Hot on the heels of Persona 3 FES, Persona 4 invites players to another year of school in Japan. Slightly modifying and improving the mechanics of its predecessor and mixing in a well-written murder mystery to boot, Persona 4 is a very solid game. The biggest problem it contends with is that it has a hard time setting itself apart from Persona 3, as it borrows more than its fair share of game mechanics from the previous game, but can’t quite manage to tie everything together the same way. Still, Persona 4 is an enjoyable, challenging title with a lot to recommend it. Continue reading ‘Persona 4 - Staff Review’ »
Whether one was anticipating or dreading Bethesda’s entry into the series, few can deny the popularity of the Fallout RPGs. In a genre rife with swords, magic, dragons, demons, and other fantasy tropes, the Fallout games took a bold, mature new direction with their post-apocalyptic setting and retro-futuristic style. In giving Fallout 3 the Oblivion treatment, Bethesda invited many suspicions, some of them valid, as to whether they could maintain the feel of the series and improve on the flaws of their earlier titles. The answer to both is an emphatic “yes,” followed instantly by several “buts.” Sadly, the “buts” are likely to be the last thing you remember of Fallout 3. Continue reading ‘Fallout 3 - Staff Review’ »
While trying to decide how best to open a review of Star Ocean: First Departure, I came to the painful realization that I couldn’t possibly do so without taking you back in time. Just wasn’t gong to happen. So generate 1.21 gigawatts, strap yourself in, and set your coordinates to Akihabara, July 19, 1996.
(insert Huey Lewis interlude and “Great Scott!” exclamation here) Continue reading ‘Star Ocean: First Contact - Staff Review’ »
When Shining Force II was released on the Wii’s Virtual Console a few weeks ago, Sega fans across North America rejoiced. First released in the 1990s for the Sega Genesis, it is one of the era’s most fondly-remembered games; it is also one of the Genesis’ best-known RPGs. How long are its legs, though? Can it still hold its own in these days of super-powered systems, multi-layered storylines, complicated battle systems, and high-definition graphics?
Continue reading ‘Shining Force II - Staff Review’ »
Game companies usually don’t get do-overs. If there’s a bug or design flaw in a game, it stays there until the end of time. PC games often have the benefit of patches and mod communities, but these are after the fact and don’t always address the most glaring problems. Enter CD Projekt Red, developers of last year’s action RPG The Witcher; a promising but uneven title that, like many PC RPGs, felt like it needed a few more months in the oven. Determined not to let such potential fade into obscurity, CDPR rounded up the cast and crew, cleared their schedules, and took another stab at it with The Witcher: Enhanced Edition. The resulting package - free for download to those who already have the original - could show even crowd-pleasing stalwarts like Atlus a thing or two about keeping fans happy, and should be studied for years as an example of how real game fixes are done. Continue reading ‘The Witcher: Enhanced Edition - Staff Review’ »
Finding himself wandering around the streets of Shibuya, Neku notices that something is amiss. For starters, he receives an ominous email that he can’t delete. He doesn’t remember who he is, and none of the people in the crowded intersection seem aware of his presence. Not only that, he can read their thoughts using a strange pin he has with him. Strange invisible walls, cloaked figures, and weird monsters only add to the confusion. As much as he may dislike other people, he needs answers. Whether he likes it or not, he runs into another person in much the same situation he’s in, and she seems to have a better grasp on what’s going on. Continue reading ‘The World Ends with You - Staff Review #2’ »
After the many adventures that took place during The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Link is finally getting a chance to relax a little bit. Of course, this peace does not last long, and Zelda quickly finds trouble again. It’s up to Link to investigate the mysteries of the ghost ship and the ocean king in order to set things right. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is indeed a direct sequel to Wind Waker, though aside from one major spoiler, the story doesn’t carry over all that strongly, allowing newcomers to pick it up just fine. That said, there are some similarities in mechanics and world, many of which have been improved upon since the original, though this isn’t always the case. Continue reading ‘Blurring the Line: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass’ »
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure was something of a like it or hate it tactical RPG for the PlayStation. It had its share of flaws, but it was also a bit of a cult classic. The game followed the story of an adventurous girl, Cornet, who has the ability to communicate and fight alongside puppets and goes on a musical adventure that, as the title implies, involves a good deal of singing. Instead of simply porting the game over, Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure DS makes some rather substantial tweaks in order to make the game more accessible. Continue reading ‘Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure DS - Staff Review’ »
Asda Story is one of the many free-to-play MMORPGs that have become available to English speakers in recent months. In this flood, having unique features is a great asset to a new MMO. In Asda Story’s case, this came not only in the form of its fairly unique in-game Soulmate and Sowel systems, but also in an advertising campaign that guaranteed the fun of players. Making guarantees and living up to them are two entirely different things though. Continue reading ‘Asda Story - Staff Review #2’ »
