The Force Unleashed Who?

Last weekend I was able to blast through Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (No pun intended). It is a rather short game and would have certainly been much better suited as DLC, but I got it for scratch so I can't complain. That's right, stop reading now if you want to hear a seething rant about what an insult this game was. Honestly, it's a fun game. There may be one QTE too many for a few people but other than that the action is fast, fun, and you feel powerful. Like really, really powerful.

As a matter of fact as Starkiller you are so ridiculously devastating to the Empire that one has to wonder. As you plow through company after company of nameless troopers you can't help but think "how is it that no one in episodes 4, 5, and 6 ever mentions that one jedi who took out like HALF the Empire by himself and started the rebellion." That really is the biggest fault of FU II (oh how clever, Lucas Arts) the story is so inconsequential while at the same time being hugely affective. In the words of Bart Simpson it manages to both "suck and blow".

I really like the idea behind the first game. A secret apprentice who ***SPOILER*** starts the rebellion then dies, the end. A sequel just didn't need to happen. But it did, and ***MORE SPOILERS*** It actually ended with sequel bait! I was absolutely blown away that this short of a game would end with a hook for a third game, and talk about consequence, they have captured Darth Vader.

I can absolutely see them carrying on this series until literally the first scene of A New Hope. On that note I'm actually a bit terrified that Lucas Arts will continue to make these games through the original trilogy, and I don't mean in that interesting retcon/alternate history way.

Bet you didn't know this was only moments after Starkiller was knocked out by Vader

God I hope no one at Lucas Arts reads my blog...

All in all I have to say that I did enjoy playing both Force Unleashed games far more then watching the prequel trilogy. The story is silly, but the game is fun to play. Though this time around you don't get to slaughter any Wookies, Jawas, or Ewoks... So points off for that I suppose.

Time For Wild Speculation!

The big N had a "leak" this week and it was a biggin. Provided all the information (from multiple sources, mind you) is true we will be getting a glimpse of a brand new Nintendo System at this years E3. This seems like a bit of a shock following so closely to the release of the 3DS, but with Nintendo's financial dominace the last few years this new platform has me curious.

Details are sketchy at best but preliminary reports indicate that this will indeed be a fully HD system, set to possibly even give the PS3 and 360 a run for their collective money... again. Also, while some reports are saying it will be backward compatible to the Wii, the primary focus of this console will be to grasp the "core demographic" once again. One leak has stated that the controller, as of now, features two analog sticks and a built in LED screen, which could possibly be a touch screen.

The code name for the project is "Cafe" which is odd, but hey, does anyone else remember the "Dolphin"? If I had to make a wild guess, which of course I will, I would say that "Cafe" is a good indicator that this system will be more focused on the social side. Nintendo has had issues with this before, the Wii was a bit of a disaster online, but the 3DS is certainly moving toward a social market and appeal. In addition, there will almost assuredly be 3DS interconnectivity.

Now that you have all the facts allow me to gush about how awesome this move is on Nintendo's part (please note I am in no way, shape, or form a Nintendo fanboy).

The Wii was a powerful force that took many by surprise. It was accessible but not to the point of alienating its core fans too much. While I do think the motion controls were gimmicky, it still managed to put out a fairly solid library of games, mountains of shovel ware excluded. Simply put, the Wii managed to put Nintendo in a very good position financially. You have to remember, Microsoft and Sony took a huge hit to the wallet the first several years of production while Nintendo was making a profit.

Now it is about 5 years later, the "average" cycle for a system, and Nintendo is ready to launch a new one... but where is the competition? Sony and Microsoft are both trying to stretch out the life of their respective systems for another 3, 4 or possibly even 5 years. That's why they introduced the Move and Kinect. That means Nintendo is going to be first to the market with a shiny new toy, and be the best on the market to beat.

Simply put, Nintendo is poised to dominate once again; core demographic, casual, social. Word is that Nintendo is already showing the build to third party developers, which could even mean a solid launch with good titles. Granted this is all just conjecture at this point. but the big N always seems to be a step ahead lately. There is a small, and I mean minute chance, that this system could go the way of the Dreamcast. There could be a gap in development between the established 360/PS3 crowd and developers might not be willing to take a chance on it. That said, however, this is a Nintendo console, so the majority of "must have" titles will be first party.

I don't know what will happen come 2012, but what I do know is that I am darn excited for E3 this year... maybe I'll try to get a press pass. I'm sure they wouldn't mind giving full press access to a nerd with a blog!

Opinion-Hated: Hand Held Gaming (ep1)

This is a podcast type thingy where Jeremy and I exchange opinions about hot button nerd topics. This episode is about the next generation of hand held gaming.

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