“Fair enough… until the end.”
Castleroid. Metroidvania. It’s these two terms that have come to describe almost every Castlevania game since 1997’s Symphony of the Night. Given the success the series experienced due to this well-timed “reinvention,” it only seemed natural that the games that followed would be of a similar nature. While Castlevania titles would continue to appear in small quantities on the latest consoles (Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness) most Castlevania games seemed to gravitate more towards Nintendo’s handhelds, especially the Game Boy Advance and DS, which were home to three games a piece. To most Castlevania fans, such an obvious cluster of titles is a feast of grand proportions. However, as delectable as this smorgasbord may seem on paper, it’s not quite the treat you’d expect upon the first bite.
Why the bizarre and elaborate statement? Well, there’re various reasons, some of which could be easily chalked up to the age old adage of “diminishing returns” but it’s hardly that simple. Simplistic and bone-dry as such a decree may be its a bit too top heavy to explain why Symphony of the Night has a presence that none of its successors can match. Still, despite the enigma I’m making it out to be, pinpointing the problem at the heart of Castlevania beyond this point is easy: level design. Level design and the lack of inspiration behind it.
Despite the fact I don’t want to add to the endless praise the title currently receives (I’d rather praise Mega Man X4 in conversation about two-dimensional sidescrollers than Symphony) there was something about Drcaula’s Castle in Symphony of the Night that was ahead of the curve; the layout was simply teaming with intelligence. This failed to be the case with just about every other game that came down the pike. Sure, there where moments in these games where that “spark” lied just below the surface, but that since of discovery never quite manifested itself into that dead-on sense of excitement we all know and love. Quite often it was plain, mundane and (in the case of Harmony of Dissonance) downright odd. While the protagonists and stories tackled by these titles were easily the more interesting half of the equation they usually lacked the necessary power to remedy the more intangible aspects of the experience.
So what does all of this have to with Portrait of Ruin? Well, pretty much everything because whether or not it wants to admit it Portrait of Ruin is included in the pot luck of titles mentioned above. Unfortunately, despite putting some unique twists on the formula at work – most of which work quite well when they’re not put under extreme pressure – it does little to fight the issues above. In fact, as refreshing as these changes are they eventually exacerbate the underlying situation.
That said the greatest disappointment in Portrait of Ruin is the level design. I guess I could feign respect for it and say it’s “well crafted” but I’ve really run out of patience for that old excuse since the Wild Arms’ series passed on. Regardless, for a game that presents some different locals (well, different as far as Castlevania’s concerned) things really go nowhere fast. I’m not against the locations presented by the portraits fighting against the grain since the storyline and the concepts fueling it allow for these set pieces; what I’m against is the game squandering the good will it built up during the first half by blatantly reusing the same themes for the second batch of portraits. The sense of déjà vu was far from appreciated and it only served to highlight the fact one’s dealing with a pale imitation of what the maps in a Castlevania should feel like.
Helping make up for this pothole is the dual character system. Blunt as it may seem, the ability to switch between two characters on the fly makes the game what it is and is ultimately the reason to check it out. It feels wonderful not to be boxed into one style of play for the duration of the game as each character proves their usefulness in key situations. Unfortunately, as high as the experience climbs due to this element of gameplay, it also signifies an area that’s best completed without your partner: boss fights. While there are a few exceptions, having two targets out in the open is just a one-way ticket to losing all your MP - a resource that’s better spent on the occasional dual crush than keeping two characters alive in a congested situation. Still, when it comes to “tag-teaming,” the pot boils over at the end of the game when the game tries to be “creative” with this and the last battles. I’ll say this right now: it’s not clever and it’s a cluster(expletive) of epic proportions.
Still, if anything is going to sell Portrait of Ruin to the unrelenting masses it’s the story. As is the case with several other games in the franchise, Portrait is far from being a stand alone title. This time around the narrative builds off 1994’s Bloodlines. Needless to say if you fan of that title and are interested in learning what happened beyond the scope of that game then your going to want to sign up for this installment. However, speaking of selling points, this is another Castlevania that refrains from using the regal-looking artwork the series is known for. Most know Konami opted for a more anime-ish style for this and Dawn of Sorrow in order to attract a younger audience to the fold. I’m not sure how successful such an approach really was, but it wasn’t quite the detriment I thought it would be.
CONCLUSION:
At the end of the day Portrait of Ruin has some cute ideas. Some of them work and some of them don’t but essentially they all end up at the same dead end. However, as I hinted towards earlier, this just doesn’t describe Portrait of Ruin; rather it pretty much sums up most of the Castlevania games that have followed in the Castleroid style. Despite the fact that I could care less about where current-gen Castlevania games are heading with their God of War-esque style and gameplay, suffice to say that I understand why the production of this “brand” of Castlevania had to come to an end. Letting go is never easy, but there are times where it becomes imperative. While it’s safe to say none of these titles ever scraped the bottom of the barrel as bad a late era, PS1 Mega Man X title, Portrait of Ruin only proves why this chapter of a beloved series needed to come to a close. May it rest in peace.
Overall Score: 6/10
“An odd little game that tries to be something special”
Odd. It’s a word that almost describes itself. In this world there is no shortage of things that come off as odd, whether it’s the creatures that inhabit it or the creations of mankind it’s safe to say that odd is here to stay. Really, can anyone explain to me why bread is square and bologna is round? Regardless of what kind of spin one puts on it to satisfy their curiosity, we often poke fun at things that are strange because we often lack the words to define them. They’re just “odd” and that’s all there is to it.
Still, when it comes to video games – a boundless arena where one’s imagination is pretty much allowed to roam free completely uninhibited – one can’t play more than five minutes without encountering a few oddities. Some of these are self-created, like my indecisive feelings towards Final Fantasy IV. I’d love to know the reasons why this game feels so alien to me when I play it but the answers just escape me. I can’t understand my immunity towards a game that easily deserves the acclaim it has received over the years. Even crazier still is how I can embrace a flawed piece of work like Final Fantasy II. One would think that the game that was actually deemed strong enough to be localized the first time around would go down a lot smoother than one that was brought over in a late-era PS1 remake a decade later. Perplexing as the whole situation is in reality, I know the problem lies more with me than it does with either game.
Fortunately there are times where the exact opposite holds true, times where things are more attractive because they are odd. I’m sure anybody who is familiar with gaming could easily come with half a dozen with very little thought. That said, considering the point being discussed here there is only one title that fills the bill: Harmony of Dissonance. Why Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance? Well, like Final Fantasy above the answer is far from simple but much easier to postulate. Blunt as it may seem, map design is something Castlevania has struggled with to various degrees since Symphony of the Night, the original “Castleroid.” There was something about the layout of Dracula’s Castle in that game that was brimming with intelligence, something the eventual follow-ups couldn’t tap into. While Harmony of Dissonance did little to fight this feeling, it had its own intangible x-factor, a constant sensation that something was off. This (and its strange color palette) ultimately made the game more memorable than it would have been otherwise.
So what does all of this have to do with Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light? Well, a lot because The 4 Heroes of Light is also weird game. How weird? Weird enough to make one question the fact that “Final Fantasy” is present in the title. Does Matrix’s stab at a Final Fantasy benefit from being “odd” or does it only add to the bottomless list of products that use the moniker to attract consumer attention? That’s a good a question as any….
Sights and Sounds
As odd as it may seem, the first element of Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light that made its impression on me was the music. In being a huge fan of video game music, it may have only been natural for me to focus on this aspect of the game, but in no sense is it an automatic response when taking in video-based entertainment. That said, a few hours in I was dying to know who the lead composer was. Why? Crazy as it sounds I was curious as to who could write something so fitting yet so underwhelming. It couldn’t have been Nobuo Uematsu, who even in the twilight of his career could compose circles around something this bland and serviceable. Anyway, a bit of research later I came up with the name Naoshi Mizuta, something that wasn’t too surprising given how far this game is from being a legitimate part of the series numbered continuity.
