Category: Video Games

Why Microsoft Shouldn’t Acquire Nintendo Even Though It’d Benefit Me!

Published October 12, 2023

There was a very interesting leak recently where a variety of internal Xbox documents were made available to the public. Understandably, the internet has scrounged every tiny detail and a large variety of discussions have erupted over certain topics such as upcoming games, the specs for the next Xbox console amongst others. One component stood out to me though, an email by Phil Spencer discussing the possibility of acquiring either Nintendo or Valve. The idea itself is ludicrous, which I’ll expand on shortly, but it did make me ponder a very interesting fact, that I personally believe that Microsoft shouldn’t acquire Nintendo despite the fact that their acquisition would directly benefit me!

Before I begin discussing this topic, I feel the need to explain that, at least in the short to medium term, there is absolutely zero chance of Microsoft acquiring Nintendo. This is for one reason and for one reason only, regulators. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that Microsoft has faced problem after problem when it comes to their acquisition of Activision-Blizzard. The idea of them acquiring not only a game developer/publisher even larger than Activision-Blizzard but also the current market leader when it comes to console sales is so absurd that I’d label it fantasy! Now, I can’t say for sure that this could never happen. It’s always possible that something could change such as Microsoft losing most of their gaming division or Nintendo becoming less valuable to the point where regulators would be okay with the acquisition but, at the moment, this idea is not going to happen in any way, shape or form.

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Some Of My Favourite JRPGs Of All Time

Published October 9, 2023

I adore JRPGs, even with all of their flaws, and, while I don’t play as many of them these days as I would like due to time restrictions and my growing interest in other video game genres, many of my fondest video game memories involve my time in the world of JRPGs. While I was tempted to write a top 5 JRPGs of all time, the fact is that I’d have to put a lot of time into remembering ones that I played when I was younger and on other systems. Therefore, I thought it may be better to simply list some of my favourite JRPGs of all time (one per franchise) and recommend them, strongly, to anyone looking to play the genre for the first time or merely looking for their next JRPG to play.

Grandia

Originally releasing for the Sega Saturn in 1997, the first Grandia game proves to be a remarkable JRPG. The story follows the characters of Justin and Sue who discover that the Spirit Stone left by Justin’s father is connected to an ancient civilisation in the east and set out on a journey to discover it. The story itself has a great sense of wonder and some surprising twists and turns alongside a wide-range of charming characters. The art-style for the game is heavily anime-inspired with even a few anime cutscenes throughout the game and holds up well, particularly due to the HD remaster done recently. However, it’s the combat system that really allows the game to forge its own identity. Starting out as a relatively simple turn-based combat system, you quickly learn that the game does not feature a typical “Attack” command as in many other JRPGs. Instead, it features a “Combo” attack which sees your character do two quick physical attacks and a “Critical” attack which does a single strong attack that, when timed correctly, can cancel enemy attacks. The effect is that even regular battles become an engaging experience as you figure out whether it’s better to do more damage or to prevent an attack from hitting you. Grandia is a gem and I think it’s a game that has stood the test of time and remains one of the best experiences within the genre.

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My Thoughts On The Game Of The Year Winners And Nominees That I’ve Played Part 3

Published September 25, 2023

Here is the conclusion to “My Thoughts On The Game Of The Year Winners And Nominees That I’ve Played Part 1” and Part 2.

Game of the Year 2018 Nominee – Celeste

It was only recently when I got around to playing Celeste and it ended up becoming one of the most interesting experiences I’ve ever had with a video game. I adore platformers and have played enough that you can be confident when I say that Celeste deserves its place as being one of the greatest platformers ever made. The controls are quite basic but are so refined that it feels incredibly satisfying to make precise jumps and avoid obstacles. It’s the level design though that allows this gameplay to truly shine with each chapter introducing new gameplay mechanics that function incredibly well and challenges that are part platforming skill and part puzzle. The game can get absolutely brutal when you start start exploring the C-sides and especially Chapter 9 which I can honestly say was one of the hardest challenges I’ve ever completed in a video game but the game itself never felt unfair, allowing me to enjoy the game and never get frustrated. Another surprising element which I was not expecting was a good story which sees the main character, Madeline, climbing a mountain as a challenge to herself to try to overcome her depression and panic attacks. Platformers are not often known for their superb storytelling so the fact that Celeste’s proved to be so endearing and thought-provoking was a pleasant surprise.

