Guess I should probably post some updates. We're going in! BRACE YOURSELVES FOR TL;DR!
Phantasy Star Universe [PC]:So I read manual it seems that the "Pete" robot replaces PSO's Mags? Is that it? Great. Looks like I'd better start levelling Pete up, then.
About to face a boss, I think. In the formerly Green Green Farms. If that kid really doesn't want us to save his ass, I'd say we just let the Seed kill him. I'm tired of fighting stuff just to try to reach him only to have him turn on security and run away.
Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II Plus [GameCube]:Finished all of the Forest missions from the Hunters' Guild, which means that now I'm off to fight a damn dragon. Last time I tried this, I got little short of molested. With fire. Sure, I've levelled up a few times, got better gear, and learned a lot since then, but I'm still not confident. We who are about to die--
Metroid Prime:Got the "Super Missiles" and
the visor that lets me see forever. I'm not sure where to go now, so time to explore again.
I'm not crazy about how the Super Missiles aren't actually missiles but charged-up beams that use missile ammo for a special attack. Sure, it reminds me of/might be lifted from Super Metroid's Power Bomb combos (equip the charge beam and one other beam, then highlight the Power Bombs from your equipment bar and charge the beam fully), but I'd much rather it just be something like "hold down the missile button to load up five rockets that get combined into a familiar green missile." Maybe it's just me.
Beyond Good & Evil [GameCube]:I'd buy that for a dollar.
Oh wait, I did. Granted, I already have
the GOG.com edition, which I got for free from a contest of theirs a while back. The PC version, I thought, was a really bad port held back by awful controls that really made the game unplayable. I eventually got it running by using a third-party program to map controls to a gamepad, which pretty much defeats the purpose of playing it on my computer in the first place.
Turns out the GameCube version is even more unplayable because you CAN'T remap dick. I really couldn't care less, though, because after sinking a few hours into it to see what the big deal was, all I found is an uninteresting fantasy world with anthropomorphic animals (oh joy), unlikable characters featuring a Mary-Suish heroine who
fights with information! and
saves the children! and has
oooh, mystic powers sleeping in her!, rich in the generic third-person melee combat I got tired of before Ubisoft churned that crap out in annual titles, along with a pretentious story of post-9/11 sociopolitical commentary. At least the music was nice.
I want to like this game, but bad first impressions, inexcusable technical effups, failing to grab my attention, and the crap I mentioned in the last paragraph steer me far away from it. What the hell kind of game underestimates its Memory Card slot requirements by more than half and inverts
both the X- AND Y-axes? I mean, I've never NOT been disappointed by a game, any game, that has a Ubisoft logo on the box (to the point where I'm not paying for any more them, thank you very much), but this is just ridiculous. That being said, it's still not as dreadful as that RE4 port job. Cringeshudderpuke.
Bastion [PC]:Here's one I wanted to like, but the demo left me disappointed. Not just because it was too short, but because of technical flaws, gameplay/controls that didn't feel tight enough. Still, I couldn't deny the atmosphere, the art design, DAT SOUNDTRACK, and of course the narration.
It was on sale on Steam for $5 the other day, and the full version feels a lot more solid than the demo (maybe they'd updated it since then, or something). Brought 2 Cores to the Bastion so far. Beefed up my Hammer and improved the draw speed on the Bow. Using 'nades as a skill because damn, they're strong.
Section 8: Prejudice [PC]:Cleared the mission where you get the "Dig Two Graves" achievement at the end. The next chapter takes place in the massive cave, but I didn't feel like playing it, so I jumped into a multiplayer match... only to find that it was the same map as the single-player level I didn't feel like playing. Reached Level 25, got the sweet-ass Stealth Armour.
Again, for a l'il downloadable game with a generic-sci-fi-power-armour theme, S8P really satisfies. The PC version doesn't feel like a half-assed port and the game itself (including multiplayer) is all-around worlds better than the smegfest that was Halulz 2 for Vista (and I don't just mean the port job, either).
Killer7 [GameCube]:This is without a doubt the strangest came I have ever played. I mean, Psychonauts was weird, but there was still
some sense to it. This... This is just ODD, but in a violently enjoyable way, provided the "mature subject matter" sits right with you. The M rating is well-deserved not just because of LOLGORE, but because of how deranged and offputting this world is. Though I think the political commentary, however subtle, is a bit forced.
I haven't played another game like this and I don't think I'll be putting this one down soon. Much love, Suda 51.
Saints Row: The Third [PC]:And now for a completely different take on the M-rating. I went to the Montreal comic con on Sunday and, well,
SAINTS ROW, BITCHES. Though perhaps the comma is optional.
I think I found
a look I like for my character, Red. I wasn't feeling that space-army suit much. That being said, I think
the Deckers costume I got from that Assassination mission suits her well, pun not intended. And the best part?
The blue stripes glow.
Wrapped up the side Missions for Kinzie, Angel, and Zimos, finished Trojan Whores and The Ho Boat, laughed at Miller's pathetic attempt to get me to give him the truck, and chuckled at
a shout-out to my hometown in a cutscene.
Also, I gave Red the Russian voicepack and I assumed she'd have something to say to/about Oleg. Surely enough, one of her idle lines is "Oleg reminds me of my father."