Final Fantasy VII vs Ocarina of Time: Which to remake

Two absolute classics

I was posed with an interesting question yesterday. If given the choice which would I rather have remade with the best current technology; Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time or Final Fantasy VII. Both these games are close to my heart so it was quite a difficult decision. Each of these games contributed greatly to the industry as a whole and even had genre defining attributes. So which deserves a remake? Let's break down the individual elements. (Please note: I'm not going to take into account that Ocarina IS being remade right now for the 3DS)

Remakes aren't quite as prevalent in gaming as they are in movies, and they take on a different form. Generally in movies a person wants to apply their own artistic view on a subject so they remake it. In games a remake tends to be a few minor gameplay tweaks and a major overhaul to the graphics. Case in point: the remakes of the early Final Fantasy games for the DS and the Monkey Island 1 and 2 remakes. I'm explaining this to create a clear line between a remake (re-creating and updating content), re-imagining (redefining the source material in a new and usually drastically different light), and reboot (forgoing source material and sustaining core elements). This article is only discussing merits for a remake, as that was the original question.

Story

Both these games have landmark stories, but they couldn't be more different. One involves time traveling to save a princess and a kingdom and the other… well, I've read dissertations on the story of Final Fantasy VII. Simply put, a lot of people love these stories all based on taste, it's simple vs grandiose. In my opinion Final Fantasy VII comes out ahead, the narrative in this game is epic, and deserves to be experienced by a new generation.

World and Setting

Hyrule is awesome, it harkens back to the day of good 'ol swords and sorcery fantasy, but we've seen it… a lot. It's been seen in different forms and while not hyper realistic HD graphics (wow!) it has been thoroughly done. It pains me to say this because I really do love Zelda games, but something needs to change. It's pretty sad when the Final Fantasy series is more innovative and adept at trying new things. Final Fantasy VII has a robust and engrossing world filled with characters to chat up, side quests to undertake, romance, action, adventure! It has it all! Ocarina and VII have beautiful worlds to explore, but just based on sheer variety I'd have to go with Final Fantasy VII.

Gameplay

This is another category based solely on opinion, because honestly is just comes down to which genre you prefer. Ocarina is a fantastic action adventure game while FFVII is a great JRPG. One has you swinging a sword and grappling to walls with the press of a button the other has you strategically planning your next five moves. However, Final Fantasy VII also showed us just how many amazing mini games you could squeeze onto three PS1 discs. Whether snowboarding, riding your motorcycle or piloting a submarine, this game had quite an abundance of extras that were worked into the story incredibly well (even the ability to replay them!).

Ocarina had some great dungeons and puzzles (including the infamous Water Temple). The combat would still be the same essentially, no matter how HD it is. I don't really care if I can count all the hairs on Clouds head as he swings his ridiculously phallic sword, or if I can see the thread count in Links sweet hat. I can't really choose a winner in this department because somedays I'll feel like an action game, somedays a JRPG. As for applying new technology though, I think improved AI would make for some fascinating and intense battles in Final Fantasy VII, can you imagine if the Weapons were smarter?

Other remakes/re-imaginings

Ocarina was a great success and Nintendo does this funny little thing whenever it has a great success: It remakes that game over and over until it stops being successful. Zelda and Mario are the worst offenders here. There is no denying that Ocarina is a great game, it is certainly one of the all time classics, but it has been remade again and again (referring to the similarities in Zelda games since Link to the Past). I don't really have an issue with playing the same game over and over with minor differences but when it comes to a remake, I'd rather a game get remade that hasn't been done so many times. Also, looking at how the Zelda games have evolved what would you get with a remake? HD graphics, maybe some voice acting NPCs, and perhaps some enhanced puzzles. Enemy AI could be improved but you'd still just be swinging a sword or shooting your bow. Link still won't talk… and he's no Gordon Freeman.

On the Final Fantasy side of things you have an interesting trend. Much like Nintendo a few years ago Square Enix realized the last game that people really loved was Final Fantasy VII, so they decided to go back and milk that cow till it was dead and dry. They made new games in the FFVII universe and told new stories. A sequel movie and game and two prequels. It was a great time to be a FFVII fan, for the most part. The games on whole lacked the charm of the first thus never struck a chord with the fans. Though Crisis Core remains one of the most well written and intricately woven prequels I've ever played (and it's fun too!).

