Master Of None -- Kengo: Legend Of The 9 Review

Kengo: Legend of the 9 is a game whose premise has massive potential, but unfortunately seems to have fallen just short in terms of gameplay. There are some very good ideas here, such as 9 different characters with interweaving stories, counter attacks, environmental kills, a tree of skill upgrades, and a handful of gameplay modes. Unfortunately the final product doesn't come together as perfectly as all those features might lead you to believe.

Right off the bat, I have to say that the progression through this game is ridiculously derivative. The whole "main mode" goes something like this: read story (narrated in Japanese), watch short dialog scene (in Japanese), fight group of nameless baddies (about 3 different levels of skill for these guys), watch meeting between protagonist and "boss" character, fight boss, upgrade stats and techniques, save, rinse, repeat. If you can get beyond that, the bland presentation, and the initial barrier of adapting to the pace of combat, then you can actually have a bit of fun with Kengo.

Basically, this is a street brawler with katanas, so if that's not what you're looking for, quit right now. This is not Ninja Gaiden, and feels stiff and mechanical when your thumbs start to go to work. Deaths might come easily in the beginning, but once you've conquered the first two levels, the other 6 are pretty much in the bag. That goes for the other 64 levels, too, because there are 9 different warriors to use, in total. The problem with that, though, is that they reuse all the same stages and enemies--even dialog--in different combinations along the way.

After each level, points are awarded and used to upgrade the samurai's stats and sword techniques. There is some depth to Kengo's combat that may not be immediately apparent, though. Using the proper attack against each type of defense makes things go much smoother. When opponents guard high, for example, vertical strikes will be more easily blocked, and horizontal slashes might be a better choice. Ultimately, details like this won't often mean the difference between success and failure. The various moves available in each of the samurai's three stances are only truly effective to a master of the game on the highest difficulty level. Otherwise, Kengo is what I would call a "controlled button-masher." Some strategy can be applied to players' approaches, but combat usually turns into an exercise in pattern recognition. Cut enemies until they block, then grapple and cut them. Or, cut them until they block, then grapple and throw them...then cut them. That's how winning is done!

The swordplay is admittedly simple (in the guise of complexity), but the game does reward more creative swordsmen with bonus leveling points, so using grapples and environmental kills is preferable (and looks cooler). The environmental kills are one of the better ideas infused into Kengo, allowing players to direct enemies towards walls, cliffs, carts, barrels, statues, etc., and then use those structures as the foundation for particularly bloody, instant executions. The fact that these even work on stamina-drained boss characters is a plus. The lock-on and counter attack systems are also done relatively well.

One thing Kengo could benefit from, however, is a smarter camera, especially in the more confined levels. It can get hung up in the crappiest of positions, and since the player has to focus on blades arcing toward his or her face, it can be difficult to adjust. Also, it'd be nice if there was a way to evade other than just running away. Something like the tumble in Ninja Gaiden would be a perfect fit.

There appear to be a ton of modes available in Kengo, but it's worth noting that only 3 feature actual gameplay. The others--including all Xbox Live competition--are just a spectator mode for the AI versions of players' improved characters. What's more, when you are watching a battle in either Live or Solo mode, there is no way to cut it short. I can't say I'm a fan of either of those decisions.

As for the playable portions of the game, Mission mode challenges players to satisfy certain winning conditions (like killing X number of enemies) in a set amount of time. Combat mode is a one-on-one showdown for one or two players, and is presented like a semi-3D fighting game. Best of all: no camera issues in this mode!

Kengo features pretty decent graphics and animations, with crisp character models (and shitty water), but the game's audio is not very friendly to the ears. The background music is insubstantial and unimportant, although era-appropriate. You might not even notice if it was removed completely. Sound effects are empty and generic. Sword slashes sound like they came off of an internet soundboard and enemies' footsteps are so overdone that, when combined with the whirring of the 360's DVD drive, could almost convince you that someone is making microwaved popcorn in the room with you. Oh, and the entire game is voiced in Japanese, with English subtitles, just in case you missed that part.

Overall, I had a fairly decent experience with Kengo: Legend of the 9. It isn't the best of games, but does manage to put a handful of good ideas in one package - even if it wasn't done as well as it could've been. The developers' hearts were in the right place, and for that, I'd say give Kengo a rent and a little bit of time.

Halo Hype: Nauseating

I think this article will be the first of a two-part series (can I call it a "series" if there are only two parts?), but I won't be certain until I reach the midpoint, so read on...

Anyway, Halo 3 is almost upon us ("us" meaning those not named Brendon), and the anticipation for the title is at fever pitch. This game's fan following is built not only on the merits and successes of past Halo games, but also upon marketing and the highly influential, ever-present "hype engine."

The internet is actually an instrumental tool used to keep this machine well-oiled. In the past 10 days alone, GamerNode has run about seven or eight stories about Master Chief's new adventure, and nearly every one had something to do with the Halo 3 launch, sales, or obsession. Let's take a look:

For one, Wedbush Morgan analyst and gaming prophet Michael Pachter has predicted that Halo 3 will sell over 3 million copies in it's first 12 days on the market. In addition, analyst Colin Sebastian has claimed that he believes the game will gross more $$$ in a single 24-hour period after launch that the record-holding Spider Man 3. How much? Over $200,000,000.

The game has already made some money. Due to early leakage and a broken street date, a PAL copy of the regular retail version (not the Legendary Edition with helmet and bonus discs) showed up on ebay a few days back. It sold for the equivalent of a whopping $206 plus $10 shipping. The incredible thing about this is that not only was the final sale price so insanely high, but the auction ended just five days before the game's official release. The winner would only be able to play (alone, mind you) for four days before he or she could've gotten the game for about $150 less in the store. O_o

Or maybe this person couldn't have gotten the game in a store, because it seems it may be sold out before it even releases! The Legendary (read: f*cking expensive) version is, anyway. For more than twice the price of the normal game, "collectors" get a small replica of Master Chief's helmet, a couple of bonus DVDs, a pretty box, and the game. $130 for this bundle...and it's already sold out! Wtf?

Not only that, but more retail outlets than ever before are holding special "Halo parties", beginning as early as midday Monday and climaxing when the clock strikes midnight. The games will be dished out and everyone will sprint, drive, ride, fly home to play them. At the Best Buy on 5th Avenue in NY, celebrities and Bungie employees will even be making appearances to play the game publicly on Monday afternoon, along with a few lucky gamers.

I was in the GameStop in Myrtle Beach last night and overheard some kids who were gawking at a particular piece of store signage. One said something to the effect of, "line starts at 9pm, I'm gonna be waiting for three hours to get my copy." The whole lot of them went into what was nearly a round of seizures over the aforementioned Master Chief helmet when the smug store associate revealed it to be sitting in the cabinet on the wall behind the desk (it was pretty shiny). To quote one of the pre-pubescent, borderline retarded children, "Halo helmet, Halo helmet, Halo helmet, Halo helmet..."

It seems the power of this franchise has reached a plateau that is almost beyond comprehension. While it turns children into zombies here in the U.S., the Westminster Council in London believes that Halo 3 will be a major catalyst for riots in the streets, and has cancelled all midnight launch events along London's Oxford Street, the largest shopping strip in Europe.

