Dragon Quest goes online!!!

SquareEnix held a press conference yesterday in order to announce the next game in their venerable series Dragon Quest. For a couple of years we have been hearing that the company was working on a game for an unannounced platform but now the long wait has ended. Dragon Quest X: Waking of the Five Tribes is coming out in 2012 for both the Wii and Nintendo’s upcoming new console Wii U. But here’s the real kick to the nuts: It’s an MMORPG, or in layman terms: an online RPG!!

Now I have been playing JRPGs for more than a decade and have always enjoyed this genre more than any other for their propensity of telling a great story with memorable characters. This is where JRPGs differ from other genres which become the perfect hook for gamers looking for a great yarn. That is why I have never been a fan of online RPGs as they kill the concept of a story. But as they usually come out on PC, and I do understand the fact that there are a huge number of people who enjoy playing online PC RPGs, but when some of the biggest JRPGs franchises decide to go it is makes me very angry indeed.

SquareEnix has been the past master of the JRPGs for years now and many of their games are great classics from the likes of Final Fantasy 4, Secret of Mana, Romancing Saga to name a few. I will even go on to say that I have never been let down by the company, except on two occasions. First came with the announcement of Final Fantasy XI. The leap from a single player experience to an MMORPG one was quite disappointing and I still hold against the company of ruining the numbered series. Because of that I haven’t even give much thought to Final Fantasy XIV, for me that game doesn’t even exist!

Dragon Quest X being an online RPG is the second instance that I have been disappointed by the company. Look I am all for innovation in the genre, hell I support positive innovation. But does the gaming industry need ANOTHER online RPG?!? If online component was so important to SquareEnix they could had done what they did in Dragon Quest IX i.e. providing a solid single player experience with the added option of going online and playing with a friend. For me that would had made sense. Oh well I guess what’s done is done, and it’s a shame really. I guess I will be ignoring this game and will be thanking the stars that The Last Story is in the process of being translated in English.

Trails in the Sky shine so Bright!!

In amongst the fans of the Japanese video games, Xseed as made quite a name for itself by localizing and publishing niche Japanese titles in the American market, which otherwise would had been ignored by bigger publishing companies. Xseed’s resume is indeed an impressive one with some good solid games published on multiple gaming platforms from the likes of Wild Arms 5 (PS2), Lunar Silver Star Harmony (PSP) or Fragile Dreams (Wii). Xseed has also partnered Marvelous Entertainment USA to co-publish a few more titles with Rune Factory Frontier (Wii) as the main attraction of the said partnership. The creation of the company is one of the better legacies of the last gaming generation which is still relevant in the HD era.

As impressive as all this may sound Xseed needed a proper AAA title to stamp its authority on the localizing market. Enter Nihon Falcom and their flagship game series on the PC, Legend of Heroes. Nihon Falcom has a knack of creating very robust RPGs with fleshed out battle systems and intriguing settings. Legend of Heroes: Sora No Kiseki was a PC game trilogy which was a big hit in Japan when it was released in 2004, while the ensuing sequels have also garnered massive following. It was a logical move when a port of the game series appeared on the PSP (Japan only) that the series truly hit cult status. For the non Japanese speaking public they could only watch at the sidelines, hoping against hope that some company would translate the game and release it outside Japan. It was really out of the blue when in 2010 Xseed announced a partnership with Falcom which would see release of not only 3 Y’s games in the space of 3 months but also the first chapter of the Sora No Kiseki series in 2011. Dubbed Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, was to become the most exhaustive undertaking by the company as the game had a staggering amount of text to be translated: 1.5 million Japanese characters to be precise! But when the game came out rest assured the efforts of the localizing team at Xseed had out done themselves as the translated script was full of witty and hilarious dialogue and characterization which went swimmingly with a fascinating story along with some solid RPG action. Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is the company's best work to date and easily one of the top PSP games.

So at first I wasn't all that impressed with the game as the first 1-2 hours lurched at a snail’s pace, the graphics weren't exactly great and the lack of voice acting soured the deal for me, but I stuck with it. And the more I played, the more I started to realize how the much game reminded me of some of the top RPGS of the PS1 era. Games like Grandia, Breath of Fire or Thousand Arms came to mind as I delved deeper into Trails of the Sky and that fact alone made it stand out among its peers. Characterization and dialogue were uniformly awesome with great banter among the characters, the sense of adventure and wonderment is prevalent throughout while the game play mechanics were slick and polished. If the game would had come out back in the day it would had been hailed as one of the greatest but even as it stand right now its still an awesome game for the PSP.

As for the general plot, that too adheres to the blue print of the 32 bit RPGS of the PS1. Basically the plot revolves around our two protagonists Estelle Bright and her adopted sibling Joshua Bright as they make ways around the Liberal Kingdom training to become Bracers; an organization that helps the people in need: be it killing monsters, upholding the law or doing things for the well being of the people. And through their training they meet and befriend new people as they slowly get embroiled in a huge conspiracy against the crown. It’s not as cliché as it sounds because the writing and pacing is excellent (something bigger companies can re-learn from this title), introducing new plot twists in each of its first 3 chapters, culminating in everything coming together in the final chapter. The ending does a great job in tying up loose ends, while opening up a whole new can of worms for the sequels. I really enjoyed the plot and the characters of Trails in the Sky and can’t wait to get to the conclusion of this inspired trilogy.

Legend of Heroes: Trails of the Sky is a turn based game but Falcom has added a few new wrinkles to the system which makes it a fresh entry. The fast pace of battles and the tactical nuances made the system deep yet rewarding, almost as good as the perfect turn based systems found in Persona 3 and Persona 4. More often than not I would actively be going out of my way to fight beasts and monsters as I trekked along the countryside or deep, dank dungeons. Another cool aspect was how slowly my characters leveled up as the final levels of my characters stood at 36 which made all the unnecessary level grinding a chore of the past. I also really enjoyed how the side quests were handled as well and due to their bite sized nature side questing didn't feel senseless or boring. It made balancing story progression and side-questing an enjoyable ride.

