Final Fantasy X

Oh come on you knew it was coming… How could I have a gaming blog and not mention my favourite game of all time; Final Fantasy X?

I am, once again, playing this game, with the exception that this time I am taking my time in an attempt to pick up as many of the Celestial Weapons that I can.

Final Fantasy X was the very first PS2 game that I ever bought, and it is still one of the best I’ve ever played.

The characters are a mixed bunch, but all as likeable as the next, and all have their own story to tell, which you will discover as you play the game.

Tidus and Yuna are our hero and heroine. Yuna is a Summoner on a quest to defeat Sin and bring the “calm” to Spira (her homeland). Tidus is a Blitzball (kinda like underwater soccer) player from a city within Spira that was populated a thousand years in the past. Through Sin, Tidus is transported through time to Spira and joins Yuna’s quest. The story is very complex (as are most Japanese based RPG’s) but exquisitely executed, so much so that in the end you are in love with your characters and parting with them is almost heart-breaking.

The turn based fighting system is something that works for me because it gives me time to plan and think about what my next move is going to be, particularly during difficult Boss fights. The levelling up system is also interesting. Characters level up by releasing skill spheres on the Sphere Grid. In order to move around the Sphere Grid you need to ensure that each of your characters participate in enough battles to gain action points. Once a certain number of action points have been accumulated your character is then able to move one space on the Sphere Grid.

Thanks to this game I became a Final Fantasy addict and have slowly been growing my collection of them. I now own Final Fantasy Anniversary edition for the PSP, Final Fantasy X-2 for the PS2 (the sequel to FFX), Final Fantasy XII (PS2) and the movie Final Fantasy Advent Children.

This is an exquisite game, with a rich storyline and exquisite graphics to add to that. Gamespot gave it a rating of 9.3 and what can I say… can’t argue with that!

The Sphere Grid tutorial

Shiva (my favourite Aeon) performing her overdrive attack, Diamond Dust

Yuna, in her wedding dress on her way to marrying Maester Seymour

Tidus performing his overdrive attack, Spiral Cut

Tidus playing Blitzball (this part of the game is a dead loss for me. I can't get the Blitzball thing right)

Bahamut, one of Yuna's more powerful Aeons

Wakka, Tidus and their team, The Besaid Aurochs

Yuna perfoming a Sending (to send the dead to the Farplane)

Tidus and Yuna... this is my favourite moment in the game

Yuna performing the Sending

Tidus... isn't he just so gorgeous?

Rogue Galaxy

Beautiful, challenging and down-right fun is the way I’d describe the latest of my Playstation 2 games, Rogue Galaxy.

This Japanese-designed game is fast becoming one of my favourites, along with Final Fantasy X. It certainly feels like a Final Fantasy game, with a “Treasure Planet” twist to it.

Our hero, Jaster Rogue, finds himself hired by a couple of Space Pirates in a case of mistaken identity. Being the adventurous sort, who has always wanted to travel throughout the galaxy he goes along with the two pirates, Simon and Steve, travelling on the most famous pirate ship in the galaxy, The Dorgenark. He is, of course, eventually found out, but by this stage has endeared himself to the crew, who are determined to convince the feared pirate captain, Captain Dorgengoa, to allow him to stay. And of course, they do.

You travel throughout the galaxy, visiting various planets and taking on various missions, some of which, I will be honest, can be a little tedious. At one point you end up in a prison on the planet Zerard and have to fight your way out of a series of floors or levels, which eventually became annoying.

In terms of PS2 graphics, the game is exquisite. Visually stunning Rogue Galaxy is full of rich, colourful scenery and even more so, colourful characters. The game is done in more of an illustrative style than full-on 3D, but that doesn’t seem to detract from it. It, in fact, adds to the interest of the game. You sort of feel like you’re reading an old pirate book, rather than playing a game.

The game does have a few “iffy” points. There are times when the story cut-scenes can be a bit long, and as I mentioned earlier, running around certain areas to get into or out of them can really take its toll, but they’re not so bad that I’d ever get to point of giving up.

To get a glimpse of this stunning game visit Rogue Galaxy’s Official Website

Gamespot’s rating was 8.0 and well… I’m going to stick with that. 8.0 it is!

This is Kisala... Doesn't she remind you of someone? Someone from a Final Fantasy game perhaps???

