Finishing – Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (PlayStation 3)
I’ve never been sure when I should switch the “Playing” header to “Finishing”. But, Revelations was easy on me. I started a mission, and the game didn’t exactly say, “This is the end of the game.” It was more like, “Hey, you are leaving and you are never coming back. Are you sure there aren’t any side missions you want to mop up?”. It was about as subtle as a (cleat) kick to the face. So, I am at the end of the game. I get to use the finishing header. I’m pretty happy about that. Revelations? At this moment the game is a whole mixed bag for me. On this hand over here, it is an Assassin’s Creed game. That’s great because I love Assassin’s Creed. On this other hand over here, it is a bunch of drunk bets the developers made. I am talking about the “additions” to Assassin’s Creed core gameplay.
I was satisfied with the ending to the Altaïr story arc. I am one of those strange people who don’t bemoan the first Assassin’s Creed. I don’t understand why people do that. Yes, let’s complain that the first game has “three missions you repeat”. You know what else Assassin’s Creed had that you don’t complain about? A new game with a new way to play even. It’s rough around the edges, and I just love when people compare it to Assassin’s Creed 2. Okay? That is like comparing you now to your four year old self. You were rough around the edges back when you would occasionally lose bowel control and crap yourself. Man four year old you is nothing compared to now you. Why didn’t your parents just have now you? What were they thinking? Guess what? Assassin’s Creed 3 is probably going to make Assassin’s Creed 2 look like Assassin’s Creed looks compared to Assassin’s Creed 2. Think about it. So, seeing how Altaïr’s life wrapped up was good for me.
Playing – Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions (Vita)
I have never done a drug in my life. I also find it funny when people look at me funny when I say that. Since I am not sure what being addicted to a substance is like, I am not certain if I am addicted to Final Fantasy Tactics. I mean, I can stop playing it when I want. I just don’t want to. Don’t worry about it… I got this.
Slowly and surely memories of how I played Tactics before have begun to surface. I play tactical rpg’s a lot, but there is something to be said about a 14 year old game that still manages to best some of the modern offerings in the genera. It’s the formula that everyone seemed to base their game off of. Sure you can add systems and try to change, but aren’t you just adding unneeded paint to something that is fine? It is like deciding that you can best World of Warcraft. You can’t, no matter how many dollars and lightsabers you throw at the project. I am looking forward to getting back to where I was when I lost my original save. I want to see the end of the game. More importantly, I want a save right before the ending so I can go pick fights after I have finished the game. Because picking fights long after you have finished a tactics game is the reason they exist. Also, keep a Chocobo in your party at all times.
Playing – Super Stardust Delta (Vita)
I find myself at a cross roads with this game. I may have played some (read: WAY TOO MUCH) Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2. I played it right up to the point that I didn’t want to play it ever again. All I did was turn my gun and try to take out as many bad guys as I could. That was fine for a bit, but what was the end game? Comparing high scores? That was fun and all until everyone on my friends list moved on. I didn’t move on, but they did. So, I was trying to top my own scores. It got old.
Super Stardust Delta was an impulse buy. The demo was fun, and it reminded me of Geometry Wars. Seconds after I purchased it, I felt a sinking feeling. What had I done? Did I just fall down the rabbit hole again? What if I have no one to compare scores with? What? That doesn’t matter. It has levels, and it has bosses. Holy crap! It’s a real game not just the same level over and over! WIN. I am having a blast with Delta! I have even managed to score some sweet new soundtracks using NEAR on the Vita. So, Geometry Wars I would like to officially tell you that you have been replaced. Sorry about that.
Well, I’m off to game.
Donald-
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Through a Gamestop error, I got this for next to nothing. It is super repetitive and not very mechanically sound.
It is also good mindless fun.
I can totally understand your nostalgic fondness for FF Tactics; I feel the same way. I sunk waaay too much time into that game back in college. So, like you, I picked up the War Of The Lions port on the cheap from PSN.
Here’s where our experiences diverge, though: I couldn’t stomach more than half an hour of it! Yes, the painterly cutscenes were beautiful. Yes, the story and dialogue are much more coherent. But the game is just so…slow! All the fancy graphical spell effects make my PSP slow to a crawl, just like they did on my older (and much less powerful) PS1 back in the day.
And the gratuitous little delays and hitches in the battle UI — were they always there, or are they new in WotL? I certainly don’t remember being as annoyed by them then as I am now. I like my tactics games brisk — snapping through menus, issuing commands, watching attacks play out, all as fast as I can think of it. In WotL, even with all optional animations disabled and the UI speed cranked up to “Fastest”, feels like jogging through two feet of caramel.
And just to add insult to injury, I recently loaded the game onto my Vita, and it’s STILL SLOW! Come on, guys; there’s no reason the Vita can’t chew through this game at 60 fps with one co-processor tied behind its back.
Sorry, FF Tactics. Maybe I’ve changed, maybe you have, but either way this just isn’t going to work any more. I’ll be over in the other room with Advance Wars. With the door closed. Knock first.
You make several good points. I never thought the game was slowing down during magical effects. I thought they were just doing that thing to add dramatic effect. But now that I think about it.
This may hurt your brain but the fights move much quicker in WotL. It’s true, I just tested it out. The delays in the fights are shorter but the UI is untouched.
Gladly we live in a world were we don’t all have to agree. I am a big fan of the job system in Final Fantasy Tactics. I don’t mind the slower fights since I tend to sit and think about my next few moves in painfully long detail. I think the game has stay very much the same. But moving on is never a bad thing.
I think it’s time for a conversation about Final Fantasy Tactics 2. I don’t count the GBA versions. They were self-aware tongue in cheek FFT games. They were good, but just didn’t belong in the main story line. Now that it has one.