November 3, 2009
Filed under Games, The Role Playing Guy, featured
Role Playing Guy: November
Written by Mark | Contact this author
New Releases this month!
-Dragon Age: Origins:
The long wait is over! The age of the dragon has landed, what twisted paths will we weave in Bioware’s much anticipated Fantasy RPG? While I personally will be waiting to pick this up until I’ve finished Borderlands (a truly fantastic game that I do not want to force myself to forsake), I cannot wait to get my hands on this beauty.
-Phantasy Star Zero:
The end is near! And heralding it is the First MMO to be made portable! Unlike the PSP version, you’ll actually be able to take this baby online and play with friends easily. Though I guess its hard to call this a true MMO as the dungeons are limited to 4 players, it is certainly a closer step to the end of life on earth as we know it (just wait till WoW goes portable people..). I enjoyed Phantasy Star Portable, so I’ll no doubt get a kick out of this game.
Okamiden!
How Many people have played, or at least seen Okami? For those unfamiliar with Okami, this game was a work of art, with timeless design and unique gameplay, many rated the game a perfect 10. Well, good news to all, because the sequel is coming! And on the DS of all systems. For those who played the original, it incorporated a lot of drawing lines on the screen to perform perfect actions, so with the stylus driven DS, I couldn’t imagine a better system to handle this. Here are a couple screenshots, while it wont be as pretty on this system, it’ll still be a standout for the hardware, and the gameplay itself should be very fun and addicting. Keep an eye on this one, the game is expected sometime in 2010
Dragon Age: Origins - 11-3-09
Phantasy Star Zero - 11-10-09
FFCC: Crystal Bearers 12-26-09
Sands of Destruction – 1-12-10
Mass Effect 2 – 1-26-10
Parasite Eve: Third Birthday(PSP)
Back in the golden age of gaming, Squaresoft released Parasite Eve. Based on a haunting novel by Hideaki Sena. Parasite Eve was Squaresofts answer to the onslaught of survival horror games during that time. With its fantastic story and unique style of turn based/action hybrid gameplay, the game turned out to be a hit, as was its sequel. It’s a wonder why we’re finally seeing a third 10 years down the road.
Not much is known about the plot at this time, aside from that it will star the same heroine, Aya Brea. But it has, however, been announced that the game will be an RPS (Role Playing Shooter), much like Mass Effect and Borderlands (boy, these sure are gaining in popularity!).
Pretty much the only screenshot you'll find
There isn’t a lot of information and media available on this game quite yet, but you better believe this is high on my “to watch” list of 2010, based on the brilliance of its predecessors, I have high hopes for this game.
I started the month out with my second playthrough of Mass Effect, this time in asshole mode. I never realized how hard it would be to play the bad guy! There were even a few moments where the characters I was with convinced me to do the right thing! Yeah, a character in a GAME changed my mind, I love that this game can do that. The darker ending made me feel pretty terrible though, giving me the urge to play through a third time to account for my sins, I’m not sure how long I can resist that urge. Though I must save my favorite “evil” moment was punching the female reporter right in the stomach for being annoying, it was hilarious, though I felt bad afterwards. Seriously, play this game if you havn’t.
Then, Borderlands was released, and my free time has been occupied and will continue to be so with this title for some time to come. Borderlands is faced paced addictive action, coupled with the addictive loot whoring that us recovering MMO addicts get a major kick out of. The gameplay is just fun, there are so many ways to slaughter your enemies and each and every one of them if a blast. My favorite weapons so far are an acid spraying shotgun, A revolver that lights people on fire (with a nice scope), and a shotgun that deploys rockets (those launchers are just too slow). The weapon combinations in this game are just endless, and you’re going to get something different with each playthough. I have yet to beat the game, but so far have managed to my mid twenties (out of level 50) with Brick in single player mode and Roland playing co-op with my wife.
Lighting things on fire is just fantastic..
This is the funnest co-op game I’ve played by far, the wife and I are totally addicted to it. The enemies get much harder in co-op mode so you really have to work together to survive. The skill trees allow for quite a bit of flexibility. For example, I’ve geared my Roland towards the role of “healer” through a skill called “cauterize” that heals your allies with friendly fire, so I basically shoot them in the face to heal them, awesome!. With brick I’ve customized him towards a melee fighter with explosive damage. So basically everything he punches explodes, also.. awesome. After I finish my first playthough you can expect a glowing review of this fantastic title.
Oh.. and you're really going to f**cking hate these things..