So why would I start this review by critiquing Mizuta’s work, a body of work that fails to make a name for itself? Because it exemplifies how the vast majority of elements that make up The 4 Heroes of Light work but are ultimately conflicted. Agreeable as the score is to the world it represents it has the uncanny “gift” of getting into trouble here and there. One of the best illustrations is when the music shifts in battle when one of the player’s characters is in critical condition. Considering how many RPG’s have gotten by without the employment of such a technique it’s as harsh and unnecessary as it sounds. A similar event occurs in boss fights when a boss’ hit points get low. Generally that’s a bit more useful even though it still falls into the realm of superfluous. Other issues, like the games over dependence on key tracks during the second half of the game, also take their toll and, perhaps most telling of all, is how flaccid the Dragon Harp jingle is.
The above situation applies to the game’s art direction as well. While I can’t imagine saying that character designer Akihiko Yoshida’s work is bad (it did have somewhat of a unique charm to in Final Fantasy III) it certainly leaves a lot to be desired here. For the lack of a better phrase it feels second rate and at the end of day I’d have a real hard time calling anything in The 4 Heroes of Light beautiful – drawn or rendered. If anything, it looks like a mishmash ambitions (similar and otherwise) that I’ve seen elsewhere. However, I will admit I’ve always had odd relationships with games that employ a dull color palette. Breath of Fire IV on the original PlayStation is great example; it’s washed out colors clashing with the bright colors Capcom used throughout the first three games. I can’t say the darker tones make the game less attractive when it comes to my personal hierarchy (of which Breath of Fire games are my favorite) yet the possibility exists. Another game that immediately comes to mind when presented with art of The 4 Heroes of Light is 1999’s Legend of Mana. Despite the fact that the bright and bold world presented in Legend of Mana is the exact opposite of what’s presented here, both games are obviously geared towards creating a mystical fairytale feel. Unfortunately for this game, Mana’s color palette makes it much more attractive even though it too is a conflicted creation.
Character Conundrum
The 4 Heroes of Light also runs into some trouble with its story and characterization. Most of the time the game is good at letting you know what your characters are thinking (something that’s achieved by having your characters split up when visiting towns much like a private action in Star Ocean) but there are times where the dialog seems to skip over or botch emotional extremes. For the sake of all that’s good and holy I expect a much more believable expression of grief after a plague has befallen Horne than “what the hell, at least we’re fine, screw it, let’s just leave.” Yet ironically, it’s this exact same “harshness” that fuels the characters personalities for the first half of the game and makes them a lot more interesting than they’d be otherwise. Brandt, Jusqua, Yunita and Aire are not exactly the most likeable people in world when the game opens and, oddly enough, the character introductions are very honest about that. I found something strangely genuine about that. What I enjoyed even more than that was how certain characters (especially Jusqua and Arie) bickered with one another. As silly as it sounds such interaction added a level of realism that most role-playing games tend to gleam over in favor of overall focus.
Unfortunately, like all good things this comes to an end. There’s a moment near the halfway point where the scenario takes on that typical, super-sappy “we’ve grown so much since we were last together” thing that tends to invade all role-playing games. I understand the importance of these characters putting their problems with one another behind them to focus on the tasks at hand but do they have to literally tell me that in a block of text? Having them tell me that they’ve grown – instead of showing me – only cheapens the experience and destroys the relevance of such epiphanies. Weak-kneed at this moment truly is (in all honesty it’s terrible and hard to swallow) the game does a surprisingly good job at burying it in the back of the player’s mind with some of the later revelations. Still, entertaining as some of twists end up being one will find the plot is in league with older Final Fantasies and lacks the complexity to compete with that of a full-fledged console-based title. In a certain sense I guess I’m “prettying up” what the story has to offer because in reality it doesn’t ask a whole lot of the player but then I can’t real consider it a real flaw as most handheld titles tend to be shorter and self-contained.
Fight or Flight
Whereas previous sections have focused on areas where The 4 Heroes of Light falls in line with the status quo, combat presents the player with the one area where the game manages to mix things up. Combat is a turned based affair that throws out the concept of MP in exchange for a similar yet different ability point based system. Each command or spell consumes a set amount of AP with one point being refreshed at the start of each round. Also of vast importance are battle messages, snippets of information presented on the bottom screen that gives the player the most recent data on which effects (buffs) have been activated and which ones need to be recast. Another departure is the implementation of auto targeting. Physical attacks automatically target the front row of the enemy party while spells automatically target the back.
Of all these changes the one that is most likely to strike doubt in the heart of potential players is the auto targeting. I was skeptical at first but the game handles it pretty well. I’ll admit there where times where I would have liked to have more control over what ally was resurrected or which character had their status abnormality cured but these sacrifices are ultimately necessary in making the enemy encounters in the 4 Heroes of Light as brief as possible. Why does combat need to as brief as possible? As simple and quick as combat seems at the start of the game it is quickly bogged down by commands you’ll constantly back with buffs. These “buffs” lengthen battles considerably and make combat a rather formulaic endeavor despite the vast number of choices the class system provides. There are only so many classes that can get away without self-buffing (these generally tend to be physical-oriented classes who rely on other characters and classes to do that for them) so there is no real way to depart from this style of gameplay; you’ll constantly be buffing, attacking and boosting (defending to restore AP) to fuel your offense/defense.
Another aspect affecting the game’s combat is the handoff between the first and second “worlds.” Enemies in the first world have set levels and statistics and can only be as powerful as they start out; the opposite holds true for enemies in the second world where your adversaries level up and scale with the level of the party. This means after a certain point it is senseless to try and overpower a boss solely by gaining levels. Different as this approach is, it really flies in the face of common sense, making one question why a game (and a development team) would employ such a dramatic shift in an experience system midway through a game. Why not just implement it from the beginning? Like combat itself I’ll concede it manages to work to a point, but the switch eventually plays havoc with the accuracy of certain classes, creating a slight mess that seems to come and go as it pleases. Regardless, there are moments where both systems show their inadequacies.
Still, perhaps the most problematic aspect of battles is the over reliance on elementals. Most role-playing fans are familiar with the concepts that make ice creatures weak towards fire spells and make machines susceptible to lightning. These general “rules” may change a little between games but the general science usually holds true. Anyway, after the switch above takes place the practice of elementals takes on a whole new importance in The 4 Heroes of Light. Before this point it’s nice to have the correct elemental shield to block a given boss’ biggest spells but it literally becomes mandatory in the second half as is attacking with the correct element to adjust for the increased boss hit point totals. What makes this such a chore is that prior to fighting a boss (unless you’ve beaten the game before) you’re not going to know what element to protect against/attack with. So this means a lot of trial and error since a) you can’t change equipment during battle b) you can only carry so much equipment to begin with and c) most enemies have physical attacks are infused with unseen elemental aspects.
The literal abuse of elemental combat above (and the broken yet lifesaving application of the Elementalist class) also tries back into something learned in Matrix’s reworking of Final Fantasy III: if you know what’s good for you do NOT ignore the magic defense statistic. Really, you don’t want to see what happens when a character lacking in this department is tagged by a spell. Also adding the vast list of idiosyncrasies seen in combat is the reality that attacks don’t do a static amount of damage. Damage for the same attack can vary wildly from turn to turn for no real reason - even if you hit an enemy’s weak spot.
Delightful Dungeons?
