i see your SF and SFII tinman, and i raise you MK and MKII Mortal Kombat II-Genesis, SNES, etc. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w9U8GJvpzYo&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w9U8GJvpzYo&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> Pros: digitized genius ninjas fatalities Cons: blatant disregard for spelling juggling American made martial arts fighting game Final Comments: The cons weren't much of a problem when it came out because spelling was not important to teenagers, no one took advantage of juggling, and fighting in video games was all so primitive that nobody cared that the creators where pulling these moves strictly from Bloodsport and Enter the Dragon. If SF I/II was the Dr. J of fighting games, MK I/II is the MJ. People have attempted to immulate the style and swag of MK II but it will never be repeated.
Not saying that MK is bad, but SF2 beats it like a red-headed stepchild every single time. Now, say the same thing about Guilty Gear or King of Fighters, and I might listen.
How could i compare Street Fighter to King of Fighters? Isn't that like comparing the rockets to the west all-stars? i really can't disagree with this guy either, one of my all time favorite characters.
And I'll raise you: ... ... ... ...and I'll raise myself: Joe Higashi is EASILY my best character in any Capcom or SNK fighting game.
With the game going into the Greatest Hits collection and its sequel coming out soon, I figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to revisit Resistance: Resistance: Fall of Man FPS, PS3 <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1azn7bMKdvg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1azn7bMKdvg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> Pros -Decent Story, especially for a FPS -Great weapon, enemy and level design -Good length and replayability -Some impressive visuals, especially for a launch game Cons -Transitions between levels seem very strange and awkward -Soundtrack is average at best -Visuals can be very inconsistent -Story presentation could be much better and include more details Final Comments Resistance showed many early PS3 adopters exactly what next-gen could offer. While it has started to show its age, its recent Greatest Hits status makes it easy to recommend this game to all PS3 owners, especially with the franchise being strongly pushed by Sony in the form of a sequel and spinoff coming in the near future. It has some minor flaws, but Insomniac did so many things right with the game that it is hard to not come away impressed by the game. Spoiler Story On the surface, Resistance offers a relatively generic storyline. What you're basically dealing with is something similar to all the alien invasion stories found in other games, and of course you're the super soldier that will have to save the world but rarely speaks. The game takes place in an alternate timeline where WW2 never happens. You control Sergeant Nathan Hale, a member of the US Army Rangers. You begin the game in Europe, where the US army attempts to offer aid to British forces trying to defend themselves from the Chimera. Shortly after the game begins, Hale and his fellow troops are attacked by Crawlers, an organism used by the Chimera to help convert humans to Chimera. Unlike the others, Hale is able to awake from this attack seemingly unscathed, as if his body has some innate “resistance” to the virus. Hale's missions takes him to various locations across England, where he must battle the Chimera and save England from the invasion. Like I said, Resistance seems to have a fairly generic storyline...or so it may seem. The “real” storyline for Resistance is a bit more complicated, and thus, much more enjoyable IMO. When you play the game, you'll start getting a lot of questions about what exactly is going on. Unfortunately, Resistance does little to answer most of these questions, and it is likely that these major plot points will be addressed throughout the franchise. From the backstory available on the game's US and UK websites (which do an amazing job of marketing the game BTW) to the various Intel documents hidden throughout the game, it is clear to see that Insomniac put a lot of thought into the game's storyline. To take it one step further, you'll occasionally hear radio signals in the game which include messages in Morse code. I checked out a list of decoded messages online, and I did get at least a slightly different perspective on the story. Personally, I enjoy this kind of stuff, but on the other hand, I do wonder if perhaps Insomniac should have put some of this stuff into the game more directly. People that ignored the websites, missed most of the Intel documents, didn't know Morse code (or didn't look it up online), etc., might have come away from the game with a much different opinion on the game's story. Of