Persona 5: What I Want

According to every website on the internet, Atlus has registered the domain, Persona5.com. That's awesome. I have been waiting for another installment in this game series. It really isn't surprising that a new one is coming considering how popular these games are, even in a niche market. With this news in mind, there are a few things I do hope for this new game.

1. A New Setting
Let's be honest, most of us are not in high school and probably close to or already graduated college that play these games. Heck, the average gamer is apparently in their 30's at this point. It's time for Atlus to up the ante and give us something we all can relate to better, like college or adulthood. I understand the appeal with JRPG's and high school, but many of us are long past that. I can't really relate to a coming of age story when I already came to age. I am 24, how can I relate to a 16 year old? I can't and I am sure many of us--unless you have Peter Pan syndrome-- can't either. So Atlus, how about giving us a new setting instead of kids in high school. I don't mind the overall scenario of Japanese urban life in these games, just the high school setting.

P.S. Am I the only one that feels like these characters always look more in their late teens, early 20's in these games?

2. New Persona Summons
This one is fairly obvious. Nothing makes a consumer want to buy a new installment like new content. That being said, I want new to be able to summon new persona's. I have always been a fan of using Jack Frost in these games, but come on, I need a new favorite. I think everyone is expecting new summons in this game. I don't even know why I bothered writing anything for this section.

3. A New and Old Story
Who doesn't like a new story in a new installment of a game? Want to know what I like better than even that? A new story that ties the old games together. If you have never played a Persona game, I can understand why this topic may not make sense. Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 4: Arena stories all connect to each other. It all has to do with shadows and midnight. I can't really go into why they connect without spoiling everything. If any of these games were 10 years old, I would because you should have played them by now. Anyway, I want to see these stories connected in Persona 5. I want more answers and I want more closure. BLAH.

4. Have it for both Handheld and Console
Want to know what I really like to do? I like to be able to take a game I am playing and play it anywhere. With the way technology is today, this is possible and is already being done. If Atlus was smart, they would make this game cross-play. This would allow all of us to pick up from where we left off on whatever system. It helps when I am not always home to play on my consoles. If they could make Persona 4: Golden that awesome, they could do it with Persona 5. The end.

With all that in mind, I am really excited for this game and cannot wait to play it.

A Quick Recap from Absence

Hey guys, it's been awhile since I have posted a blog post. I have been busy with interviews, a holiday, and a death in my family but I am back! It has been a crazy six days in the realm of video games. Today, I am going to break down some of the stuff going on!

Nintendo
My twitter feed was blowing up yesterday with Nintendo and EVO. If you unsure yourself with what happened, here is a quick summary from me. Nintendo apparently blocked streaming access of Super Smash Brothers Melee matches during the EVO. Well that changed quickly and Nintendo will now allow streaming of the tournament. From what I gather, one of the biggest outcry from fans was due to the fact they raised money for breast cancer to allow Melee to be played. I think that's a good enough reason to be mad at Nintendo.

Muramasa Rebirth
If I have gathered any news on this Playstation Vita game, it's that people are liking it. This game came out a few weeks ago and has been doing pretty well. Honestly, the lowest score I have seen so far has been a 3.5/5. So that tells me that this upgrade might be worth the purchase. However, good luck finding a physical copy of the game.


Microsoft 
In a bold, but sane move, Microsoft has changed their mind on DRM and the constant need to always be online. That's right, used games will now be playable. Honestly, this should have been okay from the start. If companies want to sell games, they need to make them good enough to keep playing. They could also make them affordable for consumers who are not exactly loaded. I mean geez, some of the best games didn't cost a fraction as some of these new AAA games.


Tales of Xillia 2
The best news that I have to give to everyone is that ToX2 will be localized. I am incredibly ecstatic about these turn of events. 

That's all for today guys. I will start blogging again since everything has resumed to normal.

