No. 1 – Final Fantasy VIII

So, here it is. FFVIII is the number one Final Fantasy game for me. Not the most popular choice but I do have reasons. Hopefully, you won’t stop reading out of disgust. You’ll give me a chance to explain and you’ll even accept a different opinion from FFVII at the top. Maybe?

Story

I’ll hold my hands up and admit it right now – this is not the best story seen in the series. In fact, too many parts of it seem to try and rival VII in some way, which makes it even less appealing considering the different world, look and system involved. That being said, it’s not the worst story either, compared to titles on either side of its release. It is pretty decent overall, with some areas standing out and others lacking. It’s like many Final Fantasy titles in this respect.

The characters are the same. Squall is an emo kid, we get it. He’s annoyingly cool for the first 20 minutes, maybe (if you’re having a good day) but then gets to be a pain in the ass very quickly. By the end, he’s actually grown as a person though, which is something a lot of protagonists throughout Final Fantasy titles just do not do. Each character has flaws to their personality that makes life difficult but they have a goal and they come together to get it done – the romance story is probably one of the weaker aspects while Laguna’s story is great just for the comedy they (try to) bring.

Graphics and music

FFVIII carried on from FFVII’s graphics leap, and it made the game stunning at the time – especially the CGI scenes. Even now, it doesn’t hold up too badly compared to some older games, just a bit blocky but what do you expect from a Playstation title. The music is great too and catches the tone of each scene and area perfectly. These are two areas that Square (later Square-Enix) would later seem to prioritise over gameplay and story. They seem to take the attitude that looks mean everything. Hopefully, they’ll learn that while good and pretty, there’s far more to a title than that.

Junction system

This is probably my favourite aspect of the game, and my favourite system of all Final Fantasy games to date. The system was as simple or as complex as you wanted. You could choose an automatic setup or you could do it yourself and I spent hours tailoring my characters to suit my style of play.

Being reasonably young on the first time playing, I didn’t realise that using junctioned magic MADE ME WEAKER with each spell. Obvious now, I know, but it made magic more tactical than how strong the magic stat was, what the weakness was and how much MP or Mana I had. It would directly impact other stats. Magic was, in some cases, difficult to find so more strategy was needed.

What really let this system down was the ease of which you could max out GF’s (Guardian Forces – AKA summons) and the 1,000 experience points per level. A tiered system would have been more difficult.

Side games

Triple Triad! I love this little card game – it’s a fun addition that isn’t actually necessary to completing the game. Tactical thinking and a variety of rules make it fun to play, even if the AI is a little too predictable at times. I’d love an updated version and I do remember the days where a group of FFVIII fans got together and made an online version. I met some great people back then. The abilities involving Triple Triad and the items you could get definitely made this venture worth it on any play through.

Summary

Overall, FFVIII is a great game. It has its shortcomings as do most, if not all, games. Some people beat down on it more thn others and I’m not sure why. Personal opinion plays a part, but as the title that followed VII, it had a lot to live up to and ultimately failed to surpass it according to most people. Then again, every title since VII has failed in that regard. Technically, I think it works well and it’s one of my favourite games to go back and play with one of the most enjoyable side games of the lot. It’s definitely one of my favourite games of all time and favourite Final Fantasy title to date.

Side note

I haven’t included Kingdom Hearts or non-numbered titles in this top five. I love both Kingdom Hearts and titles such as Final Fantasy Tactics and Dissidia. They may get their own posts in the future – we’ll see. As it stands, this is based on my opinions of the five games covered, not influenced by other people or sales statistics or anything – just one gamer and his thoughts. I hope you’ve enjoyed the countdown and will join me for more next year.

Just to recap:

5 – FFX

4 – FFIV

3 – FFVI

2 – FFVII

1 – FVIII

No. 2 – Final Fantasy VII

Yes, Final Fantasy VII only comes to number two in my top five and I know that will cause some surprise (even controversy) among die-hard Final Fantasy fans about how I have no idea what I’m on about. Well, just bear with me and I’ll explain why.

On another note, I did say last time that I’m really grasping at straws for the top three because I love them all, so this is what it’s come down to.

The game

On its own, FFVII is probably my favourite game of the entire Final Fantasy franchise. The story is gripping, the characters (mostly relatable) and if you’ve managed to learn anything about me from these blogs, then you should know that I love science fiction and such related themes, even in a fantasy based genre!

It’s clear throughout the game that there is more to the story than we’re being told in this title. It keeps the audience wondering and we don’t need to know anything else – it’s great that we do learn (I’ll come to that) but it isn’t necessary for what I’m getting from the game, or what I want from it. There’s love, heart break, betrayal, soul searching, laughter, adventure, history and future and so much more. It could be a seven series long TV show or more with all the side stories and characters you come across.

The Materia system is brilliant too, and you get a chance to really give your characters abilities that you prefer and suit you style of play. This is based on your weapon and amour choices and a lot of time can be spent finding the best weapon and armour combination before you get your Materia combination right.

The Materia itself is a great way of doing things, and limits how often you can use abilities per battle before it resets after each fight. However, you can ‘master’ each one to get a new one and come up with some truly powerful (and almost unbeatable) combinations. In most, if not all cases, when you max out a Materia you get a new one so you can put each of your favourites on numerous characters. In the end, it makes things too easy if you try too much.

However, there is a point throughout the whole game, and the Cloud and Sephiroth rivalry is well known, probably one of the most famous throughout the Final Fantasy series. The graphics and music for the time of release were also fantastic, and were a real ground-breaking move away from sprites (which I still miss). It was the beginning of a change in look for the series that has been carried on through to the current generation, and soon to be next generation, of titles.

All together

So, why is FFVII only number two in my top five? Well, unfortunately, this title isn’t just a game for me, and it’s nothing so simple is a VII-2 this time (thankfully). Unfortunately, with mobile games, handheld games console games, a movie and animated shorts all tied in to the VII universe, it’s almost impossible to tell what’s been planned and what has been added on as a money maker.

Even if it was all planned, which I’m not completely sold on, the amount of information and planning is staggering. Cloud suffers from the same problems in almost every game he title he appears in, so what’s the point, other than a quick turnaround in Advent Children. Zack stands out like a sore thumb from the world and his Soldier mentors, which is interesting but his unwavering resolve doesn’t work for me. The story of the Turks isn’t convincing and made me like their characters less, making subsequent play throughs of any game less enjoyable. The only extra the series I enjoyed somewhat was the PS2 title Dirge of Cerberus, but it made me think more deeply into VII’s world than ever before and I still had answers and hopes of a sequel that was never to be thanks to simple mechanics and a lacking story not befitting the FFVII brand.

I could go on, but I’m giving you a taste of the problems of what has happened to the FFVII title. I could go on for quite some time, but this expansion of the world or and universe has decreased my love and enjoyment of what is a standout game.

Conclusion

You may accept my arguments, or even agree with some of them, and it still wouldn’t make a difference. That’s fine, this is my opinion. FFVII on its own should probably be at the top spot, as it is for many fans. For me, having played and seen the other titles in this series, I’m less than thrilled now and while I, like most of you, would love a HD remake of this title, it would still never return to the top of my list now. However, it will always be up there as one of my favourite titles that I spent countless hours on through numerous play throughs.

