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Archive for the ‘Featured’ Category
Evolved Gaming Episode 78: “Short and Sweet…”
Final Fantasy XIII Review (X360/PS3)
The Final Fantasy franchise was always the staple barometer to the J-RPG genre, and with a couple of years of wait, can FF13 be the one to grab others? almost.
*Disclaimer*
Reviewing this game was to see if a non J-RPG fan would like the genre or the FF series specifically, the knowledge or lack of terms are foreseeable, so be aware that this review was done without having any experience with J-RPG’s or with any FF game. The game was reviewed with playing fully on the FIRST DVD and a small amount of gaming on the SECOND DVD on the 360 version, tha main rason i did not passed beyond that, is because i was stuck on a boss, even with help, and for that the game can take a good or a bad turn in any aspect, but this is my view of it from what i played, take that with a grain of salt.
Presentation:
Saving Cocoon, that is the primary goal from all characters to the universe, and while the regular people did not see a Pulse in the eyes before, things are about to change, this is an epic tale of couple of characters that had nothing in common before, but now they are at one to save Cocoon and to fulfill their destiny.
Stunning cut-scenes with fantastic lighting and detail, beautiful In-Game environments with plenty variety, character models look good, but not great, some of the enemy design is quite flat and blend, but for the most part, FF13 have a lot to sell, great story with nice plot twists and turns, with pretty substantial character development with some great dialogues, sadly, its inconsistent with its set-pieces, while most characters are intriguing, some are just boring, and while some of it works on the narrative side, gameplay wish, its just plain. A big part of the game is the linear style game with directed fighting sequences, and while it could be fun, the structure and the design could have been a lot better. Clear menus with plenty to upgrade and discover can be good for the ones that are not familiar with the lore or the basics of the combat mechanics.
Visuals:
Most areas look really impressive, but some look rough and un-inspired, but for the most part, the game look gorgeous with nice environmental detail that is clear to the eye, most enemies design is not really appealing, but at least the cut-scenes makes up for it for the grander moments of the game, going between flashbacks, real time and basically an overview of the plot is nice visually, since most of it look great, some minor hick-ups regarding the frame rate, but it is not crucial by any means.
Sound:
Somewhat fitting music at points, but overall im not a big fan of the music, some parts are just plain weird to the setting you are in, and some are just annoying regardless, and even though the effects are pretty awesome in-game and cut-scene wise, its not enough. The voice-overs in the game can be a hit or miss, some of it is related to the script, but there is a big problem with some of the characters, especially when the game goes to a more emotional level, plus side characters sounds awful with really bad accents that does not fit at all to the setting.
Gameplay:
As a semi turn based RPG, the game can take from 10 second to 15 minutes, depending on your skills, party members and tactics, and obviously on the enemy that is in front of you, while it may seem easy at first (i would say it was easy for the first two hours) the game picks up after a certain point, but even with that, someone like me who never had experience with these games, it was manageable to get the hang of the different classes, abilities and pre-made tactics.
Upgrading and purchasing weapons, potions and accessories can be done via a simple yet effective portal, which also work for saving the game, and it is placed at the right area, mostly after a big fighting sequence or a few small encounters, giving someone like me, a compulsive saver, a good place to make a mistake and try again, even though the game have a tendency to checkpoint right before a cut-scene instead of after, which is weird, but i can attest that the game is more friendly at the combat, at least for a while, after browsing through the different skill trees that you can evolve, i found myself upgrading minor yet effective skills that i didn’t even know i can upgrade, and perhaps it is just me, but i find it abit complicated to know what to upgrade or what is the right direction to go with the skill tree. Upgrading weapons and accessories almost essential for getting a substantial EXP boosts and rewards, which leads me to a small yet problematic situation the game, at parts you can use differnt shrouds to avoid or to use stealth of some sort to pass along enemies, but the structure of the main areas and side ares for rewards pickups can be deceiving, granted, there is a risk and reward situation for getting extra items with fighting, but it misses the point of the spell if there is no possibility to advance without having that fight done.
