Malik
(4/18/05)
I didn't get too
much gaming in this weekend. Too much to do one day and too much
sleep lost the other. Sleep dep is an interesting thing...
Anyway, the little
of Jade Empire I played was enlightening. I'm not quite as turned
off from the battle system...although I still feel that it's under-whelmed
me a bit. I mean this is not the battle system that was described so
much when the game was in development. Comparing what we were told
about the system and what it really is is like comparing an anime
with an English translation of an anime; It can be good at times,
but it still doesn't live up to what it should have been.
I haven't really
gained anything new in battle styles...besides another
transformation (Horse Demon). I'm not big enough of a transformation
fan to care, so it sits, untested. The problem with transformations
is that they just don't make up for the loss of chi (MP). A
transformation can leave you drained in only 10 or so seconds, while
normal combat will use less (if any) and leave you open to use chi
to restore your health...I personally like to have healing abilities
over a cool looking, but short lived, transformation.
Actually, I did
gain one more style; Drunken Master. It's not a bad style, and the
animations are really cool looking. However, to use this style, you
have to have a certain person in support, and you have to grab the
bottles of booze he throws around the battle field. It's too much
work to just use another style.
On the note of
your followers, I finally fixed my issue with them dying too often.
I am now just using Dawn Star in support, which means she doesn't
fight any, but my chi gauge slowly fills as time passes in combat
(too bad it doesn't work out of combat). This ensures more time to
use both ice magic and healing. I'm hoping to say Earth magic and
healing, but I'm not goody-goody enough...yet.
I'm still trying
to play this game as a good character, or as the game calls it,
"open palm". It's hard. I mean the moral decisions aren't
too bad, but I've found several missions for evil (closed-fist)
people, but there are none for the good side, at least that don't
have an evil equivalent mission. Also, the loss of money is a hard
thing to deal with. It's hard to make good money when you're a good
guy who keeps turning down monetary rewards for some extra open-palm
bling. At least being good does open Earth magic, so there is one
reward. However, at the same time, evil people can buy new styles
with their money and get storm (or some word like that...tempest?)
magic. Blah. The game constantly pushes one towards evil in it's
rewards...like how the best equipped gems (you can equip gems to
boost your skills) are only for evil people. It's a lot like KOTOR
in this regard, but more so.
At least I'm
finding the quirks of the controls, so combat is more entertaining
now. I'll find my avatar pulling out his sword less and less in
combat when I simple want to use ice magic. Also, I've learned to
never button mash...never. If you button mash for an instant, it
will be queued up in your actions and it will cost you some
life...every time. Also, to make things better, you start to get
into more one on 50 battles...well, not 50, but a big number of
enemies. It makes things far more interesting when you have a large
number of enemies and you only have your own abilities to count
on.
In one case, I
took on a bunch of cannibals in a ruined building. In this fight, I
first had to take on a mini-boss guy while his dozen or so followers
came at me. Then, after a while, I had him beaten, and had demolished
his people. That's when then next wave appeared. That was a good
fight. You both had a good amount of foes to consider, making it
feel like an old Kung-Fu movie, and you have a ruined inn/tavern to
fight in, making it further feel like an old Kung-Fu movie. That is
what I've been waiting for. I care not for these one on one fights,
these fights with demons, these fights with ghosts who cheap shot
you by spamming both seeking projectiles and freezing magic. No. I
find these fights pointless. It's the many people (or
"people-like" monsters) versus my lone self that makes the
game fun.
Sadly, I can't say
the story is all that entertaining. When Suikoden came out, it used
a fresh approach to the classic story, "Outlaws of the
Marsh"...a book I've read and whole-heartedly recommend to
anyone who likes a long (2000+ pages with small type) story of ancient
China set to a world of both corrupt politicians and mystical
elements. Sadly, Jade Empire has a more shallow of plot, and it's
too closely related to Outlaws. For example, there's an old inn you
find in JE that is needing some people from a neighboring town to
come to it and help to protect the people of the inn from ghosts. If
you tone down that request (in Outlaws, they would never want as
much attention as to call for help from a town...just a lone
adventurer) and have read Outlaws, then you know what's
coming...almost word for word, and event for event. I mean you can
probably see what would be coming, but I knew what was coming. At
least Suikoden used this one type of event as a minor thing in a
grand story...JE used this as a big event and just beat the small
event of Outlaws into the ground.
