Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille Zur Macht
Many will have at least heard of the Squaresoft PS1 epic Xenogears. Xenogears was originally titled episode 5 of a greater work. Since only that game was created it included a lot of back-story from previous “episodes” to fill in the story. Xenosaga has been touted as episode 1 of a re-working of the original idea. Now Monolith Soft is retelling the story the way they originally intended. For this reason the references to Xenogears in this game are quite numerous, so much so that they seem to be more than just mere fan service. How much correlation there is between the games will be made clear in future episodes.
The game itself has a slow start, but develops into a massively detailed and striking story. However this really does come at a cost: there is an amazing amount of cut-scenes to further the story. In fact there is approximately 8 hours worth in what is generally a 40 hour game.
The graphics are very good and top FFX. In battle effects are beautiful to behold (and generally not as drawn out as regular FF fare) and the CG used is absolutely breathtaking. The music is once again provided by Yasunori Mitsuda and is very well done. Unfortunately he will not return for Episode 2. Despite the quality of the music, there just doesn't seem to be enough different tracks. You will witness quite a bit of repetition, and many areas where you are only accompanied by the sound of your own footsteps.
Plus: Great characters, story, battle system and presentation. Everything a RPG nut can want is in there.
Minus: Lip-synching, lack of music and unfulfilling conclusion.
Importability: 4/5
A great title that is rumoured to have a November PAL release. However you would want the NTSC version because even if Episode 1 gets released in PAL, Episode 2 is going to be a very long wait.
Suikoden 3
Suikoden 3 takes its first step away from its predecessors by relating the story from 3 different viewpoints, touted as the Trinity Sight System (TSS). You play the game through the eyes of the Zexen knight Chris, the battle-hardened mercenary Geddoe and the young and fearless Karayan fighter Hugo. As you might imagine each viewpoint gives you a different side of the tale and of course you need to see all three to fully grasp the story. This is a great change that was pulled off very well by Konami.
The presentation of the game is top notch and Suikoden 3 sports one of the coolest intros in the history of gaming. It is anime, superbly drawn and very well directed. The vocal track devoted solely to this intro is also great, but unfortunately eclipses every other track in the game by a long way. The in-game graphics are good but not jaw dropping. They do however really capture the essence of Suikoden and are a great 3d translation for the series. This is accomplished by having slightly stunted character designs. The music has nice variety, but is hardly inspirational and only a few melodies are memorable.
Simply put: this game is a must for any Suikoden fan. The 108 Stars, Castle Building, amusing mini-games, Rune System and the series' great sense of history all return. Unfortunately unless you own an NTSC copy of Suikoden 2 you will not be able to import your data, however the benefits of this are not as good as the ones in part 2, and subsequently not worth worrying about.
Plus: TSS, great characters and interesting story.
Minus: Average music, limitations of TSS, some mundane gameplay elements.
Importability: 5/5
Not only is this a great and fulfilling RPG, it is not slated for a PAL release. Apparently the large number of European languages made the game too expensive to translate. Plus the english only PAL versions of Suikoden 1 and 2 did not sell well enough. So importing is the only way to enjoy this stellar title.
.hack//INFECTION
.hack//INFECTION is the first of 4 titles to be released which follow a similar/parallel story to the anime .hack//SIGN. The game starts with your character, Kite, meeting his friend Orca in an online game called The World. However as Orca tries to show you the ropes, something unexpected and mysterious happens in the game. What’s stranger is that Orca himself falls into a coma in the real world and it is up to you to find out how to save him. To do that requires you to immerse yourself in The World.
Immersion is one of the strengths of this game. I suggest you watch the accompanying DVD .hack//Liminality first to get into the whole .hack World (pun intended). Little things like the menus and music for logging into the game are the same in both so you get a little kick when you boot it up your copy for the first time. Another good feature is the way the game is set out. You have a GUI where you can access emails, play music and log into The World. Plus once logged in you have the option of checking out the extensive message boards populated by the other players in the game before entering The World. The shops in the game only sell the most basic equipment and items needed for survival, so that every good item you obtain or trade for is properly earned. All in all you feel as if you really are part of an online community, which is a great asset to the game.
The graphics are nice (although the large amount of texture repetition hurts) and the sound and voice acting are brilliant. Special mention must be made of the character designs - they are fantastic. There is even the entire Japanese audio track included. Unfortunately the story, although quite interesting, is quite sparse and lightly sprinkled over the meager 16 hours or so it will take to finish this game. By the end of the game, the formula will begin to run thin.
Plus: Great presentation, free DVD
Minus: Short and repetitive
Importability: 3/5
An interesting title that gets saved from mediocrity by its different approach. It is confirmed for a PAL release, but no date has been set. Also it is important to note that the accompanying DVD is of course Region 1.
.hack//MUTATION
This is part 2 of the .hack series and again comes with a free DVD. As a nice touch all your characters, items, emails etc are carried over from the previous game. The story also picks up right where the first one left off. Players of the first game will feel right at home.
However that familiar feeling doesn't go away, in fact it grows into something else. A distinct feeling that you have been here and done it all before. This is because the game uses exactly the same engine and effects as the first title. The beginning of the game even gets you to run through the last dungeon of the previous game.
Of course this wouldn't be so bad if the story was ample impetus to play on......but it isn't. It is just as sparse and mysterious as the first game. So the majority of the game is spent running around completing pointless tasks in extremely similar palette swapped dungeons and fighting palette swapped enemies just like the first game. It just doesn't work as well when it isn't fresh.
Plus: A new town, a few new characters and a new move
Minus: The rest is exactly the same. Boredom inducing.
Importability: 2/5
Technically this is a superior title to the first, however it is just too similar. Only really worth getting if you couldn't get enough of the first, or you want to collect the entire series.
Loading...
