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Posted on Sep 21st 2013 at 01:52:33 PM by ( noiseredux) Posted under 3DS |
[img width=550 height=777]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-182/bf/U-182-S-01900-A.jpg[/img]
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Atlus, 2013 (3DS)
Multiple endings in games aren’t really so uncommon these days. And to be honest, I’ve never been much of a completionist when it comes to my games. And I’ve definitely never cared for the notion of a so-called “good ending.” In my mind whatever ending you get by playing the game the way that you play it - making the decisions that you want to make, and acting or reacting as you see fit - is your ending. Thus, the most fitting ending for you. I’ve never understood the concept of checking a walkthrough to make sure you do things in a certain order, or say the proper thing to the proper NPC to secure a specific ending. To me, that takes a lot of the interactivity out of the game. Why not just watch a movie or read a book instead?
I tell you this because so much of Shin Megami Tensei IV’s story will be based on your actions. Not only will you be presented with important, story-defining decisions, but you will also have to at times side with your companions. And speaking of your companions, you will spend much of the game traversing with Jonathan (good cop), Walter (bad cop) and Isabeau. And now might be good time to remind you that if you continue reading further you should be well-warned that spoilers are going to start flying soon. Whereas Jonathan and Walter pretty clearly stand as the little Angel and Devil on your shoulders, Isabeau is a little more complex. And more often than not, she was the one who I identified most closely with. I suppose she’d be the neutral character, but it seemed more uncertainty than apathy in most cases.
[img width=400 height=240]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2013/190/672441_20130710_screen035.jpg[/img]
But y’know what? Before I get too deep into the story, let me at least tell you a bit about the game itself. Shin Megami Tensei IV is (kind of) the fourth entry in the long-running and crazily branched-out MegaTen series of games. Although not gaining much notoriety in the States until the surprise cult-success of the Persona series (another MT spin-off), these games all share a similar thread. Perhaps a basic way to describe them would be really dark versions of Pokemon games (though MT came first). Instead of “pocket monsters,” the MetaTen games strongly feature demons. Demons need to be recruited into your party, which can be both a fun and annoying prospect. Trying to convince a demon to join you can often be a head-game that results in loss of items, loss of stats, loss of other demons and ultimately the demon will refuse to join you. Sometimes the demon will refuse to join you and then attempt to kill you as well.
But like the rest of the games in the series, Shin Megami IV is not meant to be any sort of cakewalk. In fact, the game is so brutal at points (hello, Medusa) that not only is an Easy Mode available to you - it’s in fact part of the story. This is definitely the sort of dungeon-crawler with its roots in a RPG-landscape of yesteryear. One that features a soul-crushing difficulty (even at times if you opt for the previously mentioned Easy Mode). But it’s also got an amazingly well refined and, dare I say it? - FUN battle system.
[img width=400 height=512]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2013/162/672441_20130612_screen017.jpg[/img]
Battling demons in Shin Megami Tensei IV is all about taking advantage of weaknesses. By knowing what attacks can be exploited against an enemy, suddenly you control the board and you’ll watch your enemy stand there in a daze. It’s really quite rewarding - especially after you’ve spent hours being brutalized by the likes of the Minotaur or Medusa.
The demons look awesome by the way. Indeed SMT IV follows a long tradition of wonderfully detailed (and slightly NSFW) artwork. And although the 3D effect in the game was often used quite well, I can’t say that I kept it on much longer than a few moments - just long enough to conclude “oh this looks cool,” and then turning it back off. The music is dark, dissonant and moody as hell. I’m certainly glad that I bothered to grab the LE box for the included soundtrack when I had the chance. (The other inclusion being a partial strategy guide, which is really quite useful so I’d suggest seeking out this edition while you still can).
[img width=700 height=525]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2013/161/672441_20130611_screen021.jpg[/img]
Getting back a bit to the story (and again, the spoilers) I mentioned earlier, I have to confess that I spent 35 hours on SMT IV and that resulted in the so-called “bad ending.” An ending where the somewhat confusing story comes to a very abrupt end. Where instead of leaning towards good or evil and getting one of those clear-cut endings, I simply decided to end the world. You might argue that such an ending is anticlimactic. That it almost defeats the purpose of having these alignments. Yet in the days after playing I continued to think about the game, about all the fun I had. It haunted me. And then I realized that in a sense my ending fit my playthrough so perfectly. Where I had spent so much time identifying with Isabeau’s character. I was never quite neutral. I was always more apathetic. It’s as if the entire playthrough was guided by a hopelessness. And so the world had to end.
