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Feb 9th, 2008 at 02:44:36 - Fire Emblem (GBA) |
Note:My first attempt at entry #1 got deleted when I tried to submit so I had to rewrite this.
Entry#2
Gameplay
Continuing my quest to save the world, I am faced with daunting challenges. I find myself forced to use any 10 characters I want to face off against the computer's 50 or so soldiers. This game has made me feel 2 feelings in particular very frequently, anxiousness and anger. I feel anxious when the fate of one of my characters gets put in a situation where s/he has a 50% chance of dying in the next bout and anger when s/he has a 20% chance of dying in the next fight and then does die.
The narrative progression of the story is divided into chapters. It usually follows a similar routine, the group is on their way to their main destination until some people stop them or some villagers are getting attacked and need help. The group saves the villagers or defeats the boss that's blocking their way and they continue on their journey. I can't complain because although the premises are always simple, I am still entertained by it.
Design
The first thing I noticed is that when your character dies, they are gone for good. This adds to the strategy and forces players to think smart/safe. The time invested in building that character's level is motivation for the player to keep that character safe from harm as I believe a small bond is formed between player and character. Similar to how you don't want someone to mess up a drawing you did.
Weapon durability is another aspect I do not find common in alot of Role Playing Games. Traditionally in many RPG's, All weapons are indestructable and reliable. In this game, All weapons can break after a certain amount of use and it really forces the player to think, should he really waste a use of the weapon on that enemy? Once a weapon breaks, there is no way of repairing it so it is gone for good.
The level design was not as creative as it could have been. Most battles took place either in an open field with trees every few tiles or a castle with very slim choke points. I think the developers could have tried harder and expanded our battlefield a bit with more creative levels. Another criticism I have is that each tile type has different characteristics. However, the main complaint I have is that the only bonus that they seem to give is evasion. I would think that a forest would leave you slightly more susceptible to fire magic and less to thunder magic, or that an archer would have alot of trouble shooting an arrow from the outside of a forest at another person on the other side of the forest.
On a brighter note, the rewards system is a bit different from other Role Playing Games and I kind of like this one. When a character defeats an enemy, s/he will gain experience and level up. However leveling up doesn't gaurantee you certain statistics like other Role Playing Games. The game randomly gives your characters stat ups and that really diversifies how the character becomes by the end of the game. This adds replay value by changing up which characters become the best fighters.
So There isn't much I would change to this game besides what I mentioned earlier. This is a nice game that has alot of good points besides some minor flaws. I am able to look past the flaws and see it as a game that doesn't suck.
This entry has been edited 2 times. It was last edited on Feb 9th, 2008 at 03:14:37.
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Feb 9th, 2008 at 00:17:32 - Fire Emblem (GBA) |
Overview
Fire Emblem is a turn based strategy role playing game. This game features a unique element where death is actually serious and there is no way to revive fallen characters. This game is unique at least to me that it is a strategy game that has unique characters with distinct personalities, unlike another similar strategy game called Advance Wars where all the units the player can control are soul less pawns. The Player plays a tactician who helps guide these unique characters on their quest to stop a shady assassin organization from wreaking havoc in their country, however it soon evolves into something bigger.
Gameplay
The characters in this game are quite distinct in personality. I feel that there is more value in these men/women than ability in combat. The dialogue during gameplay is quite entertaining as it shows the characters that are still alive in your team interacting with each other. This leads me to want them to live, death is serious in this game.
Death is a defining factor in this game that made me notice that this game is different. Usually in games, if one of your character dies, he is easily replacable or can be revived. In this game, once one of your men die, the only 2 choices you are given is to continue on without him/her or restart the level. This puts some pressure on the player so that he can not mindlessly charge with a complete disregard for safety and strategy.
An extra element of strategy is added to this game through what weapons your soldiers can use. The game follows a rock/paper/scissors system that determines if your attack will be more successful. Swords>Axes>Spears>Swords. Ignoring the importance of this will lead to some unfortunate fates for your men. Weapon strategy is increased even further through the durability statistic added onto them. Generally, weaker weapons are given high numbers of use while stronger weapons are given lower numbers of use before breaking. This leads me as the game's tactician to be wary about funds and whether or not my characters are well supplied.