Some of the best moments of the game were undoubtedly the 4 main cities which the characters visit. Each of the cities has its own vibe from the sleepy town of Rolent to the industrial hub Zeiss. Talking to NPCs of these cities would always yield some interesting tidbit about the events that are taking place or stuff about the city they inhabit.

But perhaps the most awesome features of Trails in the Sky are the main characters. Although they do conform to the anime clichés but they still come off as refreshing and full of personality. Be it Estelle’s over exuberance, Joshua’s grounded sensibilities or Oliver's egotistic behavior, they all come off as quite endearing. It all helps with the stellar localization done by Xseed which sees such eccentricities come to life and how!.

Most people who will cast their eyes on the visuals of Trails of the Sky will NOT like them one bit. The game does not look that hot, even for a PSP game, but as a wise man once said ‘beauty is only skin deep’. The same can be said about this game too as once you get past the retro 32 bit look of the game, you will notice good amount of details in the environments. The towns are filled to the brim with small neat touches, the in game cut-scenes have loads of diversity and the battle visuals are quite easy on the eyes. Then again the game will NOT win any beauty pagents but that does not mean the game is awful looking, I would call the visuals.….charming!

Ok time to wrap this up: Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is a great PSP game and a really neat JRPG in its own right. The games does not reinvent the wheel but rather adheres to the typical JRPG mantra, but is presented in such a way that it makes for solid gaming. The story doesn’t takes itself seriously for most the game, the characters and relationships are both funny and touching, the game play mechanics add little nuances to the turn based system which keeps the system fresh and fun, and the huge world to travel and explore is downright addictive. PSP is really on its last legs but it still is chugging along willfully as Trails in the Sky still has 2 more sequels to come out to finish the trilogy. So hear me now Xseed: You better not pull a fast one on the PSP owners and the fans of this awesome game by not bringing out part 2 and 3. We want these games NOW!!!

My play through was 47 hours, 14 minutes and 28 seconds (47:14:28) while my rating is a solid 9!

Pakistan Zindabad!!!!

64 years ago a nation was created which aimed to become the bastion for Muslims around the world as well as safeguarding people from any religion while following the methods prescribed by the Holy Quran and the Prophet of Allah (P.B.U.H). Yes the country has faltered and now stands at the brink but we Pakistanis (regardless of race or religion) must unite and for once work for the the betterment of the country. May Allah grant all Pakistanis deliverance from a corrupt Government and May Allah smite all the enemies of Pakistan. May Allah bless Pakistan and every Pakistani with His Ultimate blessings and make Pakistan a great nation in the future. Happy Independence Day. Pakistan Zindabad!

Finished Mass Effect 2.....

Mass Effect 2 is quite easily one of the best games I have ever played. The breath of it’s epic scale, the magnificent sci-fi motif which rivals some of the best sci-fi works seen in movies, the huge cast made up of humans and aliens, each one with a story to tell, and of course the hybrid shooter and RPG mechanics all made for one awesome game which I would had not played if Mass Effect 2 had adhered to some of the Western RPG (WRPGs) clichés which I have come to hate. But thankfully Mass Effect 2 is an awesome beast of a game that will easily go down in my all time favourites list (a list which mostly comprises of JRPGS).

To say that I’ve had a sordid relationship with WRPGs is a bit of an understatement as every time I have taken the plunge to engross myself in a block buster game I have been bitterly disappointed. Throughout the last decade I have tried to play and ‘hopefully’ enjoy a game of this genre but it has always resulted in varying degrees of disappointment: be it the 90’s juggernaut Diablo 2, BioWare’s own Baldur’s Gate 2 or the fans favourite Planescape: Torment. It all came to a melting point in 2004 with the release of Fable for the Xbox as it became my most hated game of the last generation and I am still confused at why Fable has received 2 sequels and a lot of good press. For 4 years WRPGs became a no go zone for me as I was (still am) happy with RPGs of the Japanese kind, but when the first trailer of Mass Effect started to appear on the net I became genuinely intrigued. Here was a WRPG which was not set in a medieval fantasy setting and nor did the game play resemble anything like any other game of the genre. And by the time I finished Mass Effect I had become a huge fan of BioWare and as well as breaking my WRPG ‘fast’. But I did not imagine that the sequel would be so good that I would end up buying BioWare’s other WRPG franchise as a result.

Mass Effect 2 literally makes a mockery of the original!! If I compare both the games, Mass Effect feels like a broken, glitch ridden and clunky game: Mass Effect 2 is THAT good. Sequels are always better than original games, but Mass Effect 2 just takes this notion to another level. It seems that BioWare took everything that was good in Mass Effect and just cranked it up in terms of improving on those bits: the meandering plot narrative is replaced by a rollicking adventure saddled with a sense of urgency and desperation, and while Mass Effect 2 is the second part of the trilogy, its plot was still amazing and acts as a catalyst for the events in the final game of the series. The characters have added depth, complex personalities and twisted past and getting to know them and their past makes for some very interesting conversations and plot points. Return of some of the old members made the whole experience a bit more…. personal. The massive amounts of tweaking in the shooting mechanics made the cumbersome action sequences from the original a forgotten anomaly and made Mass Effect 2 game play more fun and tactically rewarding.

Combining action and RPG genres have been done before with games like Deus Ex or System Shock 2, but BioWare’s effort in Mass Effect 2 deserves special praise as the game has totally perfected the hybrid genre and raised the bar for other developers. The shooting segments were fun as well as having all the strapping of an action game like for example the cover system which was much easier to use, or the bevy of weapons which could be researched and upgraded. The new tactical commands, (which personally I didn’t use much), was also a neat addition. But the major complaint I have with Mass Effect 2 was the stripped down (nay dumb downed) RPG mechanics, and as an action RPG this was a bit of a moot point for me. There were very character customization options to choose from, there were no options of customizing weaponry or armour. I am hoping that if BioWare can address this issue in Mass Effect 3 it will be awesome!

