I return to the real world with news regarding this year's Anime North, an anime convention in Toronto, Ontario over the last weekend of May. Like last year, the convention was packed with people, most of which had on crazy costumes or silly accessories and whatnot. The panels this year were packed with nerds beyond nerd-dom. It was actually pretty dreadful in some of them. I swear I could smell the pot off the fat bald dude in the first row in the original character making. Wonder when was the last time he got laid.
However, the greatest part of Anime North was deffinately the pictures, and I got lots of'em. I'll be uploading them onto my facebook account, but there's a chance of uploading them here, too. Crazy pictures, loads of costumes. Got plenty of hugs too. In fact, me and my pal who went with me started a small faction known as the Free Hug Brigade. Simple: Find a person, give'em hugs, walk away. Simple, yet awesome.
Anywayz, believe it or not I do have a life and have a little bit of work to get done, so I'm going to have to end this post on a positive note, which is something I don't like doing. Oh hey, there's the negative again! Score ^^ Bye for now.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Fable: The good, the bad, the completely unnecessary
Fable is an incredibly popular franchise from Microsoft Gaming Studios, produced by Lionhead studios. For those of you who haven't played the first one, but have played the second or third installments, brace yourself. I'm about to hate on you like tornadoes hate trailer parks.
Fable and it's sorta-not-really sequel, The Lost Chapters, offered a unique type of RPG, the first of it's kind. There was very little of this game that needed improvement, aside from the graphics. Have you seen your character's face? Priceless. There was a boasting system, in which you could take bets on your quests, for example saying you can do them without wearing anything. This was an awesome way to make money, especially for more experienced players. More importantly, it was really fun.
Another feature beloved from Fable was unarmed combat, which was removed in later games. While your unarmed attacks were weak, it just plain felt wicked to pound the crap out of your enemies with fists of fury. C'mon, what about kicking Balverines in the face isn't awesome?
One final point: Fable's magic system. There was nothing wrong with it, it was fast, convienient, and you could suck up a little EXP while switching spells. Fable 2's system was similar, but not the same. And the spells in later games were too focused on offense. Support spells like Drain Life, Berserk, Physical Shield, Multi-Arrow, gone. Fable 2 and Fable 3 were FAR too easy, because there was no Mana bar. You could just spam-bam-thank-you-ma'am all you friggin wanted. Where's the damn strategy in that?
Now, don't get me wrong. I enjoyed Fable 3 (not 2. Other than the little Master Chief cameo and the addition of vulgar expressions, that was a disgrace to the series), but there is a LOT that shouldn't have been removed. The games feel too easy now. I still go back and play Fable: Lost Chapters just for the hell of it.
One tiny little thing that ticked me off big time about 2 and 3 is you could change your morality with a snap of your fingers. In Fable, you seriously had to work for it, and even if you could, there were always reminders of your former self, e.g. burn marks where your horns were, faded hair, seriously f**ked up eyes, etc. But in the newer games it's all about looks. Too vain for my tastes, while I do enjoy customizing my character.
That's all I've got for now. If you haven't played the original Fable or Fable: Lost Chapters, go pick up a copy. You'll see what I mean. Trust me.
Another feature beloved from Fable was unarmed combat, which was removed in later games. While your unarmed attacks were weak, it just plain felt wicked to pound the crap out of your enemies with fists of fury. C'mon, what about kicking Balverines in the face isn't awesome?
One final point: Fable's magic system. There was nothing wrong with it, it was fast, convienient, and you could suck up a little EXP while switching spells. Fable 2's system was similar, but not the same. And the spells in later games were too focused on offense. Support spells like Drain Life, Berserk, Physical Shield, Multi-Arrow, gone. Fable 2 and Fable 3 were FAR too easy, because there was no Mana bar. You could just spam-bam-thank-you-ma'am all you friggin wanted. Where's the damn strategy in that?
Now, don't get me wrong. I enjoyed Fable 3 (not 2. Other than the little Master Chief cameo and the addition of vulgar expressions, that was a disgrace to the series), but there is a LOT that shouldn't have been removed. The games feel too easy now. I still go back and play Fable: Lost Chapters just for the hell of it.
One tiny little thing that ticked me off big time about 2 and 3 is you could change your morality with a snap of your fingers. In Fable, you seriously had to work for it, and even if you could, there were always reminders of your former self, e.g. burn marks where your horns were, faded hair, seriously f**ked up eyes, etc. But in the newer games it's all about looks. Too vain for my tastes, while I do enjoy customizing my character.
That's all I've got for now. If you haven't played the original Fable or Fable: Lost Chapters, go pick up a copy. You'll see what I mean. Trust me.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Rage Dump!!! Final Fantasy XIII
Good 1: Odin.
