Review: Final Fantasy XIII (Playstation 3)

Final Fantasy XIII is the newest title in one of the most popular JRPG franchises in the world.  Available on the Playstation 3 and XBox 360, Final Fantasy XIII boasts a fast-paced battle system, massive summons, and new world to discover.  The only question now is: Is it any good?  Let's find out.  Grab your sword and get ready to save the world (again).

First Impressions: Final Fantasy XIII

Most JRPGs are slow to get going, that's why you always hear people say, "Don't worry, it gets good after that."  What other genre would we give such latitude to?  I personally give JRPGs 8 hours to hook me, if they haven't done it by then it's usually a good bet that they never will.  I've been playing Final Fantasy XIII for around 15 hours now and I'm ready to weigh in with a few thoughts (minor gameplay spoilers up through Palumpolum to follow):

The [Personal] History of Video Games: JRPGs

Final Fantasy VII made me a gamer.  No, it wasn't the first game I played, but it was the game that made me serious about playing them.  I remember being in awe of the TV Spots that were shown with its release, I had never seen such a thing, they seemed so epic (I probably shouldn't have shattered that illusion by looking them upon youtube).  The first time I played the game was in 1999 when I visited a friend who lived in North Carolina.  He didn't own the game, his brother did, and I spent a disproportionate amount of my two week vactaion trying to beat it.

Bioware and the Art of Sex

The problem with sex in video games is that more often than not it reinforces stereotypes about gamers.  Despite all the claims of maturity, sex is still primarily presented in an exploitive manner meant to titilate the prepubescent boy within.  I say 'boy' because games are still primarily marketed towards the male consumer (unless the pale skin of Kratos get you excited, I suppose).  Even when men are presented as objects of desire, the element of attraction is usually grounded in some aspect of the personality rather than physical appearance.  Look at the perspective male romances in Mass Effect 2: Two of them are aliens and, depending on your tastes, not particularly attractive ones at that.  Whether you find Jack or Tali attractive, it's hard to deny that their character designs have some degree of sex appeal.

Review: Heavy Rain

Heavy Rain, the latest "interactive drama" from developer Quantic Dream, is a game where narrative is king.  With compelling characters, intense set pieces, and a branching storyline, Heavy Rain puts the player in a position where every action has consequences.  Building upon the ideas of Indigo Prophecy, Heavy Rain seeks to create an emotional experience that shouldn't be missed.

Setting the Stage

I come to my senses in a restroom, covered in blood.  I don’t know how or why, but a man is dead…and I killed him.  Hailed as an “interactive movie” by creator David Cage, Indigo Prophecy is a supernatural thriller that attempts to bring the best of cinema to video games.  While certainly cinematic in its presentation, the real strength of Indigo Prophecy is in its ability to construct a realistic world that immerses the player in the lives of the characters as a minute level.  It’s perhaps a little ironic that a game that wants to make a movie-like video game excels in what makes video games so unique: their capacity to directly involve the player in the world before them.

Morality Effect

It’s time for the morality system to evolve or die.  In a game like Mass Effect 2 every decision is designed to give the player direct control over the outcome of the story.  Unfortunately, the choices are only illusions designed to make the player feel as though they are in control.  Let’s face it, games can’t be completely open ended, they have to follow some sort of structure in order for the player to get from point A to point B.  Whether the result is two endings or two thousand endings, games will always be limited by the number of options a developer thinks to include.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

This is the first blog post I've ever made and to be perfectly honest it's both a little frightening and exciting at the same time.  Whether or not anyone ever reads this blog is beside the point, this is to prove to myself that if I set my mind to something that it can take shape.  Would I like for people to see my opinions?  Would I like for them to contribute in some small way to the ever-expanding web?  Of course!  But, if this blog is destined to be nothing more than my private corner of the web, at least I can say to myself that I made the effort.

So what's this all about?  Well, primarily I hope to give voice to my opinions on video games.  I know, I know!  There are hundreds, thousands, if not millions of pages on the web dedicated to video game culture, do we really need another one?  Maybe we don't, but if this is the space I have to scream and shout, then I'm going to shout about the things that interest me!  That's only fair, right?

That's not to say that I only ever plan to discuss video games, I'm going to try and spout nonsensically about a lot of topics, and maybe from time to time I'll contribute something worthwhile to the global conversation.

Stay Tuned.