RandomNPC – Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

It all comes down to this: Courier vs. Courier, Trouble in the Rubble, the Exchange on the Interchange. Lonesome Road starts with no fanfare other than questions lingering since Fallout New Vegas began. Ulysses, the original courier slated to deliver the fateful Platinum Chip, offers you nothing more than the reason he turned down the job. The Road itself offers more, from the usual DLC bonuses to a suitably epic climax, guest starring a friendly face from the Mojave. While the content certainly has its high points, it commits you to a linear slugfest and short-changes the narrative where it should have put the most effort. It’s engaging in the beginning, but for content that promised answers it’s not well prepared to give them.

Continue reading ‘Fallout New Vegas: Lonesome Road – Staff Review’ »

Happy Halloween, everybody! Hope you’re all full on candy already, because we’re fresh out. We do, however, have plenty of delicious DOOOOOOOOOOOM to go around! Help yourself!

In today’s obesity-causing episode:

• Shooter Season 2011 rolls on as Battlefield 3 launches to great scores attached to surprisingly critical text. Also, install to your hard drive or the game looks like this.
• Nintendo announces a sizable loss for the year, that may have largely been a fluke in currency exchange rates. Clearly, doom is just around the corner.
• Zynga’s new properties are eating into their existing userbase, while one of the company’s officers leaves for Las Vegas. Given Nevada’s unemployment rate, somebody’s in a gambling mood… or they didn’t like what they saw at Zynga.
• Sony states that the PSN hack “woke up dormant customers,” perhaps figuring such a statement might distract people from the Vita’s cumbersome saving mechanism.
• Bethesda loses its preliminary injunction against Interplay, and so development of Fallout Online can continue in the magical fantasy world that only Interplay inhabits.
• EA, who once claimed Origin was not a competing service to Steam, starts picking up publishers to commit to Origin. Look, EA, just… let’s not do anything crazy, okay? Put Mass Effect 3 back down and let’s talk.

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Doom For Everyone!’ »

Another week, another fun computer problem. The joys of not being a professional broadcaster… this time I actually had almost the whole thing done when an untimely Audacity crash erased the recording. As if that weren’t enough I spent most of Saturday dealing with an unseated heat sink. Oy. Anyway, new WHTW to come tomorrow. Sorry for the delay folks!

Dengeki Playstation ran a lengthy feature on Final Fantasy Type-0 this week, showcasing more of the game as it nears its Japanese release. Among the details was the game’s disc swapping system, which puts the first and last chapters on the first disc and the rest of the game on the second. Director Hajime Tabata explained this unorthodox system as necessary for multiplayer, preventing disc-swapping from interrupting a game.

Type-0 will feature a variant of new game+, carrying over level and statistics while unlocking additional missions. These focus more on Class Zero, whereas the first playthrough reportedly centers more on the game world. As for story themes, Type-0‘s crystals apparently cause people to forget those who have died, and this will tie into the larger mythology of the Fabula Nova Crystallis universe.

Source: Andriasang

Howdy-howdy! Slowly getting back to a working schedule, though still suffering connection issues. Making some progress on my end, or at least narrowing down the problem. But enough about my griping, we’re here for the news! News, and the joy of shows about time-travelling quad bikes on YouTube.

Gotta love Klyka, man. Anyway, let’s get at it:

• Sony is reportedly beginning work on game concepts for the yet-unannounced PS4, with an expected release window of 2014…
• …while Microsoft looks to debut the “Xbox Next” at E3 2013. Also, Fable will get a chance to disappoint people on the Next.
• A Gamasutra interview on Rage sparks… rage. The writer responds, arguing that being potentially blacklisted for a pointed question or two is kind of an overreaction.
• Blizzard offers up a side of Diablo III free with $180 worth of World of Warcraft. Such a deal! Blizzard, throw in Warcraft 4 or the rest of Starcraft II and we’ll talk.
• Speaking of tie-ins, Mass Effect 3 teams up with Battlefield 3 to prop up the latter gain early access to the ME3 multiplayer demo. Maybe they’re hoping BF3‘s multiplayer mojo will rub off or something.
• Namco Bandai is set to publish Ni no Kuni in Rest-of-the-Worldia, Yoshida says more about FFXIV, Batman: Arkham City opens up fresh DLC wounds, and more!