Hmmm, I have yet to figure out if he is a goodie or a baddie... Will have to keep you posted on that one.

Our hero, Jaster Rogue... Can you see why I love these kinds of games? Isn't he just beautiful?

I'm not sure where this is, but aren't the graphics just beautiful?

Kisala on the deck of her father's ship. Yes, Captain Dorgengoa is her dad!

Going off to battle...

Looking up at the stars... Should we be singing "love is in the air"?

Lilika in attack mode :P She has the most awesome attack called Voodoo Dance.

The Dorgenark in... er... flight?

Jaster again. Looking rather determined if you ask me.

Quake 4

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…

Why do I do this to myself? I’ve decided that in order upgrade myself from gaming outcast to sociable gamer I’m going to learn to play FPS’. Why you ask? I just told you damnit!

Anyways, moving on… I bought Quake 4. No, I did not realise it would be as gruesome as it is. No, I did not think that it would toss you head first into the game without a nice walkthrough to help you going with it. No, I did not realise that if your num-lock is on, you can’t use your keypad. So of course, I ended up dead… fast.

I’m going to give the game another try before I comment on it.

In the meantime though, here are some wise words that I found for those of you, who like me, are very new to FPS games.

Keep moving.
Do not stand still during a fire fight, it's suicidal.
Move all the time, find a safe place, and reload.

Reload.
(Key "R" default)
Keep an eye on your ammo level. When low move away to a safe area and reload. If exposed when reloading... you die. Click and weep.

Know your Strogg.
Bigger the Strogg, more powerful the weapon needed to kill. No, surprisingly a comparatively light weapon can do more damage.
If you’re having problems change weapons. Your armoury always has a weapon for the Stroggs you will meet.

This game (Quake 4) is visually spectacular, second to none. You will also have to listen; sound will help you especially in later levels.

Enjoy the game; it will take a good few hours to complete. There is absolutely no point in trying to complete the game as fast as you can. Take some time to look around and enjoy the environment. Good luck!

SPORE

To be honest, I don’t really have much to say about Spore.

I think the downward spiral of the game, for me, began right in the beginning when the game wouldn’t see my internet connection. After much frustration I eventually clicked cancel, and the game launched. No, I have no idea what happened either.

The game, visually, is very entry-level (on my pc, of course). Although, I do think that the EA took the whole ‘minimum spec requirements’ to the extreme. My pc just meets the specification requirements, except for my graphics card, which is slightly better. The graphics quality, although adequate, leaves much to be desired.

The concept of the game is good. Create a creature and evolve it. The execution of that concept is not good. Yes, you create a creature and evolve it, but I find myself asking where the finesse is? Where is the part where I can turn my creature from a ghastly looking alien into a cool human (or at the very least, humanoid type creature)? Why can’t I get the eyes to look the way I want, and what the heck is up with the mouth?

Once I’d gotten through the cell stage and was onto the creature stage the game became repetitive quickly. Initially I started out creating an herbivore. This lasted all of 2 hours. I then scrapped my creature and started again as a carnivore. It would seem that survival of the fittest is the way to go. Perhaps it’s my personality, or perhaps it’s just the way the Spore universe works, but my anti-social, kill everything in my path attitude seemed to be effective and after repeatedly performing the same actions (charm, spit, attack, bite, etc…) I got to the tribal phase.

Defending my meat was the end of the game for me. I switched it off and went back to playing Bratz. Although, I have to say, watching paint dry would also have topped the excitement factor of the game.

I keep asking myself, were my expectations of the game too high? Was I expecting it to be on the same level as The Sims2, of which I am an ultimate fan? I don’t know the answers to those questions. What I do know is that Spore did not ‘wow’ me in a way that I thought it would.




My Spore Creatures:

Visit the Spore.co.za website

Bratz the Movie

Ok, I admit it! I bought the ultimate in girly-girl games. I just couldn’t help myself. It’s… so cute… and well… when cute calls, I tend to go galloping off after it.

Bratz is based on the live-action movie of the same name. The story follows the 4 Bratz girls; Cloe (Angel), Yasmin (Pretty Princess), Sasha (Bunny Boo) and Jade (Kool Kat); as they try to put out a magazine, manage school and their new teacher Burdine Maxwell (Editor-in-chief of the rival magazine ‘Your Thing’) and deal with the ‘Tweevils’ Kaycee and Kirstee; twin sisters and Burdine’s interns.

