The Bottom Line:
LEGO Indiana Jones is a simple and abbreviated retelling of the first three Indiana Jones movies (The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is in the sequel game). This is broken up movie then further by chapter. LEGO games tend to be somewhat more family friendly fare having an E10 rating for violence against humanoid LEGOs. If you've played the LEGO Star Wars or Batman games, you pretty much know what to expect. i guess this would loosely be called an action/adventure game. This particular game would fit into the category of somewhat easy 1,000 gamerscore. Furthermore, this game has been out for a while so you might be able to find a cheap copy.
Grade: C
What to Expect:
* A very basic retelling of the Indiana Jones saga from Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom and The Final Crusade
* Things to find: artifacts, parcels (which allow you to unlock "cheats") and the ever present lego studs (kind of like a currency. LEGO studs can be used to unlock characters (when you finished the level they were on) and cheats.
* Lots of building and destroying LEGO shapes
* Some levels have vehicle segments
* Two play modes (sort of): Story mode is playing through the story (finishing a stage unlocks...) Free play mode - this mode allows you to track down the artifacts, etc that you cannot get in story mode. This is basically the mode you will use to complete most of the achievements and find most of the artifacts. After you purchase or unlock certain characters (by beating levels) you can go back in free play mode and play with characters with abilities you will not have in story mode
* Abilities are: females jump higher, scholars can unlock certain areas, Willie can break glass with her voice, some people have explosives (like bombs or bazookas), short characters allow you to access area with the short door, military characters allow you to access doors, Indy can whip across platforms, etc.
* Some annoying jump puzzles (mostly to get artifacts)
* There is an option for two player on the couch co-op.
* You might want to use an online walk through for some of the hidden items, but you probably don't need to.
* Combat: kind of simplified - you attack with the X button, but can sometimes use objects (like Indy's) whip with the B button.
* Three "secret" levels to unlock.
* A fixed camera view (somewhat like 2.5D) that sometimes makes it a little hard to tell exactly where you need to jump/go (maybe it is just a problem i have with depth perception) and how exactly to line up movements.
Achievements:
As i said, this is one of the easier games to get all of the achievements. Some of the harder things to do in the game are collect parts of artifacts (a certain level in Temple of Doom comes to mind, along with a really annoying jump puzzle in a different level). The game save seems to keep track of the time you saved, not the number of hours - so i am not sure how many hours it takes. (but i beat it in the last 5 days or so). As for achievement types there are: collection ones, don't die on a level, ability usage ones, ones for completing each chapter (and bonus level).
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Just for "Fun": List of RPGs That i Have Played
i guess that i have been playing video games for a while (going all the way back to the Atari 2600 and Colecovision Adam). Role Playing Games are probably my favorite genre (especially turn based). In this post i will attempt to regale you, the reader, with a semi-comprehensive list of RPGs that i have actually played throughout the years. You, the reader, will likely roll your eyes and mutter something about how this guy has no life. You will be absolutely correct.
There are probably some titles missing (turn based RPGs were one of my favorite genres growing up). PS1 and Xbox sections seem to be missing games (some i never beat). So here goes the list of games i think i beat - beat means beat final boss, not necessarily bonus dungeon, etc (in no apparent order) ....
Sega Genesis:
* Phantasy Star 3: Generations of Doom
* Sword of Vermillion (don't remember it)
PlayStation 1 (PSX):
* Final Fantasy Tactics
* Final Fantasy VII
* Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete (may be my favorite game all time)
* Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
* Wild Arms (the second one froze too much so i never beat it)
* Grandia
* Parasite Eve (the sequel was not nearly as good)
Dreamcast
* Evolution: The World of the Sacred Device
* Evolution 2: Far Off Promise
* Grandia 2
Xbox:
* Arx Fatalis
* The Bard's Tale
* Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
* Fable
* Jade Empire
* Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
* Sudeki (needs a sequel)
Xbox 360:
* Blue Dragon
* Dragon Age: Origins
* Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
* Enchanted Arms
* Eternal Sonata
* Fable 2
* Fable 3
* Fallout 3
* Infinite Undiscovery
* Lost Odyssey (my favorite this generation)
* Magna Carta 2
* Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
* Mass Effect
* Mass Effect 2
* Nier (only 1st ending)
* Resonance of Fate
* Star Ocean: The Last Hope
* Tales of Vesperia
* Two Worlds
There are probably some titles missing (turn based RPGs were one of my favorite genres growing up). PS1 and Xbox sections seem to be missing games (some i never beat). So here goes the list of games i think i beat - beat means beat final boss, not necessarily bonus dungeon, etc (in no apparent order) ....