Final Verdict

Each respective franchise has seen it's growth and changes, but I think Final Fantasy has grown more and would have more to offer for a remake. Now, do I think FFVII will ever be remade? No, but that comes with a caveat. Square Enix holds the FFVII remake as a trump card, basically if they were ever to screw up so badly as to alienate their entire fan base *cough* Final Fantasy XIV *cough* they could throw down an announcement that they are remaking VII and everything would be right again. Now, here's why that will never happen. First, fanboys: they will always defend and love Squenix. Second, it would be nearly impossible.

Final Fantasy VII is such a huge, rich and deep game that to recreate the world and bring it to todays standards (Voiced NPCs, Cutscenes, fully rendered backgrounds) it would take Square Enix 30-40 YEARS to finish according to Final Fantasy XIII Director Motomu Toriyama. As for Ocarina of Time being remade, yes, I believe that will happen.

Ultimately though I don't think a remake of either of these games is necessary. They both had a huge impact on me and I don't need to experience them any other way than how the were intended. Yes, both would look stunning simply from an artistic standpoint, but honestly it's not that hard to pick up either game in it's original form and still be floored by it, and I think that speaks more highly of a game's merit than any remake ever could.

An early Tech Demo for the PS3 before it was released. Also, a game that will never happen

(...probably)

;D

Only Slightly Delayed: Prince of Persia Forgotten Sands

Prince of Persia has always intrigued me. I remember when Sands of Time came out on PS2 it got rave reviews and I wanted to play it, but I didn't do so until about 5 years later. I must say Sands of Time aged like fine wine. The Free Running platforming is smooth and fun and the combat, while weak, certainly got the job done. Why am I explaining how great the first was? Well because Forgotten Sands is essentially the same game with HD graphics. So is that good or bad? Read on to find out (oh how I love baiting muwahahaha)!

Forgotten Sands is an appropriate title because this game was literally forgotten in the series. The story places itself between the first and second games and it works well enough. Our young Prince Dastan finds himself in quite a pickle after his brother unleashes a cursed army. The story tries to play along the same lines as Sands of Time only with a "family ties" bend. It works, but won't be winning any awards. Also, take note, this has nothing to do with the movie Sands of Time even though they were released in conjunction… I'm sure that was just a coincidence the Ubisoft had a Prince of Persia game in production while Disney was producing a movie...

Story aside, this game functions like all the rest in the series; platforming and combat. The real reason you want to play this game is the platforming. Forgotten Sands offers up some excellent Free Running that is both challenging and rewarding. There were only a handful of times I felt the game "tricked me" into dying. The jumping puzzles require impeccable timing and button switching. Thankfully the Prince's ability to reverse time is back. Along with that you gain the ability to solidify water, replace broken surfaces and do a… warp kick… Believe me, by the end of the game you will be doing all these in rapid succession like a pro.

This is about the minimum number of enemies on screen at one time

The combat, much like Sands of Time, is the weakest part of Forgotten Sands. enemies come in predictable patterns and are dispatched by mashing attack and occasionally casting one of four magic spells. Sword attacks feel a bit sluggish but that is made up by the attack speed of your enemies being that of molasses going up hill in January… with crutches. Simply put, the fighting is easy and slow. There is no block, which can be frustrating at times, but the dodge roll often teleports you threw attacks. Your greatest foe tends to be the camera in the larger scale fights, particularly when your enemy is the kind that charges. However, my opinion on the combat changes drastically in the last quarter of the game.

You see toward the end you get the Master Swo… magic Mcguffin Sword of Solomon. After this the combat feels quick and responsive, because you are suddenly ridiculously strong. Every attack is a one hit kill, it seems odd, but with the sheer amount of enemies the game insists on throwing at you it really makes the combat flow far better. That, in turn, mixes the combat and platforming much more naturally. The combat becomes easy and fast, so you can get back to the juicy platforming faster.

The game is fun throughout but the last quarter of it is amazing. Honestly the set piece before the final boss had no right being that good. Basically (this isn't much of a spoiler but if you want the full impact DO NOT READ, skip to next paragraph) the last part before the boss takes place in a giant sand storm. You hop from piece to piece of broken palace fighting enemies occasionally. Granted it is fairly easy, the spectacle of it was just awesome. I haven't been floored by design like that since the Scarecrow levels from Arkham Asylum. the boss fight that follows is just average, but to be fair it's hard to top crazy sand storm tornado parkour.