Despite the title of this section (I only named it that so I could employ some sweet alliteration) exploring dungeons is actually another thing The 4 Heroes of Light does right. Unfortunately, as if it’s any surprise, it’s complicated by the problems above – especially the elemental problem which may have you leaving a dungeon here or there for the correct gear. Regardless, the developers took note of the limited on-hand inventory space and avoided loading the dungeons to the brim with treasure. You may have to make a decision on what to keep every once in a while (especially when combined with enemy drops) but you won’t be stressing over what and what not to keep or leaving a dungeon over and over to store items at the storage shop. The bite-sized dungeons go well with the inventory system and shows one an area where designer forethought finally coincides with the current reality.
That being said, dungeons really don’t bring the goods graphically or intellectually. Considering how The 4 Heroes of Light tries to emulate older games more than newer ones (again, it’s no accident that the game shares several similarities to Final Fantasy III) this may be another area where being hypercritical may be ill-advised. Still, there are times where the dungeon concepts wreak of desperation. In fact, one dungeon is more-or-less ripped straight out of Breath of Fire II. I know Capcom doesn’t have complete jurisdiction over that specific “kind” of dungeon but it’s so close in spirit it’s not even funny.
Working Class Warfare
Given how Matrix worked on the DS remake of Final Fantasy III, it should come as no surprise that The 4 Heroes of Light employs a similar yet slightly different job system. Rest assured the classes everyone has grown up with are accounted for, but some of them are a bit redefined and repackaged to make things a bit more intriguing. However, the real change occurs in how the player expands upon their powers. Rather than relying on an age-old concept like a numerical level that’s based on accumulating a set number of experience points or performing so many actions, The 4 Heroes of Light takes a cue from Final Fantasy X’s sphere grid. Abilities (or commands) are unlocked by placing “gems” into “crowns.” Crowns are basically fancy sets of headgear that grant your characters their classes or jobs. It’s actually pretty satisfying to place your gems into these crowns but the appeal is ultimately limited by the number of gems you have on hand. Enemies have a set percentage at which they drop certain gems but there never seems to be enough to go around, something that prohibits any real, unbridled exploration of the classes available.
While there is little doubt you’ll be grinding for gems at one point or another, gems also come in handy when it comes to upgrading equipment. Upgrading the attack and defense parameters on weapons and armor is the only way to get ahead of the curve in the second half of the game proves to be essential when tackling the bonus content. Still, if I were to cry fowl about any one aspect of The 4 Heroes of Light it would be how one is expected to make money. One doesn’t receive money from winning battles but by selling off their extra goods. From a straightforward point of view this is a clever approach, but from the view of your typical completionist it is an utter nightmare. For those wanting to complete the game with one of every item (there is actually a reward for this to boot) enemy drops take on a whole new level of importance.
Yea or Nay?
After all this talk you’re probably wondering what my final take on Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light is. Well, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is despite all the problems contained within I actually had a pretty good time and I look forward to replaying it at some point down the road. The bad news? As much as I enjoyed it I find I have to be honest and be a bit harsh while judging it. Still, while some will see the resulting six out of ten as a sign of failure nothing could be further from the truth. Sometimes ratings are just that – ratings. Ratings are not always an accurate way to calculate the intangibles that occasionally work their way into the equation. Oddly enough this is one of those times.Overall Score: 6/10
“The kind of game you want to hate… until it grows on you.”
Final Fantasy III: a title that can mean two different things. On one hand, Final Fantasy III refers to the now outdated and somewhat disfavored title of the SNES version of Final Fantasy VI. On the other, Final Fantasy III refers to the real Final Fantasy III, a twenty-one year old Famicom game that was never officially released in any market outside Japan, a fate its immediate predecessor Final Fantasy II once shared. Also on the list of previously unreleased, missing-in-action titles was Final Fantasy V.
Be that as it may, most fans know this page of history by now and how fallible a philosophy it was to renumber these games in the first place. Still, while three of the six games in the series were unavailable outside of Japan before the launch of Final Fantasy VII, the missing episodes would get their shot at western audiences in the years that followed. Final Fantasy V would be released in the Anthologies package and a remastered edition of Final Fantasy II would accompany the original adventure in 2003’s Origins. Both games would even see a few re-releases in the future on the GBA and PSP, but the fact remained that Final Fantasy III was still relegated to it’s homeland outside a back alley option like emulation or flat-out importing.
As sobering as time can be in a predicament such as this, I’m sure I’m not the only one that found this to be quite bothersome. For the lack of a better analogy, it was akin to having a series of books only to have one missing right in the middle. Granted, given that each Final Fantasy is its own self-contained entity (well… they use to be before sequels became the in thing) it’s not like Final Fantasy III was a missing chapter in continuous story. However, I’m sure there are those who would use such a word to describe a missing installment given the over arching themes and influences. Thankfully, despite some of the sins they have perpetrated since the damaging yet life sustaining merger, SquareEnix decided to right this wrong by releasing an updated version of the game on the Nintendo DS.
Now given how late I am to the DS party, I was pretty sure I knew what I wanted to write about Final Fantasy III – a game that time has somewhat forgotten despite the facelift. About ten hours in I assumed I had enough information (or gripes) to do what I wanted: tear the game down and put another nail in the preverbal coffin of a series and company that has literally lost its way. Yet for some reason I waited; I didn’t start writing this a third of the way through the game like I planned – the one third of the game I had played in its original form years ago. I can’t really explain why I waited – that great mystery remains unsolved – but I’m glad I did. Not only did I save myself the time I would have spent rewriting this review in a more positive light, but I was reminded that first impressions are often lousy to begin with.
Recon Confliction
As with anything that receives a fresh coat of paint, Final Fantasy III on the Nintendo DS takes a few liberties with its source material. First off, this time the player’s characters are given default names and basic, cardboard cutout personas. It’s no longer a boy’s day out as one of the characters (Refia) has been designated as female – so no one can anyone call Final Fantasy III sexist anymore. Anyway, as PC as this is in reality, beyond that lies the second major change: the fact that you no longer start with a full party like the Famicom original. In falling down into Altar Cave with Luneth, the player will find they must wait a bit to get the other members of their party. Because of this, the events that follow are switched around a bit and the future aspects of the story are ultimately placed under more scrutiny. How much scrutiny? In the original all four “boys” were raised by Elder Topapa in the village of Ur. In this rendition, only two of the characters (Luneth and Arc) are raised by Topapa; the others (Refia and Ingus) are raised by the mythril blacksmith Takka and the citizens of Sasune. Now why does this change take center stage? Because it makes the game’s first twist even more implausible than it was before. We’re talking Final Fantasy VIII-esque bad and anyone who’s played both games should have an immediate clue as to what I’m talking about.
Okay, so attacking a plot point in a game this old is rather moot given there aren’t too many NES games that are known for their plot. Still, I point it out because as weak-kneed as this moment truly is, Final Fantasy III is able to make up for it with the revelations that follow even though they break no new ground. I’ll admit I’m not completely pleased with the bad guy who seems a little too content in sending out his various cronies while he sits in his castle when other Final Fantasy villains like Golbez actually got their hands dirty. Disappointing and disposable as he is in the end, I liked the reasons behind his actions even though I couldn’t really identify with them.
Freelancer Employment
Much like Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy III employs a job system that grants the player a tremendous amount of freedom. Unlike the original Final Fantasy, your characters are not locked into their given class for the duration of the game. Now you can switch jobs on the fly (minus a brief, statistical-based penalty) and tweak your party to face the challenges in front of them. Generally, the game lets you make your own decisions, but there are times where the game will make a suggestion. These cues range from the subtle (like presenting the player with certain equipment at shops or in treasure chests) to the blatant blathering of a no-name NPC who rambles on and on about a particular class. These types of hints are really divided upon themselves because while they’re both intended to make your life easier, not following a major hint can really throw a kink in your progress - especially if it’s early in the game. Still, following the given advice may not be enough - you may need to compensate in other ways to accommodate the given situation.
