Ben-DutkaWell, all kinds of good stuff to talk about this week, so why wait?
I beg you, Square-Enix, end this torture!
Seriously, you guys are trying my patience. Crisis Core has unloaded a couple new pieces of evidence (first this and then this ) regarding the distinct possibility of a Final Fantasy VII remake on the PS3. Now, while I probably want this more than anyone on the planet, I've long since resigned myself to the fact I'd never see it. No matter how logical it may seem, even from a financial position, the mega-RPG publisher never really gave us any hope; they shot down this rumor without mercy every time they got the chance. Basically, I had given up. But could it be possible? Could this really happen? Arnold's theory is starting to sound more and more feasible- they didn't want to take any attention away from Crisis Core , and they wanted to wait to the end of this year (it being FF's 20th anniversary). Looks right, doesn't it?
I'll tell you this, though: first of all, if the announcement does come, I'll be so happy, I might cry. Secondly and most importantly, if it's true, all I want is a graphical overhaul. That's it . Don't change anything else, Square, you hear me? Nothing . I suppose you can add a little video here and there, but don't you dare touch even the tiniest part of this masterpiece that affects the gameplay, story, characters, environment, etc. Just don't do it. I'll have a fit .
My argument for Heavenly Sword
By now, if you had any interest in this game, I'd like to think you've already read my review , but I'm going to add something to it. Much has been made about the length of this game because it falls in at about the 6-8 hour mark. Obviously, this makes most gamers balk at the full $60 price tag; heck, it would make me think twice about buying it, that's for sure. I wouldn't even own it now (would've waited for a price drop) if Sony hadn't sent me the review copy, and that's because I don't necessarily believe in paying $10/hour to play a game. Therefore, I fully understand why the scores are a little lower around the net due to the very short gameplay length. There's also not much in the way of replay value, so that hurts it even further.
However, all that being said, I'd like to get all sentimental for a minute. I believe in rewarding achievement, accomplishment, and above all, quality in this industry. I believe that singular efforts displayed by developers should be rewarded by me, the gamer. HS has the finest acting you will ever see in a video game, and that alone should be enough for you to pick it up. That alone should make it part of any avid gamer's collection. But when you consider the entire beautiful package, and just how well done, refined, and polished the whole presentation is, that's even more reason to own it. Is it worth $60? Maybe not. But it's worth recognition, and that's the point.
Warhawk fixed(?) and Personal Gaming Update
I know Sony did some maintenance on the Warhawk servers yesterday morning, but I haven't had a chance yet to test it out and see if anything has changed. I really hope they fixed that rankings/stats issue, and I also hope I don't keep seeing that outrageously frustrating "Game is full" message a thousand times before I can get into a game. But I have played it a little since getting it, and it's just as fun as the beta was (if not more fun). I haven't noticed any significant differences between the beta and the final version, but it certainly seems as if the mounted guns aren't anywhere near as powerful as they were in the beta. And that's good, because it was kinda silly…just far too easy to take out opponent aircraft with those guns. But hey, the ground-to-air homing missile – that other turret – still kicks ass, as does the homing missile you can pick up in the air. 😉
Heavenly Sword is done, but I may want to go back and play some of the chapter sections to get the Glyphs I missed. I don't want it to be over, in all honesty…perhaps I'm just in denial. 🙂 But I am having fun; Bioshock was incredible, HS was great, Warhawk is crazy fun, and oh yeah, I just picked up Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 . I haven't played an RPG since FF XII, and I've been itching to get into another one. The reviews for this one are sky-high, so I have to give it a shot. So many games, so little time (and I ain't complaining)!