So that's Forgotten Sands in a nutshell. The platforming is top notch, but the combat leaves much to be desired. The end of the game is great but the middle drags ever so slightly as fighting becomes more prevalent over platforming. I got this gem for $10 and it was worth every penny. If you're a fan of the series you should definitely get it. Honestly, it's worth it, even if only for the penultimate scene. One last gripe though, Prince Dastan looks weird. It's almost like they started with the idea this was going to be a movie tie in then couldn't afford Jake Gylanhopperwhosit... He just looks... off...

Maybe it's just me... But Leeanne agreed...

Only Slightly Delayed: Killzone 2

KZ2: Pure, Unadulterated Eye Candy

The first Killzone is one of my all time favorite First Person Shooters. Available on the PS2 it went for a very heavy approach to war. You were able to play as 1 of 4 unique soldiers as you fought off the invading hordes of Helghast. It was tonally quite different from other FPS' out at the time and a breath of fresh air in my opinion. Nowadays though gritty, dreary war games are a dime a dozen. So how does Killzone 2 hold up? Read on to find out.

Killzone 2 opens with an all out assault on the plant Helghan. Helghast are the big baddies of the KZ universe and now you're stomping on their turf. The story is generic; you play as the unstoppable one man army Sev. Basically plot points are just mission objectives on your way to capture Vasari (the main bad dude). It works well in the context of the game and fills in the cracks adequately enough. The end was really great though, even if it was just sequel baiting. The story uses rising action to great affect. It builds up to epic proportions then does a sweep kick and knocks you off your feet with this helpless feeling. moments later you're back up again for another rising action and climax.

Lets be honest though, not many people play First Person Shooters for the engaging narrative, they want to shoot things. The first thing you will probably notice is that this game is stunning. Just like the first this game is fistfuls of setting, tone and realism wrapped up in a gritty sci-fi package. Simply put; it is awesome. Now, when it comes to shooting things the major aspect that sets Killzone apart from other First Person franchises is the feel of the gameplay. While basically every FPS goes for a very light and fluid approach Killzone mixes it up by adding something: weight. No, I don't mean you feel like a portly soldier plodding and wheezing across the battle field. You can feel the weight of your gun and equipment as you heft it around corners and through the ruined cities. Guns punch with recoil, enemies drop hard, and movements take effort. It might take some time to get aquatinted with, but in the end it feels very natural and actually helps draw you in.

There is also a cover system that works well enough. If you don't use cover you die, luckily it is abundant and doesn't rely on gimmick. In Quantum of Solace when you pop behind cover the camera shifts from first person to third. It works for Bond but it would have felt awkward here. This game survives on immersion and they never break it.

Helghast: with a name like that how could they not be evil?

I did miss the squad based mechanics of the first game. Here you play as Sev the entire time where in the first you could play as 1 of 4 each with their own unique style. It was a nice distraction and lacking in the sequel despite the fact you're usually with at least one other member of your squad. I doubt they will add this in KZ3 but here's for hoping.

They're currently taking pre-orders for Killzone 3 and I must admit, I'm very tempted to get this day one. However, I remain steadfast the Worlds Worst Critic so I believe I will wait for it to drop down to the delightful $12 I purchased KZ2 (gotta love black friday). So to wrap this up, KZ2 is great game. It is heavy both in the games mechanics and story. The Killzone series is very much a sci-fi retelling of World War II an it works. KZ1 was Pearl Harbor (The Helghast invade the ISA planet Vekta) and in KZ2 you take the fight to them. However, toward the end it strays a bit from the formulaic approach and takes the story in a far more tragic direction. I'm interested to see where this series will go next and glad to say that I made it through this review without any mention of another inferior sci-fi FPS… Turok. ;D

Happy Holidays everyone! I know this article is a bit short but I've just finished several games and I've got to many "games as art" articles on the back burner to focus on really fleshing these Only Slightly Delayed games out. Fear not my loyal readers! I have a surprise coming for my fast approaching 50th entry!