Antagonizing as these moments are, I found I had a lot more success – and fun - blazing my own trail. Yet a lot of my success was due to certain classes proving way too useful. Perhaps more than any other Final Fantasy I can think of employing a Thief in my party was a pure pleasure and paid off huge dividends. Stick with the class long enough and you’ll see how easy it is to master it long before any other. Related to that success is just how invaluable it can be to wield two weapons. This is something I’ve often avoided in past Final Fantasies because it seemed somewhat unnatural not to have a shield but once you start scrapping enemies left and right you start to warm up to it. Another class worth its weight in gold is the Warrior. The game tries to offset the offensive power of the Advance command by lowering the defense of the character prior to it’s activation but such an attempt is futile – much like trying strike a balance between spell casting and attacking with the disappointing Red Mage.
While there are obviously some class/team set ups that won’t work, there really isn’t a “brick wall” point in the game for most classes when it comes to usefulness. I bring this up because the writers of the official strategy guide try to dive home the idea that once you enter the final stage of the game you need to give up on certain classes (like those from the crystal of wind) in order to advance. This simply isn’t true. Sure, you’ll want to upgrade your While/Black mages to the Devout/Magus classes in order to gain access to level eight magic (that’s a no-brainer) but that’s about it. I never encountered the “invisible wall” they alluded to until the last battle but that was due to other, rather ill-explained gameplay factors like…
…Magic Resistance? What’s That?
Most Final Fantasy veterans know that magic resistance is the statistic that determines how much damage their characters will take from a magical attack. In past games I (and others I’m sure) have looked at this number with secondary importance compared to things like attack power and physical defense. Well, those days are over. Magic resistance is of the utmost importance in Final Fantasy III because the field before magic resistance is even factored in is completely skewed. Confused? Let me explain…
In role-playing games (and in D&D where a lot of role-playing mechanics are lifted from) it is generally believed that a “magically oriented” character should take less damage from a magical attack than one that’s “physically oriented.” Okay, I’m not the smartest cookie on the face of the earth but I generally believe that makes sense to a certain degree – a magician should excel at defending against the kind of techniques they employ themselves. This idea can be seen in nearly every role-playing game in existence and Final Fantasy III is no exception. The problem? The degree to which it is practiced. On average, melee characters take five times more damage from a spell than their spell casting counterparts. That’s a four hundred percent difference! So if a spell does one-hundred points of damage to your spell caster (which excludes red mages) expect to see a five hundred pop up on your fighters. This is ridiculous in the purest sense of the word. At the most I would expect a spell to do 1.5 or double damage to a physical character at the most but five? The real kick in the pants is when your levels are high and spells start doing zero damage to your mages yet still take a sizable chunk out of your fighters.
Bad as this may seem, there’s more to the story. As much as I talked up dual wielding earlier forgoing dual wielding is actually the key in helping amend a fighter’s defense against spells. Despite the fact it doesn’t show it in the equip screen (the game only shows your physical defense power on this screen) equipping a shield will increase your magical resistance. You’ll have to switch between the equipment and status screens in the menu before and after to see the difference numerically but its there. Anyway, while this helps the situation (trust me, it makes the last fight a heck of a lot easier) the gap between fighters and mages is still quite wide in this respect despite what the numbers would have you believe. My suggestion? Feel free to dual wield during random encounters but ditch the extra weapons for shields during boss fights. It’s amazing how the additional damage adds up and causes a nightmare scenario for your healer. Random encounters are usually over before they begin and if you focus on eliminating spell casting foes first there really is no threat. As for the boss-fest that is the end of the game it’s best to drop the extra weaponry altogether and opt for shields – the extra bit of resistance is invaluable and the weapons you have at the point should be more than enough to get you through despite being solo affairs. The official strategy guide suggests this in its section on the final confrontation but doesn’t really explain it fully.
Another Final Fantasy Completed!
Despite the bump in the road that is magic resistance, I enjoyed my time with Final Fantasy III. While I don’t really enjoy being schooled I’m glad the game put me in my place for wanting to fire a volley in its direction solely based on the company that made it. Still, Final Fantasy III doesn’t succeed because of its facelift (in fact, a remastered version of the game like Final Fantasy I & II on the PS1/GBA/PSP would have been fine if not better) but because the core game is worth experiencing despite all the advancements the genre has seen since its original debut. I won’t deny all the faults listed above, but if a game like Final Fantasy II can still work despite its myriad of problems than who’s to say Final Fantasy III can’t as well?
Overall Score: 7/10
“Yeah, it’s good… but can we please keep things in perspective?”
When it comes to me and music, things have been in a major state of upheaval the last few years. Gone are the days where I could pick up the latest release from a given band and enjoy it without reservation. Yet it’s uncanny how many of these bands – most of them hailing from the European school of heavy metal – have fallen by the wayside; how many of them can be summed up with a small handful of selections from some very large catalogs. I’ll admit that cutting through the musical clutter accumulated over the last decade has been kind of nice, but a part of me misses the days when a lot more of this stuff was still viable.
Be that as it may, regret is only natural when one is parting ways with something that was a large part of who you were. Moving on is never easy, even when you don’t know you are, but then the situation is hardly one-dimensional. As much as I pine for the days when this stuff suited me more, I also miss the days when I could listen to a new album and not have it come off as an aimless mass of instrumentation. Yet if every album since Sonata Arctica’s Unia has taught me anything it’s that the likelihood of this not happening is next to nil. It’s only after a dozen or so listens that the proceeding finally comes together.
So what does all of this have to do with Imaginaerum? Well, pretty much everything because despite how much clout the Nightwish name brings with it Imaginaerum – and Nightwish’s material – isn’t immune to such decay. Okay, I’ll admit I’m always in the mood for a “Deep Silent Complete” or a rousing “Ghost Love Score” but the simple truth is I can leave ninety-nine percent of the band’s Turunen era material to the ages at this point. Additionally, the second part of the conundrum explained above proved true as well: Imaginaerum initially coming off as a potluck of ideas and ambitions that initially seemed displeasing.
Anyways, with first impressions pretty much shot to hell, the first thing that really stuck me about Imaginaerum was how the ethnic flair heard in tracks like “I Want My Tears Back” was more or less “borrowed” from the concluding tracks of Dark Passion Play. Actually, saying it was borrowed is putting how I viewed it nicely – it really felt like it was ripped-off. I know that sounds silly, not allowing a band to emulate something it quote unquote cultivated, but given the sense of pride Nightwish puts into each album and making each one a unique entity this hardly seemed like something one would have to deal with given the four year period between releases.
The backwards step that was aside, Imaginaerum battled back ever so slowly. The first single (“Storytime”) was pretty much a no-brainer of a creation, a solid tune that holds no real surprises and doesn’t ask too much of the listener. As for the remainder of the album its acceptance teetered on whether or not I could get past not having any context to chew on given the increase of film score influences. Given that there’s a story going on with these tracks it’s kind of hard to see this release as an “album” (in the traditional sense) and not a soundtrack – at least at first. With such an obstacle in the way, it really falls on tracks like “Arabesque” and the instrumental parts of other tracks to break down the wall and forge a connection with the listener as items like the blues influenced “Love, Slow, Love” and seemingly congested “Ghost River” can’t really change perceptions on a dime.
