Rogue Galaxy. Most of these were spectacular performers on the ol’ PS2 and unfortunately, Infinite Undiscovery doesn’t hold up well in their esteemed company, and here's why…
This outing is almost cut straight from the classic JRPG mould. The archetypal reluctant hero drawn into a larger than life quest where the whole world’s fate hangs precariously in the balance, scantily clad sidekicks mill about in miniskirts and every lead character has a slight effeminate edge to them. We’d give our left nut to see a JRPG with a loud, boisterous and lecherous champion who didn’t look like a male model and whine incessantly like a little bitch.
No such luck here…moving on…in a case of mistaken identity (in the tradition of A Better Tomorrow II, Maximum Risk and Twin Dragons), a young hottie Aya, liberates young captive Capell (a flute playing nobody) from a dungeon, confusing him with the awesome, outrageous and sex-tacular Sigmund, liberator of the realm who makes the ladies swoon and his enemies empty their bowels in terror. After escaping some wimpy guards and an ogre you all meet up with the living legend himself, cue to a lot of wide eyes wiped in disbelief and double takes. After meeting with Sigmund and his stereotypical crew of back ups (a dumb brawler, smarmy right hand man, glasses wearing mage, grizzly old veteran and token chick) you set out to save the world.
The back-story is decidedly different and gets points for sheer insanity. An extreme cult amazingly called the Order of the Chains has “chained” the Moon to the Earth. Each of these humongous chains can be seen wavering in the background of almost every shot. With each chain comes a horde of monsters, demons, and pestilence ravaging the land and generally makes it a bad day for anything in the vicinity. It is up to your ragtag group of misfits to smash the chains and liberate the world from evil. You know, the usual scenario.
So lets get to the combat and party system aye? In a departure from the norm you only have complete control over your main character, Capell. It is very much action RPG with Capell not even being able to use magic, though he can do some nifty things with his flute like dispel magic and break enchanted barriers. It comes off as Dynasty Warriors lite, with a handful of combinations at your disposal. There is a parry manoeuvre as well, but you’ll rarely, if ever, need to use it as most enemies can be smoked without it.
You can connect with other party members rather than actually control them, and use their magic abilities. This can be done using a pop up menu which operates in real time, leading to a lot of nimble finger shuffling as you need to control the other character as well as keep an eye on Capell, as AI doesn’t kick in and take care of him. It’s a fresh take, that doesn’t really work all that well. Though it does bring a certain level of intensity to boss battles, it’s more from having to look after several characters at once than any real difficulty, and that’s the whole problem.
The concept itself is decent enough, but the execution of it and the menu system is flawed. You have a map, yet can only access the section you are on, which reveals itself as you plod through every corner. A larger overall map would have been extremely useful as there are no indicators to show you where you need to go. Most directional clues or plot advances are put into the conversations you have with allies or random villagers, so you really need to pay attention to every bit of dialogue, so that you don’t miss you cue to the next set piece.
After healing Aya from a mysterious illness you march on to a castle and infiltrate said castle to meet up with your merry band of crusaders. The castle was to the east of the Lucia Plains. That’s all you’re told. You end up finding a hidden passage and then are lead to a T-junction. You’re supposed to go left. We went right and ended up at another castle, but could not get past the front gates, had to turn around and head to the other castle. There is no open world here to speak of. The whole thing is anally linear. Sure, you can go back and explore after you’ve finished the plot points in that area, but why would you want to? It was all a little iffy, and I expected just a little more freedom from such a “revolutionary” next-gen title.
There were other annoying niggles like the whole “having to re-sheath your weapon to pick up an item” mechanic. Seriously…WTF? And some items would be dropped by fallen monsters, that you could grab, and then others would require the re-sheath. It was all a little unbalanced. The capper was that that some cut scenes were completely devoid of vocal tracks. It was strange. There was no rhyme nor reason as to when or where the vocals would drop out, but they did, and it irked me. It reeks of a rush job to just get the title out as quickly as possible, and I don’t like that. Spend a little more time getting it right and make it a truly memorable experience, rather than a generic, by the numbers job that is forgotten the moment you power down your console.