Did it deserve to win/be nominated? – Yes.

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My Thoughts On The Game Of The Year Winners And Nominees That I’ve Played Part 2

Published September 21, 2023

Here is my continuation of “My Thoughts On The Game Of The Year Winners And Nominees That I’ve Played Part 1“

Game of the Year 2016 Nominee – Inside

Inside is a wonderful puzzle platformer from the developers behind the now classic Limbo where you play a young boy running from men, dogs, monsters etc. as you go through farms, labs, offices etc. The core gameplay is quite simple but there are plenty of well-constructed puzzles that test your thinking skills and many are both inventive and thought-provoking. I did end up wishing that the game was longer but, when so many of my complaints for other games involve them being bloated, that can be viewed as a sign of how good Inside truly is. As for its nomination, I fully stand behind it as Inside’s execution is superb and the ideas and concepts it presents are worthy of adoration.

Did it deserve to win/be nominated? – Yes.

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My Thoughts On The Game Of The Year Winners And Nominees That I’ve Played Part 1

Published September 18, 2023

No matter which award you talk about, everyone is going to have their own opinion on what got snubbed, whether the winners deserved it or not, whether they even matter etc. Thinking about them recently, mostly because people are talking about Baldur’s Gate 3 being potentially game of the year, I decided that it might be interesting to share my own thoughts on the Game Awards Game of the Year winners and nominees that I’ve played. Just to clarify first though, I’ll be making these opinions mainly from my own experience playing these games but I’ll also be factoring in how innovative I consider the game to be. I’ll also be discussing whether I think they deserved to win or be nominated with reference to their own quality and not in comparison to any other games beyond their franchise or developer. Finally, and I feel I need to emphasise this, these are my opinions only and I freely encourage you to agree or disagree with them as long as you present your argument in a respectable fashion alongside reasons why I’m right or wrong. Having said all that, let’s begin.

Game of the Year 2014 Nominee – Dark Souls II

Anyone who knows me will know that I adore the Dark Souls franchise but that’s not to say that I don’t notice the blemishes of each entry and that is most certainly the case when it comes to Dark Souls II. Often considered the black sheep of the franchise, you often see people arguing that it’s either an underrated masterpiece or an unacceptably bad game. My opinion, as noted in my review for UK Anime Network, is that it’s still a great game but easily the most flawed in the franchise. The combat remains enjoyable, exploration a delight and some of the finest bosses in the history of FromSoftware but issues remain plentiful with comparatively weak storytelling, particularly in the first half, a disproportionately high amount of average to bad bosses and some strange design choices. Granted, there were some good choices made as well such as upgrading your Estus Flask separately to the bonfires and having your weapon durability repaired when you rest but it’s a package that I all too often look at as bloated with content, seeking quantity and not quality. I still think it’s a respectable game that deserves to be played but, considering how much weaker it feels to its predecessor, I can’t in good conscience say that it deserved to be nominated.

Did it deserve to win/be nominated? – No.

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Why I Think The Modern Video Game Industry Needs To Change

Published September 4, 2023

You would think the release of a brilliant video game, Baldur’s Gate 3, would be a cause of celebration, especially one that has proven financially successful despite being part of the niche CRPG subgenre of RPGs. However, the reaction from developers has been surprisingly mixed with some praising what Larian Studios has accomplished while others reacted by stating that people shouldn’t look at Baldur’s Gate 3 as a new standard for RPGs. This debacle has unknowingly shined a spotlight on several concerns that I have so I thought it would be worth discussing some of the things that the modern video game industry needs to change.

Let’s get the whole developer debate out of the way so that I can focus on more important issues. My personal opinion is that the developers attempting to defend themselves from potential criticism preemptively have missed the point when it comes to Baldur’s Gate 3 and its potential impact. Having yet to play the game (I still have to catch up on the Divinity: Original Sin games), it seems that most consider Baldur’s Gate 3 to be a masterpiece and I would completely disagree if the sentiment of gamers was demanding that every RPG that comes out be a masterpiece on the same level. However, I don’t believe that’s what’s happening. Instead, people are simply asking that these developers examine the many things that make Baldur’s Gate 3 great, which from what I’ve heard is primarily the freedom to make whatever choices you want and solve problems in abstract and creative ways, and to integrate it into their own games. To argue that Baldur’s Gate 3 is simply an anomaly and that we should simply pretend that it doesn’t exist is completely ludicrous.