Odin's new design isn't so much of a new design as it is taking the old design we all love, shining it up a little bit, and tossing him back in. Very well done, not ruffling any feathers. I find it highly unlikely that Lightning could weild Zansetsuken, however, hot chick with massive weapon? C'mon, it's Japan we're talking about.
Bad 1: Bahamut.
While Odin's new design was fantastic, Bahamut's was not. Not even close. Bahamut was loved and widely accepted as a dragon, not 3rd place in a Megatron cosplay contest. While he was fun to fight and is fun to use, I just can't get past the look of him. That, and the new Megaflare look, is terrible. His Gestalt mode is, as mentioned before, fun to play as, but is too much like a Transformer. And yes, I know, all of the summons are like this, but still, Bahamut really hits home, being my favourite Edinolion since Final Fantasy, before he even became a summon.
Good 2: The Summoning System
The Summoning system was well done. It was cool to use, albeit not very useful. It added a unique quality of gameplay, while at the same time keeping the feel of Final Fantasy X's summon system, which was fantastic. If only they kept the look of Bahamut similar...
The Summoning System in Final Fantasy X.
Bad 2: The Summons
While the system was really well done, I can't help but thinkD about how similar the Edinolions look to a Hasbro wet dream. Turing into cars, motorbikes, bigass guns, mechanical dragons, all stuff that's happened before in the on-going war for Cybertron. Another thing that I found disappointing is that XIII replaced the token Fire summon, Ifrit, with something not even close to Ifrit's level of badassery. Seriously. Brynhildr? How the hell do you even pronounce that? Well, as badass as this Autobot rip-off may be, it doesn't fill the hole Ifrit left behind.
That's all I've got for now. Overall, I guess the pros of the summon system outweigh the cons by about a gram. Other than, of course, the summon system is practically useless in the game. Oh well. At least it's pretty.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Angry Gamer's Top 5 Video Game Weapons of All Time!
Video gaming history is riddled with kickass weapons. Some transform, some call forth demons, some are just bigass swords. Either way, video game weaponry is always a welcome topic here. So, I've taken a little time to slap together a quick list of delicious tools of destruction. I'd just like to point out that this list is personal, so if you disagree, you have two options:
1: Leave a polite comment with your opinion
2: Suck it.
So, let us begin :)
#5:Hidden Blade- Assassin's Creed 2/Brotherhood.
This weapon is very simple, yet elegant and deadly. It can be used for stealthy kills, or something a tad... messier. With the gameplay mechanics of Assassin's Creed, it's a grand old weapon. Immensely fun to use. The weapon is low on the list, though, because while it is amazingly cool, it is simple, in use and in plot. Not a whole lot of story behind this, other than the fact that it was a gift from daddy.
#4: Blaze Edge- Final Fantasy XIII
Blaze Edge was something cool and refreshing for Final Fantasy fans. Gunblades have been a popular reoccurring weapon in the series. But this is the first time where it could diversify from ''gun'' and ''blade''. I could put gunblades in general on this list, cuz they're pretty cool. But this refined version is definitely a top contender. (C'mon, Lionheart looked a little silly.)
#3: Soul Edge- Soulcalibur 2&3
I chose these two versions of Soul Edge to take the number 3 spot, mostly because the II version was refined from the original, so you could actually see how badass it looked, rather than seeing a poorly-rendered greenish blob. The III version carried on the badassery, but with a more sinister look to it. That handle is made of bone! Freaky-deaky.
I chose these weapons for the list not only for their appearance, but because of the story behind them. Soul Edge destroys nations, it destroys friendships and families, and it has the potential to destroy the world. It's that kind of dark, brooding, slightly over-used back story that really makes them appealing. The IV version, however, didn't cut it. It shared the story, but lost the look. Sorry pal, gotta have both.
#2: Vampire Killer- The Castlevania Series.
Simon Belmont's ultimate tool of destruction and favourite fetish item, Vampire Killer has been synonymous with badass since Akumajo Dracula was first launched in 1986. This is for a few reasons, much more than just appearance (seriously, it's a leather f**kin' whip!). Vampire Killer is an artifact passed down through generations of vampire hunters in the Belmont clan (with a few exceptions). The whip has a certain modesty to it as well. Taking down hoards of Hell's minions with nothing but a strip of dead cow hide has a certain charm to it.
If you have trouble figuring out the Castlevanian storyline, I'll probably post that later. Just throwing that out there. <3
#1: Red Queen- Devil May Cry 4
1: Leave a polite comment with your opinion
2: Suck it.
So, let us begin :)
#5:Hidden Blade- Assassin's Creed 2/Brotherhood.