course, if you just want to play an awesome FPS and ignore all the minor details, this isn't a problem, but I do wonder if this decision led to some of the “generic” complaints that some people had for the game. Simply put, Resistance is not “WW2 with aliens” IMO, although it is easy to get that impression. Most of the story is told by Rachel Parker, who narrates Hale's “final” days as he fights off the Chimera. Most of these scenes are done with still screenshots in the background. While this gets the job done, it does seem somewhat bland and hurts the overall presentation a bit. Considering how polished the game is in so many areas, it is a bit disappointing to see a somewhat lackluster presentation for the game. Gameplay I think the thing that really makes Resistance such a great game is the enemy, weapon and level design for the game. When it comes to enemies, there are about 5 “mini-bosses” (which you'll meet with more and more frequency late in the game) and 10 “regular” enemies you'll face in the game. These range from small creatures about the size of a cat to enemies the size of a house (or maybe larger). There are some similarities between some of these enemies though. For example, perhaps 3-4 of them are humanoid infantry-type enemies, although their toughness, weapons, speed, etc,. will vary...and so should your strategy in taking them out. To go along with these enemies, you'll have 8 types of weapons and 3 grenades (if you beat the game, you'll get an additional grenade type and 4 weapons). Each weapon has a primary and secondary fire. Some of these weapons include standard weapons such as the assault rifle and shotgun, but Insomniac definitely has some more unique weapons that live up to their impressive track record. It is this weapon and enemy design that separates Resistance from a lot of games IMO, particularly those set in more “realistic” settings. I believe Ted Price, president and CEO of Insomniac, talked about how they are able to create a variety of unique gameplay situations due to the inclusion of the Chimera. A bit on the extreme side, but as Insomniac has shown in Resistance 2, there is nothing to stop them from putting a 300 foot tall creature in the game, something you wouldn't see in a Call of Duty or Battlefield game. This design of creating multiple enemy types with their own strengths and weakness means you'll basically find yourself constantly switching weapons throughout the game in order to quickly take out your enemies in the best way possible. Combined with the great weapon design, this really helps to keep the game fresh and extremely fun to play. Along with the Chimera, you'll occasionally have deal with traps that are hidden in the ground. There are about 3 different traps IIRC. One trap that shoots out a pulse low to the ground (avoid by jumping) or high above the ground (avoid by ducking). Another basically uses a hedgehog grenade, which shoots out spikes in all directions (hide behind cover to avoid damage). Finally, some turrets will come out of the ground and shoot a high-energy beam at you (avoid by destroying the turret, which isn't too difficult). Nothing too difficult to handle, but on the middle of the battlefield, it is a great way to test how quickly you can think, especially if you completely missed seeing the traps on the ground from afar. There are also plenty of explosive barrels as well as Chimeran power cores, which conveniently are stacked on top of each other. Instead of going in, guns blazing, it is sometimes easier just to shoot a power core and let 3-4 of them explode, killing most of the enemies in the area. While it isn't used very much, I think there was an interesting usage of horror-esque gameplay in the game to go along with the “battlefield” style of FPS gameplay you'd expect. For most of the game, you'll be out in large outdoor environments, battling enemy chimera along with other troops. But parts of the game put you alone in dark corridors underground, where you'll occasionally see enemy chimera quickly move across the screen. A few cheap scares maybe, but it does offer a little something different. I don't know if they'll expand on this in future games, but I think it could be a pretty interesting combination, especially given the already “freaky” looking design for the Chimera. The game does features some vehicular gameplay in the campaign mode, allowing you to control a tank, jeep, and even one of the Chimeran vehicles called a Stalker. While they probably could be a bit better, these sequences are a lot of fun. After all, there's nothing like the satisfaction you get when using a tank to blow up a small group Chimera, watching their bodies fly in every direction. The game is relatively long, providing around 12-15 hours of gameplay IIRC, and maybe a little more depending on how much you explore the levels. Once you beat the game, you'll