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Displaying items by tag: RPG

The game "Valkyrie Profile" is for me the most sadistic game but a super RPG of Tri-Ace (Star Ocean, Resonance of Fate) which marked its time on the Playstation 1.

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The game was released in December 1999 in Japan and in August 2000 in the United States, but not in Europe. So that we had to wait for its remake release on the PSP in 2007.

The game is inspired by the Norse mythology of which we follow the valkyrie Lenneth who must go and find the spirits of different heroes, who have shown their value to train and go to Valhalla while waiting for the approaching Ragnarök. We follow the story of each Einherjar before their death and which are significant each time for each hero. I can tell you that I was surprised more than once, but for the better.
Already before we start the game and we made it through the prologue, by following the story of little Platina, I said to myself: "Er, what happened? »This is necessary to end with the "good" end. I was speechless to finally understand everything and the meaning of the story. It was a slap.
There are three endings, the correct ending is only activated with specific choices throughout the game.

valkyrie gameplay

Frankly for RPG fans, this is a game which you have to play at least once in your life. But as I already wrote in the beginning, it's also the most sadistic game I've seen. For example, for each chapter, Odin requests that a hero must be sent to Valhalla. This means, that you spent hours with your character in the dungeons and that you have equipped and organized it as it should be in your party. Then at the end of the chapter, Freya asks you that espacially your favourite character must be send to Valhalla and is no longer playable. I can tell you that I shouted "NOOOOOOO!" and I think I'm not the only one.

But I repeat, it is a great RPG that I  even was able to play it through and that I can advise to anyone to give it a shot.

COME TO ME, MY NOBLE EINHERJAR

Published in Gaming News
Tagged under
Friday, 25 December 2020 22:07

Happy Birthday Final Fantasy I

Happy Birthday Final Fantasy I

Ah what a joy. Talking, writing, reading, watching or playing anything related to this franchise appeals to me enormously. I must also say that this is my second attempt to write this article. The first time I ended up writing 4 pages before touching on Final Fantasy number one. To be one hundred percent honest, I didn't at all, but at no time, say FF I except to say that I played it ...

So yes, this time must be the right one or I will start to doubt my ability to concentrate on one topic. So we're going to talk about this game, which I think is great. Obviously we have to take a lot of factors into account. First, the time when the game was released. The genre of this game, RPG obviously. The company that created the game. The circumstances in which this company was and ultimately what pushed to create this opus.

In short, we are not going to redo history otherwise I will end up making the whole history of the company without having talked about this game again. I get carried away so easily, it's crazy.

So what is this game going to be about? What can we expect? Quite simply to a magnificent story but where we quickly get to the heart of the matter. We are told only one thing, our destiny. Our characters (4) have no past history, at least we don't know it. We have to invent everything for them, their names and their classes. You can choose between warrior, monk, thief, black, white or red mage. For those unfamiliar with it, the warrior fights with sword and shield, the monk is bare-handed, the strongest physically and with the highest HP. The thief, well he's fast and his equipment isn't too expensive. The white mage heals, protects, and ensures that you survive. The Black Mage burns, freezes and electrifies your opponents, he can even spell alterations. The red mage is a mix between white and black. He is also physically strong and will therefore have the most versatility of any class.

The best thing is the classes evolve during the game. After a certain point in the story your characters get the evolved class of the one you chose. Thus the warrior becomes paladin, the monk becomes master, the thief becomes ninja and the various mages become sages. This allows each class to go even further in their basic characteristics. So you will have characters who are even stronger at what they can do and who will make you the player with the most powerful team in your world.

Now let's talk about the story. It's simple yet so well told, with great characters and amazing quests. The world is dying, devastating storms, marine cataclysms, nothing but misfortune. Nothing is going well, but the people are convinced that a prophecy will be fulfilled. That of Lukahn: “When darkness veils the world, four Warriors of Light shall come. "

So you play as these four warriors. The world turns thanks to the four crystals. The four crystals which hold the power of the elements, earth, fire, wind and water. You will therefore have to brave all dangers in order to be able to free the crystals from their corruption. Then the world can get better again and you can say that the prophecy was not just a legend.

