Category: RPG

Rumor: Mass Effect Going Multiplayer?

mass effect mmo rumor

Mass Effect 2 is one of the premier games of this year, and indeed, this generation. While the game could stand a bit of a slimming down in some areas (pre-patch mining being a good example), what could BioWare add to future iterations of the series? If you suggested multiplayer, it looks like you’re on the same page as the revered WRPG developers, as they’ve recently posted a few job openings for their Montreal, Quebec studio advertising Multiplayer Programmer positions.

Part of the job will be taking “existing single player experiences and making them multiplayer safe”, and ensuring that “the game engine and game systems work reliably and efficiently in a multiplayer environment.” While the job listing doesn’t state what kind of multiplayer the Mass Effect developers have in mind, it seems pretty clear that the studio is going to be making the jump very soon.

The posting doesn’t out and out say that Mass Effect 3 will be going online, but I wouldn’t rule anything out in that regard. Mass Effect 2’s engine was really, really solid so it could probably handle co-op play. Further speculation could point to a Mass Effect MMO, and, to use a term Eddy once coined, that very thought gives me a mind boner.

So, what do you guys think? Are you on board, and what do you predict will come of this? Is Mass Effect 3 going to have Team Deathmatch, or is this more of a long term goal for the series?

Edit: The posting has since been updated to exclude the mention of Mass Effect, so here’s the original blurb, to clear up any confusion:

We are working on Mass Effect, one of the industry’s most beloved and acclaimed franchises, as we build our way toward becoming a fully self-sufficient BioWare studio. If you want to help us achieve our mission of delivering the best story-driven games in the world, and you dream of being part of a dynamic, talented and focused team, now is the time to get onboard.

Source: Kotaku

Square Enix Teases Final Fantasy VII Remake Again

ff7 remakeSquare Enix just released Final Fantasy XIII and the company is on the cusp of releasing XIV, the upcoming MMO, but people still want to see a Final Fantasy VII remake. Square knows this very well, so every couple of weeks they get one of their higher-ups to mention a remake during an interview, but continually maintain that re-doing FFVII would take a long time.

Just take this recent quote from SE Producer Yoshinori Kitase at a FFXII launch event in Korea:

“To make FFXIII at this level of quality, it took us 3 to 4 years. If we were to make FFVII in the same style of FFXIII, it would take 10 times as long, so it would be difficult to take it up immediately. However, we always keep in mind how often this is requested.”

I think that this might be the most requested remake in the history of videogames, based on how many times Square Enix has said that they are exploring the option. What do you guys think? Will this actually happen, and do you even want it? What would you like to see out of an FFVII remake anyways? Just a thought: if Final Fantasy XIII showed up on the 360, would an FFVII remake do the same?

Source: VG247.com

Bioware vs. Square Enix: An Unbiased Analysis

JRPGs vs. WRPGs seems to be a hot topic as of late, thanks to comments from a Bioware employee that Final Fantasy XIII is not an RPG. This is the stuff fanboys crave, which, in political terms, is called “red meat”. It stirs up a nice frenzy and everyone pontificates on what an RPG is exactly, but nothing ever gets accomplished. Just like Congress.

Well, I’m here to take a small look at the differences between the way Bioware and Square Enix approach their respective video game franchises. These two, I think it is safe to say, are the biggest RPG powerhouses on either side of the Pacific, so it turns out the little controversial comments mentioned above were a perfect jumping off point for me.
Continue reading Bioware vs. Square Enix: An Unbiased Analysis

A Gameblog Draws Near! Command?

Bonus points to whoever knows what the title of this post refers to.

We had a lot of fun last year with the Phantasy Star Gameblog and I thought it was almost time to do another one.  I am still a month or two away from getting started, but I thought we could at least get which game I will be blogging about out of the way.

I had originally written a nice long post, with detailed descriptions about each game, but that was lost due to the server timing out when I tried to save. So forgive me for the  lack of details, as I have entered a new dimension of pissed off. Continue reading A Gameblog Draws Near! Command?

What Defines an RPG?

RPGTime for some fighting words, methinks.

