All Entries Tagged With: "PlayStation 2"

Rumor: Final Fantasy XI Servers Shutting Down This Year

If the report on Gamegrep is to be believed, Square-Enix’s long-running MMO Final Fantasy XI will be closing its doors sometime this year.  FFXI has been up and running for eight years and, to this date, it’s still the only successful cross-platform MMO.  It started off in Japan on the PC, then moved to Western regions.  Eventually the PS2 version was released, being one of the only real uses for the hard drive attachment for that system.  Finally it was released on the Xbox 360.

We’ll file this solidly under the rumor department for now, but, in a way, it may make sense.  Their new effort, Final Fantasy XIV, will likely be taking over a lot of time and possibly development staff, and the resources being expended to keep FFXI afloat may be required elsewhere.  This is, for the most part, what was stated on the personal blog of a human resource employee at Square-Enix.  It has since been removed.  Confirmation?  No, but it is suspicious.

The entire game with its major expansions, sans the latest small mini-expansions, is available for under $20US at numerous retailers, something that, in and of itself, doesn’t necessarily spell doom and gloom for the title, but at least if you went out and bought it now, you will be secure in the knowledge that you didn’t spend a whole lot on it.  Remember, take this with a grain of salt, folks.  It wouldn’t surprise me if it’s true, however.

[VG247]

DJ Hero Price Drop!

DJ Hero has been lowered from 119.99 to 99.99 (this includes the turntable and the disc copy of the game).  This is definitely something for music-game fans as well as possibly fans of music production/mixing to take note of.  For a hundred dollars you will get the hardware needed allowing you to scratch over 102 individual songs in over 93 exclusive mixes.  The styles of music you can expect to find are varied and include pop, hip-hop, rock, electronica, R&B, Motown, and did we mention hip-hop?  For anyone who ever dreamed of being a DJ but never really went through with it, now you can try it without people saying ‘You Suck!’!  DJ Hero also supports online or local battles for ramped fun factor and replay value!  For those of you still living in last-gen you can pick this up for 79.99!  You thrifty renegades!

New MLB2K10 Gameplay Vid

As Sean Bailey talks us through this new Major League Baseball 2k10 Gameplay Video and Screens, from 2K Sports’ Developer Insights section of their online community website, I notice more then just the realistic, vibrant graphics we’ve all become accustomed to in sports games.  Although, those are pretty great in this game as well!  What I like most about this game is that its harder to pitch and bat then most games.  New realistic game play additions to MLB2k10 make this baseball game seem like more of a full fledged simulation then a game.  The way split second decisions are handled in this game really step up the demand for a player to be skilled and focused.

For example, the all new Total Control Pitching system in place will have you using your thumbs in quick motion to perform your pitches with the analog stick all the way to the right then twisting back in and around to the left in a curve like fashion to achieve slider pitches.  The pitch analyzer will be an essential asset in delivering improved performance on the mound.  Giving you tips based on your performance of what you did well and what was garbage.  And the way the pitch matches up to the batter’s swing does give the general impression that physics are pretty great in this game!

Up at bat there have been major additions to the games controls as well that make it focus more on skill and ease of use then in past sports games.  Total Control Hitting gives the player the freedom to realistically pull back their swing using the analog stick and let loose cracking the ball into the outfield in one fluid motion with a Power Swing.  Where many old school games have fumbled this in the past with timed button presses, MLB2K10 looks like solid batting arms are in play.  Contact Swings and Defensive Swings are similarly fluid and skill-testing motions on the analog stick.

As we continue, even further realism is being pushed by MLB2K10 here with the Batter’s Eye, one incredible feature that allows players to see the pitches, and identify balls and strikes, as they approach better or worse depending on the eyesight of the real life baseball player.  It is one of those ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ type of ideas that just seems to make sense in a game like this and adds to the game play in a subtle way.  Last but not least, the Inside Edge scouting system will allow you to “Exploit Weaknesses, Strengths, and Tendancies [of Players]” according to Sean Bailey, Gameplay Designer on MLB2K10

All in all, I’d say this is shaping up to be a pretty hot game.  Just one man’s humble opinion.

