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The Final Fantasy series has managed to retain the RPG videogame crown for several years. Early sales of Final Fantasy XIII already suggest that the now familiar mix of glossy graphics and extended RPG gameplay will be another huge success for Square Enix.
Existing fans of the series are likely to be more than satisfied, as the HD graphics are stunning and the game sticks to its tradition practice of ‘connecting’ to characters and gameplay from earlier in the series. Most fans are also likely to be happy with Final Fantasy’s now familiar practice of trying to re-invent the series with each new title.
Changing the gameplay from one Fighting Fantasy title to the next always causes much discussion in the games press and games forums. However, it’s possible to see this as a gradual refinement of the gameplay rather than change for the sake of change.
There are a few official FF XIII wallpapers here
Final Fantasy XIII certainly goes out of its way to deliver significant changes, with a revised turn-based combat system that strips away some of the micro-management from earlier titles. There’s also the forgivable disappearance of a few RPG staples, e.g. there’s not a town or a city in sight.
The turn-based combat works well, as players can sequence a wide variety of tasks and combos as the battles get progressively harder. Just remember to organise your party’s ‘paradigms’ before combat or you may find that your team isn’t ‘configured’ to meet particular challenges.
The absence of one or two RPG standards is not a problem because the plot, and the worlds of Pulse and Cocoon where players explore, are complete and fully realised. The game’s main characters are also sufficiently ‘filled out’ to win players over. Bright acts as the leading character but you can expect to ‘get under the skin’ of half-a-dozen characters by the end of play.
With great visuals, enjoyable characters, challenging combat and expansive settings Final Fantasy XIII seems to deserve its success. Except for one major problem. The gameplay is as linear as a runway. Essentially, the first 30+ hours of gameplay are a series of interconnected set pieces. Choices are few and far between and players don’t even have the option of disappearing off into the usual minigames every now and again.
The closing chapters of the game suddenly present large, open environments for players to explore but the challenges are all combat orientated. The open-ended play doesn’t even last throughout these chapters, as players are led into an unavoidable and difficult series of final confrontations.
It’s understandable when designers want players to visit all of their content, but that’s no excuse for leading players by the hand through much of the game. The result is a worthwhile, if slightly ’soapy’ plot, allied to an effective but ultimately predictable combat system. Final Fantasy XIII may have characters, plot and combat but it’s not a true RPG without putting players’ gameplay into players’ hands.
Final Fantasy XIII
Nevertheless, there’s no doubting the value for money in 60, yes, 60 hours of gameplay. It’s also only fair to emphasise that the PS3 version’s high resolution graphics make for a very enjoyable journey, even if someone else is pretty much telling you where to go.
The ice has just about thawed, so it’s time for a quick Spring Preview. We’re planning the now usual coverage of tabletop RPGs, graphic novels, boardgames and exceptional videogames:
The 2010 E3 show is nearing and videogame companies are already in a frenzy. There’ll be a lot of talk about Grand Theft Auto 5 and dozens of first generation touch tablets. We’re more interested in whether or not the new ‘Wii-like’ Sony control system means the Wii goes in the cupboard. Or can the arrival of Metroid Prime: Other M and Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands offer a reprieve?
We’re also going to look at exactly what second generation touch tablets are likely to deliver in terms of shared and family gaming.
A rash of Realtime Strategy Titles (RTSs) are due to appear over the next few months. We’ve heard good things about the Starcraft 2 playtests but the other contenders look like offering some tough competition.
With similar core gameplay any winners are will need to have upgraded the RTS format to stand any chance of keeping players interested.
Tabletop RPGs, boardgames and videogames that get kids used to change should get a mention at some stage, along with posts about our ‘novelty’ videogame picks for 2010 as they’re released.
Material on the future of videogames and tabletop RPGs has been piling up in a folder for a few weeks. Just not sure how or when to post it yet. More details, or posts, as soon as the wheat’s been sorted from the chaff.
Heavy Rain stood out as a likely winner when we posted our Videogames 2010 page. Plot-centred, point-and-click investigations aren’t exactly new to videogaming but Heavy Rain’s murder mystery ’spin’ looked likely to impress and innovate.
We’re please to find that the title has delivered on much of its promise. So much so that many reviewers have overlooked a few flaws, which might have been savaged in a familiar format such as a ’shooter’ or a ‘hack and slay’. For example, Heavy Rain’s animation and voice acting are excellent but not perfect, the game’s interface sometimes makes it tricky to see which option to choose and the plot takes a while to get going.
The main reasons given for this enthusiastic and forgiving reception include the genre, the graphics, the original plot, the characterisation and the open-ended outcomes. These are the key elements of ‘genuine’ roleplaying, where a game helps players to get ‘in character’ and ‘live’ different roles and situations.
Heavy Rain is not as completely open-ended as many tabletop RPGs. However, it is immersive and succeeds in offering players a range of in-game choices/ decisions, which give players the experience of participating in the plot. There may be only eight hours of gameplay on offer but the choices encourage you to play again, using different choices along the way to arrive at different outcomes.