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – New Generation, Same Tricks’ »

Care of BioWare’s official forum are an interesting pair of Mass Effect 3 announcements. First, a pre-release demo for the title will be available sometime in January, which will cover both single and multiplayer segments.

Second, and less expected, is early access to the multiplayer portion for owners of Battlefield 3. Players need only activate their Online Pass to gain early access to the multiplayer portion of Mass Effect 3‘s demo. The exact date of the demo launch is not yet known, but will be revealed in late November.

Further details can be found in the forum post, available here.

The latest installment in the Shining series, Shining Blade, will be appearing on the PSP. According to this week’s Famitsu, the title follows the adventures of a young fellow named Rage and his companion Altina; the former a bearer of a mystical weapon, the latter a princess whose songs can conjure up spirits.

Of further curiosity is the combat engine, which reportedly borrows elements from BLiTZ, the hybrid turn-based/real-time system used in the Valkyria Chronicles series. Few other details are known at this time, though Tony Taka and Yuki Kikuda are at their usual roles of character design and music, respectively.

Source: 1UP

Blizzard has confirmed the latest expansion for World of Warcraft, titled Mists of Pandaria. Centered around the home continent of the bear-like Pandarans, the expansion adds these creatures as a playable race, along with the new monk job and a boosted level cap of 90. Other features were mentioned, such as challenge mode dungeons and a “pet battle system,” but given few concrete details.

In related news, Blizzard’s president Mike Morhaime revealed an Annual Pass for World of Warcraft, basically a year-long subscription. Sweetening the deal is a free digital copy of Diablo III when it releases, though a release date has not been set. Additionally, Pass holders are guaranteed access to the Mists of Pandaria beta.

Source: 1UP

With over a year since its launch fiasco, Final Fantasy XIV has seen extensive overhaul efforts and is nearing a re-release of sorts. Over on the Lodestone, Square Enix’s Yoichi Wada and Naoki Yoshida have announced a slew of upcoming changes for the game, not the least of which is a plan to roll out the previously suspended subscription model. Further updates have been broken down into a bulleted list, which includes the following:

Continue reading ‘Final Fantasy XIV Going to 2.0, Beginning Subscription Phase’ »

In perhaps the least expected announcement today, Namco Bandai has revealed Tales of Kizna, a social gaming variant of their Tales series for the Mobage platform. Featuring over a hundred characters from fifteen past games, the title sees players building parties via character cards to take on monsters and rival guilds.

Kizna is being developed in conjunction with KLab, and is set to release around the middle of November.

Source: Andriasang

Level-5 has confirmed that Namco Bandai will publish the upcoming Ni no Kuni for its North American and European releases. Subtitled as Wrath of the White Witch, the game is set for a 2012 release

Source: Joystiq

Hello hellooooo! Here’s hoping this brisk fall evening is treating you well, and you’re not smarting from not-insubstantial gambling losses like I am, and that’s why now a days I only play in an online casino so I can get more winnings. As mentioned I’m still struggling with Comcast-related internet woes, which were enough to delay but not permanently forestall the news. So let’s get on it, shall we? Today’s lineup covers the following:

• Square Enix dropped a Final Fantasy-sized bomb by revealing the latest updates for Final Fantasy XIV, including a phase-in for the subscription service. Cue panic and ridicule.
• That said, the changes do sound pretty swank, and the full list is worth reading if you’re so inclined. The larger question is, who’s in a gambling mood after reading this review? If you are estranged with the concept of Back and lay betting, here at freebets uk are a brief outlay of the sports betting process to benefit you with no risk bets offer.
• Speaking of wailing and gnashing of teeth, Mass Effect 3‘s multiplayer mode has caused quite a stir. Best guess: the co-op missions are likely just supplements to the main plot and risk feeling somewhat unnecessary. Further evaluation requires building consensus.
• Netflix tries to call backsies on that whole Qwikster thing, in the process raising the question of whether we’re even ready for nationwide video streaming. Short answer, no. Long answer, are you out of your mind?!
• Zynga comes up with Project Z, also known as “our back-up plan in case relations with Facebook turn south.”
• Rovio overvalues itself even more, Obsidian hires Tim Cain, Sega confirms Valkyria Chronicles 3 isn’t getting localized, and more!