Sega Genesis:
* Phantasy Star 3: Generations of Doom
* Sword of Vermillion (don't remember it)
PlayStation 1 (PSX):
* Final Fantasy Tactics
* Final Fantasy VII
* Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete (may be my favorite game all time)
* Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
* Wild Arms (the second one froze too much so i never beat it)
* Grandia
* Parasite Eve (the sequel was not nearly as good)
Dreamcast
* Evolution: The World of the Sacred Device
* Evolution 2: Far Off Promise
* Grandia 2
Xbox:
* Arx Fatalis
* The Bard's Tale
* Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
* Fable
* Jade Empire
* Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
* Sudeki (needs a sequel)
Xbox 360:
* Blue Dragon
* Dragon Age: Origins
* Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
* Enchanted Arms
* Eternal Sonata
* Fable 2
* Fable 3
* Fallout 3
* Infinite Undiscovery
* Lost Odyssey (my favorite this generation)
* Magna Carta 2
* Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
* Mass Effect
* Mass Effect 2
* Nier (only 1st ending)
* Resonance of Fate
* Star Ocean: The Last Hope
* Tales of Vesperia
* Two Worlds
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Dview: Final Fantasy XIII (Xbox 360)
The Bottom Line:
Final Fantasy XIII has become my new least favorite RPG this generation (maybe of all time). There are aspects of this game i actually hate.
Grade: D+
Extraneous Information:
i actually like linear games and the story for Final Fantasy XIII is serviceable. Like most Final Fantasy games, the graphics are decent and there are a lot of cutscenes (some mini ones skipable with the start button, then back). You control one character (you don't get to decide which one until most of the way through chapter 9)
Battle System: It is sort of a slow real time battle system. It seems too fast to input moves manually, but too slow to wait. The game would have been better if they picked one or the other and stuck with it. As it is, you get the worst of both worlds (and them some). There is actually a battle rank depending on the time you spend on a fight (though it genreally gives you worse grades if you are stronger)
Paradigm System: This is the single most annoying design decision of the game for me. The paradigm system also brings down the battle system. Paradigms include thing like attack, heal, etc (you know stuff characters usually do anyway). There are 6 "classes": Commando, Medic, Reaver, Sabateur, Sentinel and Synergist. Commandos are the physical attackers, Medics heal, Reavers are essentially magic attackers, Sentinels are damage sponges, Sabateurs and Synergists are debuffers and buffers respectively. Paradigms are based off of what class the charater is using. Unlike many RPGs, the characters in this game are generalists - they might have a stronger role, but they can do all roles (some better than others), well they can if you have the chance. Personally, i hate to use classes like the ones that start with "S" in this game.
You have to hit the left bumper to select from a list of paradigms and some battles require you change paradigms multiple times.
Levelling Up:
This is another design decision that is not my favorite. Basically there aren't levels in the typical sense... you get CP from winning fights, you use the CP to upgrade the player's crystal (it has things like Strength, Magic, Ability, Hit Points, etc). Unfortunately, you may find yourself running into "level caps" from time to time within the story. So, you really can't grind as much as i would like. The most egregious of these level caps may come from the last "level increase", which inexplicably (and i would say stupidly) occurs after you beat the final boss.