Finally, in what is probably the biggest example of the power this game holds over the gaming masses, a professionally-made, full-body Master Chif costume has sold on Ebay for over Twenty-One THOUSAND U.S. Dollars. No additional commentary necessary. Look.

So there you have it - the lead-in to the release of what will undoubtedly be a very good game (we can just ask Brendon for confirmation of this, since as of this posting he has already beaten the game on normal mode. It took 7 hours, if you're wondering). Wouldn't it be funny if it sucked? In any case, the question we must ask is this:

Objectively, is Halo 3 really amazing enough to deserve this sort of fervor and success, or is the unprecedented level of hype some sort of strange, nearly unexplainable phenomenon? What other very good, great, or even outstanding games could have done just as well with the right sort of marketing? What games are actually better than Halo...yet haven't enjoyed even a fraction of its success?

Next time, we'll examine this question...and its answer.

Feudal Lords In Mech Suits? -- Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Review

"Whoever conquers this planet gains the power to make anything possible!"

Koei must not have conquered that planet, because I'd imagine Dynasty Warriors: Gundam would be a better game if they could make it so. DW:G isn't exactly your typical Dynasty Warriors game, but then again, it really is. It's Dynasty Warriors with a fresh coat of paint, if you will. A new setting and a mech exterior is used as a facade for what is essentially the same kind of gameplay gamers have come to expect from the series over the past 10 years.

Unless your brain is on ice, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam is the type of game that can induce mental fatigue after only 20 minutes or so of gameplay. It's unfortunately lacking any real innovation, save for the fact that it has taken the Dynasty Warriors franchise from steel swords and feudal armor to lightsabers, guns, and mech suits.

The cast, although very outspoken, is still somewhat devoid of character. They have mostly cookie-cutter personalities, and play a minor role in the actual progression of the gameplay experience. That's not even taking into consideration the nearly endless hordes of mindless drones dispatched to destroy the player -- the sort that do their duty without any question.

It's as if Koei figured that diverse characterization could be achieved by haphazardly slapping together as many different accents from around the world that they could find voice actors for. The only problem is that the voice acting is not very good. The exchanges between characters before each mission are almost painful to endure as characters spout off porno-caliber dialogue, with B-movie precision. The short comments made during combat are out of place, overdone, and a little annoying. As for the music, it's pretty much the same semi-intense synthesized loops playing the entire time.

Graphically, the game is nothing impressive. Character models, terrain, and maps are all minimally detailed, with only crudely defined textures. As a matter of fact, most sections of the environment are nearly indistinguishable from the rest of the area, save for a few that boast a landmark or two. This makes the map vital for determining your location. As for effects, there are only the most basic from the lighting and particle departments. The exceptions to this rule are the short cut sequences involving combat with NPCs and at the onset of missions. Here, the graphics are kicked up a notch, giving the player higher resolutions and better effects and animations.

The game features two solo modes: Official and Original. The difference between these two is the basis of the story, and the characters involved. For each mode, players choose from one of three characters to start, and embark on various missions filled with hack-and-hack-and-hack-and-shoot gameplay. Much of the game's action primarily boils down to mashing a button or two, and to be honest, it can get boring if you don't have the proper mindset.

Maps are divided, in a grid-like fashion, into fields. Each field contains any number of mobile suit soldiers that the player must defeat in order to control that particular area. Sometimes, special guard units show up and serve as a miniature objective for that section. Defeating guards instantly earns the player control of a field. By controlling a particular area, it weakens the enemy's strength in adjacent ones, allowing for strategic isolation of tougher zones. When goals are formulated and worked towards, a sort of flow can even be achieved.

Certain enemies and some destructible environmental objects leave power-ups that the player can pick up to aid them in the fray. These go into effect immediately, and produce effects such as speedy movement, increased defense, or health restoration. They can be helpful at times -- especially the speed increase (for those long treks across the map) and the bonus health. Otherwise, the ease with which enemies are mowed down doesn't require much aid. I mean, they don't even attack if the protagonist just stands still... I can only describe it thusly: O_o

At the end of each mission, points are calculated based on the number of enemies defeated, the number of fields taken control of, and the time spent doing so. Pilots and suits both advance in level during missions, and the resulting stat increases are reflected here. Melee, shot, defense, armor, thruster, and SP gauge all improve as the game progresses. Upgrades to players' suits and skill-sets also go into effect between missions, although these are added manually from a list of items previously collected on the battlefield. The most interesting part of character growth is that players can play through the game multiple times, gaining more and more skills and parts with each run. Since the Official and Original modes are so short (do I hear 4 missions?), those replays may actually be possible.

Dynasty Warrior: Gundam also features a versus mode allowing players to either fight against each other directly or to try to conquer a field of foes in the shortest time. This may extend the play time for some, but locating two players in close enough proximity (who actually enjoy the game enough) to meet up for a versus session could be rather challenging.

Finally, there is a Gallery section that lets players view art and biographies for the characters, mobile suits, and battleships that they have encountered in the Official and Original modes. There is even a section for listening to voice clips. Why anyone would do that, I am not sure.

Repetition is the name of the game in Dynasty Warriors: Gundam. Or maybe monotony? Or boredom? It features repetitive action, monotonous scenery, and boring dialog. It's simply a mediocre game, but it certainly has its place and draw. No hard feelings, guys.

"ERUPTING. BURNING. FINGER!" -Domon Kasshu, DW:G

Where Wii Goin'? Finding Our Way In The Game World

I believe in the Wii. I have faith in the console, its technology, and the styles of play that are possible with the tools available to the gamer. There is so much potential in that little white box that has yet to be tapped into.

Just prior to launch, my vision for what the Wii had to offer the gaming world was as follows:

Total immersion. It's sort of a vague idea, but when I think of the Wii and it's input method, I am always seduced by the idea of the player's hands existing as permanent fixtures within the game world. One might think, "but doesn't that happen already in FPS on Wii?" Well, yes and no. The hands are always there, but their function is strictly limited. My idea is that the actions of the gamer are represented in a one-to-one fashion on-screen. Consider the following as an example:

If a player should happen upon an object in a particular game and decide that they simply must interact with it, then reaching a hand forward could cause a congruent gesture by the in-game avatar - it would reach for the object. At this point, the item isn't picked up, but simply pushed around. Why? Well, the Wii-mote can also simulate grasping motions. The A and B buttons oppose each other just the same as do fingers and thumbs. Pressing the two in concert can translate to gripping any object in the virtual world. If an object isn't available, the result would simply be a fist - which has it's own separate implications. If something is there, however, there are multiple new options available, and all are viable with no further control-mapping required. If the object is small, then a twist of the wrist allows for examination. If it is a ladder, moving hand-over-hand allows easy ascent. A tree or rock face can be scaled in similar fashion. Large objects can be pushed or pulled to clear or block a path. The list goes on...

I can imagine countless possibilities when it comes to combat, and just as many for puzzle-solving situations. At the most basic level of combat, punching and grappling are now possible in a truly interactive way, and as I've already described, weapons can be manipulated to strike or shoot from all angles. At the same time, complex combat routines will arise from the very same set of controls. Environment interaction is a key possibility, as well -- weapon improvisation can become a fun and creative option for dispatching foes. As for general exploration, gestures as simple as turning cranks, placing items, and pulling levers can now provide the player with a feeling of accomplishment, when previously they represented the most mundane of activities. This level of interaction can essentially recapture much of the joy of gaming because it dissolves habituation to gameplay mechanics experienced by so many gamers.