If you thing that
I may just be over-reacting, try to read Outlaws of the Marsh and
play this game...way too many coincidences. Sagacious Zu, with a
mysterious past and great fighting abilities, in JE is nothing more
than Sagacious Lu in Outlaws, but with a slightly more appropriate,
to JE's plot, background. The inn I told you about. The corrupt
political system that must be saved by a single man who was destined
to greatness and wronged so dearly and so many times...a man who
must gather the forces of good from various backgrounds and
places.
Sorry...I'll stop
nit-picking before I actually finish the game. I may end up being
proved wrong with seeing this as too close to Outlaws of the
Marsh...I doubt it, but I'll remain open minded. At least the game
is still more entertaining than not.
Malik
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Malik
(4/19/05)
You've probably
heard by now, and I was thinking of passing on posting this, but EB
and Gamestop are merging. Well, technically, Gamestop is buying EB,
but since both companies are so together with this deal, and since
both companies are about the same size, I prefer to look at it as
more of a merger.
I'm interested to
see how this pans out in the end since I live in an area where it's
like there's gang warfare and turfs. EB owns downtown Seattle while
Gamestop owns the South-Side. Meanwhile, there are split battles in
some other areas. So, I'm wondering if this trend will continue, if
one name will be demolished, or what will happen. I'm also curious
about what will happen with the service of the ultimately merged
company. Will we see the good online service of EB still exist? Can
we still see the poorly designed web layout of Gamestop? What
features of each company will remain? Who knows?
I'm just afraid to
see that in the end we will have one less source for gaming
competition. Of course, at the same time, the less dedicated stores
will probably still fare better in the price wars...I mean if I go
to EB or Gamestop, I can buy JE and Freedom Force 2 for a large
chunk of cash, yet if I hit Frye's (here's some good advice if
you're looking for either game right now) I can get FF2 for
something closer to $20 (did it this weekend...sadly, I haven't
played any, yet) and JE for $35 (that's both the limited and normal
editions). So, who knows if this merger will help the poorly priced
games at EB/Gamestop...however, here's some hope since it's a lot
easier for me to not have to drive in the middle of an industrial
park (Frye's around Seattle is in an industrial park with no other
commercial ventures within a normal distance) to get cheap
games.
I am still finding
more to love about Jade Empire. I have plenty of reservations about
how this game has failed to live up to the hype, but I'm seeing more
and more of the good, while learning better to deal with the bad.
For example, the many combat styles are nice, but you only use one
or two in any given fight. I mean, it comes more down to your
dodging abilities than your mixing of combat styles. If a human
comes at me, I simply pull out my sword and hack a few times, jump
and roll to dodge, then hack again. I don't need to whip out my
magic, then a martial style, then a transformation, then a support
style. Nope. It's all about just focusing on one or two important
styles.
Hell, I thought it
would be more complex, so I started with a magic based avatar.
However, as I played, I soon learned that while chi is important for
pumping the strength of my attacks and for healing, it's the martial
and weapon styles that get all my love with powering at at a new
level.
At least the plot
is getting more interesting...if not more cliché...as the game
progresses. There are some poorly used clichés in the plot, but the
overall experience is fulfilling. Also, that complaint that many
have of this being a 20 hour or shorter game is full of shit. I'm in
chapter 2 (out of something around 7...I know, some are supposed to
be quite quick...) at over 10 hours. This game is only really short
if you're avoiding conversations, side quests, and exploration. In
other words, it's short in the same way Fable was "short";
it is only short until you start to dive deeper than the surface.
