RandomNPC - Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

Asda Story, perhaps most famous for its offer of $30 for those players who found it wanting during its beta period, is a game hampered by a large number of bugs, a very poor translation, and an uninspired overall design. Asda Story is one of the more “Me Too” free MMOs on the market today, offering bland combat, very basic quests, and little or no story. There are a few bright spots, as Asda Story does offer some unique variations on player interaction and sports an interesting visual style. But for the most part, Asda Story really shows its youth - there’s not enough content, not enough polish on the translation, and, at the moment, not a lot of reason to play it. (more…)

Widely considered the crown jewel of the Castlevania series and a classic of gaming, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night took what had been a very traditional side-scrolling platformer series, shifted the gameplay focus to exploration, and infused it with RPG mechanics. Symphony of the Night was a significant change to the series, moving it towards more RPG-influenced gameplay, a trend which has increased as the series has gone on. Time has not been particularly kind to this game, as later entries in the series eclipse it in terms of having deeper gameplay and plot, but with such fluid animation and a wonderful soundtrack, the game still has something to offer the modern gamer. (more…)

Is it just me, or is everything breaking down? A month or so ago, my laptop’s AC adaptor decided to die in spectacular fashion, along with my DS Lite. And now Karlinn has suffered a similar fate, as his computer appears to have vomited all over his lap. My personal feelings on the matter? Technology hates us. But enough of that, here’s what those of us who have yet to be destroyed by our mechanical overlords have been up to this week. (more…)

Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard is a dungeon crawler that seeks to induce nostalgia for the very earliest RPGs; games that, if given half a chance, would happily hand a player their own teeth in a bag. The game’s designers have succeeded in producing a tough, classically-styled RPG, but its high level of difficulty, slow-paced plot, and one-dimensional cast is going to make it fairly impenetrable to anyone without a pre-existing love of dungeon exploration and turn-based combat. As far as dungeon crawlers go, Etrian Odyssey II is better than the vast majority, but this particular sub-genre remains a very insular and traditional one, and Etrian Odyssey II isn’t going to change any of that.

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Bioware released some new information today about its long-in-development RPG Dragon Age: Origins. We’ve got details about the game’s combat system, story, and release date. Take a peek inside for the most explosions and dragons this side of a 70s van. (more…)

Some interesting details have come to light about Microsoft’s action-RPG sequel, Fable 2. The game has apparently been completed, but the bulk of new information is about Fable 2’s online play. Apparently, the online part of the game features a great deal of co-op play, allowing players to invite other players into their game by way of purple orb items. It seems players can not only battle, but possibly even marry and have children.

Any members of the viewing audience been following this season of Doctor Who? I’ve been watching episodes as they air in Britain in order to avoid the Sci Fi Channel and their horrible, horrible edits. The BBC showed the season finale last night, and good mother of God. I expected (spoiler removed), but (spoiler here, too)? And (spoiler), (spoiler), AND (spoiler)? It was absolutely (not a spoiler, just obscene). Anyway, on to this week’s Quests!

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Given the huge amount of speculation that continually swirls around the Chrono Trigger series, recent rumors of a port of fan-favorite Chrono Trigger seemed, at first, to be easily enough dismissed. However, with the unveiling of a new site, complete with clock and Nintendo DS logo, these rumors would now seem to be confirmed.

Unfortunately, details are scarce at the moment. All we really know is that Square Enix plans to bring the first entry in its classic time-travel series to the Nintendo DS. We’ll keep you up to date on the latest information as it becomes available.

[Minor Update: There appears to be a North American version of the CTDS page, which could indicate a high probability of a localized release. Maybe.]

In a world where the world’s military has come under the control of a madman… One man. Will make a difference. This week. In Current Quests.
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Under normal circumstances, when a Japanese company releases an expansion for a game, the rest of the world is left out of the loop. Thankfully for us in North America, Persona 3 FES is a rare exception to the rule. Offering a number of changes to Persona 3, FES adds some nice bonuses to the initial package, while adding on a good deal of new content and doing some overall re-balancing. FES’s changes range from the nice but inconsequential (new costumes), to the significant (an all-new 30 hour epilogue), to the inexplicable (Mara), but overall, FES is a solid and worthwhile addition to Persona 3.
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A few days ago, it came to light that Konami was enforcing certain restrictions on reviewers working on Metal Gear Solid 4. Now, this in and of itself is nothing unusual. Most commonly, gaming companies restrict when the press can release their reviews, and as a matter of professional courtesy, most members of the press abide by these restrictions.
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Developer Deck 13 and DTP Entertainment have announced a new RPG for the Xbox360 and PC, and it sports a unique hook and a job title to die for.
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Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to draw your attention to the center ring, wherein may be found the amazing antics of Horton, the dancing elephant! Well, technically not an elephant. Well, not really a dance, per se. Tell you what… We’ll do this week’s Current Quests, while you watch the parakeet with the hip injury. (more…)

A new RPG for Sony’s PlayStation Portable has been announced by gaming magazine Famitsu. Entitled Tsurugi to Mahou to Gakuen Mono, which roughly translates to Swords, Magic and School, the game appears to be a dungeon crawler wherein players will split their time between exploring a dungeon known as the Labyrinth, and school, where players can accept quests and recruit allies.

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Nippon Ichi, the company behind the Disgaea series, has recently announced a new title in its release schedule for the Nintendo DS. The game, titled Marl Oukoku no Ningyouhime, is most likely another entry in the musical RPG series known in North America as Rhapsody. The announcement was made through a new website, which for the moment lists only the game’s Japanese release date - August 7th. The site will see its official opening on June 6th, at which time further details about the game will likely be unveiled.

Source: IGN

Square Enix has announced the release date for Infinite Undiscovery, the Xbox360 RPG developed by tri-Ace. In an unusual move, the game will be released simultaneously in all regions on September 2, 2008. John Yamamoto, president and CEO of Square Enix added, “This is something we have aimed to do for a long time, and we look to continue to deliver worldwide gaming experiences across all platforms well into the future.”

Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to another edition of Current Quests, the weekly column that investigates the deep, philosophical question of, “So what’re you doing?” This week, a good whack of the staff (myself included) have been devoured by Persona 3 FES, and are currently attempting to wrest their way back out of Tartarus. With the aid of an adorable mechanical girl and a dog with a knife clenched firmly in its jaw, we present to you the spoils of our efforts. (more…)

Details about Square Enix’s new RPG for the Xbox 360 are slowly trickling out. Famitsu recently released some info about the characters players will be dealing with on their journey, as well as some more general info about Infinite Undiscovery. (more…)

Aksys Games, the company responsible for Hoshigami Remix, has recently announced that a new title, From the Abyss, will be making its way to western shores.

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