I really wanted to like Infinite Undiscovery, but it was too much of a case of been there, done that (or more the case of been there, done that, and done it better). It has some cool concepts, yet they never really felt fully hashed out. The visuals and voice tracks were a distinct let down and it really didn’t feel all that next-genny. Maybe they’ll hit the nail on the head if they crank out a sequel…
Verdict:
Knocks every RPG cliché out the park, but doesn’t bring anything earth shattering to the party either and ends up coming off decidedly mundane.
Review by: Dave Kozicki
There are some things that just belong together, like bikinis and the beach, or beer and beef jerky on a hot Summer’s day, or closer to home, Square Enix and turn based RPGs. There’s no developer, bar none, that has a richer or prouder history, or deeper pedigree. Many in their position would be happy to rest on their laurels and churn out mediocre stock, but not our buddies at Enix. They’re not happy until they’ve flipped the script and turned the genre on its head. That’s just what they’ve done with The Last Remnant, by injecting something we never thought we’d see in the stop-start world of the JRPG, and that’s a healthy dose of adrenaline.
Now lets be clear, this is not your average JRPG. Even as you wait for the game to load, you’ll feel it. The accompanying music is not the usual Enix score, with a solid mesh of classic Final Fantasy inspired tunes, a dash of Hollywood Blockbuster to it and a hearty rock edge. This theme carries on through to your protagonist, Rush Sykes. Shattering the convention, he’s not a blond, whiney little cretin, but dark haired with more than a little moxie, which instantly gives it a different feel. In addition to his sassy attitude, his clothing is particularly street, and his impetuous nature and American accent (in a sea of UK voice-overs) is a thinly veiled attempt to connect with its intended audience (the US) and help them relate to our hero.
In general, characters look Shenmue inspired, with designs drawing from the entire Enix JRPG catalogue, giving off the feeling of something somehow familiar yet brand spanking new at the same time. The story is no surprise. Rush’s sister has been kidnapped, and it’s up to him, a Lord and his Generals, and various mercenaries you pick up on the way, to rescue the damsel, control the “last” remnant (a mystical object of immense power), defeat the bad guy and save the day. You know, same old, same old.
It kicks off with a refreshing twist, by thrusting you straight into the fray without the usual lengthy exposition that is part and parcel with the genre. Thankfully, you can skip through any cut scene if you want to just get straight to it. On the whole, the voice acting is quite well done, with our only complaint that the pacing and delivery is just a little slow. Battles follow the classic JRPG turn based patterns with a few key new bells and whistles.
Each character in your party is labelled a “unit”. By combining several units, you create a “union”, with collective strength, HP, AP, so you’re fighting as a group rather than alone. You can use different tactics when approaching enemy unions. You line up your moves for each unit and sit back and enjoy the show. As units advance on each other’s positions, they, reach a deadlock (when advancing at the same time), outflank (dealing extra damage), engage or flee. Morale significantly comes into play here, with the winning side drawing strength as the battle ensues, and the loser experiencing weakened defences and less effective attacks. After each skirmish concludes your party automatically heals back to maximum health keeping the action hard and fast, and never too taxing on your inventory.
In the first few hours, you’d be forgiven for thinking the attack structure is a little rudimentary. It may lack the depth of Enix’s flagship Final Fantasy as far as having a multitude of spells or weapons at your disposal, or picking and choosing which new abilities to acquire via a Sphere Grid, but that’s not what The Last Remnant is all about. Offensive manoeuvres are quite simple with regular attacks; combat attacks or mystical attacks available. The specifics depend on the type of weapon you’re wielding. It’s more about tactics and strategy, and building each unit and union under your command into the awesomest fighting force ever conceived.
