Man, watching things like this really reminds me how much I love the Final Fantasy series. Square really has created a long lasting tradition of great music in their flagship series, so I’m hoping that Final Fantasy XIII continues to deliver the great medleys.
It’s actually pretty cool to compare this list to Anthony’s Top 5 Final Fantasy Musical Pieces from a few months back, which is entirely different. Though to be fair, this video only chose one song per game. So which on this list is your favorite? Did any get left out?
I am a rabid fan of RPG’s, and have been for quite some time now. I love playing an engrossing story, leveling up, and collecting loot. While these games used to be priorities in my gaming schedule, they’ve gradually grown a little weak, and perhaps, a tad too predictable. Let’s face it, if there’s one thing that we know for certain about video gaming, it’s the basic generic plot that most RPGs tend to follow.
GamesRadar has put together a hilarious, awesome and totally accurate list of 30 Rules Every RPG Must Follow in an attempt to outline just how cliche the stories of these games have become. Everything from the hero’s village being destroyed all the way to the mythical “ancient race”, they nail them perfectly.
I’d have to say my favorite bit is the one about the family sword that is passed down from generation to generation that also happens to be the worst sword in the game. What were your favorites? And what’s the last RPG you played?
Before there was Final Fantasy, before there was Mass Effect, there was Dragon Quest (Dragon Warrior previously). Dragon Quest was the RPG that focused on gameplay, grinding and consistency. It left the cinematics and mind-blowing graphics to other JRPGs, focusing on creating a fun world to explore with awesome monster designs and old-school notions. It’s actually more popular in Japan than Final Fantasy is. Shocking, no?
Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen was previously released in the United States in 1992. On the NES. If you were wondering why you never played it, that would be the reason. Sad to say, its also my reason. But now we have the DS release from this past October. Bringing the game into the new century with a few tweaks here and there and updated visuals, this is a must have for any RPG gamer.
Bioware is hard at work on The Old Republic, the MMO continuation of the KOTOR franchise. Right now, this is the only MMO that I’ve ever really been tempted to play, and the more content I see, the more I just salivate and have to avoid the Internet altogether. Seriously, this game might ruin me.
In preparation for the inevitable albeit mysterious release date of the Star Wars MMO, Bioware has published the first TOR webcomic. By the time the game comes out, there will be six total. Perhaps when the second one comes out, we’ll have a better idea of when this game might launch.
As far as webcomics go, I’m a big fan of the art, and it looks like it’s setting us up for a pretty grand and epic space opera once the game hits. While many of the commenters hilariously feel the need to gripe about what is just a bit of a prequel piece, I enjoyed it. What do you guys think?
The design philosophy behind the Halo series is “30 seconds of fun” on an endless loop. Yuusha 30 for the PSP is a game that takes this idea almost entirely literally. I heard about this over at BloodworthGT’s GameTrailers page today, and I find it to be incredibly fascinating, from a game design standpoint.
In Yuusha 30, the main premise of the game is that it is an RPG that is only 30 seconds long. You see, an evil wizard is casting some badass spell that is going to wipe out the entire world. As the hero, you have only that amount of time to level up and become strong enough to beat him, before it all comes crashing down. The result is total madness. Observe the first level:
If you thought that was nuts, it actually gets even more insane with each additional stage.
I can’t remember the last time I’ve played an honest-to-goodness fantasy game. Most RPG’s that I pick up these days are more sci-fi in nature, or steampunk, or anything else that decidedly does not have uber-awesome dragons and dudes in chainmail slugging it out in epic battles. This new Dragon Age: Origins trailer definitely has all of that and more, and really kicks up my excitement for the game to a new level. Anyone else geeking out with me?
And the hype begins. Bioware has released the first official Mass Effect 2 teaser trailer, and it is just that. A tease. Also, it’s incredibly short, but packed with some potentially interesting stuff. All I’ve got to say are these two things: do, and want.
Well, talk about a bummer. While we’ve already lamented at the numerous (and now almost comical) delays of many high profile Japanese developers, it seems that more are in store for Square Enix.
Some game-breaking bugs were recently found in Dragon Quest IX for the DS, enough so that the game is being delayed from March in Japan until July 11th. Unfortunately, these bugs may not be just specific to DQ IX, but may be reaching across to several other Square Enix games- including Final Fantasy XIII. While Square would not say whether or not Final Fantasy XIII would be delayed as well, they allowed for the possibility that something like that could indeed happen.
Once again, this is unfortunate news if it turns out that FF XIII is delayed yet again. We’ve already waited how long for this game?
I heart me some Bioware, it’s official. Their new game Dragon Age: Origins is slated for later on in 2009, and I couldn’t be more excited about the awesome fantasy potential in the game. These are guys are master storytellers, and it seems like they’re ramping up to give us quite a treat.