Sony’s Next Generation Console Arrives: A Weekend with the PS4

Depending on how you look at it, I was one of the organised or very lucky ones to get Sony’s next-gen console, the PlayStation 4, on the first day of release. I told everyone I knew that for the whole weekend I’d be busy trying out the three games that came with the system. I’ll go into a little bit about these as well later. I’d also like to draw your attention a blog post from October where I attended Play Expo and got my first look at the console, controller and one game. Read it here.

I’m not making any secret of the fact I have always been a PlayStation gamer. I wasn’t keen on the Xbox and while the 360 was better, there was never a big reason for me to switch. I’m pretty good at being objective but make of that what you will.

Console

Sharp, angular and very stylish is the easiest way to describe the PS4 console. I’ve read plenty of comments about how people don’t like it but it’s a definite improvement from the PS3 and it is plenty heavy – despite not being much bigger than a slim line PS3. My package came with two controllers and the camera, which offers little for me and my current selection of games but some interesting things to explore and try. This will hopefully be explored more in the future and while the camera most likely isn’t as advanced as the Microsoft counterpart, it is very responsive.

While you can connect to the internet wirelessly, unless you have a PlayStation Plus account (which is the paid version of the PlayStation Network) a lot of the online functionality and online multiplayer aspects of the games are not available. While not overly expensive, and with some handy features, it’s worth considering. Cloud storage will be one of the most used aspects, I predict, given the size of the hard drive, which sounds impressive, until you realise how big the game files are on the PS4. As an average guess, you might get 10 saved on there, and cloud storage will be needed if you don’t want to delete anything.

Better than that, though, is the fact you don’t have to wait for a game to download or install completely before you play it. Installing what you need as you need it makes the system much more efficient. Just something to keep in mind!

Killzone: Shadow Fall

This was the game included in the box with the console. I haven’t played the Killzone games other than the main console titles – the handheld console games eluded me – and each one was pretty good. The gameplay was good and each time, Killzone offered stunning visuals with a less than brilliant story. For Killzone: Shadow Fall, the pattern is largely the same. As expected with the next-gen console, the graphics are incredible (but if they weren’t, I’d be very disappointed) and the gameplay is still very good. The PS4 controller is well used and the touchpad has a use, although somewhat basic for what I would have liked. All you do with it is swipe up, down, left or right to determine the actions of your drone. It’s a start, but nowhere near what I’d hope it would be capable of.

Overall, it’s a great game that continues the legacy of Killzone well. The story and characters could be better but I’ve been blown away with how good it looks and how well it plays that I can get past it. The multiplayer was fun as well, which is useful in an FPS title.

Need for Speed: Rivals

So, generally I like my racing games more in the format of a bunch of cars on a circuit for X amount of laps and trying not to blow myself up. Boring? Probably – but that comes with being a motorsport fan. When they release an F1 title for this console, I’ll be first in line for it. Need for Speed: Rivals is a pretty fun game which is stunning to look at (and that’s just the cars) and very easy to play. Two very quick intros at the start give you the basics of playing as a racer and a cop. You can switch between the two at any point and with a number of challenges, modes and things to unlock there’s plenty to keep you busy.

I crash a lot on this game. I’d rather pick a slower car with better handling, although it doesn’t help much, to give myself the best chance. The crashes can be spectacular though. What does get me is that while it’s fun to play offline on your own, the open world concept that lets you race against anyone (AI or player) at any time. This is the default setting.

Battlefield 4

I have to admit, FPS titles such as Battlefield or Call of Duty never really appealed to me – there was nothing wrong with them, I just prefer fantasy/sci-fi stuff if given the choice, and there are some great sci-fi shooters which I usually end up playing more. Once again, this game looked stunning. I was literally on the edge of my seat throughout as I tried to work out what was happening and where and who and what weapon I should use and who was shooting me and where my team was. If you are familiar with the genre, and probably previous titles of this series, you might be fine. Otherwise, it can be a little overwhelming at first.

Saying that, I couldn’t stop playing for hours, no matter how hungry I got. If it can keep me like that, and I’m not the biggest FPS fan, then it’s probably a good shout. I prefer the genre of Killzone: Shadow Fall, but Battlefield 4 plays just as well and I’m more invested to the story and team right now. However, the touchpad use is even more limited on this title, which is a shame.

Summary

This probably goes without saying but I’m generally impressed so far. Having to pay for PlayStation Plus is a bit annoying but something that will probably come good over time. This console is definitely geared to gamers so far and the only thing I’m worried about is hard drive space. We’ll see how that pans out in the future but it’s been a very good weekend and no issues whatsoever so far!

No. 3 – Final Fantasy VI

Of all the Final Fantasy titles I’ve played, which is most of them given an international release on some platform, I enjoyed VI a lot. It has to be said that my top 3 were very close together and I’ve had to really pick at things I really found annoying to differentiate them.

One thing that really stood out to me from this title was the story/narrative/plot – whatever you want to call it. As a writer, I choose story and FFVI has the best story out of all the games in the series. The characters are diverse, and this title features the most playable characters in any of the numbered titles – and quite possibly any Final Fantasy game, but I am open to information showing otherwise – with fourteen characters that are available throughout most, if not all, of the game and several secondary characters that make regular appearances.

The inclusion of so many characters gives the player a chance to experience a deep, thoughtful and complex story that will take you from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other – and it really doesn’t disappoint. I enjoy the replay factor of this game almost purely for the story, which is expertly crafted. Some characters could be left out or replaced with large parts for others but the balance is very good and if you haven’t played FFVI, I’d recommend it just for this.

However, that’s not all!

Compared to modern games, the graphics are outdated – how I prefer the term ‘classic,’ ‘retro’ or ‘vintage.’ Different people use their own terms but whatever you call it, this is a blast from the past – and it doesn’t look half bad. Every so often, it’s nice to see where our games have come from. The artwork is still popular online today and that makes it an enjoyable experience.

Most importantly, as with many older games, I found this one of the most challenging titles to complete. It was a much longer and more expansive world and story, with a number of things to do and explore. I’m generally the kind of person who likes to explore first and complete the story later, and it has annoyed me about some games, especially more recent Final Fantasy titles (naming no names).

If I could see more, I’d love some even more challenging dungeons and boss fights. As with any game, you can find ways to make yourself almost unbeatable with the right team and abilities. Options to fight more powerful bosses that rely on you being at this level would be quite fun…or maybe I’m just asking for trouble? Both are equally possible.

Having seen the poor voiceovers as well as the “good” ones, I’d always pick the original version over any remake – don’t get me wrong, I’d buy and play a remake if it came around – purely because I have a lot of memories. What I enjoy about it is also what VI rank only number three. It’s a bit confusing at first, the tutorials aren’t that great and the world is very overwhelming at first. On replays, this is actually quite nice because I already know but it makes it more daunting to get to grips with on the first try. It’s also something that subsequent titles learnt straight away.

The fact that I still own a PlayStation copy of FFVI is a testament to how much I love this game. I am working on actually getting a PlayStation again at some point too, or at least a PS2.

No. 4 - Final Fantasy IV

I haven’t played Final Fantasy IV for a long time but it was always one of my favourites. I was too young for the original release on the SNES, but I did find it on for the PlayStation as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology containing the fourth and fifth numbered titles.