be able to replay the campaign with a few new weapons as mentioned earlier. There are numerous Intel documents that add to the story which you might want to collect by playing the game multiple times. Resistance also has Skill Points, which reward you for certain achievements. For those wanting a challenge, I believe a “Superhuman” difficulty mode is unlocked after playing on hard. Simply put, you'll be able to put a lot of time into this game w/o even touching the online multiplayer (of course, Insomniac also managed to make Resistance one of the best PS3 online games as well). One negative about Resistance is that the end-level transitions are a bit awkward. You may be riding in a tank, taking out Chimera, when all of a sudden the screen starts to blur, signaling the end of the level. You'll get a small cutscene that explains a bit more of the story, and then you'll find yourself in another level, maybe wondering exactly how you got there. It might be a bit difficult to explain, but you'll figure out what I mean when you play the game. It isn't like it is annoying or anything, but it is a bit strange and can take you out of the experience a bit. I'm guessing this was a compromise to make launch, and hopefully they can better plan these transitions for upcoming games in the franchise. Graphics Resistance is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to visuals. There are parts of the game that look really good, even when you forget that this is a launch game that was released almost 2 years ago. Certain effects such as the breaking of glass and snowfall are particularly impressive, and I'm not even sure if they've been matched by other games. But then there are other parts of the game that basically scream “Hey, this is a launch game that was released almost 2 years ago.” In general though, the game will throw a lot of enemies at you in large environments, and the framerate will rarely (if ever) drop, showing that Insomniac definitely wanted to make sure the gameplay wasn't compromised no matter what they tried to do with the visuals. Sound This is probably the most disappointing aspect of the game IMO. In terms of the sound for enemies, weapons, explosions, etc., the audio is really good IMO. Voice acting is pretty good, although it isn't a big focus of the game (outside of Parker's narration). The soundtrack though is pretty generic and forgettable for the most part. A few tracks are OK and work well in the game, but I think it could have really used one or two great tracks. When the credits screen pops up, you're treated to the fairly generic theme song for Resistance. This doesn't exactly make or break a game, but I would like it if Insomniac was able to improve the soundtrack in future game.
Oh man. I just played the Devil May Cry 4 demo for PC. It looks AWESOME and works surprisingly well with keyboard/mouse control. WOW... it's next on my list. WOW!
Most of the flaws RC mentioned are due to Resistance being a launch game IMO. I remember the cutsceenes feeling a little put together and random. To add though, the online part of Resistance was AMAZING. Insomniac listened to the players, gave constant patch updates, and added new content to keep things fresh (although I never tried the new levels). Resistance 2 will support multiplayer splitscreen from a single console I believe, Insomniac is listening. When there is a shortcoming they patch it.
Yeah, I agree with that as well. And fortunately, the compromises they had to make were all relatively minor IMO. It isn't like they had to cut 4-6 hours from the game, or cut the online mode (or keep the online mode, but have it play poorly due to a lack of fine-tuning). If they had to make compromises, I'm fine with the ones they picked. If anything, the flaws only stand out because everything else is so well-done IMO. Of course, you don't even have to give it the "it's a launch game" excuse. It is still a great game regardless, although you can have a greater appreciation for the work that Insomniac did given the circumstances. With R2 being their 3rd PS3 game (or 4th if you count Quest For Booty), I can only imagine the type of polish the game will receive. They've definitely become one of my favorite developers. On another note, I've been looking into some PC games in the last few weeks. Some of these are probably classic games while others maybe closer to above average titles, but I would like it if someone could comment on one or more of the following games: FEAR S.T.A.L.K.E.R Baldur's Gate 2 Titan Quest Heroes of Might and Magic 5 Sacred Fable Jade Empire (for the last two, I'd definitely appreciate specific info about the PC ports) Most of these games can be bought for less than $20, so it would be pretty good bang-for-the-buck if some of them are really good (well, I'm pretty sure BG2 is awesome from what I've read, but besides that).
