Mini Review: Final Fantasy XIII-2

Pros:

-It feels like Final Fantasy again

-When the soundtrack is good, it's really good

-Lots to do, including the return of minigames and sidequests

-Engaging battle system with a great amount of variety

-Voice Acting is top notch

-Graphics look amazing

-The game doesn't take itself too seriously, unlike the original XIII

-Length is perfect

Cons:

-Uneven Difficulty (Too easy most of the time, too hard on a few instances)

-The Story (Minus Noel and his future)

-Framerate can be inconsistent

-Obligatory mentioning of the ending

-The Graviton Cores.  My god, the Graviton Cores...

-Too few areas/lack of area variety

Overall Score: 8.5/10

Thoughts: Square Enix is definitely on the right track again with Final Fantasy XIII-2.  Had the story have been better and the landscapes more diverse, XIII-2 may have been one of the best entries in the series.  Hopefully, after all the poor reception the game has received mostly due to the story, the next Final Fantasy will be written well.

Crimson Tears Steals Music from Metal Gear Solid 2?

In 2004, a game titled "Crimson Tears" was released by Capcom for the Playstation 2.  From what I can see, the game fell under the radar, most likely due to its release near bigger titles like Tales of Symphonia or Doom 3.  The reviews were mediocre and the game disappeared without question in only a few months.  So what does all this have to do with Metal Gear Solid 2?  The intro video to Crimson Tears features Amber, one of the game's three protagonists, leaping from a helicopter in order to infiltrate A.R.M.A. HQ and rescue her comrades.  The music in this cutscene sounds all too familiar.  Check it out:

So it turns out that Crimson Tears stole a piece of the Metal Gear Solid 2 theme.  After some research, the man who was responsible for the cutscene's music, Hiroyuki Kasuya, has zero ties to the Metal Gear franchise.  Interesting stuff.

It's the Small Things That Count (NieR)

Of all the things that Nier has grown to be known for since its release in 2010, there are many things that go unnoticed, even by those who have played the game numerous times.  Little details can be found around the game that are quite intriguing, and truly proves that the game stands out from the rest.  Hit the jump to learn about things you'll likely never see in any other game on the market.

Can an Ugly Indie Game Find Success?

Let's face it, there are so many indie games developed each year.  Most of them go unnoticed, but the ones that do typically look beautiful.  Braid, Limbo, Bastion, Super Meat Boy... The list goes on.  All of these titles either look great graphically or have a great graphical style that makes it get noticed by the public.  Sounds good for the groups that are able to pull that off.  But what about the ones who can't?  Would an indie game catch on to the masses if it were truly ugly?  Hit the jump for my opinion on this issue.

Mini Review: Resident Evil Revelations

Pros:

-Excellent Graphics

-Great Use of 3DS features (3D, Touch Screen, Online, Circle Pad Pro)

-Great Value

-Controls are excellent with the Circle Pad Pro

-Brings back the feel of RE1 to the series

-Great atmosphere

-Sound is great, especially in headphones

-The Genesis really adds to the gameplay

Cons

-Exploration is short and almost hidden at times

-Scares are very rare

-Too much ammo

-Voice acting is mediocre

-Lack of puzzles

Overall Score: 8.5/10

Thoughts:  Revelations is a must have for the 3DS.  For it's price, you get a game with console level amounts of detail and depth.  Although I wish the game had more exploration and Metroidvania-like gameplay,  Revelations is a great game that really puts the series back on track.

A Love Letter to Deck A, Crew's Quarters (MGS2)

Metal Gear Solid 2 is definitely my personal favorite Metal Gear game.  It had everything: A great story, great music, fun gameplay, etc.  What about Raiden, you ask?  Once you understood his purpose, you really should end up liking the character for his important role in the game's story. At least, I did.  There are several moments in MGS2 that are remembered more than others: Anything from the Tanker chapter, the exciting finale in Arsenal Gear including Cambell's crazy codec calls, finding Ames... The list goes on for quite awhile.  Though all of these moments make for an incredible experience, one specific area in the game shines above them all to me: Deck A, Crew's Quarters in the Tanker Chapter.

Five Favorite Games (As of 2012)

I'd say it's fairly appropriate to start the blog off with a post about the five games I consider to be my favorite.  Of all the games that I'm likely to write about, these five will definitely show up on here a lot.  I'd say that these aren't exactly in any order.  Of course, they are subject to change, so another article like this may pop up anytime.


Off we go!

Level Start!

Welcome to my blog, where I am logging my progress on fulfilling my dream of working in the game industry.  Right now, I'm a college student studying at UMSL (University of Missouri-St. Louis), majoring in Computer Science.  While I haven't exactly made anything from scratch yet, this is only the beginning of a long journey.  I've made one highly acclaimed title with Alice called 'Bridge,' and am currently in the planning stages of my next game, currently titled 'Snowfall.'  Snowfall will not be made in Alice, as I plan to program it and work on it from scratch.

On the blog, I'm planning on sharing my thoughts about the industry, what I'm working on programming/learning/Snowfall wise, mini reviews of games I've been playing, lists, articles I write about some of my favorite games, and probably a lot more. 

So skill wise, I'm really best at writing, coming up with innovative gameplay ideas, and always trying to do something new.  I've been playing games since I've been five years old or so.  Since then, I knew this is what I want to do. For all I know, I may turn out to revolutionize something in the industry.  So hopefully, you will enjoy watching my progress as I start at level 1 and find my way to the final boss.  Enjoy the blog!