I just hope that doesn’t mean that Shin Megami Tensei V is out of the question.
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Posted on Jul 25th 2013 at 11:10:53 PM by ( noiseredux) Posted under 3DS |
[img width=602 height=550]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-182/bf/U-182-S-00020-A.jpg[/img]
If held at gunpoint, I'd have to say that Street IV is my favorite game of this generation. Oh sure I've had many far more amazing experiences with games like Heavy Rain or Catherine or 3D Dot Game Heroes. But Street Fighter IV is a game I've constantly come back to. In fact, it was something of a revelation to me upon its release. At a time when I thought that these new fancy pieces of hardware couldn't compare to classic sprites, it was Street Fighter IV that sold me on 'the future.' This is a real forum post I made back in 2010:
So I figured I'd be really excited about Street Fighter IV or the Capcom Vs Namco announcement or the new Marvel Vs Capcom game thats' coming out. But frankly, all the screens I've seen... they just look wrong to me. I mean sure the graphics are pretty or whatever. But the camera angles, the lack of sprites... it just doesn't appeal to me. SFIV just doesn't look like a SF game to me. Is it just me?
And then what happened was this: my wife and I were Christmas shopping that year at the mall and stumbled upon this kiosk. It was set up like an arcade. Just rows and rows of gaming consoles - Wii, PS3 and 360 - all just sitting there to try various games. I had time to kill and saw Street Fighter IV set up on one of the 360's and gave it a go. Within a half-hour my tune had changed. When I finally picked up a PS3 the next year, Super Street Fighter IV was the first game I bought. And in the two years since, it's remained one of the games I've played the most. I've even gone as far as picking up the Arcade Edition (as well as Street Fighter X Tekken) and await Ultra with open-arms.
[img width=400 height=240]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2011/018/997808_20110119_screen001.jpg[/img]
So when I finally decided it was time to pick up a 3DS this last month, I bundled it with a natural choice - Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. Indeed, the thought of playing SF4 in bed, on the couch, outside, or anywhere I desire was a huge plus for me. But how would this game fair? I mean, as far as portable Street Fighters go, it had some big shoes to fill. And I say this as a guy who's picked up portable Street Fighters going as far back as Game Boy. That said, Super Street Fighter II: Turbo Revival on GBA is by far one of the high water marks in the portable series. And Alpha 3 on GBA was perhaps even more impressive (though not my favorite of the two) and eventually trumped by its PSP iteration.
[img width=400 height=480]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2011/018/997808_20110119_screen004.jpg[/img]
As far as I'm concerned the important thing is whether or not a portable game can deliver a console experience to me - at least as far as Street Fighter goes. And friends let me tell you that yes, 3D Edition truly does. Now I'll start by saying this - controls are going to be a factor for any of us fighting game fans. Those of you used to an arcade stick, well you know where you stand. But I've always been a fightpad guy. So the lack of six face-buttons on the 3DS hardware is of course going to throw me off. So in fairness, that's the one downfall to me here. I had to kind of relearn how to use shoulder buttons in a Street Fighter game - something I haven't had to bother with since Turbo Revival.
But at the end of the day 3D Edition gives you everything you could want on the go. The visuals are amazing, and truly justify to me that my purchase of this handheld was a wise one. The music that I'm so familiar with is here and perfect. The controls are fluid once you've gotten a grasp of the button layout. You can use the analog nub or the D-Pad as you desire. There's also some combo's you can select on the lower DS screen via touch - but that's cheating I tell you! Cheating! And perhaps the best addition - I've now finally got a portable Street Fighter game with full online gameplay. Again - I can be in bed, on the couch, outside, where ever - and be playing Street Fighter IV against someone in another state! For this alone, I am grateful and highly recommend this port.
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