Decided to bring this back since I've been playing a few more games recently that I'd like to discuss...that, and it felt kind of strange to have this in my signature, even though the last post was from over a year ago. Anyway, I just finished playing King's Bounty: The Legend. I've talked about it a little bit already, but here's a final review: King's Bounty: The Legend Strategy RPG (?), PC <div style="width: 480px;"><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" width="480" height="392"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=38684"/><param name="quality" value="high" /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=38684" swLiveConnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392"></embed> </object><div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana; text-align: center; width: 480px; padding-top: 2px; padding-bottom: 2px; background-color: black; height: 32px;"><div><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com" title="GameTrailers.com">Video Games</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/game/4723.html" title="King's Bounty: The Legend">King's Bounty: The Legend</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/player/38684.html" title="GC 2008: Trailer">GC 2008: Trailer</a></div><div style="padding-top: 3px;"><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/platformlist/xb360/index.html" title="XBox 360">XBox 360</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/platformlist/ps3/index.html" title="PS3">Playstation 3</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/platformlist/wii/index.html" title="Wii">Nintendo Wii</a></div></div></div> Pros - Great Gameplay (could probably break this into 3-4 pros) - Relatively nonlinear with lots of sidequests - Good length (40+ hrs?) and replayability (3 different classes, some randomization, etc.) - Nice visuals and music Cons - Story is pretty basic (and boring) fantasy stuff - Due to randomization, difficulty of enemies can be bit overwhelming at times. - Map/Quest handling could be better - So-so tutorial, and some major gameplay elements take a while to "unlock." Final Comments It has some flaws, but I had a great time with this game. Easily one of my favorite PC games that I've played in a while. If you enjoyed some of the Heroes of Might and Magic games, but preferred maybe a little more RPG elements, you should definitely check this out. In fact, since this game can usually be found for $10-$15, pretty much everyone should check it out. Spoiler Story Not much to say. Orcs, elves, knights, wizards, dragons, dwarves, demons, necromancers, etc. There is a story here, but it wasn't all that interesting to me. Basically, evil guys being evil, good guys being good (although I guess there is one somewhat unpredictable plot twist...although pretty minor). If you're like me, you'll probably just skip over the story bits just so you can get back to killing. Gameplay This is what makes this game so great. Basically, it is very similar to the Heroes of Might and Magic games in many ways. This is not a coincidence since technically HoMM is a sequel to the original King's Bounty. You only control your character (i.e., no city management), and the actions on the map take place in real-time (not turn-based). Because of this, battles are initiated by making contact with enemies on the map. Of course, if you get too close to an enemy, they'll begin to chase you. The battles themselves are probably the most similar to HoMM. For those of you unfamiliar with these mechanics, the battles are somewhat like other strategy RPGs. Units on a grid, each of which take turns moving and performing actions. Except for casting spells, your character does not do any fighting. Instead, units that your character has recruited will do the fighting. There are a few minor changes from the typical HoMM formula (lots of units have special abilities, some boss fights, etc.), but probably nothing too different. After the battles, you'll gain experience, gold, and possibly an item. In King's Bounty, you'll have a lot more space for equipping items (weapon, armor, boots, helmet, artifact, etc.). Some items are even upgradeable, although you'll have to "battle" the item in order to complete the upgrade. On a related note, you can marry in the game, as well as have children. Your wife will usually improve your stats, and each child you have will do the same (if you choose not to have a child, that slot may be used to equip an item, which will basically do the same). If you get tired of your wife, you can divorce her, although she'll take all the children (and/or her items), as well as a portion of your gold. Note that while this all sounds cool, at the end of the day, it is basically just a way to improve your stats and nothing more (at least in my experience). When you level up, you'll have a choice of improving your various stats. One of these stats in the Leadership stat, which basically determines how many units you can recruit. So the higher your leadership, the more units you can recruit (note that I'm talking about each particular unit type, not your entire army...which I thought was the case initially). You can also increase your Attack, Defense, Intellect, Mana (spell points basically), and Rage (more on this later). Along with stat increases, you'll also get some runes (Might, Mind, and Magic). These runes are used to learn various class-specific abilities, which will help you in battle. These can include gaining extra experience, improving your spell power, reducing the leadership required to recruit a particular unit, and much more. Note that you can also collect runes via other methods (completing quests, finding them on the map, etc.). You'll also collect magic crystals, which are used for creating/upgrading spells. Another important gameplay element is the Spirits of Rage. A portion of the way into the game, you'll unlock this gameplay mechanic. Basically, you'll have access to (up to) 4 spirits, each of which have their own spells that they can use in battle (think of them like Final Fantasy summons). Instead of requiring Mana, these spells require Rage (hence the name). Mana regenerates slowly over time; Rage, on the other hand, degenerates slowly over time. To build up Rage, you must attack or be attacked. Each of these actions will build up your Rage. Additionally, these spirits can level up, which will allow you to learn new spells and improve the ones you already have (e.g., increase attack power, increase attack area, reduce Rage consumption, etc.). I thought it was a pretty interesting gameplay mechanic, although it took a while to unlock, and even then, I was a little unsure of how to unlock some of the spirits initially. There are various ways to explore the world. Generally, you'll be riding horseback, but you'll also be able to use boats, airships, submarines, and even trains. There are a lot of areas in the game, so these modes of transportation are a great way to get around. Unfortunately, I was a little discouraged to find out that the map (AFAIK) doesn't really keep track of locations for your sidequests. You can manually note locations, but if you're like me, you'll forget to do this...and then wonder where that stupid Mage is at. Along with the main quests, there are tons of side quests to complete. There is some variety to them (a few may allow you to use you brain rather than brawn IIRC), but over time, you'll probably feel like you're just doing the same thing over and over. Of course, most of them involve killing monsters, which you'll probably do anyway, so might as well get some extra rewards. For the most part, these side quests can be completed pretty much anytime, once you gain access to them. I didn't keep track of my game time, but I'm guessing it had to be over 40 hours (and maybe much, much more). I did complete most of the side quests, but I think even if you stick to the main quest, it will still be pretty long. Sadly, once you've completed all the quests in an area, (AFAIK) there isn't much point in going back generally (i.e., no new quests). I think I read that the enemy units are somewhat randomized, which does seem to make sense. I believe this may lead to situations where you'll encounter an enemy in an area that is particularly strong. In other words, the difficulty can vary quite a bit. Generally, you can just go back to previous areas (or new ones?), finishing up quests or fighting weaker monsters in order to make things easier. This can be a bit confusing though. Doesn't help that there isn't really much of a tutorial, and some things can take some getting use to. One thing to note is that there is no online play. Didn't really bother me, but I know it might bother others. Presentation (Graphics, Sound, etc.) Given the genre, you shouldn't expect insane graphics (at least on a technical standpoint). Strangely enough though, by the end of the game, I was pretty impressed by the visuals in the game, especially the environments themselves. This certainly didn't seem to match my initial impressions. Not sure if maybe I just slowly grew accustomed to the graphics, or if maybe the visuals improved in the later areas of the game. The attention to detail can be particularly impressive. For example, in the Elvish forests, there are some beautiful rivers with fish swimming in them. IIRC, you can see birds perched in the tree limbs, which fly away if you get close. Some other areas are also pretty impressive (don't really want to spoil any locations...although I guess they're visible in they video I posted). I was able to max out the graphics without any problems on my PC (AMD X2 4200+ and AMD/ATI Radeon 4850). Like the graphics, I wasn't really impressed early on by the music, but it certainly began to grow on me. Along with the beautiful visuals of the Elvish forests, you also had some nice music to go along with it. Kind of hard to describe, but it was nice to just pause and look around the forest, listening to the peaceful music. Not much else good as far as presentation. Not much voice acting, which I guess means there isn't much bad voice acting (although I think the intro video had some VA...and it was bad IIRC). There were some translation errors (the game was made by a Russian developer) and/or typos, although those can generally be overlooked I think. One thing to note is that the expansion/sequel to the game should be out soon I think, and some of the additions seem really nice (IMO): <div style="width: 480px;"><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" width="480" height="392"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=47612"/><param name="quality" value="high" /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=47612" swLiveConnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392"></embed> </object><div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana; text-align: center; width: 480px; padding-top: 2px; padding-bottom: 2px; background-color: black; height: 32px;"><div><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com" title="GameTrailers.com">Video Games</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/game/11091.html" title="King's Bounty: Armored Princess">King's Bounty: Armored Princess</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/player/47612.html" title="Trailer">Trailer</a></div><div style="padding-top: 3px;"><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/platformlist/xb360/index.html" title="XBox 360">XBox 360</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/platformlist/ps3/index.html" title="PS3">Playstation 3</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/platformlist/wii/index.html" title="Wii">Nintendo Wii</a></div></div></div>
Got myself a Japanese PS2 recently, something I've been meaning to do for awhile. I picked up the PS2 version of Berserk, expecting it to mean little more to me than fan service and lots of gore. Well not only did I get that stuff, I discovered to my surprise that Berserk is absolutely one of the best hack-and-slash games I've ever played. Probably 2nd only to Devil May Cry 3, in fact. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YSKMqKHQrh8&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YSKMqKHQrh8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> Pros -Awesome, awesome, awesome boss fights -Sword has a feel of real weight -Blood sticks to environments and character model -Excellent, excellent branching animations that keep things feeling fresh many hours in -Ways to chop enemies apart seem endless -Cool experience/upgrades system -Kill combo counter that gives experience bonuses is a great motivator -Spells from secondary characters are useful without being overpowering Cons -Japanese language only, so if you don't know the (awesome) story yet from the manga, you won't know what's going on -Environments are fairly bland -Not a ton of different types of enemies Final Comments The biggest challenge in hack-and-slash games is keeping them from getting too repetitive, and I'm just monstrously impressed with the job this game does at that. You got a main attack button and strong attack button, and the animations and combos available for both change as you upgrade your sword skill. Animations available also change relative to where your sword is in relation to your enemy (this comes in to play rather a lot since you're constantly surrounded). There's also a guard/counter button that is crucial to use against bosses and produces some extra-flashy animations, and a dash button that produces some unique attacks as well. Add to that temporary burst of "berserk" mode when you can combo extra hard and fast, and flashy "mark" kills you can perform periodically based on kills and damage taken. And then, besides your sword, you have a cannon, sticky bombs, a crossbow, throwing knives, and four spells from supporting characters. That's a lot of ways to quash your enemies. So in short, it isn't perfect, but if anyone ever has an opportunity to play Berserk (cheapest way to do so would probably be disc-swapping), definitely do so. You won't be disappointed.