Off the Grid: Final Fantasy X-2

For initially not wanting to cover anything with the words “Final Fantasy” in the title in this column, I sure seem to lean in that direction often. But, contrary to popular belief, not everything with those iconic words printed in colorful ink across the game case is instantly a fan favorite. I think we can agree here that the sequel to the amazing Final Fantasy X is one such title. I’m not writing about it here because it sold horribly – quite the contrary, actually. It sold very, very well. But, I’m writing to kind of hit my thoughts on some of the reasons many people seemed to not enjoy it. I don’t think a lot of gamers were too thrilled at the prospect of closing up the lose ends and rectifying the somber mood we were left with at the end of FFX, for one reason or another. Not this fanboy. To be perfectly honest, after finishing up FFX I was about ready to fly over to Square-Enix HQ and stab whoever wrote this story in the eye with a spork. Needless to say, I’m not a fan of bittersweet endings.

A Gaming Retrospective: 2000 and 2001

The year 2000 was a memorable time for most, with the Y2K scare being a bust — makes me think of the 2012 nonsense — that meant that the future for all things would be bright, at least brighter than humanity going into a new stone age. The last 10 years brought us a handful of new consoles, a plethora of amazing games, as well as light-years worth of technological advances. I will be going over the highlights of the last 10 years, as experienced by myself, so stick with me and don’t crucify me for missing anything important.

In the year 2000, I was in the 6th grade, and the PlayStation 2 was the most sought after console (I had one), With the PlayStation 2’s release, it was the beginning of a new generation of gaming, and Nintendo was readying for a new release soon after. The PlayStation was my first disc-based console, also it marked the first time I would stray away from Nintendo. The PlayStation 2 was the first console that had games that really made me say wow. I remember thinking about how I thought it was impossible to top the graphics of a PlayStation 2 (don’t blame me, I was like 12..). It was a bit weird, I was having people who never talked to me in school trying to pretend to be my friend so they could play my PS2 — I guess that is why I have trouble taking people seriously… Thanks Sony.

The new millennium was a time where I realized the potential of computers as gaming machines, mainly due to the fact that computers were becoming so common, that it seemed outlandish for a family to not formally own one. I had Starcraft as well as Diablo 2, but I did not have internet, so I never experienced either online. However, I played the hell out of both games over LAN with my brothers and my cousin. I remember losing an entire summer to Diablo 2. 2000 was a year that showed things could only continue to improve in the world of gaming.

Noteworthy Games:

1. Final Fantasy IX
2. Diablo II
3. Chrono Cross

2001 was the year that brought us the Nintendo Gamecube. The Gamecube was the first Nintendo console that had CD based games, which meant Nintendo could finally do things close to what the PlayStation 2 was doing. My cousin had a Gamecube, but it didn’t appeal to me because I didn’t want to do what I felt was downgrading. Nintendo fell below Sony, and the Dreamcast fell off completely, since it was discontinued. Also, 2001 brought a new contender in the console market, Microsoft.

The Microsoft Xbox was the console that was truly going to give Sony a run for it’s money since it was more powerful. Also, Microsoft, like Sony, had other streams of revenue, so they could afford to lose a bit on the console side. The Xbox was met with decent reception, my brother even bought one. The Xbox gained a stronger following due to the popularity of a launch title that some of you may have heard of, Halo: Combat Evolved. However, with Sony so far ahead, ultimately, the Xbox would never catch up.

Nintendo also released the Gameboy Advance, which was the most powerful gameboy yet, but it still lacked many features that were needed (we will get into those with the DS). The Advance was the first handheld by Nintendo that really made me excited for handheld gaming.

The year of 2001 was a year of shift in the industry, with Sega leaving the console space, and Microsoft jumping in.

2000 and 2001 were the years that would start off the 6th generation of console gaming. These years were pivotal when it came to new technologies, and laid the groundwork for the consoles to come. Come back tomorrow to get the years 2002 and 2003.

Noteworthy Games:

1. Halo: Combat Evolved
2. Golden Sun
3. Final Fantasy X
4. Gran Turismo 3
5. Ico
6. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Off the Grid: Grandia III

Grandia III wasn’t the first title in the series I played, but it was the better of the two (the previous one I played being Grandia II). It offers a fairly standard story with mildly unique characters, but offers a lot when it comes to the battle system and the eerily mezmorizing alternate world that proliferates a good part of the narrative.

Naturally, when I think about RPGs I’m passionate about over the course of my gaming history, nearly all of them have a story that draws me in. This one may be the exception. While the story was alright, it is nothing to stand up and scream about. It focuses on Yuki, a teenager with dreams of flying his airplane across the ocean and traveling the world. He and his mother – who live in Anfog Village – end up meeting a mysterious girl named Alfina, and, from then on, are embroiled in a conflict between Guardians of the world and powerful men wanting to draw on their power, something far beyond Yuki’s wildest dreams.