However, it goes a little further than all that. The first dungeon you do will also be the last. During your quest you will realize that you will need to return to the place where you completed your first quest. This is where I got my big surprise. Speaking of my experience, I didn't pay attention to the alert. If you come in you can't get out anymore so you have to be damn prepared. Above all, be very well equipped, a lot of items to heal yourself and a white mage! Because the red mages cannot heal as well as the white mages (or rather the sage) you will not be able to be as effective in resurrection. Having had two red mages and no white, it was quickly over with me. Without a good diversity of classes and enough items I figured I couldn't do it. BUT, backups are there for that. Having made a double save when entering the dungeon, I took this last one and I went to train myself a little to get some money, to sell objects that I did not need and I provided myself like crazy into a bunch of items that could help me succeed.

Finally all is well then. It was a little harder than if I had had a white mage I think, but what to do, I love being at the front and attacking without thinking too much like a good nag. So I was in Paladin, Master, Red Sage, and Red Sage mode. I spent my time exterminating the monsters as fast as possible without using too much magic. Indeed, the red sages can have superb equipment also for the attack, the paladin necessarily too and the master knocks everything out with his fists. Most of my MP are used for care and protection. When it turns out useful or necessary then we indulge ourselves with black magic.

I was then able to get rid of the vermin making this world a poor and sad place. Again we can be impressed by the script because in the end, no one will ever know everything we did. It was all a paradox. By putting an end to it, we are not making our destiny possible. So by doing what we do, we lose the memory of our exploits in our present. The villain, Garland turned Chaos, is actually taken from our present by the Chaos Demons, to go into the past and make their own existence possible. By doing this, they allow the prophecy to be fulfilled by creating the warriors of light that we embody. By going to destroy it, we are not allowing demons to exist or Garland to be Chaos. So we can't remember something that we've never done.

So yes, we save the world, in exchange we simply lose our memory so do all living people. No one will ever know that an unprecedented danger existed and that it was even a chaotic time loop until we intervene. It turns the brain upside down and it's just great in terms of imagination, ingenuity.

This game, just by its history, shows the full potential of this studio and its director. A small band of geniuses who will make us happy for so long. Today we are treated to a lot of games that no one should ignore if they love RPGs. We cannot miss this franchise or this Square Enix company which has created so many good games.

Thanks Final Fantasy

Published in Articles
Monday, 05 April 2021 22:52

Dark Chronicle

I'm going to talk about a game that I loved and that took me by the guts from start to finish. It was one of the games that struck me the most. Its story, its play mode, the different tasks to be completed, the characters and the graphics all played an important role for me. In this game, everything and I mean everything, I liked. I have no frustration or frustration that could discourage me from playing.

This game was so memorable to me, when I said I was taking the "Retro" theme for the podcast, that it was the first one I thought of. I hadn't said that I would do a presentation of this game, but in my head I only had this game in mind. Even as I forced myself to think of other games, there was still.

A huge fan of RPG and Nintendo, the list of games that meet these criteria is enormous. Still, this is the game I took for granted. I’m very happy about it and I’m sure I will honor it. Dark Chronicle, for those who are new to this game, then do whatever it takes to play it. For gamers who don't know the name, maybe the name Dark Cloud 2 will make them understand what I'm talking about.

Indeed, Dark Cloud 2 is the same game, but it is the American name. Dark Cloud had never been released in Europe, so having a game called Dark Cloud 2 wouldn't have made sense. So the game was renamed Dark Chronicle for regions that did not have a first Dark Cloud.

This is a small detail, but I want to show that yes, I know what I'm talking about. I like this game okay? Hope this is understood now.

 

The story

We start at the beginning of the story. We are a young teenager, named Max, working in a workshop with his teacher Cédric. He has a camera that is very useful to him, but we'll get to that later. He lives in a large house in a small walled village and no one leaves the village. He has an amulet that his (missing) mother gave him before she went missing.

One night at the circus, Max takes the opportunity to go to the show. A child steals his ticket and after doing everything to find it, he has a strange argument with the child who then disappears. The circus boss turns out to be a villain and tries to catch / kill you. He wants your amulet for his boss. While spying on the mayor and the boss of the circus you learn that your amulet could be important and that there is a train in town that would allow you to see the world.