Finished The Witcher last night. Note that I have no idea what is different between the Enhanced Edition (what I played) and the original version, so keep that in mind when reading the review. The Witcher: Enhanced Edition RPG, PC <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/27WZh62wnes&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/27WZh62wnes&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> (not the best trailer, but it was hard to find something with gameplay) Pros - Great Soundtrack - Lengthy game, lots of sidequests, etc. - Interesting universe, leading to a potentially great franchise - Gameplay is a bit different (and for the better) Cons - Technical issues galore – long load times, inconsistent framerate, occasional crashes, etc. - Not particularly a looker. OK at points (especially since I guess this could be considered a 2007 game?), but in combination with the poor performance, a bit underwhelming. - Story takes a while to get into, and even then, it is nothing fantastic (still good, but I expected better) Final Comments The Witcher seemed to get a lot of praise, and I can sort of see why. However, for me personally, it seemed to fall a bit short of some of that praise. It seems to have all makings of a great game, but it doesn't quite come together to form a truly great game (just a good one IMO). The technical issues certainly don't help either. All that said, it probably is worth checking out, especially since others may feel differently than I do. I think even at its worst, it is still a pretty decent PC RPG. Spoiler Story If I'm not mistaken, this game is based on the books of the same name (not sure which books though). The story starts off poorly and a bit slow IMO (oh no, not another amnesia victim!). But it slowly gets better. It revolves around the adventures of a Witcher named Geralt. Witchers are basically mutated humans that are stronger/faster/quicker/etc., immune to disease, live longer, and they are capable of creating special potions to improve their abilities. Unfortunately, they're also infertile, which the game seems to repeat over and over. Due to their unique set of abilities, Witchers often kill monsters for a living. There's a lot more backstory to all this though, which I won't get into. For most of the game, you're basically just trying to find the evil bad guy that attacked your clan and stole some precious Witcher secrets at the beginning of the game. It gets more complicated than that at times, and there are a few twists at the end which spice things up a bit, but you can probably boil the main story down to that. I guess things are magnified due to the fact that there is a war going on between humans and nonhumans (elves, dwarves, etc.) during the game, but I personally didn't really care about it. Just seemed like something going on in the background. Of course, you can (and do) have an influence on this war, but it didn't seem all that interesting to me. I think maybe some of the downfalls of the story for me had more to do with the execution than the actual story itself. Thinking back about it, there are probably some interesting aspects of the story, but the execution just didn't seem to be there. I wonder if this is the result of taking a story from a book and trying to make a game out of it (particularly one where the player can make several decisions). I will say there are some great moments in the game, particularly some scenes where Geralt reflects on some major parts of the game (essentially short speeches I suppose). I do think that while the main story was lacking, the “lore” of the Witcher is really fantastic IMO. Granted, this would be expected given that there are a series of books based on this universe. Nevertheless, while I may not be the biggest fan of the Witcher, I definitely would be interested in returning to the world. Gameplay The Witcher does have some interesting gameplay mechanics that separate it a bit from other games. The combat is based on different weapons (some good for humans, some good for monsters), as well as different fighting styles (fighting strong enemies, quick enemies, or a group of enemies). Attacks are chained together using a timing-based system. In other words, combat is a little more advanced than simply pointing and clicking (well...you'll still be doing pointing and clicking, but you get the idea). Witchers also have limited magical abilities. Geralt will have up to 5 (I think?) different spells to use during the game. Spells are relatively useful, but not overpowering. And despite only having 5 spells, I never really felt the need to have more (not that it wouldn't hurt of course). Of course, probably the main gameplay element of The Witcher that differentiates it from other games is the alchemy mechanic. As a Witcher, you'll be able to brew powerful potions to