MGS I think was groundbreaking in “cinematic” storytelling in gaming. I thought the presentation, extended FMVs and dual shock (OMG it vibrates!) was so cool at the time. Starfox 64 with rumble pack is where it’s at though XD.
If you’re for higher standards in VG storytelling, I’ll recommend Tactics Ogre/Final Fantasy Tactics again (both of which are easily obtainable online cough). Their plots rival any Hollywood historical epic, even if some of the dialogue/translation is lulz worthy (“I am come!”). Also, customizing character classes/parties is as much fun, if not more, than messing around with weapon upgrades or Pokemon skills. Finding broken stuff like Calc class or Ogre equipment is so much fun.
Another great but semi-obscure RPG is Baten Kaitos for the GC, both the original and the prequel (Origins). They’re both great games (the prequel has much better VAing) with fairly engrossing plots (and a pretty good twist) but the most notable thing to me was the battle systems, which were not only very original but also fun to play with, kind of like Yu-Gi-Oh or FF8 done right, if that makes any sense. This game struck just the right balance of collection and customization without feeling grindy at all, the pacing was really good and the game(s) could be completed in a fairly short amount of time.
Musta had the same Poker Face as the guy who voice acted Dante in DMC1 when Dante wanted to fill Trish’s Dark Soul with LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHTTTTTTTTT!!!
I agree with with Tasty on FF tactics be sure to check it out DKL the GBA version was also a lot of fun if you need something to play on the go.
I thought FF8 was done right o.O
Come on Royal, Michizzle, and Aria back me up here
I’ll pick up Tactics on PSN when Beyond Good and Evil comes out in May.
Also, I think they have Baiten Kaitos at the local Gamestop; I’mma check it out.
EDIT: Holy fuck at 2-hour Kirby’s Epic Yarn speed run until 4 in the morning…
This game was awesome; kinda wish that I took the time to actually play it, but I gotta trade that shit in…
I could potentially also trade in Zelda: Twilight Princess, but I am hesitant…
EDIT:
ALSO, as a side note, I have not been digging the Mortal Kombat demo…
Have you guys gotten on this yet? I thought it was stiff like a wooden plank: shit felt like it was all over the place, but the retail version is supposedly radically different…
Either way, I’m a little hesitant about the game now and am not sure I wanna pre-order (interestingly, the alternative is that I get Dead or Alive for the 3DS out of novelty… yes, I could get SUPER or we could actually walk from the dojo to Rack-n-Cue for a change to play Arcade Edition)…
But if I don’t pre-order, I MISS OUT ON KLASSIC FATALITY AND COSTUME, OH MY GOD:
I had a nice MvC3 session with Haibing today. Up until like 4am today.
And MaNoel is failing with the modding of his stick… Soldering thin wires is hard and they break off. Can’t find my desoldering copper to fix it.
I played crimson room before, never finished it but I remembered I got hooked on this other game that is the same concept but I forgot the name of it. I think it has the word dimension or something weird like that. I haven’t been able to find it since I played it like 5 years ago.
On the topic of flash games, here are a few that I liked a lot:
Storytelling in games doesn’t get any better than Silent Hill 2 or the Half Life series! I guess I’m the only MGS2 fan as I thought, gameplay wise, it was the best in the series.
For Mortal Kombat 9, I don’t think it was what I expected it to be. I believe Mortal Kombat 3 is superior in every way at least for now but who knows it might take some of the hype from MVC3 once the actual game comes out.
@Linknights don’t worry the reason I like the Unreal Tournament Games is because its easy to pick up even if you haven’t played shooters in a long time. Its just underrated and people don’t pay attention to it because most play COD instead or Killzone. RE5 might take some time to get used to but coop Mercenaries is quite fun, I think I must have put in more time in that mini-game then I did for the entire game. Still playing online and offline even now lol
VII I remember when playing MGS4 and I did that and PM was hella trolling me saying it doesnt work. HAHAHA. But MGS2 was fun, the story not so much. FISSION MAILED? Sounds like an earthquake threat!
@VII: Yes. FFVIII is godlike. I completely understand why people dislike it though. Also, with MK9, after reading up on it a bit from different sources, the underlying statement was always along the lines of “this game is not supposed to be Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat 3 or anything you’re used to.” So with that in mind, I’ll be sure to give it another go once the retail version is released.
Garbage!? What? You didn’t like naked cartwheeling Raiden?
And you haven’t played Xenogears, have you?
Hell yeah, I like Castlevania!
Someone else hasn’t played Xenogears. Although I agree completely.
Also, is anyone else going to IGN’s 3DS SFIV party thing?
Yeah, Xenogears! Another gdlk JRPG with an awesome plot, funny translation and (sometimes random) Judeo-Christian imagery. What’s up with JRPGs and god-killing? Persona was like that too. I really like the battle system in XG too, inside and outside of mechs (not to mention the awesome coliseum gundam battle). Soylent green… IS PEOPLE!
@Aria I just miss my run button =[ feels incomplete without it. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that particular statement because I think it just got polished up from MK3 like KOFXIII with its EX Moves and drive cancels, MK9 just got those enhanced moves. X-ray moves essentially being supers. I’ll give it another try too once retail comes out but I still miss my run button.