Heavy Rain
So, forget the minor flaws and work out where to get a cheap copy, as the games industry may finally have come up with a form of ‘DRM’ that actually works. With Heavy Rain the last thing you want is to hear how someone else’s game went and it won’t be long before the game’s status moves from ‘no spoilers’ to open discussion.
Diving adventure Endless Ocean was quite successful on the Wii. The diving and exploration side of the game worked well, allowing players to meet a wide variety of marine wildlife. The ‘adventure’ gameplay was more limited and didn’t go beyond looking round some sunken ruins and searching for a mysterious white whale.
Endless Ocean 2 has just been released and it comes across as a much more complete title. Diving is still central to gameplay but players can now dive at half-a-dozen different locations around the world. The new habitats and wildlife play to the game’s strengths, as our working diver earns a living from taking photographs and offering guided tours.
The new title also benefits from the welcome introduction of a certain amount of danger when diving. It’s hardly ‘empty the ammo clips’ time but the element of risk livens up the gameplay and helps to deliver a better diving simulation.
The improved diving works alongside roughly eight hours of plotted gameplay to provide a more polished game than the original. Players of the first game will be impressed by the choice of wildlife, the underwater graphics and the presence of a few mild threats. They’re also unlikely to have a problem with the new ’speargun’, which works as a kind of ‘healing stick’.
Endless Ocean: Blue World European Cover/ US Link
New players are likely to be younger kids and parents who are looking for games they can help their kids play. There’s certainly plenty to talk about during play and those with a Wii Speak and an online connection can go online and dive with a friend. Diving with friends would be all the better if players could still add their own soundtrack but that’s one feature of the first game which hasn’t been carried forward.
Some older kids may already be too used to action titles to go for a ‘casual’ game, but it didn’t take us long to find a 10-year-old who was more than happy to settle down with a copy of Endless Ocean 2.
The Settlers of Catan boardgame is an excellent example of a tabletop game that allows players to use a deceptively straightforward rule set to enjoy a great variety of gameplay. Players may start the game with relatively few resources but those who think ahead, and adapt to changing circumstances, soon create plenty of options and opportunities for themselves.
When we first visited Catan Online World we’d assumed it was a ’storefront’ site, which would simply promote and sell the boardgame and its expansions. What we hadn’t expected was a straightforward gameplay interface, cartoon character ‘guides’ presenting interactive tutorials and a stack of free content.
The free download of the Catan card game went down well and it was also a pleasant surprise to be able to play Catan online at no cost. Simply download the software and there’s full access to a complete online version of the standard Settlers of Catan boardgame.
Catan Online’s ‘in-game’ interface is very easy to use
During our first visit we took a quick look at the online version of Catan but ended up playing the ‘hands-on’ boardgame. An invitation from Catan Online sent us back to the site to take a closer look at the online options.
Playing and watching Catan while online is calmer than gathering round a table for a game, as you can play the game at your own pace and consider possible strategies at leisure. However, as with the boardgame, it doesn’t take long for the intrigue to get started and about half-a-dozen turns to decide that you need to win. Players can add more in-game pressure through an online subscription, which offers access to the Seafarers pack and live play within the Catan community.
Catan is playable and displays well on mobile and touch devices
‘Real-time’ Catan, with up to six players, takes play back in the direction of the ‘hands-on’ versions and the site’s community makes it easy to find suitable opponents. Like the ‘hands-on’ game, the Seafarers pack and the Cities and Knights pack, which both come with a subscription, add extra options without overcomplicating the rule set.
It was at this point that we wondered if connections would lag, but the client software helps to share the workload and ‘premium’ play runs just as smoothly as standard play. As a whole the site’s design excels at offering tutorials and support. The site’s interface could, perhaps, be more streamlined. The thumbnail galleries and tabs offer a temporary solution to accomodating a wide selection of games and versions, but they’re ’so last year’.
We’re always a bit doubtful about recommending subscription models but Catan Online World has pitched itself within the right price range. The site also goes out of its way to let you ‘try before you buy’, so there’s no sense of being pushed into signing up.
A year of unlimited access to everything on the site comes in at less than the cost of a yet another console ’shooter’. The ’shooter’ will be done in 20 hours tops, while Catan lasts all year. Check out the full downloadable demo, including the Seafarers add-on, here.
Any kind of games design, blogging or web design relies on working quickly and easily with a range of graphics software. Professional software like Photoshop and Illustrator are expensive and often contain features which go beyond those needed for most jobs. We use a variety of free software which is either very easy to use or capable of offering advanced features. Online graphics software is ideal for straightforward tasks, while downloadable open source software can look after more demanding work.
Inkscape
Aviary is an interesting option for online image editing, because it operates as a graphics suite with a shared ‘look and feel’ throughout the package. We’re not sure where Aviary’s revenue is going to come from in the future but, for now, the vector software is worth trying out before moving on to a copy of Inkscape. There are few vector graphic tasks Inkscape cannot complete but users have to put in a certain amount of effort to work out how everything fits together.
Sumopaint
Sumopaint is our preferred online painting application. There’s not a whole lot it can’t do and the interface is both slick and fairly fast. GIMP offers a fully featured alternative but the interface takes a bit of getting used to.