help you in battle. Of course, you'll need the ingredients, which you can get from monsters, merchants, or even the environment itself (e.g., fruit from tree). You'll also need to know the formula for a portion. Knowledge of these potions, as well as the ingredients needed to create them, can be gained from reading various books and scrolls found throughout the game. The effects of these potions are generally pretty substantial, and they can last for hours (game time). As you advance in the game, you'll also be able to use your alchemy abilities to make oils (improve weapons) and bombs. The other aspects of the game (side-quests, negotiating with people, etc.) is pretty similar to other RPGs in this genre. I will say that the interface for the Witcher is pretty nice. You have multiple menus for things like locations, quests, ingredients, characters, etc., and they're all pretty easy to navigate for the most part. The maps are relatively good too, so you generally don't have any problem finding out where you're supposed to go. There are also some minigames including dice poker and fistfights. You can also...um...get intimate with many of the women in the game (guess this is an advantage of being infertile and immune to disease). I think this is only available in a patched version of the game, which uncensors the game. Not really much point to doing this though (outside of a few funny moments), so no big deal if you don't have the uncensored version. There were some extra adventures available to play, but I didn't really dig into them. I checked out one, played it for maybe 15-20 minutes before I had to quit out of boredom. Presentation (Graphics, Sound, etc.) I think the graphics are a bit disappointing, especially given the technical issues for the game. I thought it was maybe just my system, but I checked out some reviews that made it sound like it is a widespread issue. The graphics aren't that bad (probably average/above-average), but I was hoping for something a little better. The music, on the other hand, is fantastic IMO. Really the only thing that makes the long load times bearable. Voice-acting in the game is solid for the most part (Geralt's VA started to grow on me by the end). I think there were a few weird translation issues, but probably nothing that was that big of a deal. The game shows a lot of concept art from the game, using it to narrate scenes or as something to look at while the game loads. They all look really nice, and actually do seem to improve the game, especially for the scenes where Geralt is narrating. The game also has 2 lengthy CGI scenes, to open and finish the game. Pretty good work there. The intro actually didn't seem to serve a purpose (other than looking pretty), but if you're like me, you'll have a better appreciation for it near the end of the game. Now I need to figure out what I should play next.
Yeah, think maybe I will play that next. Maybe good timing given all the recent rumors of an Okami sequel.
Where did you purchase the J-PS2? I searched on Play Asia and it's $169. I don't want to spend $200 to play HnK. I own Berserk on Dreamcast and interested in playing Berserk on PS2 now
Actually, do note that play-asia is based in China... the $169 90006 model is a Chinese version, and the $199 90000 model is the Japanese version. They actually play the same games, but the power connector is different... the Chinese model features a German connector that looks kinda like this: ...which I found out the hard way, as that's the model I ordered first (which sucks, because they tacked on $45 for overseas shipping both times). Since they don't take returns, I then ordered a Japanese model, only to find out later that the Chinese model can be made to work here given the right voltage converter and a $10 plug adapter. Sooooooo... actually, I still have the Chinese model sitting in my closet. If you were interested/motivated enough to find a power converter for it, I'd sell it to you for cheap since I no longer have a use for it (e-mail me through the board). Other than that, you can always search online for some kind of disc-swapping solution to make an American system play Japanese games. I will say that I too still own the Dreamcast version of Berserk... and while I honestly think that's a pretty good game (and it's nice that it's in English), the PS2 version is MUCH better gameplay-wise. If you feel like you have the money to spend and you love Berserk as much as I do, it's worth-it.
Only 4-5 hours in, but wow. Of course, I guess I didn't really expect anything less given all the praise. Kind of funny playing this after all the SMT/Persona games (both games reference a lot of the same mythological figures). Guess if I knew Japanese mythology, that would have the same effect...but I prefer learning my mythology through video games apparently.