Mass Effect 2 production values are staggering esp. the audio aspects. The visuals are really good considering that I never regarded the Unreal Engine to be capable of producing beautiful and detailed graphics. Some of the planets were downright magnificent as were some of the indoor environments. Facial animations were off the charts as every emotion was captured with insane detail while the general animation is also really good even though sometimes they would be a little wooden and stiff. There were quite a few instance were the visuals were not that good for example there were few occasions when the textures loaded a little slow, nowhere as bad as in the original but there were quite noticeable. Some of the characters supported the ‘vacant stare’ syndrome which was really creepy and kind of distracted me. But still the graphics are really solid which makes for a fine looking game.

The voice acting is really top of the line. Every voice actor has done a tremendous job in ensuring that the characters all sound natural and convincing. The cast members have some of the big names of the voice acting industry which includes the like of Ali Hillis, Steve Blum and Jennifer Hale as well as stars from movies and television like Martin Sheen, Seth Green, Tricia Helfer and Ynvonne Strahovski and their performances dispel the theory that big stars make the worst voice actors. Martin Sheen is one fine example as his performance as the mysterious Illusive Man was excellent. But one thing is for certain though that WRPGs uniformly have some of the best voice acting, far excelling ones found in 60% of JRPGs, and Mass Effect 2 is no different.

Ok so now to THE most important question: which one of the fine ladies in Command Shepherd harem did I explore the romantic angle of? At first Miranda Lawson (modelled on the lovely Ynvonne Strahovski) was the most obvious choice and I was doing everything as prescribed on online guide sites to further the relationship between Miranda and Shepherd. But half through the game that focus started to waver with the introduction of the biotic Samara, the calm and wise yet deadly Asari Justicar. Too bad that the game didn’t let me (i.e. Shepherd) go after her but the seed of doubt was sown. When Tali Zorah van Neema (member of the original game as well) was brought in the fold it really make made me forget about the buxom temptress and go for the ‘alien next door’ type!

There is something about Tali, even though she wears a full body suit and a mask, which has made her a cult figure amongst Mass Effect fans: Is it her personality, or her independent pilgrimage or her voice, I sometimes wonder. Even in Mass Effect I always enjoyed conversations Tali and Shepherd would have and now with the romancing option available I was more than curious to explore that path (to be little disappointed by how the whole thing ended..Let’s just say it was…tasteless). So yeah, Tali is also my favourite character followed by Samara, hell the entire cast was a country mile better than Mass Effect 1 and I cannot wait to see what new characters are introduced in the final game.

I take my RPGs very seriously, so I was taken aback at the pure awesomeness of Mass Effect 2. As I mentioned earlier I consider Japanese RPGs to be the ultimate representation of the genre and I still am on the fence about the typical Western RPG (with BioWare’s Dragon Age: Origin I am more than willing to try though), but Mass Effect 2 is just too good to be ignored. Every aspect of the game show cased BioWare’s high calibre as a celebrated game developing company. It is very easy to see that this game was a labour of love where everything made sense from the battle mechanics to the awesome story. Mass Effect 2 is a genius of a game that will go down as one of the best RPG ever made and anybody who knows me and my fanatic support of JRPGs; this may be one hell of a comment! My playtime: 36 hours 2 mins and my rating: 9.4.

Operation Rainfall

I am more than a little surprised at Nintendo of America (NOA) stance of not bringing 3 original Wii games in the US. Xenoblade Chronicles, Pandora's Tower and The Last Story are the games in focus of an aggressive online petition where the fans (including me) have been raising our voices in an effort to make NOA bring these games in the US. Operation Rainfall got my attention a couple of days ago on Siliconera and was intrigued at the epic scale of this petition. Unlike a normal online petition the fans have taken steps of pestering NOA on their Facebook and Twitter pages and pre-ordering huge copies of Xenoblade Chronicles on Amazon (still named Monado: Beginning of the World on the site). This prompted a rapid response by Nintendo on Facebook promising the fans an update soon much to the delights of fans and instigators of Operation Rainfall. Now I don't live in the US myself, but I want these 3 games to come out in North America so that I too can have a chance to import these games.

Today NOA gave the update which wnet like this:

"Thank you for your enthusiasm. We promised an update, so here it is. We never say “never,” but we can confirm that there are no plans to bring these three games to the Americas at this time. Thanks so much for your passion, and for being such great fans!"

I am still perplexed at response. Sure this looks like a normal PR reply, but for us fans it feels like a blow to the gut. What is really bugging me is why is Nintendo being so stingy about Wii RPGs, considering that Nintendo's own DS has been a RPG haven, both niche and mainstream. Yet when the fans are clamoring for 3 of the finest games on the system (in Japan these games have been pretty big), they are showing the cold shoulder. The kicker is that at least one game can actually make it to the US. Xenoblade Chronicles has a solid September release date for EU territories i.e. the game script is already translated in the English and yet NOA is acting like it doesn't care about the hard core fans. It's beyond logic!

But rather being angry, I am still hopeful. While browsing GameFaqs I read a wonderful reaction by a user named ignasia7, whereby he said that getting a positive reply so early into the operation is asking for too much and that the fans need to step up efforts while being cordial as the fact remains that this operation has made NOA get up and take notice. After reading this I can't help be a little optimistic but still think that one last push may be required to make NOA yeild. And if they do yield then this act will be considered as rebuilding bridges for the hardcore audience who felt betrayed by the Wii casaul angle and while also helping Nintendo in the long run with the Wii U on the horizon.