To me, the story is pretty far out there, something we’re not altogether unused to as RPG fans. In fact, it involves two different “worlds”, if you will. The one our heroes are from and an alternate world that is dying a slow death, called the Verse Realm. These gods – or Guardians – that Alfina can speak to fled the Verse Realm during a war and came to our world. Now trouble is brewing between worlds once more, and Yuki gets in the middle of it all. What makes the story stand out to me, even though it is rather ordinary, is two things – 1) the Verse Realm and 2) how it always manages to stay grounded in “reality”.

Every time our heroes visit the Verse Realm, you’re met with quiet beauty, but there’s always a hint of sadness wherever you go, especially after you meet Hect, a resident of that world, and get acquainted with the way that she suffers every day. It becomes almost an exercise in controlling your emotions when you visit that world, because it does pull at your heart strings in ways you wouldn’t expect. But, while these very surreal situations are happening to our characters, the story usually manages to stay grounded, as well. You visit towns and talk to people in the main world, usually bringing you right back down to Yuki, his simple life and his big dreams. With all this other stuff going on, he still holds true to himself and keeps his goals firmly in front of him.

In addition to the story elements that stood out, I really enjoyed the battle system. But, not just that, the spell effects and the general feeling of power they gave you. At first things might be kind of lacking, but eventually you get powerful spells that tear up the entire battlefield in one huge explosion of awesomeness. In fact, early on the battles seems to take a while, but as you get more characters and more skills, things start progressing at a quicker pace and start getting more lively.

While speaking of the graphical prowess of this title, what first drew me to it was screens of Anfog Village even before the game came out – they were absolutely stunning. While not all areas of the game gave me such an intense desire to actually be there, there are many places that you will see throughout the game where you swear you’re seeing some of the best visuals the PS2 can offer.

To date, Grandia III is probably one of the best role-playing experiences I’ve had on the PS2, and certainly a game to check out for fans of the genre. I would be instantly on board if Square-Enix ever tapped the developers at Game Arts for a current generation incarnation of the franchise.

NIS America – New Web Site, Contest, Games

The ever-diligent folks prinnies over at NIS America have been hard at work on some fancy new things to show off to the world today, perhaps some things you may not be aware of, including a…wait for it…PS2 RPG!  You heard me right, the PS2 is still going strong, especially in the niche RPG market.  Here’s a list of things to check out if you’re an Nippon Ichi fan.

• They have a brand-spanking new web site up and ready to receive visitors.
• They’re holding a “World of Badcraft Contest” in honor of their upcoming title Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! 2.
• A PS2 RPG from NIS America is in the works and will be released before much longer – Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love – which will be coming stateside in March.  Note the premium release comes with an art book, poster and Japanese language voice disc.  (It will also be released on the Wii without the Japanese voice disc.)

RPG fans, don’t throw your PS2 away just yet!  I actually never expected to say that after Persona 4…hmmm…

Off the Grid: Rogue Galaxy

Rogue Galaxy is one of those new IPs you expect might not even cross people’s minds, especially since it was released fairly soon after the last major Final Fantasy title. In many “best RPGs on the PS2″ lists I fail to see this title, yet it was so much fun that I couldn’t put it down for weeks, clocking in close to 100 hours of game play total. The game was developed by the RPG masterminds at Level 5 (of Dark Cloud and White Knight Chronicles fame) and published by Sony. What made it so fun for me?

The varied environments helped a lot – I haven’t seen an RPG with such cool-looking environments since, with maybe one exception (Tales of Vesperia, for those who need to know). You have everything from dusty desert towns to lush jungles and high-tech, robotic cities. Not to mention you have your own space airship to fly around on throughout most of the game.

While the story was so-so, the characters are what made the game. Even though some of them may have been based on typical JRPG stereotypes, they all had a unique personality that made you fall in love with them almost instantly. Specifically, take a look at the main character – Jaster. At first glance even, he doesn’t appear to be your typical JRPG girly-man hero. He’s rough-looking and his hair isn’t spiky. He was left on a desert planet to be raised by a priest and has dreams of being a space pirate (ok, that part is kind of cliché, but you get the idea). In the early stages of the game, through a bout of mistaken identity, he ends up in the company of a bunch of said space pirates.