Linearity can be a problem, and even though i have no reference to something else, it is a massive problem because the structure of the fights and missions design is flawed, adding repetitive encounters to the area you are in, with the same weaknesses for the enemies can be a big grind for almost no rewards, and it is mandatory. Part of the problem is the un-appealing characters that you have to play with, even though they are great for the narrative, their weapons or skills are just weak and boring to use, and with the almost mandatory party members that the game throw at you, it could be frustrating, especially when it become hard for no apparent reason, even if it works on the narrative side.
The big and most challenging part of the game is the need to use tactics with the party members you have, if any, being a medic and assigning a commando party member can help with some, but can be slow or un-effective with other, finding the balance between what to trigger a stunned enemy and loosing health can be a problem at later levels, but once you are set with the main role for each party member you have and trying to evolve their skills with that mindset, could help quite a lot.
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
Fascinating story with some good character development, even if it is not perfect, it is surprisingly appealing.
Stunning visuals with hick ups, mainly the cut-scenes that are really impressive.
Easy to learn- hard to master fighting mechanics, it can be deep, but it can also be quite flat for the unfamiliar gamer.
Using different tactics and use age of different skills from the party members can be a crucial yet a fun thing to experiment.
Cons:
Facial animations\expressions can be quite rough, there isnt a lot of detail to it aswell, and it shows in the emotional parts that game have.
Lackluster music and twitchy voice overs.
Linearity can be a problem, not a big one, but it does exist.
Character motivations and acting could have been better, mainly the side\smaller ones.
In-game characters and enemies are lacking detail.
Battle ending statistics are annoying.
Structure to the fights and some of the main missions can be a problem for some.
Brutal boss battles at points, even if there is a way to scan the boss weakness, executing it can be quite hard.
Scoring:
Presentation:
9 Great story with mostly interesting characters, the banter is good.
Visuals:
8.8 Stunning cut-scenes and some amazing looking environments are being deluded with some roughness with character detail and animations.
Sound:
8.5 While most of the voice overs are solid, unfitting music can be a big downer.
Gameplay:
8 I like the battles and i really enjoy the tactics, but the structure and design of the game can be a big problem.
Replay Value:
9 This is a big big game, not sure if there will be a need for a second run, but I’m sure one run will do it.
Conclusion:
Final Fantasy XIII is a great game with flaws, for me, the inexperienced J-RPG player, the flaws are not necessarily a problem with the genre or the series, but at points i can see why people would love it, but at other points, i can see them seeing it like i did, where it was a bit stretched at points, but for the most part, FF13 is a great experience, if not for the gameplay, its for the narrative, which is weird for me to say, since i don’t have any interest in J-RPG’s or the FF series in general.
Final Score:
8
Rage Quit Radio Vidcast Ep. 33
We be back again! This week we have a full house and some passerby’s. Disorganized as always, but still here to talk about Army of Two: The 40th Day, Borderlands, Star Ocean 4, and Lunar Silver Star Harmony. We also mention/discuss our favorite villian in games. As always, you can watch us live every Monday, Friday, and Saturday nights right here: www.justin.tv/frusratedfury
Divided into 3 parts:
Watch live video from Rage Quit Radio on Justin.tv
Resident Evil 5: Lost in Nightmares DLC Review
If you are a Resident Evil fan then you’ve probably already picked this DLC up and played though it. If any of Evolved Gaming’s Staff Writer’s owned a PlayStation 3 version of Resident Evil 5 then a review of it’s DLC would have been more timely. But as it turns out Drew, @FrustratedFury, is the only one with a copy and its on the Xbox 360. Therefore as we a community website we turned to the community to find a gamer that still owns Resident Evil 5 on the PlayStation and is willing to still play it. Now we did have to go all the way to Peurto Rico to find said gamer but @HECV stepped up and helped out with the following “Guest Review” of the fist Resident Evil 5 DLC “Lost in Nightmares”. Stay tuned for his review of the second RE5 DLC “Desperate Escape” in the coming days.
