With school coming to an end for another year, April serves as the start of more free time to relax and do things that were pushed aside during the school year like video games. While I did get some time playing games between studying and working, it seems like the floodgates have just opened in these last couple of weeks. Funny enough, the end of the school year coincided with finally completing Bravely Default after spending the last two and a half months working on beating the game. Spending so much time with one game felt very limiting that now this feeling of freedom and choice is almost overwhelming. The spring and summer months should be fun as I will be bouncing between games from my ever-growing backlog and brand new releases. It should be a fun journey that will be chronicled right here on Silver Bit. So stay tuned.
Game of the Month
Ever since I beat Bravely Default, I have been able to spend more time playing a wide variety of games. In the few weeks since I beat Bravely Default, I have been playing Golden Sun, Resident Evil 6 and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and have completed shorter games like Rhythm Thief, SteamWorld Dig and Donkey Kong 1994. As great of an achievement beating a long, gruelling RPG is, playing a game for over 100 hours can be exhausting. The change of pace has been refreshing especially with one game in particular pulling me in more and more. That game is Infamous: Second Son and it is the one game that has got me to play the PS4 on a rather consistent basis. I have dabbled with the previous entries in Sucker Punch's superhero playground, but never for any considerable amount of time. Compared to other open world sandboxes, Second Son's setting of Seattle may seem a little lifeless, bland and full of hilarious glitches. Even with those drawbacks, I have had lots of fun just running around, completing side missions, collecting blast shards and beating up waves of DUP officers and drug dealers. The most fun to be had with Second Son comes from the new powers you get to play around with. While the smoke and video powers are cool, the best power in the game is neon. Zipping around Seattle at supersonic speeds, slowing down time to aim and sniping enemies with precise neon shots make for a power players will stick to throughout their entire playthrough. Infamous: Second Son may not be the best open-world superhero game as Batman still holds that honour in my opinion, but it is definitely the best game on PS4 right now. Second Son deserves to be in every PS4 owner's library.
Most Anticipated Game of the Month
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS are easily the two most anticipated games of 2014. A new entry in the Smash Bros. series only happens every four years or more so any news or announcement about the newest entry is an event in itself. Aside from Masahiro Sakurai's daily screenshots on Miiverse, there has not been a major dump of information about Super Smash Bros. since E3 2013. Early this April, Nintendo and Sakurai took some time away from developing Super Smash Bros. to deliver a Nintendo Direct focused solely on the two games. During the nearly 40 minute presentation, Sakurai touched on the release dates, included stages, online play, differences between the two versions, items, assist trophies and returning and new inclusions to the roster among a plethora of additional information. It is impossible to capture the greatness of this Nintendo Direct in mere words. It is incredibly produced, filled with tons of goodies that will make any gamer smile ear to ear and easily sold hundreds to buy a Wii U, 3DS or possibly both. Personally, my excitement for Super Smash Bros. is at unimaginable levels. Even thinking about the games makes me giddy with excitement. Summer and Winter 2014 cannot come any sooner.
Video of the Month
Usually I never have a problem picking the Video of the Month, but this April has been the exception. There has been so many great videos this month from the wacky Tomodachi Life Direct to Screwattack's epic interviews with the creator of Videoball Tim Rogers to Mega64's collaboration with Nintendo on the recent Nintendo E3 announcements. While they are all incredible videos and deserve to your viewing, I have to give the Video of the Month to a video that got me thinking. The Completionist's Final Fantasy VII Retrospective has been a month-long event where Jirard and a crew of Youtubers take an in-depth look at the impact that Final Fantasy VII has had on RPGs and video games in general. This in-depth analysis of Final Fantasy VII really made me see the game in a new light and truly understand why people hold the game on such a high pedestal. While the first two videos were released in March, the majority of this series has come out throughout April and deserves the recognition for how great it is. I will share the first part here, but I highly recommend watching this series in its entirety. It will give you a new appreciation of Final Fantasy VII as it has done for me.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Monday, April 28, 2014
Top 5 Game Boy Advance Games
The Game Boy Advance put the power of the Super Nintendo, arguably one of the greatest video game consoles ever created, in the palm of your hands. Although small in size, Game Boy Advance cartridges housed some of the best experiences from that beloved era of gaming such as A Link to the Past, Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country and Final Fantasy VI along with brand new classics like Advance Wars, Golden Sun and Drill Dozer. The Game Boy Advance was the one video game system that introduced this writer to likes of Castlevania, Metroid and Fire Emblem, easily some of my favourite video game franchises. In honour of the Game Boy's silver anniversary and the launch of the Game Boy Advance Virtual Console on Wii U, I would like to share my Top 5 Game Boy Advance games. For this Top 5, I will be excluding any Super Nintendo port because they can overshadow the original titles released for the Game Boy Advance which deserve the recognition. Enjoy the Top 5 and hopefully Nintendo will bring some of these titles to the Virtual Console for all to enjoy.