Weapons and Accessories:
Now i get to weapons and accessories. Well, there seem to be a ton of these. Basically, you use some of the items dropped by enemies to upgrade your weapons and accessories (not specific ones, except for transforming items). Different parts may impact weapon/accessory levelling at different rates. Many accessories and all weapons can be transformed into other items.
There is a problem here though... some of the items (especially weapons) take a massive amount of money to buy the necessary one item. Guess what enemies do not drop - money. There is a pretty easy way to get 500,000 gold in this game as you advance to chapter 11 (there are 13 by the way). However, one item in particular (Trapezohedron) seems to only be available for purchase at 2,000,000 gold and as a very rare drop from a specific enemy. So, upgrading the weapon to the maximum level will be almost impossible before the main boss (what is the point in upgrading things after you already have beaten the boss?). That is one weapon alone, not the 3 weapons you would need for a complete party (or the 6 for the achievement). i would call that a design flaw.
What to Expect:
* A lot of cutscenes (or mini ones)
* Linear gameplay for the vast majority of the game
* A decent variety of enemies
* No choice in party formation until Chapter 9 (most of the way through)
* Tough boss fights - that require you to change paradigms. The last boss has three forms (the second one is a pain in the neck - especially with the status effects)
* A lot of fights
* Annoyance
* Periodic Level Caps
* About 35-45 hours to beat the main quest (tons of grinding, though more for parts and things to sell rather than level)
* Side quests available in chapter 11 (64 of them or so), some of them supposedly too tough to do during the regular game.
* A long "after game" - so i hear
Achievements:
i have to look this one up, as i didn't actually beat the game. There are levelling up acheivements (max out each role), a collection one for having one of every item in your inventory at some point, story related, quest related. i got 400/1,000 for beating the last boss. Unfortunately, there is way too much busywork in the post game (involving "level grinding" and weapon upgrades).
Final Fantasy XIII has become my new least favorite RPG this generation (maybe of all time). There are aspects of this game i actually hate.
Grade: D+
Extraneous Information:
i actually like linear games and the story for Final Fantasy XIII is serviceable. Like most Final Fantasy games, the graphics are decent and there are a lot of cutscenes (some mini ones skipable with the start button, then back). You control one character (you don't get to decide which one until most of the way through chapter 9)
Battle System: It is sort of a slow real time battle system. It seems too fast to input moves manually, but too slow to wait. The game would have been better if they picked one or the other and stuck with it. As it is, you get the worst of both worlds (and them some). There is actually a battle rank depending on the time you spend on a fight (though it genreally gives you worse grades if you are stronger)
Paradigm System: This is the single most annoying design decision of the game for me. The paradigm system also brings down the battle system. Paradigms include thing like attack, heal, etc (you know stuff characters usually do anyway). There are 6 "classes": Commando, Medic, Reaver, Sabateur, Sentinel and Synergist. Commandos are the physical attackers, Medics heal, Reavers are essentially magic attackers, Sentinels are damage sponges, Sabateurs and Synergists are debuffers and buffers respectively. Paradigms are based off of what class the charater is using. Unlike many RPGs, the characters in this game are generalists - they might have a stronger role, but they can do all roles (some better than others), well they can if you have the chance. Personally, i hate to use classes like the ones that start with "S" in this game.
You have to hit the left bumper to select from a list of paradigms and some battles require you change paradigms multiple times.
Levelling Up:
This is another design decision that is not my favorite. Basically there aren't levels in the typical sense... you get CP from winning fights, you use the CP to upgrade the player's crystal (it has things like Strength, Magic, Ability, Hit Points, etc). Unfortunately, you may find yourself running into "level caps" from time to time within the story. So, you really can't grind as much as i would like. The most egregious of these level caps may come from the last "level increase", which inexplicably (and i would say stupidly) occurs after you beat the final boss.
Weapons and Accessories:
Now i get to weapons and accessories. Well, there seem to be a ton of these. Basically, you use some of the items dropped by enemies to upgrade your weapons and accessories (not specific ones, except for transforming items). Different parts may impact weapon/accessory levelling at different rates. Many accessories and all weapons can be transformed into other items.
