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Feb 8th, 2008 at 18:27:10 - Bujingai: The Forsaken City (PS2) |
Entry #2--
Gameplay:
This game is too easy. Even on Hard mode, it's... pretty pathetic. I think that's partially why it is so boring, because I feel like I could play this with my eyes closed.
The guarding and counterattack system is slightly more engaging, but that was never something I've ever been that into. This is perhaps the only slightly original component to the game, as you and the bosses have a certain amount of... I don't know what they are supposed to be but they kind of look like flower petals.. and anyway, you try and hit the boss enough to get rid of these little white things that are shown around its health, and when they are all gone, the boss is unable to block your attacks for a time.
There is a lot of unlockables in this game, such as being able to unlock a second costume for Lau which is really just Gackt in a white snakeskin jacket and black pants. It's pretty amusing to choose this costume and have a Japanese pop star running around with those swords. He doesn't have pink hair in this costume, though :(
I'm actually quite disappointed, because I don't remember the game being THIS boring when I first played it... I'm not certain if I'll ever even play it again after this.
I wish I could say something really awesome about this game, but it really just doesn't add much to the table. It's not TERRIBLE. It's just pretty bland.
Design:
The way the levels look reminds me of Shinobi or Nightshade, and the game really *is* pretty to look at, but... it's just so... boring... I will say that it is nice that each stage is completely different from the others, but the stages feel never-ending and that really messes with the mood of the game.
It's way too easy, too; it would, perhaps, be a better game if it was a bit more difficult. It's even ridiculously easy to max out your stats because the game throws little blue orbs at you constantly, and you get them so frequently that eventually they're completely useless because you've already maxed everything out, and it's pointless.
The music in this game is also pretty bland, which is kind of shocking to me, considering they had Gackt and Maaya Sakamoto voice acting on it. You'd think they could have just asked them to compose something.
It also seems that there is no way in the US release to play the Japanese voices, which is upsetting because the English voices aren't really that great and the voice cast for the Japanese version is incredible. (They do keep Gackt's voice, but he doesn't ever really say anything). I would really rather hear Maaya Sakamoto and Koichi Yamadera, who have very extensive voice acting careers (Yamadera voices a lot of Japanese Disney characters), but I was let down.
I'm inclined to think that the only reason this sold any copies was because of Gackt, as I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have done all that well without him.
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Feb 8th, 2008 at 17:55:07 - Bujingai: The Forsaken City (PS2) |
Entry #1--
Summary:
You play Lau Wong in a pretty typical hack-and-slash game based upon old Chinese action movies. You go through levels, fight bosses, and kill many, many enemies.
Gameplay:
I'm really not ashamed to admit that the only reason I ever bought this game was because the main character is Gackt. Anyway, I haven't played this since it came out, so I don't remember it very well, but I seem to recall it wasn't the most amazing game ever.
And... it's really not.
It's really... pretty boring.
The stages go on forever, and it's really repetitive. The enemies move in the same patterns, and you do the same things over and over again. The story is pretty "meh," and I'm not particularly interested in the characters (besides the obvious fact that you're basically playing Gackt, who is awesome). I'm actually pretty surprised that I did, at one point, actually beat this game, because I don't have the patience this time through.
So far, this game really hasn't added much in the way of originality.
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Jan 25th, 2008 at 23:39:04 - Katamari Damacy (PS2) |
Entry #2--
Gameplay:
I'd like to say that I hate the Cygnus constellation level with a passion. I always have, I always will. Ugh. Stupid ducks and quails and eggs and non-swan things...
Anyway. The game is still fun, yay. It's nice that even though this game is really repetitive in theory, the designers manage to keep it fresh and interesting throughout the game.
Being able to look at the collection of items as you go through the game is a nice touch, too. You get to see what you've gotten so far, and, if you're missing anything, try to go back and find it. It was also really clever to add the Royal Presents into the game, little present boxes you can find in the levels and wear (such as a scarf, headphones, or weird cow udder-thing). This helps to keep the game from becoming stale.
