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Feb 8th, 2008 at 21:56:26 - Monster Hunter Freedom (PSP) |
Gamelog #2
GAMEPLAY
After playing Monster Hunter Freedom some more, I was still very much compelled by it. The challenges that the game provides ramps up constantly, which makes for an extremely challenging and difficult gameplay. New tactics and strategies are always necessary in order to overcome challenges later presented in the game.
Monster Hunter Freedom is also not merely a challenging hack-and-slash game. Some missions promote a different style of play : retrieving items and capturing creatures. Players have to be able to effectively know when a creature is sufficiently wounded, a state that will give a player the highest chance of successfully capturing a creature. Not only that, but players will also have to be able to effectively track down fleeing creatures, as most creatures will flee in order to regenerate their health when they are near death. Quests that require players to retrieve items force the player to not be physically touched by any creature in fear of dropping the items that the player is carrying. This forces players to learn about other creatures’ attack sequence ( in order to allow them to effectively avoid attacks directed at them), what paths to take while carrying the item ( to ensure the lowest chance of them dropping the item), and to make consumable or equipment combinations that helps them move faster.
I particularly like the extra layering of challenge that the game presents. Not only do you have to be an effective fighter, but you have to be a good hunter, tracker, gatherer, and strategist. Ultimately, the game requires the player to be good at almost everything in the game in order to continually progress in the game.
DESIGN
The game has a reward structure that I did not particularly like. The rewards in the game come in the form of gold, which is obtained after successfully completing a mission, and in the form of animal body parts.
You're almost always short on something, especially in regards to gold. If you needed gold to buy or upgrade something expensive, then chances are you have to repeatedly perform a quest that gives you a lot of gold in a short amount of time. I changed my primary weapons a number of times, and as a result, I was forced to do this if I wanted a new weapon that is up to par. Repeating the same quest over and over for gold was particularly boring and mind-numbing, and I would have preferred an abundance of gold, or some other option to allow you to trade or switch primary weapons.
Gathering animal body parts was something else that I did not particularly enjoy. Animal body parts are almost always needed when creating or upgrading your weapon or armor. Like gold, you’re often short on animal body parts. When I wanted to upgrade my weapon to a stronger one, I was always short on some form of animal body part. This means that I had to repeat a certain quest with the highest chances of rewarding me with a particular body part over and over again. The animal body parts that you obtain are random, with some constraints, which ultimately means that sometimes you’re not lucky and have to keep doing a particular quest many times until you have exactly what is needed to upgrade or create a new weapon or armor.
This entry has been edited 4 times. It was last edited on Feb 8th, 2008 at 22:53:04.
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Feb 8th, 2008 at 20:39:26 - Monster Hunter Freedom (PSP) |
Gamelog entry #1
Summary
Monster Hunter Freedom is a game based on a three-dimensional world that incorporates RPG, action, adventure, and hack-and-slash elements where the player takes control of the character from a third person perspective. The goal of the game is to complete quests given by a number of NPCs in order to unlock higher level quests along with a number of hunting ranks.
Gameplay
The game was quite fun and interesting. As a hunter, you have to defeat a multitude of enemies, almost all of them extremely bigger and stronger than you physically. As a result, the game requires extreme planning, positioning, strategy, knowledge of your opponent, and ultimately skill to beat your opponents. This creates a rather dynamic combat system in the game, which is extremely pleasurable after playing a number of hack-and-slash games with almost nothing but mind-numbing, repetitive actions during combat as you progress through the game.
Although the mechanics of the game creates an interesting and dynamic gameplay, it also means that the game was rather difficult; in essence, the game has an extremely steep learning curve. I was required to defeat a strong ( when compared to my character during the early state of the game) monster named Yian Kut ku in order to advance to the next level of quests available, and it took me a number of tries until I was able to accomplish the task. In the process of defeating the monster, I had to perform numerous actions in order to beat it, such as attacking at the monster’s most vital points, strategic retreats, avoiding tail sweep attacks, the use of baits and traps, knowing when the monster’s going to perform a dangerous attack, and making sure that I stand at positions that will prevent the creature from directly attacking me.
The game didn't have much in regards to tutorials and help, which is in line with the game's intense learning curve. Aside from five minor quests that teach you the very basics of the game, such as cooking, skinning, gathering, and defeating the easiest monsters, you have to find out everything yourself. Tactics against a particularly strong monster are in essence “created” by the player, and it is rather hard to simply copy another player’s technique. It is also up to the player to properly utilize tools available in the game, such as traps. Not only does the player have to gather or buy materials before they are able to create traps and pitfalls, but the player must properly use the traps in combat in order to successfully trap a monster. Some monsters predictably charge at you in a particular fashion, allowing you to trap them if you successfully drop your trap between you and the monster before they charge at you. However, if you try the same tactic on another creature (dropping the trap between the player and the monster), then there’s a chance that the tactic can fail; the monster might not predictably charge, or the monster might decide to fly and land at another location before resuming his attacks.