I remember the game well. Other games at the time, and while you can call the graphics and sprites of FFIV classic or retro, they weren’t up to par with other games at the time. That has never been a problem for me – if a game looks great, then that’s an added bonus but it’s not the main thing I look for. Despite this, it is recognisably Final Fantasy, and that was enough for me.

The music in FFIV is probably some of my favourite scores from any game in the series. While there isn’t the same clarity as recent releases, it does still draw quite a lot of emotion and it matches up with the story perfectly. The music has been reworked multiple times over the years as new versions of this game are released – and that’s got to give you an indication of the popularity and how good this game actually is.

No? Well, keep reading.

FFIV is not the most popular or well-known game of the series, but for many people, it offered a first in many aspects of what we consider to be a staple or classic feature of RPG’s. It was released in a different order to other games in the series which had an impact on this, but there are a range of characters to choose from with set job classes, and it brought in more tactical thinking.

The story – which I could write over 3000 words on, so I won’t – is also fantastic. I’ll go so far and say it is one of the better narratives of every Final Fantasy title. It brought the characters to life with very complex issues that still hold up today, but were even more relevant at the original time of release. Play the game and do some research; you’ll see what I mean. The depth and character development are brilliant even by today’s standards, and there is excellent replay value in this title.

The only big downside to the game was the length. Give the release date of the title, I’m not surprised and it was actually quite long back then, but there’s more to the story than what we see in the game, I’m sure and I’d love a version that lasts as long as a current title does.

What’s new?

An updated version of FFIV was released for the Nintendo DS and later for mobile platforms that took advantage of more powerful systems and graphics capabilities to bring this game to life. That is the biggest change of all, how it looked, and it was worth it. Again, compare it to nextgen capabilities, or even late PS3 or Xbox 360 titles, and you would never be fooled at all, of course, but it is a massive improvement and brings a lot more charm and life to the game.

With the number of characters that come and go, one update was being able to take the abilities of these characters and give them to permanent ones. While this is more fun, it does make the game easier – and it wasn’t the hardest game to begin with – but you can get some pretty good abilities and become unstoppable although new difficulty settings were included for more of a challenge. Finally, voice acting was included but, much like it is with many English versions of this series, it was disappointing, this time even more so, with the acting detracting from the dialogue and story of the game. Only the music remains the saving grace in these situations.

If you see it for a handheld or mobile device you own, or find it on the PlayStation Network – buy it right there! You won’t want to miss out on this fantastic game, whether it’s the original classic or the updated version. Trust me on this.

Guild Wars 2: One Year Later

It’s been over a year since the launch of Guild Wars 2, and everything I posted about last year stands strong. This is still a remarkable game but there have been a number of changes since earlier in 2013 that have changed the attitudes, goals and dynamics of many players. I’m not just talking about skill balancing, bug fixes and world updates – although these do happen regularly – but bigger changes to keep interest, and it seems to be working.

Living Story

Each character you make has a personal story to follow. These change depending on the race you choose and the options during character creation. Further options are made to players as you progress until a point later in the story where paths converge and the story is largely the same for everyone, regardless of race or background. There are still choices to make but you can cover all the story options at this stage with the five character slots provided.

Upon completing this, there wasn’t much to do in terms of progression. The focus turned to alternate characters, dungeons and fractal zones, where you could get rare skins and items from much harder foes. Then the Living Story was introduced and new content is released for a period of time – sometimes leading on from the last update and other instalments making you do something else entirely. This shows the world changing and evolving, with limited edition items and events to access.

This is great for certain events – like now there is a Halloween makeover in places, with new events, challenges and items to complete. Next month, it will be something different. Each instalment lasts for four to six weeks.

World vs. World

While WvW has been around since the start of GW2, I’ve only really given it a few chances. I’ve enjoyed it, sure, but I’m not the biggest fan of Player vs. Player. This has changed with a recent update, which have different “seasons” for WvW and new prizes. This has grabbed my interest again, and that of my Guild, with more people heading to these battlegrounds on a regular basis. The armour skins are good too, and drop rates for rare items are still low, but slightly higher than other places. This could be a good thing for me, right?

I live in hope.

Working towards the…impossible?

Each type of weapon has a Legendary version – they are the hardest to get because of the items and levels required to get them. I’ve been playing for over a year and I’m about two thirds of the way there for ONE character. Even then, the final item needed for each of these weapons has a drop rate that’s one of the lowest in the game. You can buy them, but I can barely save 100 gold, never mind between 1000-2000 gold!

Some people have been lucky, and others have focused their entire efforts on this. I’d like one (specifically Kudzu, the longbow) but there’s more to do.

New weapons were included in a recent update, requiring an increase in crafting levels and very hard materials to find (albeit, not as hard as the Legendary requirements). I’ll work on these eventually too, when I’ve finished my current to do list. By that point, there will be the same options for armour too. Then other items – there’s always more to do!

Guild missions

Another inclusion has been focused on guilds and keeping their members active and working together. The reduced party size compared to Guild Wars was a concern but these missions don’t need you to be in a party, and allow multiple parties at once. From hunting specialist bosses, tracking down locations, completing a circuit full of danger and more missions, they provide excellent rewards once a week to players and access to specialist equipment to improve your stats and in high level situations.

More routes, targets and challenges are always being added and new rewards will be introduced at an appropriate time (probably adding to my list of things to do and get).

Summary

Overall, Guild Wars 2 is a great game and it’s only getting better. How much content they have to run with, I’m not sure but I’d imagine there’s a lot. With increases to crafting levels and new items always being introduced, there’s plenty to play for and aim towards. I know I’ll be playing for a long time to get at least one character with some of the harder to obtain items. Will you?

Play Expo: Assassins Creed 4 and the PS4

After the success and enjoyment of last year’s Play Expo in Manchester, I have been eagerly anticipating the return – especially as it coincided with my birthday! What better way to celebrate turning 25 than to play retro games, make a few purchases and see what’s new in the gaming world? Exactly. However, it didn’t go as planned and unfortunately, I was only able to confirm my attendance a few days before the event. As such, this isn’t as inclusive as last year’s review but there is one key point I did want to focus on at the end.

Bigger and better

With a much bigger space to utilise, Play Expo has learnt a lot from its first venture to Manchester’s Event City. Each arena got a much bigger space to fulfil and organise according. Where last year it could be crowded and hard to move, this year there was ample space that was filled with consoles, stands, shops and spectators alike. It was less claustrophobic but a much better atmosphere.

The costumes seemed much better than last year. Having been to Manchester’s Comic-Con this year, it was nice to return to a gaming atmosphere. Full respect to those that dressed up and got in the spirit – something I may have try one day, you never know – because it was clear a lot of effort went into those costumes.

The pros were just as intense this year as last, and that’s an intensity that drains you just by watching. I think I’m a gamer, but against these guys I know I’d have no chance. I didn’t interrupt for fear of death but it was fun to watch for a while again.

Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag

Of all the stands I saw and visited, this was the biggest for me. It’s fair to say that Assassin’s Creed is not my favourite series. I enjoyed the first one a lot, and the second did improve on what was great but it got tedious and repetitive for me – something I know other people don’t agree with.

After the second, it was a disappointment and unfortunately, there wasn’t much improvement this time. It caught my eye because it was on the soon to be released PS4 – so I had to try it out. The graphics weren’t as great as I wanted for the new console, which is going to show the crossover period we have where games are released on current and next gen consoles. Only later will we start to see the real capabilities of the PS4 and Xbox One.