Rune Factory 4

Have you ever enjoyed simulator games like Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing, but wish you could play it like a dungeon crawler too? Look no further and pick up a copy of Rune Factory 4 when it comes to North America in August for the Nintendo 3DS. Rune Factory is a Harvest Moon spin-off with all of your favorite role-playing elements like battling monsters and collecting new weapons. I can't say I have ever played one, but it does look interesting enough to warrant a pick up. I mean, who doesn't want to play a game with the added bonus of 3-D? 

As I watched the trailer below, I couldn't help but think this game plays like a Legend of Zelda game when you dungeon crawl. I am not complaining though, I do enjoy that type of gameplay. Rune Factory 4 allows you to use different types of weapons such as a sword or spear. I think that's pretty cool. I have always been a man of pole-arms in games--and when I did martial arts--and I think they are always a welcomed addition to any game.

There is one reservation that I have with this game. I am never comfortable with the dating aspect of games, especially when the characters look too lolita for it. If you are unsure what that means, look at these characters. They don't look more than 14 years old. That's weird. Well, that's weird because I am a 24 year old man and not a coming of age teen. At least with Fire Emblem, you knew most them were adults and I could at least relate to that, sort of. I digress from the overall game though. It looks like it will be a fun game to play for a few hours here and there. I know, minus my reservation from what I mentioned, I will give this game a try.

Quick Review: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

This past weekend began phase 3 of  beta testing for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. If you are wondering if a Realm Reborn is an expansion of the original FFXIV, it's not. It's an upgraded version of the original game. Apparently, the original FFXIV was terrible. Square decided to fix this by bringing a new team in and recreating this online MMORPG. They worked tirelessly to give us faith again in this company and their ability to make a good game. Anyway, that's enough for the history lesson.

When I first started this game, I was created with an epic cinematic experience. This entailed an amazing opening movie and an explanation of this new world. It was pretty cool to watch. The story really sets up for an epic fantasy, or at least a fantasy world for me to explore. After all that, I was brought to the character creation menu.

I have to say, not a lot of customization. If you do not count the color palates and the races, there isn't much in terms of aesthetic options. I do understand that it's a beta version, so I am not worried that there will be a lack of customizations for you persona. I do like the variety of races, sub-races. and classes you can choose. I obviously choose the manliest of the bunch with Highlander because anything with a beard says, "yes." I should have went with the Axe, but I choose lancer instead.

The game world is stunning. It was amazing how much detail went into this world. I felt like I was actually walking through an fantasy town located near the woods. Every color that needed to be bright, was bright and every leaf that needed to appear, appeared. The amount of detail in this world was pretty intense. You can tell that these developers really spent the time creating an awesome world. I honestly cannot wait to go adventure more next weekend so I can see more of the world they created. There are few games with this beautiful of a world.

Now for what some of you might be wondering. The game played out like any other MMORPG. Where Final Fantasy can innovate, it also reuses and tried and tested method of battle, the point and click. If you never played an mmorpg, it's all about grinding and looting. I can tell you right now, there will be a lot of it in this game. 

All in all, I enjoyed the game. There is still improvement needed like how other people move on your screen and more customization of your avatar, but I enjoyed the game overall. Until Tomorrow.

Five Game Characters that Kick Ass

I came across an article today listing the ten best game characters and I must say, I don't agree with every choice the author made. I agreed with his selections of Mario, Sonic, and a few others, but some of them were garbage. I decided to make my own list. A numbered list of characters that actually had an influence in the gaming world and kicked ass. Well, only five characters today.

5. Master Chief 
If there was ever a war in the future against awesome looking aliens, I would expect Master Chief to be up front and tea-bagging those newbs. John--which is his real name--is one of the most badass main characters that has ever graced the gaming world. He was a man that did not say much and just got the job done. Aliens invading your world? No problem. Master Chief would take a pistol and pop those grunts back from a mile away. Really, his character is iconic in the gaming world. Not only does he embody stereotypical badassary, but he has a AAA game to back him up. Everyone knows Master Chief. You know he is kind of a big deal when he has his own special Spartan uniform.  
                 