For many years past, Square Enix has been the reigning king of RPG titles. From Final Fantasy to Kingdom Hearts, these guys have enjoyed many eons atop the RPG heap, reveling in their great successes and enjoying all of the accolades (and bling) that goes along with such a thing. However, in recent years, you could say there has been a bit of a changing of the guard in some ways. Not because Square Enix has gotten bad or anything, but simply because their releases are less frequent, and this period of time has come with the rise of many Western RPG developers: namely, Bioware.

So, how does the Bioware Writing Director feel about Final Fantasy XIII? He explains in a recent interview with Strategy Informer.

Well, before I address the main point I just want to take a slightly more controversial route: You can put a ‘J’ in front of it, but it’s not an RPG. You don’t make any choices, you don’t create a character, you don’t live your character… I don’t know what those are – adventure games maybe? But they’re not RPG’s.

I’m not entirely sure I agree with him, though he has a point about a role-playing game in the literal sense of the term. What do you guys think about what he said? To you, what constitutes an RPG experience? Go!

Source- Strategy Informer

Review: Final Fantasy XIII

Final Fantasy 13There is nothing quite like the release of a long-standing franchise giant like Final Fantasy XIII to get some great gaming discussions going. Square-Enix’s new entry to the well known franchise has started a slew of discussions from fanboys, haters and regular gamers alike, all armed with their own talking points about a franchise with an esteemed history, and how the newest addition stacks up compared to its long line of ancestors.

Final Fantasy XIII was first introduced at E3 2006, promising lush visuals, a deep and rich story, and some things we’ve never seen from this set of games before. Since then, people the world over have been itching to play it, to see if Square-Enix could continue to deliver on the leaps that the previous two titles had made. After a cross platform announcement and its own set of development issues, the game is finally here. So, how is it? Let’s talk about that.
Continue reading Review: Final Fantasy XIII

Great Moments in Video Game Music: Final Fantasy XIII – Blinded by the Light (Battle Theme)

Like I mentioned in the podcast, I am trying not to go crazy with Square Enix music, but give me a pass for this week. I was in love with this music before the game even came out and I have to say, 30 hours into this game, I never get tired of hearing this song. That’s pretty damn impressive, if you ask me. Enjoy:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk6e8al-mHQ[/youtube]

Pop-Fiction Looks at Link to the Past Secrets

I have always been a huge fan of some of the retro looks that GameTrailers does in its numerous original videos. They do a really good job of taking a unique glimpse into some old favorites, and re-capping some lesser known facts about the games we’ve always known and loved.

Enter Pop-Fiction, their brand new gaming series where they test out gaming’s unsolved mysteries, one at a time. Think of it as a Mythbusters for old school games. Their first episode takes a look at the fabled Chris Houlihan room in Link to the Past. Very entertaining video, for sure.

So what are some of your favorite urban legends in video gaming? I think one of my favorite would have to be the Ermac character in Mortal Kombat.

New Dragon Age DLC Lets You Command Darkspawn

Darkspawn ChroniclesLast year, Dragon Age Origins stood out to me as one of the better RPG experiences I’ve had this gen. Even though there were parts of it that frustrated me, overall it was a really solid game that created a rich world with a vibrant history. It was everything I want from a fantasy game. Of course, now that I’ve played Mass Effect 2, I know that there are even better things to come, but the game still deserves its due.

So imagine my delight when I saw that even more DLC is coming to the Bioware RPG in the form of something we haven’t quite seen before. The new DLC, Darkspawn Chronicles, let’s you play as the Darkspawn vanguard attacking Denerim at the end of the game proper. It lets you explore an alternate history, one where the Grey Warden is killed and you get to see (and play) what happens when the bad guys win.

I think that has to be some of the more unique DLC that I’ve heard of so far. While I haven’t played Awakening yet, this seems like something that is also worthy of a purchase, especially at only 5 big ones. So what do you guys think of this idea? Should more games dabble in alternate history and endings via DLC?

Source- Bioware

Great Moments In Video Game Music: Chrono Cross – Dream of the Shore Near Another World

I thought I would do a random post about a song I listen to at least once a week and I will do other posts with other great songs at intermittent intervals.