Borderlands and lots of it
none this month
Breath of fire II
Released: 12-10-1995
Platform: Super Nintendo
Breath of Fire II remains one of my favorite RPG experiences growing up, right up there with Final Fantasy VI. This game was beautifully dark and enthralling. You start the game as a small child, Who mysteriously loses his father and sister, ending up an orphan. You later decide to go on an “adventure” with a friend, where you end up coming up against a massive demon that leaves you nearly dead. You spend the game discovering your own complicated origins, discovering the fate of your family, unraveling a massive religious cover-up, and finally confronting the demon and its master that nearly took everything from you. The story in the game is fantastic and moving, and among my favorites in RPG’s to date. It is likely where I really started to develop my love for much darker tales. The gameplay itself is quite difficult as with most RPG’s of old, but not too hard to understand. The music and graphics were fantastic for its time, the music especially moving or haunting at certain times.
I wonder whats in this cave... OH DEAR GOD, ITS EATING THE SOULS OF MY ANCESTORS!!
The only place Breath of fire truly fell short on was the endless amount of random fetch quests. After a very interesting introduction, the next 6 or so hours of this game are truly frustrating to get through, then it finally gets down to the meat and potatoes and hooks you for good. The good news here for those who are interested in checking this out, is that the game has be re-released both on the game boy advance and virtual console. Getting a copy shouldn’t be too difficult, and I HIGHLY recommend this title if you’re interested in classic RPG’s.
Borderlands will be holding my attention for some time to come, the only drawback is that there is no online or system link split screen available. Gearbox has stated that they will work to implement this if there is enough interest, and petitions have been generated on their forums here and here. Sign them if you want to help make this totally excellent game even better! It has also been announced that we’ll see the “zombie island” add-on fairly soon, so keep an eye out for that as well.
The holiday season is here! Tis the season to be gaming! I wish you all a wonderful month of turkey slaughter!
man, the temptation to pick up dragon age today is almost too much to resist. I need to stop time for a few days so i can catch up on my gaming!
Also playing Borderlands, but I don’t think my review would be as good as yours, Mark. To me it’s essentially a very solid shooter with a very weak coat of RPG slathered on. Granted, any game is made better with more RPG in it, but it seems like there just isn’t enough of it here. Borderlands does seem very MMO-y, with you generally doing quests by running from waypoint A to waypoint B killing monster C and collecting arbitrary item D. Then, at other times, it seems more like an arcade game where you’re completely overwhelmed by the oncoming hordes (or that one level 17 Bad Ass Psycho Bruiser that really shouldn’t be where you are) and end up dying multiple times and using the save-your-own-ass Second Wind ability.
Don’t get me wrong, though. Borderlands is a very fun game that should be enjoyed by (as Mark so poignantly stated) recovering MMO-addicts and frat boys with too much Halo time under their belts. Just don’t go into it expecting much RPG. If you want a true FPS/RPG, pick up a copy of Deus Ex (the first one, not that abortion of a sequel) or System Shock 2 (the first System Shock is a worthy play as well). But not Bioshock. Lord, not Bioshock. Borderlands has more RPG in it that Bioshock did.
exactly, its more of a shooter with MMORPG elements then anything else. the skill tree’s, the levels, and the loot. I tend to associate an RPG with a very interactive and engaging story. In Borderlands, you dont even have to read the story elements, its just mainly endless quest hopping. I do strongly agree that you should come into this game expecting a shooter more then anything. co-op is what makes the game truly worth it. spending 60 bucks for a fun co-op experience thats 5-8 hours long seems to be the standard for shooters these days. With borderlands you can easily get 20-30+ (very amusing) hours on your first playthrough, then you can do it again, and possibly even a third time before you hit the level cap.
I read about some crazy weapons the developers put in, super rare ones with wild modifications. the most interesting one i’ve read about so far is a rocket launcher that after shooting one rocket, it splits into two, after a few feet those two split into 4, and so on and so forth, on really flat terrain you can launch a full arsenal with a single rocket. so theres some draw to keep playing after 50 to collect some super rare and crazy weapons.
Ok, then you feel pretty much the same as I do about it. The commercials should’ve said it was a mixture of MMO and FPS. And those super rare weapons remind me of Phantasy Star Online (if anyone else played it on the Dreamcast or Gamecube) where you had to beat the game multiple times with your original characters (Normal, Hard, Very Hard) in order to get some of the unique weapons (the kinds with their own models).
Finally made it to the Dahl Headlands in Borderland last night with my level 20 Hunter (Mordekai). You know, it’s the little things that keep the game fun; like blowing an enemy’s head off from across the map and hearing your character let out a chuckle that’s eerily similar to the one you just made.
haha, i love it.
i’ve got my roland to 28 now. and through various mods and skills, he shoots a shotgun like an automatic rifle right now, its crazy!
Also, i picked up Dragon Age, and have put about an hour into it so far. its pretty freaking dark (and the blood.. dear god..so much blood!). I think i’ll like this one, the setting however doesn’t feel so fresh to me anymore, i’m hoping for a more unique approach as the story draws on.