The game is a collection of mini-games, some are required to move through the story and some are there to help you earn “blingz” to spend and other rewards. The required mini-games help you fill your magazine, which you can view at any point in the game by returning to the Bratz office.

As you move through the game you get to buy or create your own fashions, pick up a pet that you can enter into competitions, take photographs, pick up tasks from your mobile phone, hold a fashion show, and a whole whack of other little things that all help you in your quest to put out the best fashion magazine on the market.

The controls are simple. Using only the remote (no Nunchuk required) you point your character in the direction that you want her to move in, and hold down ‘B’. I found the camera controls to be a tad iffy though, and when your character is on her inline skates, the remote isn’t as intuitive as it should be. Meaning, you end up getting stuck in corners and heading off in the wrong direction.

The graphics, although not terrible, are not as good as they could have been. However, this is all forgiven thanks to the bright, rich colours and cuteness of both the towns and the characters.

This is definitely a game for your girly-girl up to the age of 12, although, this girly-girl is enjoying it so far.

Jade on her way up to the design table to create those awesome Bratz fashions:
Cloe with her pet at The Mall:
Visit the Bratz website!

View the 'Bratz the Movie' game trailer

CSI: Hard Evidence

It’s been a fair while since I last updated this thing, due to work, weddings and of course, gaming. And although Sims 2 has been dominating my time I did manage to squeeze in CSI: Hard Evidence for the Wii.

This game is right up my alley. The game features characters from the series, and even has a side quest in the form of collecting bugs for Grisham. As the lead character you play in a first person view, collecting and analysing evidence from 5 separate crime scenes. The overall game play is simple, and the entire game can be completed within 8 hours if you sit and play one crime scene after the next, however it still seems to be able to hold your interest.

I played the 5 crime scenes through in two days and have started again to see if I can achieve Master status on all of my scenes. Oh, that’s something I forgot to mention. After each case has been solved Grisham will evaluate your performance and rank you.

This is a great game if you want to kill an afternoon, without too much effort. And although the age restriction is 16+ I think I’d let my 14 year old play the game.

Sample comparisons. As you collect evidence in the game, you can compare with either the CSI database, or with other collected samples:

Picking up a suspect... And this guy really was 'suspect':

Asking questions... determining whether or not you need to bring someone in for questioning:
The first crime scene:
The second crime scene:
The science lab. The equipment is actually pretty cool: The morgue... it was a tad grim:

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Shoot ‘em, shoot ‘em shoot ‘em! Who would have thought that a first person shooter (FPS) for the Wii could be so gripping, so exciting, so invigorating! Come to think of it, who’d have thought ANY FPS could be like that.

As I mentioned in my previous post, my PC gaming is limited to playing the Sims 2 and on the odd occasion, Neverwinter Nights, and so FPS games are virtually non-existent in my life. This weekend I bought my first ever FPS. I am not good with the whole mouse and keyboard navigating thing, but the Wii offers a new type of mechanics in terms of game play and I was keen to try it out, and so on a quick visit to CNA in the Pav I picked up Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

Oh my WORD! The graphics are good, better than I expected actually. The concept of using the Wii remote as your weapon arm is fantastic, making the canon attached to your Varia suit an extension of your own arm. You use both the Wii Nunchuk and the remote as you navigate through the various sections of the space station you start out on, and later different planets, etc…

You play as Samus, a female soldier of sorts, who along with a few other characters is tasked with finding and removing a computer virus that has been uploaded to the main system. (Yeah, I’m not 100% sure of the details… need to go through that section again). The remote is your “action” arm… you use it to open doors, fire your canon at certain items, change the settings on your visor, etc whilst the nunchuck is your movement and directional (with the use of the remote) controller.

I initially had my reservations as to whether or not I would enjoy the game, however after my very first boss battle in the game I was actually shaking from the adrenalin rush that was screaming through my body. It’s bloody fantastic! Gamespot gave it a rating of 8.5 and I certainly agree with that.

Nice story, good game play, beautiful graphics and (in places) nail-biting tension all make for a superb game.

Gaming Guide from IGN.com

Wii Game Intro Screen...

Big bad meany aliens...
Killing bad bugs...
Samus in her Varia suit... pretty hot...
Adrenalin inducing bad boss of note! UUUUUUUUUUH!