Ben-DutkaSummer can be really boring. I don't know why the fourth and first quarters have to be so freakin' nuts…game makers need to spread things out so I'm not suffering at certain parts of the year. I'm preparing already.
Still not sure how I feel about Revengeance
To be honest, I'm actually surprised it's coming. Props to Platinum for finishing it, and I really hope the collaboration between Kojima Productions and the Bayonetta / Vanquish developer turns out awesome. It also seems like we're closing in on a finalized release date; the latest evidence is hinting at a February launch . The way time passes for me these days, that's like tomorrow. I think my problem is that I keep wanting it to be Metal Gear Solid 5 when it clearly isn't; they removed the "Solid" from the title so we MGS fans don't get confused.
Yes, I know it's just a spin-off. I know we can expect a true new MGS at some point. But "Metal Gear" is enough to make me hesitate at the all-out action format being presented in Metal Gear Rising . I'm also not sure what I want to see. Do I want a God of War style of gameplay? Or do I want it even faster and flashier like Devil May Cry ? But maybe my biggest question involves the story: When it comes to anything "Metal Gear," I want a great story. Will I get that here…?
Not sure I agree there, Jade
For the record, I like Jade Raymond. She has proven herself in this industry; she helped create one of my favorite new IPs of the generation, Assassin's Creed , and she often has great ideas. This cutie is no dummy. However, after reading what she said about the future of gaming , I have to say I think she's losing sight of a few things. Saying traditional controllers are holding us back, and that it's "more natural" not to use a standard gamepad is a little strange. Outside of Kinect (which I've used and find very imprecise), interactive entertainment has revolved around timed button presses for the sake of accuracy.
I understand the forward-thinking mindset, which is clearly what Raymond has embraced. But the human body is incredibly erratic when compared to the perfect precision of a command entered by a computer. There's no avoiding that, no matter how advanced technology becomes. And I don't know what she means by "more natural." It's only "natural" if it's something we've done before, or something our body would normally do without constraints. …and I'm not sure that applies in the fantasy world of video games. We'd still have to train our bodies in the same way we trained our fingers, and it'd be a lot tougher.
No, sorry, technology isn't the only hurdle here. And I really think she's missing that.
Personal gaming update
Rainbow Moon . That's about it. The only thing that bugs me about the game is that money is a little too hard to come by. Unlike most RPGs, where you get experience and money upon completing an encounter, you actually only get experience. Coins are sometimes left as rewards by foes, and they can be found hanging around the world map, but that's not consistent. Because you need a consistent flow of both EXP and cash, I don't think luck should factor into the gathering of either. I mean, there can be some luck, but it's really annoying to go three or four battles, get zero money, and have to spend items or cash to heal party.
But other than that, it's pretty great. I'm also back to tooling around on the Vita until Sleeping Dogs and Darksiders II get here, which should be soon.
