neo31003(eddie)'s GameLogBlogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=439Devil May Cry 4 (PS3) - Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:03:31https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3161GAMELOG ENTRY#2 Gameplay: After playing through the game I 've learned that you can use a devil trigger and that if you grab your enemy you perform a different grapple move. Also that you can grab your enemies with the devil bringer and use the hordes of monsters as shields against others. But Nero is limited in comparison to Dante. Luckily you get to play them both and Dante has way more weapons at his disposal. He has access to all four of his styles from DMC3: Swordmaster, trickster, gunslinger, and royal guard. Plus for each boss he defeats gives him a new weapon. Nero can also use his powerful arm outside from combat. He can use it to solve certain puzzles like the secret missions. They also bring back the style points system which goes D,C,B,A,S,SS,and SSS based on the length and combo variety you unleash upon your foes. A new element is the upgrade system for Nero since he doesn't have stances or styles to choose from you use the Proud Souls system. At the end of every mission based on the rank you get at the end will determine how many proud souls you get. These are used to up graded all weapons and core mechanics like double jumping. Design: There is much to say about the design like how Dante isn't the main character in DMC4. This will expand the story and allow the franchise to expand even more which is great for the Devil May Cry die hard fans. One element that I over looked til just now was the environment. Your used to playing in these dark Gothic themed areas like in every other DMC game. This one allows players to fight in the exotic jungles and the city in which the protagonist is from. This has a different affect on the player. It makes it seem like the conflict stretches far beyond this small societies existence. This is because in past games you were put on islands far away from society which made you feel isolated. Also it makes the game less dark possible symbolizing the positive transition from Dante to Nero. The change in theme and protagonist had a huge impact on the franchise making it possible to head in different directions. The new character and over tone of the game made it easier to pick up because the DMC series is known for its hardcore difficulty which may seem intimidating. You also don't feel behind on story because Nero is a new character to the series. Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:03:31 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3161&iddiary=5965Devil May Cry 4 (PS3) - Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:36:04https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3161GAMELOG ENTRY #1 Summary: The story takes an interesting turn as in Dante is no longer the main protagonist in the game. You play a young man named Nero. His story so far is that he inherited Sparta's blood giving him his devil arm or Devil Bringer. Nero works for the Order who are a group of people who worship Sparda as a god. During a ceremony Nero witnesses Dante killing the Orders' leader. This causes Nero to hunt Dante which leads to Nero finding out about the corruption of the Order. Gameplay: The game has a really good tutorial in the beginning when you fight Dante on mission 1. The controls much like the past installments in the Devil May Cry series adds a new element to the mix: the Devil Bringer. Nero's devil arm can be used in combat in multiple ways. The arm can be used to pull enemies to you from a distance. Also can be used to move around from platform to platform across obstacles you might encounter. Theres also Nero's Blue Rose & Red Queen. The Blue Rose is a double barrel magnum gun. Then theres Red Queen; the sword posses a unique ability also new to the franchise of the game. The sword has a handle on it that allows the player to charge their exceed gauge which when full can do massive damage to enemies. It is also visually noticeable because his blade will turn red when charged. There are these glowing orbs or platforms called grim gar that allow you to pull yourself across gaps or ledges. Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:36:04 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3161&iddiary=5932Final Fantasy XII (PS2) - Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:56:52https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2699Gamelog Entry# 2 Gameplay: I haven't learned much about the game play passed the most basic of things. At this point I don't have Quickenings and I can't use summons. I got the summons later on in the game which own. The way it works with most is that you beat the summon and it appears on the License Grid which is where you lvl some stats and learned new abilities. It gives you the ability to use the move but you still have to acquire the move itself. I didn't know this at first and had all theses spells but didn't know why I couldn't use them. It also applies to armor and using certain types of weapons as well. It was cool but what I didn't like was fact that you couldn't switch party members from within the group or during battle like FFX. Over it had a lot to learn at the time. Design: The graphics and cut scenes were great. I like how the maps all connect and you can back track to almost any place you've been to in the game thus far. Also each map is so large and detailed and makes me feel like theres soo much more to explore. The real-time made it feel more realistic. Also the chaotic atmosphere during battle fit the crazy plot of this great war between nations. It all tied together nicely. I liked the summons they were cool looking and each had their own entrance cut scenes which also blew me away. The thing that bugged me was how you had not real control on how you got to certain areas with the ship. And considering how Vann was this pirate it would have made more sense to give more control over the flying. You just chose where to go and next thing you know you were there. It wasn't like FFVII but then again Iam not here to talk about FFVII. The key thing to this game of course is story. I did beat the game but not during the 2 hrs of this log so I will not include anything beyond the 2hrs that I played. The interesting design was in the Hunter side quest. I loved it and thought it was the bread and butter for this game. It was cool cause you got really useful prizes for the bounties and felt like it was really rewarding beating all theses challenging foes. I felt a sense of purpose as if my hunting and cleansing of theses hordes of monsters was really gona make the world of Ivalice. Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:56:52 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2699&iddiary=5093Final Fantasy XII (PS2) - Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:37:59https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2699Gamelog Entry #1 Summary: Well based on my 2hrs total time playing the game or at least what i knew at the time was nothing. The intro to Final Fantasy games never reveal anything important to plot. You are playing as Vann's brother up to the point of his death and the betrayal of the empire. The king is then slain and thats pretty much the intro. You end up playing Van one of the main character's in the game. You end up in jail after getting involved wit this strange man followed by a "rabbit" women. This was as far as i got in 2hrs =(. Gameplay: What makes this Final Fantasy stand out is the real time battle system. You have the option to make it entirely real time of semi. In the options you can have it pause when your choosing your moves so that enemies don't hit you while you choose. But I was gangsta and went full real time and get my ass smacked around when I take too long which in the long run makes me a faster player. Plus it makes each fight sooo much more intense. The games has the usual magic command and attack commands. Also you have Quickenings which are like your character's specials. They are hard to pull off and cause the player to choose amongst options which move he wants to perform after the first Quickening make a chain of attacks. But you must be fast or you'll mess up the special. What makes it cool is that you can access all the character's Quickenings while you perform another characters special. Also if you chain the right number of certain levels of Quickenings you can get an after math like attack based on certain elements, this hits all the targets you are fighting. Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:37:59 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2699&iddiary=5090Devil May Cry 3 (PS2) - Sat, 09 Feb 2008 03:00:58https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2573Gamelog # 3 part 2 Gameplay: At this point this isn't much more to learn other then tune up your skills with what you already know. One thing I learned to do well was link together combos and switch weapons in mid combat. This allowed me to put together crazy ass combos. I also learned to upgrade my Actions added new combos to my weapons. Also leveling my STYLES was useful. I think there isn't much more to say on my gameplay experience except that I did a lot of owning and got owned a lot. This game is hard very hard and I think its the large range of combos that makes it difficult to choose in the mist of combat how to own your opposing opposition. Design: This was very important in DMC 3 especially the bosses turning into the new weapons you obtain throughout the game. It was a very neat trick that kept me playing for countless hours. I was always looking forward to boss fights just to see what cool weapon they would transform into. It made every hard earned fight very rewarding. In my mind I thought " After all that now your mine .... !#@$%" Its the key and I believe its what lead to the success of this game. Another interesting but notable aesthetic in the game was the dialogue. It was cheesy as hell but with intention. Its the style of the game itself and fits perfectly with the games naive, arrogant main character Dante. The music I have to say was beautiful. The rock music fit the games dark theme perfectly and got me in the mood to "kill". The music is fast pasted and aggressive in a way. This combination gets the player in the perfect mood and overall groove for this game. I got sucked into each fight through the music. Overall this games reward system for weapons and music combo lead to me beating the game and a rewarding pleasurable experience. Sat, 09 Feb 2008 03:00:58 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2573&iddiary=4886Devil May Cry 3 (PS2) - Sat, 09 Feb 2008 02:46:46https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2573Gamelog #3 Summary: Devil May Cry 3 is basically about the two twin bothers sons of Sparta. Sparta is this demon who's actions saved humanity from certain destruction. The two brothers seek different objectives; Vergil the older brother seeks his father's power while Dante seeks truth and revenge against his brother. Gameplay: This game is very hard. I played it on normal mode and died many times. Pretty standard controls nothing out of this world but hard to master and use in the right conditions. The are basically 4 fighting STYLES which each have their own benefits in the heat of combat. The STYLE I chose was the Trickster which allows Dante to perform evasive moves. The enemies were a pain in the ass. They are so smart and my forearm was put to the test. It hurt to own but I had to do it. After getting used to the controls I finally started experiencing the game. The Weapons were cool. But what made this game standout from other Devil May Cry games was how most bosses turn into weapons. I also liked how the main character was soo cocky and it showed in game play from the gestures that come out his mouth during combat to his posture. Sat, 09 Feb 2008 02:46:46 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2573&iddiary=4875Devil May Cry 3 (PS2) - Sat, 09 Feb 2008 