This weapon is very simple, yet elegant and deadly. It can be used for stealthy kills, or something a tad... messier. With the gameplay mechanics of Assassin's Creed, it's a grand old weapon. Immensely fun to use. The weapon is low on the list, though, because while it is amazingly cool, it is simple, in use and in plot. Not a whole lot of story behind this, other than the fact that it was a gift from daddy.#4: Blaze Edge- Final Fantasy XIII
Blaze Edge was something cool and refreshing for Final Fantasy fans. Gunblades have been a popular reoccurring weapon in the series. But this is the first time where it could diversify from ''gun'' and ''blade''. I could put gunblades in general on this list, cuz they're pretty cool. But this refined version is definitely a top contender. (C'mon, Lionheart looked a little silly.)
#3: Soul Edge- Soulcalibur 2&3
I chose these two versions of Soul Edge to take the number 3 spot, mostly because the II version was refined from the original, so you could actually see how badass it looked, rather than seeing a poorly-rendered greenish blob. The III version carried on the badassery, but with a more sinister look to it. That handle is made of bone! Freaky-deaky.
#2: Vampire Killer- The Castlevania Series.
If you have trouble figuring out the Castlevanian storyline, I'll probably post that later. Just throwing that out there. <3
#1: Red Queen- Devil May Cry 4
Now, Red Queen takes the cake for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, it's unique. How often do you see a gas-powered sword with a handle chop-shopped from a motorbike? Seriously! It's frickin' cool! The Exceed System in the game was truly intense. It was a great high-risk, high-reward system. It left you open for attack, while could crush enemies like flies when used properly. Duh, winning. Furthermore, the sword itself is gorgeous. Look at it. If it were a woman, I'd tap that. Might have some scars to explain after the affair, but it'd be totally worthwhile.
So, that's my list! if you have anything you'd like to share with me, feel free to comment after reading. AFTER reading. Please don't jump the gunblade.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow review.
Ahhh Castlevania. Probably one of the greatest games of my childhood. Well, before I noticed the hero was a loincloth-clad man whose greatest weapon was a sex toy.
Lords of Shadow takes all the things that are great about Castlevania, Dante's Inferno, and Shadow of the Colossus, sprinkles a little magic on them, stitches them together, and dips them in a boiling pot of crap. This game was incredibly slow-paced, and far too long. For an example, fighting the Titan in the Lake Of Oblivion might have actually been fun, if it ran at more than 4 frickin' fps.
Perhaps if they didn't plop "Castlevania" in the title, I could stomach this game. It's unlikely, but it's possible. Castlevania games usually offer the player so much more. Circle of the Moon and Aria of Sorrow offered crazy skills like summoning and transformation, respectively.
Here's a little food for thought: ever notice that throughout the entire CASTLEVANIA game, they never ONCE make reference to Dracula, Castlevania, or any Castlevanian plot devices? Not so much as a cameo.
Another thing that irritates me is the Combat Cross. It's a pretty cool weapon, despite the amount of physics errors surrounding it. But what really gets me mad is that it's not technically a whip. C'mon, we're seriously replacing Vampire Killer with a frickin Christian Ghost Rider weapon? Bullcrap.
My overall rating: An insanely GENEROUS 3/10.
One more point of interest: I might go so far as to rate the STORY of the game 7/10, but the gameplay remains at 3/10. (separate scales, don't add those together to get 10. I WILL track you down.) The reason I rate the story so high? The game is narrated by PATRICK F**KING STUART. Pure victory.
Lords of Shadow takes all the things that are great about Castlevania, Dante's Inferno, and Shadow of the Colossus, sprinkles a little magic on them, stitches them together, and dips them in a boiling pot of crap. This game was incredibly slow-paced, and far too long. For an example, fighting the Titan in the Lake Of Oblivion might have actually been fun, if it ran at more than 4 frickin' fps.
Perhaps if they didn't plop "Castlevania" in the title, I could stomach this game. It's unlikely, but it's possible. Castlevania games usually offer the player so much more. Circle of the Moon and Aria of Sorrow offered crazy skills like summoning and transformation, respectively.
Here's a little food for thought: ever notice that throughout the entire CASTLEVANIA game, they never ONCE make reference to Dracula, Castlevania, or any Castlevanian plot devices? Not so much as a cameo.
Another thing that irritates me is the Combat Cross. It's a pretty cool weapon, despite the amount of physics errors surrounding it. But what really gets me mad is that it's not technically a whip. C'mon, we're seriously replacing Vampire Killer with a frickin Christian Ghost Rider weapon? Bullcrap.
My overall rating: An insanely GENEROUS 3/10.
One more point of interest: I might go so far as to rate the STORY of the game 7/10, but the gameplay remains at 3/10. (separate scales, don't add those together to get 10. I WILL track you down.) The reason I rate the story so high? The game is narrated by PATRICK F**KING STUART. Pure victory.
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