Amazon UK has posted some excellent ‘Half-Term Deals’. The offers include a few of the best videogames we’ve looked at in recent months. If you live in the UK, or nearby, Sims 3, Darksiders and Dragon Age: Origins are among the most heavily discounted titles.
We also noticed the first signs of discount prices for Bioshock 2 and Final Fantasy 13. Unfortunately, it isn’t half-term in the US, so we couldn’t find anything comparable for US players. The UK deals are here.
While we were on Amazon it seemed like a good idea to see if any of our money saving tips actually work. The prices given below are from earlier today. They show huge differences between making full cost retail purchases, buying at Amazon discount prices and buying from Amazon outlets.
To keep the results as clear as possible there is no consideration of the full retail cost of the titles when they were first released. We’ve also left out any account credit offers on Amazon and all delivery costs.
US (Retail)
Assassin’s Creed 2 (PS3) – $49.99
Batman Arkham Asylum (XBox) – $49.99
Darksiders (PS3) – $49.99
Dragon Age (PC) – $49.99
Sims 3 (PC) – $49.99
Total = $249.95
Amazon US (Discounted)
Assassin’s Creed 2 (PS3) – $39.99
Batman Arkham Asylum (XBox) – $44.99
Darksiders (PS3) – $39.99
Dragon Age (PC) – $44.99
Sims 3 (PC) – $44.99
Total = $214.95
Amazon US (Outlet)
Assassin’s Creed 2 (PS3) – $34.00
Batman Arkham Asylum (XBox) – $27.80
Darksiders (PS3) – $34.99
Dragon Age (PC) – $28.99
Sims 3 (PC) – $25.75
Total = $151.53
UK (Retail)
Assassin’s Creed 2 (PS3) – £38.99
Batman Arkham Asylum (XBox) – £29.99
Darksiders (PS3) – £39.99
Dragon Age (PC) – £34.99
Sims 3 (PC) – £39.99
Total = £183.95 / $288.8
Amazon UK (Discounted)
Assassin’s Creed 2 (PS3) – £35.73
Batman Arkham Asylum (XBox) – £24.99
Darksiders (PS3) – £24.71
Dragon Age (PC) – £14.99
Sims 3 (PC) – £24.70
Total = £125.12/ $196.44
Amazon UK (Outlet)
Assassin’s Creed 2 (PS3) – £25.99
Batman Arkham Asylum (XBox) – £14.49
Darksiders (PS3) – £23.49
Dragon Age (PC) – £13.99
Sims 3 (PC) – £24.00
Total = £101.96/ $160.08
The savings resulting from delaying purchases for just a few months, looking for bargains and buying used/ outlet titles are plain to see. A $100 saving on a total spend of roughly $250 seems a good return for a little patience.
The UK offers on Dragon Age: Origins and Darksiders look tempting. Modern Warfare ’something or other’ and Dante’s Inferno are also on offer. The win option is Darksiders.
‘Serious Games’ that set out to deliver some form of training or learning have been around for years. Unfortunately, almost all of these games put the ‘learning’ before the fun, which usually involves bolting weak videogame elements on to content-heavy training materials.
There are examples of such games that are so unbelievably dull that players could hardly be blamed for losing the will to live during play. A major ICT company’s recent attempt to teach process management by wrapping it in a bad impression of an early 1990s First Person Shooter (FPS) ’stands out’ as a particularly awful example.
Which is one of the reasons why we’re delighted to see the latest release of a free ‘Serious Game’ called Wolfquest. The game is produced by a small team at the National Park at Yellowstone in the US. Much like the previous version the idea is to let players simulate the experiences of living as a wolf in Yellowstone National Park. That means hunting like a wolf, meeting other wolves, finding a partner and, in the latest release, raising wolf pups.
Wolfquest is, understandably and rightly, true to the observations and data collected by the scientists studying wolves at Yellowstone. As a result, players’ wolves are often in danger and keeping cubs away from eagles, bears and coyotes is particularly difficult.
In addition to providing an authentic simulation, Wolfquest has good graphics and offers an immersive learning environment that seems to be enjoyed by kids of 9+. (Younger kids may find it a bit too real.) There are a few limitations, as the game isn’t nearly as long as most players would like, players have to pay close attention to the instructions to progress and there are a few bugs in the software. (The software glitches can usually be solved or offset by restarting your web browser, saving regularly and/ or setting the graphics to a lower resolution).
All of which means that, to many kids, Wolfquest qualifies as a game instead of a chore. This is quite an achievement on the part of such a small team of developers, because Wolfquest offers fun and active learning instead of a simplistic spin on using the same old methods to deliver training instead of education.
Not the most common topic for a games blog but our Free Realms playtester felt we should post. As with Halloween and Christmas, Free Realms has put on a show for Valentine’s Day. Hearts, roses, cards and gifts are all over the place.
Running calendar events seems to be appreciated by most players and Free Realms deserves credit for delivering events in plenty of style. You certainly know it’s Valentine’s Day, Christmas or Halloween in the days leading up to each particular event. Personally, I’m hoping for a Pancake Day event but that’s probably expecting too much.
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