Oh my, how the time has passed -- Oldies, but Goodies.

Sweet merciful crap, it's been a long time since my last post. University sucks if you plan on doing well and doing other things simultaneously. And so, since it is still in session, I don't have time to do any reviews of late. BUT! I did do a couple of reviews years ago and posted them on Gamespot, so I've decided to post them here to break up the masive time gap (that being said, I haven't stolen from XxDeadeyesxX, that's me). The reviews are of old games, so just read them for the nostalgiagasm. Reviews of new games will be up around May. Enjoy!



The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time -- Say Hello to My Little Fairy.

How can you describe a game that practically defined it's time? Game of the year in '97 and a benchmark for many of our childhoods.

There's so many great things about this game, a lot of which you really have experience yourself to get the full effect. Music that is rivaled by few, the composed melodies entrusted to you and your ocarina has a wide range of styles and scale. Beautiful sceneries (amazing for the technology of the time, even if it were a PlayStation game) brought Hyrule to life in the epic adventure of Link, a fairy boy form the Kokiri Forest who has been summoned by the Great Deku Tree, the gaurdian of the Forest.

After liberating the deity of the evils that lurked within him, he reveals Link's destiny, which is to save Hyrule from a great danger in the form of Ganondorf, the King of Thieves (and later Evil). Link sets out for the castle to meet Zelda, the princess of Hyrule, who tells him of the ancient treasure of the land. The Triforce, that which has the power to grant the one who touches it the world. She tells you that you must protect it from Ganondorf at all cost. After you collect the remaining two Spiritual Stones, one from the Gorons of Death Mountain and one from the Zora race in their underwater domain, you return to the palace only to find that Ganondorf's attack has begun, and Zelda has fled the castle with her attendant.

Using the stones, you open the door of time and are transported seven years into the future when Ganondorf's reign has turned the world into a festering tomb of evil. Only by awakening the Sages that await in the scattered temples of Hyrule can you hope to contain him and heal the world.

You travel throughout the land, seeing familiar faces along the way, purging the temples of the evils that block the call to the Chamber of Sages, and returing the land to what it once was.

Once all of the Sages have been awakened, Link returns to the Temple of Time where the rest of the story is revealed, as is Shiek's true identity as Princess Zelda. Zelda grants you the light arrows which staunch the darkness that has chased away the light of Hyrule. Zelda is then teleported to Ganondorf's castle and the challenge is offered; brave the keep to save the damsel. The Sages bind thier powers together and make a bridge that leads to Ganondorf's fortress.

Once the trials are passed, the way to the evil king is open. After a grueling battle and Zelda is freed, you are given three minutes to escape while the stone walls collapse around you. Upon exit, Ganondorf rises from the remains of his "impeneterable" castle and is consumed by his own evil. He becomes the monster Ganon, and the final battle ensues.

After finishing off the former king, the Sages seal Ganon in the Sacred Realm and peace is restored to Hyrule. Zelda returns Link to his time and, with their task complete, Navi returns to the forest. Link however, retuns to Zelda's side, and the rest is up to your imagination. Criers play at your own risk, as the end will choke you up.

Graphics
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Wow. How else could it be put?. Yea, Majora's Mask was a tad crisper but for 1997 this was the pinicle of art given the technology they had to work with. The character models (ignoring some sharp corners in the nose and ear areas) are amazing and were brought to life with good facial expression, along with some superb and fluid animation that gave them a great sense of free movement. The landscape is beautifly crafted (again, ignoring some sharp edges) and really gives the player a sense of exploration when faced with the vastness of Hyrule Field, or the complexity of the many temples and dungeons. Both the characters and thier world have great color and depth, almost to the point of A Link to the Past on the SNES, and are pushed even further with the lighting effects to create the realistic shadows and highlights that would be perfected in Majora's Mask.

Sound
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This was the first game I ever had where I wanted to enjoy the music outside of gameplay, learning how to play the ocarina songs on my guitar and nowadays having a few on my iPod. The tunes are amazing, from the quirky ocarina notes that endlessly loop in the Lost Wood to the eerie tones of the Shadow Temple. The music in any game I believe has the power to suck you in completely to the experience, and this one definately delivers that. From the second you begin the game with the thunder booming and string section wailing as the Deku Tree sends Navi to you, to the end with the string section wailing a much lighter tune as Link accends the stairs to Zelda's side, you can't help but be drawn in. Each area has it's own specialized track to create a unique atmosphere which you can't help but love as it keeps things from getting stale, and your brain from exploding from a 20 second looping MIDI track that many older games cling to and run from start to finish. My favourite bits of music have to be the fully orchestrated songs that serve as warps to the game's temples, they're beautiful and fit the area they send you to perfectly.