You could probably beat the game really quickly, but you'd skip the
conversations and many side-quests. Also, being closed-fist (evil)
would probably make the game quicker, since the evil solution to
most problems is not as deep. If you're good, you'll have to find
the facts surrounding an event and then solve the mysterious deeper
problems...if you're evil, you kill people, demand more money, and
then kill the person who paid you.
In the end, I'm
thinking this game will prove to be far better than I first thought,
but not for the combat engine, the character development, the
various combat styles, or any of that stuff. It will prove to be
good for the rather cliché plot, the awesome voice acting (with a
few exceptions) and for allowing one to escape so easily into the
game. Many people like to use the phrase of "escaping into a
game" or "escapism" as an excuse for people killing
others "in the name of GTA", but it's actually a good
thing for those of us who have back-breaking labor and long
commuting to do 9+ hours a day. I'd rather have a game that offers
easy escapism than one that just has a fun combat engine.
Anyway, I will
need that later tonight, for I'm off to get my teeth drilled...yipee!
Malik
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Malik
(4/20/05)
Nothing like a
trip to the dentist to both devour one's time and give some extra
time for PSP...sorta a give and take relationship. Also, nothing
like a trip to the dentist to leave one miserable and in pain. Novocain
is nice, when it works (not on me...high tolerance...luckily I have
a nice tolerance for pain, but that only makes me bitchier), but
even afterwards you still have a bunch of puncture wounds in your
mouth from where the needles worked (or didn't work...) their
magic.
Anyway, I did get
in some more time with Untold Legends as I sat in that dreaded
chair. I still have to say this is a great launch title. It gives
"the grind" of an MMO, but with the knowledge that there's
an ultimate goal. True, that goal includes completing a very lame
plot in which you can't help but not care if the world lives or
dies. However, despite a flawed plot, the "the grind"
aspects of UL works in it's favor.
Also, the amount
of time required for completion definitely works in it's favor. I've
played this game for about 25 hours, so far, and am still not
finished. It's not often you'll find an action based RPG for a
portable system that can actually go for this long. Plus, finding
new armors and weapons is a nice feeling with how many variations
there are on each weapon type, weapon add-on, and the factors of
deciding what power-ups to take as you level.
I also got in
some, but less than usual, time with Jade Empire. I am enjoying this
game more with each day of playing, despite the many flaws. The plot
is, overall, rather cliché and lame, but the amount of character
given to the world definitely helps to keep a normally cliché story
from becoming pointless. It's just too bad that all of the plot is
pretty damned predictable...for example; anyone who does an evil
looking act, but is supposedly good, has a reason, anyone who acts
too nice is just trying to take advantage, and there's never a
single question on what course of action is really the most
"open-palm" or "closed-fist". It's all obvious
from the second you start the game and learn of the major
players.
I also wish the
characters you find to team with you weren't so useless. I mean
there are a few that are interesting to team with for the visual
effects, but you'll almost always want to go with either Dawn Star
or Sky as a support person so you will keep having either your chi
or your focus meters fill as combat progresses. There's no point in
using anyone as a combat person since all of your allies have severe
problems with not being mauled by the enemy. I learned quickly
enough to just put Dawn Star in support and leave it as that; she'll
refill your chi (which can be used to also heal yourself) and she
won't die within the first 5 seconds of combat when in support. It'd
be a lot better if there was some way to heal your teammate during
combat...but that is something that I guess will either never
happen, or will show in JE2, if one is ever made.
You also get your
party members far too quickly in the game. Judging from what I've
heard, I'm about half way through the game and have all but three
optional characters and one required character, out of 12. Combined
with how I never use any of these characters, it just feels like
something is wrong.
On a different
note, I love seeing games in which historical figures who were not
really ones to be labeled as "evil" in historical terms
are labeled as "evil" in games. There was Oda Nobunaga in
everything from Inindo (SNES) to Onimusha. He was only
"evil" is you were not on his side. I mean without his way
of thinking, who knows how the turbulence of cival war Japan
would've turned out. Now there's Heike Kiyomori, from the conflicts
between the Gengi and the Heike in Gengi (check out this link at Gamespot
for more details). I've read plenty on this era of Japanese history,
and I don't really see either side as right...I mean both the Heike
and the Gengi were pretty full of themselves. Both sides tried to do
some good things, but they both made some really poorly planned
mistakes. However, I think that, as it happened with Nobunaga, since
Kiyomori is the one that came out on top in the end that he must
also be the "evil" one. It's amazing how if there's a
major conflict between many sides that are, or could be,
"right" that the winner must be the one who was
wrong.