They even revealed today that the game is going to sport 6 unique intros, depending on what class of character you select. Each of these prologues is going to sport several hours of gameplay that define your character’s origin story, with choices that will effect the main narrative and how it plays out. Some classes are of noble lineage, and others are on the fringes of society. All of this takes place before the actual game starts. Basically, it’s like the origin choices you make at the beginning of Mass Effect, only this time, you get to play them out and see your character’s past.
Heck, they already made a Halo RTS. Why not a Halo RPG, Final Fantasy style?
While this video isn’t terribly original, it’s pretty well done and mildly entertaining. A bit too long though. The trick to a good short is knowing when to stop the joke, and these guys kind of went overboard. All in all, it’s worth a watch.
Here’s a new trailer from Bioware’s MMO, The Old Republic. While it may seem like just a regular old “making of” featurette, there’s actually a good bit of stuff from the game as it goes on. The more I see from this game, the more it ratchets up the “do want” meter that exists somewhere inside of my brain. Curse you Bioware!
It’s a special weekend here in America. A sacred one, if you will. You see, there’s this thing called football, and apparently a big showdown is happening tonight that we are all going to stop and marvel at. By the way, go Steelers.
However, the weekend is also the time for gaming. So what games have you guys been working on lately? Me, I’ve been doing some Left 4 Dead versus still, but the gaming gem I’ve been having a blast with lately is Valkyria Chronicles for the PS3. How nobody is talking about this game, I have no clue, but it might be the best PS3 exclusive out there, I’m thinking. It is also the best Strategy RPG I’ve played since Final Fantasy Tactics, and quickly becoming one of my favorites this gen.
Seriously, if you haven’t heard anything about it, it’s great. Beautiful art, addictive gameplay, a great step in innovating the SRPG genre. So what about you guys? What are you playing?
Just when I thought I wasn’t interested in Final Fantasy XIII any longer, Square-Enix goes and releases a brand new kick-ass trailer for it. Seriously, after seeing the same one for the last 3-4 years, it’s nice to see some sweet new footage, along with some really exciting battle gameplay. I guess I’m back on the hype train again.
The Fallout 3 DLC which so confusingly this week is now being enjoyed by gamers far and wide. Up until now, I’ve only seen screenshots of the thing, which is why it was nice of to Bethesda release this shiny new Operation Anchorage trailer to whet our appetites for some RPG shooter action.
I have to say that I’m an extremely huge fan of the ninja. So who all has played this? Thoughts?
For me, one of the coolest parts of finishing an open world game such as Grand Theft Auto IV or Crackdown or Fallout 3, is the ability to continue on around the world after everything is said and done. Especially in RPGs, where there might even be loads of sidequests yet to complete, so that you can truly experience all that the game you purchased has to offer.
A lot of people were upset with Fallout 3′s ending, which didn’t allow you to do this. So, Bethesda has heard the cries of discontent, and are releasing a patch this week with the DLC to allow 360 and PC users to continue exploring the post-apocalyptic paradise of Washington, DC. Cool deal, huh? Well, not if you’re a PS3 owner. Apparently, Bethesda has no plans for a PS3 Fallout 3 patch as of now, and they’re ok with that.
Kind of a crappy deal if you ask me. I’m not sure how game developers feel like this lack of support is ok for the gamers. Fair or foul for Bethesda? What do you guys think?
EDIT: Confusing much? According to The Bitbag, there is no patch for the 360 and the PC. Rather, this update is all part of the DLC- which the PS3 is still not getting. Hope that clears things up a tad.
You all know of my love for Mass Effect and its awesomely epic sci-fi space opera ways. As I’ve said before, it’s one of the more underrated games of this generation, and deserves a spot right near the top of the heap because of its excellent story telling, something that not many games do that well to begin with.
So, it should excite some of you Sony dudes to know that Second Story Gamer is reporting a rumor that Mass Effect and its eventual trilogy of games are all going to be hitting up the PS3. Their source says that this decision was made by EA due to the economic climate, and the official announcement will drop during GDC (also where Mass Effect 2 will first be revealed).
As I said before, this is a rumor, but even the idea of it is exciting. The thought of more gamers getting to experience such a fun title is always a welcome one. So what do you guys think?
We all know that Square-Enix has taken its sweet time on the last couple of Final Fantasy games, most notably Final Fantasy XIII. While many gamers were under the impression that it was coming to the US and Europe in 2009 (it hits in Japan later this year), that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Yes, ladies and gents, Final Fantasy XIII will not be coming to the western hemisphere this year. In fact, Square-Enix has recently said that FF XIII won’t release before April 2010 on these shores.
