Posted on Feb 14, 2011 under iphone |
They say it’s a man’s world, but in the case of Wild Frontier’s Chris Noah, he’s not the one wearing the trousers.
Instead, his feisty girlfriend Lamia is the one calling the shots, so when she announces she’s boarding a ship in search of a new continent, Chris reluctantly tags along.
When the ship is wrecked and the two lovebirds arrive in a new and mysterious land, the adventurous Lamia is forced to break up with the inexperienced Chris, kick-starting the events of what is easily one of the most appealing and unique action role-playing games to hit iPhone in some time.
Go fetch
We’ve been critical of the genre in the past, citing the repetitive gameplay, poor translations, and fetch quest gameplay that typifies this particular breed of role-player. With that in mind, high hopes were not in evidence when approaching Wild Frontier, but I’ve come away pleasantly surprised. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on Oct 28, 2010 under Xbox 360 |
The Good:
Strong and varied artistic design
Consistently funny the whole way through
Great musical score.
The Bad:
Shallow, tedious combat
Lack of interesting moral choices until the end
No emotional connection to any characters
Lots of small technical problems.
The world of Albion is brimming with a vibrant personality that few imaginary worlds are able to match. While strolling down cheery forest lanes with a soothing melody permeating the air, it’s easy to lose yourself in the fantastical atmosphere that encompasses this adventure. The quirky citizens you meet along the way are all too willing to make jokes at their own expense or send you on a ridiculous side quest that will leave you laughing at your given duties while admiring the stunning sights along the way. And it is these elements that make Fable III such an enjoyable adventure, even though the other aspects of your journey are not nearly as interesting. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on Oct 06, 2010 under Nintendo DS |
The Good:
Charming, compact world is easily explored via hints from helpful townsfolk
Crowns allow party composition changes on a dime
Lots of element and class-based gear swaps for any occasion.
The Bad:
Initial hours are disjointed and full of backtracking and grinding
Menus are clunky. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on Oct 02, 2010 under Nintendo DS |
The Good:
Wide, wide world filled with scores of nifty monsters
Lengthy main narrative
Lots of quests, optional dungeons, crafting, and more to keep fans busy.
The Bad:
Clunky menu system
Requires some grinding.
The Dragon Quest series is one of the true old souls within the realm of role-playing games, with its standard features lovingly reiterated in each release. There is always the signature art style of Dragonball creator Akira Toriyama, an expansive world with many continents to visit, and hidden treasures to unearth. There are always slimes. While the series holds firmly to its roots, down to the user interface and battle sound effects, Dragon Quest: Sentinels of the Starry Skies introduces some new twists like multiplayer and nonrandom encounters that build on those old formulas. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on Sep 21, 2010 under PSP |
The Good:
Fascinating story with new social links
Player-friendly tweaks increase ease of play
Addictive customization features
Great presentation with handy fast travel
High replayability.
The Bad:
Repetitive dungeon exploration
Standard battles a little routine.
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable is the third iteration of the highly popular PlayStation 2 role-playing game, Persona 3. It’s just as enjoyable but now includes a female protagonist for a fresh perspective, along with new story aspects. It’s also been successfully streamlined for greater convenience, finally allowing you to assume direct control of party members. Barring a degree of repetitiveness, P3P is a robust adventure that is especially well suited for series newcomers. Read the rest of this entry »