Till then I can only hope that these games do end up getting an American release, while in the worst scenario I can always import the game from the UK!

My most anticipated RPGs of 2011: Day 9

Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten – PS3 – 6^th September (NA), Q3 2011 (EU):

Nippon Ichi was always a peculiar game company which has made a name for it self by developing and publishing quirky and niche game titles without ever having a break out hit, a game which would put the company on the gaming map. 2003 was year when the company truly announced that they had arrived when they released Disgaea: Hour of Darkness for the PS2, and the thing which stood out the most that the game was still was a niche game! Disgaea was a SRPG through and through with the grid based mechanics, literally more than a hundred levels to gain, micromanaging the party with unhealthy amount of customization options and hours and hours of game play, all set in a weird and totally off the wall setting of the Netherworld. The game was not moody or twisted but was riotously hilarious with superb zany characters from the main protagonist the egoistic Laharl, or his mischievously evil vassal Etna to the bumbling angel Flonne or the super hero with a massive, ironically, hero complex. Many of the cut-scenes were really funny with pop culture references, raunchy under tones and generally wackiness, all done with top notch voice acting. Disgaea: Hour of Darkness was, as aptly put in GameSpot’s editor Greg Kasavin words, ‘consider Disgaea one great big thank-you card’ as the game is bursting at its seams with SRPG goodness and the game ushered a deluge of SRPG games for the PS2 which bloated the system library of RPGs to dizzying quantity.

Henceforth Disgaea became the brand name which Nippon Ichi wanted. The inevitable sequel and the handheld iterations gave the brand good credentials and became the grind fest for that serious RPG nut! But with the HD generation in full bloom fans expected Nippon Ichi to atleast update the look of this now venerable series and this is where the company faltered as the PS3 entry of the series looked EXACTLY the same as its PS2 predecessors with the same flat 2D sprites and uninspiring drab background art . For me Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice was a huge let down as the game really looked bad so much so that I didn’t even bothered buying the game!! Even some of the review stated this fact, and although visuals don’t make a game awesome, as the classic Disgaea fare was present, but the look of the game just killed it for me. I guess Nippon Ichi took the disappointment of the fans to heart as when they announced Disgaea 4 for the PS3; they went about in providing what the fans wanted.

Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten is set to become the first game in the series with crisp HD visuals. The whimsical look of the series is still intact with but now every sprite, background and the visual novel sections boast clean and detailed graphics. This is the look which Disgaea 3 should have had but it’s heartening to see that Nippon Ichi does have the ability to create HD graphics and its apparent that this time around they not left any stone unturned in their pursuit of giving a HD Disgaea game.

The plot also has all the strapping for a laugh a minute roller coaster ride. Like previous Disgaea games, this game too takes place in the chaotic Netherworld and tells the travails of Valvatorez and his struggles to usurp the throne of Overlord with the help of his werewolf servant Fenrich and Fuka, girl with anger management issues and a wannabe Prinny (the exploding penguin mascots of the Disgaea world). You can just tell from the outset that the plot will be rife with comedy and over the top situations, exactly how we Disgaea fans like it!!

But that’s not all, the developers have added loads more to the game play fodder with more crazy skills to perform, the whole throwing mechanics and tower attack system has become really insane (and silly), a new Punishment system (take it how ever you please!!), new character classes, a monster union mechanic, a map creator, an online mode, loads of DLCs (whew) which will make more a deep yet out of this world experience for the PS3.

Sony machines have historically been RPG power houses, but the PS3 has been lacking in that department, but with system now finally firing in all cylinders, Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten is the perfect sort of RPG to woo back those who had become disenchanted with PS3’s lack of quality RPGs. And if NIS America (Nippon Ichi North American arm) takes full advantage of the space afforded by the blue ray format and ensure that the whole game is fully voiced, has dual audio options and gives a sparkling and comedic localization, it will only bode well for the game. So after a couple of tumultuous years for Nippon Ichi in the financial circle and still seeing the end of the tunnel, Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten will elevate the company back in to the lime light and bring its awesome series back in to form for the HD generation.

Finished Valkyria Chronicles 2....

I bought Valkyria Chronicles 2 a week after its release. Being a huge fan of the original, when the news that a new Valkyria Chronicles was coming I was ecstatic. Initially I was kinda bummed out the game would be coming on the PSP and not the PS3, but once good reviews started rolling in and when I watched the video review on GameTrailers all my anxiety vanished. And once I fired up the game and started playing, I instantly knew I was playing a pretty special game.

What impressed me the most throughout my playtime is how polished and deep the battle system had become from the original with its varied missions and the customization options. The core battle mechanics (called the BLITZ) are the same as before and so were the different classes, but this time around new classes have been added, and that turned the whole experience on it head. I now had control over elites and specialized units such as the Gunners, the Fencer unit or the support unit in the Anthem Corps. Every class can be outfitted with modern day weaponry according to their respective class so the shock trooper can equip machine guns, scouts can equip rifles and lancer can use rocket launchers. Due to the increase in classes the level of tactics change dynamically in every battle which paved a way for exciting scenarios and strategies. So maybe for the next Valkyria Chronicles for the PS3, the fleshed out system used in VC 2 can be adopted, which will definitely equate to some awesome game play.

On the presentation front, VC 2 gets the job done and in style. The graphics doesn’t strain the PSP hardware in any way, but the game still looks really solid. The character designs, animations, background art and the manga style cut-scenes shine quite nicely on the PSP screen and makes for some good eye candy. A handful of anime cut-scenes are also present and they are rendered quite well. All on all Valkyria Chronicles 2 makes a strong showing in the graphical department.