Over the years, Capcom has developed various different iterations of the Blue Bomber from a robot-hunting mercenary to a living computer AI. Each iteration focuses on a different aspect of game design such as the infusion of an overarching story in the X series to the RPG elements of the Battle Network series. The best iteration of Mega Man in this writer's opinion is Mega Man Zero for the Game Boy Advance. Introduced as a character in the X series, Zero finally got the top billing that he was originally meant to receive in Mega Man X with Mega Man Zero. 100 years after the events of Mega Man X, Zero is awakened to help the Reploid resistance in their fight against his former friend X and the Neo Arcadian army. While the story of Mega Man Zero spans four games, it is the first game that set the gold standard for the series with excellent action-platforming, fast-paced combat, challenging yet rewarding difficulty and heart-pumping music. For those who missed out on Mega Man Zero on Game Boy Advance, the Mega Man Zero Collection for the Nintendo DS is a perfect way to experience this series in its entirety.
No one ever though Mario and RPG mechanics would ever be a good combination. In actuality, Nintendo's iconic plumber is more than well-suited for the RPG genre as proven by both Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario. Inspired by Mario's previous ventures into RPGs, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga took Mario RPGs in a different direction by limiting your party to just two characters-- Mario and Luigi. The battles were ultimately turn-based, but involve much more input than your regular RPG. Mario and Luigi always need to be on their toes at all times as they can cause more damage or even outright avoid attacks with a perfectly timed button press. Exploring the overworld in Superstar Saga was not limited by gravity as Mario and Luigi could platform their way through areas to further the story and find hidden items. The Mario Bros. repertoire of special moves and items like hammers and propeller jump allowed them to solve puzzles interspersed throughout the game. Along with the gameplay, the love for Superstar Saga comes from its signature humour which ranges from Luigi dressing up as Princess Peach to allude the main villains to all the hilarious results of missing button presses to initiate Bros. Attacks. While the series has only got better with each entry, Superstar Saga still stands as one of the best RPGs on the Game Boy Advance.
Before the Game Boy Advance, portable Castlevania games were among the worst entries in the series. With the power of the Game Boy Advance and later the Nintendo DS, Konami reversed the stigma firmly placed on portable Castlevanias for the better. Their quality easily outclassed every console Castlevania following Symphony of the Night. In fact, each portable entry has added their own additions to the Metroidvania formula introduced in Symphony of the Night such as Circle of the Moon's Dual Set-up System or the two interchangeable versions of Dracula's Castle in Harmony of Dissonance. Among the three Castlevania games on the Game Boy Advance, Aria of Sorrow is the best. Set in 2035, you play as Soma Cruz, the reincarnation of Dracula, as he stumbles upon Dracula's Castle hidden within a solar eclipse. Trapped in Dracula's Castle, Soma must use his abilities as Dracula's vessel to escape before transforming into the iconic vampire. Aria of Sorrow refines the same action-platforming and RPG mechanics used in the other Castlevania games for the Game Boy Advance to perfection. What differentiates Aria of Sorrow from other entires in the series is the Tactical Soul system. Instead of interchanging a select number of sub-weapons, Soma is able to absorb the souls of fallen enemies to acquire new attacks, summonable familiars, stat boosts and abilities which open up new areas to explore. Equipping different combinations of souls allows you to create your own unique Soma with the attacks and abilities you want to use. With the poor direction Castlevania has taken in recent years, Aria of Sorrow is a shining example of how great this franchise can be.
Fire Emblem is a series with a long and storied history. Sadly that long and storied history was exclusive to Japan until 2003. The first Fire Emblem to reach North American shores is one of the best tactical strategy games on any game system. Following the adventures of Eliwood, Hector and Lynn, three lords from the continent of Elibe, Fire Emblem tasks players with taking an army of allies to stop the evil forces of the Black Fang and their pursuit to unleash the powers of the Dragon Gate on the world. Fire Emblem's greatest strength came from the gameplay which has one managing the strengths and weaknesses of weapons and magic, the durability of items, character stats and the range of allies and enemies to overcome insurmountable odds. At the game's best, it feels like playing a game of chess with medieval knights and wizards as your chess pieces. Along with introducing North American audiences to the core mechanics of the series, Fire Emblem introduced players to its most signature feature-- the permanent death of ally units. This feature caused plenty of chapter restarts from yours truly, but it made you feel connected to your units in a way no other tactical strategy game has done before. No longer were these units expendable pawns; they were living, breathing characters that you cared for and grew attached to over the course of the game. Their loss packed much more weight than losing a unit in a game like Advance Wars or Starcraft. This emotional weight along with excellent game mechanics made Fire Emblem a defining experience for the strategy genre in general.