The Wii has the potential to make everything fresh again.

It's true. Games that make a switch over from traditional control styles to fully-implemented Wii...ness present a brand new sort of experience to gamers. I know it because when I pick up games like Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition or Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, there is a short, unfamiliar learning curve to the controls themselves, as if I am a novice gamer again, just learning the mechanical aspect of gaming for the first time.

This is not a bad thing, though, because I can understand the situation; adapting to something new can take time. I enjoy the discovery of it all.

Over the course of the Wii's short history, my outlook hasn't always been the same. Early this year, during the yearly doldrums of the videogame industry, I questioned where the real support for Nintendo's console was -- where the true games were. Was every release to be a glorified tech demo, or a collection of casual minigames? Was the depth of the software pool to be restricted to the shallow end? I asked myself, "If the Gamecube had full-scale, 'feature-length' games, then why can't the Wii?"

Well, I see good things in the future. Games like the recently released Metroid Prime 3 and the upcoming Manhunt 2 remind me that "real" games can and will find their way onto the system, and future releases such as Capcom's Zack & Wiki and the thriller adventure Sadness tell me that innovative gameplay mechanics are indeed being experimented with in interesting ways (ways other than minigame overkill). Then of course there's Super Mario Galaxy. :-)

Maybe my hopes for the Wii will one day be fully realized, and I'll find myself exploring a vast, highly interactive game world. Until then, you can find me blasting space pirates, executing hunters, and manipulating select virtual objects.

Casual Or Hardcore? Or Middlecore?

The definition of the word "gamer" is pretty straightforward. It means, "one who plays games," usually referring to those of the audio/visual variety. Until recently, being a gamer meant that you were knee-deep in the industry, knew what games were coming, and had a good sense of what made a quality game. You probably owned two or more gaming systems and had a sizable collection of games. You were a gamer.

Nowadays, the term "gamer" is somewhat antiquated. Nowadays, a lot more people play videogames, but a lower and lower percentage of them fit the above description. Today's videogame market is divided into the "hardcore," who are essentially the "gamers" of yore, and the "casual." The casual gamer is an interesting type. They may sit online and spend time playing little flash games (you know, that PopCap crap), or they may come over and try out the latest Mario Party and the like. They are not really a big part of the more traditional culture of gaming, yet they are what is powering the industry forward.

Nintendo is an old company. Founded in 1889, they began as a Hanafuda card manufacturer, and then moved into the electronic games industry in the last third of the 20th century. They've been around the block, and most definitely helped kick-start the modern era of videogames.

It is ironic (or maybe not), then, that they are the same company that is "changing the game" from it's roots, as everyone and their mother is quick to point out. And it's mothers who are doing a lot of the new game playing. The casual market that has been catalyzed so strongly, first by the DS and now by the Wii, is largely made up of older game players and the previously alien female gamer.

That's not a big deal, really. I don't mind expanding the market to vast proportions. I would like to see the videogame industry eclipse the movie industry, even. It is a more complete form of entertainment, simply because of it's interactivity. Widespread acceptance is the next logical step in its maturation process.

What should NOT happen, however, is the dumbing down of content, or leaving the most dedicated fans in the dust of newfound successes.

What seems to be happening is that videogame companies, like Nintendo, are directing their primary focus toward this new market. Of course there is money to be made there, so they would like to pursue the new trend in full force, but it seems to come at the expense of the more in-depth works. New divisions are popping up within many videogame development companies, taking manpower from the more "feature-length" games, and established development teams are even being shifted to casual projects, going so far as to cease work on games that are already underway (Project H.A.M.M.E.R., for example).

The latest event to aggravate my ever-deepening casual games wound is the announcement of Nintendo's WiiFit. This is a personal fitness...application...for the Wii. It's not even a game anymore - it's exercise software, step aerobics, etc. Is this where things are going for Nintendo? Are other companies to follow? If this is the case, then they need to increase the development pool, making ROOM for both types of software. Both "real" games and these new pieces of casual software should be fully supported. Don't sacrifice one for the other.

Which brings me to the "hardcore" sector. The casual insurgency is mounting so much that there appears to be a sort of backlash against it. The "hardcore" game is taking up an incredible chunk of the rest of the market. The first-person shooter, war game, "hard-boiled" action game, etc. is what the in-crowd plays now, as if in retaliation against the casual assailant.

The phenomenon is similar to what has happened for ages in the music industry. A genre of sanitized content arises, thereby evoking a response from other musicians to cultivate a more rough, dark, "dirty" form of aural pleasure, and then the two groups remain at odds with each other over an indefinite period of time.

Hardcore gamers, raise your hands. Are you into the "casual games" movement. I'd wager you said some form of, "nah, not really." Well, casual gamers don't even consider themselves gamers most of the time, distancing themselves from the hobby that they take part in every time they do some Brain Training or fire up a party game. It has become a struggle, simply because the transition has been harsh and abrupt.

There is little room left in the middle for those gamers who take everything as it comes - those gamers who simply want a unique and compelling gameplay experience, regardless of the classification. While resistance to casual games is high for "hardcore" gamers, and resistance to "hardcore" games is high for casual gamers, there is still a middlecore that needs some attention, and would be happy to just play some good games.

Control Freak: Customizable, Please

When you begin a new PC game, what is the first thing that you do? If your name is Eddie Inzauto, you immediately hit the options screen and configure your keyboard and mouse. You change the default "WASD" over to "ESDF" to allow your pinky finger access to more commands; you make sure jumping and crouching oppose each other - one on keyboard, one on mouse; you basically set thing up so that they are comfortable for YOUR style of play.

A major flaw in the design of console games has persisted for ages, and for the most part has been completely overlooked, as if it was not a flaw at all. If a gamer picks up a copy of Timesplitters 2 and goes through the usual motions of controller configuration, he will realize that the issue is actually glaring, but us gamers mostly wear darkly tinted glasses to shield us from it.

You see, Timesplitters 2 offered something that few console games rarely do - fully customizable controls. Every available command in the game was mappable to whichever button the player saw fit to map it. It was just like a normal PC game. Want to shoot with the Y button? Go right ahead.

Nowadays, the general rule is that developers make the games, and gamers play them how the developers want them to. Maybe a choice of inverted or non-inverted analog sticks is thrown in, but that is often the limit. In some games, like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, for example, players aren't even given THAT much. If someone simply can't stand inverted aim, it's tough titty for them.

The genre that stands out to me most is the console FPS. Personally, I have had slight issues ever since the N64 days - one issue, to be precise. The N64 controller placed a trigger in the left hand of gamers, and told them to shoot with it. Goldeneye 007 grew in popularity until it reached legendary status - all while forcing predominantly right-handed players to shoot with their left hand. This was all well and good, because who even HAD triggers before then...who had console FPS games before then?! Somehow, though, I'm sure somebody somewhere was complaining the entire time.