The game has a lot of voice acting as all the important cut-scenes are voiced, but the game is not fully voiced as many of the expositions are text based supported by voice clips; hearing Avan Hardins dumb laughs got really grating at times. But still the quality of the voice work is commendable and unlike normal JRPGs many of the voice actors have done a great job in sounding convincing and natural. Sure there are a few performances which were spotty but Avan Hardins (Jason Spisak) and Zeri (Crispin Freeman) were the real standouts.

Another strong aspect of the game are the characters. Don’t get me wrong as many of the characters are your run of the mill anime clichés, but there are more than a handful of well developed characters in the main characters roster as well as the supporting cast. Avan Hardins and Zeri were easily the best ones and here’s how: Avan Hardins quality as the leader of the pack and his undying determination against unnerving odds gave the character real depth. Although on first impression Avan’s character came off as callous, but as the game progressed I got swept up in his enthusiasm and the trust he had in his comrades. Zeri is the no nonsense and strong headed Darcsen (a minority and a discriminated race), but his struggle to bring good name to his reviled race was quite inspiring and I could not help but root on his character, coupled with a few awesome moments in the game made Zeri a very good main character. But on the other spectrum some of the main characters were not as impressive especially the character of Cosette Coalhearth, the demure damsel in distress archetype. Oh and talking about characters a welcome addition to VC 2 are the Classmate missions, small bite sized mission which help unlock new skills as well as conclude some personal bits for the characters, this made my get really close to many of the team members.

Anyways now to the some of the things I didn’t like in the game: First off was the story which was just decent and no where on the level or scale of the original. The saga of a rebellion after the Europan War had a lot of potential while the whole concept of genocide against the Darcens was also quite intriguing but in the end it kind off petered. Valkyria Chronicles had a great plot with some truly outstanding twists and turns and the non-preachy anti-war approach, the plot was tightly woven and had some amazing heart wrenching moments as well as the satisfying ending. In comparison VC 2 plot came off as pretty weak, although the story revolved around a rebellion and the ensuing civil war, it wasn’t as bold and hard hitting as the original. And while I didn’t mind the whole high school/military cadet college setting of the game, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something more edgy would had been much more appreciated.


In my opinion the biggest criticism I had with VC 2 was the plot narrative. In the original every battle, every skirmish, every cut-scene had some weight to it, where the epic scale of war was felt in every action I took. The narrative was told through a book show casing the struggles of Squad 7. In VC 2 the story is told via small snippets of random class banter along with story related segments which muddled the story telling process. Even in the mission structure I would have to play through 3-4 meaningless missions to get to the next story mission which just didn’t go down well with me. I mean I couldn’t feel connected to Class G’s aspirations and because of that I was more than a little annoyed at VC 2’s approach

Another aspect of VC 2 which I did not agree to was the change of the graphical style from the original. Valkyria Chronicles’s water colour like aesthetics were quite incredible and such visual splendour still has not been replicated. At first I would think that due to the hardware limitations such aesthetics would be nigh impossible for the sequel, but as Valkyria Chronicles 3 for the PSP shares the water colour look of the original, I cant help but be disappointed by the graphical style of VC 2. Although there is nothing wrong with the anime aesthetics of game, but if your compare it with original it just looks very jarring.

I could had played this game a lot longer as after the game ends, new missions open up to gain extra mileage, but I didn't even bother as once I finish the story mode of any game I lose incentive to keep on playing.


In conclusion despite a few misgivings I found Valkyria Chronicles 2 a really addictive game, and in that essence a quintessential game for the PSP. The deep battle mechanics, variety of mission structure, good graphics makes Valkyria Chronicles 2 is fine achievement for the PSP and fans of the series will really dig the game. My play time: 50 hours, 2 minutes and 26 secs. My rating: 8.8.

My most anticipated RPGs of 2011: Day 8

Solatorobo: The Red Hunter – DS – July 1^st (EU), August 2011 (NA):

In most things in life, time has the ability to change everything. This notion is also true for the video game industry. Staples which were considered as irreplaceable and being the norm of the industry have either been reworked or cast away out right. One of these norms were games which had anthropomorphic characters as their main leads which in itself gave birth to some of the most iconic characters in the industry. From the likes of Sonic and Crash to the modern day Banjo and Sly Cooper, these characters (or lovingly known as ‘furries’) were dime a dozen from the SNES days right down to the PS2 era, at times there seemed no stopping such characters from sprouting up in most games. That all changed when the current generation was ushered in late 2005, as the furries were put on hold and game developers started focusing there energies in created sophisticated, true to life graphics and believable worlds. Although I still have mixed feeling about this trend, but the fact remains that with the evolution of technology, such a change was all but inevitable. So where does that put the furries? Sure a few developers are still interested in creating games with furries, but not as many as before. So hence the game which is featured in this post comes as a pleasant surprise, and like cherry on top it’s a RPG. Match made in heaven if you ask me!

Solatarobo: The Red Hunter for the DS is the spiritual successor to an old PS1 cult hit, Tail Concerto. Both these games take place on spectacularly fantastical worlds which are inhabited by furry humanoid characters. One of the main features shared by both games is Mechs, elaborate robots used for travelling, warfare and every day use (something very similar in those anime with huge mechanical robots). Tail Concerto came out late 1999, developed by Cyber2Connect and published by Atlus, and while it did not win any awards, players were hooked on to the play mechanics and the quirky setting of the game world, and since then fans have to clamouring a sequel to the charming title. In early 2010 Namco Bandai announced Solatorbo for the Nintendo DS, and Cyber2Connect were behind the development, and that unlike the original this game would be an action RPG. Although it has taken the usually localizing shy Namco Bandai a while to announce an English version, the game is finally prepped for a summer release. For a small number of loyal fans this is great news, and for people like myself who didn’t play the original this will be a good way to check out why Tail Concerto gained a loyal following, although both games are very different in nature.

