Yeah, yeah, Christmas was like two weeks ago. I'm lazy, get off my back. I'm going to talk about the games that I got for Christmas, and I needed a decent chance to play them all before I wrote about them.
Everyone have a good Christmas? I sure hope so, because I did! Some dress shirts, a few sweater vests, 8 Disney movies (Beauty and the Beast, Tangled, Up, Wall-E, The Incredibles, Toy Story 3, Sister Act, and The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe!), and 3 video games.
Game 1: A present from my youngest brother- Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection for PSP. Final Fantasy IV is probably my favorite RPG of all time. I first played it on an SNES emulator that we had on our computer, but it was called Final Fantasy II at the time. I later figured out that it was actually IV, and then it came out with Chrono Trigger as a bundle game for the Playstation. Then they released it on the Game Boy Advance as Final Fantasy IV Advance. Then again on the DS, but with 3D graphics this time! And finally on the PSP as Complete Collection. FF4: TCC is actually 3 games in one, the Advance version of IV with updated graphics, the sequel to IV that was released in different chapters, called The After Years, AND a short little interlude between the two.
Now...the problem with the fact that this is one of my favorite games is that I've played it a lot. So...I know how to beat it, strategy-wise. Also...occasionally, when I know a side quest is available from a certain point on, I will undertake that side quest ASAP. Unfortunately, the side quests typically require me to be a few levels stronger than I typically would be in a normal RPG. But since I know this game so well, I tend to speed through the main storyline, so I tend to be a few levels (just one or two, nothing major) weaker than I should be. So...I'm stuck at a part where I can continue the main storyline and lose a character for a good bit, and then only have 4 characters when I go on these side quests, or I can struggle through the arduous process of leveling, which isn't usually a problem...when I have no other games to play. However, I have the two after-game adventures that I've never played before, PLUS a few other games that I got for, or around, Christmas. So I'm having a hard time staying focused on beating this game.
Game 2: A present given to me by my younger brother, but really from my parents- Batman: Arkham City for the XBox 360. Now...I love me some Batman. I love comic books, and superheroes, and video games, so this seems like a game right up my alley, right? WRONG. Now...I do enjoy this game, I'm just bad at it. I like superhero games with teams that are more RPG-like. For instance, the X-Men Legends games, the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance games, and Justice League Heroes. Games where I control one hero, and the computer controls 1-3 other heroes and we join forces to kick ass. Those are superhero games that I like and am good at. Action games where I have open world maps and open-end quests, and combos to learn are games that I do not excel at. But...I own this game, and Arkham Asylum, and I asked for both of them. Even if I never get good at them, they are games that I am proud to own. Plus, I downloaded Catwoman, Nightwing, and Robin for Arkham City, so eventually...I need to be able to play as them. Even if I die a lot. But eventually (I keep telling myself that) I will play them, and be good at them, and will fall in love with them. For now, they are that person across the food court that is wearing awesome clothes and talking to awesome looking people that I am totally in love with, but will never have the courage to talk to.
Game 3 (and 4): A present ACTUALLY from my younger brother- Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of a New World for Wii. This is a game that I am actually really enjoying. I'd never heard of the Tales series of games, or if I had, I had never paid attention to them, but I'm really enjoyed myself while playing this. And then it dawned on me that this is a sequel to a Gamecube game, and (like many Wii sequels to Gamecube games, slash- The Fire Emblem games) there is a transfer option, so that the Wii game is ...made better/easier/whatever by things you did in the Gamecube game. So I returned X-Men: Destiny (which is a TERRIBLE game that I will review in a moment) and one of my dad's birthday presents (that he already had!) to McKay's and FOUND THE GAMECUBE GAME! So I've been playing through that, and am really enjoying it. I keep feeling like I'm at the end of the game, but thanks to my occasional glances at strategy guides and the fact that there is a second disc, I know I'm not. But if you like Final Fantasy games, Super Smash Bros, and/or the Fire Emblem series (for some reason, Tales of Symphonia just feels like a non-strategy Fire Emblem game to me, I don't know why) then you will really enjoy these games!
Game 5: Something I got for myself a few weeks ago, it just happened to be in December- X-Men: Destiny for the XBox 360. THIS IS SUCH A TERRIBLE GAME. I'm sorry. I love the X-Men. They were my REAL introduction to nerdy things. The 90's cartoon changed my life. If I ever get a tattoo, it will be the logo from one of the X-Men movies, with the X in a circle looking all metallic-y, on my shoulder blade. I. LOVE. X-MEN. But this game SUCKS. First- in all the press stuff I'd ever read about the game, everyone talked about the freedom of choice, and how you can choose to be an X-Man or a member of the Brotherhood. Maybe I didn't play far enough in the game to get to that choice, but the only chances I got to choose were side missions, nothing affecting the reality of the game. No matter what side I picked, I did this mini-game, and then I was back on the main quest. You get to choose one of three brand-new characters, and once you pick your character, you pick their powers, and all of their upgrades. Which, I initially thought would be cool. If only the powers didn't suck.
I am a person who would (in real life) prefer a power that allows me to stay at range and beat the crap out of people from a distance, like telekinesis or energy manipulation. Something along those lines. However, I have found that in games, especially those action games that I am no good at, choosing long-range powers/weapons tends to put you at a disadvantage, as you have no teammates to distract the enemies while you pick them off one by one from afar. No, all of the enemies come straight towards you, and if you have a long-distance power, you are forced to flee from them and hide behind things and generally fight very cowardly, and it is annoying. However, I also usually hate playing as "bruiser"-type characters. So the power choices were Energy Projection (long-range), Density Shifting ("bruiser"), and Shadow Manipulation (something in between, OR SO I THOUGHT). Figuring (correctly) that EP and DS were what they were, I initially chose Shadow Manipulation. After you choose your power, there's a very brief cut-scene showing your character rescue some civilians using their powers. My guy initially teleported, like Nightcrawler, and I thought "FUCK YEAH, I GET TO BE NIGHTCRAWLER!" FALSE. It was more like Wolverine. But without the healing factor. And you can't teleport, like the game TOLD YOU YOU COULD. So I played for a while, and got annoyed. They kept introducing these mutants, letting them fight with you, but not in any sort of controllable way. There's one level where you free Surge, Colossus, and Quicksilver, and the four of you are on your way to escape. But your three comrades are all doing their own thing in battles. PLUS THERE ARE NO HEALING PACKS AND LOTS OF SHIT TO BE KICKED OUT OF YOU. Enemies occasionally drop health orbs, but that does me little to no good if I wasted 50 enemies and didn't get hurt, and then a super enemy comes out, kicks my ass, and then drops an orb that heals 5 health of the 230 that he just took away from me.
Sorry...I get pissed. This game makes me pissed. But it had lots of things going for it! It has an impressive cast list, and the potential to introduce lots of casual fans to more obscure/modern X-Men characters, like Northstar, Surge, Pixie, and Caliban. And the way they kept talking about putting an emphasis on choices, I thought it would be more like an X-Men-themed Dragon Age or Mass Effect (which would be HELLA FUCKING AWESOME, Marvel and Bioware- TEAM UP!) Alas, it was not, I was sorely disappointed, and SUPER PISSED. So I gave it back to McKay's and got a good game instead. And...am seriously thinking about writing a nasty letter to Marvel, because that shit was unacceptable.
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