This is actually from KZ1... I just love it because KZ1 has my favorite sniper scope EVER

Top 5 Movies of 2010

Spurred on by a random question of the week (thanks Pedro) I decided to do a little end of the year article on my top 5 movies of 2010. This is easier than top 5 games, because I go out to the movies a lot, but I don't really play games the year they come out, so I'd be more apt to do a "Top 5 Games of 2009 or 2008ish... or 2005". So without further ado here is The Worlds Worst Critic's Top 5 Movies of 2010!

5. Shutter Island

Martin Scorsese is a fantastic director. Lauded by the like of Robert Ebert he changes things up a bit for Shutter Island. The slightly fantastic and mind messing elements of this film are great, it's Scorsese doing the modern "artsy" approach and it works well. This movie provided a fantastic sense of paranoia and had a great payoff. The last line has an eerie resonance and what is akin to a wink and a nod. This is a perfect blend of old hollywood and new, well worth a watch.

4. Jackass 3D

You can read my review for this film here. To sum it all up, this film rises above its immature aspects to become something wholly unique. It is about friendship, it gives words and images to something almost indefinable. While not for everyone this was probably the biggest surprise of the year for me. If you have a strong constitution I highly recommend it.

3. Toy Story 3

Seeing as a PIxar film was my favorite movie last year it's not to hard to imagine why Toy Story 3 is on this years list. Simply put it is beautiful, not only in how it looks, but how it brings to end a story I (and most of you) grew up with. It's exciting and touching, it amazes me that pixar can bring out more emotion in a group of toys than most movies can with real world subjects. The end of this film will have you in tears, assuming you have a heart that is.

2. Inception

I wanted to give Inception my top spot, but it got beat out ever so slightly. This movie is amazing. The plot is NOT convoluted or overwrought (as some would say), it's easy enough to follow and the description alone should have you clamoring to see it. Again, like in all my top 5 it is the subtle aspects of the film I enjoy the most. Yes there are grandiose dreamscape action sequences and a plot about being in a dream in a dream in a dream and so on. There is also subtlety though, in a way that shows what regret can do to a man, and what love is. If you haven't seen this film yet, please do. The ending will definitely have you talking.

1. Scott Pilgrim Vs The World

I am a nerd. If you read my blog you probably know that, I just wanted to make it clear that Scott Pilgrim is Nerdvana. It is single handedly not only a perfect graphic novel adaption, but also a fantastic video game movie. That's right, despite not being based on a video game it seems to defy (or transcend) genre logic and become a game movie, only it's good (and the game for the movie was good too). Directed by a personal favorite of mine Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) the editing is fast and furious and the dialogue takes center stage. This movie may have underperformed at the box office, but rest assured, it is still an epic of epic epicness.

So there you have it, my top 5 movies of 2010. Inception has a game in the works and I positively can't wait for it. If you were wondering my top pick for movies in 2009 was "Up" and my pick for 2008 was "Brothers Bloom". I insist you watch both, they will make you a better person. The holiday season is in full swing so I hope everyone is staying safe. I'll be back to report on all the awesome games my wife gets me!

Only Slightly Delayed: Assassins Creed II

I just finished Assassins Creed II under what I would call unique circumstances. You see, while I was playing AC2 my wife was playing AC1, so I was able to play the sequel with a visual replay of the first almost simultaneously (Insert outdated "yo dawg" joke here). While I remember and enjoyed the first just fine this former/latter duality really helped drive home what an incredibly successful sequel AC2 is.

Assassins Creed II is a special game. It was made on the shoulders of a predecessor that was lauded for its vision but criticized for its execution. To make my stance clear I was not one of those people. Yes, the first Assassins Creed was repetitive but I didn't mind. I was weaned on games like Mega Man, so repetition doesn't bother me much as long as it has some context. In AC1 it was the simple and sometimes mundane tasks before tackling an assassination.

This game stands so far above AC1 it makes it almost hard to see what an achievement the first was, which is exactly what a sequel should do. Every aspect was improved upon and overhauled. The missions take place in a dynamic format instead of a linear one. No more slogging along from task to task, now you get an assassination and you do it. Lets break down the individual elements shall we?