Also if you didn’t know the Resident Evil 5 “Gold Edition” is being released this coming Tuesday, March 9th, 2010. On the PlayStation Blu-Ray both DLC episodes will be included. The Xbox 360 edition will contain Voucher Codes for the DLC. Now on to the review.
Resident Evil 5: Lost in Nightmares Review
By Hernán E ColónThis DLC takes place in Ozwell E. Spencer estate, one of the key founder’s of Umbrella. Resident Evil fans will notice how familiar the place looks. Doors will open slowly in first person view and you can examine the main door three times to enable the classic camera mode; and there are more references to the classic Resident Evil throughout.
The atmosphere is just as creepy and tense as classic Resident Evil games. The only new bits of story are found in diaries and most of the cut scenes are the complete flashbacks you see in the main game. The new enemy is called Guardian of Insanity and is very powerful!, but walks slow because of a huge anchor that it carries. Throughout this chapter you will find different types of weapons depending on the difficulty you play and the Guardians will show up in different places randomly which adds a bit of replay value. There are a total of 18 hidden stars to find but only help on your final score for the leaderboards.
It took me 1:37 to finish it on my first try. One thing to note is that there is no saving system and that means you will need to finish this DLC in one sitting. A total of 5 new achievements/trophies to collect. You also get to play as Barry Burton and Excella Gionne on the Mercenaries mini-game.
If you’re looking for more Resident Evil 5 or want an excuse to come back, this DLC is a good chance to do so. For 400 Microsoft Point or $5 on the PSN I’d say this DLC is worth a try.
Well there you have it. DLC that is actually worth picking up! Let us know what you think of the Lost in Nightmares Episode in the comments below and look for a review of the second DLC Episode Desperate Escape in the next few days.
A big thanks from everyone here at Evolved Gaming to Hernán for doing a review and for Capcom for providing a review voucher token.
Evolved Gaming Podcast Episode 77: “Heavy Rain…(spoilers)”
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This is Evolved Gaming Episode 77!
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Rage Quit Radio Vidcast Ep. 32
We’re back after a two week break…and we’re back on JustinTV…yes we know we said we were done with JTV, but Ustream just didn’t have the viewers that we needed. Anyway, here’s what we talk about this week: Heavy Rain, Army of Two: The 40th Day, Star Ocean: The Last Hope and many more. Plus, we have an in depth disscussion/rant on fanboyism and defending a console for no good reason. It’s actually a nice watch. As always, you can watch us live every Monday, Friday, and Saturday nights right here: www.justin.tv/frustratedfury
Heavy Rain Impressions by @Cory_Grimes & @FrustratedFury
Today we have both Cory Grimes and Drew “FrustratedFury” giving their impressions of the PS3 exclusive Heavy Rain. This noir crime drama is brought to us by Quantic Dreams, developers of Indigo Prophecy. This is more an interactive story then a game. Told through the lives of four people; their actions all trying to answer the question: ‘How far would you go to save someone you love?’
First we have Cory Grime’s impressions:
Heavy Rain is a game that should be experienced by anyone who is a fan of games. It shows how completely different from the norm a game can be and be brilliant at the same time.
The gameplay is similar to that of Quantic Dream’s previous title Indigo Prophecy – using the controller in ways to complete motions, but is done much better than it was in Indigo Prophecy. The things you do with the joysticks range from the mundane – like shaving or setting a table, to the intense – like a car chase or a fight. The gameplay may be hard to comprehend at the beginning, but soon becomes easy and intuitive. This gameplay is innovative and could totally be a new wave in gaming, to be used in games of the future.
The plot is complex and reminiscent of the Saw films, only good. In the game, you are tested to see how far you are willing to go to save someone you love. Each character in the game has a different story, and their stories often intertwine. The story has a branching narrative based on what you do, so each playthrough could have a different outcome based on your actions. The story is also gripping, and you can bet to experience a ton of different emotions to the game.
The characters are fully developed and seem real, unlike stereotypical video game characters. Each character’s story is interesting and different in its own way.