Max manages to escape and goes through the sewers. There really begins the pattern that the game adopts in terms of game play. How we fight, how we evolve and how we will advance in the different levels. We will come back to this later, for now it's time for history. In the sewers Cédric comes with the robot to help you. After a brief stop in town again, you improve the robot with your camera (I'll explain later). You return to the sewers and use the robot to move forward.

Coming out of the sewers, you take the train. This had been kept secret, no one in the village was to know that it was still in working order. You take the opportunity to travel the world. On your first trip, the circus leader comes back to bother you. Once you think you've got rid of it, Monica arrives to save you.

With the help of her sword she eliminates hi,, she has a stone similar to Max's. Max's is red, hers is blue. Monica is from the future and has come to Max's present in order to change the course of history. The game's antagonist did everything to destroy the world in Monica's past so she could be invincible in their time.

The game will revolve around that a lot. Traveling in the future (Monica's present) and the present (Max's present). Max being an inventor, he is not only able to create beautiful things for his robot, to develop his weapons but he is also able to create a world. Using the information you have in Max's present, by having the necessary materials, you can recreate the world as it should so that in Monica's present everything is reconstructed again.

This allows you to be able to see the world as it should be and to be able to beat the villain of the story. The game is then quite simply done, with the train you get to one place, you kick the butt of the monsters, you take whatever you can take, you recreate the world and you go to the next place.

By recreating a location, you go into the future where you will learn new things about the antagonist and how you can destroy it. You then see what the world must have looked like without his intervention, and you can go back and forth even if the rebuilding in Max's era is not over. So you can go and see the evolution according to the modifications you have made. This is handy because sometimes you can see what best can be done to make sure Monica's present is properly restored.

The story is poetic and above all very well told. It's quite simply written and put together, its charm lies in the way the story is told and how it is brought to life by the characters. We are quickly taken to the guts and we feel part of the fine team that must save the world. So through the journey you really learn what it is about. An evil being from Max's past destroys everything that is important so that in his future he can be more powerful and he can win for sure. This future is Monica's present. Max is therefore in between. He's in the (more or less near) future of the villain, that's why his world is so empty, but he's in Monica's past. In her present everything is chaos because of the misdeeds of this evil being. Since Monica has the blue amulet to go to the past, she finds Max who has the one for her to go to the future. So they can travel together and counter the monster who wants to destroy everything.

What the villain destroys in the past, Max recreate in his present, so he can counter the antagonist in Monica's present. You see ? It’s simple and yet one would get lost easily.

 

The combat mode

This is free fights, not turn-based or anything. We are right, in the hard. So you have two weapons. Max has a wrench and a pistol. If you kill with either weapon, experience points go to the weapon that was lethal. You can then choose to be more melee or more to shoot from a distance. The same goes with Monica who with her weapons gives these two options. The fights are quite dynamic and it must be said that it is instinctive and easy to know how to handle this mode without too much hassle.

 

Evolution

Max is not evolving. These are the weapons that evolve. The evolution diagram is quite simple, you initially have a choice of evolution, depending on the choice made, part of the evolution tree is no longer accessible and the tree then continues in another direction. If after evolution you don't like it, you need a new weapon to evolve it the way you want it to.

You get orbs in combat, depending on the orb it also gives you access to all possibilities in your weapon evolution tree. It is therefore important to have orbs in stock. Otherwise, we can get stuck because we don't have the necessary orbs.

It's the same for Monica, but she has more conventional or classic weapons. She has a sword and a bracelet that allows her to cast magic spells. The evolution is the same.

Since characters don't evolve, they don't have stat boosts, but health still needs to evolve. And this is also where Monica's travels in the present become important. By going to her present you can find wooden boxes, well hidden, they have apples. These can increase your HP. Here too you have to be careful that you are consistent enough because if Max has HP that goes through the ceiling, Monica will not survive long. I guarantee you that in boss fights you will regret it if you are not balanced.

 

Secondary characters

Depending on the characters chosen, you will have certain bonuses. There is Cédric that you can have in your team passively to help you. There are many other characters that can be obtained throughout the story. It will take small tasks to be able to recruit them. Everyone can help you in one way or another. It allows adaptation to the situation you find yourself in and it allows you to play in one way or another.

 

Graphics

For the time (2003) it can be said that this was a huge success. This is a cell shading graphic, so a cartoon style. It’s very successful and colorful. It fits superbly with the story and the way the story is told. The graphics add a real touch to the story and make the whole thing even more magical. There is nothing wrong with that, plus it ages pretty well so it's a win for everyone.