After the N64, things changed. Most likely to appeal to the masses of right-handed players out there, FPS were programmed to use the R buttons to fire. Therein lies my personal example of a control scheme that is incongruous to gamer preference. To aim with a dual-analog setup, players need to make heavy use of the right thumbstick. Shooting with the right index finger at the same time detracts (even if only slightly) from the precision of one's aim. Why not let gamers choose the trigger they prefer? I would choose the left - a luxury provided by only a few games (Gears of War, included...luckily).

The issue of non-customizable controls is one that probably plagues more games than most gamers will ever know, simply because oftentimes the default controls fall right in line with gamers' personal preferences - the devs do TRY to implement the most accepted layout, of course. This largely invisible problem only manifests itself in the case of the offended player, to which a game can become nigh unplayable as a result of a simple control tweak that may be absent. Telling them to simply "suck it up and deal" is easy, but that doesn't solve any problems - nor does it make games better.

My proposal is a shift toward GREATER...uh...control...over a game's control setup - not less. It can't be too difficult, because PC games have done it forever, nearly universally. This change is a simple way to appeal to more gamers, making them happier to play, and making the gaming world that much of a better place.

PS - To all you videogame companies, be advised that this option will presumably get your games higher composite scores on sites such as GameRankings and MetaCritic, too. There is bound to be a reviewer out there who hates your control scheme -then bashes your game. Imagine if he got to play it how he wanted...pad that score, add control customization.

Tell Me A Story: Storytelling In Bioshock

Tell me a story... but don't tell me you're telling it.

Videogames, more often than not, tell us stories. These range from the simplistic "rescue the princess" sort of narrative to much more convoluted plots, chock-full of twists and surprises. Not every game strives to tell an epic tale, and some obviously do a better job than others at keeping gamers interested.

Almost as important as what a story entails, though, is how exactly the game goes about presenting it. Is it really enough to have an incredibly storyline if the mechanism by which it is delivered to the player is inherently flawed or unexciting? Would you want to play a game where the main character sits and listens as his local librarian reads a novel out loud? I wouldn't.

Participation is key. Sitting idly by as the storyline is narrated is usually not as fun as providing direct input to the game, and then being rewarded with plot progression and new information. When a player is positioned as an integral part of the story rather than as an outside observer, the game naturally becomes more engrossing.

This week, I've been playing the STELLAR Xbox 360 game, Bioshock. I'm enjoying it immensely, even though my playing sessions are more spaced out than I'd like them to be. As far as I can tell, Brendon's 9.5 review score is spot-on, but I digress.

Although Bioshock doesn't feature a truly player-driven narrative, it does many things right with regards to the art of storytelling.

First of all, there are almost no cutscenes. That's not to say that cutscenes are bad things, because they aren't. Cutscenes are a valuable method for presenting powerful and/or elaborate story sequences exactly as the director intended for them to transpire. The goal of a game that leaves these pre-scripted, pre-rendered portions out, then, is to take creative control from the design team's hands and put it in those of the gamers.

Bioshock finds itself somewhere in-between a game that uses cutscenes to advance the plot and a completely emergent game design. Although the player's control isn't revoked in order to "better" display the protagonist's adventure, there are still a handful of scripted events that occur in the surrounding environment. These are all pre-determined, but unlike a cutscene, the reaction to each event is completely up in the air, and up to the player.

Since there is no traditional narrative in Bioshock, the backstory must be disclosed via other means. The way that players explore the game world to discover its history acts as a powerful tool for immersing them in the experience. Rather than explicitly explaining what has happened, who did what, etc., the story is pieced together slowly from the bits of information scattered throughout the city of Rapture.

This information comes in the form of random signage found posted on walls, short audio and video clips, and of course the aftermath of all manner of structural and biological destruction. Everything players see in the underwater city augments the story formulated within their own minds. The imagination is a magnificent thing when prodded in the right direction.

Finally, the non-player characters encountered throughout the game act as the very fabric that coheres entire story together. It is through their monologues, dialogues, behaviors, and especially their forsaken diaries that the player ultimately comes to understand the city of Rapture, its culture, its politics, and its tainted history.

The entire process of discovery is just downright awesome, and I feel that more games should take this approach to storytelling.

Like I said, tell me a story...but don't tell me you're telling it.

Why I Love Towns

I've been playing video games for a long time. I've played all sorts of games, from Super Mario Bros to Bejeweled to next week's mega-release, Bioshock. I even rocked a little bit of the mildly creepy Astro Grover for the NES (what is it about that game that always bugged me out as a child?). I've been around the proverbial block, as games go, and I guess one could say that I know the ins and outs of most of the genres out there. By now, I've even managed to formulate a pretty solid set of understandings and opinions about each one.

One type of game, however, has vexed me throughout the years. I've hated it, loved it, been indifferent to it, etc., and this cycle will probably continue for at least another decade. The genre in question? Role-playing games.

When I first picked up Dragon Warrior for the NES, I was but a wee tyke, and being as such (that's a stupid little kid, for clarification), I couldn't quite grasp what could possibly be good about such a slow, uneventful, and tedious game. I promptly asked my father to exchange it for the much more agreeable Ninja Gaiden II. Up through the SNES era, I was re-acquainted with the genre, via games like Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, and my beloved 7th Saga. By the PS2 era, I was definitely into RPGs. In recent years, I kinda sit on the fence, waiting for one to catch my eye.

Now I can guess what you're thinking. How the hell does "Why I love towns" pertain to any of this? Well, I've been playing some RPGs lately (Brave Story is in my PSP right now, its soundtrack crashing a cymbal at me from across the room every...let me count...ten seconds), and what I realized is that, well, I love towns.

A while back, I wrote an article on random battles, and how they f*cking suck. That's basically one part of what I'm getting at now. There's a certain sense of tranquility when you enter a town in a traditional JRPG. It's as if a great burden has been lifted, and you can breathe easier. Gone is the worry that you will face yet another in a series of arbitrarily encountered generic foes and gone is the annoyance of that worry becoming a reality. Everything becomes pleasant, cozy, and predictable.

Maybe what I like most about RPG towns is the freedom to explore, even though I am bound by the city limits. Most of the town's inhabitants feel perfectly safe leaving their doors open, which means that their houses are never off limits to my exploration, and of course, my treasure-hunting. It's great to steal sh*t out of someone's home, oftentimes right in front of their face, and then proceed to have just the most friendly conversation you can muster. As a matter of fact, I love talking to NPCs.

Did you ever notice that you have to talk to people no more than twice in order to hear everything they'll ever have to say? Well, that's great, because who really wants to talk to everyone in town, anyway? I've got a world to save, I don't really have time for that crap. It's just the completionist (and curious little kid) in me that compels me to chat them up in the first place. Unless they are going to give me something, advance the game state, or reveal an interesting plot point, I really don't give a rat's ass about them.

Lastly...the shops. Who DOESN'T like being able to sell anything that they no longer need, even if it only nets them a quarter of the market value? The town is the main place that I buy and sell items, eat, sleep, and equip myself with deadly toys, allowing me at least some pleasure in dealing with Bandit 1 and 2, or Mr. Slime and all his friends and family. It's the town, and everything therein that takes the edge off of those anxiety-ridden treks between happy places.

Disclaimer: No, I don't hate RPGs. And no, I am not completely jaded to the overworld map and it's encounters. There are just better ways to construct an enjoyable videogame experience, and I'm sure I'll be telling you about at least one way to do so after playing Bioshock next week.