While I understand that these things take time, this to me is almost laughable. I mean, why were we seeing trailers for this 2-3 years ago if it’s so far from release?
So, is anyone still interested in this game? I want it to be good, but man, I’ve been seeing the same trailer over and over for years now so much that it’s hard to be excited.
I love it when fans devote their time to the things they love. That’s when you get stuff like this gem, where one man does all the parts of the famous Legend of Zelda theme. This is pretty incredible. I kind of heart him, and also his hats.
Apart from sounding like some kind of vulgar nickname for a body part, Fable II’s Knothole Island is going to be a downloadable addition that will hit XBox Live tomorrow. It offers extra areas to explore, along with some new sidequests to garner some more fame. Who knows, maybe there will be property there, as well.
One thing that it’s going to have is lots of lame. Why? It seems that one of the developers is hinting that Knothole Island is going to have a resurrection shrine, and that perhaps you will be able to reverse a couple of erm, choices from late in the game.
This brings me to one of my main quibbles about Fable II. But alas, there are spoilers. So only continue if you don’t care.
Every generation has its underrated games. The ones that get overlooked, missed and perhaps swallowed in the wake of the hype of other gaming behemoths. I feel like one of those games for this generation has to be Mass Effect, which presented a level of story and cinematic presentation that I feel was unprecedented and largely unnoticed when it dropped.
Well, the sequel should hopefully be an even better endeavor, and it sounds like we’re getting our first look in just a couple of months at GDC in March. Apparently, some Bioware dudes are going to be there showing off some of the level creation techniques they’re using for the second game, having addressed some issues that they had the first time around.
There’s a lot of other technical mumbo jumbo in there that I couldn’t discern, but who cares? I’m pumped about finally getting some Mass Effect 2 news! Who’s with me?
Welcome to GamerSushi!
I am a rabid fan of RPG’s, and have been for quite some time now. I love playing an engrossing story, leveling up, and collecting loot. While these games used to be priorities in my gaming schedule, they’ve gradually grown a little weak, and perhaps, a tad too predictable. Let’s face it, if there’s one thing that we know for certain about video gaming, it’s the basic generic plot that most RPGs tend to follow. 
Before there was Final Fantasy, before there was Mass Effect, there was Dragon Quest (Dragon Warrior previously). Dragon Quest was the RPG that focused on gameplay, grinding and consistency. It left the cinematics and mind-blowing graphics to other JRPGs, focusing on creating a fun world to explore with awesome monster designs and old-school notions. It’s actually more popular in Japan than Final Fantasy is. Shocking, no?
Bioware is hard at work on The Old Republic, the MMO continuation of the KOTOR franchise. Right now, this is the only MMO that I’ve ever really been tempted to play, and the more content I see, the more I just salivate and have to avoid the Internet altogether. Seriously, this game might ruin me.
Well, talk about a bummer. While we’ve already lamented at the numerous (and now almost comical) delays of many high profile Japanese developers, it seems that more are in store for Square Enix. 
I heart me some Bioware, it’s official. Their new game Dragon Age: Origins is slated for later on in 2009, and I couldn’t be more excited about the awesome fantasy potential in the game. These are guys are master storytellers, and it seems like they’re ramping up to give us quite a treat.
It’s a special weekend here in America. A sacred one, if you will. You see, there’s this thing called football, and apparently a big showdown is happening tonight that we are all going to stop and marvel at. By the way, go Steelers.
For me, one of the coolest parts of finishing an open world game such as Grand Theft Auto IV or Crackdown or Fallout 3, is the ability to continue on around the world after everything is said and done. Especially in RPGs, where there might even be loads of sidequests yet to complete, so that you can truly experience all that the game you purchased has to offer. 
You all know of my love for Mass Effect and its awesomely epic sci-fi space opera ways. As I’ve said before, it’s one of the more underrated games of this generation, and deserves a spot right near the top of the heap because of its excellent story telling, something that not many games do that well to begin with. 
We all know that Square-Enix has taken its sweet time on the last couple of Final Fantasy games, most notably Final Fantasy XIII. While many gamers were under the impression that it was coming to the US and Europe in 2009 (it hits in Japan later this year), that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Apart from sounding like some kind of vulgar nickname for a body part, Fable II’s Knothole Island is going to be a downloadable addition that will hit XBox Live tomorrow. It offers extra areas to explore, along with some new sidequests to garner some more fame. Who knows, maybe there will be property there, as well.
Every generation has its underrated games. The ones that get overlooked, missed and perhaps swallowed in the wake of the hype of other gaming behemoths. I feel like one of those games for this generation has to be Mass Effect, which presented a level of story and cinematic presentation that I feel was unprecedented and largely unnoticed when it dropped.
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