 

The camera

So what is this device for? It is used to have the ingredients for your recipes. So yes, if you don't know the game you might think I'm mixing words that shouldn't be in the same sentence. I swear to you, however, that it makes sense.

So you can find recipes for crafting items. For that you have to photograph certain things. For example you might need a belt and a barrel to be able to make a tank or the like. These inventions are mainly dedicated to improving your robot to make it totally bad-ass and super killer.

I remember having a robot with katanas and propellers to move around. Yes, just that. And frankly it was great fun. You can also have it with machine guns and mechanical spider legs. There is a lot of fun to have a design that you love.

There are also specific moments to photograph so that you can have other bonuses. For example taking a boss at a certain angle, this will bring you gems giving superb stats to your weapons.

 

Critical welcome

Speaking of specialist press reviews, the game has received a superb reception. Everyone agrees to describe it as a great game that deserves to be played by all. I naturally agree with that. However, I do not think he was seen too much by the majority. I don’t know what that could be, but he didn’t have the global success that I would have wished for him.

The other truth is that the overwhelming majority who have played the game have an over-positive opinion of the game, proving that the game was worth it and that everyone should enjoy it.

Small useful info, the game is available on the PS Store for the PS4. I bought it, of course, I'll be playing it soon, that's for sure.

 

End

As you can see, there is a lot to do. Lots of photos to take, lots of weapon and robot evolutions, recreating the world, beating monsters. So much, plus you can go back as much as you want in the levels already done to be sure not to forget anything along the way.

This game, just talking about it makes you want to play it again. For those who haven't played it and have a PS4, the game is available. So don’t hesitate!

Published in Articles
Friday, 09 April 2021 23:30

Franchises I love - Final Fantasy

Franchises I love

FINAL FANTASY

Hello, this article will be one of the most fun to write. Simply because of the memories for this franchise. This franchise is by far the one I love the most. If I had to do a top 3 it would be easy to do. There's Final Fantasy first, Mario second, and Zelda hangs in the balance with Pokémon for the third place. For some who know me, they would say I forget Fifa. So no, I'm not forgetting Fifa, which is also an obligation for me. I also like this franchise, but emotionally it lags behind. While this is a game you can play at any time, the three franchises on my podium require a special mindset and above all, time. Because yes, when I start playing one of these games, I have to be sure that for a minimum of two or three hours I will not be interrupted. I need to be able to immerse myself and be able to do as much as possible to have fun that defies everything.

So let's take a look at the games in this franchise that I've played (or that most impressed me) in chronological order.

FF VIII and VII are the first (yes in that order) that I played and I thank my brother who discovered these games when we were young. I must have been nine or ten years old. I remember before that I didn't play video games that much. Then my brother had these games and we would time each other to see who was allowed to play next.

So I would often watch my brother play and try to do as well as him. The stories of these games, the way they were told hit me hard. I thought the storytelling was great and I was hooked by these games. After playing FF IX and X, which I liked a lot less at the time probably due to my young age. Released in 2002, its style of storytelling was less obvious to me to accept and understand I think. The same year were released the compilations including the FF I and FF II, FF IV and FF V, but also FF VI in game only. All this on Playstation first of the name.

I learned English with these compilations and played around trying to understand as much as possible. Once I start English lessons, one will help me progress in the other.

In 2007 I had an extra blow with FF XII, my attention turned a little more on the games. And presto, we have a hardcore FF lover. So I also took over FF I to VI. My playtime exploded with the IV, V and VI. The IV is excellent and the VI is one of their piece of art for me. The V is really cool due to the import of "Jobs", plus you can change as many time as you want. This well-shaken cocktail made me a die-hard fan of this franchise. I also took again FF II, which had a pretty cool gameplay which I did not understand too well due to my level of English which was still too low in 2002. It is to know that the games released on Playstation 1 were only available in English. and that we had to wait for the versions on Game Boy Advance (which I also have yes yes) to have them in French.

FF II was a little slap in the face for me too, as the fact that you didn't get an EXP point and had to register keywords to use with the right people at the right time was intriguing. You were asked to know how to manage your characters and the unfolding of the story on your own. It was pretty impressive for me and I found it exhilarating. I remember I had a game on Game Boy Advance that was pure genius, I felt unbeatable and it must be said the story was well told.