There is a problem here though... some of the items (especially weapons) take a massive amount of money to buy the necessary one item. Guess what enemies do not drop - money. There is a pretty easy way to get 500,000 gold in this game as you advance to chapter 11 (there are 13 by the way). However, one item in particular (Trapezohedron) seems to only be available for purchase at 2,000,000 gold and as a very rare drop from a specific enemy. So, upgrading the weapon to the maximum level will be almost impossible before the main boss (what is the point in upgrading things after you already have beaten the boss?). That is one weapon alone, not the 3 weapons you would need for a complete party (or the 6 for the achievement). i would call that a design flaw.
What to Expect:
* A lot of cutscenes (or mini ones)
* Linear gameplay for the vast majority of the game
* A decent variety of enemies
* No choice in party formation until Chapter 9 (most of the way through)
* Tough boss fights - that require you to change paradigms. The last boss has three forms (the second one is a pain in the neck - especially with the status effects)
* A lot of fights
* Annoyance
* Periodic Level Caps
* About 35-45 hours to beat the main quest (tons of grinding, though more for parts and things to sell rather than level)
* Side quests available in chapter 11 (64 of them or so), some of them supposedly too tough to do during the regular game.
* A long "after game" - so i hear
Achievements:
i have to look this one up, as i didn't actually beat the game. There are levelling up acheivements (max out each role), a collection one for having one of every item in your inventory at some point, story related, quest related. i got 400/1,000 for beating the last boss. Unfortunately, there is way too much busywork in the post game (involving "level grinding" and weapon upgrades).
Friday, February 4, 2011
Video Game Wishlist: Kinect Lips
Apparently, MSFT registered the domain name KinectLips.com. This could be interesting, Lips already has some form of motion sensing and gestures. However, gestures could be better expanded/implemented with Kinect.
Lips is my most played game on the Xbox 360. So, what songs do i want in Lips Kinect. This is what i would like, not what they would actually release. If you can tell, i don't really care for much "modern music". i've limited it to one song per artist and no songs released on Sony music albums. EMI is now wholly owned by Citigroup? Weird.
Lips Kinect ME edition (what i wish for):
01) 98° - Invisible Man or The Hardest Thing (UMG)
02) ABC - How to be a Millionaire (UMG)
03) Alias - More Than Words Can Say (EMI)
04) BB Mak - Back Here (Holywood?)
05) Billy Idol - White Wedding (Chrysallis, EMI?)
06) Bon Jovi - You Give Love a Bad Name (UMG)
07) Boys Club - I Remember Holding You (UMG)
08) Boyzone - No Matter What (UMG)
09) Breathe - How Can I Fall (A&M, UMG)
10) Bryan Adams - Heaven (UMG)
11) Color Me Badd - I Want to Sex You Up (WMG)
12) Corey Hart -Never Surrender (EMI)
13) Crowded House - Something So Strong (EMI)
14) Cutting Crew - I've Been In Love Before (EMI)
15) Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat (WMG)
16) Def Leppard - Love Bites (UMG)
17) Donny Osmond - Soldier of Love (EMI)
18) Duran Duran - The Reflex (EMI)
19) Foreigner - Say You Will (WMG)
20) Glass Tiger - Someday (EMI)
21) Glenn Medeiros - Lonely Won't Leave Me Alone (UMG)