Anyway, I feel
pretty crap-tacular today, with how my face is still throbbing from
the attack of the dentist. So, I'll log a little early today.
Malik
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Malik
(4/21/05)
On a different
than usual martial arts theme...for those who've been watching
Naruto, I just have to say I wish I knew when they were planning on
continuing shit. I have always thought of Sasake in the same way
that I think of all characters (in games, anime, or whatever) with
this same one-dimensional personality; they are teh lamzor. He's a
brooding anti-hero...yipee...I mean there's a point when focusing on
one single character will always prove annoying for fans of a media.
For me this point was reached with Sasake a few months back, but now
even the fans of this one-dimensional whore must be feeling tired of
this shit.
Slight Naruto
spoilers follow.
For the last
couple of weeks (including the episode from yesterday), the episodes
are based on a simple premise that is annoying the crap out of me.
This premise is that Naruto and Sasake will fight for about...how
long does a single punch or kick take? Then the episode turns into a
long and drawn out history of Sasake and Itachi. Then the episode
ends with Naruto and Sasake flying at each other , each about to
land a punch. Then the next episode begins with Sasake landing his
attack, Naruto flying away in pain, and then another drawn out and
annoying flashback of why we should feel something for such a
one-dimensional character...then the next episode ends as Naruto and
Sasake, once again, are about to land another blow. It this supposed
to keep me interesting and get me pumped for the next episode. At
the very least, why can't they just show flashbacks with no false
hints of a real fight until this whole back story is done.
End of
spoilers.
Maybe I don't
understand how others think, but I don't get the appeal of a
character like Sasake, who is just the same brooding anti-hero we've
seen in every other action based anime and most video games. He's
Shinobi, from the PS2 game...he's Shadow from FF6...he's Ryu from
Ninja Gaiden...he's Amarand from FF9...he's Seifer from FF8...he's
Edge (without the humor and the lust for the ladies) from FF4...he's
Vincent from FF7...he's...he's in every freakin' game, anime,
whatever. It's the same one-dimensional character used in different
bodies and names, and for some sick and f$#%ing annoying reason,
everyone always loves this same character. Each week I keep hoping
that Rock Lee and Gaara (two of Sasake's bigger rivals/challenges in
past episodes) will show up, tell Naruto to chill, and then maul the
shit out of Sasake. That would be awesome.
Anyway, enough
about Naruto. It's a good anime, but it really needs to progress the
plot a little about now. I am just sick of seeing the same damned
thing every week. In most battles, the show is good enough to not
pull a DBZ (make the battle stretch out for a dozen episodes as new
"revelations" are revealed), but it's getting close to
pulling a DBZ with this current fight.
I'm still cranking
away at Jade Empire. In fact, I guess by many peoples' bitchings, I
have beaten the game since I've gone beyond 15 hours. Strangely, I'm
only in chapter 3 and I keep reading of how you should beat the game
within 20 hours, if not just blast through it in 15. However, I must
also add that I've spent next to no time wasting time. Everything I
do is new and important. I'm not power leveling (which is hard, but
not impossible in JE once you hit the Imperial Capital), I'm not
standing around doing nothing, I'm not talking to the same people
over and over again. No. I'm simple talking to each character once
(or more if a quest requires it), taking on all quests, and fighting
battles as they come. Anyone who says this game can be beaten, 100%,
in under 20 hours (especially on the first try) is full of
shit.
Just like with
Fable, if you do everything, and not just blast through the game as
fast as possible (JE is about plot...it's a cliché plot, but it is
interesting...so why rush it and skip half of the good stuff),
there's a lot more game than the average player gives it credit for.