Gameplay
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This game handles wonderfully on a system notorious for bad handling, which alone should garner some praise. It makes use of all of the main buttons and does so in a manner which allows for some comfort which is unhead of on the N64 controller. You can run, roll, and dodge enemies from the get go with little practise and the best part is that Link will actually do these things when and where you tell him. He turns on a more of a quarter than a dime while still maintaining the fluid animation I grovelled over earlier. The auto-targeting is intuitive and allows you to choose and change targets with ease and makes the already awsome free roaming combat a lot easier, especially when using the ranged weapons. It also allows you to pull off the jump slash move which is more powerful than your standard swing, while also getting you out of the way of a cold death in the form of whatever you may be fighting's attack. The only thing I could complain about is the difficulty of riding Epona while also attempting to work the bow that are somehow trying to share a control scheme (and I REALLY wanted that extra bottle...).

Replayability
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There's really no REASON to play the game again, as the plot is linear and there's no unlockables after the game's done but really, how could you not? This is one of those games where you'll get an urge to go back and play it every once in a while, even if its just for a few minutes (or so you tell yourself) and then end up spending a week doing nothing but. It's definately better than 90% of the stuff one the N64 so unless you have a really good 10% game on the sidelines patiently waiting for thier turn you'l end up drifting back towards it sooner or later.

Fun Factor
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So much. Sooooooo much fun. Hard at times yes, and frustrating as well, but still undeniably fun. Even if you dont bother progressing, you can go blow all your hard earned rupees at the mini-games, or go fishing, or just wait until the sun goes down and hack away at some zombies. Whatever you choose to do, you'l have a good time doing it.



Wild Arms 3 -- The Last Great Western

Wild Arms 3 is a western style turn based RPG set in Filgaia, an alternate world that, due to a war between the demons and the demi-humans, has been reduced to a barren wasteland. People who wish to find thier fortune amongst the dunes (referred to as Drifters), venture out and make money where and when they can, be it eradicating monsters or plundering the local ruins. The game focuses on four such drifters as thier adventure takes them down a long road of bitter truths regarding thier pasts and eventually pits them against a demon that plans on reducing the planet to a memoryless state.

Graphics
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The graphics in this game are a massive step up from the first two and the artwork very nicely accommodates the feel of the game. That being said, some of the monsters are beautifully crafted and colorful to boot. This makes up for the slightly static environment in most areas (although some are VERY detailed). The cutscenes in the game flow very smoothly and although aren't vocalized, usually don't contain THAT much reading (as RPGs go). Another things that stands out in the game are the Guardian Summon attacks which are the closest thing that comes to HD. The color and lighting effects go beyond the boundaries of the franchise and are a nice addition to the massive damage inflicted.

Sound
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My favourite part of this entire series is the music. No fancy pants orchestra required, just acoustic guitar and a flute or trumpet thrown in here and there to spice things up. As mentioned above, there aren't any character voices in the game but I feel that they would just get in the way of enjoying the melody of tunes (besides, if you don't like reading cutscenes the RPGs probably aren't for you anyways right?). Again, a big step up from the previous titles, the music is not to be missed.

Gameplay
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I wouldn't change a thing about this game in terms of playability. It handles great while running around the map, allowing you to run and slide around corners pretty precisely, but the in-battle section is where this one really shines. The pace and execution of the battles are impeccable, being quick enough that you won't be bored while the turns play out, but slow enough so that you can take your time and realize what has to happen next to assure victory. The in-battle menu is easy to follow, with a help bar across the top of the screen in case you get confused. The puzzles in the game range from fairly obvious to very challenging, some of which may confuse and frustrate those new to the genre. The tool system (items used by each character to solve said puzzles) makes the game fun while just wandering through dungeons and adds a new level of creativity to how certain things can be attained.

Re-playability
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I take it back. This is my favourite part of this game, because if you love it as much as I do, this lets you show that. In the game are very special (and hard to acquire) items called EX-File Keys. There are 15 total and by earning a mere 2 of them, you can start a new game with your existing level and money after the end. This allows you to get stronger and stronger in order to face the extremely tough hidden bosses which would be near impossible to beat on the first playthrough. Take it from me, it takes a while to get old. I've beaten the game close to 12 times on one progress and have attained level 100 with all four people (you'll need to be 75+ to stand a chance against some of the special bosses). On top of all that, you probably won't understand the story 100% the first go anyway so this gives you a chance to see it from the beginning knowing what you would from beating it.

Fun Factor
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Needless to say, this game is a lot of fun once you get into it. It's a little slow within the first few hours, but really picks up once the story starts to unfold. It's a must play for any RPG fan.