I havent played XenoGears (on my list of games to play right next to chrono cross) but I’ve played the XenoSaga Series
Edit:Shin Megami Tensei Noucturne is sooo heavy on the puzzles and never ending dungeons though. Plus many monsters were pretty tough and gave little to no exp. Plus the Dante Boss Battles were really hard the first time around without a guide. Getting to and Defeating Lucifer was a pain also because it required you to play the game again.
@Naked Raiden, man that was just horrible XD made me cringe -.- when it was paired with those crazy messages from the “colonel”
I don’t know how to play Guilty Gear, 3rd strike or KOF, but I’m pretty sure that my impression of those games is that they aren’t ass: when I pick them up, even at a casual level, it doesn’t feel clunky as fuck.
MK9 is clunky as fuck.
As for the continued topic of storytelling in video games, I was recently really impressed with Hotel Dusk (likely why I’m importing the sequel), likely because it doesn’t tell its story like a video game (people actually sit around and eat?) and has actual characters… and the ending was great because it doesn’t try to shoot for the moon and resolves its conflict in a manner that doesn’t seem overwrought.
That being said, the actual game is pretty blah… lots of random moments of me trying to figure out what the fuck to do next, because the game gave you next to no hints and you had to search the hotel up and down for clues.
I think a lot of problems with storytelling in videogames is that they’re usually just vehicles for the gameplay (I think one of the only times where I’ve played something where being a vehicle for the gameplay really REALLY worked was in Ghost Trick: the gimmicks in the gameplay were established as a bunch of funny rules in the story).
My main complaints about a lot of the JRGPs I play is that they’re essentially making me play the shitty battle system for an anime that I’ve already seen.
Xenogears was amazing for its time despite the game becoming a bit weak by the second disc, not sure how well it holds up but definitely chack it out.
The most interesting thing in MK9 IMO will be meter management. I kinda wish SF4 had a similar approach for Ultras where instead of getting a powerful attack for getting beat up, you’d have to spend your entire gauge for an all out attack.
I too, miss the run button it was one of the main things that separated MK from other 2d fighters, but MK2 was arguably the best in the series and managed without it.
The most disappointing thing from the demo for me was that the big attacks like XRays weren’t very satisfying to pull off. I mean, when you finish somebody off with an Xray attack, they just stumble backwards and fall over, I’m kinda spoiled by other fighters where the screen graphics and announcer goes nuts when you finish with big attacks. I’m also hoping there’s more variety in the Fatalities also.
I have no idea what the button layout on a TE stick will be for that game. I may stick with pad for MK.
Violence wise, I don’t find the game very appealing. It’s more like SAW (lame), and I’d rather it be more ridiculous and entertaining like Machine Girl (awesome). Just my two cents though
I don’t know, the Fatalities was what MK was known for as well as the controversy it created. I agree with Taozen though on a variety of fatalities everything feels kinda the same i.e. people getting sliced in half or torn in half or decapitated gets pretty boring after a while. I probably miss Brutalities the most. From my experience, its not too bad on a regular MadCatz TE Stick, it’ll definitely take some time to get used to but I can certainly understand why you would choose pad. I think my last MK game that I played for a considerable amount of time was MK3 Ultimate on DS. It was very comfortable just using the D-pad.
I can understand this entirely still wishing they made a better game for Code Geass instead I get this DS Game that is like a JRPG but completely veers off the actual story with very mediocre battles. After a while I was just like “When the hell do I get the Gawain?”
Edit: On the side note, has anyone finished Heavy Rain. I’ve been meaning to play that game for the longest time but was always unsure of whether to get it.
Most of my elementary school days were spent on MK2. By the time MK3 was out, I was busy with SF2 (and…Chrono Trigger,) so I never had time to fall in love with the run button.
I’d also love more insane Fatalities. They’re alright for the most part, but I agree; it’s missing the OMGSHOCK! factor from back in the day. Granted, it’s become difficult to achieve the same level of OMGSHOCK! today.
I found the Xenosaga series to contain a high level of jank. Especially Episode II. Play Xenogears. It’s better for you.
It also has a fantastic OST.
hey guys, my calender says that we have the crossroads this saturday from 2-10.
also, my spring break starts tomarrow after my last term. all i am going to be doing for the whole week untill aprill 4 is playing marvel, and maby watching battlestar g or fist of the north star. people are welcome to come over for battles and enjoy fellowship. i am also going to be cooking some good meals, so if you want to pitch in, i can make anything (well mostly anything, my girl is the real cook lol). so starting tomarrow afternoon, people are free to come, do all night marvel, eat food, drink tea or something, all spring break.
also @ DKL: Castlevania l.o.s. is a better game then rune factory 3 (TROLL) lol. but i am interested in this rune factory, i saw a video on it and it looks good in theroy
Ill come by tomorrow worf pm me your addy and Ill come by for a couple of hours.
Also Can the dojo’s slogan be what Jordan said a couple of weeks back. “[Speaking of Haggard] He’s like Freddie Mercury, but instead of having HIV it’s steroids.”