The battle system is an action-based system where you attack the enemies in real-time, which isn’t anything new and, in fact, gets a bit button-mashy at times. Still, it’s entertaining laying down the hurt on the randomly appearing mobs (no battle screens, it’s all done on the same field screen). There’s also quite the selection of playable characters to make use of, all having their back-stories put out in the open usually on the planet you acquire them for your adventure. They all also have different fighting styles. You can play with them all and see which ones fit you the best. On top of all that, each character has several different costume changes, which appear in battle and all normal cut scenes. These costumes add various attribute changes to the characters and can be found throughout the game by various means.

Also neat about a battle-related system is that your weapons actually gain experience and level up to become more powerful, in addition to the new abilities and stat bonuses that the character themselves learn from ability points.

Another thing I was obsessed with is filling your enemy kill quota, considered enemy hunting in the game. Each enemy in the game has an entry in your hunter handbook (not exact name, as I can’t remember the correct in-game term). When you killed so many of those particular enemies, you “maxed” out the quota for that particular mob. Also of interest to hunters are the quarries, or rare monster hunts, found throughout the game that rewarded you even more than the regular monster hunting.

Those were the things I found most interesting, aside from the story, but that is only scratching the surface of content to occupy your time in the game. You also had weapon synthesis, insectron tournaments (fighting bugs!), optional locations and quests and rare items to find. When you look at it that way, it’s no wonder I spent nearly 100 hours for one play-through! Anyone else enjoy Rogue Galaxy as much as I did?

Get ready to JUMP with Guitar Hero: Van Halen

Sorry, but you must excuse the pun as I’ve been listening to Van Halen since I was a little kid. “Jump” is one of the first songs I can remember from my childhood as they used to play it all the time at Chicago Cubs games. Oh, good times, good times.  But enough about me, let’s get down to playing some Guitar Hero. Poised to rock your face off on December 22nd, it will be hitting on the 360, PS3, Wii and PS2. This compilation features over 25 Van Halen songs and 19 guest songs.  Some of the guests featured are older songs like Foreigner with “Double Vision,” or “I Want It All” by Queen. Other guest songs are from modern artists such as Jimmy Eat World and The Offspring.

I’ve never been a huge fan of music games in general, but this one I will definitely be taking a closer look at, which should be easy now that the demo is out on Xbox Live to Gold members. The demo will be available next Tuesday for Silver members and next Thursday for PSN members.

Off the Grid: Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia

Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia was certainly a unique title, developed by Gust (also known for its Atelier Iris and Mana Khemia franchises).  What made it unique?  Several things, but all of them revolved around the Rayvateils.  Rayvateils are all female creations that have a special bond with the Tower of Elemia – they communicate with the tower and support your main characters through song.

For the most part, this first Ar Tonelico title is your standard JRPG, so anyone who’s a fan of the genre shouldn’t have any problems here.  But singing girls supporting you in battle? Not what most people think of when they want to play an RPG, right?

What I enjoyed about this game beyond the story – which has its high and low points, as well as an overly dramatic main character – is the use of these Rayvateils.

First off, they do support you in battle by singing songs that give you buffs, hurt your enemies, heal and other things. The Rayvateil herself can’t be directly attacked by the enemy with standard abilities as long as any of your other characters protecting her are alive. She’s free to sing her little heart out. However, she can be targeted by chain attacks. If this occurs, targeting circles form around her, which indicates the number of your party members that must protect her during their next action phase. If not, she will be attacked, and she’s not as strong as your front line fighters. If you successfully defend your Rayvateil, you get the option to retaliate with a more powerful combined attack.

I thought this mechanic added an extra bit of strategy and depth to the otherwise standard battle encounters and, in some way, made me feel like it was worth it to have this girl along – that she was so important that the little enemy minions felt the need to attempt to take her out.

The other aspect I really enjoyed about Ar Tonelico was that each Rayvateil had her own story, and you could get closer to her by learning about her past and taking a “dive” into her subconscious. When you dive, the game seems to take the form of highly popular Japanese visual novels, focusing not on battle or fast-paced action but on character development instead. There’s quite a bit of dialog during these sequences.

Being, in a way, part dating sim, you have to improve your relationship with the Rayvateils before they trust you enough to delve deeper into their subconscious minds. To do this, you can spend time with her in combat or have conversations with her at various locations throughout your journey, such as inns.

Despite me referring to these mechanics as a “dating sim”, there really is no dating involved, unlike, for example, the Persona titles, where you can date someone if you have a deep enough relationship with them. Here, the point of all this character development is to resolve issues that the Rayvateil is having, helping them cope with various concerns that may be a burden to them. Basically, your goal is to become their BFF and, by doing this, they can learn new song magic and become more powerful in battle. This is what you ultimately want, right?