4. Cloud
If I was a chode, I would have just put Cloud's sword. That weapon is widely known in the gaming world because it's a huge freakin' sword. Look at it for a minute and tell me that's not excessive. Well, besides being known for his sword, Cloud is the main protagonist in Final Fantasy 7. He was the embodiment of the franchise for the Playstation. There may have been better games in the franchise on the first Playstation, but Cloud is the one character that everyone knows. He almost always lands in the top 5 in polls for popular characters and rightfully so. Cloud is one kick ass character that knows how to get the job done when it matters. It also helps that he appears in more than one game like Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy Tactics. If you are popular enough to be in more than one game, you are pretty kick ass.

3. Mega Man
I would be a terrible person if I did not put Mega Man on this list. The blue bomber is known for his multiple platform titles and his various spin-off series like Mega Man X and Legends. He's a dude that goes around beating baddies and taking their powers through multiple stage levels. If you have never played a Mega Man game, you are really missing out. He and his spin-off clones are some of the coolest characters to have ever graced the Nintendo and future consoles. Look at him. He's just awesome. It really is a welcome surprise that he will finally be in Super Smash Brothers. I know who I will be using all the time!

2. Samus
Samus is one of the best female protagonist to date. She does rolls, shots lasers like Mega Man, and runs around in a pretty awesome armor suit. It's not often we see female characters as cool as her, but damn can she kick alien ass. It was pretty shocking when gamers found out she was a female upon completion of the original Metroid game. Really, without getting into real specifics, she is the female Mega Man, which makes her just that more awesome.

1. Link
Link. What can I say about this former lefty? Well, for one, he is definitely one of the most popular videogame characters to date. He's probably more famous than anyone on this list and future list I make. With that said, our silent protagonist is always the hero of something who fights Ganondolf or some other evil being to save something. He always carries the triforce of courage with him in his games. Even more amazing, not all the Links are the same. Actually, most are different heroes in their own time, fighting for their own reasons, and usually saving a maiden at the end of the day. Even in this day and age, Link is still as relevant to the gaming world as anyone new or old. It doesn't matter that the series is over 20 years old, what matters is that Link still goes on ridiculous adventures. He still gets it done at the end of the day and that's what matters.

Animal Crossing: A Quick Review

As I enter the little town known as Aberdeen, I find myself greeting furry residents as their new mayor. There's Astrid, some rainbow colored kangaroo, who always has fleas jumping around on her fur. I have Sally, a very masochistic squirrel who seems to do nothing but punish himself for little known reasons. And of course, I have Sully--there must be something with names that start with A and S in this game--who asks me if I even lift when I approach this boastful cat creature. I would be lying if I said that the towns people were far from unique...and weird. I make sure that everyday I gather resources to sell, outfit my museum with new things, and make sure that public works are funded properly. It's all in a days work as a mayor. For those that have not played the game yet, here is a quick review of the important things of the games.

Celebrating a new bench because why not?

Gameplay

Animal Crossing plays similarly to its predecessors. You go around the town and build it up. You make money by doing various activities like fishing and netting bugs. There are day specific events for you to attend.The new feature of swimming seams like a gimmick that really wasn't needed. This type of game play is fun and addicting though. It may seem like tedious task you do everyday like shoveling up fossils, but I can't find myself stopping it for one day. They really know how to get you into a routine that's fun to do everyday.

Music

The music in this game is fun and catchy. I mean, what makes a perfect song is how catchy it is to people. I find myself enjoying all the tunes that come through my headphones and sometimes coming up with my own themes at the office. These tracks are not hard, but are perfectly quirky. I have not had a chance to hear K.K. Rider yet, so I can't review that, sorry guys.

Graphics 

I would be lying if I said the look of the game didn't matter compared to the gameplay. Honestly, this is one of the best looking 3DS games out in the market. The only game I can think of that looks just as good was the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The 3D in this game was perfectly done...well as perfect as it could be done. It just looks fantastic. It helps to that all the colors are bright palates, but still, looks great. 