Ummm.. Dragon Age… Ummm. Borderlands…
I would be picking Dragon Age up if I wasn’t so busy at work now. I haven’t turned on my Xbox in over a week now.. Well thats not true I watched 30min of a Netflix movie on Sunday. But no games.. I’m having withdrawal. But I’m just too tired when I get home that I just eat dinner and veg a hour before bed. Stupid 4th quarter. My busiest time of year and the time of year most of the great games come out.
Speaking of Great Games Here is my list of Best games I have Played that were released in 09. (not in any order)
1. Uncharted 2
2. Batman Arkham Asylum
3. Red Faction: Guerrilla
4. Resident Evil 5
5. 50cent Blood on the Sand
I know none of these are RPGs, but the great RPGs I played this year were not released this year.
*sigh* I think I’m gonna have to pick up Dragon Age tonight if Wal-Mart still has a copy available for the 360. Stupid pre-holiday season being inundated with amazing games to suck my time and money away.
agreed.. i’m skipping modern warfare 2 and hoping to pick up left 4 dead 2 with whatever i can scrape up this month. so many good games.. this is ridiculous!
I have so little time for dragon age that its sad, but hopefully i’ll get a few in this weekend. i hope to wrap up my first playthrough of borderlands first though. but i WILL be revisiting borderlands when i’m done with dragon age, what a fantastically fun game.
Left 4 Dead 2 is a surprising improvement over the first. It just feels right.
holy crap, the demo! i totally forgot. *downloading now*
The demo is out? Nice!
yeah, played the demo last night. There is something VERY satisfying about ripping zombies apart with a machete. it has the first two parts of the first level available. melee weapons we found included a frying pan, electric guitar, and machete. i found that melee was incredibly useful on the horde, but not so much with the special infected. the demo was a littly glitchy, but still fun! cannot wait for the complete game!
Nice! I have to say I was a little disappointed that the melee weapon replaces your pistol. Seems like it would still be fair to have both. I don’t remember if the melee weapons break over time? I played around with the katana at PAX, and it was most enjoyable. I really like the new reduced speed for players, that was one thing that always bothered me about the first. Much more intense now. And, of course, yes the new dismemberment system is quite welcome.
I spent alot of my time with the machete while my wife beat things mercilessly with the electric guitar (which yes, makes a very pleasing sound when you hit things with it) and nothing broke for us, thats an interesting idea though, would create some great “oh f**k” moments. I found the melee quite a bit more useful then the pistol, so i don’t think i’ll miss it. of course, i’m thinking on the higher difficulties melee may be impossible to use. Regardless of how fun it is, you still take a bit of damage charging into a crowd like that. Overall though, it looks like this will include everything i wished there happened to be in the original, well.. maybe not, now i’m wishing i could take some of my borderlands guns over to this game, Borderlands weapons RAWK.
Back to RPG’s..
I spent about 10 hours playing Dragon Age over the weekend. in terms of gear/skills/etc this game is a heck of alot more complicated then Mass Effect was, its pretty easy to get overwhelmed in the beginning, Thank god for the “easy setting” I cannot imagine what friendly fire would be like in this game (which is activated on everything but easy). Once you get used to the system though, you can devote your full attention to the story. And its pretty much what i expected from Bioware, the characters are especially well developed. That is something JRPG’s seem to have been struggling with as of late, weak characters that nobody cares about.
The story is incredibly dark, so its right up my alley. I have noticed several bugs that i’ve luckily figured out how to break out of (getting stuck in the floor after a cutscene, endlessly looping cutscenes) perhaps its just the sheer presence of EA on the game box that makes the bugs crawl out.. none of them are gamebreaking though.
I’m pretty addicted to this game right now, while my first impressions left me quite overwhelmed, after about 3-4 hours in, it really hooked me.
Yeah, I’m really getting into it, myself. At first I was a bit disappointed with the character creation and the lack of real exploration (i.e. you can only go to set points on the world map), but after spending a few hours on it I’m hooked. The voice acting and dialogue are top-notch, and the story is starting to unfold into epic proportions. The trick, I’ve found, is to really get to know your characters’ abilities (this includes the rest of your party). Playing as a rogue, I’ve gotten my ass kicked more than once simply because I didn’t know how to use my combat abilities. Most characters really can’t rely on simple brute strength.
I went with a human warrior and went full on tank build, so far i’ve had no problems since i’m absorbing damage like a sponge, that and he has a few knockdown and stun skills that keep your targets damage minimalized . i haven’t really bothered with the tactics menu yet, though i’m not sure i’ve really come across a difficult fight yet, i’m sure my strategy is going to have to change sooner or later. Right now its about pushing through the delicious story as fast as i can!
hot off the wire today
“Today, Square Enix officially announced that it will be released on March 9, 2010.”
Woot! MUCH sooner then i thought!
Wait… what’s it?
oh shit, how did i not put the game in there.. haha
Final Fantasy XIII will be release on march 9, 2010…. figures what i get for posting that right after waking up..
Haha well I imagine most people probably knew what you were talking about.