Early battles have you taking a back seat whilst your allies, Lord David and his four battle-hardened Generals, do most of the damage. At times, you’ll be incapacitated, while the Generals mop up and save the day, which is a little unsettling at first. It’s not until you start branching out and tackling quests on your own, that the brilliance of the battle system is unearthed. Guilds are located in every major city, and have a number of surly individuals whom you can recruit as union leaders to your cause. Each guild has different warriors, so it pays to check it out fairly regularly (about 5-10 hours in, you can fill your ranks with soldiers supplied by Lord David to fill your unions up, and unleash a significantly more powerful fighting force).
By seeking out individuals in pubs, you’ll open new quests and side missions apart from the main storyline. Consider these bonus training grounds to get accustomed to the battle system, and level up your union and its abilities. Enemies are visible when you’re travelling through each district. You can either slink past them, or choose to initiate an assault by hitting the right trigger on approach, which gives you an animation similar to the “broken glass” of the FF series, or alternately, you can utilise the timeshift function.
Timeshift lets you move faster for a short period of time, like a sprint button. After hitting the right bumper, the screen flashes with a neon green tinge launching an effect similar to when you boost in Burnout. Any enemies in range have an orange highlight to them. The right trigger lets loose a mother of pearl infused energy wave that allows you to get the drop on any opponents and engage them in groups as you see fit, or press nothing and speed by them none the wiser. Fight or flight, it’s the classic risk versus reward trade-off.
Planning is absolutely essential, with each union using a multitude of formations that unlock as you progress through the game. Some work more successfully against specific opponents, like the Arrow inspired formation, where bruisers are at the tip, providing powerful offence and cover, and magic users cast spells, protected at the rear. Different combinations work better, depending on the relative strengths and weaknesses of those under your command, so chop and change for maximum effect.
During battles you’ll come across a Trigger Chance, where you’ll be prompted to press a button before or mid-attack. On the offensive, if successful, you’ll do critical damage, but more importantly, the next unit’s attack is imbued with Critical Offence allowing it to operate faster than usual and deal a greater level of damage. It also works in defence, with a block becoming a dodge. It really keeps you on your toes and gives you something you don’t really expect, a rush of adrenaline in a turn based format. At any given moment you can amp up your attacks, or turn a block into a powerful counter, switching both momentum and morale in your favour.
It’s an extremely clever mechanic and gives each battle a new sense of intensity. You can chain these attacks together for more devastating joint strikes, and as you do, the button timing gets faster and furiouser, so you’ll need some nimble fingers. It gets more than a little addictive. Pulling off a Trigger Chance on attack allows your team-mates to jump the cue in the attack column to deal serious damage, and with practice you’ll be cutting adversaries to ribbons in quick succession.
There’s an undeniable cinematic feel with the camera flinging itself between characters at a crucial strike or defensive moment, or slowing down with a sepia tone during a Trigger Chance. As you develop your leaders and recruits, you’ll find yourself commanding up to a half a dozen unions, each with around five warriors. That’s about thirty bloodthirsty individuals under your command!! There’s also a strong lean toward strategising for larger scale and boss battles. As the combat isn’t your traditional turn based affair, positioning is vital, as is healing because if your union goes down, it’s game over. Double and even triple teaming the enemy is advisable as flanking gives you a distinct advantage, and gives your enemies more targets to hit, dispersing the damage across units.
Some of these encounters are downright ridiculous, in the good way. You’re looking at nearly an hour to take down a fierce dragon around 10-15 hours into it, and that’s just a single battle! I had twenty warriors going hell for leather, and still didn’t take him out first time around. The funny thing was, sure, I was frustrated at the loss, but was simply chomping at the bit to get back into the fray and rethink my strategy. Should I have held back longer and set the field? Healed more? Gone for an all out blitzkrieg instead? The possibilities to restructure your tactics and opt for another tack are all at your disposal and surprisingly deep.