AC4’s demo started on a boat that was as responsive as a slug with a hangover. It took what felt like ten minutes to turn and there were no clear instructions on what to do. Button mashing aside, the guys were quick to explain and I did crash once or twice while trying to figure out what to do. There’s so much to keep on top of that it was more of a chore than enjoyable. With a real tutorial, this might be different. Movement afterwards was also a bit sluggish and I switched off at the point.

It lost me. This is not an improvement and I’m not going to be buying this one, unfortunately.

PS4 and the controller

However, moving on from a disappointing game to an impressive console (or what were the indications of such). Not much can be said of the console from this demo but I did get my first taste of the new controllers and honestly, I’m very impressed.

I remember back in the PlayStation days where the first version of these controllers was released. I didn’t like it but by PS2, I had no choice and adapted. The design has been fairly consisted throughout and I like that. Even now, on PS3, of my 3 controllers, one is lighter than the others and is the one I use the least (I like a bit of weight, but not too much).

This new version sees new materials which make the controller a lot better to handle and use, with indentations in the analog sticks to rest your thumbs in. Much better.

The biggest differences were the lower trigger buttons, which stick out more to be easier to press. That’ll take some getting used to but it’s going to be useful if there is so much to do in games like AC4. The last thing is the touch pad, which wasn’t usable in this demo, so not much to say but it threw a few people looking for the start and PS button found on the PS3 controllers. They’ll find this with time, I’m sure.

Overall: very good and a good indication of things to come!

Final thoughts

Throughout the day, switching between new and retro games, I found myself thinking about sensitivity in game controls. Are we so used to sensitivity that the slightest touch for that fractional movement is so important? Going from a Sega Megadrive to a PS4 was so strange because I had to hammer the controls to move on the former console, whereas now I barely need to press anything. I really had a sore thumb at the end of the day.

Has anyone else thought about this? I mean, it’s good we’ve made so many steps but has that changed the focus of our games and the difficulty? I still find these older games harder than a lot of titles released today. Just some food for thought!

No. 5 – Final Fantasy X

After the announcement by Square Enix that Final Fantasy Versus XIII was to be renamed Final Fantasy XV, I’ve been thinking for a while it would be a good idea to go through my favourite Final Fantasy games so far – although I am going from the main, number titles – not sequels, spin-offs or other games at this point. They might come later. So, for this “top five” I’m starting with, yup, you guessed it – Final Fantasy X.

The story

I enjoyed FFX’s story a lot but it was pretty basic. There wasn’t much mystery – other than what really happened to Zanarkand and the truth about the Final Summoning. I think I figured out what was going to happen around the Guadosalam area.

The game was very linear, in that you had to go in a straight line for most of it. Sure, there are times you can turn back and revisit some places but there’s always a limit until you get much further in the game. That is kind of true of a lot of them, but there’s an option for free-roaming in many of these titles and I enjoy that option, so this detracted a little of the fun for me.

Tidus did annoy me overall, and Yuna, while strong in battle, was portrayed as weak and under-confident through much of the game and that annoyed me too. They were supposed to balance out but I never really felt it got that balance. Lulu and Wakka, that was balance!

Combat and the sphere grid

Of all the Final Fantasy games I’ve played, this is the easiest. If you save regularly and spend enough time growing stronger, there’s nothing that can stop you. For more of a challenge, the monsters you fight can have an active ATB, which means they will attack on a clock rather than waiting for a specific turn. If this is turned off, it becomes a simple matter of planning each move and having the supplies and skills to survive.

The sphere grid, while daunting at first, is surprisingly easy to master. The easier setting sets it up for you, allowing each character to master particular skills and fight certain enemies well, but you can do this on the advanced setting just as well, and it changes how you approach the game. This is interesting but it is very easy to make mistakes early on, especially for inexperienced players – although I’ve made a fair few mistakes myself along the way!

Blitzball

One of my favourite mini-games around is Blitzball and most of my time on any FFX save was actually spent on this. It didn’t matter to me you could unlock everything right away, and that you needed to do certain things first – it was a decent game that, with more work, probably could have stood on its own.

What did get to me was the stop-start nature, which is designed to let players make the best decisions but removes some of the pressure, and again, like the rest of FFX, makes it a bit too easy. If I could see one thing changed in this HD remake, it’d be to make Blitzball played in real-time and make it more difficult and fun. 

Summary

I enjoyed FFX – I really did – but more at the time of its release. I was a bit younger and a bit more taken in by the improved graphics (and voices). As I get older, it has lost a bit of appeal to me but it’s still a good game, with a solid story and one of the best mini-games I’ve found in many games, not just Final Fantasy. My biggest problem with it is that it’s too easy, especially as you can make monsters wait before they attack you. Why even have a pause button? Still, with the HD remake on the way, I’ll be playing it again very soon.

Oh, and in case anyone HASN’T done it, collect the Al Bhed primers and play the game again so you can understand the chatter early on and throughout. It’s nothing huge, but you get the nice sense of achievement for doing so.

The Final Fantasy XIII series

I make no secret of my love of the Final Fantasy series. As far as RPG games go, it is one of the best series I’ve played. Some stand out more than others, with VII and VIII being my favourite titles despite their age. Part of it is nostalgia but it is more that even now, with games two generations later, they are still fun and challenging to play. The story in each is also a lot more involved and easier for me to get into than some of the other titles in the series. Like many fans, I’m hopeful for a remake of FFVII but nothing definitive has been confirmed. The closest thing I remember seeing was that it would possibly happen if a current collection of Final Fantasy could hit the same numbers and popularity as VII. Since we are still dealing with Final Fantasy XIII, and will be for some time, I thought I’d take a look at what has come from this instalment so far, and what is yet to come.

Final Fantasy XIII looked, as you may expect, exceptional. The detail and visual aspects of the game are brilliant, delivering an immersive experience into a completely new world. The progress that has been made since FFVII’s (now very basic) graphics is a big factor to the success of the series. Unfortunately, for me, that’s the only truly enjoyable thing I can say about the first title in XIII’s universe.

One of the things I have always loved about the Final Fantasy series is the freedom to wander away from the story and explore, complete quests and min-games. This wasn’t an option in XIII until much later in the game, and while there were things to do later on, there was a lot of grinding to do if you wanted to have a chance of being successful before completing the story. In this way, it was reminiscent of X. I also was not a fan of controlling only one character, although this has been happening slowly since XII. The AI did not do what I wanted it to do most of the time, and it took a lot of effort for me to stick it through and complete the game.

The sequel was a lot better. Final Fantasy XIII-2’s visual quality was still there, if not vastly improved. It utilised the style of the XIII universe and kept it consistent while still looking fantastic. Unfortunately, you still had control of only one character and there were only two playable characters at all! The third member of your party is a monster that you can switch in and out of depending on the battle and your opponent. It gave a little more control of your paradigms but still had you focus on one character.

The biggest improvement was the freedom of the game. Rather than taking place in world at one time, there are various locations to explore in different time periods. Your actions in one can affect another and at times, if you fail or make the wrong choice, you will have to reset that location and do it again. You can also visit different places in the order you want, however these locations are small and linear in themselves. It is an improvement but still lacking in the complete freedom I loved from the earlier games. Most characters return at some point but your search to find Lightning is the theme of the game. The Coliseum has downloadable enemies to keep you advancing and unlocking new monsters and items for your party. Grinding still plays an important role in this game if you want to go off in your own direction.