The graphics are mind blowing and showcase what the PS3 is capable of; not only in cutscenes but in gameplay as well. There are several jaw dropping moments caused by the graphics.
I think Heavy Rain is possibly one of the best games ever made. It is new and innovative in a time where gamers are given sequels and mediocre titles. It is definitely my game of the year and I doubt it will be topped. If you own a PS3, you must own this game!
and now Drew’s “FrustratedFury” impressions of Heavy Rain
So, I sit down with a Dual Shock 3 controller in hand. I have an audience with me consisting of Rage Quit Radio’s Joel and Alan (and special guest, Montay.) After the origami folding installation process, we begin. Right away, I’m hooked. What I didn’t know was that my viewers were hooked as well. It felt like we were in a movie theater watching the newest summer blockbuster. The crazy thing is that the things I were doing were everyday mundane things: taking a shower, drinking some OJ, setting out dinner plates. That’s how powerful Heavy Rain really is! Anyone in the room will be glued to the screen to see what happens next.
Then, after brief introduction to all the characters, the real drama begins.
Heavy Rain will keep you guessing the entire time you’re playing. At one time, I thought everyone could possibly be the Origami Killer. The story telling is so top notch I actually started to feel emotional for some of the more tragic characters. Everything from button presses to moving the controller in a direction makes you feel like you’re trying to do it will all you might just to get the point across. Knowing that your characters can die at any moment really does put you in distress mode. There were many times I shouted out loud, as well as my audience, when a close call happened.The tone is very impactful as well, you really feel depressed during the beginning of the game due to what the main characters are experiencing. You really feel flustered and panicky during one of the moments where your character could die. This is all conveyed through the music, dialog, and settings. Even the button responses that flash up on the screen get shaky and blurry during stressful moments. The developers know how to keep you entranced in the game and story.
Honestly, if you have friends who don’t play games you should have them at least watch this game. Both Joel and Montay agreed that watching was more of an experience than playing it; and I couldn’t agree more. I haven’t finished the game as of yet but I can safely say the hunt for the Origami Killer is one NO ONE should have to miss.
Well there you have it. Possible the “best game(s) ever made” and if you’re not a gamer just watching someone else play Heavy Rain may make you one quickly.
Are you picking up Heavy Rain and going after the Origami Killer? How far would you go for someone you loved? Let us know your experience with Heavy Rain in the comments below; and Happy Hunting!
MLB 2K10 Developer Conference Call Audio
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We here at Evolved Gaming had the pleasure of participating in a conference call with some of the developers working on MLB 2K10. MLB 2K10 is set to release on 3/2/10. Take a listen and look at the screens below to help make up your mind if this is the baseball title for you to pickup this year!
On the call were: Read the rest of this entry »
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Evolved Gaming Podcast Episode 76: “Bring the Amba Lamps…”
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This is Evolved Gaming Episode 76!
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Upcoming MLB 2K10 Developer Call Thursday 2/25 2PM – 3PM PT
Again we here at Evolved Gaming have had the pleasure of being invited to a developer conference call next Thursday, 2/25 from 2PM – 3PM PT.
This time for the upcoming 10th Anniversary of 2K’s MLB 2K10. 2K took a huge leap forward with MLB games in 2008 with the addition of using the joystick’s to control most actions. While it was a step forward it needed a little work to perfect. MLB 2K9 was actually a step back in these controls as they never seemed to work correctly. Now cover athlete Evan Longoria takes a big risk putting his name and image on the next installment of MLB 2K. Will it be the MLB game that we all want? Only time will tell.
If you have a question that you would like to have answered by the developer’s of MLB 2K10 leave it in the comments below or email us here at MLB2K10@evolvedgaming.net and we will get it answered during the call. Like with the Bioshock 2 Developer Call EG will also do our best to stream the live conference call on our Ustream channel here. Please join us for a real time discussion of the upcoming MLB 2K10 next Thursday, 2/25 from 2PM – 3PM PT.
This is Evolved Gaming Episode 78!
Evolved Gaming Episode 78: “Short and Sweet…” -->
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