Wednesday, July 21, 2010

New and Exciting: i-Rix does ANIME!

I have, for some time now, turned a contemptible eye towards the broad spectrum of animation that falls under the identification of "anime". I can't even truly pinpoint the source of the hatred; as a youngster I would revel in following series like Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Dragon Ball Z, and Monster Rancher and as an adult I love the craziness of video games developed under Japanese developers like Capcom, Konami, and of course Nintendo. This would seem like I'd have a hell of a foundation and propensity towards enjoying anime, but I've been a longtime subscriber to the Jeff Gerstmann school of "Anime is for Jerks, yo".

That is until... well... only a few weeks ago, now. I finally was able to step back and look at my general interests and ask myself, "Why is anime not among these?" Okay, I didn't really ask myself that, since I don't really speak that way in real life, but the point remains the same. Why NOT anime?

So in the spirit of trying something new and exciting (and because it's my birthday and I do what I want), because the title says so, I have cast away (most) prejudice and have embraced the world of anime. Perhaps embraced is a bit of a strong word, as I've only entered what one might consider the shallow end of the ocean that is anime, but nevertheless I am fully prepared to "do this thing".
So what am I watching, you may indeed be asking yourself my nonexistent readership. Well, because I have admired it from afar for so long due to its ridiculous depiction of exploding body parts, I've dove head first into Fist of the North Star aka Hokuto no Ken. A rough undertaking to be sure, as the core series has over 100 episodes, but after speeding through the Shin saga, I cannot get enough of Kenshiro and his continuing journey through the wastelands of 199X.

Anime fans know the series is a classic, and I have taken it as my first big step into fandom to watch every bit of the series that I can. Luckily for me, the series is subtitled in English and can be watched free and legally on Funimation.com. I'll probably be doing some sorta... review thing for Part 1 of the series in the weeks to come.

But that is not all, no. Because she more or less is the boss of me, a good buddy of mine suggested I give the insanity of one of her favorite series a try. That series just happened to be the sublimely psychotic FLCL (or Fooly Cooly to me and you).

OH GEEZ. That is pretty much all I could say after the first episode. This had to be one of the craziest, randomest, and utterly insane things I've ever seen, but with only 6 episodes comprising the series, there was something infectious about it. The characters were likeable, the animation was fantastic, and it just had an intangible quality that made it impossible to dislike the series. I can now say with some certainty that FLCL is one of my most favorite THINGS ever ever. I am pretty much indebted to my dear friend for her forcing this onto me. Like Hokuto no Ken, I'll be doing something with FLCL down the road.
And I suppose that's how the future of my anime-watching will go. I will seek out the classics that intrigue me, and those in the know will suggest more obscure titles that I wouldn't ever think to bother with. I am not saying I'm going to become some super otaku or anything, but I believe I have embraced a new medium that will lead to much more enjoyment down the road.

Most importantly, this new and exciting change has shown me that, just like everything else, anime has many facets and should not be classified as a single entity to be hated.

If you have any comments, or just like what I wrote, or would like to point out how WRONG I am, feel free to type it up in the comments section. I greatly appreciate feedback.
Until next time.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Questionable Review: Toy Story 3

I know I said that my next blog post would be regarding trying new things, but first I believe it is imperative that we re-visit the familiar. Amazingly, it has been 15 years since the first Toy Story movie put Pixar on the map. I myself was just 7 years old at the time, and my younger brother hadn't even been born yet, and somehow after all these years, the franchise has managed to stay relevant and to shine in every aspect.

From story-telling to characterization to comedy to visual flair, Toy Story has and always will be Pixar's darling child. Now here in the year 2010, the final(?) chapter of the Toy Story has been released, and not only does it rocket passed all expectations, it will easily become a long-cherished movie for infinity and beyond.

SO WHAT'S THIS MOVIE ABOUT?
We pick up the plot of Toy Story 3 relatively chronologically from where Toy Story 2 left. A large chunk of time has passed, and with it have come many changes. Andy is 17 years old now and is headed off to college, and understandably his toys have been neglected for quite some time now with some even having been thrown away or sold off in yard sales. Those that remain are led by Woody and Buzz Lightyear who attempt to keep their fellow toys' spirits up, but when a mistake leads to a majority of them ending up on the curb with the garbage, they decide they are better off being donated to the local daycare center. Although Sunnyside Daycare seems like a paradise at first, it is soon becomes clear that it is more prison than retirement home. Now it's up to Woody and pals to attempt to get out of dodge and return to Andy, where their fate may be even more uncertain.