Still, as for when the album turned the corner between chaotic mess and melodic marvel I am still unsure. All I know is that the tracks that seemed to get lampooned for their brief moments of lyrical “oddballness” turned out to be the best tracks. I love when Anette says “the bride will love you, cook you, eat you!” in “Scaretale” and as silly as it sounds out of context saying “an old man gets naked and dances with a model doll in his attic” it actually makes sense within the second half of “Song of Myself.” These tracks are ironically targeted for criticism by listeners for other reasons as well but those are the things that make them stand out. Yes, one can say Anette’s voice is stretched thin by the vocal approach used in “Scaretale;” yes, about half of “Song of Myself” is more of a monologue than an actual song but then I wouldn’t change these tracks for anything.
After discovering that the album’s highest highs where what some considered its lowest lows everything else started to fall into place. I neither craved that context I was looking for earlier nor did I mind the elements I perceived to be “stolen” from Dark Passion Play. The delectable burn of a track like “Slow, Love, Slow” became more than apparent and finally the last domino to fall was the stubborn “Ghost River,” sounding nowhere near as awkward as it initially did.
So, in the end, the story ends with sunshine and rainbows despite its glum beginnings. At the outset of this review I broke down the trouble I had with this album and genre in general, but there’s another problem that it and Nightwish face that’s all about perception and specifically deals with the fans. What’s the problem? That when a new Nightwish album comes out a large portion of the people reviewing it act like the previous albums mean squat. I get it, you’re excited - especially given the long wait for this one but (and this is going to sound hypocritical coming from someone’s that’s become disinterested in the band’s older material) this isn’t the musical equivalent of the Madden video game. The latest “version” (or in this case “album”) doesn’t make the last one completely obsolete. In other words, as good as Imaginaerum is, it doesn’t make Dark Passion Play any less important and I shouldn’t have to explain why that is so. So for the sake of everything that is good and holy, do not call Dark Passion Play Imaginaerum’s “practice run.” That’s complete and utter garbage and it doesn’t give a great album – and what it represents – it’s due.
Conclusion:
My ill feelings for some of the dribble “fans” write aside, Imaginaerum proves I’m not willing to give up on the genre – or Nightwish - just yet. As annoying as it’s become to have and “dig” for the enjoyment a given album can bring, I can safely say the end result is more satisfying because of it. Additionally, like the slight change in style Sonata Arctica debuted on Unia, the switch from Tarja to Anette was a change I didn’t know I wanted until I was presented with it and “got it.” Thankfully, for all intensive purposes, I still “get it.”
Overall Score: 8/10
As odd as it may seem to some considering how many video games I have squirreled away in my closet, I want to take some time and talk about a downtrodden title that is of little consequence to most: SaGa Frontier.
Why take the time to talk about SaGa Frontier, a game that was – quite literally – left in the dust despite the massive upheaval and embrace Final Fantasy VII managed to create for the genre outside its port of origin? Well it’s simple: I’m a fan. Outside the aforementioned Final Fantasy VII (maxing materia for the various master materia) and Blizzard’s Diablo II (moo!) I don’t think there’s a game that’s consumed my gaming hours like SaGa Frontier did. Okay, that “140 hours of gameplay” they boast about on the back is a bit bogus (it takes what, about eight to ten hours to clear any given scenario with a group of adequately powered characters; times that by seven and it takes roughly half the touted time) but like most I wasn’t typically happy with just beating a scenario. No. I always wanted to see how powerful I could make my team. Hit the hit-point cap of nine hundred ninety-nine? Can’t resist. Try and get every sword/fighting/gun technique outside Dragon Turn (oh don’t even get me started on Dragon Turn!) on my human characters? Definitely, expect nothing less from one of my files thirty to sixty hours later.
Still, this piece isn’t about how buff one can make their characters (which is pretty fun) but about an aspect of SaGa Frontier that was left out to dry. While some are obviously screaming “the whole game was” right now I’m a little more focused in my pursuits. What am I talking about? It’s not really one particular element per say but rather how the elements in the game are explained – or rather how they were left unexplained. Looking at the manual for the game and comparing it to those from other role-playing games like Legend of Legaia or anything else on the market at the time does anyone see this as the giant FU that it is? Sure, we get some “bare bones” idea of what some of the game’s systems do but beyond that SaGa pretty much leaves the player to their own devices. It’s a lot like an inept father giving a child a bike and saying “ah, screw it, you’ll figure it out.” This pretty much sums up SaGa Frontier to a lot of Western gamers: fiddle around, “feel out” the situation, get murdered and form the hypothesis that you’re not meant to do “this particular” thing yet. So you’ll come back later. Also popular is the whole “don’t save here! Point of no return! Quicksave only!”
Now, I don't point this out to paint SaGa in a bad light. Hell, part of what I like about the game is the sheer lack of direction even though there is a finite list of things to do. The real reason I point this out is because where the manual dropped the ball on really explaining the mechanics of the game’s world Brady’s official guide could have picked up the slack. That would have been the smart thing to do and would have made Brady’s guide a little more than the semi-memorable footnote in the minds of SaGa Frontier fans. Nice as that would be, we all know how this story ends, the player being thrown into the pages covering Riki’s scenario as fast as it takes to turn past the acknowledgements page.
So what does this lack of explanation (which fans have been more than willing to make up for on sites like GameFAQ with their own text-based guides and through reverse engineering) have to do with modern reality? Not much, in fact the idea that SaGa might have caught on with a wider audience with a more concise explanation of it’s in and outs is pretty much moot, but it calls to attention this really isn’t the case in Japan where the game has some stellar media documenting how complex of a game it really is.
Enter “The Essence of SaGa Frontier” and “The Complete of SaGa Frontier” by Studio Bent Stuff. While “The Complete of SaGa Frontier” takes on the role of Brady’s strategy guide to a much greater extent (which is hardly a surprise given the quality of Japanese goods) “The Essence of SaGa Frontier” is something else entirely. Everything a SaGa Frontier fan could want is in this book; from a scenario recap that explains how all the quest eventually tie together (hey, Slime IS important!) to the real ending to Blue/Rouge’s game (and who acquired which magic and won the one-on-one duel) and much, much more. Working with the limited knowledge I had of the book before purchasing it, I thought it be an artbook first and everything else second. Boy was I wrong. Despite the fact I can’t read even an inch of it’s text to save my life (if there was ever a moment outside video game music soundtrack tracklistings that made me want to know Japanese this is it!) it’s easy to tell even beyond the illustrations that The Essence does the game justice – even the parts that didn’t make it into the final product!
Regardless, a truly comprehensive of this book a still a long ways off even fourteen years after the fact. Granted I can’t see someone translating all 336 pages of this thing (that’s excluding the illustration section) but the tidbits of this book that have made their way onto the internet in English – interesting as they may be – are hardly enough. Let’s hope someone out there corrects that some day….
When it comes to the various consoles that have seen the light of day over the years, it doesn’t take my mind long to think of all the great games that came out for them. Going though the backlog of games that call my room home, I have to admit that the Super Nintendo was a pretty mean machine. Yet when I’m honest with myself there’s only one machine that tops them all: the original PlayStation. This may seem only natural when one considers how large its library is, but with that many titles their bound to be some undesirable material.
Good games, bad games - I’m sure we all could go on about which games deserve their place in gaming history and our hearts and which ones don’t. Still, this list *attempts* to look beyond games as single entities and looks at which franchises defined my time with the PlayStation. At the same time I am only human so if a game in a series deserves to be looked upon with more distain than the others I’m not going to hesitate to berate it.
Again, this list isn’t based on sales figures or general popularity although I might mention that. I don’t expect everyone to agree with the selections either - in all honesty, I expect some of the selections to cause a few sparks – so without further ado here are the ten franchises that defined the PS1 (to me).