There’s so much I dug about this game, I could barely squeeze it into this review, but here are some highlights. The more you use a weapon or art, the more damage it deals and the more proficient you get with it, so you’ll gain stronger attacks or more powerful spells, practice makes perfect after all. Also, the more units you take on and take out consecutively, the greater the loot and rewards. There are rare beasties, like Imps, that are nearly impossible to figure out. Sometimes they go down in seconds, other times, they call in the cavalry again and again until you’re up against 20 or 30 of them, helpless to do anything. But one of my favourite little touches by far was watching my crew pilfer items won at the end of each skirmish. Now before you crack it at them, they don’t just do it for the heck of it. They’ll use specific items to create more powerful weapons or bolster their current equipment, so as you develop, so do they!
I can’t deny it, I’ve succumbed to The Last Remnant’s charms. The gameplay is refreshing and addictive, the strategic elements have you constantly assessing the situation and working the angles, and it has a decidedly non-Japanese, JRPG feel to it. Slick, fun, intelligent and rewarding, let’s hope this is the direction turn based affairs take in the future.
Verdict:
Though a little slow at the start, this is a most unusual, and satisfying experience. It gives the JRPG a brand new bag, and proves that Square Enix is more than happy to recreate and innovate, rather than add suffixes to it’s titles and little else. Bravo!
Living in Oblivion…and loving it!
Welcome friend. Come closer and let this humble soul spin you a tale. A magnificent, wondrous tale of bravery against terrifying evil, of redemption in a land filled with despair, of a messenger surely sent by the Nine Gods as a beacon of hope and courage to those who cannot see the light. Listen as we recount the legend of a warrior without peer, or fear, who wrenched open the very Gates of Hell, laughed in the face of its Dark Prince and shoved an almighty sword down its throat. Welcome, dear friend, to The Elder Scrolls VI. Welcome to Oblivion.
YOU’RE SOOO GOOD LOOKING…
From the moment you boot this bad boy up, you know you’re in-store for something special. As you are customising your character, getting the look just right, the wealth of options is impressive. You can adjust anything, be it hair length, skin colour, eye pigmentation…whatever. Then the real fun begins. You get to pick your race. Each one has unique characteristics, and it’s a really tough decision. Some lizard inspired creatures can breathe underwater and are impervious to poison and disease, cat-like beasts can see in the dark, others can summon ancestral guardians to protect them like the Dark Elves (our favourite due to their balanced mastery of sword, the bow and destruction magic, and the 75% resistance to fire don’t hurt either). Pimp out your hero and away you go.
ERR…WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN?
So here you are, stuck in a prison cell thinking, I knew those promiscuous maidens weren’t over eighteen. You swivel the old thumb sticks around to get a better look and the first thing running through your head is “Jesus H Christ this has some slick visuals!” Light flickers off the walls, and you can almost touch the moisture glistening. It is really quite remarkable. Those of you who don’t dig first person can click R3 and shazam! It switches to third person so you can play it both ways. It’s handled in such an understated way that you’ll almost not even notice…that’s the brilliance of Oblivion…and a theme carried throughout almost every aspect of it.
ENGAGE!
Something drags your peepers away from your lush environment, namely some heavily armed guards protecting a regal figure. He opens a hidden passageway and beckons you to join him. You may miss a little of what he’s saying as Patrick Stewart’s subtle tones convey an overwhelming sense of Shakespearian drama, you really feel like you’re off to save the world. After taking a few twists and turns, you go off and explore the caverns on your own. Cue tutorial stage. Grab yourself a nice rusty sword and start looking for something to fricassee. You spot an inattentive goblin that looks like the perfect scabbard. You sneak up on him, use him as a sheath and gleefully enjoy your first (of many) stealth kill. Clicking L3 pops you into “sneak” mode. An eye surrounds your crosshair, if it remains dim, you’re in the clear, if the edge lights up, you’re toast. Sneaking deals critical hits and up to six times the damage, so it’s a useful skill to develop.