The third title for the XIII universe is Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. If you haven’t, take a look at the official website for a few bits of interesting information. One piece says Lightning is THE playable character. Does this mean she is alone throughout the whole game? No party? That would make sense with an evolved combat system in keeping with what we’ve seen so far. With her being in the title, we know she’s important but I like choosing my characters, not being forced to one. This game is not a sequel to the other two games. Its set 300 years in the future and we’ve been told there are real world time elements to come, and more rumours about social media links. This is interesting if it’s true but after looking at the short trailer, I’m left thinking this is Final Fantasy meets Assassin’s Creed. Am I excited by this? Not particularly, but it could be decent. Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII wasn’t a bad game, but limited in what they did with it. Tomb Raider meets Final Fantasy in an uninspiring idea. To see the trailer, click here.

Finally I come to Final Fantasy Versus XIII. I have been interested in this game for a few years now. When I learned of its involved in the XIII universe before playing XIII, I wasn’t overly bothered. My disinterest continued even after playing XIII until I came across some information saying that while it would follow the XIII mythos, it was not going to be like XIII. This gave me hope.

The game has fallen into dispute about what is happening, with very few official announcements being released other than the game “still being in development.” That’s great and all, but six years on, I’d like a bit more, right? There are rumours that resources have been folded into another project, and we don’t know if that’s staff, game material or what. With the lack of announcements, it is entirely possible the game will fade into nothing, but I think it’s more likely to appear in another series if not in the XIII universe.

All the talk of something new and the few details we’ve seen lead me to believe the game will be something new, regardless of what series it comes with. This could be a strange marketing plan that will come to fruition somewhere in the future. All I know is, besides a possible VII remake and the Kingdom Hearts HD Collection, Versus is a game that I really want to see finished and play.

Keeping an Eye on: Kingdom Hearts HD, Iron Man 3 and Star Trek: Into Darkness

It’s been a while! I’ve been busy at work recently, and with the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey this week, it’s going to be even busier for me! Expect a fopcused post on that film as soon as I see it, however, there are a few things I’ve been keeping an eye on recently and will continue to do so.

Also, I hope to have one more book/author review done before Christmas. The Dark Tower series post will be up in the New Year. It is already massive, so I’m working on condensing it right now!

Kingdom Hearts HD Collection

When I first encountered Kingdom Hearts, I wasn’t particularly enthused. I was in that awkward stage where Disney wasn’t cool but I loved Final Fantasy. Now that I’m older (and I like to think wiser), Disney is cool again and the announcement of a HD collection for this series excited me greatly, possibly more than any other gaming announcement I’ve heard this year – yes, even that of Guild Wars 2’s launch!

The game, a fusion of Final Fantasy style RPG and Disney characters was much better than I thought. It was a game with depth and the story was well crafted. There were things to do beside the story, and while it seemed too young for me then, the sequel was much darker and seemed to grow as the gamer did. I loved every minute of playing it, even on replays.

The collection, called Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX, is set for release on the PlayStation 3 in Japan only, but it won’t be long before it travels to other regions too, such is the popularity of the series. This collection will include Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days cutscenes. The 1.5 in the title implies a second collection will be released with the second game, and I hope Birth By Sleep!

I can only hope it lives up to the expectations we all seem to have. Now, if we can get a Final Fantasy VII remake, I’ll be even happier!

Movies in May

May 2013 should be a good one, if nothing else but for two films: Iron Man 3 and Star Trek: Into Darkness. Both appear to have taken a very dark tone, inspired by The Dark Knight Trilogy, I reckon. 

I am a fan of the Marvel franchise – Disney has done a superb job in the “parental” role and I hope this continues as the films keep going. The Iron Man films are my favourites (other than the crossover film, but I was always going to love that one!) and I have very high hopes for the third instalment. Talking to some colleagues at work has made me think about the casting choice for Mandarin, but it is not as big of an issue for me. It is done and I can’t say it’ll be good or bad until I see it…six months from now! 

When Star Trek was released in 2009, it was one of the few films I was prepared to pay to see in a cinema. I’m a bit spoiled in that, having worked in a cinema for so many years, I hate paying to go to one. In the end, I blagged my way in and enjoyed it for free! I was pleasantly surprised. I couldn’t have told you what I expected but it surpassed anything I could have expected. Zachary Quinto as Spock was probably the best choice in my opinion. I was probably biased from his role in Heroes, but he made the character his own. Simon Pegg as Scotty was also a brilliant choice, and the inclusion of Leonard Nimoy as the original Spock gave the continuity that the film was lacking, even though it’s a reboot.  

I suspect that closer to the time, I’ll go into more detail about each of these but I am already overly excited. Six months is a long time to wait and it’s been even longer since I was this excited about a film, let alone two coming out in the same month!

Play Expo 2012

On the 13^th and 14^th of October 2012, Play Expo took place for the first time in Event City, Manchester, moving from Blackpool Taking place over two days, there was plenty to see and do and the event was split into four sections; Now.play, Re.play, Pro.play and Cos.play. It is the first two sections I will be focusing on here, although the Pro.play was interesting to look at and evidence of the Cos.play arena could be seen throughout the day and was definitely worth a look.

Now.play

This arena was one of the most intriguing areas to explore. There were some big stands to look at, including Nintendo with the Wii-U, EA with Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Konami with Metal Gear Uprising: Revengeance and more.

The Wii-U was one of the biggest stand there and it is obvious as to why. The Wii was a great system when first launched and the innovative controls took gaming in a completely new direction. Personally, I don’t think the system lived up to its expectations. There was a lot they could have done to further that but that’s a story for another day. While the Motion Plus controllers will be compatible with the Wii-U, it’s the table I was interested in seeing. When the Xbox was first released, the controllers were bulky, heavy and not comfortable to use. I had concerns about the tablet too.

The tablet controller is very light and the screen of a very high quality. In Rayman: Legends, it is the multiplayer aspect which grabbed my attention. One player would use a controller to control one character and the tablet would be used to aid that character by attacking enemies and interacting with the game in ways the controller could not. It was fun and took some getting used to but I enjoyed the cooperative element of the game. The Wii-U version of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 was less successful, in my opinion. The touch screen holds a list of combos and skills to use but selecting them would be hard and could cost you the battle. The new Mario game acts in much the same way as Rayman: Legends. The more adventure based RPG’s used the touch screen to primarily to show the inventory, removing the need to pause and go through menus to find what you want as it right there. It still means you must divert your attention from the main screen and this could be costly. Other functions involve using the screen as a device in the game for various functions.

It’s a clever idea but seems more suited to multiple player games and party games at the moment. It is very light and easy to hold, even for younger gamers or people with smaller hands but with time and practise, it will be very playable. I still haven’t decided whether it’s a system I would enjoy playing much, however.