Terror From The Deep -- Bioshock Preview

Talk about terror from the deep, Bioshock is just that. Or maybe it's simply a gift from the gaming gods. 2K Boston (formerly Irrational) has been hard at work on this spiritual successor to the System Shock series for quite some time now, and from what I have seen it is WELL worth it.

As of yesterday, eager Xbox 360 owners have the opportunity to play a demo version of the game before it releases on the 21st. Being an eager Xbox 360 owner, I have played through the demo twice now, and it has skewed my personal most anticipated games list heavily in Bioshock's favor.

The game is set in an underwater city called Rapture. This city is a post-WWII metropolis, reminiscent of New York City in the years following the war. Established by a man who seems to be a transhumanist social architect, the goal of the city was to escape the backwards thought processes and inhibiting parasitic ideals that plagued the land above.

It has since fallen to ruin, lasting a mere 14 years. As you explore the forsaken, foreboding environment, one can almost envision what the lavish city was like prior to its collapse. The vestige of the urban culture reveal the former bustle and prosperity of the art deco -emblazoned Rapture, before it's apparent fall into disarray and dystopia.

To summarize, it feels awesome to place yourself inside of this world - especially since it is a graphical marvel. Bioshock is visually stunning, with crisp graphics running at a smooth frame rate. Lighting and water effects are especially nice, and the game makes use of physics technology to give the world substance. The era-appropriate music, excellent sound effects, and solid voice acting complete the experience.

The game opens up with an unexplained plane crash in the Atlantic Ocean. After swimming to a strange, monolithic island structure and taking a submarine elevator deep below the surface, the completely unequipped protagonist is met with the aforementioned Rapture, and its genetically mutated inhabitants.

Bioshock, as developer 2K Boston has said in the past, is a shooter first, and an adventure second. While it doesn't quite approach the level of gameplay depth that can be found in the System Shock games, it is most certainly a step up from the average FPS. Like The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, players are able to search various parts of the environment, such as bodies and trash cans, for helpful goodies. These range from money to various food items to hypodermic needles filled with superpower-bestowing chemicals.

As for combat, many options are in place to make the action more free-form than standard point-and-shoot procedure. Players can make use of their environment and special powers to defeat enemies in many creative ways. For example, delivering a charge to a pool of water will fry any hapless enemy wading in it, and bottles of alcohol make great molotov cocktails. These, plus plenty of regular weaponry such as the demo's wrench, .45 magnum, and machine gun will all be at your disposal.

Bioshock is sure to be very action-packed, easily eclipsing the fervor found in the System Shock games, but will still refrain from drifting into the realm of mindless gun-blazing. Certain portions of the game promise to exercise the old noggin, such as the miniature puzzle game that players must conquer in order to hack computer systems.

All in all, Bioshock looks extremely promising, and I can't wait to get my hands on the final version. This is one that you, dear readers, will not want to miss.

Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner -- Soul Nomad & The World Eaters Preview

Nippon Ichi Software (NIS) has made a habit of releasing unique and interesting titles for the Playstation 2, scoffing at the label of "last-gen." Their specialty? The strategy RPG. From the Disgaea series to VanillaWare's stellar GrimGrimoire, and now the in-house project Soul Nomad & the World Eaters, NIS is certainly on a role. Their latest game is scheduled for release on September 25th in the US, but is already catching the attention of RPG strategists.

The game begins by recounting the tale of the ancient Lord Median the Conqueror, who toiled to bring peace to the land of Prodesta, but died shortly thereafter. From there, things went awry, as three giant beasts - the World Eaters - and one badass mutha controlling them appeared to ravage the land, and make it a not-so-fun place to live. Warrior Queen Layna then rose against these figures, only to find them so strong that she had to sacrifice herself in order to banish them.

The game picks up about 200 years later, and the World Eaters are back, roaming the land. The star of the show is the strong-but-silent Revya, who is accompanied by his friend Danette. The two are to be appointed to the town guard that day by... Lady Layna?! Paying no attention to her apparent self-resurrection abilities, the duo receive from her a few weapons to aid them as guardians, and one of them happens to be the very chamber in which the aforementioned evil force has been imprisoned for the last 200 years.

Gig, as he is called, is a foul-mouthed menace, who constantly tries to tempt players into giving up some of their soul in exchange for his AWESOME power. When I say awesome here, I mean it. We're talking 1000's of level-ups at once, insane damage, etc. The price? He eats your soul and the game ends. Okay, that doesn't happen every time. It's a really interesting design, though, and these endings never come as a surprise to the player. The choices leading to each are clearly labeled with the "you're going to die" symbol, giving fair warning and a chance to save your progress. What's great about this setup is that Soul Nomad ends up having a ton of endings, and the completist gamer can see them all with little frustration.

What you'll find in between all the R-rated dialogue and game-ending power trips is a rather involved strategy experience. Battles play out on a gridded landscape, with two-dimensional (and somewhat primitive-looking) sprites representing the units. What's differs from other games of this type is the scale of the battle. Like a tabletop war game, each sprite represents 4-8 individuals, who all attack together in a side-view battle sequence. Gig has the ability to create "rooms" for these warriors, which essentially groups them into combat units for use on the battlefield. Additionally, each room offers multiple formation choices, and includes special "decor" to aid in battle, such as percentage bonuses to certain attributes.

The party itself is formed by purchasing or partnering with various "manikins," who are then summoned to the battlefield to fight alongside Revya in independent squads. Each group has a stamina meter, which dictates the actions that they can perform throughout the battle. Depleted stamina is not what a player wants to see, as it can be detrimental to achieving victory. Also, each squad has a leader, and if he or she dies, the entire unit breaks. The whole battle dynamic really feels like a complete system, and is fulfilling to master.

Soul Nomad & the World Eaters is still more than a month from release, but with 40 hours of gameplay, multiple endings, a deep and engaging battle system, and by far the coolest videogame title I've heard in years, already looks promising. Keep an eye out for it.

Cursed! -- Dead Reefs Review

Dead Reefs is a pirate story and murder mystery set on a small island in the 1700s. The player takes the role of a pretentious detective, Amadeo Finvinerro, who is sent to the island from the mainland to investigate the death of the Baron's eldest son. Having plummeted from a cliff, he may have fallen or he may have been the victim of foul play. It's up to the player to figure out which was the case. Making things more interesting is a creepy local witch who tells the Baron that his son was most certainly killed, and the fact that the island has been stricken by a deadly curse. This curse manifests every nine years, and it has been nine years since the last islander fell victim. The plot is fairly intriguing early on, offering a mysterious history to ponder over and plenty of secrets to unravel. As the game wears on, though, the intrigue fades, leaving just an average tale with a new skin applied.

The graphics are solid, and appear to capture the feeling one might expect from an island village in the early 18th century. The air is dense and dingy and the buildings all appear worn down by time. The inhabitants of the island sport a similar worn-out look that can make a player feel like heading home to the mainland. The problem with the presentation of the island, though, is that it is too dead. This isn't in a frightening or ominous way - it is more of a boring and lackluster one. Though the townsfolk display a fair amount of character while in the spotlight, they remain utterly lifeless until engaged. They remain as fixtures in the virtual world, much like any piece of furniture or random item. There is simply nothing "alive" about the island of Dead Reefs.