MY HORRORSCOPE SAID NOTHING ABOUT THIS
By the time you rejoin your king, you’d have slayed a dozen or so goblins, discovered rudimentary lock picking, your bow and arrow, got a handle on the menu, learnt how to block and parry, tried out a few spells and given alchemy a whirl…whew!! As you regroup, one of the elite guards helps determine which constellation you were born under. They way you’ve played up till this point governs which birth sign you’re assigned, however, you can choose if you’d prefer. Most of these give you a once-a-day skill, like full heal or something along those lines. Before you get comfortable, the king is murdered by some crazy cultists known as the Mythic Dawn (who pledge allegiance to Mehrunes Dagon…see below).
THE STAGE IS SET
In his final moments the king charges you with a quest. He gives you the Amulet of Kings to deliver to his last surviving heir. Only a member of the Septim (royal) family can use said amulet to light the Dragonfires at The Temple of the One, thus keeping the mystical barriers in place, and shutting down the Oblivion Gates, which the dastardly Mehrunes Dagon (Dark Prince of Oblivion) is using to launch his assault on Cyrodill. Got all that?
You navigate through the sewers and reach a gate to the outside world. As with your birth sign, your class will also be suggested, though this too may be altered. Choose this carefully as it will govern which skills are your bread and butter, and utilising these is the only way to level up. You can also change any other aspect of your character, but after you go through the gate, that’s all she wrote.
SIZE DOES MATTER
To say that Cyrodill is a ridiculously large playpen, would be like saying Donald Trump’s got a coupla bucks, or Jessica Alba is sorta hot…you with us? There are around two hundred or so caverns, mines, shrines and gates to explore. Here are just a few highlights. You can instantly teleport between areas you’ve already visited through the menu. Many NPCs’ disposition to you changes if you have a weapon drawn. Some will have information for you, but need to be “convinced” with bribes or persuaded by your mastery of Speechcraft. You can pick up most food items, or even wild flowers and plants, grab your mortar and pestle, and get your Alchemy on to create potions or poisons to enhance the killing-ness of your weapons. You can break into houses or pickpocket most people, and sell stolen items on the black market. HOWEVER, the town guards are tough mofos and do not look lightly upon these transgressions, and you’ll probably end up in jail (resisting arrest is not recommended as it’s usually a one way ticket to your last saved game).
Alternately, the Thieves’ Guild could approach you, and then it’s off to Cyrodill’s seedy underbelly. You could murder someone for the fun of it, and be recruited into the Dark Brotherhood, as an assassin for hire. Perhaps you’re partial to phone throwing Kiwi’s and fancy trying your hand at the Gladiator’s Arena as a betting spectator, or Maximus hisself. Maybe you’re a goody little two shoes. Join the Fighters’ Guild and defend the weak, or take a walk in Gandalf’s shoes and locate artefacts for the Mage’s Guild. You could even get bitten by a vampire, and live out your days feasting on blood and avoiding sunlight. As you can see…the possibilities are almost endless…and most of what we’ve just described isn’t even part of the main storyline!
FROM HELL’S HEART, I STAB AT THEE!!!!
Your first foray into the Plane of Oblivion is the besieged town of Kvatch. You’ll need to close the gate, and save the town. Stepping through the portal is literally a welcome to Hell. Huge, horn-riddled towers, blood red skies and molten pools of magma greet you. All that’s missing is Celine Dion playing in the background! There are tons of little scamps and imps running around hurling fireballs at you (any cold spell works really well against these), as well as some Battlemages, so stay on your toes. (Hint: each gate is kept open by a sacred stone. These can be taken to seal the gate and upgrade magical armour and weapons) Once you’ve rescued Kvatch, there’s only fifteen more to go! Plus the Great Gate at the conclusion.
DON’T I KNOW YOU?
The longer you spend on your quest, the more celebrity and notoriety you’ll receive. NPCs might greet you as “The Hero of Kvatch” or “Champion of the Arena”, whilst thieves recognise you as a master pickpocket. Other shady individuals may praise your skill as an assassin. The best part is you can wear several hats at once, with each faction only recognising you as a member of theirs solely. We were cracking up at the fact that we were part of the Blades, a secret brotherhood that defends the empire from evil, and at the same time, a member of the Dark Brotherhood, a surreptitious guild that deals death if the price is right.
