Archive for the ‘adventure’ Category

Final Fantasy XIII Gets Social

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
FFXIII (image: gotgame.com)

FFXIII (image: gotgame.com)

With the release of Final Fantasy XIII looming on the horizon, our family are getting ready to set aside some substantial leisure time. Well, make that me and my wife - the kids are more excited about Mario Galaxy 2 I think. But with 80 hours of gameplay FFXIII is going to be a substantial undertaking for us.

Last week we heard that there would be a few differences between the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 versions. In an interview in Famitsu Square Enix stated that the video and audio is compressed on the Xbox 360 multiple DVDs while the Playstation 3 version will be uncompressed and appear on a dual-layer blu-ray disc.

Then this week we heard that they are jumping on the social media bandwagon. Although no news about Twittering completed levels like in Uncharted 2, FFXIII fans can “meet other fans from around the world and stay updated on the latest news, screenshots and videos by joining the official Facebook page.”  We can also follow in real-time on Twitter.

With Games Basement providing the game I’ll have the full details on Final Fantasy XIII as soon as it’s available. In the meantime I’ve been putting together a preview article, and here’s a taster:

The long awaited evolution of the Final Fantasy series is set to arrive on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Final Fantasy XIII brings the much beloved Role-playing game to the current-gen consoles in this stunning experience that tells a deep and involving story with the help of some of the most impressive visuals ever seen. You’ll explore breathtaking environments, meet and befriend interesting characters and fight against some terrifying enemies. The new age of Japanese Role-playing games begins with Final Fantasy XIII: Fabula Nova Crystallis.

Posted in Armchair Geek, JRPG, adventure, videogame | Comments Off

No Place Like Hyrule

Friday, December 4th, 2009
Zelda Spirit Tracks (image: wiiplaygames.com)

Zelda Spirit Tracks (image: wiiplaygames.com)

I know a lot of people bash Nintendo for courting the casual game market, but they still seem pretty special to me -  and not just because a write a few casual game reviews. I love the fact that their game worlds go right back to the days of Game and Watch and the NES. And when they roll out a new version it does justice to all that has gone before.

Zelda Spirit Tracks

Zelda on DS

Looking ahead to reviewing The Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Tracks from Games Basement I realized that these are as much sentimental experiences as anything else. Sure, the gameplay is great and the puzzles tax my brain, but it is hearing those same victorious tunes and iconic imagery that most connect me to what is going on in Hyrule. It’s the consistency of the world between games that gives them a last appeal.

I recently played Links Awakening on my old 90’s Gameboy and loved it. Once I’d found a copy of the game and dusted of the yellowing plastic of my first portable games machine I was away. The architecture, the sounds and the characters were like old friends even though this was my first play. Little things like opening a chest to find some rupees looked, sounded and felt just the same as it did in Wind Waker, Twighlight Princess or Phantom Hourglass.

Zelda on 90's Gameboy

Zelda on 90's Gameboy

Although I know Spirit Tracks will have plenty of surprises, I also love the idea of returning to somewhere familiar. The funny thing is that when I play a new Zelda game it also makes me want to revisit the older titles too. So here I am tinkering away at Links Awakening until I can start on the next chapter for Link and Zelda.

Posted in Classic, DS, Electronic Geek, adventure, gameboy, retro, zelda | Comments Off