10. Twisted Metal
Defining Game(s): Twisted Metal 2 (SingleTrac era), Twisted Metal 4 (989 Era)
First Look:
As would be expected, it only seems fitting to start off a PlayStation-based Top 10 list with a series exclusive to the console line. It’s also befitting that the wreck loose carnage of Twisted Metal fits keenly into the image and perception the PlayStation touted over one of its later competitors – a strategy that was more than effective on me. Still, the original Twisted Metal and its immediate successor are notable for another reason, one of the most important being that they were as fun as hell despite being ugly as sin. While graphics are not a primary concern of mine in an overall gaming experience, there is something to be said about a game that shows the early pains developers had when working with the third dimension. The first two games are practically a testament to this, but it’s how they overcame such problems that makes Twisted Metal’s story what it is.
Behind the Ranking:
The reason Twisted Metal ranks so low on this listing is rather obvious: Twisted Metal has a divided history. Actually, make that a VERY divided history that was widened even further by the series fans themselves. As most know, the first two games were developed by SingleTrac before Sony handed the series to 989 Studios. Between this “hand off” the code for the game’s engine was “lost” (sure, we’ll say it was “lost”) and 989 had to build the third game from the ground up. 989’s Twisted Metal III would achieve a high enough of a sales plateau to eventually acquire the “Greatest Hits” label but the damage had been done; the game was slammed in the gaming press (boring and insipid level design was a common complaint as was the loopy physics engine) and it was panned by many who enjoyed the first two entries. Despite such failings, 989 Studios was able to make some amends (in my opinion) with the arguably better Twisted Metal 4 despite its terrible cast of characters and cars.
9. Resident Evil
Defining Game(s): Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2
The original Resident Evil is often celebrated as the game that spearheaded the survival horror genre. This is true to a certain extent - it may have made people take notice of genre more than it truly invented it - but then I’m not really here to ignite such debate or split such hairs. (Too late on that one, right?) Anyway, the game is important for other reasons as well. Unlike the previously mentioned Twisted Metal, the original Resident Evil was multi-platform and also appeared on the Sega Saturn. Additionally, despite the claim I’m going to make I’ll willingly admit the first time I ever played Resident Evil was on the aforementioned Saturn. (Please note this kind of admission will be made with another game shortly.) Okay, so with that out of the way, am I the only one that saw Resident Evil as a PlayStation exclusive despite the fact it was on both consoles? Okay… that might be a weak argument considering I knew a whole two people with a Sega Saturn growing up, but someone out there has got to relate to what I’m saying, right? Regardless, such a feeling would only be reinforced when the Saturn version of the second game was eventually scraped from development.
Behind the Ranking:
Resident Evil on the PS1 is a classic case of a series taking an extremely solid foot forward with it’s first sequel only to have it’s past come back and (somewhat inadvertently) subtract the very same step. In other words, as impressive of a job as Resident Evil 2 does in streamlining the experience that was founded by the original, it makes the original seem a little stunted and archaic which hurts the games when looked upon as a group. Blunt as that may seem, this isn’t a call to abandon it from one’s collection or to discard and relegate it to a historical footnote. No. This is mainly a plea to see the game for what it is and to accept its successes and failures. Looking at it in such a manner makes it no less important in the scheme of things.
8. Breath of Fire
Defining Game: Breath of Fire III
First Look:
As cliché as it may sound, Breath of Fire is either one of two things to people: a painful, by-the-numbers role playing affair (outside Dragon Quarter) or a delightful, by-the-numbers role playing affair (also outside Dragon Quarter.) As close as those definitions are from a written standpoint, they are about as opposite as you can get from an argumentative one. Yet as a fan (outside Dragon Quarter… are you sick of this yet?) I can honestly see the other side of the argument. Take away the first rate Capcom art, the in-house Capcom soundtracks (minus Dragon Quarter… I swear, last time!) and you have nothing special. In fact, as much as I love the game and its narrative I have to admit that Breath of Fire II is in many ways a mess. But for some reason it’s a lovable mess I want smother with a great big hug.
Behind the Ranking:
The reason Breath of Fire comes in eighth has pretty much already been alluded to: none of the games (except for Dragon… no, I won’t say it!) have never really broken down any barriers or changed up the genre. Beyond that however, the two entries that appeared on the PS1 were solid pieces of software, one of which (Breath of Fire III) introduced some well thought-out mechanics like the Dragon Gene Splicing system. Generally I hate using the phrase “well crafted” because it’s usually a euphemism for something that “works” but is “extremely stale” (see Wild Arms 3) but it’s probably the best way to describe Breath of Fire titles. The only real hitch with such an explanation is that part IV comes dangerously close to being monotonous with it’s slow pace and washed-out color palette, something that gives the third installment the slight edge in the end.
7. Mega Man X
Defining Game: Mega Man X4 (seriously, it’s not even a contest)
First Look:
I know a lot of people are going to ask “really?” when it comes to this trio of games defining the PlayStation when a) nothing of real note has changed with the gameplay in years, b) the story isn’t one for the ages and c) one’s great, one’s mediocre and one’s flat out terrible, but I’ll just state the obvious and say I’m a true blue “sucker” and Capcom’s damn lucky that’s the case despite how many times they’ve dropped the ball with this one. The disastrous failings inside however, at least one of these games (X4) continues to make a name for 2D platforming on the PS1 and screams it from the rooftops. Yet the ironic part of the story is how Mega Man X4 (and by extension Mega Man 8) were originally headed towards a Saturn-only release before Sony decided “they wanted it too” and that side scrollers had a place on their precious console. X4 would go on to be on both consoles although (like this is surprising) the Saturn version (which had some minor improvements like a looping soundtrack) would more-or-less become a relic of a forgotten time while the PlayStation edition would sell well enough for the Greatest Hits designation.
Behind the Ranking:
This one needs no explanation: one great game cannot make up for the mediocre X5 or the fact that X6 was slapped together in six months behind Keiji Inafune’s back and shot out of localization process in a mere week to make it out in time for Christmas to “squeeze” the last cent out of the remaining PS1 crowd. Speaking of Keiji Inafune, he is the only member (or rather “former” member) of Capcom that has actually gone on record and apologized for that which is Mega Man X6. Unfortunately, X6 would not be the last X themed train wreck to come out of Capcom… fans would have to suffer through a highly questionable 3D excursion on the PlayStation 2 (with an insane amount of loading screens) before X8 would try and fail to deliver a worthy ending to the series – something X5 did much better. If one can take solace in anything related to this it’s that Capcom can’t do anymore damage now that Mega Man’s retried.
6. Final Fantasy
Defining Game(s): Final Fantasy VII (if we’re talking sheer importance); Final Fantasy IX (if we’re talking affection towards)
First Look:
Oh geez… I look forward to reading the hate mail on this one. Yeah, I did it. I placed the Final Fantasy sixth. And just as a bit of warning, you’re probably going to be even more peeved the further you get in this list when you see what was placed above it. Anyway, what can be said about Final Fantasy VII’s bizzare resurrection and massive following that hasn’t already been said? Okay, I get it – it was and therefore still is an important title. Sure, I wouldn’t have gotten into role-playing games without it and the buzz that surrounded it. All of that is true enough, yet when taking it in it’s still just another game I’ve spent more than enough time playing and it, and Final Fantasy in general, fails to be the reason I stuck with genre as long as I did. Personally, I’d credit other games with that honor – games that have received far less acclaim.
Behind the Ranking:
One of the reasons Final Fantasy is so far back in the list is because the “heyday” of the J-RPG is long past. It doesn’t take much of a glance at the PlayStation’s library to see what genre was popular at the time and as one can clearly see that time is no longer upon us despite the fact Square (now Square Enix, ugh) still tries to pull out the big guns. Sure, there are still role-playing games being made today but no longer in the same quantity – I mean heck, even Wild Arms is gone and it stuck around five games too long. Regardless, opinions change and the massive body of RPGs that came out during the PlayStation’s reign isn’t quite “goldmine” I once viewed it as, nor is the genre itself. Like the endless flow of first person shooters on shelves today (yeash…I get the point already! Shooting things is “fun”) there will eventually be a price to pay for such proliferation. Needless as it is to say RPGs are still paying the price for that.