I THINK YOU UNDERESTIMATE THE SNEAKINESS SIR
Check out this little scenario. In the closing stages, before the final epic (and it really is EPIC) battle, we’d realised we were nigh invisible to the naked eye. We’d earned a Master’s rank in sneak, and had a ring of chameleon and could literally run down the street in broad daylight, with NPCs none the wiser. It gets better. We jumped to a deserted mine and opened up a serious can of whoop ass on some zombies, vampires and goblins. We were, straight up, laughing out loud as we snuck up behind one after another, dealing them a world of hurt whilst they were wondering what the hell was going on, and where the next one was coming from. What? All’s fair in love and war. Nuthin’ better than getting the drop on someone and repeatedly stabbing them in the back…is there? Maybe punctuate it with a “Bitch! You don’t know who the hell I am!” , that’s just how we roll.
SO IT’S PRETTY GOOD, AYE?
What we’ve given you here is but a mere sample of what’s available. The Elder Scrolls VI: Oblivion offers you a chance to live out your heroic fantasies or murderous tendencies or…both. The choice is yours, and it’s not where your journey ends…but the path you take to get there that makes it all the more exhilarating. Again, and again, and again. Enjoy!!
By Dave Kozicki
…Or what do a hot photographer, a pig, Nietzsche and Michel Ancel have in common?
If you’ve been paying attention, you would surely know by now that Ubisoft showcased a slew of their latest releases in Paris last week at “Ubi-days”. Now we know that a cel-shaded Prince of Persia looks the bomb, playing as Vader or Yoda in Soul Caliber IV has us quivering in anticipation on the verge of an epileptic fit, and Far Cry 2’s branching character driven storyline is intriguing to say the least, but what has twixed our nether regions the most is the announcement (kinda) and teaser for Beyond Good and Evil 2 (working title).
We’re sure many of you are going “huh?!?” at the moment, and shame on you all for doing so! SHAME ON YOU!!! If you didn’t catch the original on PS2, Xbox, PC or Gamecube (and judging by sales, you didn’t) you missed out on one of the most engaging, deep, layered, cinematic and straight out fun adventures each console has known. Fittingly named after Nietzsche’s book of philosophies, it deals with blind faith, and unquestioningly believing what the Church or Government tells you as absolute truth and fact.
Such themes are central to the story of Beyond Good and Evil as the talented and sexy protagonist, Jade, comes to discover that all is not well in the district of Hillys. Armed with a dai-jo stick, camera and enough sass to put Tina Fey to shame, she teams up with her uncle Pey’j (a pig funnily enough) to uncover the resistance and unearth a dastardly plot of alien invasion. This glorious piece of gaming gold had something for everyone.
Wonderfully tongue in cheek humour, a fantastic well-rounded mix of gameplay (platforming, stealth, beat ‘em up, racing, RPG elements and you could even get your photography on and catalogue every species on the planet), extremely cinematic storyline (including one of the best interactive Michael Bay-esque chase sequences we’ve seen, and easily rivals its Hollywood counterparts) and a surprising amount of heart. As you can clearly see, we’re still quite enamoured with Beyond Good and Evil. But now, out love affair begins anew.
What would we like to see in the sequel? So glad you asked! After gleaning a mere skerrick or two of information from the teaser, we see the hovercraft makes a triumphant return, with a suitably 1950’s cool hipster vibe and the setting is an arid desert, as opposed to the lush green island environments in the prequel. We dig that. It immediately sets a different tone, and the several moons in the distance lead us to believe that there could be some extended space travel. We’ve got our fingers crossed for that. We’d really like to see a Mass Effect or even Knights of the Old Republic styled interplanetary hopping as Jade and Pey’j, hopefully, take the fight to the Domz (aliens) home-world and start causing a ruckus.