The Konami stand had demos of Metal Gear Uprising: Revengeance. I’ve always enjoyed the Metal Gear games and this one looks stunning. How it would play was the more important part. The key combat feature was the Blade mode. By holding down the L1 button (PS3 controls), you could move the right analog stick slice your blade in every direction in that rotation. I was unsure about this and whether it was a full 360 degree control but was surprised to find they had cut no corners on this element. The game itsel was actually fairly easily. As long as you could move and continue to press the two primary attack buttons, you could beat almost every opponent and this disappointed me. In the demo there was little tactical skill involved and I hope this is added later. Otherwise, it’s not a game I’ll buy as it will be too easy to complete. It was only the second time the demo had been available to play so I’m hopeful for a bit more to come from this game yet.

There was a stand for Halo 4 as well. I enjoy the Halo games but it has never been able to make me buy an Xbox (or the 360). The stand let you play a 12-person game for five minutes so you don’t get a complete overview of the game and as I’m not an expert on Halo, it didn’t feel overly different to the others. It was a smooth trial and a game I would thoroughly enjoy playing it if I had an Xbox 360.

The EA stand had two games to play. Medal of Honor: Warfighter continued the series of games but did nothing to impress me over the previous instalments. Honestly, I haven’t enjoyed that series as much as other FPS games and this is one that I will avoid too. The other game was a bit more fun.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted has the option of both single and multiple player modes. The idea is to become the most wanted driver while beating the opposition and this involves crashing into other cars and taking them out. An intriguing idea but more often than not at this stage, take downs of other cars also take out your own car. This wastes time and gives you no points. The details are realistic, including the speeds and damage done but the only take downs I could manage in the demo were luck and no amount of effort spent recreating the events worked out. Very enjoyable but I don’t see men enjoying it in a long session, with or without others, if every take down, as they emphasised as important in most modes, could not be done successfully. It could just take more time to get used to but I’m not convinced on this year either. It is one to watch out for, though.

Re.play

One of the biggest things that appealed to me about this event was the Re.play arena. Here, you would come across row upon row of retro game consoles with a variety of games to play. There was no charge for this, just find a seat and play a game that some people will have grown up with and others will be experiencing for the first time. The nostalgia in this arena was enormous. It doesn’t matter if the graphics aren’t as good, or the controls aren’t as sensitive as the modern gamer is used to. This is a trip down memory lane to see how we have arrived at the current level of gaming technology.

To one side of this arena were the multiplayer stations, featuring the original Halo on the Xbox and Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). There were free competitions of these games on both days that sparked an intense and fierce level of competition. The prize; pride. There might have been a few goodies thrown in their too, but it was pride that drove these guys forward. I can’t say I blame them; it was great to watch these guys show us that there is still a place for retro gaming and anyone who says otherwise should not be trusted! Other stations had Mario Kart on the N64, Unreal Tournament on Xbox, and many others.

The highlight for me, and many others, was GoldenEye on the N64. This game sparked a huge interested in multiplayer First Person Shooters and it is impossible not to figure out why. The station was hugely popular all weekend and the difficult controls took nothing away from the experience. If anything, it added to it. It became a testament to who could adapt to the luxurious controls of today’s games and seeing who would triumph as at times impossible to tell. I loved every minute of it.

Beyond the retro gaming stations was something that caught my attention and had me hooked for a lot of the weekend; Pinball machines. I have always been a big fan of these and it is no surprise why they are so popular. These addictive games could be found throughout the country (and probably still can in places) but here they were stacked in rows for you to play to your heart’s desire! An even bigger bonus was they were all free – otherwise it would have turned into a very expensive weekend for everyone unable to resist the lure to go back to a very popular pastime. I, for one, definitely could not have resisted.

To refresh myself after a stand or watching a competition, I would come here to relax and unwind for a few minutes, trying the different machines available. I could easily have spent the whole weekend in this small area but I would have missed out on so much more!

Pro.play

If I thought the free tournaments were competitive, then I was in for surprise when I had a look at the pro gamers! The tension created by the various games and competitions was incredible. I think of myself as a gamer, but I am under no illusions that I could keep up with these guys without serious practise. That was just on the Saturday – it got a whole lot tougher on the Sunday. I never could have imagined that, and I pride myself on an active imagination! I think it was much safer for me to observe and enjoy watching the precision with which these professional gamers performed.

Cos.play

On the other side of the Re.play arena was the Cos.play arena. Smaller in size but there was a lot of people who had come in the guise of their favourite game or anime characters and they had no fear of showing it to everyone at the event! Nor should they, some of the outfits were fantastic in their detail. It was clear that a lot of time and effort had gone into them and whenever I saw them, they were always happy to have pictures taken with anyone at the event. I have to admit, it’s not something I had considered doing but it was an interesting experience and the courage to do it, especially going to and from the event, is something I lack compared to these guys!

Overall

 

I have to say it was a great weekend. The atmosphere was incredible and the location easy to find. There was so much to see and do that it was impossible to get bored at any particular part. Queuing is unavoidable at an event like this, especially in the Now.play arena but not once did I hear any complaints about it and that just shows how keen gamers are to make the most of every opportunity they have.

The one thing that was a bit of a shame was on the Saturday. There was a delay in opening the event and no information was given to those waiting outside. It was a particularly chilly day and the queue structure wasn’t very organised. It would help if people were around to make sure things were organised and people were informed but that is the same of any large scale event and once inside, it quickly fell into the background as the wonders of Play Expo 2012 came to life.

It’s an event I would wholeheartedly recommend to any game fan of any level. Even for one day, the atmosphere you will find is incredible and I am already looking forward to next year!

Guild Wars 2: So far

Well, it’s been over a week since those who pre-purchased the game have been able to log on and play properly. While the Beta Weekend Events and Stress Tests have been enjoyable and enlightening, they are nothing compared to the launch of the game. Knowing that your characters and progress will not be erased after a few hours or days is a much better feeling, no matter how early you got to play. So I decided to go through some aspects of the game. Enjoy!

Basics

Guild Wars 2 is an online MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing game) with no monthly subscription fee. The original Guild Wars and follow ups were of the same genre and this latest instalment has taken the best parts of Guild Wars and combined it with proven elements of the best other MMO’s around. The world is huge, the choices vast and the story is tailored to you. The guild system allows you to play with friends from the previous games as well as new ones, and your account can be linked to multiple guilds although your characters can only represent one at a time.

Professions

There are eight professions to choose from, with some continuing on from Guild Wars and some new ones. Any future releases may well contain new professions as with the previous game. There are three armour types, heavy, medium and light and each profession can only use certain weapons. There are no secondary professions in this game. Your profession is chosen at the start and at present, there is no way to change it!

·         Warrior (heavy armour) – Continuing from GW1, the warrior is a staple of any RPG and provides a good damage source as well as blocking enemy attacks. They can use a wide array of melee weapons.

·         Guardian (heavy armour) – A new class that is a combination of warrior and healer. They can cast a lot of buffs on themselves and allies, making them extremely valuable but this is not a healer class!

·         Ranger (medium armour) – As opposed to GW1, a pet will always accompany you this time. Pets can be found throughout Tyria and different pets will fight in different ways. It is down to the player to utilise them the best way possible, both on land and underwater.

·         Thief (medium armour) – A new class that takes some influence from the Assassin from Guild Wars: Factions. You can sneak and shadowstep while dealing damage to the enemy’s blind spot.

·         Engineer (medium armour) - Another new class that focuses on mechanical inventions to turn the tide of battle, including turrets and specialised skill sets like grenades and flamethrowers. They can use all types of guns, unlike other classes.

