For those complaining about the potential death of the JRPG, this year is a treasure trove of big releases. From Xenoblade Chronicles to Tales of Graces f, the genre has been alive and kicking again for the first time in a few years. And now, the man responsible for creating the Final Fantasy series is at it again with his team at Mistwalker, bringing us The Last Story. This Wii exclusive JRPG tells a relatively formulaic tale, but thanks to its action-heavy battle system, it manages to stand out in the genre. READ MORE
In the My Favorite Game series, get to know us better as staff writers share the game they love most and why.
When thinking about my favorite game, I have to consider the many things I love about games. Yes, the gameplay is important, as is the presentation (especially the music), but I’ve come to realize that I really appreciate when a game attempts to tell a story and succeeds at it. When you think of Metal Gear Solid, “good” or even “cohesive” narrative may not come to mind at first, but when the original game came out I was absolutely inspired. Fast forward to 2008 and the release of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, and you had a game that completely blew my mind from beginning to end. READ MORE
New writer Erik Twice is exploring classic game experiences in this debut of his new column, Flashback.
All my roleplaying experiences have been a wreck. With civilians getting killed on sight and players falling through the same trap door twice, I saw the games shatter and crumble before by eyes, the rules disappearing in a logical puff as our poor understanding of them made our punches more dangerous than the enemy’s machine guns. It just wasn’t a good fit. Surrounded by munchkins and guys a little bit too happy to see their own missions fail I started to seek a solo alternative, something I could happily play alone. READ MORE
I’ve covered a lot of worker-placement games in this column. Almost all of them use the mechanic of “first come, first served,” where placing one of your guys on a space will prevent others from doing so. Lancaster (designed by Matthias Cramer and published by Queen Games) twists this by giving each knight a strength of one to four, and letting stronger knights oust weaker ones for control of a given space. It’s not the only innovation Lancaster brings to the game table, but it is certainly the game’s defining feature. READ MORE
As a system reaches the end of its life, it tends to have one final flurry of quality titles as it goes. This is that time for the PSP, as the Japan-centric system gets what will likely be its last wave of translated RPGs. Most titles like these are destined to be ignored in their time and rediscovered later, but Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time has two things going for it that others don’t: Vita compatibility (at launch this time!) and a design that’s already detached from the current norm.
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