The balanced gameplay mechanics would need the barest minimum of tweaks, though we would like to see a next-gen bolstered racing/flight system and graphical upgrade, though if the teaser is anything to go by they’ve already taken care of that. The photographic elements, so integral in the original, should make a return, and as before, be the key to your success. What we’re really hoping to see is some refinement to the combat system.
As much as we loved sneaking around and popping discs into the back of people’s heads and wailing on them with the dai-jo stick, we’re assuming this new adventure takes place a fair whack down the road, and would hope that Jade is now a seasoned, battle hardened veteran, and as such, should be able to kick some serious ass. We’re not talking God of War depth here (though that would be sweet), but perhaps a few grabs, holds and a deeper range of fisticuffs could be in order.
We can’t even begin to describe how excited we are about this one. Rayman creator Michel Ancel hinted that Beyond Good and Evil would be a three part series, yet despite critical acclaim, the sales just weren’t there. Fate has given him a second chance and it’s up to all of you to ensure it, and another sequel happens. Keep them peepers peeled and put this on your watch list. You wont be disappointed.
By Dave Kozicki
The Final Fantasy juggernaut is a bit of an enigma. Many of you are “scared” of the traditional RPG and only road test the sleekest of the newer action hybrids, and we feel that’s a damn shame. The core of any decent piece of interactive entertainment is the strength of its characters and depth of storyline. The franchise has proved this point time and time again, striking a chord that resonates deep within the heart of even the most cynical of you out there. Who ever would have thought that gamers worldwide would be caught dumbstruck with emotion by the death of a main character in the seventh (which many still consider the best) chapter of this sprawling epic?
Rarely do you ever get so invested in the fate of fictional characters, yet it’s hardly surprising. Most books, films or other genres of games only give you, on average, 10-20 hours to get to know your heroes. A Final Fantasy RPG can last anywhere from 35 hours for the streamline player, to over 100 for the Curious George that needs to scour every centimetre, climb every mountain, venture into each cavern and defeat every beastie that inhabits the realm. You spend that much time with anyone or anything, overcoming obstacles, sharing experiences, winning desperate battles side by side, no doubt, you’re going to get attached, whether it’s a mate or just a bunch of pixels.
Now under normal circumstances the release of a Final Fantasy title is cause for celebration, but this year we’re getting not one, or two, or even three, but six doses of RPG goodness. Whatever format you favour, there’s a little something for everyone. So where to first? Don’t be afraid, as we’re about to give you a crash course on new and upcoming release titles and how they fit into the scheme of things in the Final Fantasy universe. It’s a little thing we like to call Final Fantasy 101. Class is now in session.
THE PAST
Final Fantasy I Anniversary Edition – PSP
What better place to start than the beginning. Four young heroes have been called to Coneria to use the crystals they have in their possession to restore the elemental balance. They embark on an adventure to save the world as they attempt to discover who is behind this evil, and eventually defeat it. This remastered edition of the Granddaddy of the series boasts enhanced visuals, new dungeons to explore, newly composed score, and an improved camera system all set in anamorphic wide-screen format. If you’ve got a PSP, this is the perfect jump off point to get to know Final Fantasy. The straightforward gameplay with tonnes of enemies to defeat, one random battle at a time, became a staple for the early versions of the series.
Final Fantasy II Anniversary Edition – PSP
Containing all the technical upgrades of the First Anniversary Edition, this is the second bite of the apple. Many flaws from the original have been corrected and you set off on a new journey. After many years of peace, demonic entities begin flooding the land in an attempt to take over the world. Thousands die in battle, yet from the ashes four survivors emerge to combat this new threat, to both stop the harbinger of this new evil, and avenge the deaths of their families. Final Fantasy II was a substantial aesthetic upgrade from its predecessor and by having main characters on a quest for revenge and retribution; it set a decidedly different tone. One of the most interesting features was the battle system. If you favoured swordplay over magics your physical attributes would rise, as your intellect and experience in the arcane arts dropped.