Grandia 2 -- Hooray For Mediocredy!

The story of the game is quite in-depth and in some parts you really need to pay attention to figure out whats going on but it is worth it. Similar to, well, every other RPG out there, theres a hero, bad guys, and a BIG bad guy that bosses um around. You as the hero are destined to hurt said baddies and rejoice with the peasants. The plot centers around a religion and its counter religion which your hero seems to think are both bull. The only thing (although it's a big thing) is that the story kinda comes apart at the end....like really apart. A very anti-climatic ending follows the final boss, leaving you feeling like the game has just spit on you.

Graphics
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Mediocre. Grandia has never been known for it's stunning visuals but the character models in this one are lack-lustre at best. Not only are the graphics not very good but the game seems to be having trouble rendering then anyways. It's a good thing that your character is fast because you lag A LOT and you will constantly find yourself going at about half speed just so the game can keep up. The game also has some texture issues while in battle, meaning that from time to time some of your characters will have reverted back to their polygonal state and have no color whatsoever.


Sound
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Again...meh. The sound and music are ok and fit the mood every now and then but it's nothing to go nuts over. Some of the cutscenes have poor voice acting and then some have none, and even when there are voice, you really can't feel it. They never really sound like they're in the situation (ie: quite calm dialogue in crisis) and it tends to come off a little fake.


Gameplay
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The only real saving grace of this game is it's battle and growth systems. The battle system is based on a time bar at the bottom with portraits of all your characters and whatever you may be facing. They all move at once and when the portrait gets to a certain point, it can go. Certain factors effect the speed of the portraits, and of the moves you execute from them. The growth system is by far the best part of the game. At the end of each battle you get EXP to level up normally, but you also get separate points to level up your skills and magic. So if you want one uber strong character, go for it, if not, even um out. This option really adds a lot of flexibility and replayability to an otherwise linear game. Then there one thing that I didn't count on after playing Grandia 3, which was the difficulty. This has to be the easiest RPG I've ever played in my life. During the entire game I died TWICE, both to the same guy who turns out to be like the hardest guy in the game and the last boss also hit me TWICE, I'm dead serious. That however makes this a good beginners RPG. I would recommend this game for anyone looking to get into the genre without overdoing it on the first game.


Replayability
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Not much. Once the story is revealed there isn't much drive in this one. You can try and play through again allocating your points differently but it really wont make that much of a difference as you get so many points that by the end everythings maxed out anyway. This ones definately a once playthrough.


Fun Factor
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I had a good time playing this game. The difficulty could have been adjusted and it could have been a little more eye catching but other than that it was fun. The only thing that I HATED was the lag. The lag even in simple towns was frustrating beyond belief and it even lagged through cutscenes which I didn't even know was possible since it's a pre-determined event. If you don't mind that, you could stand to have some fun with Grandia 2.



Diablo 2 -- Click, Click, Click...

A genre-defining hack and slash deathfest that has kept me going long into many nights, Diablo 2 evolves and overshadows its dungeon-crawling predecessor. The game stars you, the new hero who thinks their gonna slay the many, many (many) beasts and bring happiness to everybody…minus the beasts. You start off in the rogue encampment with a rabble of people who seem to know much more than you of the dangers that lay ahead and none of whom seem to want to do anything about it. So it's up to you, the seemingly much more powerful level 1, to dispatch Diablo's minions and finally the keeper of the Chaos Sanctuary. After the grassy fields of the chapter 1 are stained with the blood of the fallen, you journey through a dessert, the Kurast jungle, and finally Hell itself. The expansion pack takes you to the snowy mountain aside the town of Harrogath, and into the depths of the mountain to the Worldstone Keep, where Baal, Diablo's brother, seeks to destroy the Worldstone. Breaking the Worldstone would allow the depths of Hell and its creatures to spill forth into Earth.

I'll admit, the story in Diablo 2 is thin, and really who cares? The story isn't the reason why you play this game. To tell the truth, I skipped all the cutscenes and half the dialogue. If you play D2 you play because you enjoy the sight of legions of monsters getting incinerated at the click of a button or the sound of your axe slicing through the bones of the undead. The game is about killing and arranging all the stuff you pick up in the limited space provided, so if you're a Tetris fan who always thought the blocks would look better covered in blood and guts then you're in for a treat.