The Rayvateils also gain new outfits every time their equipment is upgraded, so that’s a plus if you like dressing up moe-themed digital girls. Can’t complain about that, eh? Don’t judge me!

So, along with a fairly well crafted JRPG story (much of the story and characters are cliché, even if the world and the Rayvateils are not), you get these interesting new mechanics, which propelled me through the game and pulled me deeper into it. If you can get around the sometimes shaky dialog, the story sequences when dealing with the Rayvateils aren’t that bad, either.

Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia has two sequels, which don’t hold much in common besides the Rayvateils and the game mechanics behind them. The second title is Ar Tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica and the third, which hasn’t yet been released, is the franchise’s first foray into the current generation consoles – Ar Tonelico III (no English sub-title has been given yet). I have to admit, I played an enjoyed the first game, but I haven’t played the second one yet. I suppose I should get on that, right?

Am I the only one who enjoyed this quirky, overly-feminine RPG or are there others out there like me who just don’t want to admit it?

PlayStation 2 Finally Released in Brazil…WOW!

How we’re supposed to know this, is beyond anyone but… I could have sworn that the PlayStation 2 launched in 2000. And I thought that just about every country had access to Sony’s behemoth PS2 console during this time, or a year or so later. Apparently, this isn’t the case in Brazil, however.

It’s known that Brazil isn’t one of the most “technologically superior” countries in the world. What we know about the country is that they birth some of the finest women ever, and are probably one of Google’s biggest searches with the addition of the words “porn” and “ass.” But, aside from that, nothing is really known about the South American country… except that and the fact that they are just receiving the PlayStation 2 nine years after its initial release date.

Brazil isn’t the most “gamer friendly” areas out there. Controversial games come along, their government cracks the whip and they can’t play it. That, and the fact that piracy is as common as prostitution in Las Vegas.

The PlayStation 2, finally being released in Brazil, is now available to consumers from the Sony Style store. The price? You won’t believe me when I say this: 799 BRL (around $461) – far more expensive than the next gen PlayStation 3, which has the price-tag of $299 now. Well, at least they get the chance to experience the PlayStation 2, to say the very least.

Any takers on guessing when the PlayStation 3 will be released over there? My guess is sometime in 2020… when the PlayStation 4 is already in full swing and pushing out graphics which will make our eyes bleed.

New Silent Hill Coming December

Konami Digital Entertainment’s popular horror series will see the latest installment titled Silent Hill: Shattered Memories releasing on December 8th for Nintendo Wii, with Sony PSP and PS2 (that’s right Playstation TWO) versions to release shortly after. The game is supposed to be like the original title, but with a twist. The story starts the same as protagonist, Harry Mason, is searching for his missing daughter in the snowy streets of Silent Hill, but this time the player will only be equipped with a flashlight and cellphone. You’re going to have to gather story information, play through puzzles, lurk through dark streets and escape enemies, all without the security of a weapon. The game will also be based on profiling and analyzing players to adjust itself to their actions. Here are profiles of the characters Konami has released to give you all a head start on the game.

Character details:

Harry Mason – While driving through the spooky streets of Silent Hill, Harry’s car skids on a patch of ice and veers off the road into a ditch. Upon waking from the crash, he realizes his daughter Cheryl is missing and sets out into the dark, freezing night to find her.

Cheryl Mason – Harry’s daughter who has mysteriously disappeared, causing him to brave the streets of Silent Hill. She’s a cheerful girl who loves her father very much.

Cybil Bennett – After years on the police force, Cybil has seen a lot of crazy things, but she’s not quite sure what to make of Harry Mason. She decides early on to keep an eye on him, and their paths cross repeatedly.

Dr. K – A friendly, relatable therapist who shows up periodically to evaluate the player. His therapy sessions consist of interactive psychological test which players will actually take part in.

Michelle – Michelle meets Harry at her High School reunion, however he doesn’t remember it. Tired of waiting to meet up with her boyfriend, she decides to aid Harry in finding his daughter.

Dahlia – A tough, street-wise young girl, Dahlia seems to know quite a bit about Harry. The fact that he can’t remember anything about her confuses Dahlia as much as it does Harry.

Lisa – Lisa is a nurse at Alchemilla Hospital. Although she’s young, lines of experience are already evident on her face. Despite her cynicism, Harry finds himself protective of Lisa and offers to lend her a hand.