This entry has been edited 4 times. It was last edited on Feb 8th, 2008 at 21:56:41.
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Jan 25th, 2008 at 22:11:03 - Chrono Trigger (SNES) |
Gamelog entry #2:
GAMEPLAY
I explored the world and the storyline some more, and everything still flows from one event to another. Even the dungeons, for the most part, are linear-based. The paths are pretty much straight, with the exception of some very minor puzzles put in place.
I don't particularly enjoy a game experience where one simply go from one place to another without too much challenges in the way. Puzzles might be frustrating at times, but solving a rather complicated one gives myself a great sense of accomplishment on top of a satisfactory feeling. Puzzles also prolong a game's life and adds another layer of difficulty on it. I have played and beaten other RPGs out there that possesses very little puzzle, and for the most part, I manage to beat most of them extremely quickly. At the end of the game, I am often left with a void, an unhappy and unsatisfactory feeling, as if I did not get my money's worth on the game.
Overall, I did not particularly enjoy the gameplay. The graphics are extremely out-dated, and every RPG nowadays possesses Chrono Trigger's concepts, and more. On top of that, there are almost no hints given to player regarding where to go. Most of the time, NPCs simply suggest or tell you to do something, and it is up to you to find out exactly what to do, and where to go. I spent a lot of time before I managed to figure out how to activate the first major event of the game, where Princess Nadia was sucked into a warp hole. Apparently you are supposed to talk to a particular random NPC in a town of more than 30 NPCs. After a great deal of exploration, I finally managed to get the second major event started after basically talking to everyone possible in the beginning state of the game.
Design:
The world itself looks pretty big. There are mountains, forests, numerous towns, and even oceans and such in the game world. However, the player's movement is extremely limited. You are only able to enter only specific particular areas, and bodies of water serve as simply obstacles. The game itself even prevents players from going to certain places that seem accessible until a particular point in the game's progression. In essence, the player does not have too much in regards to freedom in the game. Almost everything is linear; progression or even entry to certain places are only possible at a certain threshold of the game.
One particular innovative concept that this game has is how the game advances the player's character. Instead of learning new skills at a certain level, characters gain "techs" by defeating enemies. Once a player has accumulated enough tech, one of the player's characters will learn a new skill.
The combat system in this game is also slightly different than most RPGs out there. Players and enemy NPCs still engage in classical turn-based combat. However, instead of simply "trading" off attacks between the two sides, players, and even enemies, have a "bar" in combat that ticks down from a certain amount to zero. Once the bar reaches zero, that character, and only the character with his or her bar set at zero, is able to attack or use items. On top of that, certain abilities have area of affect properties, where it can hit multiple targets, and other abilities can attack enemies in a straight line. This creates a rather dynamic combat situation where strategy, timing, and positioning are vital. It is a rather impressive feat, especially considering how old Chrono Trigger is.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Jan 25th, 2008 at 23:03:37.
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Jan 25th, 2008 at 14:11:04 - Chrono Trigger (SNES) |
Gamelog entry #1
Summary
Chrono Trigger is an RPG game based on a two-dimensional world that possesses standard, classical elements and gameplay of an RPG game. In the game, the player takes control of Chrono and his companions as they travel through different time periods in their world with the help of a time machine. The storyline and objectives of the game slowly accumulates as the player advances through the game.
Gameplay
I enjoy RPG games in general, and as a result, I also enjoyed playing Chrono Trigger. The game possesses the characteristics of the classical RPG : the combat and battle system, the progressive storyline, the party system, how one accumulates experience, gear, and money. I've been playing RPG games for a number of years now, and as a result I got the hang of Chrono Trigger rather quickly.
The storyline and how it is delivered to the player is also similar to that of other games of the RPG genre. The story of the game is delivered as the player advances through the game in a progressive manner. One event leads to another, and the player finds out about the storyline and the objectives of the game in this same manner.
I wasn't particularly drawn by the storyline. The story delivered to me during my gameplay session did not posses any unique characteristics or any weird twists. There was the classical princess in distress who you have to rescue, and then there's an accidental malfunctioning time portal, a concept that isn't something particularly new or refreshing during this time period.
There wasn't anything out of the ordinary in regards to characters and the composition of your party either. The game possesses the basic classes : a warrior, a mage, a healer, and a gunner/bowman.
However, I can't really say that I'm disappointed by this game so far. Chrono Trigger came out much, much earlier than any of the RPGs that I have played. In essence, the game is so successful that future RPG games continue to adopt the "classical" RPG style that was incorporated into Chrono Trigger.
This entry has been edited 2 times. It was last edited on Jan 25th, 2008 at 22:10:11.
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