This is from Chrono Cross, the “sequel” to Chrono Trigger that appeared on the PS 1 back in 2000. A great RPG that got pooped on (even by me) for derailing Chrono Trigger’s story, but one aspect that held up over time was the music, this track in particular. The mournful, melancholy drone can make even the most jaded weep and the most superficial suddenly finding themselves contemplating the complexities of the universe.

Enjoy!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROKcr2OTgws[/youtube]

3D Dot Game Heroes Brings The Nostalgia

In case you were not aware, 3D Dot Game Heroes, a PS3 exclusive due to be released in May, brings a love and reverence to 8-bit classics. Indeed, the entire game seems like a homage/rip-off of the the original Legend of Zelda. Despite that, viewed in the proper context, it seems to be really awesome and is garnering some decent reviews.

GamesRadar has an awesome preview of some of the loading screens, which are old NES and SNES box covers, as seen through the lens of 3D Dot Game Heroes. Follow this link and check it out!

Source: GamesRadar

GamerSushi Asks: What Are You Playing?

FF13You know the drill, fools. Every now and then we just want to check in, find out what everybody is playing, and maybe even compare notes on some new games. Let’s do it.

Right now, I’ve been totally swamped with writing stuff, but when I’ve had a chance to play some video games, I’m most playing Final Fantasy XIII. I’m about 35 hours into it now, which means I’m only about 5 hours past the point when the real game starts. Sadly, the game has about a 30 hour entrance fee before you are trained up good and proper. That being said, I love it and I’m having a blast with it. Just… dang, 30 hours Square? Oh well. I probably won’t even care now that I’m to the really fun stuff.

Whenever I’m not doing that, I dip my toes into the multiplayer for Battlefield: Bad Company 2, which is still just as much fun as when it came out. Hopefully, I can finish up FF13 in the near future and pick up either Splinter Cell: Conviction (hearing great things) and/or 3D Dot Game Heroes for the PS3.

Has anyone played any of these games mentioned? Thoughts so far? What are you guys playing? Go!

Today’s WTF: Fable III Allows XBL Friends with Benefits

Well, for those of you who have always longed to knock boots with that sultry voiced minx on your friends list, you may have finally gotten your chance. It seems that Fable III is going to allow for players to get intimate and create babies with their friends in co-op games. Hot stuff, right?

I mean, as with anything that goes in a Peter Molyneux game, this should be taken with the grainiest grain of salt one can think of, but still it’s interesting to talk about. The idea of a unique weapon that is tied to your profile and gamerscore? Sounds good, I hope it makes it in. The idea of a king-like RTS that takes over part of the tale? Another great idea, can’t wait. Sleeping with someone on my friends list to make virtual babies for our co-op game? Not so keen on that one.

However, if I’m being completely honest here, if there is an achievement for doing someone on your friends list to make a baby… someone out there is going to have to help me do this. I’m not a picky man, either. I only ask that you be gentle with my evil avatar.

Source- Kotaku

Best Lines of Mass Effect 1 and 2

It’s no great secret that I am a massive nerd for anything related to Mass Effect. As far as video game franchises go, it’s one of my favorite, and ranks among some of the most well thought and planned universes that has ever existed in gaming. Yes, that is quite a lofty claim but I will knife fight a person about it. Truly.

Anyway, if you don’t want any spoilers for the Mass Effect games, I’d say to stay away from this new video. However, there aren’t really any plot spoilers per se, just spoilers about some of the game’s awesome writing and unique brand of humor, all edited together to showcase the best lines of the two Mass Effect games. Pure hilarity.

Bee tee dubya, I want that Shepard’s facial hair.

Are Games Emotionally Engaging?

Mass Effect 2One phrase that we have been hearing a lot lately from the videogame industry is the idea of making our current gaming stories more engaging in terms of emotion. Doing something like this seems to be one of the last great barriers in the minds of game makers, considering what the technology of their platforms can do.

Specifically, Bioware is the company speaking about this most of all. In a recent interview with Kotaku, company manager Ray Muzyka shared Bioware’s vision statement. Namely, to “create, deliver and evolve the most emotionally engaging gaming experiences in the world”. The article goes on to talk about character development and progression, and how Bioware aims to create these feelings in all of their franchises.