The audio doesn't add a great deal to the game's ability to draw the gamer in, either. The musical score attempts to create a tense atmosphere, relying heavily on the string section, but doesn't quite achieve its goal. This is possibly because it only kicks in on occasion, and when it does it fails to make an impact, fading into the realm of background noise. The voice acting in Dead Reefs is not bad. Most of the characters have interesting voices and deliver their lines well. The worst performance is by none other than the main character, though, who is uninteresting, uninterested, and dryer than sawdust. Sometimes his voiced responses don't even transition logically from the preceding statement, which is particularly jarring.

More disturbing, however, are the game's control options. Once you step onto the island, the first thing you will notice is that there is absolutely no mouse support in this game. All character movement is mapped to the W,A,S, and D keys, in a character-relative fashion. This means that W always moves forward, and the other keys make him turn. It ends up being quite cumbersome, and it's a wonder the developers at Strko-Graphics didn't implement something more manageable. Actions such as look, talk, and interact are assigned to the arrow keys, along with inventory access. That part may seem a little strange, but works thanks to an ever-present on-screen guide. The best part about the control setup is that it includes a first-person visual search, which highlights interactive portions of the environment with an eyeball icon. This eliminates a lot of the click-everywhere syndrome that other adventure titles have suffered from in the past.

Unfortunately, Dead Reefs is incredibly linear. Most everything is carefully scripted, and certain actions act as triggers for the next pre-set interaction to become available. It's as if the book has been written, and all you can do is turn the pages. Additionally, players will feel like they are at the mercy of the protagonist's every whim, because he will often refuse to go anywhere that doesn't lead to the next incrementation of the plot. This means that most doors, gates, and other passageways are often closed to the gamer. There is very little free reign to explore the environment.

As is the case with most adventure games, Dead Reefs features a healthy amount of puzzle situations. Usually, these make use of some combination of the many items that Finvinerro finds during his hunt for the crime's perpetrator, and players must use them in uniquely logical ways in order to be successful. Unlike a lot of other adventure games, the puzzles aren't overly convoluted or ridiculously conceived. They make at least some sense, and often a bit more than that.

One big problem I noticed while playing Dead Reefs is that it seems to be somewhat unstable, and gave more than a few errors on each of three different PCs that I installed it on. On one, there seemed to be issues with the display drivers. The game refused to start at all, even after much tweaking. On another PC, the game would experience random crashes and freezes, causing me to save my progress at every turn. Of course I can't make a universal diagnosis based on the specific problems on my personal computers, but if the issues are indeed widespread, then you can go ahead and chop the final score in half on account of a broken piece of software. On a positive note, it's nice that the game features the save-anywhere option, but I would rather not have had to make use of it under those particular circumstances.

Overall, I believe Dead Reefs has a good game hidden deep down inside, but there are a few layers of obfuscation that disallow the gamer from ever experiencing it.

Ridin' Dirty -- Colin McRae: DiRT Review

DiRT is captivating. Actually, it's enthrallment on wheels. This mix of arcade and sim rally racing from Codemasters will draw you in, even from a position of innocent spectatorship, and make you a DiRT fiend. It's a good thing the game is fun, or else the previous statement would be a big problem.

The first thing you will notice about Colin McRae: DiRT is that it's drop-dead gorgeous. From the cars, to the drivers, to the forest, desert, and mountain vistas, the game screams, "look at me!" Even the menus are some of the most attractive that I have ever laid eyes on. Their web 2.0 design is a real visual feast, and a good starting point for the rest of the game.

DiRT features six different racing disciplines across it's four gameplay modes. The types of races include rally, hill climb, rally raid, rally cross, crossover, and CORR. If you have no clue what any of that even means, it's ok - neither did I when I began to play. The good news is that the game does a great job of making everything accessible, even to beginners. A guide is in place to let you know exactly what every discipline, track, vehicle, event, and option is all about, and you don't even have to read. The entire help system is voiced by a "presenter," who will describe whatever item is in focus after a simple tap of the Y button.

The racing disciplines basically cover timed point-to-point sprints, busy circuits full of vehicles, and treacherous cliffside runs, all of which happen over a variety of terrain using cars, trucks, buggies and even big rigs. There is a lot to do here, and players will be sure to find a combination of favorite and despised vehicles, disciplines, and tracks as they progress through the game's piece de resistance, the career mode.

DiRT is very single-player oriented, but luckily its main solo mode is a good one. The career is arranged into a tiered structure of all the different types of events. As players complete races, they earn money and points based on their finishing position (hint: it's better if you win). Money is used for buying new cars and liveries, and points unlock access to later events. There are over 45 cars and 66 events in all, and you'll definitely want to handle the career mode right off the bat, because cars and races available in the other modes are limited to what has been acquired in the career mode.

Players can advance through the career at their own pace, as DiRT offers five different difficulty levels that are selectable on a per-race basis. If any particular event is kicking your ass (and I guarantee some will do just that), then you can simply drop the difficulty, finish the race, and be on your merry way. Adjusting these difficulties allow the player to race at a competitive level, no matter how skilled (or unskilled) they may be. Other little options over the course of the career mode include a sizable amount of vehicle performance customization, and test runs with your modified racers. It's not as involved as buying all kinds of parts, but focuses more on tweaking brake, shock, wheel, and other variables to make the cars run better. If you're not into that sort of thing, then you'll be happy to hear that it's entirely optional - it just might be harder to win on the pro difficulty level.

Like the title suggests, DiRT is as much about the surfaces you drive on as the vehicles you drive in. Navigating the terrain is half the battle, and doing it quickly enough to win is another story. The cars all have very distinct feelings of weight to them, as well as varying degrees of power and handling. Depending on the vehicle and the terrain, players will find themselves implementing many different racing techniques throughout their Dirt career. For example, properly navigating the same turn with four different vehicles might require simply letting up on the gas, braking and then accelerating, e-braking to slide, or just powering through the turn. The gameplay variety is pretty vast.

There are few annoyances one might notice as he or she plays DiRT, however. The first, and most gigantic, are the horribly long and almost painful load times. Waiting 40 seconds between selecting a race and actually racing it is not far-fetched. The game offers a bunch of interesting statistics to look at while you wait, but after the first few times, you really don't care anymore. Playing the game is a little bit more interesting. The other gripe I have with the career mode is that players can't test more than one vehicle for a particular event in the "shakedown" portion before deciding which to race with. To do so, you have to retire and take the loss each time you switch. It's a small point, but is still rather bothersome.

Multiplayer as a whole is pretty shoddily designed. There is absolutely no local, split-screen multiplayer mode, so don't worry about having extra controllers for your buddies. All multiplayer is either via LAN or Xbox Live, and those options don't offer a very favorable gameplay experience. Each individual player has little say in what vehicle and location he or she will be racing in. This is determined by a vote of all the players in the lobby area of the multiplayer game session. Although up to 100 gamers can compete in one race, each races alone while tracking opponents in a small on-screen leaderboard. The final slap in the face from DiRT's multiplayer mode is the lack of support for voice chat. Weak.

