The One Dinner
This was the one weekend of the year where I end up meeting up with almost all my friends. Unlike what I had originally thought there was actually some Sun on Saturday, and the rain was timed well because we were all inside the restaurant having dinner while it started and ended, just in time for us to leave and head over to the bar were some of us stayed until close time.
After this huge meet-up, I realized once more that I need to not only go out more instead of spending most the weekend at home, but also that I should make the effort (not that there’s much effort involved) to arrange weekend meet-ups with people I see less of during the year and who I always love to see again.
It was a busy weekend, but it all turned out great, despite our almost meltdown inside the restaurant, where three different explanations were given to the reason why the AC was not working as it should. I didn’t enjoy my Calzone pizza as much as I did last year’s lasagna, but now I know better. Also, if I schedule another event to that particular restaurant, I’ll ask if they’re AC is fixed because this year there was a ridiculously high temperature inside.
Meantime, I’m almost completely out of my parent’s house for good. Some more shopping and moving of stuff this next couple of weeks and I should be 100% away. Then to proceed to move some more stuff while already living on my new place.
I managed to play a couple of hours of WAR during the weekend and am now at level 14 on my Disciple of Khaine, plus I also tried out playing a Bright Wizard and a Sorceress, both only until rank 3, and I didn’t dislike either. I’ll post more stuff about WAR soon, since I’ve tried out new stuff including Realm versus Realm since my last post.
Still no The Force Unleashed, but I don’t mind waiting a little longer if I save 15 euros in the process.
I’ve played The Force Unleashed demo for the PS3 and found it rather disappointing. I finished the demo faster than the time it took to download and install and furthermore, I found the whole thing very “arcadey” with key combos and very hard to aim Force powers.
Oh well. I’ll wait for reviews before buying that one.
Speaking of play length: latest games, which are promoted for their amazing, ‘best ever’ graphics most of the time end up being really short experiences. This is often because game developers have a certain budget and deadline (though these are frequently slippery), and dedicate their time to make shiny new stuff that will look well in the promotional game trailers.
Now, I can’t say this is the case for The Force Unleashed, as I’ve kept myself from playing even the demo, but I’m leaving this comment here to essentially say it’s a shame that we are losing game length (the non-filler kind, please!) just to have über, never-seen-before graphics that will be surpassed by the next game developer in less than a year.
I like pretty graphics as much as the next person, but I think plot, character development and a decent amount of play time are a lot more important than ultra-realistic graphics that we see and drool, yes, but for a very limited amount of time.
Agree ! One reason why I still find Japanese RPG’s so compelling (the good ones mind). As for the force unleashed reviews are out and it seems it’s main problem is that it gives you cool force powers and then puts you against enemies that are immune to them.
I’m undecided if I should get it or not, they also say it has a good story.
I read a few reviews, and thay stated that it was not a great game, but nice enough for Star Wars fans. Since that’s my case, maybe I’ll enjoy it enough not to find that it was a waste of money.
Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of J-RPGs. All due to the turn-based combat system. I like faster-paced battles, that allow us to pause at some point if necessary but that don’t ‘make’ us pause for each of our characters repeatedly until the mobs are dead.
It’s too bad actually, as everything else I seem to like. The art, graphics, story, characters, and soundtracks. The only other thing I dislike is the fact that no one has ever made a normal-sized FFX Lulu figure (best-designed skirt ever! :P), so I can put her next to our Sephiroth, Cloud and the rest of the Final Fantasy gang back home.
Indeed this one (http://www.hlj.com/product/KBYFXS-5) is probably the best released and is far away from the best ones like this (http://www.hlj.com/product/KBYSQ-50).
Turn based battles dont bother me as long as the mechanics behind the combat and resources is well done. Still nowadays they are shifting more and more into real time.
All said I’m still to find an rpg in one of the “next gen consoles” that is better than Persona 3 heh
We have these kind of figures, which is pretty much what I wanted for them to make a Lulu as.
Plus a couple of Gashapons, but I already have that Lulu.
Oh, I forgot the other issue I have with JRPGs - save points. I realize they were necessary on the early consoles, but with today’s console technology it’s not. Oh well. I’ll just stick to drooling at the artwork and soundtracks, I guess. :)
Ah the action figures ! I usually don’t pay much attention to those :o ! And I must agree with you on the save point issue . But we have to remember that until now most of the next gen rpgs are on the xbox 360 where the hdd is optional and it only supports proprietary and over expensive memory cards. This sort of restricts the design and it’s possible that, that has something to do with the fact that save points still exist today. I’m still to see an rpg in the ps3 :| (I think there is one or two xbox ports and that’s all ? )
It’s a shame that Sony, with the PS3, didn’t follow the same ‘formula’ and didn’t attract the same amount and type of games as the PS2 did, as I consider the PS2 to be one of the best consoles ever made.
Maybe someday, if the PS3 price goes down and we find more than just a couple of cool enough games, we’ll get one to have the complete new gen console collection at our place. :P
Speaking of cool PS3 games, Little Big Planet sure looks cute. :]
Oh it sure does ! I have high hopes for it . As for the games, in Japan there are a few good ones already launched, unfortunately localization always takes a while (though most of them will probably never get here :P ), and the big names are taking their sweet time. Which is ok by me, I rather have good games that take the time they need instead of rushed stuff. Still soon(ish) there will be disgaea 3, White Knight and FFXIII, though this last one will be on the 360 as well together with another potential great game, Star Ocean.
The xbox 360 rpgs are nice, but none of them really shines. Like I said the best rpgs I ever played is still on the PS2 and later this year Persona 4 will arrive (YEAHHH, can’t wait, I even considered playing the Japanese version hehe). Oh yes this was and still is a great gaming console I won’t be putting it down for a long while ^^
I saw a really cool image of White Knight recently.
So far of all the console RPGs I’ve played the one I liked the most was Mass Effect for the XBox 360. Still want to try out Jade Empire for the XBox. I didn’t like Lost Odyssey though, because of what’s I’ve mentioned before (the turn-based combat system and the save points), which I’m hoping they’ll ‘fix’ eventually. Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core’s combat system seemed to be a step in that direction. But we’ll see if Japanese RPG developers understand that they’ll eventually reach an ‘evolve or die’ situation (at the very least applied to the save point issue).
They may die in the west but not on their homeland where they are the dominating force. They still sell way more there than everywhere else together, which is why they haven’t change to accommodate the preferences of the westerners and why they are so criticized by it. I honestly don’t care enough. For me a good plot and characters with decent backup in the game play(turn based and save points are fine with me :P) , trump over everything else.