RandomNPC - Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

For fans of mecha anime, there are few series that lend themselves better to an RPG than Zoids. With such a broad assortment of Zoid frames and equipment, it seems a natural choice for a TRPG. With Zoids Assault, the net result is a mixed bag that does some things extremely well, and some things not as well as a fan might hope. Continue reading ‘Zoids Assault - Staff Review’ »

It is a story for the ages, repeated in mead halls and around campfires for generations. It is the story of one who ascends to near-godhood on the driving forces of hype. His armor gleams like the luster of filtered screenshots. His voice resounds with the thunder of a thousand preview trailers. At the pinnacle of his glory, the world holds its breath and waits for his first majestic assault. Continue reading ‘Too Human - Staff Review’ »

Though the Xbox 360 has had more than its share of first-person shooters, the RPG genre has been largely overlooked. Fortunately, when Sakaguchi, the famed creator of the Final Fantasy series, left Square Enix to form Mistwalker Studios, he intended to change that. Lost Odyssey is the second offering from the new company, and it shows that RPG fans do, in fact, have a reason to own Microsoft’s white box.

Continue reading ‘Lost Odyssey - Staff Review’ »

Right from the beginning, Mass Effect presents itself as an epic RPG with a lush opening movie, some intriguing character development, and a sci-fi story that piques your interest. But then you’re dropped on a colony under attack, and suddenly there are genocidal robots with guns trying to blast you right off the miserable planet you’re desperately trying to save. That’s when you know that Mass Effect is also a no-nonsense shooter.
Continue reading ‘Mass Effect - Staff Review’ »

Forget about a good chunk of what you’ve heard about Bioshock, the spiritual descendant of the System Shock games from the same people that made them (2K Boston, formerly Irrational/Looking Glass). Forget about what the box advertises and the developers promised, forget about entering a living world complicated by moral choices and topped with profound questions. Forget everything except the fact that it’s a great shooter with an interesting story and wonderful atmosphere, because that’s pretty much what you’re going to get. The final package is ultimately shallower than one might expect, but at the end of the day Bioshock is still a shooter worth the attention of anyone who likes a little intellect with their action. Continue reading ‘Blurring the Line: Bioshock’ »

What is reality? What are dreams? How can we tell the difference between the two? What if our eyes are clouded by what we think is reality, and our dreams are actually brief glimpses at the real world — short moments where the clouds part and the light breaks through? Or are dreams merely excursions into other realities? If a dream were a reality, how would you live in it? What are life and death, and how do they relate to dreams and reality? Is death itself a dream? Is life the only reality?

If that paragraph made you cringe or roll your eyes, Eternal Sonata is not for you. If, however, you are intrigued — or morbidly curious — read on.
Continue reading ‘Eternal Sonata - Staff Review’ »