·         Elementalist – (light armour) – One of the biggest damager dealers in both versions of the game. The biggest change is that you can change which element you use in battle, rather than always returning to an outpost. There is a recharge time on doing this but it can turn the tide in those tricky situations.

·         Necromancer (light armour) – Returning from GW1, the master of life beyond death is still a popular choice in Tyria. The number of minions may have been reduced but they are stronger and you have much more control than in the past.

·         Mesmer (light armour) – I was never a big fan of Mesmer’s in GW1; they were too indirect for my style of play. That has been taken into account and they can provide a steady constant source of damage through illusion skills, including a clone of yourself!

Races

There is a choice of five races in GW2, and each race have their own specific skills, regardless of which profession you choose. While there is no obvious advantage to race/profession combinations, it is something to consider when creating your character, beyond the aesthetic considerations.

·         Human – The basic and most obvious race for any player. In GW1, you could only be a human and they have a big part to play in the story. Two out of the six big cities are also in Human territory.

·         Charr – Any GW1 player will recognise one of the first enemies encounter in the original game. This time, they seem to be less evil but still occupy Ascalon and are no longer in a direct confrontation with the Humans.

·         Norn – These towering characters hail from the Shiverpeaks and dedicate themselves to one of four sacred animals, determining their beliefs and story. Introduced in Guild Wars: Eye of the North, they have become much more involved in what is going on in other parts of Tyria.

·         Asura – Introduced at the same time as the Norn, these smart and arrogant creatures have been forced to live on the surface of Tyria and have more interactions with other races, much to their annoyance. They have constructed portals to transport players to different parts of Tyria instantly. The Waypoints that can be found are also of Asuran design.

·         Sylvari – The newest race to emerge in Tyria. They are a cross of Human and plant and are mainly a peaceful race, but the rise of the undead and Elder Dragon has brought them to take action. They believe they were created to defeat this threat. All are brown from the Pale Tree and have all the memories needed when they awaken to complete whatever task they see in their ‘Dream.’

Story

While you only have five character slots to choose from, there are too many options for each race to make this feasible, if you want to experience every branch of the story on offer. There are three options to choose from during character creation and then more branches appear throughout the game. This allows you a more personal story that is matched towards the options you choose. You can buy more character slots but in reality, you will have to complete the story, delete the character and start over, choosing different options every time.

This is all a theory on how to do it, but most people will choose an option that involves friends and other players, following them through their stories to experience as many as possible, should that be their driving force in Guild Wars 2.

Skills

Instead of the eight skill slots available in GW1, there are now ten but they have specific uses to prevent builds being made to make the game too easy and reduce Player versus Player advantages.

·         Weapon skills – A two handed weapon will give you 5 skills. A one-handed weapon gives you 3, and an off-hand gives you 2. These skills depend on weapon and profession and are not changeable without changing weapons.

·         Healing skill – A dedicated skill to keep you alive. This has replaced the need for a healer class in the game.

·         Utility skills – These three skills are unlocked as you level up. They have skills that you can change to suit your specific needs, environment, weapon and playing style.

·         Elite skill – Unlock at level 30. Like GW1, only one Elite skill may be used at a time. They take a long time to recharge but are very valuable and can turn the tide of battle instantly.

Crafting

There are several crafting options in GW2. You can learn and use any of them at any time but only two can be active at any one time and the higher the skill, the more it costs to reactivate it. One good method is to find out which skills are good for your profession, or what you will use the most. You can also use other guild members to make things for you but the higher level items are said to be bound to the crafter so you may have to learn them all eventually.

Items are not exactly easy to come by but with some common sense and little exploring, you can find what you need. Gathering points can provide base materials such as metals, wood and some foods, but you will need to salvage items to get a good amount of other materials. The Trading post will be another option, should you be willing to part with your gold.

Different levels of the items are found in corresponding zones and higher level items. You cannot use higher level materials without using the lower level ones first, and the rarer crafting items do tend to improve certain stats on the items in question. There are a lot of guides online for this and more experience players can help you get to grips with this. It can be confusing at first.

Exploring

Each map zone is split into a different level range. No matter how strong your character becomes, each area in a map has its own level cap. A level 80 character in a starter area will still show up as a level 5 character and have the stats to go with it. It will not affect what weapons and armour you can use but those will be weakened as well. This means you can join low level characters in events or searching for materials without it being too easy.

In each map zone, there are a certain number of Waypoints (used to travel to various places for a fee), Renown quests (to gain karma, gold and experience), Points of Interest, Skill challenges and Vistas (special cut scenes for that map). To gain complete exploration of Tyria, every single one of these must be found and completed. This is quite a task, especially when you first play the game and realise the size of the world you have to explore.

Jump Puzzles

In the map zones and cities are jump puzzles, where characters can earn account medals and exploration points, as well as special loot and experience by completing various puzzles, usually involving a lot of jumping (and a lot of dying if you miss!). These are extremely fun and very annoying but when attempting with friends, can provide a lot of laughs. It’s something different that doesn’t always require fighting and can be a good distraction from other elements of the game.

I remember falling off one jump puzzle at the same place for over three hours! It was driving me crazy, giving my fellow guildies plenty of laughs and keeping me going much longer than I would have thought. I finished that level and found another straight after. I could have cried right there and then!

WvW

World versus World is the latest version Player versus Player. In this realm, players of one world/server will face off against another to earn bonuses for their world. Arena Net has taken measures to keep the worlds balanced as much as possible but this is a new way to fight other players in a way that affects everyone, raising the stakes substantially, should you have the courage to join them.

It’s definitely kept me busy since it went live and while there have been problems since launch; it has been one of the smoothest launches I’ve played, with all the issues being fixed as soon as possible. Thanks to Facebook and Twitter, players can keep up-to-date with any issues that do arise and while there will be plenty to come, there is more than enough to do right now that does work to keep the community at large happy.

The timing of the release is also good. Last week I quit smoking and I admit, I’ve used GW2 as a distraction from the cravings. It’s been a week since I quit and I’ve had no cigarettes at all. It’s not been easy but hopefully the game will keep me hooked until the desire to smoke decreases to almost minimal levels!

Guild Wars 2

There haven’t been many games recently that have excited me as much as Guild Wars 2, and in all honesty, there isn’t much coming up that can knock it from the top spot in games I want to play right now.

For those of you in the know, GW2 isn’t ready yet but we have had two Beta Weekend Events so far and these have given people who have pre purchased one of the three editions of the game an idea of what is to come on the official release. I have to admit, I did go all out and buy the Collector’s Edition of the game, something my bank balance and wallet have not quite forgiven me for yet, but come the official release, I have no doubt I will spend more time playing the game than doing anything else, including spending money!

I admit, one of the biggest concerns I had about GW2 was this massive free world where everyone would play together. It just screamed World of Warcraft to me, and all the issues I had with that game came with it. However, the BWEs convinced me most, if not all my concerns had been addressed.

Before I go any further, I haven’t played WoW for a very long time now, so some of these issues may well have been resolved, but I also don’t like paying monthly for a game and that’s where Guild Wars stood out.

