Remembering the Trails in the Sky!!

As gamers we get to play all sorts of games. Some are those which you play and as soon as you finish them you move on (and there are quite a lot of them). And then there are some which weave such magic that the memories of the game remain with you long after finishing. You always end up reminiscing about them, recommending them to your friends and generally praising them incessantly.  For me that game is the charming little PSP game called Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky.

Here's a game that is a throwback to those amazing JRPGs that used to populate the PS1 landscape. From the anime inspired plot, charming characters and a simple yet involving game play, Trails in the Sky had it all. While originally it was a PC game native to Japan, but the lovely people at Xseed brought the game in English in the spring of 2011. They had the daunting task of translating around 1.5 million Japanese words which made it one of the biggest translation gig ever for a video game. Not only did it pay big time for Xseed but among JRPG fans the company became a household name.

Man I still remember the game so fondly. Poured in around 60 odd hours into it and each and every second was cherished. For a long while that would be the only game I would be playing sometimes hours on end, hell my PSP started having battery problems around that time. I don’t want this small piece come off as a review of sorts but I will have to mention why the game made such an impression on me. The characters: Estelle Bright and Joshua Bright with their charming and engaging personality gave the game its main draw. And not just those two, but the entire cast had its moments. And all of this was achieved by not making them ansgty teenagers going through puberty or anything, rather having a good heart and soul which made their travels such fun to play.

Another aspect that struck me was the game world. The kingdom of Liberl was a joy to explore with different regions having a different feel to their surroundings. There were just a few cities to visit but boy were they diverse! At one stage we visit a boarding school during a cultural festival which was downright memorable. Or the studio city of Zeiss which had engineers running around doing their business (accompanied by a lovely OST). I could go on and on but I rather that you guys play the game yourselves.

So I am sure you must be wondering why I am making another post about the game since I already wrote a review for it. Well on 29^th July, the day of Eid incidentally, Xseed released the game on PC via GOG and Steam (can it be considered an epic Eidi of sorts then?!). The PSP version came out in 2011 so while it took a while to show up on PC but those gamers who haven’t played the PSP and have a passing interest should check it out. And while I won’t be playing the PC version, although I want to so much that it hurts, but I won’t as going through a game again and putting in 40-45 hours more is a bridge too far. Those who haven’t played it yet should consider themselves lucky as they are about experience an amazing JRPG!

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!

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 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 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!

Sony announces new portable: Next Generation Portable or NGP!!!

Finally after all the speculation of the impending announcement of the PSP2, Sony has unveiled the new portbale, dubbed Next Generation Portable, or NGP if you like. Personally I am very very excited. I mean look at this piece hardware...its so sweet!!

The specs that Sony has provided in their massive demo and announcement event in Japan makes the NGP a true generation leap for the portable market. Below are the specs (taken directly from Kotaku.com)

"The Full Specs

• CPU: ARM® Cortex™-A9 core (4 core)
• GPU: SGX543MP4+
• External Dimensions: Approx. 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm (width x height x depth) (tentative, excludes largest projection)
• Rear touch pad: Multi touch pad (capacitive type)
• Cameras: Front camera, Rear camera
• Sound: Built-in stereo speakers, Built-in microphone
• Sensors: Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer), Three-axis electronic compass
• Location: Built-in GPS, Wi-Fi location service support
• Keys / Switches: PS button, Power button, Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left), Action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square), Shoulder buttons (Right/Left), Right stick, Left stick, START button, SELECT button, Volume buttons
• Wireless communications: Mobile network connectivity (3G), IEEE 802.11b/g/n (n = 1x1)(Wi-Fi) (Infrastructure mode/Ad-hoc mode), Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR （A2DP/AVRCP/HSP）"

Twin analog sticks?( not mentioned) Check. Big ass OLED screen? (not mentioned) Check. Cameras and touch pads? Check. Its even PSP compatible and that in my opinion is a master stroke!!. The NGP is really hitting the the market hard and the games which were on show are quite mind blowing. Uncharted and MGS 4??. I mean seriously??!. A few weeks ago someone from Sony mentioned that the graphic for the new PSP machine will be like the PS3. THEY WERE NOT LYING!!!. Go check Kotaku.com and check out some of the game videos from the event. You will become a believer!!