SO WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT THIS MOVIE?
EVERYTHING.

SO WHAT SUCKS ABOUT THIS MOVIE?
It eventually ends. Despite your complete desire for it to continue, it will eventually end.

ANYTHING ELSE?
I cried during the closing scenes of this movie. I think that says enough about the level of sentimentality, nostalgia, and overall emotion that this movie brings to the table. If there is anything closer to a perfect film or a perfect conclusion to a series than what Toy Story 3 brings to the table, I would love to see it.

SO WHAT'S THE FINAL VERDICT?
Pixar are geniuses. How they somehow made a movie about toys feel like a gripping human drama is just all part of their film-making magic, and in my opinion, not only is Toy Story 3 arguably the best in the series, but it is in the top 5 of best Pixar movies ever. I usually use this space to qualify my verdict and say "If you like this or that, then you should probably go see this movie", but this film requires no qualification. If you are a HUMAN (maybe even if you aren't) you need to see Toy Story 3,

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Impressions of Dragon Age 2 [The (not so) Short Version]


Seeing as I am probably the last person in the world that completed Dragon Age: Origins and that I probably have less than merited opinions on it, I figure I may as well add to the cacophony of conflicting opinions on where the series is headed and what the possible changes could be.

I suppose I should just begin by saying what my overall impression is of what's been announced about the game. Generally speaking, I'm truly excited for what the proposed changes will be. A general idea of my thoughts can be found in the Dragon Age 2 discussion of last week's TalkGames podcast, but here are the individual bullet points on what I'm hopeful about and what I'm NOT so hopeful about with Dragon Age 2's announcement

WHAT SOUNDS COOL, DUDE?!
  • Improved graphics. I don't believe I'm the only one who believed Dragon Age: Origins looked BAD... and I mean REALLY BAD. I'm never one who gets super worked up over a few rough edges in a game, but considering how character-driven Dragon Age is, and how the lack of convincing character models and poor animations really ruined some heavy moments in the game for me, any improvements are really welcome. Also there are mentions of a new "visual style", hinting at a more stylized game. That's always a good way to go in my book.
  • Combat seems to be moving more towards action. This is a point of contention with most who discuss this game, believing it as another sign that the game is becoming more like Mass Effect with swords rather than staying closer to its more archaic and hardcore roots. As someone who likes Mass Effect a lot more as a game, this probably excites me more than anything. I realize because I played the first game on Xbox 360, I may have a different experience than most, but I reiterate my feelings; It may have been EASIER to manage the game's various systems had I used a PC, but I doubt it would have made it more enjoyable.
  • The idea of a voiced protagonist and more centralized plot seems like a step in the right direction. Dragon Age: Origins had a fantastic storyline with great characters, but little of that really had anything to do with YOUR character. Sure, you were recognized as the Grey Warden and the leader of the group or whatever, but not having a voice and kinda ineffectually standing to the side whilst all the discussion was standing by didn't really do much to make you feel like a super integral part to the plot. Hopefully that's remedied in the sequel.
  • Darker edge? I know this is pretty tricky to pull off without seeming like you're trying too hard, but I thought Dragon Age was supposed to be about DARK Fantasy. Sure, Origins was pretty violent and there were some pretty messed up aspects, but it still felt very much like high fantasy, and therefore at times could be extremely comparable to other already existing franchises. The current screenshots are showing a much more haggard world and a darker overtone, so I hope that Dragon Age 2 actually takes it all the way into dark territory.

WHAT MIGHT BE LAME, BRO?!
  • Improved graphics?! If you say so, dudes, because if these early screenshots are any indication, your definition of improved is certainly different from mine. The fist image looks pretty good, but nothing earth shattering. I hope the game looks a lot better in motion or starts looking better as we get closer to release.
  • New territory to explore. I guess this is a good thing, but considering how much info. and care was put into Ferelden, placing our hero into a whole new territory could make the game feel considerably different in a way that may be hard to appreciate.
  • Lack of variety with the protagonist. It seems that the ability to play as either a warrior, a rogue, or a mage is still intact, but as the protagonist has a set name and back-story, that eliminates one of the interesting things about your main character in DA: O, and that is the origin story. Sure you can make your individual "Hawke" unique through his/her actions, but there is definitely a lot of truth in people's concerns that Hawke is going to be the Commander Shepard of Dragon Age.
As you can see, my concerns are far outweighed by my hopes for this game. I wasn't a huge fan of the first Dragon Age, but I am a fan of Bioware's ability to tell a story and, if the promised changes all come together, this should shape up to be one of the best games of 2011. After all, it's not always bad to try new things.