5. Tomb Raider
Defining Game: Tomb Raider
First Look:
Again, I can already imagine people being upset that Tomb Raider beat out Final Fantasy, but then action games are always in style. Anyway, along with the aforementioned Final Fantasy VII (which doesn’t need any more accolades) Tomb Raider was the other game responsible for making me ditch the Nintendo 64 launch in favor of the Sony PlayStation. Yet as much as I will tout Tomb Raider’s success as the PlayStation’s success this is another game I originally played on the Saturn. However, the more you think about it, Tomb Raider did become pretty synonymous with the PlayStation brand considering it landed the mass of sequels that followed the original thanks to Sony’s massive payment to Eidos for the exclusive “console” launch of Tomb Raider II. The games that followed the original also ended up on the PC as well but then the lines between PC gamers and console gamers were pretty much drawn like they are today.
Behind the Ranking:
The reasoning behind Tomb Raider’s spot at number five is somewhat akin to Mega Man X’s spot at number seven. The initial game was amazing and still blows my mind to this day but the sequels have more than enough ammo (e.g. problems) to take the series down a few notches. Common complaints among players are the first few sequels take Lara “out of the tombs” and ignore that fact that lightning clearly struck first time out with that combination. A more comical complaint is that Tomb Raider II and III essentially turned Miss Croft into a mass murderer with their endless waves of human enemies. I’m sure a jury would buy the “I was just treasure hunting” or “it was self-defense” excuse if presented with a hill of corpses. Still, perhaps the biggest blow Tomb Raider encountered was twofold: overexposure and the oversexing of its protagonist. The oversexing may have been played to great comical effect in the second game’s ending but with a new entry coming out each year it wasn’t long before both became problems.
4. SaGa Frontier
Defining Game: SaGa Frontier
First Look:
This entry makes me very happy because I know that 99.99% of readers are just asking what the hell this series is doing here. The same readers are probably asking how I could possibly place this above Final Fantasy. Well, I did and as odd as it may sound the decision came quite naturally. See, I’m in that small niche of players that actually liked SaGa Frontier for what it was: a small little smorgasbord. I’ll concede that in following a release like Final Fantasy VII SaGa Frontier had absolutely no prayer in the marketplace (at least here in America) and that it’s gameplay was as ill-explained as you could get. Really, have you ever read the manual for this thing? They really leave it up to the player to discover how the majority of the game’s gameplay systems work. I doubt that a more concise explanation would have saved SaGa, but then fans (especially those on GameFAQs) have been more than eager to fill in the holes over the years. What’s even more astounding is that new things are still being discovered about this title – even fifteen years later.
Behind the Ranking:
Those paying especially close attention may have noticed I made no mention of SaGa Frontier II in the previous section. Rest assured that’s no mistake as I’ll freely admit I “cheated” and used its existence to shoehorn this game onto the list. So what’s wrong with SaGa Frontier II? Well, I’m not a very big fan of the “generation” system it uses (losing characters because they “grow too old” is not something I want to deal with) along with a host of other issues like weapon breakage. Anyway, no game (except for Diablo II and Final Fantasy VII) has sucked away my gaming hours quicker than SaGa Frontier and given the current level of time I spend gaming now (rather low - especially when it comes to new games) I don’t see anything challenging it’s crown in that respect anytime soon. With that said, I promise I won’t use Castlevania: Chronicles to squeeze Symphony of the Night onto this list (not really the same “kind” of Castlevania when you get down to it) or use VR Missions to justify Metal Gear Solid.
3. Mega Man Legends
Defining Game(s): Mega Man Legends (actual), Mega Man Legends 3 (because of the cancellation controversy)
First Look:
First of all, if you’re one of those people that are in the “the Mega Man Legends games aren’t true Mega Man games” crowd I recommend skipping this entry because it’s only going to be filled with love for this series. I don’t really care what your argument against them is (really, what other 3D Mega Man game can you put these up against? X7?) but I fell in love with them from the first minute I played them. Okay, I’ll admit they aren’t perfect, that there are easily exploitable ways to kill every boss (just circle strife around them) and there are hitches here and there but Legends does so many things right, things that Mega Man fans claim they want but turn a blind eye to when they get it. If you haven’t figured out what I’m talking about yet it’s narrative. People always complain Mega Man “has no real story” but this is far from the truth when it comes to Mega Man Legends.
Reason for Ranking:
Mega Man Legends scores so high (and higher than the X series) because the original game is an excellent stand alone experience. Additionally, while it not quite perfect, the sequel does a ton of things that Mega Man sequels fail to do time and time again. What does Mega Man Legends 2 do? Well, it ups the ante with its level of difficulty a fair and respectful notch and *gasp* it actually answers questions from the first game in a satisfying fashion! Seriously, I’d like to see the X or original series do that. Finally, it seems impossible to end a discussion on Mega Man Legends without tackling the controversial cancellation of Mega Man Legends 3. As a fan I wanted nothing more to see Mega Man get off the… ahem… after an entire decade, but if the whole thing (and the downward spiral of the X series) has taught me anything it just wasn’t meant to be. Furthermore, I wasn’t too interested in Mega Man sharing the spotlight with a new character and I’m sure I’m not the only one that held that opinion.
2. Wild Arms
Defining Game(s): Wild Arms, Wild Arms 2 (toss-up)
First Look:
Being the second RPG Sony green lighted for release on the PS1 (the first being somewhat bland and uninspired Beyond the Beyond), Wild Arms only had a mere three/four months to make it’s mark before Final Fantasy VII arrived on store shelves. Thankfully, that was enough time for the series (or rather the first game) to carve out a niche for itself. Still, while a lot a people saw Wild Arms as a “filler” to tide them over till the next big release, I saw something more. This is especially important because I played Wild Arms after I had completed Final Fantasy VII (my first RPG) and still thought it was the better game. I’m sure some see this kind of romance as window dressing, but Wild Arms’ place in my heart was cemented when the second game came out to little to no fanfare in an even more competitive market place. Still, even as a fan it’s not hard to see how Wild Arms 2 got buried, the game not exactly doing itself any favors with its dated battle graphics that were pretty much unchanged from the original.
Reason for Ranking:
The reason Wild Arms and Wild Arms 2 rank so high on the list is due to the fact the following games (four of which are on the PlayStation 2) are extreme disappointments. Wild Arms 3, 4 and 5 can’t even begin to match the games on the PS1 and the remake of the original adventure (Alter code:F) is one of the biggest video game busts I can recall considering how long to took for Agetech to localize it. With that laid bare perhaps the biggest failing of Wild Arms beyond it beginnings on the PS1 is the lack of memorable villains. Each subsequent game tired and failed to offer an antagonist as cool as the Metal Demons and Odessa. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) role-playing fans know how this story ended, the company’s flagship series coming to a quick and uncelebrated end on the PSP which a last-ditch change in genre. After a failed Wizard of Oz based role-playing game Media Vision would pretty much bow out of genre and concentrate on licensed IP games.