Out of all the experiences available on the Game Boy Advance, one stands taller than the rest. This experience comes from gaming's favourite bounty hunter, Samus Aran. Actually, it is the remake of her first adventure to Planet Zebes in the original Metroid. Metroid may be an iconic achievement in video game design and development, but certain aspects of the game, namely the graphics and the unguided structure of the game, have not stood the test of time. Zero Mission took the original Metroid and upgraded the gameplay, graphics, level design, music and story to the masterful quality of Super Metroid. Zero Mission made Metroid better in every conceivable way and that was not the only thing it did. Zero Mission expanded on the original story of Metroid. No longer was defeating Mother Brain the final thing Samus did on Planet Zebes. In trying to leave Zebes, Samus is shot down by Space Pirates and stripped down to her Zero Suit. With no power to fight regular enemies, the game changes from your standard 2D action-platformer to a compelling 2D stealth game as Samus tracks down a brand new Power Suit in order to finally escape the clutches of Zebes. This incredible twist gave the final act of Metroid a greater sense of danger and vulnerability than fighting off countless waves of metroids. Hands down, Metroid: Zero Mission is the definitive version of a classic which preserves it against the negative effects of Father Time.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Bravely Default Review
Bravely Default's premise is very similar to first few Final Fantasies. You control the four Heroes of Light (Tiz, Agnes, Ringabell and Edea) as they purify four elemental crystals in order to save the world. On their journey to purify the crystals, the Heroes of Light must combat the forces of the Duchy of Eternia and discover the truth behind the Crystal Orthodoxy. On the surface, the story and the protagonists seem to fall under many classic JRPG tropes such as a heroes' hometown getting decimated and one of the heroes conveniently suffering from amnesia. As the story advances, the depth and complexity of the huge cast of characters becomes evident. The conflict between the Crystalism and Anti-Crystalism is not as black-and-white as the game originally makes it out to be. Bravely Default offers a good amount of twists and turns to keep gamers interested. While the story provides motivation to keep playing, it is not the most compelling feature of Bravely Default.
Bravely Default truly shines above other entries in the JRPG genre through its combat and job systems. The combat is similar to other turn-based RPGs as the player and their opponents takes turns attacking, defending and using items. The creative twist in Bravely Default's combat comes from the brave-default system. Default acts like defending as it decreases damage taken, but also increases battle points (BP). You use BP to brave, which allows a character to unleash multiple attacks in a single turn or spend on job-specific attacks and abilities. Braving and defaulting is a risk-reward system that adds an extra layer of strategy to battles. You can try to dispatch enemies in one turn by attacking multiple times, but you risk leaving your party vulnerable to multiple attacks if they survive your onslaught. Managing when to brave or default can be the difference between life or death in Bravely Default. The game's job system has clearly been inspired by the systems implemented in past Final Fantasy games. Although the inspirations from other titles, Bravely Default's job system is much more approachable than other RPGs due to the improvements Square Enix and Silicon Studio has made. Jobs level up independently of the character's actual level so changing jobs does not reset a character's overall level. While characters can only be employed by one job at a time, you can equip the attacks and abilities from another job to use as well. This feature allows for tons of customization as you can have a white mage that can cast black magic on top of healing spells or a knight that can imbue their blade with a spell fencer's sword magic. Going along with the customizable jobs, you can equip any special attribute learned through levelling up jobs or those your friends have learned through the Ablink feature. These two systems are only just one slice of the great suite of features that Bravely Default gives you to play with. From the excellent StreetPass and online features like rebuilding the town of Norende with the people you StreetPass and connect with online or summoning friends to help in battle to the incredible ability to change encounter rates and game difficulty at anytime, Bravely Default offers tons of features to keep players satisfied.
With all the great features and systems Bravely Default has to offer, it has one critical blemish that almost derails the entire experience. What easily could have been an excellent fifty to sixty hour experience receives some completely unnecessary padding that doubles the length of the game. What makes this padding even worse is how tedious it is. Instead of adding some worthwhile quests to elaborate on the story, you repeat the same exact tasks over and over again until the game deems it time to move on to the true final chapter. After the second time repeating this process, the story stops advancing altogether until the true final chapter which makes a good twenty hours of the game feel like an absolute waste of time. You can break from the tedium at anytime to complete the normal ending of Bravely Default, but that does not give much closure to the story of the game. Funny enough, the normal ending of Bravely Default is more satisfying than the true ending of the game because it lacks the drastic difficulty spike the true ending has and it makes more sense than most of the plot points inserted into the true ending with little to no explanation whatsoever. The true ending is not worth the time and effort needed to reach it. In fact, trying to reach the true ending could compromise your enjoyment of Bravely Default as a whole.
Aside from the unnecessary padding, Bravely Default is a great game. There are enough great features packed into this small 3DS cartridge to keep anyone satisfied for days, possibly months on end. The one thing holding Bravely Default back from being the definitive RPG experience on the 3DS is the major misstep taken in the most crucial hours of the game. Padding the game by a few hours is understandable, but by close to fifty plus hours cannot be easily reconciled. While the padding may leave some upset and disappointed, Bravely Default's strengths more than make up for the underwhelming endgame. For those looking for an old-school RPG with some excellent modern twists, Bravely Default is definitely a game worth picking up.
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