02:33:52https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2573Sat, 09 Feb 2008 02:33:52 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2573&iddiary=4860Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) - Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:28:28https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2100Gamelog: Classics List: #2 Gameplay: Once i figured out the control scheme it became a lot easier to not only kill the Colossi but to locate them as well. The creepy feeling I got my first time around hasn't faded one bit. As they slowly reveal themselves still sent some chills down my spine. Its exciting to watch something so huge walk toward you and then what makes the experience all the more fun is climbing up the Colossi. The climb itself feels like an epic battle. I remember struggling alot with the grip meter. Later the struggle is more about figuring out their weaknesses. The other thing that makes the game play so fluid and extreme is that you feel each blow you give theses beasts to their weak points. After each stab they start to scream and shout and they start trying to shake you off and you feel like your really causing them pain. The basic control system I think allows for such an experience to occur. If the controls were more complex then you'd be more concerned with the controls and not the task at hand. Oh also riding the horse is a plus. Agro the horse you ride becomes your best friend in the game because the landscapes are so vast and endless walking would be a pain. The riding controls were rather simple and not worth explaining. But the horse was also useful in some of the Colossi battles and thats why mastering the horse was key to some battles. Plus in this empty vast world you tend to get lonely so this horse is a great friend to have tag along. I didn't learn much from my first gamelog because there isn't much to learn with all the simplicity. I did get better at mounting aiming the bow and over all climbing on these huge Colossi. Design: I think the design in this game was very thought out. The vast and seemingly endless terrain makes you feel isolated and creates a bond with Agro or at least for me it did. Also since you don't fight tons of enemies if any out side of the Colossi causes the player to value every fight he or she has with the Colossi. To me it basically intensifies each fight and you seem to look forward to each up coming battle since you don't really fight anything else. For me I felt that each fight was hard earned and that the isolation made me value each Colossi. I was like in my mind " I wont be finding another one for awhile, I'd better fuck him up". It in a sense motivated me to play or fight harder. The cut scenes were beautiful and the plot was interesting. At times after being told the hints and sent off time after time I really felt like killing that voice that keeps bossing me around. The repetitive cycle of returning to the temple and taking off right after the cut scene started to piss me off. It only made me feel sorry for the Colossi who were going to get OWNED! The level design was genius because its so large and empty it creates a psychological state of mind for the player I felt. You don't see anything so when you encounter theses massive Colossi your speechless. I think the design of the way the Colossi respond to attacks was cool because it felt like the beast really felt your blade and the shock movement that the control gives the player made the experience all the better. The focus of the game wasn't the control scheme but more of the experience between the player or young warrior and the Colossi and I have to say they were quite successful. The only thing lacking in this game which is why it got a 4 instead of a 5 is the lack of replay value. Once you beat it there isn't much more to do. Other then that its a beautiful game with stunning graphics for the PS2 and the audio was great as well. Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:28:28 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2100&iddiary=4052Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) - Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:58:21https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2100Gamelog entry: Classics List #1 Summary: The basic plot behind this game is that your this young warrior trying to save a young womens life. You bring her to this temple where you are told that in order for you to restore the young women to her natural state you must first defeat the 16 Colossi. They possess some ability to restore people back from the dead once striped of their life force. You basically take off on your quest to destroy the colossi. After you kill a colossi you drain what i believe to be their life force and end up back at the temple where this adventure first started. Then after returning you are hinted once again at where to find the next colossi and then your off again. Gameplay: The game was very simple. Theres a grip meter which is a colored circle which gets smaller the longer you are hanging off of something. Theres a weapon icon to let you know as the player which weapon you currently have equipped. Then of course theres the health bar. Pretty much no real menu but very satisfying because there isn't much confusion. You also have you basic movements like running and rolling. Things you will need to master as you progress throughout the story. You also have the ability to climb these Colossi. As I first started playing the game I came to realize that you can't level up your skills in anyway. Not that you really need to because the fights between the Colossi is more of a puzzle fight anyways. I say puzzle because each Colossi has its own particular weakness which you have to discover in order to survive. Its a test of wits basically. The Colossi each have a weak point which is very hard to find. You'll normally see a glowing symbol on different points of the body. Once you've found your target you have to simply stab with your sword the weakened area. These fights were scary as hell for me. I didn't really know how to roll properly so when I tried to dodge I'd get stepped on, lol. I found it hard to stay on because the Colossi would move and shake. Then it would make me nervous as I'd watch my grip gauge slowly deplete. My first time I let go and fell off multiple times. I couldn't quite figure out how to defeat the Colossi. Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:58:21 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2100&iddiary=4050We Love Katamari (PS2) - Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:43:46https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1816#1 Summary: In We Love Katamari you play as the Prince the main character from the previous Katamari game. In We Love Katamari the controls are the same and so is the objective to make your Katamari as big as possible. The Katamari will stick to objects smaller than itself and as it continues to grow the Katamari is able to pick up bigger and bigger things which range from pencils, balls, cats, cars, houses and even planets. Throughout the game you perform tasks for people using your Katamari. After each task is complete the Katamari created is turned into a star, planet, or stardust. The game play mechanic is much like the original Katamari Damacy but what separates this sequel is the versus mode. In this versus mode you play head to head in a race to see who can make the better Katamari which you can now play against friends and family. Gameplay: Since I have never played the Original Katamari game I wasnt used to the game controls. But the Tutorial in the beginning helped a lot. I felt an adrenalin rush especially when times almost up and I didn't have a big enough Katamari. The game was very exciting because the Katamari dynamic it was fun seeing how big of an object you could actually roll up. I always tried to go bigger and bigger. I think the simplicity and the curiosity of how big you could go got me hooked for hours. What made it fun also was the interesting levels which were all very different. Your smaller in some levels over other levels which made it scary in away to see how small you were. They were really small and what was cool was that once you hit a certain size you could leave the area you were in to go to another area which you can only access once you reached a certain size. This concept made me feel anxious to discover all the areas and get my Katamari bigger. The new feature the 2 player versus mode was intense. Me and my brother went at it and its fun because you can smash into others and knock things off their Katamari making it very competitive. #2 Gameplay: What changed for me the second time I played was my understanding of the maps and objectives. The were some tasks with the Katamari that didn't involve making it as big as possible but to eat certain things or get it to a certain size. Sometimes I didn't know where certain items were on the map and took multiple attempts to beat certain tasks. Over mastery of the controls took time as well because the bigger the Katamari the harder it is to move so know how to change camera perspective is very important so that you know where to move. Knowing where to go is important because when your Katamari gets to a certain size the things around you wont give you as much growth for your Katamari so you need to find a better place to pick things up. If you don't know where your going then you waste time which means that you most likely wont meet the size you were aiming for. So by know how to control the camera and memorizing levels makes it easier to meet the tasks that you were faced with. Design: For design I am going to start with the bad then shift to the good. There isn't much bad to say about this game except that I felt the cut scenes were a waste. They didn't help explain much about the purpose of the game and why certain things occur in the game. Like why is the Katamari so important? Also whats the story behind the Prince's cousins that you find in some of the levels. Other then the cut scenes which were animated beautifully still made no sense to me. Maybe its because I didn't play the first Katamari game I am not entirely sure but its a fun game regardless. One of the good and probably most important things about this game next to the innovation of the Katamari ball is the level design. Each level is not only different but are divided into different levels which can be accessed through the size of the Katamari. You can only go to certain areas if your Katamari is a certain size. This concept in the level design was cool because it keeps the player interested or curious about the possibilities of the Katamari. I feel curious about how big could I actually get the Katamari and what were the hardest areas to reach in the game. The level design is what kept me interested into the game. The graphics were nice I think it was cell shaded but don't quote me on it. I also thought that the idea of rolling a ball around that picks up everything it touches was a very innovative idea and thats what made the game initially appeal to me because I haven't seen a game like that before. The game keeps players interested by setting theses goals or the player him or herself setting their own goals like my goal was to get the katamari as big as possible. One of the coolest things I liked about the game was how at the end of every level the Katamari you made was turned into a star, stardust, or a planet. This was cool and a nice touch because on the last level where your goal is to roll up the Sun you use all the stars and planets you created to make this HUGE and ultimate Katamari. What also made this game really fun to play was that its a very simple game and that anyone can pick it up without any previous experience with the game and be pretty good at it. (This entry has been edited4 times. It was last edited on Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:49:56.)Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:43:46 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1816&iddiary=3596