Value for your Money

If there is one thing that I will argue, this game is a steal for your money. The game itself is only $34.99 compared to many 3DS games that are priced at $39.99. The price does not only justify the cost, but the actual game does that for you. I honestly pick the game up for an hour a day, and I still feel fresh when playing it. I have yet to get bored of it, which is a big deal. There are also different seasons for you to play in and various events that go on. It really is worth the price tag and it probably is worth more than that.

Conclusion

Animal Crossing: New Leaf is a welcome addition to the franchise as well as to the Nintendo 3DS. It's not often that good simulation games are made, but I think Nintendo really hit it with this one. Not only is it perfect for both casual and hardcore gamers, it's a great game for people of all ages. If you have not had a chance to pick this game up, I would suggest doing it soon.

The Wii U : What it Needs to Survive

Let's be honest, the Wii U is not doing well in the markets in its first year. That's disappointing considering it's part of a historied company that has pushed the bounds of our imagination. Nintendo is like the Disney of Japan, they bring the magical and the fantastical to life with modern technology. The future for Nintendo is bleak with the competition it is up against in the coming year with the Playstation 4 and Xbox One. If Nintendo wants to survive this generation, they will have to change a few things. 

The Price

The Wii U is expensive like most new things on the market. It's not unheard of for a console to be around $299.99 or more. Actually, systems have been priced close to that as far back as I can remember. The problem is, it's not working for Nintendo. The only way Nintendo can justify the price is by producing systems with more than 8gb and 32gb hard drives. I am well aware that you can buy external hard drives, but that just adds to the total bill. Sony and Microsoft are offering 500gb internal hard drives for their systems for $99.99 - $199.99 with the possibility of better overall technology than the Wii U*. That's a better deal than what Nintendo is offering. If Nintendo wants to survive, they need to readjust the price of their console.

New Games

I know this is an obvious one to put, but Nintendo is lacking games on its console. Virtual Console games are not going to cut it as "new" games. Many gamers--including myself--own past generation consoles and games that still work. Why would we want to buy those games again? That's a waste of money and a waste of time. What Nintendo needs to do is start cranking out their more famous titles as they have been doing as of late. We need more Mario and more Zelda. I don't care if "critics" say they are stale, they still sell and I still enjoy them.

Nintendo could also benefit buy bringing a new flagship title to the Wii U. They need more than Zelda and Mario to carry them over to this generation. Many kids that enjoyed platforming with Mario or going on an adventure with Link in the late 1980's-1990's are adults now. They aren't spending as much time playing these games and might not be playing anymore. It's time to appeal to a younger, newer generation of gamers with a new mascot. I would argue any genre is fine, as long as the younger crowd can identify. 

Oh, and start making Fire Emblem games for the Wii U since Awakening did so well. Actually tactical role-playing games and other types of role-playing games could make use of that Pad that comes with the system. Nintendo could use more RPG's as well! Are there really any out there on the Wii U? I feel that Nintendo concentrates this genre on their 3DS and it's hurting them. They need to start making more games in this genre ASAP.  

Identity

Now that I mention games and appealing to a younger generation as well, what is the Wii U's identity? The console with the enormous tablet? The console that has an abundant of Mario and old people games? That console that I use as a bookshelf? Honestly, I have no idea what the Wii U's identity is today. When I see other consoles, I see that it conveys a message to me. The Playstation 4 says, "Hey, I am going to be a portable PC that will have a great library." When I see the Xbox One, I see a system that will appeal to entertainment, the movie/game experience at the comfort of your home. The Wii U needs an identity that will make people want to buy it. I have no desire besides it being a Nintendo console with a giant tablet. 

Conclusion 

Nintendo can change a few things to survive this generation. I only named a few things, but even these three changes could save the console. Nintendo needs to stop being stubborn and take a hit for a little bit in the wallet. It will work in their future and ours later on in the Wii U's life.

*I say possibility of better technology since the systems are not out yet. I also say this since I take into account more than the actual hardware.