THE PRESENT
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings – NDS
From the most humble of beginnings, we jump to the latest greatest. Set a year before the events of Final Fantasy XII, this tale follows the exploits of two main characters from Ivalice, mainly Vaan and Panelo. Made exclusively for the DS, Revenant Wings was embraced by fans worldwide. With glorious visuals (a staple for the franchise, as well as scantily clad babes and effeminate male leads) and its RTS styling, it was a departure from the more traditional turn based party combat. Instead of individuals, you had armies at your disposal and preparation before each battle was paramount. It was a refreshing change and reaffirmed that Final Fantasy was not a one trick pony, and could indeed flourish in any format, on any console.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
Expanding on the themes of quests fraught with peril, powerful magic crystals, and cutesy anime aesthetics, Ring of Fates took a little jump to the left by incorporating co-operative and multiplayer mechanics to an RPG. Developing this particular new storyline solely for the NDS, it has embraced 3D graphics as opposed to the standard flat graphics, more suitable for this action RPG and gives it a style of it’s own. The battles are looking hard and fast, and you can combine and chain attacks together with your AI controlled partners, or lay the smack down with a few buddies. Don’t let the adorable graphics fool you into thinking this bad boy is just for kids, sure it’s targeting young-uns, but never condescending or irritating enough to discourage adult enthusiasts. The storyline is a rich tapestry expertly woven together, boss battles come in all shapes and sizes and there are the mini side games and racers that always come bundled into a Final Fantasy experience. Hitting shelves shortly, this is a must own title if you’ve got a DS.
THE FUTURE
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers
Why stop with developing for the DS alone when you can also do it for the Wii? You’re getting the best of both worlds here. This sequel will be very much in the vein of its daddy, but the focus will be directed towards the single player campaign. In fact, one reoccurring theme in the Final Fantasy universe is that you mould a character from humble beginnings into a hero through your trial and tribulations, however this is not the case. You are already a well-established champion of the realm. This is just another feather in your cap. You will, as usual, be encouraged to level up your character, and Square Enix has hinted this could have an impact on the multi-player aspects. The look itself has evolved. Gone is the over the top anime cuteness, replaced with a more battle hardened gruff hero, which is an attempt to bridge the gap and to appeal to mature gamers. It’s one we feel will pay off big time. Details are scant on the Wii interactivity as well as the online game play, but considering the pedigree, we’re extremely confident this puppy will win “Best in Show’ on release.
Final Fantasy XIII
Welcome to the jewel in Square Enix’s crown. This is one of the most highly anticipated RPGs ever, and with good reason. One part of three titles (coupled with the more action oriented Versus XIII on PS3 and fully 3D rendered Agito XIII on mobile phones no less!) called Fabula Nova Crystallis; Final Fantasy XIII is looking to blur the line between cut scene and game play. Sure, Gears of War and other titles get close, but Square Enix has always been in the forefront of CGI, as anyone who has seen any title sequence in one of its recent releases could testify. First impressions have literally knocked our socks off; with an impossibly gorgeous female lead (a nice change of pace) facing off against a monstrous beast, then some stormtrooper-esque goons, with ridiculous grace and oozing sexuality. An unexpected, and sweet game play tweak occurs where the action slows down Matrix style, as you toggle through picking your next command, and it looks freaking awesome. Without the on screen display, it would’ve been almost impossible to tell where CG left off and game play begins. It’s literally an orgy for you eyeballs and this instalment could very well be the genre defining addition to the RPG fold.
These are just several blips on the radar as far as Square Enix is concerned. Keep your eyes peeled for a batch of unbelievable properties that will lead their assault on next gen, and every other format out there. In the Final Fantasy stable, you’ve got additions to FFXI for the X360 on the way, FF tactics is getting a much-deserved sequel on NDS and a trifecta of gold comes to PS3. With Square Enix at the reins, the future of the RPG is looking bright.