Baldur’s Gate 3 has served as a surprising catalyst for debate on the modern video game industry.

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The History Of Vampires In Japanese Media

Published August 28, 2023

Anyone who’s familiar with anime, manga, video games or many other forms of Japanese media will know that vampires are a popular subject with numerous vampire fictions being created throughout the history of these mediums. However, it may surprise you to learn that vampires have only recently grown popular in Japan and, so, I thought I’d take a look at the history of vampires in Japanese media.

To begin, it’s interesting to note that vampires are foreign to Japan with vampires typically associated with European mythology. However, blood-drinking creatures can be found in a wide variety of cultures worldwide and Japan is no exception. Amongst the yokai of Japan, two particularly notable examples that drink blood are the Rokurokubi, creatures who look like women but are capable of extending their neck in a snake-like manner or even detaching their head and flying around, and the Nure-onna, creatures that look like snakes with the head of women, sometimes with arms as well, that uses their tongue to suck the blood out of a body.

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My Thoughts On The Current State Of RPG Video Games

Published August 24, 2023

When it comes to the most notable video game genres, I think many will view role-playing games (RPG) as being one of the most important within the entire industry. They were among the earliest video games developed with dnd, a video game adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons, being released in 1975 and many of the best-selling video game franchises continue to be RPGs! However, the current state of RPG video games isn’t exactly what I’d hoped for and, so, I believe it important that I share my thoughts and opinions on the matter.

The first thing I want to start with is a question that I think many of you will be confused by, what do we look for in an RPG? This may seem like a strange thing to ask but it’s something that I think varies greatly from person to person. I myself know some people who consider the most important part of an RPG to be its story while others prioritise the gameplay. Even within these camps, I see a lot of variety in what they want. Some are satisfied with a well-written story and predetermined characters and choices, often associated with JRPGs, while others want one where you’re able to create your character and shape the story as you want. Some want an in-depth RPG system where skills and mechanics cover a vast array of things such as conversations, perception, wisdom, spells, weapons, trinkets etc. which allows for a wide variety of character builds while others want a more simple and straightforward system which focuses more on combat. The variety within this genre is staggering but this can result in a dearth of content for fans of particular subgenres.

A lot of people love Horizon Zero Dawn but I found it lacking when it came to what I look for in an RPG.

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Some Of The More Notable Manga Based On Video Games

Published August 21, 2023

Video games and manga have a long and intertwined history. In the early days of video games, manga was often used to promote new games or to tell stories that were too complex to fit into the limited gameplay of the time. This need has waned as video games have become more and more capable of telling their story without the aid of additional media. Regardless of this, many manga based off of video games continue to be produced and I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some of the more notable ones.

Let’s start off with, as far as I can tell, the best-selling manga based on a video game, Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai. Based on the popular Dragon Quest video game series, The Adventures of Dai follows the titular character as, after being the only human on an island called Delmurin that was filled with monsters after the fall of the last demon lord, he learns that the demon lord has returned and that he must be trained by the previous hero, Avan, to fight against this menace. The series has proved popular with numerous anime adaptations and several video games and an estimated 50 million volumes sold as of 2022.

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The History Of The Armored Core Video Games

Published August 14, 2023

FromSoftware is well-known these days for their many successful games such as the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Elden Ring. However, as I noted before, FromSoftware’s history extends well before these games with two particularly notable series being King’s Field and Armored Core. While we’ve yet to see a new King’s Field game or even a rerelease of the older titles, it was with great excitement that we learned that FromSoftware is making another Armored Core game. So, with the upcoming release of Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at the history of these video games.

The first Armored Core game was released for the PlayStation in 1997 and was FromSoftware’s first non-King’s Field game. As with all other entries of the franchise, the player controls a highly customisable mech that proceeds through selectable missions with third-person shooter gameplay. Along with single-player, the game also contained a local multiplayer mode that allowed players to fight each other in large maps. While I’m unsure how the game performed commercially, it must’ve been successful as it led to numerous future entries.

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