Graphics
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For it's time, the graphics in D2 are great, and the expansion pack only helps with the 5th chapter scenery and the 800x600 resolution. The environments get gradually better as the game goes on, ranging from semi-bland grassy area to grimy black land accented by blazing (and most of the time blinding) red/orange lava in Hell. The characters are all unique, although they all start to look similar once the armour goes on them. The stronger armour makes your character look better, but that being said each armour doesn't have a distinct look, which is a little disappointing given the pictorial representation of each item in your inventory. All the items look so much better before you put them on, which is a let down when a stock weapon has curves, jewels, or spikes once you get to the equip screen. The only character who's skills look really good in my opinion are the sorceresses, because hers show off the best visual aspects the game has to offer, which are the flame and lightning effects. The fire in D2 is quite realistic, but the lightning is beautiful. It streaks across the screen like a drunk sports fan and lights the area it travels to, revealing enemies who aren't struck by it's fury. The monsters in the game are creative (especially in the later chapters) but get repetitive, as there are only a few types that just get rendered in different colours to distinguish them from their weaker counterparts. What I really enjoyed (while not panicking from having to face them) were the bosses. Each chapter has a boss that goes with its environment (except for the third which is kind of random), and each has a variety of attacks that will a) impress you as they are different from anything you've seen in game and b) dig you an early grave, but lets save overpowered boss attacks for the gameplay section.


Sound
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The sound in D2 is forgettable, to the point that I have the sound turned off and my iTunes on in the background. But if you are going to listen to it, you are treated to a lot of death noises and monologues from your character which don't really tell you anything you didn't know already. Likewise, the skill sound effects are unimpressive. The only one I really liked is the Barbarians Whirlwind, which sounded like Crash Bandicoot when he spins, so it brought back some nostalgia for me. The only thing I would advise turning the sound on for is to hear Cain's Sean Connery impression, which after one or two sentences you realise is (unfortunately) his actual voice.


Gameplay
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Gameplay in D2 consists of killing, picking up stuff from the recently deceased, and dropping things to make room for more stuff. Almost any kill will net you a drop, most of which is equipment. This prompts the question, "If the zombie I just sliced in two had a plate armour, why wasn't he wearing it? It may have prevented the whole sliced in two thing…" The space they give you to manage all of this stuff is VERY limited, and you will constantly find yourself with no space left and in dire need to return to town while in the thick of combat. As you can imagine, this gets annoying within the first hour and doesn't stop throughout the rest of the game. You shouldn't however let that stop you, as the good outweighs that bad. The killing part of the game can be executed quite easily, or excruciatingly bad depending on how you build your character. Each character has their own set of skills; some good, some not so good, and some that to this day have never really been known to have a use. As much as you can mess your character up by using the wrong skills (and this happens easily), your character can be made or broken by their equipment (which is why the aforementioned space issue is such a problem; how do you find better equipment if you can't pick anything up?).

Controlling your character is easy. Point. Click. Done. If you don't like to click or have a faulty mouse then stay far away from this game as it will cause nightmares. You click to do EVERYTHING. Move, attack, pick up, drop, buy, and sell, all controlled by the little gauntlet that hovers over you at all times. The only thing not mouse controlled are the potions (which can be mouse controlled but when you're dying and in desperate need to either run or kill the disgruntled lackey attacking you then it's rarely an option). That's another thing to be wary of, make friends with the potion merchant. You will go through potions like you've just bought a years supply and they expire tomorrow.

One thing I really don't like about the game and something that I believe takes away from its accessibility is its difficulty curve. It starts off a few steps short of dull with minimal resistance from what you'd prefer dead and for the first couple hours inclines nicely. The enemies get a little harder and start to come in bigger groups and all the while you've been running around and eating your spinach so now you're flying right through it. Then you hit a brick wall of enemies that are harder than the mini bosses you've been dealing with and are coming at you in swarms. This would have been fine if there had been any middle ground at all to speak of but there isn't. One minute you're enjoying the bloody gurgles of your most recent kill and the next you're fleeing for your life from the exact same thing you just killed only in blue instead of brown. If you do manage to make it past that wall and go on to the nightmare difficulty then you are faced with another, which sports a few more bricks and a lot more cement. This is however still do able, and with enough senseless violence you can overcome. Unfortunately, once you beat the game on nightmare and start over on hell, the wall becomes a mountain and the difficulty curve pitches vertical.


Re-Playability
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High. You can play this game a lot and still only scratch the surface. Each character can be built multiple ways and because the map is randomly generated each play is unique. Not only that, but the loot you get each time is going to be different, and will allow you to evolve your strategy differently. This game's life is as long as your mouse cares to last before right click becomes a 50/50 deal and left click is a pipedream.


Fun Factor
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This game is a lot of fun. There's multiple ways to ruin your foes' day and each one entertaining, even when performed a million times. If you're looking for something to play for a half hour or something to blow your weekend on, this game has a good time to offer.



PHEW, that was a lot of copy-paste on my part. The things I do for you. New game reviews coming in May!!!