Combat is similar to the first in that it is terribly easy. There are plenty of new weapons thrown in the mix to spice things up, but it ultimately boils down to the same thing. certain enemies have their particular weapon of weakness and those that don't are easily dispatched by counters. Also the dual wrist-blades, while awesome, are incredibly overpowered... but then again maybe that's a good thing. One of the best parts of AC2 is that it nails the aspect of being a master assassin. You can sneak in, take out your target and sneak out (or you can go in guns blazing... literally).

In the story department AC2 really took off. Characters are given life and meaning beyond simple dialogue exchanges. Ezio Auditore de Firenze (yeah, I know) is a terrific lead as compared to his somewhat bland "modern day" counterpart Desmond. He is charming and skilled where Desmond is whiny and bumbling (though 'ol dessy is getting better). I have to admit, when AC1 came out I was skeptical about the DNA memory story, but the more I see of it, the more I love the two weaving story lines between past and present. I'm not going to spoil it, but the end of AC2 was just fantastic, a bit weird, but seriously, fantastic.

As for the gameplay AC2 is great fun. The linearity of AC1 is gone, you are given much more free range here. The old assassination structure was dropped in place of a more modern mission (or "memory" in the game) based structure. This means less monotony and more murdering evil guards (because they're all evil, right?). The new mission structure is just about the most welcome deviation from AC1 they could have made. No more completing the same five tasks before an assassination, now every mission has a context.

Of course, the running, jumping, climbing and general galavanting is all back in full force. The parkour is always fun, and is used to great strengths with stealth. Shimmying behind an enemy to sneak into a haystack then snagging the unsuspecting guard is both fun and rewarding. Ultimately the free running and missions just mesh better than they did previously because of the new take downs (hanging, hidden). You can be very, very sneaky here.

The voice acting is another huge step up. Our main man Ezio actually has an accent (Take that, Altair)! Kidding aside though, the acting is terrific. All character models animate beautifully both in and out of cutscenes. The chattering of NPCs are more diverse from the first, but you will still here a lot of the same conversations.

In AC1 you could collect flags to distract you from the main story, or save civilians in trouble like a blood thirsty batman. In AC2 these distractions return in form and greatly improved. There are now races, assassination contracts and citizens to assist along with the best new addition: economy. Granted, the economy here is on a small scale; you inherit a villa and are tasked with making it a shining jewel. Ultimately this ends up being a tad easy, but a fun distraction none the less. You can buy paintings and display armor and weapons to increase the value of your estate and also upgrade it with cold hard cash you acquire from missions, chests and *ahem* less scrupulous means. There is a bit of a balance issue though, and about halfway through the game you will have more money than you know what to do with.

The final aspect of AC2 that just blew me away were the locales. Florence, Venice, they just pop off the screen! Ubisoft really managed to make these cities come alive and become characters in their own right. The drab colors of AC1 are gone and replaced with the vibrant beauty of Italy. The scenery is gorgeous, to the point where (and this is an oddity for me) i actually wanted there to be a day/night cycle... but that is another topic for another day.

So to sum it all up, I had a great time playing AC2. It is head and shoulders above the first game and shows off what a sequel should be. The new features implemented all work wonderfully (though the income/economy needs some work) and it left me wanting more. I can't wait to try Assassins Creed: Brotherhood and the DLC for this game (I'll see about posting a brief review of the DLC when I get around to playing it). So yes, I know you've heard it already, a year ago when this game came out, but it is awesome. Requiescat in pace.

And Now For A Topic of Controversy

Well, it has happened again. If you keep up with my blog (or know me IRL) you probably know that I keep as up to date as possible with my game industry news. As such, I frequent several game related sites on a regular basis to keep informed. Once again, however, what I've found has left me disheartened. A while back you may recall I wrote a blog on a deplorable article out of IGN. The latest news outlet (if it can even be called that) to catch my scorn is Screw Attack.

I don't usually go to screwattack.com except on occasion for an AVGN appearance and rarely for the poor mans Napoleon Dynamite: Keith Apicary, but I usually get all of that from the hub I do frequent Gametrailers.com. Out of sheer terror I watched a headlining video today about the top ten sexiest outfits in gaming. Congratulations Screw Attack, for making a little piece of me die in horror.

