(no subject)
Because I thought it warranted it, more rundowns of games I've played as of late. (Sorry, Chibi, I don't think Ragnarok DS is going to get one. There's only so many ways I can say "the system is a decent conversion from the MMO, but the generic JRPG-style plot and characterization is turning me off but hard")
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
This game is seriously old-school. I don't even just mean that it's obnoxious in a nostalgic way like the Etrian Odyssey games - in a lot of ways, the game FEELS like a slight graphical/system upgrade from the original SMT on the Super Famicom. It even has throwbacks, particularly regarding two key plot points.
It's not quite as hard as everything I've heard about Nocturne - non-boss enemies seem to be fairly hesitant to spam their instant death moves (save for Mothmen and Stone Curse, ARGH) and very few bosses require a SPECIFIC team setup, as opposed to a more generic "hit their weaknesses and resist their most powerful moves" which is pretty standard for a SMT game. The dungeoneering, however, takes a page from another Atlus title already mentioned; the mazes and dick-over points in the game are all practically taken page-for-page from Etrian Odyssey's book of "giant fuck you moments in first person dungeons". Pit mazes? Check. Teleport mazes? Check. Stair mazes? Check. ALTERNATING Poison/Sleep-inducing floors? Yeah, we got those. Oh, and let's not forget the dick move in the last dungeon where the game expects you to pull an Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade and literally walk out over nothing.
Something the game is surprisingly good at, though, is musical direction. I wouldn't really listen to the soundtrack on its own (even ignoring the fact that the first-run presses of the soundtrack that came WITH THE GAME were literally unlistenable) but it does a phenomenal job of adding to the ambient mood of things and managing to hit "Ominous Latin Chanting" without being retarded about it (see: One Winged Angel for a case of the latter).
Long story short: Easy SMT, obnoxious mazes, probably worth a look if you like first-person dungeon crawlers. Has two penis demons, for anyone who cares.
Sonic Colors
WELL. Looks like they managed to get the characterization fairly good by taking things in a more comedic direction - in a lot of ways the writing seems like Unleashed, but even MORE so.
All of Sonic's canon Loads and Loads of Characters seem to show up for the side-missions, and their new voice acting is far worse than that of Sonic, Tails, and Eggman. Cream, Charmy, I never thought I'd want to punch you guys in the face MORE. But I do. HAAAATE.
Also, it looks that getting all of the Red Rings (of deeeeeeeath) may in fact be a prerequisite for Super Sonic, in which case FUCK THAT NOISE because FUCK RED BURST. Neat power, UTTERLY UNFUCKINGCONTROLLABLE. fuck red burst, man.
Overall, "Sonic Rush 2010 Version". Thankfully, none of the typical DIMPS 'fuck you pits' moments... except in one part in world 2 where you're expected to Red Burst over the whole thing. ARGH.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
This game is seriously old-school. I don't even just mean that it's obnoxious in a nostalgic way like the Etrian Odyssey games - in a lot of ways, the game FEELS like a slight graphical/system upgrade from the original SMT on the Super Famicom. It even has throwbacks, particularly regarding two key plot points.
It's not quite as hard as everything I've heard about Nocturne - non-boss enemies seem to be fairly hesitant to spam their instant death moves (save for Mothmen and Stone Curse, ARGH) and very few bosses require a SPECIFIC team setup, as opposed to a more generic "hit their weaknesses and resist their most powerful moves" which is pretty standard for a SMT game. The dungeoneering, however, takes a page from another Atlus title already mentioned; the mazes and dick-over points in the game are all practically taken page-for-page from Etrian Odyssey's book of "giant fuck you moments in first person dungeons". Pit mazes? Check. Teleport mazes? Check. Stair mazes? Check. ALTERNATING Poison/Sleep-inducing floors? Yeah, we got those. Oh, and let's not forget the dick move in the last dungeon where the game expects you to pull an Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade and literally walk out over nothing.
Something the game is surprisingly good at, though, is musical direction. I wouldn't really listen to the soundtrack on its own (even ignoring the fact that the first-run presses of the soundtrack that came WITH THE GAME were literally unlistenable) but it does a phenomenal job of adding to the ambient mood of things and managing to hit "Ominous Latin Chanting" without being retarded about it (see: One Winged Angel for a case of the latter).
Long story short: Easy SMT, obnoxious mazes, probably worth a look if you like first-person dungeon crawlers. Has two penis demons, for anyone who cares.
Sonic Colors
WELL. Looks like they managed to get the characterization fairly good by taking things in a more comedic direction - in a lot of ways the writing seems like Unleashed, but even MORE so.
All of Sonic's canon Loads and Loads of Characters seem to show up for the side-missions, and their new voice acting is far worse than that of Sonic, Tails, and Eggman. Cream, Charmy, I never thought I'd want to punch you guys in the face MORE. But I do. HAAAATE.
Also, it looks that getting all of the Red Rings (of deeeeeeeath) may in fact be a prerequisite for Super Sonic, in which case FUCK THAT NOISE because FUCK RED BURST. Neat power, UTTERLY UNFUCKINGCONTROLLABLE. fuck red burst, man.
Overall, "Sonic Rush 2010 Version". Thankfully, none of the typical DIMPS 'fuck you pits' moments... except in one part in world 2 where you're expected to Red Burst over the whole thing. ARGH.