With a mass environment, I was worried that anyone could come along and steal my kills, and the loot that came with it. If I’m going to spend time doing quests or finding items, I don’t want that time increased almost infinitely by people coming along at the last minute and stealing the kill, and the subsequent loot, and I’m sure this is true of most gamers. GW2’s answer is a simple one; no matter who is involved in the kill, you will all get the experience depending on how involved you were in the fight. The loot is personalised to each player as well, so no one else can even SEE my loot, let alone take it. This was clear early on in the first BWE and it gave me a good first impression.

A break away from Guild Wars is the lack of heroes and henchmen. It is quite feasible to wander around on your own or to team up with people in a more organised fashion but even those in a party don’t have to be in the exact same spot and with the vast areas available, it is easy to come and go as you please, as long as you’re considerate of the party’s goals!

It’s good to see people around the game outside of towns and outposts. It took some getting used to, but it gives the game a more real feel to it. GW1 was about socialising in outposts and guild halls but in GW2, that element is removed and the whole world becomes a social encounter. Random world events draw random strangers together in a PUG-like fashion but without having to commit yourself to an entire mission or area. The freedom almost encourages more cooperation. Throughout both BWEs, I have seen very little in terms of flaming or trolling. This might, and probably will change come release but it’s encouraging to see at the moment.

I haven’t spent too much time looking at crafting skills yet, but from what I understand, GW2 requires materials and recipies to create new items to use, but only two types of crafting skill can be active at one time. You can still find items and weapons from events and combat but I’m guessing that this is not only a money maker but will have some of the stronger weapons available. Unique weapons, in whatever form they’ll take, I have absolutely no idea about. I’m hoping they have better looking skins and the collector’s value, just like the unique weapons in GW1.

Guild functions haven’t been too prominent so far in my gameplay experience so far. Considering the game is called “Guild Wars 2” this is a bit of a surprise but I’m hoping there are some surprises for the release. Influence gained from quests seem to have a role in unlocking things but the full extent of what these features are, I’m waiting to see. Any of the people in my guild who see this, may well educate me and cause a subsequent update or edit to this post but I’ll cross that bridge later. My guild is up and running and hopefully the official release of GW2 will bring an even bigger resurgence of the people I have been playing GW1 with for the last seven years.

The Auction House is an interesting addition. The idea of being able to buy or sell anything, anywhere in the game means you don’t have to be in an outpost like in the past. In theory, it also keeps chat channels free of people trying to sell or buy things and focus more on the social and gaming events going on. Granted, you have to go to a trading post to actually get the items, but that doesn’t seem like a bad trade off in the larger scale of how the world is set up.

Like many, many others, the Sylvari are a huge point of interest that we haven’t seen yet. Whether there will be another BWE before release where this race will be available to play or we’ll have to wait until release is unknown and the same question needs to be asked of the Asura. I have had a look at the Charr and the Norn but so far, the human areas and stories are appealing to me more. Perhaps I have a grudge against the Charr for their part in GW1 and as for the Norn…well, they’re big, brutish and usually drunk so I SHOULD be happy with them unless I’m seeing a reflection of myself in their environments. Hopefully, we will be able to make more than five characters when the game is released.

Overall, I’m very excited for the official release of GW2 and the additional bonuses to come from the Hall of Monuments from GW1 will still keep me playing right up until release. Any free time will be spent in Tyria for the foreseeable future on the games release and I’m looking forward to seeing all the rest of the features the game has to offer!

The RPG Genre

Sometimes I find myself thinking that offline RPG's are getting too easy and are just not the value for money they once were, especially since they're more expensive with every generation of console released! I won't pretend I'm not biased - I'm a Playstation guy. I had the PSOne, PS2 and now the PS3, as well as currently owning a PSP. The original Xbox controller didn't sit well with me, it felt awkward and it was heavy! I could've used them as weightlifting tools. However, while they got better for the Xbox360, I still wasn't sold. That, however, is a discussion for another day.

My favourite RPG series is the Final Fantasy series by Square Enix (or at the time, Squaresoft). The stories were long and extensive, keeping me interested even if I deviated from the main story plot. FFVII and FFVIII are probably my favourite games of the series. Three and four discs respectively, there was so much going on in that world that by the time I had done it all and completed the game, I had no problems with going back to the start and playing it again, changing my choices to unlock new things. Add to that that each game had new characters and gameplay features; it stopped them from being boring when the next one came along.

Even now, two consoles and many years later, I find these games to be much more of a challenge than their more recent counterparts. FFXIII and FXIII-2 are both good games in their own rights but I can't help feeling like the longevity isn't there anymore.

FFXIII is almost a completely linear game. You will follow the story and the maps give you almost no choice in that. When you reach a later point in the game, you can deviate a little but such is the level differences that any journey will require a lot of grinding and effort. After the game, you can return and complete what you missed, which is fine but that then makes restarting the game defunct, except to experience the very linear story again, and even that wasn't a great story in my opinion.

FFXIII-2 is the second attempt at a sequel to a Final Fantasy game, the first being FFX-2 (which I'm currently pretending did not happen). It takes almost the opposite approach and goes for a game that almost encourages non-linear play. It's almost as if Square Enix can't make up their minds as to where the balance lies in this respect and have gone from one extreme to the other. Continuity is there though, with a very similar battle and gameplay system and the same characters but it's the freedom to do what I want, when I want, how I want and to change it whenever I want that appeals more to me than FFXIII.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, is probably one of the best games I've played offline even if it's not my favourite. Its predecessor, Oblivion, was also very non-linear and I found it hard to even find the story arc. It was supposed to be a free roaming RPG and it was, but very daunting. Skyrim rectified that problem and started you down the story and gave you the basics of how to play before letting you decide what to do – and there is so much to do! I’d be lying if I said it was so vast that it was impossible to complete but it is, and again, the story arc is relatively short in comparison to the size of the game.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is another game I really enjoyed but again, found it very short. Once the story was finished – that’s it! There’s nothing else except to go back through the game and do it again, differently. That’s fine, but while I got the game towards the latter end of 2011, it’s now been over six months since then and I still have little interest to play it again. I give it points for being vivid enough to remember, but it loses those and more by not inspiring me to play again.

It seems that graphics are becoming more and more important to game designers as opposed to story, difficulty, content and gameplay. I’m still drawn back to games such as FFVII and FFVIII, despite their graphics being a lot less advanced because the games are more enjoyable to play opposed to looking at. Further to that, even earlier games such as FFVI using 2D sprite images still have a strong appeal – they’re harder to play and that’s a lot more fun, at least to me.

The PS2 will always hold a special place in my heart because it seems to have found the best balance between gameplay and graphics. Games such as FFX or the Kingdom Hearts series looked good and played better. If I could rule the big companies in charge of these games, this is what I’d tell them to look at for inspiration.

I’ve not spoken about online RPG’s, two of the biggest examples being World of Warcraft and Guild Wars. I’ve been a GW fan and player for almost seven years (partly because I can’t afford to pay a monthly fee for that long at the moment) and there were things about WoW that didn’t engage with me but one thing for online RPG’s is the constant updating of content and gameplay to keep their audiences interested. Of course, overcrowding can detract from story arcs onto the people and that’s not for everyone but on the other hand, not enough players can make it hard to do certain things in the game. I enjoy online gaming but you have to pick your time, whereas you don’t with offline or console gaming.

Then again, with Guild Wars 2 and the new WoW content coming over the summer, a fresh surge will be introduced into both audiences and it will be interesting to see what each side has come up with to beat the other!