Why not go the whole 9 yards and tell her to get in the kitchen

This Top Ten list single handedly proves just about every negative stereotype surrounding the term gamer. These are your people, they are; sexist, homophobic, slanderous, chauvinistic, foul mouthed, men-children. What are women for in games? Well that head scratcher is answered within the first 15 seconds, they smell good and they're nice to look at! Really? Is that the important role that the narrator is referring to? Their role can't be more important than that, after all, Samus gets points taken off for TALKING (I understand critical acclaim wasn't so great for Other M, but come on, that's way out of context) Your intellect should feel pretty well insulted by now, so lets just move on.

This was not an exercise in trolling, Screw Attack is one of the many organizations that presents itself as a legitimate face to video games. They exclaim to the world that "gamers" can't go 5 seconds with out something being over sexualized or ultra violent. My best friend happens to be a woman (and my wife) and I like to think she plays a larger roll in my life then just being a pretty face (though she is a very pretty face :P).

As my good friend Jeremy says, lets Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba break this issue down, get ready for the heavy stuff. Art imitates life, now compare the women you know in real life to the ones in games. How many women do you know that dress like girls in games? Not to many, certainly not every girl on the street. How many girls from video games can even hold a candle to a real world counter part? It's pretty pathetic how few. Females can do more than just "get kidnapped" or "sex things up", a woman can be more than just a plot device. One again I will refer you back to Extra Credits for a deeper look into this issue.

We need to try harder people. For the love of everything good and sweet in this world we need to put a little more effort in understanding the world around us and applying that to video games as an artistic expression. Games are not just for children, true, but that doesn't mean they have to be made by pandering to hormone raging teens and young adults. I know I sound like a buzz kill, and I'm not trying to push sexual repression because intimacy is important to art and the human experience and that's what I'm all about at this blog; Games as art.

Fleshed out female character or just a flesh female character?

On Sushi and Fanboys

Final Fantasy IX

When someone asks me what the best RPG is I want to immediately shout Final Fantasy IX (that's 9 for you non-Romans) and start listing the plethora of reasons that I hold this particular gem above all others. Instead of doing that though I will generally say that the best RPG that I have played is Final Fantasy IX, and then list the reasons why it resonated with me. Yes, even I have an inner fanboy, we all do. I've written on this subject before so I hope you're ready for another small helping of today's topic: Fanboys (and girls).

An observation I made with my wife recently refreshed my interest in the subject. You see, we go out to Sushi a lot, and here in beautiful southern California there happens to be a Sushi place on every corner. The sheer number of Sushi joints might seem amazing, but that's not what is. What's actually amazing is the amount of these places that are "the best". I just have to chuckle to myself every time I hear the phrase "this is the best sushi place" or "they have the best sushi in California". I'm oft reminded of a certain quotable quote "Napoleon, like anyone could even know that".

Best, as an adjective adverb or noun is almost always subjective. Now, is it a bad thing to let excitement grab hold of us? Well, yes and no. Excitement can be contagious, but in effect of opinions it can also be dangerous. I'm not excluded from this myself. More than once I've come across a person with similar taste in "bests" and it creates an atmosphere that is nearly electric. Giddy is a good way to describe it when I can talk to someone about the clever undertones of FLCL, or the impact Pokemon Red/Blue had on our youth, or that The Bouncer is actually a fun game.

We use best as a way to translate complex emotions into one word that says it all. This (object) is the best, it is #1 to me, and that is largely (or entirely) based on my opinion. If someone agrees, awesome! If they don't, awesome! Because they're entitled to their own opinion as well. I can (and do) say that I have the best wife in the world, and I can admit to having a bias, but I know several good friends that would disagree with me and say they have the best wife. This sort of back and forth is fine, it's well within the definition of a fanboy (yes, I'm a fanboy of my wife, she's freaking awesome) but avoids the dark and gloomy borders of that other type of fanboy.

That other type, as I wrote in my last blog, is the one who is blind. Their game, movie, band or whatever has no faults, and they will defend it to the death. This leads to trolling, flame wars, and incessant name calling among other things. These are the dangerous waters. Things like the "Console Wars" are raged by the fanboys, the ill mannered kind who find the best way to build up the system they purchased is by knocking all the others down. Sony, Apple, Nintendo, and Microsoft do not care what you think, they are big boys and can defend themselves.

As for "best", it's all just semantics, but I prefer to limit its use. After all, if we live in a California where all the Sushi places are the best, are any of them really?