Shallow Depths

My latest review is for Star Ocean: The Last Hope - International (no, I don't really know how I should punctuate multiple levels of subtitles, damn them).  I guess it was about time for something I don't like. And as much as I love roleplaying I've yet to find a JRPG I can really appreciate.

Also, I know I probably shouldn't call these "reviews" exactly, but it's more convenient than trying to explain what they actually are.  This particular example is  more typically review-like than usual for me, but still doesn't cover all the usual checkpoints.

Anyway, Star Ocean... I wrote this in the middle of my phase of experimenting with cliches.  It's actually a bit of a private joke.  I wrote about an overly-troped game and slid in a couple of borrowed phrases like "pales in comparison" and "silver lining".  It will be completely lost on everyone else, but I enjoy keeping myself amused.

I'm a bit weird, in that even when I don't like something I sometimes think it's worth experiencing anyway.  This gets me into trouble.  I tell someone I don't like a certain genre of movie and then get confused when they don't invite me to the cinema.

For all my complaining about this game, I sunk about 40 hours into it.  The only reason I didn't finish it was that the copy I was sent is scratched, and I started getting frequent disc errors.  With a huge time between save points it doesn't take many errors to make it unplayable.

I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or annoyed at those disc errors.  I have big problems with the game, so it's kind of nice to have an excuse to leave it.  At the same time, I had a morbid curiosity to see how much more disturbing it gets.  Not curious enough to actually spend money on disc repair, but still.

There is a lot I didn't go into about the character interactions, and I keep wondering how far they are going to push things.  There is even a slight hint of paedophilia, extending to an accidental kiss.  I don't mention it partly because it makes me look like I can't recognise a non-sexual relationship when I see one.  But even as a friendship it's pretty darn creepy, honestly.

Apparently in the manual they claim she's fifteen to reduce any potential issues.  Yep, I believe them:

I don't care if she's part of a short, alien race.  She looks and acts about five years old at the most.  Also, I wish I didn't just go image hunting... lots of disturbing fan art I now cannot un-see.

Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon is a new post-apocalyptic RPG for Wii.  The impression I've gathered is that it's very different, is hauntingly beautiful, and that the story is very engaging.  That is enough to make me prick up my ears, though there is also part of me wondering why I keep torturing myself with JRPGs recently.

I don't normally pay a lot of attention to game reviews.  They rarely match up well with my tastes, and the ones claiming to be objective in particular make me laugh.  Reviews are always subjective and individual.  I prefer it when writers make use of their personal perspective rather than trying to hide it behind rigid journalistic style, and that's rarer than I'd like.

But in this case I've found the reviews oddly fascinating.  Some reviewers seem amazingly conflicted, e.g., this review at Destructoid.  It comes across as a wonderful concept dragged down by some absolutely hideous gameplay decisions.  It reminds me how possible it is to both love and hate a game at the some time.

The potential trade-off between story and gameplay is a common enough issue for gaming.  I think it is definitely possible to do both well, but sadly it often doesn't turn out that way.  I tend to seek out different experiences, and this seems like something I'll have to play for myself.  I am well forewarned, though, and expect to find it just as beautiful as the reviewers... and just as frustrating.

I do feel like a bit of a sap for wanting to play this game in spite of full knowledge of its (rather serious) flaws.  Sometimes gameplay decisions are different and not for everyone (such as Heavy Rain's approach), and sometimes they are just plain terrible.

Games don't normally produce such a conflicted response.  For me, the other major example is probably World of Warcraft.  Azeroth had plenty to keep me occupied during the two-years-or-so I spent there.  It has a fascinating lore and exploration.  It was a useful space for social interactions (yes really, it's a big place and you just have to find the friendlier and more mature elements).  There was a strong sense of teamwork and shared achievement.

But there was also plenty to hate.  The people too lazy to construct proper sentences.  The nagging feeling like being a lab rat offered food pellets.  Loot-obsession and learning just how much of a sense of entitlement some people have.  And ongoing commitments that could become like having a second job.