22) Go West - The King of Wishful Thinking (EMI)
23) Howard Jones - No One is to Blame (WMG)
24) Human League - Human (EMI)
25) INXS - New Senstaion
26) Johnny Hates Jazz - Shattered Dreams (EMI)
27) John Waite - Missing You (EMI)
28) Jon McLaughlin - Beautiful Disaster (UMG)
29) Jon Secada - Mental Picture (EMI)
30) Jude Cole - Baby, It's Tonight (WMG)
31) Level 42 - Lessons in Love (UMG)
32) Lifehouse - Whatever It Takes (UMG)
33) Living in a Box - Room in Your Heart (EMI)
34) Mike + the Mechanics - All I Need is a Miracle (WMG)
35) Naked Eyes - Promises, Promises (EMI)
36) Nick Lachey - Shut Up (UMG, now on Sony)
37) Night Ranger - When You Close Your Eyes (UMG)
38) OMD - If You Leave (EMI)
39) Power Station - Some Like It Hot (EMI)
40) Richard Marx - Satisfied (EMI)
41) Robbie Nevil - C'est La Vie (EMI)
42) soulDecision - Ooh It's Kind of Crazy (UMG)
43) Tears for Fears - Head Over Heels (UMG)
44) Julian Lennon - Too Late For Goodbyes (WMG/UMG)
45) The Jets - Crush on You (UMG)
46) Take That - Patience (UMG)
47) Wang Chung - Everybody Have Fun Tonight
Lips is my most played game on the Xbox 360. So, what songs do i want in Lips Kinect. This is what i would like, not what they would actually release. If you can tell, i don't really care for much "modern music". i've limited it to one song per artist and no songs released on Sony music albums. EMI is now wholly owned by Citigroup? Weird.
Lips Kinect ME edition (what i wish for):
01) 98° - Invisible Man or The Hardest Thing (UMG)
02) ABC - How to be a Millionaire (UMG)
03) Alias - More Than Words Can Say (EMI)
04) BB Mak - Back Here (Holywood?)
05) Billy Idol - White Wedding (Chrysallis, EMI?)
06) Bon Jovi - You Give Love a Bad Name (UMG)
07) Boys Club - I Remember Holding You (UMG)
08) Boyzone - No Matter What (UMG)
09) Breathe - How Can I Fall (A&M, UMG)
10) Bryan Adams - Heaven (UMG)
11) Color Me Badd - I Want to Sex You Up (WMG)
12) Corey Hart -Never Surrender (EMI)
13) Crowded House - Something So Strong (EMI)
14) Cutting Crew - I've Been In Love Before (EMI)
15) Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat (WMG)
16) Def Leppard - Love Bites (UMG)
17) Donny Osmond - Soldier of Love (EMI)
18) Duran Duran - The Reflex (EMI)
19) Foreigner - Say You Will (WMG)
20) Glass Tiger - Someday (EMI)
21) Glenn Medeiros - Lonely Won't Leave Me Alone (UMG)
22) Go West - The King of Wishful Thinking (EMI)
23) Howard Jones - No One is to Blame (WMG)
24) Human League - Human (EMI)
25) INXS - New Senstaion
26) Johnny Hates Jazz - Shattered Dreams (EMI)
27) John Waite - Missing You (EMI)
28) Jon McLaughlin - Beautiful Disaster (UMG)
29) Jon Secada - Mental Picture (EMI)
30) Jude Cole - Baby, It's Tonight (WMG)
31) Level 42 - Lessons in Love (UMG)
32) Lifehouse - Whatever It Takes (UMG)
33) Living in a Box - Room in Your Heart (EMI)
34) Mike + the Mechanics - All I Need is a Miracle (WMG)
35) Naked Eyes - Promises, Promises (EMI)
36) Nick Lachey - Shut Up (UMG, now on Sony)
37) Night Ranger - When You Close Your Eyes (UMG)
38) OMD - If You Leave (EMI)
39) Power Station - Some Like It Hot (EMI)
40) Richard Marx - Satisfied (EMI)
41) Robbie Nevil - C'est La Vie (EMI)
42) soulDecision - Ooh It's Kind of Crazy (UMG)
43) Tears for Fears - Head Over Heels (UMG)
44) Julian Lennon - Too Late For Goodbyes (WMG/UMG)
45) The Jets - Crush on You (UMG)
46) Take That - Patience (UMG)
47) Wang Chung - Everybody Have Fun Tonight