Also... The way the mother in the cut-scenes completely ignores her children is incredibly strange, fitting the game's quirky atmosphere. She brushes off everything they say in a calm, detached manner that is funny in kind of a dark way.
The game is kind of on the short side, which really makes me sad... I'd like to keep on going forever. I mean, technically I could, by replaying them... but... it's just not the same.
Design:
The music for this game is so nice :) It totally fits the weird, happy, Japanese tone of this game. All of the songs are wonderfully chosen and catchy, and have their own merits. (How many other games have any type of jazz song in them... especially one that incorporates jazz flute, something which is highly underrated?!)The best part of the music is how well it suits the mood of the game, though.
There are some design flaws in Katamari, though... such as the camera. You sometimes find yourself stuck in an awkward spot with the camera focusing on a table you're behind or something similar, and you can't see anything, which leads to you wasting precious time and losing stuff off of your katamari. This can be extremely frustrating.
Another thing is the lack of level variety. There are really only three levels in the entire game. This doesn't make the game TOO boring, since in the levels, there are always different places you are put and different objects in different spots, but it still lacks a sense of "going somewhere." You're always going to the same places over and over. The "constellation" levels add some variety to the levels, but I'm not certain if its enough. I still love this game and would beat it many many times (or just continue to go back to the same game and try to beat my scores), but I do recognize that the levels can get slightly tedious if playing for extended periods of time.
I love the inclusion of "Eternal" levels, which you get by making a big enough katamari in three certain levels (one for each the house, town, and world levels), and can mosey about the level without worrying about time, picking up things at your own leisurely pace. This is especially nice for the world level, where you can focus on making the biggest katamari you can, and pick up every last damn cloud in that sky without having to worry about that dreadful siren noise.
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Jan 25th, 2008 at 23:02:14 - Katamari Damacy (PS2) |
Entry #1--
Summary:
In Katamari Damacy, you play the small (about 5cm tall) green Prince of All Cosmos. You have to go to Earth and roll up anything you can find laying around into your "katamri"; a ball-shaped ...ball... that will allow anything of a certain size/weight to stick to it, because your father, the King of All Cosmos, broke all the stars while drunk. You go through various levels, being able to create bigger and bigger katamaris as you go along, rolling up people, animals, buildings, and continents. Once you complete a level, the King will shoot your katamari into the sky to make a new star (or stardust, if you choose).
Gameplay:
Okay, so I've played this game many, many times, but... not since I bought We Love Katamari, so it's been long enough that I've kind of forgotten the beginning of this game that I love so dearly.
The story in this game is so interesting. Even though it should be stupid and ridiculous, it's done in such a way that it's a really fun and nice thing to play if you're stressed out and just need something to relax and distract you.
The King is an interesting character; maybe it's just me, but him constantly talking about how mediocre you are makes me want to keep going back to the levels and try to make the biggest katamari I can. Whenever he does praise you, I get such a grand sense of accomplishment. His dialogue is amazing, of course. It's amusing, maybe not laugh-out-loud funny, but quirky and unusual to say the least. I have mixed feelings on his in-game moments of dialogue, as they're really amusing, but somewhat distracting as you try to see around the black blob of text in the center of the screen. Also the Royal Rainbow is perhaps the best thing ever.
The cut-scenes are kind of creepy. The weird square block people freak me out, and when that little girl goes "I feel it. I feel the cosmos!" it's really... strange.... but those are short and sparse, so it's not that big of a deal.
This game is strangely addicting and fun to play, though I remember when I first heard about it thinking "How could a game in which all you do is roll stuff into a ball be remotely fun?" And it doesn't sound fun... but it really is. The triumph you feel when you roll up an object you previously crashed into, or when you complete a goal, or make a larger katamari than you did before, is wonderful.
Though it's only a single-player game (unless you battle each other on the space mushroom, which I don't find as entertaining, really), Katamari Damacy is as fun of a game to watch as it is to play. It's always fun to coach someone playing, yelling "NO! NO! GO LEFT!" or something, especially if you're watching someone inexperienced.
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