The Gamer's Quarter

SuperWes

So, I picked up Atelier Iris - whose name I always have to look up - and started playing it for a bit yesterday. I hadn't heard much about it, but I heard it was being brought out by NIS America and wanted to support them. All of the art that I'd seen looked pretty nice too, and I was in the mood for an artsy game.

The first thing I noticed upon beginning the game is that the characters were larger than expected and surprisingly well animated for their size. The game also didn't force you to tap through text boxes for voice acted conversations, which is something that I really appreciate in an RPG.

Within the first few minutes, there is a scripted battle with some kind of hawk. This is where I started to get turned off. The only options available were "fight" and "defend," chosen from a little wheel based menu. I'm not sure why, but for some reason I was expecting a Zelda/Secret of Mana battle system. The whole turn-based thing just seems too derivative now, and with so few options, I was wondering why they even asked for my input at all.

Thankfully, this battle was followed by a charming tutorial that introduces where the game's complexity comes in. Atelier Iris is about gathering items from the field and mixing them to make magic spells to attack stuff with. This is closer to what I was expecting from the game, but it's done differently than I was hoping. I kinda figured you would have to put together your own spells by mixing different elements, but instead, you choose from a list of spells that the elements you happen to be carrying will allow you to produce. That was another disappointment.

Oh yeah, and by now I figured out that not having to tap through voice acted text boxes was only a feature of the intro, and that for the rest of the game I would have to tap through voice acted text boxes. This also pissed me off.

A few minutes later I got my first mission. It involves taking lunch to a few of the town's shops for some kind of reward. At this point I pretty much decided that the game was closer to a standard RPG than I had been hoping for when I bought it, and I saved the game and turned it off.

Later that night I tried Forza Motorsport. I hated that too. Maybe I just don't like games any more.

-Wes
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Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

Did you fight cute little piggies?

DonMarco · . Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 349 Location: 33903

Did you spend 20 minutes killing Baby Swamp Rats only to get your ass handed to you by Rabid Swam Rat? Then spend two hours begging for money so you could get drunk off mead and ale.

Wes, man. You have to find yourself some challenging game. Something that puches you to use them SKILLZ you have finely honed over the years.

SuperWes · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 4:39 pm Post subject:

TOLLMASTER · nippon ichi PR man Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 187

My advice: try something new.

I've got Mischief Makers and Phantom Crash lined up for when Makai Kingdom starts to get on my nerves. Yea, even unto me does the RPG hate creep. The trick is to keep a "balanced" gaming diet, for lack of a better term.

Also, no one is a "movie fan", really--they have their favorite type of movies. In a similar way, some video games are right for people and some aren't. Perhaps you expected something different from Atelier Iris because you wanted something different? It's nothing to be ashamed of if your tastes have changed over the years. It just takes a little getting used to.

I remember when I first started playing Mario Sunshine, expecting to have fun all over with it, because it was, essentially, Super Mario 64 2. But...something was different, this time around. I couldn't just click with it. Between the releases of the two games, I had become more of an RPGvore than a adventure eater. It takes time to find a new "balanced diet", and requires much experimentation, but it's rewarding in the end.

Mister Toups · Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 8:46 pm Post subject:

I recommend Ninja Gaiden.
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where were you when nana komatsu got a wii?

SuperWes · Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 7:51 am Post subject:

You know, I agree with you except for one thing... I also started playing Riviera for the GBA and I absolutely love it. It's got turn based battles. Hell, it's even got turn based exploration, and it's still totally got me addicted. I'm also starting to get more into Killer 7. The tutorial stuff is mostly out of the way and I can just run around being amazed that the game plays so unconventionally. Unconventional might wear off, but for now I'm kinda digging it.

But yeah, unlike Iris, Forza is obviously a good game. It's just the type that immediately feels like an immense time investment in a way that I can't in any way afford. If you actually beat GT4 and want something new it's highly recommended. The online seems particularly neat. I guess I prefer my driving games to be like Project Gotham 2.

-Wes
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dessgeega · Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 8:02 am Post subject:

i was playing riviera pretty steadily for a few days, but the battles started wearing on me.

by which i mean: have you lost one yet?
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SuperWes · Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 8:24 am Post subject:

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

DonMarco · . Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 349 Location: 33903

SuperWes · Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 8:58 am Post subject:

You guys need to play Project Gotham 2 (on X-box live). It's so dry! To use a Szhepanziak style quote, "it's like a fine red wine, aged to perfection." But aside from that, it's got a lot of variety, and the game is more about how well you drive than whether you win or lose. I think I just like it because I prefer driving to racing, and I like it when races are short so that I don't feel like I wasted a lot of time when I lose. Plus, the online stuff is so well integrated with the offline that it feels like you're playing online when you play single player and just choosing another single player option when you play online.

I like that.

-Wes
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