The game takes place on the floating islands of Shepherd Republic where the inhabitants are made up of dog and cat like creature. The story picks up when the protagonist, Red Savarin, a hunter by trader, is commissioned to retrieve an important document from some ruins. The plot is not the most original but it seems to get the work done, while the characters conform to the anime aesthetics. Personally I was intrigued the moment I watched the long trailer from last year’s Tokyo Game Show, as the game looked quite spiffy, with incredible 2D back ground art and solid 3D graphics (something which DS struggles with), while the game mechanics seemed interesting with the meshing of platforming, adventuring and RPG mechanics which come in the form of customizing the aforementioned mechs. The game visuals are a treat in my opinion, and will even call it the best looking DS game yet. The levels of detail in some of the backgrounds are astounding and I can’t wait to see more of this beautiful world. The cut-scenes look quite amazing as well presented like a graphic novel, and it all looks really polished.

The game not only looked amazing, but what really attracted me was the comeback of the furries and the crazy world which the game takes place in. As I mentioned a couple of paragraphs ago how the industry has moved away from this trend and are more interested in creating amazing graphics, so in that regard Solatorobo: The Red Hunter represents a return of innocence, and that is why this game became a part of this list. And with just 10 days to its release, the anticipation is growing steadily.

My most anticipated RPGs of 2011: Day 7

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2: Innocent Sin - PSP - September 2011:

For a couple of years now there has been a perception in amongst the gaming fraternity that Japanese role-playing games (JRPGS) have become redundant and may very soon take the path of the adventure genre i.e disappear from the scene before a mini-revival takes place a decade later. Yes there maybe some truth behind it, where even the once invincible SquareEnix has faltered a little, but a matter of fact is that such a perception is far from the truth and there has been one company that has been hell-bent in proving this. Atlus is considered to be a messiah for JRPG fans as year after year their JRPG games make it to the top, literally culling the notion that the genre has become worthless. What separates Atlus from the other companies is how they still cling on the very Japanese mechanics of the genre yet making it slick and intriguing to make it a part of the current generation. What once was a niche company has now become one of the top players in the JRPG scene.

Shin Megami Tensei series has been Atlus's main franchise for more than 2 decades now. The series is well know for its references to the occult and cyber-punk as well as modern day settings, while it the series cuts no corners in sticking to turn based mechanics configured for any gaming generation. But for Atlus the spin-off of SMT series, the Persona series, has seen them become a house-hold name for JRPG fans around the world. Since Persona's inception in 1996 the series has gone from strength to strength and now a days every Persona release ends up creating a lot of hype. So what that has done is now Atlus is bringing out the older Persona games for the PS1 era and porting them over to the PSP with clean up graphics and a redone soundtrack. Last year the original game of the series was released, Persona, to mixed reviews, but that still didn't stop Atlus in announcing Persona 2 games as their next game in the porting scheme of things.

Persona 2 was a huge game. So huge that Atlus had to make two games out of it, the first game being Persona 2: Innocent Sin, while the other was named Persona 2: Eternal Punishment. Both games did not actually come out together, as Eternal Punishment was released a whole year later. The events and the characters maybe a little different in Eternal Punishment, but every thing was connected, which created an epic story line to follow. Back in the day the English localization of Innocent Sin was riddled with snags and hitches due to some sensitive matter present in the game (something to do with the appearance of Hitler), which saw that Innocent Sin never came out in English, rather Eternal Punishment was the only game which saw the light of day . This was indeed unfortunate as many thought that they were cheated by with just the concluding chapter to Persona 2.

But now after a whole decade, Atlus is doing it best to correct its mistake by announcing the PSP port of Persona 2: Innocent Sin for the English gamers. The PSP port came out a month ago in Japan, while the English version is a just a couple months away. This indeed is awesome news, as now I will have the chance to explore the haunting world of Persona 2 and check for my self what the whole fuss was all about. This game has got me all excited as it has been 3 years now since the last Persona game (not counting the Persona port), so right now any Persona game will do. Innocent Sin's setting is very unique where the game takes place 10 years ago in Japan in a fictional city of Sumaru City, where a cursed as gripped the city where rumours about a serial killing Joker are coming true with a spade of horrific murders.

The game is turn based, where the players have the ability to summon their inner personas to battle demons. An interesting twist to this formula is that the game encourages the players to make contracts with the demons through, oddly enough, dialogue. Say the right things at the right time and the demon will make a contract, (Alas wish life was that simple). Everything about Persona 2 is novel (at least for a 10 year JRPG) and has plenty of modern day references such as characters using mobile phones or the Internet. Even the main characters are very different from your run of the mill JRPG characters, who are made up of high school students, editors of a teen magazine or self proclaimed musicians. Yes the game is really old, with dated graphics even for the PSP, but its a Persona game, and you can bet your bottom dollar that the story and setting are a cut above the rest. The Persona series may not be a staple franchise in lieu with the Final Fantasy or the Dragon Quest series, but it still gives those series a run for their money.

So here's hoping the game is still relevant as it was 10 years ago, and fingers crossed that E3 has some sort of announcement of a new Persona game.

My most anticipated RPGs of 2011: Day 6

The Last Story - Wii - TBA:

The name Hironobu Sakaguchi is synonymous with the brand Final Fantasy, as its creator Sakaguchi has been at the helm of some of the best games in the series, as well as being the executive producer/producer of countless others. His reputation was built on an unwavering stance of providing extremely polished games to the players and the will to bring something new to the plate. But when the failed movie venture, Final Fantasy: Spirits Within in 2000, came out to massive amounts of negative reviews, he voluntarily left SqaureEnix to make a new company named Mistwalker.

Since then the company has made a few solid if unspectacular RPGs for the Xbox 360 and the DS. But with the The Last Story the company is aiming for something substantial, but what is more important that Sakaguchi-san is the director of the game after a span of 19 years!. His last game as a director was Final Fantasy V for the SNES, so you can see The Last Story is quite an important game for the RPG genre. The Wii may have been an odd choice for a game for this caliber, but with the Japanese release early this year to some really good press it is a clear indication that the game and and console of choice was indeed inspiring.