The only person who will be talking to you during DiRT races is your crew man, and the comments he makes before and after races get old pretty fast. During races, as he calls out turn distances and angles, I love him, but hearing him call me "tiger" or "my steady" makes me want to staple his face shut. Aside from the aforementioned commentary and the strange menu music with moaning women in the background, the rest of the game's audio is standard racing fare, and generally pleasing. The roaring engines and other sound effects all sound realistic, and although they don't quite match the game's graphics, they still get the job done.

Like I said before, these graphics are GOOD. I didn't know much about rally racing before playing DiRT, so I decided to watch a few videos online. What I discovered was that DiRT is exactly like real-life rally, only with BETTER graphics. The visual damage modeling is top-notch. Besides getting DiRT-y (lame, I know), these vehicles get trashed. Each bump into a guard rail, tree, or opposing racer causes deformation of the car's shell, with resulting effects ranging from slight concavity or re-applied texture-mapping of the car's surface to completely lost and/or obliterated sections of the vehicle. It is some of the best car damage I have seen in a videogame. Before the damage, too, each car is just about as photorealistic as a gamer could ask for (besides those really demanding types), with smooth lines and intricate details, as well as superb representation of the vehicle's reflective properties. As races progress, you will see cars go from shiny and new, redirecting the sun's rays right into your eyes, to dull and dirt-laden, with varying degrees of specularity in-between. The settings are just as beautiful than the cars, and feature amazing real-time light and shadow, blur effects and of course stunning views. Race replays are especially astounding.

Still, the game is not without its flaws, even visually. Although it is sometimes difficult to notices as you're focuses on the coming corners, DiRT suffers from lots of pop-in and occasional slowdown. Bushes, rocks, trees, and even some textures don't show up until they reach a certain distance from the camera, and in a few cluttered races, the frame rate can dip below the desirable range. The only other downfall of the graphics tech in DiRT is that the vehicles don't leave accurate furrows in the ground. The ones you see as you race are not yours.

DiRT is fun and addictive, and offers quite a bit of gameplay for a single player. The career mode is long and rewarding, with a wide variety of vehicles and races to choose from. Although the visual presentation is through the roof, there are still a few flaws in the design, graphics, and audio departments, and you might as well have a book or handheld gaming system strapped to your belt to keep you busy during the ridiculously long load times. Other than that, DiRT is certainly a great game, and I think I'm going to go play some more of it right now.

For The Overlord!! For The Masta!!! -- Overlord Review

What do you get when you cross an action RPG focused on moral choices and open-ended quest completion with a strategy game that features an army of underlings with various different abilities? Well, if you take the angel off of one shoulder and replace it with a second little devil, you get Codemasters' and Triumph Studios' Overlord. The overall feel of this action-adventure game is something like Lionhead Studios' Fable with the added bonus of commanding a small army at all times, a la Pikmin. And it's evil.

The game begins when the titular Overlord is awoken from his deathly slumber by a few of his loyal minions. His castle is in ruin, and it is up to the player, the Overlord, and the gremlin-like minions to restore the evil kingdom to its former glory. What better way to start than by wreaking havoc on the countryside?

The Overlord himself is as a hulking mass of armor, and looks to be made for battle. Although he is much more powerful than his faithful followers, he can still become overwhelmed should he find himself in the thick of combat without them. It is the minions who are the stars of this game, really, and the proper manipulation of the raucous mob is the key to success in the player's crusade of comic villainy.

Minions are called to the Overlord's side from special holes in the ground, where I'm convinced they do nothing but party, drink, and fight with each other until they are beckoned. When they emerge, the Overlord is in control. Players use the R trigger to order the eager minions at various targets, which can be locked onto with the L trigger. More often, however, gamers will find themselves using the right analog stick to sweep the horde through piles of boxes, crates, and jars, as well as swarm them around enemies and obstacles. This is all done independent of the Overlord's personal actions, which include movement, melee attacks, and spell-casting. The basic gameplay is very reminiscent of Nintendo's Pikmin, and the players will undoubtedly form the same sort of fondness for these little terrors as they may have once had for those little plant creatures.

Minions destroy or devour anything in sight, and as they defeat enemies, smash barrels, and ransack houses, they pick up weapons and bits of armor to make the overall force stronger. They also bring the Overlord health and mana potions, and collect gold to pay for castle and weapon upgrades. Lastly, as they kill enemies and innocent little animals, they harvest life force - the key to expanding the minion army. The more life force they release, the more minions become available to do the Overlord's bidding. The color of the life force depends on the type of creature that meets its untimely demise, and each color cultivates a certain type of minion.

There are four distinct types of minions, in all. Each type possesses different attributes that are used to progress through the adventure. Brown minions are the core units, with the highest attack power and greatest hardiness. The player begins the adventure with only these at his disposal. The others must be found in "lairs" throughout the adventure before they join the minion army. Red minions are invulnerable to fire, and have a long-range fireball attack. Greens can pass through, as well as remove, poison clouds in the Overlord's path. They also receive a big bonus when attacking from behind, and become invisible when stationed at a guard marker. Finally, blue minions are the only ones who can swim, and are able to revive fallen minions. The minions are similar to the classic classes of warrior, mage, assassin, and cleric, respectively.

The Overlord has the ability to either command all minions at once, or those of only one color at a time. He can also set guard markers for the selected group of minions, where they will remain stationed until called. Using all four minion types to effectively achieve your goals is one thing that makes the game so engaging, and when strategy and tactics come into play, the game becomes more rewarding. The control of the minions isn't perfect, however. Managing the army with the analog stick, especially, becomes a bit difficult to manage when minions get caught up while carrying out tasks. It is also much too easy to accidentally send minions to their watery, fiery, and other sorts of deaths. The overlord already sacrifices the little buggers to heal himself and to imbue his weapons with power, so losing a full squad to nothing more than an over-sized puddle seems such a waste.

The game is organized into a bunch of different areas, which are all accessible via the castle's built-in teleporter. In each of these places, characters beg the Overlord to help them. Usually the quests fall right in line with his self-interest, so players should be happy to oblige. Rewards are mostly limited to self-satisfaction and the fun of completing the quest, but along the way one will find items that add to the Overlord's heath, magic, and horde size, not to mention tons of cash and minion-spawning life force. Each is a generally profitable endeavor. The only GLARING ISSUE that will put a damper on things is the lack of an in-game map...of any kind. The levels usually dump players right back where they need to be after completing an objective (which is lovely design), but considering the complexity of some of the areas, there is bound to be quite a bit of confusion finding your way without the help of some form of cartographic aid. The overall progression through the game is somewhat self-directed, and the quests often afford players the opportunity to choose a path of evil, or...less evil.

Visually, Overlord is very appealing. It has a few technical issues that can't go without mention, however. First, the game suffers from a bit of pop-in and clipping. Trees and shrubs will sometimes magically appear as players approach them, and may clip through nearby boulders or other objects. Also, the leaves within trees will fill out as the player approaches, making the canopies look as though they are shimmering until you realize that empty space has magically transformed into leaves before your very eyes. Lastly, I noticed a couple of lighting issues while playing Overlord. There are inexplicable flickers of light here and there, as well as a strange inconsistency with certain shadows that seem to have an affinity for locomotion. Aside from these pitfalls, however, the overall presentation of the game is very pretty. There is a whimsical feel to the world, brought about by a crisp, colorful world and a healthy dose of bloom effects. The scale of characters is large, and each is very detailed, fitting right into the well-textured, bump-mapped, specularly fantastic environment. It may not be perfect, but it does look good.

