Anyone who knows anything about the gaming market these days can tell you that the Nintendo Wii is the unrefuted winner in this generation of gaming consoles so far, at least as far as sales go, having sold over 67 million units worldwide, compared to the 360’s 39 million and the PS3’s 33.5 million. The Wii’s motion control combined with some good casual games has allowed it to reach out to a whole new demographic of people that were never considered gamers. Many would argue they still can’t be called gamers, but that doesn’t change the fact that Nintendo struck a gold mine, and as such are raking it in big time. With the unfathomable amount of success the Wii has seen, Sony and Microsoft both decided they wanted a piece of that pie. Sony took a pretty straightforward approach, coming up with their not-so-cleverly named “PS3 Motion Sensor Controller”. It’s basically a stick like the Wiimote, but with a purple orb at the end that the Playstation EyeToy can track. Microsoft however took a much more ambitious approach. Entitled “Project Natal”, Microsofts motion sensor incarnation touts an entirely controller free gaming and entertainment experience. Not only that, but an unparalleled level of not just motion sensory, but the ability to sense just about anything else that goes on in front of that camera. Many people, unsurprisingly including Microsoft themselves, have called this the future of gaming. I thought I would give my thoughts on this claim, as well as the Natal itself
As of the writing of this post, the wait for Final Fantasy XIII has been whittled down to a mere 2 weeks. 14 days from now, the one game I have been looking forward to the most for almost 4 years now will finally grace my television screen. Needless to say I’m quite excited about that, but it also reminds me of a somewhat regrettable fact. See, I never actually beat Final Fantasy XII. I played the heck out of it (60+ hours), but I never beat it. I think back to when Final Fantasy XII was released, and I was quite excited about it, too. I bought the collector’s edition of the game, which came in a nifty metal case and included a bonus disc with interviews and whatnot, as well as a strategy guide and art book. I remember it came out on Halloween, and I was so excited to get playing yet had to hand out candy at the same time. I must have watched the opening cinematic half a dozen times before I saw the whole thing. I got into the game big time and played it constantly for a good while, but in the end I became rather disenchanted with it and ultimately put it up on the shelf where my save file still remains in the final dungeon. Like so many other games, Final Fantasy XII did a lot of things really well, but just couldn’t overcome what were in my mind fatal flaws. With the next game in the series so close to fruition, I thought I would take some time and examine what I think of Final Fantasy XII when I look back on it.
Heavy Rain is a game that has received a whole lot of buzz over the last few months. While it isn’t a traditional game by any means, it’s one of those games that are one in a million. It isn’t a game everyone is going to be excited about, and indeed it certainly won’t be a game everyone likes. I mentioned it briefly a little while ago when I discussed the merits of story vs. gameplay, but the abridged version is that Heavy Rain tries to be something of a cross between an interactive movie and a choose your own adventure book. It’s unique in that, this PS3 exclusive title puts the vast majority of it’s efforts into building a cast of characters with unparalleled emotions, as well as a deep, compelling story which unfolds differently based on your actions. The question is, does this make for an enjoyable video game? Well this Thursday just past saw the release of the Heavy Rain demo on the Playstation Network, and here is what I thought:
On December 8, 2009 patch 3.3 was released upon the World of Warcraft, allowing it’s inhabitants access to the final tier of raid progression in the “Wrath of the Lich King” expansion: Icecrown Citadel. On February 2, 2010 the final gate in Icecrown Citadel is opened, and within 24 hours the Lich King is dead. As of this writing, it is the week following the Lich King’s first death, and the top guilds in the world are taking down hard mode bosses left and right, only 2 bosses remaining unkilled thus far. More importantly though, the big boss of the expansion, the character after whom it is named, has fallen. The final tier of raid content has been released, it has been all but conquered, and the threat that prompted everyone to travel to the frozen north is no more. For that matter, the big baddy that everyone has been wondering about since Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne was released almost 7 years ago, is now out of the picture. Well, kinda. So the question now becomes, what next? What does this mean for the World of Warcraft, and what is looming around the corner?
Anyone who read my post about RPGs on the PS3 and/or follow me on twitter are well aware that White Knight Chronicles is a game that I have been pretty eager about for a while now. I’ve been craving a new traditional RPG, and the Dragon Quest games I’ve been playing aren’t exactly new. With Final Fantasy XIII a month away still, White Knight Chronicles serves as an excellent distraction until that time. Beyond that though, it is a game that I have been looking forward to on it’s own. White Knight Chronicles has been in the making almost as long as Final Fantasy XIII itself has, though it came out in Japan a year or so ago. Created by the masterful (and imo- under appreciated) minds at Level-5 inc. White Knight Chronicles finally came out in North America yesterday. Of course since it’s a JRPG not called Final Fantasy nobody cares and my local EB Games didn’t get a copy until today. None the less I’ve been playing it, and will continue to play it ravenously. It’s Wednesday night though, and so in order to avoid thinking I present my first impressions of White Knight Chronicles.
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