Speaking of trying new things... that gives me an idea for my next blog. Anyway, if you have any comments on what you just read, or just liked what you saw, just go ahead and leave me a comment. And if you REALLY liked it, go ahead and give me a follow. Until next time...

Monday, July 5, 2010

Back-Catalog Critique: Dragon Age: Origins (Xbox 360)

Although video games grab relatively top priority when it comes to any funds I accrue, I always inevitably do run out of money at some point. When that happens, I turn to those archived games that I've yet to finish or just never got around to playing in any sort of length. Obviously, popular opinion and critical consensus on these games are already well-known by this time, so what could I, a lowly blogger possibly add to the conversation?

So, instead of doing a super in-depth review, I'd just like to write down some of my personal feelings about these games and how I enjoyed playing them long after most people had already thoroughly completed their own experiences.

For the first edition of this ill-conceived series, I'll share my feelings about the Xbox 360 version of the instant Bioware classic, Dragon Age: Origins.


WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS GAME:
The story, voice acting, writing, and portrayal of complex characters are absolutely top-notch in this game. This seems to be a Bioware's bread and butter, and it's in full force with this game. I really cared about my party members in this game. I didn't want to upset them, and I certainly wanted them to trust me. Saying that about a game with characters who are not real people is, to me, an astounding accomplishment.

Even the very minor characters in this world have their own personality and back stories. If you can speak with someone, chances are they have a story to tell. My favorite parts of the game were the sections that were heavy on the dialog and less so on actual "action".

Lastly, the amount of varied choices in this game mean that your playthrough is going to be at least slightly different from any other person's playthrough. It isn't simply a matter of choosing either the "good" or "bad" option. In this game, you really have to think about what it is you want to do and who it's going to effect. This, combined with the world's deeply rich history really make you want to live in this world.

But notice I said "live" and not "fight...

WHAT I THOUGHT WAS ASS IN THIS GAME:
Combat. For the love of God, the combat. Now, I know playing this game on the Xbox 360 is truly a disadvantage. You can't zoom out and get a good look at the battlefield, having to scroll through your party members during the heat of battle to get to the one you want is just tedious and annoying, and something is wrong with the AI. I created my character to be a DPS frontline fighter. That means when he engages the enemy, I just want him to stand in front and swing. Yet, half the time I would engage an enemy only to have my guy strafe around his target for ten or so seconds while he tried to figure out what he was supposed to do.

I might not be the best strategic mastermind in the world, and whilst I enjoy RPGs, I'm not exactly an expert on character-building in games, but a lot of the deaths I suffered didn't really feel like my fault, rather the game didn't give me proper knowledge of the battle I was facing and therefore I couldn't make an informed decision on what to do next. There were even cases where enemies would just pop into battle after I engaged an enemy further away. I understand that some enemies are stealth-oriented, but this was a graphical glitch, and a costly one at that.

And that finally brings me to the presentation of this game. I've already stated I absolutely love the voice acting, but as far as the actual aesthetics of the game, they're kinda bad. Keep in mind that I played this game following Mass Effect 2, another Bioware game, and while I know that the same team didn't work on both games (Terminal Reality being the DA:O team), but I'd like to think the graphics would have been a little bit better.

Textures are terrible with strange clipping and pretty bad lighting effects, player models aren't great and animate and emote awkwardly, I could go on and on. I'm not one to put too much of a game's quality on its graphical prowess, but if they couldn't get the best fidelity out of this game, they could have at least chosen an art style that would have served the game engine a little better. I know it looks slightly better on the PC, but this game's graphics would have to look a lot better for me to think of them as any good.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
There's no denying that Dragon Age: Origins is a well-made game. The world itself is one that needs to be explored because of how meticulously it has been crafted, and the interaction with your character's storyline is the best I've ever seen in any video game.

That being said, on consoles, the combat is just horrendously clumsy and I never thought of this as a good looking game (in fact I think it's the opposite). It just reinforces my feelings that you can't make a really good real-time strategy oriented game on consoles with the restrictions of the controller, but I also feel that some of those elements in this game are far too archaic, paying too much homage to its "Baldur's Gate" roots.

This is all me musing, but the fact of the matter is that, for the story alone, I'd recommend it. You can set the difficulty to easy and slog through the combat just to experience the fantastic world within. If you really need to enjoy every aspect of the games you play, or you aren't a fan of the fantasy genres, you'll probably want to pass.

My official score.
3/5 decapitated heads.
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