The Last Story may very well be the last game from Sakaguchi and so the game seems to have pulled all stops and is set to give a great RPG experience. The game uses a variant of the turn based/ action RPG mechanics and twists it in a new direction. It is a huge departure from the turn based system which Sakaguchi specializes in and in the case of The Last Story this translates in huge expectation of RPG players on a whole.

While the setting of The Last Story is reminiscent of awesome games like Final Fantasy XII or Vagrant Story with strong medieval influences, but it still has stamp of a master who knows and loves his trade and it will be interesting to see if whole product is as polish as Sakaguchi older games. Oh yeah the game also sees Nobou Uematsu as the music composer which is always an awesome thing and we can expect the same high level of compositions Uematsu-san is know for.

The Last Story still awaits an official announcement for an English version but very recently there have been rumbling of an announcment soon, but till the E3 arrives its still all up in the air. The Last Story is very easily the last big game for the Wii and if it strikes gold then Wii will end up having one of the best RPGs in years. I really hope the game does get a English version and is as good as the hype!

My most anticipated RPGs of 2011: Day 5

White Knight Chronicles 2 - PS3 - 8th June (EU), 2nd August (NA):

Level 5 has quite a track record since it came into being in 1998. From the Dark Cloud series or the modern Dragon Quest games to the charming Professor Layton games, Level 5 has been untouchable. Their penchant of making quality RPGs rivals that of SqaureEnix (and that is saying a lot in my opinion). So when Level 5 announced their new IP, White Knight Chronicles for the PS3, the whole RPG fraternity held their breath in anticipation. When the game did come out it was not up to the lofty standard Level 5 had set themselves, and while the game was well received by the gamers, the critics weren't all that forgiving and the game collected mixed reviews. I am one of those gamers for which reviews scores mean a lot, so I proceeded in avoiding the game altogether.

Last year Level 5 announced that a sequel was in the works and everything in the game had been tweaked, and now with an English release just days away, I am hoping that the improvements makes for a better game (and get better reviews).

White Knight Chronicles 2 will start from where it left off, so I will need to read up on the events of the original. PS3 is in need of an epic JRPG, and White Knight Chronicle 2 may just be the game. The original game had a neat looking battle system and those mechanics seem to have been tweaked a bit in the sequel (in videos), while graphics have been given a little touch up as well. So although I may still end up feeling disappointed in this game, but I as a fan of Level 5, I am willing to bet that White Knight Chronicles 2 might just become a surprise RPG of 2011.

Join me tomorrow for another game in my list.

My most anticipated RPGs of 2011: Day 4

Valkyria Chronicles 3 - PSP - TBA:

Valkyria Chronicles 3 came out in Japan earlier this year to good reviews, and although an official release date has not been given for an English version, but I still think the game will come out this year eventually.

Valkyria Chronicles series may well be one of the most under appreciated RPGs ever made. And too think that this is a series made by Sega, it more heart rendering that Valkyria Chronicles games never got much attention. The original game on the PS3 was a beast of a game, with action oriented mechanics, a great story line and expectational production values. But the attention it garnered was down right criminal as the sales of the game in the West was pretty low. Even in Pakistan not many RPG players invested in this gem. Same can be said about the sequel on the PSP with low sales despite very solid reviews. If you though the original had it bad, for the sequel it got kinda worse as many of my PSP onwing friends didn't play it at all!. But as the games ended up getting cult status, the people at Sega still found it in themselves to support the series.

Valkyria Chronicles 3 point of interest is the plot as it occurs during the events of the original game, but this game deals with the Gallian Army Squad 445, or the 'Nameless': a squad made up for criminals and military offenders i.e. a black sheep squad, that was involved in black ops, hence their story went unnoticed, until now. Now I totally fell in love with the characters of Valkyria Chronicles, but now with a chance to see how the 'Nameless' made the victories of the heroes of Squad 7 a reality I can't help but being excited about it. And I can bet the game play will be fleshed out and more strategic. That said I would had loved Valkyria Chronicles 3 to be on the PS3 as a game of such a stature required a console release but I am happy that the series is still on going.

As I said earlier that the game has not being announced for an English release, everything points to a E3 announcement! Fingers crossed!

My most anticipated RPGs of 2011: Day 3

Final Fantasy XIII-2 - PS3, 360 - Q2011:

Let me cut to the chase: I totally loved Final Fantasy XIII. Loved the graphics, the soundtrack, the battle system and the characters (esp Lightning). I get all antsy when the 'real' FF fan boys start blasting on the game for NO reason AT ALL. Yes the game wasn't as good as some of the best Final Fantasy games (Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy IX), but was a darn awesome RPG and a good entry in the series. Anyways I heard rumors on the net late 2010 that SqaureEnix was thinking about a direct sequel to the game, but when they confirmed it during the Final Fantasy Conference early January I literally flipped. I have been a huge fan of the Final Fantasy direct sequels (Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings) , and I have no doubts that this game will be as awesome as the rest.

The ending of Final Fantasy XIII was quite epic to say the least. Although I loved the game, there were a couple of things which weren't as polished, but the ending just vanished all of those misgivings. But now with Final Fantasy XIII-2, I would want to see a bit of work in some of those areas which were lacking. For starters I want a huge sprawling world to explore complete with towns and labyrinthine dungeons, and I want a story line which is a little cohesive. The people at SquareEnix have said that they taken feedback from fans and will deliver a game which will exceed the original. Paint me very excited!!

But what I really want to see in Final Fantasy XIII-2 is how the developers evolve the main protagonist Lightning. For me she is one of the most awesome characters in video games. Tough exterior with a soft core (VERY different from the angst-fest Cloud and Squall or the over the top Zidane and Tidus). So a story which revolves around Lightning a bit more than the original will really be awesome!