This entry has been edited 2 times. It was last edited on Feb 9th, 2008 at 02:31:20.
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Jan 25th, 2008 at 22:07:08 - The Legend of Zelda (NES) |
Entry #2
GamePlay
I resumed my adventure after a small break. This game is still able to hold my interest after 2 hours of playing. The exploration of the dungeons is quite interesting. It has split paths that contain hidden treasures and different puzzles that must be solved to unlock the next room. Another interesting gameplay feature is that keys are universal in every dungeon and can unlock any locked door, allowing the ability to hop into one dungeon, grab some keys and aid myself in another dungeon I really want to finish. This game is really nonlinear in that aspect for me and is a nice change of pace from Go to point A and do B and repeat.
One thing that I also like in this game is that Link grows stronger if you take the time to search for upgraded versions of his equipment. After some exploration, I was able to find a better sword and be able to defeat enemies with 1 swing of the sword instead of 2. I found a store and bought a ring that changed Link's clothes color and also reduced damage taken from enemies. When I crush enemies who I've seen since the beginning of my adventure, it makes me feel like I've gone quite a long way since when I first started my game.
Design
The Legend of Zelda is definately innovative for it's time and still is in some ways. There are games that take the idea that you can just start off anywhere and play/explore anywhere you want to go (GTA being the example off the top of my head). The use of a save file is also pretty innovative as well. The makers knew that this adventure was too big to be done in 1 sitting and now every game has a save system of some sort.
The world itself is quite diverse. As you explore the world, you are taken to deserts,mountains,forests,lakes,rivers,plains and dungeons. It allows players to remember locations better and makes the overall journey less monotonous. The overworld is huge and a very large amount of the maps have some secret or challenge to overcome. The game's tone seems to be very happy and bright on the outside as shown with the bright colors used for everything. However it switches to very dark and gloomy once Link enters a dungeon.
The game's reward structure is well done. Link starts off with 3 hearts and nothing else. If the player takes the time to look for things, soon Link will have a sword and shield and plenty of other tools to play with along with more than 3x as many hearts as he started with.
There isn't much I would change to this game. I could only think of adding a slightly more engaging plot that reminds you why you are on your journey. The only thing I know so far is that the triforce is broken and I need to put it back together. What would be good is to add some more to the story after a piece of the triforce is recovered. Besides the weakness in the story telling, there is not much else I could ask for in a NES game. This is one of the best Nintendo games out there and it's innovative design has affected the games after it that we all enjoy today.
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Jan 25th, 2008 at 14:44:28 - The Legend of Zelda (NES) |
Entry #1
Summary
The Legend of Zelda is an adventure game that allows free exploration of the world. This game gives players the ability to go through the game in a nonlinear fashion. The protagonist is a child named Link who has to find 8 pieces of the Triforce and unite them and defeat an evil monster named Ganon. To do so, he needs to traverse the 8 dungeons randomly scattered on the map, collect different tools and grow stronger by collecting big hearts.
Gameplay
The first thing I notice immediately is that I start off randomly at some point in the world with no explanation of how I got there. Right off the bat, I am able to go any direction I want and explore. After moving a bit, I am left with a feeling of excitement because I can tell that this world is huge and there are plenty of things to do.
The character Link has no signs of any personality besides being heroic enough to take this adventure head on without equipment. Perhaps that means he is impulsive and reckless. As for the story, the main idea is shown to me at the title screen and was quite explanatory. However, as the story progressed so far for me, I do not see any narration or conversation happening besides vague hints from an old men you encounter at secret areas in your journey. I am not dissapointed about this because a lot of Nintendo games featured very little story and I'm glad that they included as much as they did.
The game was fun and challenging because the game doesn't tell you where I had to go, I had to run around the world and find the dungeons and solve the puzzles on my own. The combat is nice and simple, swinging the sword repels enemies and with enough swipes, it concedes. The big hearts used to extend my life bar and tools found or bought along the adventure gives me a role playing game experience because I can see Link grow stronger as I invest more time exploring the game.
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