1. Syphon Filter
Defining Game(s): Syphon Filter (as its point of origin), Syphon Filter 3 (for it’s method of storytelling)
First Look:
I’m sure there are those that are wondering “what the hell?” Why on earth why would I pick Syphon Filter out of all the games/series on the PS1? Well, it’s not very easy to explain, but I couldn’t even begin to imagine how this series would pull me in when I received the first game though a very haphazard trade with an old friend. Still, for better or worse, it happened and it’s usually the first thing I think of when it comes to the original PlayStation. Of course, the first thing that people are going to ask (or rather tout) in this situation is Metal Gear Solid’s “vast superiority.” I’d defuse that ticking time bomb (or rather ignite it) by saying that while Metal Gear Solid is a game that any PlayStation owner should own and play, can we be a bit more objective when it comes to that game? Despite it’s pedigree it hasn’t exactly aged as well as some people would have you believe. Okay, now that I’ve ticked off another group of people, I should probably get to why people should play the Syphon Filter trilogy. Well, prepare to be disappointed because I don’t really have a good argument! As weak-kneed that seems and unlike most of the other games on this list Syphon Filter is probably a case of “you had to be there.” Really, as bad as that sounds you just had to be there.
Reason for Ranking:
Syphon Filter gets top billing because more than any other series listed it literally screams PlayStation. The first trilogy was self contained on the PlayStation and appeared on no other console (excluding the more recent PSN releases) and represented all the advancements and limitations that come with the console and a franchise in one fell swoop. When it comes to strong and weak points, the series definitely started and ended on a better note than it continued with the overreaching and overeager efforts of Syphon Filter 2, but these faults were easily combed over by the time the third installment filled in some of the smaller plot holes with its fulfilling method of story telling. The last thing that makes Syphon Filter a true counterpart to the original PlayStation is the fact that it (much like Wild Arms) more-or-less “died” with the console (okay, that’s actually my opinion) despite the fact there would be enough demand for games to be made for the PS2 and PSP. I would try and follow Syphon Filter into the future but it just wasn’t meant to be…. it’s time was over and done but it has yet to be forgotten.Concluding Thoughts:
In the end most of the products on this list aren’t perfect, and in the case of SaGa Frontier far from it, but they were more than enough to define the PlayStation’s place at the top of the heap to this gamer. Still, as much as one can tout the success of Sony’s hardware, everyone knows a console is nothing without games, and when it comes to the PS1 this is only the tip of the iceberg. Indeed, this is especially true considering this list focused solely on franchises with multiple releases. Here’s a short list (and some notes) to combine with the above to get you started in case you missed any of them the first time out – know I did.
Brave Fencer Musashi - a solid action adventure that was never intended to be a quote unquote “Zelda Killer”
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - I doubt this needs any introduction
Chrono Cross – would be a top tier game if it wasn’t for it’s “story” and mass of pointless characters
Doom – easily the best 90’s port of the game available, PlayStation exclusive levels are excellent
Einhander – I missed this one the first time out; amazing but I’m simply terrible at it
Final Doom – stretches the PlayStation a little thin but has a few perks over the PC version of the Master Levels
Final Fantasy Origins – faithful (perhaps too faithful) enhanced ports that pretty much replace the originals
Final Fantasy Tactics – you have to give this a nod despite the amount of time it takes to complete
Final Fantasy VIII – would have been mentioned above if not for “Squall,” “Rinoa” and “love story”
Legend of Legaia – a must for RPG lovers despite all its flaws
Mega Man 8: Anniversary Collector’s Edition – how on EARTH did this outsell Mega Man X4?
Metal Gear Solid – there are few games that can match the cinematic quality of Metal Gear Solid; everything else?
Rival Schools – a solid fighter that heaps on the extras to an absurd level
Silent Hill – missed this one the first time out as well, the game can certainly set a mood
Soul Blade – perhaps the premiere weapons-based fighter on the PlayStation; Toshinden kryptonite
Star Gladiator – off-beat three-dimensional fighter that along with Soul Blade laid Toshinden to rest
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 – Tony finest gaming moment; manuals add an insane amount to gameplay
Xenogears – far from perfect; interesting and notable for what it tries to accomplish than what it does
When it comes to video games, Xeno is a prefix that is more or less guaranteed to create sparks when uttered in conversation. Whether it’s the debate that Xenogears’ various development problems keep it from being the quote unquote “perfect” game (really, don’t even get me started on this one….) or how utterly ridiculous it was for Nintendo to forgo releasing Xenoblade abroad when the demand was obviously there, the truth is Xeno games have a history as checkered as their acceptance by gamers themselves.
Ambitious as these games truly are, the problem that some had with Xenosaga’s lengthy cutscenes is well justified. Like any given Metal Gear Solid title, it seemed the player was left watching almost as much as they where playing. That said, while there’s a bit of hyperbole in there it’s not like these scenes were boring and flaccid. In fact, there are several scenes throughout the game that make it worth replaying. Yet the concept of honesty makes it necessary to admit that Xenosaga’s gameplay undoubtedly plays second fiddle to its story.
Unfortunately, Xenosaga is a bit conflicted here as well. While its narrative is a lot easier to navigate than that of Xenogears, Xenosaga has the “unique” trait of having an NPC that’s far more interesting than many of the player’s characters. Who am I talking about? Andrew Cherenkov. When the game opens, we find come to see that Commander Cherenkov is second in command aboard the Woglinde, but what we learn about him from that point on challenges one’s perception of good and evil and quickly overshadows anything the game tries to establish about Shion, the main character.
This is the main reason I tracked down Xenosaga Limited Edition Movie DVD. When you get right down to it all of the characters are important, but Cherenkov is something else entirely. You just don’t run into an all-encompassing character like this very often and being able to relive his story with minimal fuss was of the utmost importance. Anyway, beyond a small hitch or two, Andrew’s story is faithfully preserved on this pre-order bonus, as is the remainder of the game’s narrative. Yet with so much material on hand there are obviously areas where this item falls short. What are those areas? Read on to find out!
1. Editing. There are few isolated instances where the video cuts out for fraction of a second. Nothing too grievous, but does take away from the product’s overall level of quality. There was also a small section where the audio dropped out in similar fashion. Still, considering this was initially a bonus item that didn’t cost customers anything I’m more than willing to overlook such miscues.
2. Virgil's feelings towards the Realians in the 2nd Division Wing of the Woglinde. Yes, the scenes that made the cut are enough to establish his hatred towards the Realians but the loss of this scene is a definite blow.
3. Virgil's self-destruction of battle Realians. This scene is included, but it's edited to the point that it is no where near as heart-wrenching which is rather unforgivable in the scheme of things. We see the realians twitching on the floor but they never "cling" to the Gnosis before Virgil blows them up. It's a devastating loss to a great scene.
4. No introduction of the Elsa crew. The scene where you're introduced to crew is gone. The fact is when you go from being in space inside an escape vessel to washing dishes with nothing to buffer the transition it draws you out of the experience.
5. Chaos, Cherenkov and the Gnosis. This could be combined with the above considering it occurs within the same string of scenes but I'm rather amazed that the first exhibition of Chaos' powers was cut when one considers how important that is. One can witness Cherenkov's "whitening" via flash back later on but it would have made all the later scenes with him (all of which are there) much more clear.
6. No subtitles. The subtitles from the game are now absent and the video is now completely unobscured.
Such issues aside, the further one gets in the DVD the less material they’ll ultimately find sacrificed. Personally, I don’t find the second half the game/narrative as exciting as the first (mainly due to the lack of Cherenkov) but it doesn’t but too much of a damper on the proceedings. The only other real downer is the time since episode II’s release has made the Xenosaga Limited Edition Movie DVD an uncommon item. Still, as most know it’s somewhat hard to tell when or if these pre-order bonuses will end up becoming something down the road or if they are really worth procuring. In this case I have to say I’m hook, line and sinker despite the somewhat hefty price tag. Fans of the series will probably have no problem in following suit.
Overall Score: 8/10
“Fair enough… until the end.”