Here's hoping that the E3 shows a detailed look of the game (right now only a minute and half trailer and 3 screenshots are available) esp the game play department. With a vague 'Coming next winter' release date featuring in the trailer, I really hope this game comes out this year. Cant wait!

On to tomorrow for the game on my RPG's of 2011.

My most anticipated RPGs of 2011: Day 2

Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - PC, PS3, 360 - May 17, 2011 (PC):

This game was never in my list as a potential awesome RPG I would want to play, but due to constant ranting by a friend of mine (who is playing the recently released PC version) I decided to check the game's previews, videos and screen shots. Needless to say I was pretty much blown away as the premise, the production values looked positively outstanding. My excitement became tenfold when I found out that unlike the original game which was a PC exclusive, Witcher 2 is a multi platform game with the console release in the works. The game right now is out on PC which gave me a chance to read its reviews (Very high scores from majority of game sites) and hence this game made my list as one of most anticipated games this year.

The element which piqued my interest (after checking out screenshots and video) was the dark fantasy setting. Recently I have become a fan of the HBO TV show 'Game of Thrones', and Witcher 2 seems to share that setting, albeit with an extra dose of fantasy. And besides the main protagonist Geralt seem like a really complex character and getting to know what his future hold seems like a good hobby. And lastly Western RPGs always seem to have outstanding plot complete with awesome fantasy trappings that makes for a riveting plot and I am guessing Witcher 2 will be the same.

And if by any chance the console version looks even half of what its PC brethren, then that will make for a gorgeous looking game. I mean the game looks, grim and haunting yet utterly beautiful and inviting!

Now usually I don't really care about WRPGs (mainly due game play), but I am genuinely excited about this game and I really hope the upcoming E3 can cast light on a console release for Witcher 2.

Onwards and upwards for more RPGs goodness tomorrow.

My most anticipated RPGs of 2011

2011 so far has been a pretty good year for a number of genres like FPS or action adventure games and it would seem (from the release dates) that this trend will continue for the rest of the year as well. OK lets see now we have Gears of Wars 3 primed for release very soon, Infamous 2 June's debut is pretty close and Uncharted 3 is set for the fall release. But as much as this year has been awesome, there have been a woefully small number of quality RPGs coming out in 2011 and this fact is indicative of the new direction the current generation is taking. This is not say that 2011 has been or will be barren for RPGs, on contrary there are number of pretty solid RPGs coming out and although I am a few months late in bringing out this post (there have been around 3 good RPGs released in this time), but from today till the 2nd of June I will be discussing 10 of my most anticipated RPGs of this year (well...of 6 months that is):

1) Xenoblade Chronicles - Wii -September :

A simple and plan fact is that Wii has not been a power house for RPGs (even with the incredible popularity of the console), but unlike Nintendo's previous console (GameCube) there have been 3-5 solid RPGs for gamers to choose. But the console is still missing THAT epic RPG, which would define the console for RPG players. This is about to change though with the release of two RPGs from experienced developers. First I will talk about Xenoblade Chronicles. The game comes from the team which has made a HUGE name for themselves with the superlative Xenogears and XenoSaga series, helmed by Tetsuya Takahashi and the game company Monolith Soft, backed by Nintendo (phew). Now that is a quite a pedigree if you ask me, one which will catapult this game to a top billing for RPG players. The game was originally called Monado: Beginning of the World, but was thankfully changed to Xenoblade in honor of Takahashi (the creator of the Xeno brand games). Nintendo has a sure-fire winner on its hands and has done well in becoming the publisher, meaning the quality of the localization will be great. As a Wii owner I can't wait to get my grubby mitts on this one as soon as its out.

The premise of the plot takes place on top two crystallized gods where humanoids and machines have taken up residence and are now embroiled in a never ending war. From the outset the game already has a unique backdrop which will inevitable open up into something epic. Tetsuya Takahashi has also pointed out that the narrative will be quite different from the cut-scene heavy XenoSaga series (much to my chagrin), while also having emphasis on exploration. Consider this as an amalgam of eastern story-telling with western game play tropes. This will be very interesting indeed!

The game play resembles Final Fantasy XII (ala offline MMORPG), while players will have the freedom to input commands as well. I am one of those who actually really liked the MMORPG mechanics from Final Fantasy XII and after going through quite a few of game play video that mechanics looks very solid in Xenoblade Chronicles. I am very excited for the game play and with a promise of 50-60 hours of the main plot Xenoblade Chronicles has a lot going for it.


The technical aspect of the game looks really spiffy with some awesome visuals, perhaps one of the best looking Wii game to date! The screen shots and videos showcase huge environs to explores, beautiful vistas to behold and attention of a lot of detail. I mean lets face it, Wii isn't known for a its graphics, but Xenoblade Chronicles really does look good. For me the look of the game is very similar to many of the outstanding PS2 RPGs and I felt a twinge of nostalgia looking at screenshots and videos of the game.

But the soundtrack has all the bearing to be very memorable. Yoko Shimomura (of Kingdom Hearts and Legend of Mana fame) and Yasunori Mitsuda (of Chrono Trigger/Cross and XenoSaga fame) providing the sound track!!!. I mean two of the finest composers in the game industry working together can only mean that the sound track well be of dizzying quality.

So yeah it will be a huge understatement to say that I am excited for Xenoblade Chronicles. The game has that PS2 RPG vibe to it and that can only be a good thing (PS2 RPG library the greatest ever!). The Wii has been a huge success for Nintendo but the lack of good RPG has been disappointing, so here hoping that Xenoblade Chronicles lives up to the hype and finally give the Wii the epic RPG it deserves before it rides off into the sunset.

Join me tomorrow for another anticipated RPG.