I think it's probably much cooler to act the critic and focus on the negative elements of a game.  Yahtzee certainly seems to do pretty well out of it.  My weakness is probably to go in the other direction, and make excuses for games in defence of the things I love about them.  I'd like to be able to talk about where gaming fascinates and inspires, far more than where it disappoints.

Most of the time, I want games to challenge me. That can involve many different things. A lot of my favourites have heavy action and/or themes, and can have be tensed up and on the edge of my seat. I also enjoy more mentally challenging games, including puzzle-solving, or mastering complicated game mechanics or item management.

I find these things enjoyable, but I wouldn't call them relaxing. I wonder sometimes if a game can be truly relaxing. I have a very broad definition of what I will call a game, but I think some interactivity is required. And as soon as there is interactivity there will be consequences for actions, even if that's on an extremely basic level.

If I want a really soothing experience I'm probably not usually going to look to gaming. But, games can still calm me somewhat. I'm sure this is a very individual thing -- one person's relaxing is another person's slow and boring, after all.

My traditional "relaxation" game is actually Carmageddon 2. This is something like reading a trashy novel. I don't have to take anything very seriously, and just go with it. I just hoon around being a menace to pedestrians, and burn off some tension in the process.

In general, I think games with combat can be surprisingly calming, provided they are sufficiently forgiving or familiar. There is a point where you can get into the "zone" while fighting. There can be a fine line between that and grinding. These days I am wary of finding comfort in simple repetition, but I'm still guilty of it occasionally.

One game I've used for this purpose is PoPoLoCrois (PSP). This was an odd impulse buy for me, given my usual negative opinion of JRPGs. But I do have a weakness for fairytales, and was looking for something simple. It has very easy combat, so I didn't have to worry much about it. And (to me at least) it manages to be very cute without becoming cloying. The story was rather choppy, having been patched together from parts of older games. But overall it was a surprisingly charming experience. And charm can go a long way towards making a game experience relaxing, in my opinion.

Interestingly, I haven't found broad-appeal games without combat very calming. I haven't played The Sims or Sim City in many years, but I found the measured passing of time, combined with a lack of defined end points, had me very slightly on edge. I was always pushing, and trying to achieve something more.

Relatively recently, I have played more games that may actually have been designed with relaxation in mind. FlOw and Flower at least start out that way, with very floaty movement and atmosphere. But they'll sneak up on you, I find. In flOw the creatures become tougher and start fighting back, and even flower developed a darker feeling than I was expecting in places. They do remain suitable relaxation games.

This week I did acquire Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep (Wii). I gather they made an effort to make it a bit more focused and exciting than the previous game. But there is still a lot of simply swimming around looking at fish... at least if you are like me and interested enough to try and catalogue them. I'm sure to find enough entertainment there to justify the purchase.

I have probably not done my gaming credibility any favours today, but if there is one thing I look for in gaming it's diversity.

The thing about a new console is the sudden exposure to a bunch of new games (often just new to me, but never mind). So, I've been working on speed-reviews, for the fun of it.

In alphabetical order...

Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice (PS3 exclusive)

This is more my partner's interest than mine. I understand Disgaea games are valued for their stories, humour and playing with stereotypes (and the fact that the level cap is 9999). It's not my sort of humour, the stories don't interest me much, and the gameplay is unashamedly repetitive. That said, I am enjoying this more than previous Disgaea games, and turn-based can be good when my brain is tired. Also, there are War Slugs, so that wins points.

Eternal Sonata (also available on XBox 360)


I was attracted to this game purely on concept. The story takes place in a dream sequence that Chopin has on his death bed. It also includes interludes about Chopin's life, the first of which was about his relationship with George Sand, who seems a very interesting woman. Eternal Sonata is a very pretty game, in an anime, non-realistic way. And the music is of course very beautiful. The people and places are all named after musical terms. Beyond that it's probably a fairly standard JRPG, but I'm enjoying it despite the fact that they usually drive me a bit mad (mostly due to linearity and annoying repetitive special attacks).

flOw (Also available on PSP, or as a Flash game here, at least for a couple of creatures)


flOw is a simple game, but it works. I think it's probably much easier to control in the flash version than using SIXAXIS, but that wouldn't be nearly as much fun. You are an aquatic micro-organism, and your goal is simply to eat, grow and evolve. It can be quite relaxing to float around "om nom nom"ing away. Though some of the creatures you encounter also include some challenge - things that run away quickly, or fight back etc. It's the sort of game you can either play aggressively and try to reach your goal, or just sit back and enjoy a sort of interactive screen saver. There is no actual death of your organism possible and trickier things can usually be skipped.