I knew Sony had something up its sleeves after seeing how calm they were in the face of new Nintendo portable, 3DS. And today they have come out firing in all cylinders! Why do I get the feeling that people at Nintendo must be shitting bricks at this moment. With a launch date of around the holiday season, I cannot wait. Sure the 3DS wil have have a 7 month head start but if Sony can provide a great launch day line up then I guess Sony will be set.!!

Games of the Year Awards 2010 Day 6

Once again 2 games will be sharing this spot at number 5 in my Games of the Year Awards 2010.

5:

Valkyria Chronicles 2 (PSP):

Even after all the trials Sega has had to face in the last 10 years ranging from the demise of the Dreamcast to the myriad of really abysmal Sonic the Hedgehog games, there is one positive that has occurred for them in the form of the Valkyria Chronicles. The original game came out for the PS3 to glowing praises for it innovative take on the SPRG genre and its beautiful water painted look of the graphics. Valkyria Chronicles 2 walks in the path of the previous game, but this time on the PSP. What really surprised me was how Sega bought the game in the portable system without losing any of it visual pizazz and adding depth to the game play. Valkyria Chronicles 2 round off a truly spectacular year of the PSP.

Valkyria Chronicles story was lauded with is fictional portrayal of World War II, and the PSP iteration goes in the same vein but with a civil war motif and a novel high school like/military academy setting. So on one hand the story deals with the horrors of civil war and on the other hand follows a high school anime strapping which ultimately comes off a little lazy. But the game play is still top notch with its hybrid of SRPG and real time mechanics.

Valkyria Chronicles had robust RPG elements, but Valkyria Chronicles 2 had added a lot more depth with 4 news classes to choose from and detailed customization of characters and vehicles. The thing which gets me going that this game would had been awesome for PS3, but I am still NOT disappointed that PSP got this game (even if the PS3 fanboys threw a massive tantrum). The visuals of the original game for the PS3 were really amazing but it was obvious that the graphics would be scaled down for the PSP but that does not mean that game doesn't look good. The game is technically very solid along with a decent art style.

PSP had pretty lousy 2009 and all the sign pointed that PSP had its last hurrah but 2010 changed all that with a string of really good games of major franchises and Valkyria Chronicles 2 stand at the top of the heap.

Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon (Wii):

The Wii has be subjected to some very unnecessary and harsh criticism from the so-called 'hard core' gamers who love to point out the shovelware and the casual gamers littering its game library. But the Wii has gone about its business and has garnered a few gems along the way. Fragile Dreams is one of those games. Here you have game which boasts a terrific storyline, some lovely visuals and a solid, slightly flawed game play. On the face of it the 'hard core' audience won't be satisfied but if one keeps their bias on the side and accept Wii has a viable game console, they will get to play some amazing games like Fragile Dreams.

A post-apocalyptic game where all human have vanished off the face of the earth, expect for the main character, Seto. As he starts his journey to find more people like him , he has chance encounter with a human girl and from there the focus of the story is Seto trying to find that girl. Fragile Dream had quite a profound effect on me with is subtle yet powerful plot, beautifully orchestratde sound track and a captivating world. Throughout the game Seto encounters unexpected denizen of the ruined world, and the relationship these characters have with Seto is something to behold. Each relationship is nurtured through the course of the game and each relationship arc is revolved as well which makes up for some really poignant and powerful moments of the game. I mean I still fondly remember some of these moments and to be honest no game this year comes even close in this regard.

The reviews of this game on many game sites are really harsh and that frustrates me no end. I agree that some of the game play elements in Fragile Dreams are strange, but not as broken as the reviews will lead you be believe. This is one of the those games which I remember not for its mechanics but rather for the melancholic mood it creates and how it enveloped me with its multifaceted storyline and its beautiful yet bleak world. The art style of the game for me was one of the most strongest as the world is filled with little artistic touches and many of the characters on show have some bizarre yet inspired look to them and all these things make the art style go off the charts.

Hence for all its worth Wii easily had the best year in terms of pure gaming bliss. A year which was filled with stellar Wii games and the return of some big names to the arena, Fragile Dreams was the 'little game that could'. The game is clearly is a labor of love of the developers and that makes Fragile Dream the game with the most heart. (Just on a side just follow the link and watch a beautiful trailer for Fragile Dream just to get an inkling of why I am drooling all over this game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T08sXdq80dw)

As this list winds down, the games that will be featured were the cream of 2010. So join me tomorrow for number 4 in my Games of the Year Awards 2010.