I doubt I'd play through this game a second time (I just don't
replay games that are not called "Xenogears"), but if I
did I still wouldn't rush through the plot since there would be
plenty to try as a closed-fist (evil) character. Also, there are a
lot of fun things to try when talking to one's party. I mean I've
had a great time last night getting Dawn Star to act jealous of Silk
Fox in a desperate bid for my attention (I may be open-palmed, but I
still need to mack).
Anyway, I'm just
rambling now. Too little sleep and too many things to do tends to
destroy one's ability to remain concise. So, I'll go about now. I'm
hoping to start preparing the beginnings of a JE review soon. So,
there's something to look forward to.
Malik
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Malik
(4/22/05)
According to the
bitchings of those who are full of shit, I've either beaten Jade
Empire or am a complete loser. I've passed the 20 hour mark, and
then some, last night. Supposedly, this game is one that only takes
20 hours on your first try to do everything. Strangely, I'm missing
some things, due to being open-palm style (some quests require
closed-fist) and am not dawdling any, yet I'm in chapter 3 out of
about 7. So, I guess that either those who say this game is really
short are full of shit or they simply rush through a game, rather
than get their full money's worth, and then they bitch about how
short it is.
First off, as I've
said before, a game is only "too short" if it's left
feeling incomplete, or if so little happens that you actually don't
feel like you should play more because you couldn't get invested in
the game. Well, with JE, I feel both like I want more and I feel
like things are somewhat complete (I can't say they are incomplete
since I'm only half way through the main quest). If you want to see
a good example of a game that was too short, check out KOTOR2; the
game that was rushed to market and had the ending and a side quest
completely removed but the evidence of these things still remained
on the normal game. It took me 75 hours to beat that game and I felt
like it was incomplete...so, the actual time matters nothing when
the game itself is the real judge of how long a game should
be.
As for if the game
is fun enough to warrant more time than a rushed 20 hours; it is.
For example, last night I fought the battles of the Imperial Arena,
in which you learn the back story of one person in your party, get a
chance to earn some quick money and experience, and you get an
awesome fighting style (if you play by the rules). The best part is
that fighting style; twin-sabers. I especially like this style since
I had many level up points saved up so I immediately was able to
boost all of the style's abilities to the max. This means my new and
powerful style (that also looks hella sweet) is fast as can be, does
massive damage (took down the leaders of the arena in no time with
this speed and power combination), and costs very little focus to
use. With these type of bonuses in the game, how can you rush
through this title? Only if you're an idiot.
In fact, with
playing for about 4 hours last night, I only barely progressed the
main plot since I had so many side quests to work on. I mean I may
be able to rush through the game and have it beaten by now, but I'd
rather learn more of the back story and histories of the Jade Empire
by actually trying to enjoy as much of the game as possible.
Hell, there is so
much variety in side quests that while I took a break from the arena
I went off to be an extra in a play. In this quest, I was given some
dialogue options that could lead to either the play failing, the
play succeeding with the fans and not being noticed by the empire,
or I could make the fans love it but make the empire extract revenge
on the play's writer for adding slanderous anti-empire material. All
of this while my Zen-style monk is dressed in a dress and makeup.
Now that is what I like about a good game...not the
cross-dressing...the ability to do so much to interact with all
levels of the game's world. Even after all of that, I finished the
arena battles and struck a deal with the organized crime syndicate
of the Jade Empire world. That is something, however, that you can
only really see IF you don't rush through the game.
Anyway, I don't
know when I'll actually finish this game. Despite how the vocal
asses like to talk of how short this game is, it's just like with
KOTOR (1 or 2) or Fable...it's only as short as you make it. I like
this game's cliché world (despite the cliché parts) and will take
my sweet time to finish it. It's not that I'll just waste time (it's
hard to do that in a game with so few re-spawning enemies that you
can't just battle or level for the fun of it), but I will do
everything.
Anyway, I need to
run since obligations are calling me away from JE soon...so I need
to get in as much JE time as possible.
Malik
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