The audio picks up where the graphics leave off. Great voice overs add to the character of the game, and make most of the cast at least somewhat memorable and quotable. Minions, especially, have great voices, and happily scream out phrases like "for the Overlord!" as they collect things. Even though they repeat a few phrases over and over, they still remain adorable in their own evil and charming way. A nice touch is how the Overlord's accompanying minions will respond to NPCs in the cutscenes that are interspersed throughout the adventure. Though each color minion makes a few distinct sounds, it's unfortunate that the main voices for all of them is the same. Other than a few extra minion voices, there is little more to ask of the game in terms of audio. The destruction of barrels, crates, pots, chest, and the like sounds excellent, and combat is accompanied by the viscerally satisfying sounds of clanging weapons, pierced flesh, and a variety of death throes. The attention to detail is obvious, and is even evident in the distinctive sounds of the Overlord's footsteps over different types of terrain.

I don't know if I've done my best to properly explain just how enjoyable Overlord is. A great sense of accomplishment accompanies the completion of quests, discovery of objects, and reconstruction of the castle, and commanding an army of wild and wicked imps who obliterate everything in their path never gets old. I may be sadistic, but this game and all its mischief slapped a smile on my face for most of the 30+ hours it spun inside my Xbox 360. The graphics and sound are very pleasing, and the game offers great value for the money. Multiple play-throughs may be in order.

Not So Grim To Me -- GrimGrimoire Review

Newcomer Vanillaware is making a habit of creating very unique and interesting games. First they brought us the side-scrolling beat-em-up RPG, Odin Sphere. It featured wildly captivating visuals, but didn't deliver upon all of it's ideas as well as it could have. This time around, they have developed a story-driven, two-dimensional, side-scrolling, vertically-oriented RTS for the PS2, and have come up with a winning formula. It's a strange-sounding formula, I know, but a winner none-the-less. The game features a toned-down version of Odin Sphere's graphical style, while offering innovative gameplay coupled with an entertaining storyline.

The game is composed of story and mission sections, each of which offers its own unique appeal. The story is one of the game's strongest points, with a cast of colorful and interesting characters who all are revealed to be more and more complex as the story goes on. There is a serpentine devil, a studious man-lion, a dominatrix instructor, an alchemical homunculus, and a girl who carries a frog on her head, just for fun. The protagonist, Lillet Blan, is a young girl who decides to attend the Magic Academy at Silver Star Tower, where students learn to use grimoires - the various tomes of magic. On the fifth day of her schooling, things go horribly wrong at the school, and she is somehow thrust back in time to relive those five days once again. This happens a handful of times throughout the course of the game, and with each run-through Lillet retains all of the knowledge and talents that she acquired the previous time. On paper this design sounds intriguing, but in practice...well...it actually is.

When it comes to the mission sections, GrimGrimoire takes the traditional RTS formula of gathering resources (mana) in order to build base units (runes), which in turn pump out troops (familiars) to do the player's bidding. Most of the units have a few levels of upgrades that increase their functionality and afford the player more options in carrying out their strategies. The difference is that in GrimGrimoire, the basic RTS has literally been turned on its side, and into a visual feast. Everything is laid out vertically, and viewed from the side, with fog of war covering the areas that have yet to be explored. Using the 12 grimoires in four categories of magic, Lillet will control a whole horde of familiars who all have different abilities, strengths, and weaknesses, and use them to complete various mission objectives. Destroying all of the enemy's runes or outlasting an assault are the most usual of these goals.

Making a console RTS always poses an immediate problem to any developer. Controls for the genre are usually cumbersome and unwieldy with traditional dual-analog pads. Being so unique in it's presentation - 2D side-scrolling - GrimGrimoire manages to quell a bit of the angst that normally plagues the genre. Yes, the controls are difficult at first, but they become more manageable as time goes on. The square button is used for selection of units - either one at a time, or by dragging over many of the same unit type. Commands for each unit are cycled with the R1 and L1 buttons, and then executed with the X button. The default action is always "move." While the left analog stick moves the on-screen pointer, the right stick is used to scroll the entire viewable area more quickly, which will become most players' primary method of navigation. There is also a mini map that can be called up with the circle button, so players can click on any point and instantly focus on that area. One last touch that greatly helps to reduce the aforementioned console RTS effect is that upon selection of any unit, the game pauses. This allows players to set up a plan, or simply to stop and gather their wits in the midst of an onslaught.

Graphically, the game takes all but a few pages out of Odin Sphere's book, resulting in a visual treat throughout the game. Character art in particular was obviously created with much care. Although the portraits aren't quite as awe-inspiring as Odin Sphere's highly caricatured drawings, they are still very detailed and add a great deal of character to the game. These works of art even breathe, blink, change expression, and move dynamically as their dialog is delivered. What's more is that the backgrounds they perform on are always moving and changing in one way or another. Glowing particles are often found floating through the scene, and there are smoke and cloud effects, too. My personal favorite ADD-invokers are the constellations, whose stars are connected and then outlined and animated, all as the characters exchange words. Altogether, the combination of effects is greatly effective at drawing the player into the game.

Within the mission sections of the game, there are strong and not-so-strong points. The sprites for the familiars are all beautifully animated, and they display the same dynamic characteristics of the illustrations in the story section. Additionally, the runes that are scattered across the halls of the academy are especially attractive. Each one gives off a glow that is like a sheer veil of light emanating from the floor. Within these glowing spaces are small animations that are displayed constantly throughout the battle. For example, the Hades Gate rune depicts a group of tortured souls, half engulfed by the ground, flailing about with arms outstretched. Each is unique and each is awesome. On the other hand, the stages themselves are very attractive, but almost all identical. Being set in the magic academy, the game has an excuse, but it is still unfortunate that there weren't more creative backdrops for the battles.

The music of GrimGrimoire is very good. Although it is not as epic as a game like Odin Sphere, all of the music is orchestrated and aurally appealing. The tone is generally more lighthearted, but is never turned into a joke. It matches the art style very well. The voice-overs for Lillet's familiars are not only good, but stay in memory long after putting the game down. If you still recite, "Yes, me'lord," from Warcraft, "I swear by my soul" may become your new tagline after playing GrimGrimoire - not to mention that the voices of the fairies are just downright adorable. The game's full-fledged voice acting is top-notch, as well. The dialog and its dramatic delivery further animate the already appealing characters. The cast becomes more authentic with every line.

GrimGrimoire is a refreshingly original take on a genre whose games have historically been primarily cookie-cutter offerings. Of course, a 2D, side-scrolling, vertically-oriented console RTS may take a moment to wrap one's head around, but Vanillaware has made it work. The game features a bright cast of characters that drive its Groundhog's Day -esque plot, and presents them in an attractive and inviting artistic style, with the audio to match. While the gameplay is not as seamless as the PC would allow, GrimGrimoire certainly does the best with what it has, and is worthy of recommendation to most gamers. The most glaring issue this game has is that it comes to an end rather quickly, clocking in at around 10 hours. If that bars it from a purchase, do yourself a favor and give it a rent, you won't be disappointed.