Hot on the heels of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Shadow of Chernobyl comes a prologue hyped to be everything last year’s unpolished, but memorable, first-person adventure was supposed to be. Clear Sky takes us back into the blighted Chernobyl exclusion zone, showing the events immediately preceding Shadow. The new gameplay elements have substantially expanded Clear Sky’s depth, and the sense of genuine adventure is as compelling as ever. However, the underlying weaknesses from Shadow again rear their ugly heads here, and the game is saddled with a few new setbacks to call its own. Continue reading ‘Blurring the Line: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky - Staff Review’ »
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon concerns the efforts of Cid and his partner chocobo, aptly named Chocobo, adventurers who are seeking the assistance of Timeless Power, a gem that they plan to use to build an airship. Along the way, the heroes find themselves thrown into another world, Memoria, where those who listen to the bell of the clock tower will begin to lose their memories. Chocobo gains the ability to enter dungeons created by the memory loss phenomenon and restore the forgotten memories, though many of the townspeople are reluctant to remember at first. In this way, Chocobo can help revive the town. Continue reading ‘Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon - Staff Review’ »
Hi, everybody! I’d like to introduce myself as the newest addition to RandomNPC! You might know me from here or there on this big Internet, but if not, my name is Matthew Demers, and I’m a Ph.D. student in math at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. I’m thrilled to be a part of the team, and I’m hoping to review a few more games over the weeks to come. Stay tuned!
Continue reading ‘Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen - Staff Review #2’ »
With a glut of free-to-play MMOs on the market, it isn’t easy for one game to stand out amongst the crowd, especially with so many of them using the same happy-happy theme. LaTale may be one more cute RPG out there, but it is definitely one of the higher-quality ones, featuring an entertaining combat system, a reasonable variety of character customization, and some great visuals and sound. The US release of this Korean-made game is a little under-featured, still missing a variety of fairly important sub-systems and a few critical areas and dungeons, but it is at least more or less bug-free and undemanding to run. Although marred by a few missteps, LaTale is a very solid casual MMO that should appeal to players looking for something easy and fun. Continue reading ‘LaTale - Staff Review’ »
Following up last year’s Naruto RPG comes the next in the series, this time taking things in a slightly different direction. Rather than pick up where the first game left off, Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2 takes place at some unknown period after the first game, quite late in the anime series, with a side story not found in the anime. This time around, Naruto and allies must collect five mirrors in order to seal away a being of great evil that has begun to break free. Continue reading ‘Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2 - Staff Review’ »
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. Continue reading ‘Asda Story - Staff Review’ »
These days, remakes are all the rage, and many of them are finding their way onto Nintendo’s dual-screened portable juggernaut. These transitions typically mean new features as well as the expected boosts in graphics and sound, but they also mean comparisons to games that have been released years and sometimes even a decade after the initial release of the source material. In this light, remakes are unique in that they must compete with games of the past, present, and future in a modern day setting, yet Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen for the DS manages to hold its own. Continue reading ‘Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen - Staff Review’ »
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’ »
Nearly five years ago, gamers first got a crack at Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, a quirky TRPG set in the Netherworld. This game mixed a unique blend of humor with tactical combat and defied many of the common conventions of RPGs and of games in general. There really isn’t anything quite like a Disgaea game, and now the series makes its debut on the PlayStation 3 with Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice and improves on the formula in nearly every way. Continue reading ‘Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice - 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’ »
When moving from a bustling city to a quiet rural town, one would usually expect life to become more peaceful, but this isn’t the case in Persona 4. Instead, the main character’s arrival is followed by news of a scandal, and later, a murder. Rather than worry too much about that, he quickly makes a few friends and hears an interesting rumor regarding TVs and rainy days at midnight. While investigating, he and his friends instead find a connection between this strange phenomenon and what has now become a string of murders. Discovering that they may have the power to help the would-be victims, they set out to prevent as many casualties as they can while solving the surrounding mysteries and attempting to catch the culprit. Continue reading ‘Persona 4 - Staff Import Review’ »
Loading ...