The problem with this? As good as Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins were, I don’t know if I ever felt “emotionally engaged” at any point of the stories. Sure, there were characters I was crazy attached to, and moments that took my breath away or dropped my jaw- many of those, in fact. But I wouldn’t say that there was any point that hit me like moments of Final Fantasy VII, IX, X, or Shadow of the Colossus, and those are all from previous generations. To me, it’s odd that developers are still trying to hit this, but to me it comes down to the writing.

So what about you guys? Do you find that games are emotionally engaging enough? What games have you played that have done that for you?

Source- Kotaku

GamerSushi Asks: Games You Miss?

Final Fantasy 13I just spent a whole weekend in Austin, Texas for South By Southwest Interactive, the glorious tech and social media festival. I got to experience a whole lot of awesome things like hanging with some folks from Revision3, Burnie Burns from RoosterTeeth, and fans of Web Zeroes.

However, one thing I didn’t get a lot of: video games. As much fun as I ended up having, whenever I’m separated from gaming for a few days or more I start to go a little nuts. All weekend long, I couldn’t stop thinking about Battlefield: Bad Company 2’s sweet multiplayer and Final Fantasy 13. Despite its opening story issues and inherent Japanese-ness, Final Fantasy 13 is still tickling at a bone that doesn’t get tickled too often these days. I’m not sure what it is, but even though I had some complaints about the opening chapters, I keep finding myself drawn back to it.

So, what games do you guys start to miss when you have to get away from gaming for too long? What are you playing right now?

Chaos Rising Trailer is a Bloody Good Time

While I’ve been known to bemoan the stripping down of traditional Real Time Strategy mechanics, there’s one game that goes about it the right way: Dawn of War II by Relic. You may know Relic for their previous excellent strategy games like the original Dawn of War and Company of Heroes. While you needed a PC of the most beefy variety to play CoH, there’s no denying that it had some of the most dynamic game-play I’ve ever seen in a strategy title. Dawn of War took that and refined it a little more, focusing completely on unit manipulation in the field. A lot of upcoming RTSes purport that they want you to feel “attached” to your cannon fodder, but DoW2 comes the closest. A new expansion came out recently, and it’s been getting some rave reviews. Check out the trailer, heretics.

Has anyone else tried this game yet? If so, what did you think of the original, and do you miss the battlefields covered in carpets of slain Orks? Are you going to pick this expansion up? Just for extra nerd cred, who here paints Warhammer figurines? I have a few painted myself.

Mass Effect 2 Says “Tanks” For the Memories

I’ve been replaying Mass Effect one recently so I can import a character over to the sequel, something I wasn’t able to do on my three play-throughs (quiet, Eddy). For those of you who may not be familiar with the mechanics of importing versus not importing a legacy Shepard, the game assumes that you made certain decisions, all of which follow the Renegade path, something I don’t usually do in moral choice games.

While Mass Effect one still holds up, one thing that’s really getting to me are the Mako driving sections. That armored personnel carrier handles like a hyper-active child throwing his Hot Wheels around, and I’ve gotten stuck in narrow canyons more times than I care to mention. While I may hate the Mako with a passion, the good folks over at BioWare have decided to give the old wheeled vehicle a make-over and transform it into a hovering tank. Watch the tank in action in the following video:

Pretty slick, if you ask me. Looks like BioWare solved all the complaints with the Mako, which were mostly concerning handling and the occasional problem of not being able to aim properly due to wonky terrain. Most of us have probably finished our ME2 campaigns by now, but who’s going to jump back in and give the “Firewalker” DLC pack a try? It’s coming out late March free for Cerberus members, and those who didn’t buy the game new will have to pay $15USD to join the Network.

Anthony’s Super-Mega-Ultra-Extreme-Love Letter to Final Fantasy XIII

On March 9th, in the year two thousand and ten A.D., Square Enix (BOW YOUR HEAD IN REVERENCE, DOGS!) will finally unveil, for the first time in North America…

Final.

Fantasy.

XIII.

(Please exhale now)

So it has come to this. After years of waiting, years of sitting in front of a television, playing countless games not named Final Fantasy, it is time. Glory be to the gods, for they have deigned to shine their light upon us mere gaming mortals.