For Final Fantasy XIII, this was the first time that I had real expectations and that I followed the information regarding its development. I felt what I can feel a lot more often today when it comes to video games: A longing for a new game. Just that longing for a new adventure to play. I was also afraid as some reviews were starting to fall on the game and especially that it was taking a long time to finally come out on the market. With the game in hand, I spent my time solely on this game. It was one of those games that you just can't look away from. I finished the main story in about 65 or 70 hours, in two weeks. Yes, an average of about 5 hours a day. This game made me love the franchise even more. However, I also understood the main criticism of the game which was that it was a bit of a “direct and straight line” game, with less freedom than what you are used to having. It was not wrong and it was more or less obvious at times. That didn't stop me from loving this game.

And then came the wait for Final Fantasy XV. Between the 12th and 13th there was a three-year wait. From 2007 to 2010. For FF XV we had to wait for 2016, six years therefore.

At this point I want to give an update on the FF games I have. We are now in 2016/17 and I have: FF 1 to 6 three times, except FF III of which I only have the Remake on DS, I have FF 7 to 9 twice (I did not yet have the Switch so today also three times for these games), I have FF X, X-2, FF XII twice because I bought the PS4 version as well. I have FF XIII and inevitably also FF XV which arrives last at this time.

I didn't want to spoil anything for the game because I remember how many feelings I had for the previous game. So even almost a year after its release I don't know anything about the game except that you have a great customizable car and some pretty special characters with you and that you will be in Bromance mode. Once I had the game, I couldn't look away. I played a significant number of hours and loved each one. This game is a pure masterpiece for me. Everything was good in this game. Everything you could have to do, main quests, side quests, quests to improve the car, hunt monsters, cook for better stats, how to heal yourself by hitting others with your magic, how to use magic, how to lead each character. Everything, everything is superbly done and nothing would have to be changed if it only concerns me. I liked every point in this game. I find no fault with it.

What I liked most was the storytelling and the gist of the story. I must say that the way everything is told, I put this game in number 1. It is touching, addicting, beautiful and even poetic. It goes against the way of fighting which is more nervous, powerful and dynamic.

Since then I haven't had enough to satiate myself, but once the Nintendo Switch in hand I bought FF VII from FF IX. I finished the IX first because it is very beautiful I think. A beautiful story and the graphic style I like very much.

My dream right now would be to get an import of the "classics" FF I to VI on the Switch. It would be really nice to be able to enjoy it, especially when you see that you can enjoy classics like Dragon Quest I to III, FF Legends or the "Mana" games are available, so why not those?

Like most people, I had the pleasant surprise of seeing the presentation of the youngest, Final Fantasy XVI. A return to medieval fantasy, a return of crystals and a new way of seeing Shiva, Ifrit and the others we have called Espers, Eons, G-Force or even Eidolons. Everything looks very promising. When we see the video we also realize that there will be more blood visible than we are used to, the director who is the one who took care of FF XI And XIV is trustworthy. Everything is therefore implemented so that the last of the franchise is at the height of its elders.

In short, you will understand I find no fault with this franchise and their developer Square Enix formerly Square Soft. The future looks bright as a future FF will be released and that's already good. Final Fantasy has given me a lot over the past 15 to 20 years and I've loved playing around with every character that these games have given me the chance to control. Rich, sad and happy stories. Epic and frustrating fights. Today there are great memories and tomorrow there are new quests to discover. I look forward to writing to you again regarding this franchise.

So my top 3 FF with logos just for fun (from 1 to 3, from left to right):

 

 

logosff groupés

 

 

Total ranking after the top 3:

  • Final Fantasy VII
  • Final Fantasy XII
  • Final Fantasy XIII
  • Final Fantasy II
  • Final Fantasy V
  • Final Fantasy IX
  • Final Fantasy VIII
  • Final Fantasy I
  • Final Fantasy X
  • Final Fantasy III

Of course, it's not just a good-to-bad ranking, but mostly from the one I liked the most to the one I liked the least. But each of these games brought me joy and I loved playing it and will love to play it again. I tell you, in the next article.

Published in Articles

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