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Square Enix Goes Double Or Nothing’ »

The Missing Link, upcoming downloadable content for Deus Ex: Human Revolution, will be available starting October 18. Priced at 1200 MS points/$14.99, the DLC stuffs Adam on a boat with deactivated augs and no fridge. As previously mentioned, players will have the ability to respec their Praxis points along the way.

Source: 1UP

Game director Hajime Tabata has stated, via official blog, that Final Fantasy Type-0 will not feature paid downloadable content. However, Square Enix Members will have access to free downloadable items.

Source: Andriasang

The saga of my internet troubles continues, and while anonymous proxy sites have allowed me limited access to RNPC, I’m still having difficulty uploading podcasts. That, coupled with me being out of town for a few days over the weekend, kept me from getting a lot of work done. Long story short I regret to say What Happened This Week will be delayed yet again until tomorrow night. Still working on getting it fixed – and by that I mean ‘harassing/begging Comcast until they fix it’ – but in the meantime I apologize for the delay.

Anyway, new episode tomorrow night! And, hopefully, some progress.

Level-5 and Namco Bandai have revealed an RPG based on the new Gundam Age franchise. Set for the PSP, the game will launch in 2012 and reportedly “lets [players] experience 100 years of history.” Whether this is some kind of generational gameplay mechanism or a simply a plot point was not clarified.

Source: Andriasang

Following speculation about a possible multiplayer mode for Mass Effect 3, BioWare’s Casey Hudson has taken to Twitter for an explanation: “Yes, co-op MP missions for #ME3: they’re real, and they’re spectacular. Rest assured it’s nothing of what you’ve feared. More soon…”

Obviously little is known at this point, however Hudson has answered select questions. Specifically, multiplayer missions will not be required for single-player progression, and the recent delay in release date was unrelated to co-op development.

Howdy-ho, all! Managed a bit of a breakthrough, if only via workarounds I only half understand. Looking for a longer-term solution until the Comcast router decides to un-kink itself, since there doesn’t seem to be much else I can do on my end. Alas!

Anyway, got plenty to talk about, including the following:

• Steve Jobs passed away after battling cancer for the last several years. Say what you will about the man, but he knew how to develop and market shiny new gizmos people didn’t know they wanted.
• Apple revealed the iPhone 4, hyping up the processor as on par with handhelds and consoles. And yet everybody gets quiet when you ask how you’re supposed to move.
• GSC Game World gives us a brief S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2-related scare, showing just how potent the fear of DRM can really be.
• The Game of Thrones RPG was announced, prompting questions of how well a game can reproduce a complex, morally gray universe based on popular literature. My advice: ask CD Projekt for help studying.
• EA tries to reassure everybody that no, really, they’re not competing with Valve and Steam. They’re only setting up a separate distribution site and restricting certain games to it. NOT COMPETITION
• The Financial Times reveals scary new plans for European Debt, I ramble a bit about the Occupy Wall Street protests, and more!

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Strategic Signal Loss’ »

Ah, the joys of unexplained internet problems. Hiya folks, sorry things have been so quiet lately. We are experiencing technical difficulties to various degrees, and I myself can’t even get to the main page; posting this via smartphone, which is not easy I tell you. Working on a solution now, but for the time being please bear with us. Thank you.

Sony has announced a new promotion for the PlayStation Network to run throughout October with the PlayStation Store featuring a number of PSN-exclusive games and releasing new ones each Tuesday. Additionally, the Store will carry a small selection of rare PS2 games: God Hand, Odin Sphere, Ring of Red, GrimGrimoire, and Maximo: Ghosts to Glory.

Source: 1UP