To give you an idea how much I love this series, allow me reveal a secret, something I have never revealed to anyone, except those that didn’t cover their ears and run away screaming from me: This is the only game that matters to me.

You read that right. This is the reason I upgraded to the new console generation. This is what keeps me playing games. Every single game I have played on the PS3, Wii or 360 has simply been a distraction to get me to this game. Grand Theft Auto 4, Fallout 3, Resident Evil 5 (Cover your eyes, Eddy)… all of them nothing more than obstacles on my way to the prize. I have been killing time for four long years and it’s almost over. Now time kills me. Wait, that’s not right…

Now, some of you may be asking what is so special about this particular Final Fantasy that has generated this kind of psychotic episode.

The answer?

Not a damn thing.

HD graphics? I still have an SDTV. (By the way: if I can’t read the text on my TV, I am going to throw my old TV out and go to the store THAT VERY MINUTE and buy an HDTV. I have already warned all loved ones and relatives about flying TVs on March 9th.)

Trophies? Not a factor. (Although, if one game could ever make me grind for all of them, it’s this one.)

The story? I am interested, but it’s not a compelling reason for me.

No, the reason I am so eager to play this Final Fantasy is because of one reason and only one reason: It’s the next one.

It’s two words (hint: Final Fantasy), followed by a number. No long and insane subtitle. No number, a dash and then another number to denote an actual sequel. Just a new world, new battle system and all new experience.

No other game series has as much change from one entry to the next. The difference between God of War and God of War 3 is not drastic. Even Mass Effect 2, which threw out many RPG elements, is merely a streamlined and highly refined version of the first game.

Only Final Fantasy does this with each sequel.

Not even highly disturbing rumblings from those that have played it can dampen my blind enthusiasm. No traditional towns? No problem! Maneuvering through Mass Effect’s gigantic Citadel is tiresome. Town exploring was always more fun in 2-D for me anyway.

Mostly linear? I am mostly ok with that. Final Fantasy X was very linear and all Final Fantasy games open up late in the game.

There is nothing anyone can tell me that could possible ruin this for…excuse me? It’s COMING OUT ON THE 360??? WTF, Square Enix! How can you do this to your loyal Nintendo Sony fanbase?? Oh, but it has multiple disks? And the graphics are noticeable worse? HAHAHAHA! So that means they will have to get off their fat asses once over 15 hours or so to see more slightly less than optimal graphics? Well, I guess I can live with that.

So on March 9th, when I get off from work and go to pick up my copy, say a little prayer for me. Because no Final Fantasy has ever disappointed me and if this is the first, I will have shamed my family with this sycophantic diatribe and hari-kari will be the only option left.

Until then…I guess I will just play Mass Effect (which is awesome).

You spoony bards.

GamerSushi Asks: Immediate Regrets?

stalkerIt’s happened to all of us at one point or another: we buy a game, tear off the shrink wrapping, pop the disc into our console or PC, boot it up and watch as our hopes are torn asunder. It doesn’t occur all that often, being the net-savvy video game fans we are, but there are some games that manage to defeat all of our ingrained warnings and end up absorbing our hard earned cash.

This circumstance befell me last week with STALKER: Call of Pripyat, an open-world FPS by GSC Game World, a Ukraine-based developer of some note. I’ve been interested in the Stalker series for a while, but I’ve never had a machine capable of running the titles until now. I figured that, after three iterations on the formula, it was probably a safe bet that Call of Pripyat would fix up the nagging problems I’ve heard about the first two games, namely the repeated crashes and lock-ups.

Well, you know what they say about assumptions, and it turns out that Call of Pripyat is just as unstable as the other two games. After raising all my graphic options to maximum, the game promptly crashed, forcing me to do it all over again. It also doesn’t help that, even on full graphics, the game looks and plays like a budget 2007 title. I understand that GSC is using the same engine, but they could have at least given it a bit of spit shine.

Needless to say, I promptly uninstalled the game and began pining after my forty misspent dollars. Has something like this happened to anyone else? I can think of two other instances of this phenomenon, but I’d like to hear your stories first. Have any of you been burned by hype? Sound off!