Flower (PS3 download exclusive)


I'm a little bit in love with this game, though there is a bit of debate about whether it is actually a game, or perhaps more of a technical demonstration. It probably has to be experienced - screen shots and descriptions don't do it proper justice. Flower is something of a successor to flOw, though you are now a breath of wind in a 3D landscape. Your aim is to pick up flower petals, and you will gradually build up a long trail of them. I think of it a bit like being a nature spirit tasked with making flowers open, though I doubt that was the intention. There is a potential for using this as a relaxation game, and happily whooshing about the landscape. It also takes some interesting turns, but I don't want to spoil it.

Folklore (PS3 exclusive)


This is probably the PS3 game I was most enthusiastic to track down, and was glad I did. In order to solve the mysteries in a small, Irish town it is necessary to travel to the netherworld and recover the memories of the dead. Different realms are based on concepts of the afterlife: the pleasurable faerie realm; a war zone created by modern people who experienced a violent death; the Endless Corridor representing the concept that nothing exists after death; and so on. Combat occurs by capturing, training, and controlling "Folks" (the creatures of these realms). It takes a bit of getting used to, but it works (arguably training folks gets a bit tedious, though I personally enjoy this sort of thing). Using SIXAXIS to suck the souls out of creatures is fun and appropriate, if sometimes hard work.

LittleBigPlanet (PS3 exclusive)


Cute, fun and has a great soundtrack. Things are made even cooler by Stephen Fry's narration. I also appreciate games with good co-op mode. LittleBigPlanet is also surprisingly challenging in places - cute does not equal easy. I found the level creator a bit cumbersome, but the scope of potential creations is huge. You could have a lot of fun with this as an engineering-geek.

Motorstorm: Pacific Rift (PS3 exclusive)


I don't play racing games often, and probably never would have gone near this if I didn't get it for free. But, occasionally I do enjoy racing around and I guess this is my current-generation replacement for Powerslide. I like my racing games to be fairly unrealistic, and this fits by allowing me to tear through jungles, fall into lava and so on. It has a fun range of vehicles, from big trucks through to motorbikes. And each track has multiple pathways, with the best option varying for the different vehicles. I can't comment on how it compares to any other current racing game, but it's a bit of fun.

Noby Noby Boy (PS3 download exclusive)


It's a $AU7 download, so I would have had to really hate this to feel ripped off. It is extremely strange though. Even stranger than I expected. There is no real goal - just stretch and eat things. It's kind of cute, but again in a very strange way. I'm not sure what more I can say really. I do appreciate the idea of playing around with less goal-orientated games though. It is probably another thing that is better to just play instead of trying to explain it.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3 exclusive)


I am actually a terrible person to review this. Every now and then I get the urge to buy a game with a lot of shooting or other action in it, even though I know my skills in this area are probably not going to be up to the task. That said, so far I'm getting by. After fighting with camera-angles in Tomb Raider that tempt you to risk leaps-of-death this is a rather nice change. And the scenery is pretty. I would probably prefer something with more puzzles and less action, though.

Valkyria Chronicles (PS3 exclusive)


Mixing genres sometimes results in a horrible mess, but I think this successfully pulls off a combination of RPG, RTS and FPS. All of the potential troops have personality. This necessarily means some of them are annoying, but I'll still take that over commanding a bunch of anonymous mooks. The strategy is interesting and the challenge level is good. The setting feels a bit ridiculous (JRPG issues surfacing again), but once you overlook that and run with it it's well worth it.