Saturday, January 10, 2015
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Bad RPG
And here we go. Yesterday, I talked about Betrayal at Krondor and praised it for all of its glory. Today, I will be talking a lesser rpg...much, much lesser. As I have stated in the last post, there were those in-between years when I could not make Krondor playable and had to settle for others. This game was one of my many failed attempts at recapturing the spirit of Krondor. What was it that was so bad? Why, it is The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring for the Gameboy Advance system. No, not Lord of the Rings, the one fantasy story to rule them all. Yup, that's the one I mean. When that first film hit theaters in 2001, Lord of the Rings became quite the cultural wave. It was essentially Star Wars for a new generation. Of course, a money making hit fantasy movie was bound for video gamedom...especially, since the stories themselves had inspired every fantasy video game ever made. And, lucky me, I had the opportunity to play the version that was on the Gameboy Advance.
Okay, so the story of the game is basically the novel. In fact, the video game adaptations of Fellowship were only from the book and not the film, hence the lack of actor likenesses and incorporation from the original source material. Bilbo Baggins takes off on his eleventy-something birthday, but leaves a deadly ring of power behind for his nephew, Frodo. Gandalf advises Frodo of its evil and persuades him to go on a journey to destroy the one ring to rule them all. And so our tale begins. The first thing you have to do is sell your house to the Sackville-Bagginses...just like in the novel. How exciting. Of course, after that someone else will want you to do something for them...and another...and another. Yeah, this game sure was off to a rollicking start when I played it. I remember a lot of fetch quests that were not optional side quests. Finally, when you do get going on this adventure, you'll notice that the combat is turn-based as is typical of most rpgs. However, unlike Betrayal at Krondor, the combat sucks. Why does it suck when it is the same? Well, trust me, it's not. The combat in Krondor was filled with varied options and strategic decisions to make your turns count. It was exciting with exciting music and the epic clash of swords. In this game, however, your options are limited to a stick per hobbit and that is it. So, really, all you do is hit, wait your turn, hit again and hope you don't die. There is no strategy whatsoever. And it doesn't get any better once the hobbits upgrade their sticks to daggers and swords. That is really unfortunate. That's the kind of turn-based combat that usually puts me off of that system. It is more of an exercise in patience than a testament to problem-solving.
Now, let's talk about the exploration. There really isn't much in the way of an open world. True, you get to wander around some vast open spaces, but only in specific parts of Middle-Earth at a time. You can explore Hobbiton to your heart's content, but once you leave, that's it. You're just moving on from here on out. But that's okay, it doesn't matter, because this game has no side quests anyway. That's right, nothing to distract you from the main quest with something extra to help you level up faster. No, just plow through the game. One issue I have with the exploration was in the Old Forest level. It is maze-like which would be a nice puzzle to add to the game's variety, except there is nothing for you to solve. All you got to do is wander around the forest until you find Old Man Willow. Well, that's lame and boring. I guess there are some giant spiders to fight to help you level up, but how about some clues or a riddle to help us solve the mystery of the forest? Why is it just bland exploration? This happens a lot in this game.
But when you make it to Old Man Willow, you expect some kind of battle. A boss fight for sure, right? Nope, you just wander around until Tom Bombadil comes and sings his song. That is the first sign that this games lacks, you guessed it, boss battles. There are no boss battles whatsoever. Expecting a big fight as Gandalf against the Balrog? Sorry, got to play the PS2 or even the Snes versions for that. What could be boss fights just end up as cutscenes. Lame. And most of the exploration is uneventful and unexciting. You just get lost and eventually find your way to point B.
And then there are the treasure chests. You will find some treasure chests scattered along the journey, but guess what? You'll notice that you can't open them. Yup, the treasure chests don't open. Of course they don't. Why would they? It's not like in any other rpg treasure chests contain useful items and gold and what have you. Nope, in this game, they are for decoration only. B.S. It would have been nice to find some possible new weapons, armor and gold, but nope not in these chests. That's almost like finding the most powerful sword in a cave, wedged in a rock. Yet, your character wouldn't be able to do anything with because the developers though it would be funny to tease the hell out of you. That's just brutal. The chests are pointless.
Oh, but I haven't gotten to the best part yet. Ready for this? In the Mines of Moria, I remember distinctly entering a room that I was sure was the way to advance. The game froze up on me as soon as I entered. It froze. IT #$%@!@# FROZE UP!!! A portable handheld game. I was flustered and shocked. Never before have I experienced this in a handheld system. Sure, I've come across the freezing bug on pc games, but those made sense since they lacked the right matching specs. This game was tailor-made for the advance, but it came with that one glaring bug. And yes, that room was the only way to progress. I had just about given up on the game at that point. I looked up some help on the internet to get past the glitch and was able to progress and finish the game. As it turned out, I wasn't far off. The game ends not long after you get out of the Mines and it ends abruptly and strangely.
Bottom line: This game sucks!!! The battles are unexciting and stale, the exploration is dull and limited, anyway, the treasure chests don't add to anything but decoration, the sound and music aren't that great, there are no puzzles or strategy whatsoever, no boss battles and it freezes up. At one point, it seemed like a great idea to be able to control all nine members of the fellowship during combat, but it doesn't add to the excitement. It merely adds to the tedium, because you have to go through each one to make their mark. Is it ironic that Betrayal at Krondor is a better Lord of the Rings game than Lord of the Rings? Well this version is terrible anyway, which is really sad when you think how easy it would be for this story to be turned into game. And that is the bad rpg.
Okay, so the story of the game is basically the novel. In fact, the video game adaptations of Fellowship were only from the book and not the film, hence the lack of actor likenesses and incorporation from the original source material. Bilbo Baggins takes off on his eleventy-something birthday, but leaves a deadly ring of power behind for his nephew, Frodo. Gandalf advises Frodo of its evil and persuades him to go on a journey to destroy the one ring to rule them all. And so our tale begins. The first thing you have to do is sell your house to the Sackville-Bagginses...just like in the novel. How exciting. Of course, after that someone else will want you to do something for them...and another...and another. Yeah, this game sure was off to a rollicking start when I played it. I remember a lot of fetch quests that were not optional side quests. Finally, when you do get going on this adventure, you'll notice that the combat is turn-based as is typical of most rpgs. However, unlike Betrayal at Krondor, the combat sucks. Why does it suck when it is the same? Well, trust me, it's not. The combat in Krondor was filled with varied options and strategic decisions to make your turns count. It was exciting with exciting music and the epic clash of swords. In this game, however, your options are limited to a stick per hobbit and that is it. So, really, all you do is hit, wait your turn, hit again and hope you don't die. There is no strategy whatsoever. And it doesn't get any better once the hobbits upgrade their sticks to daggers and swords. That is really unfortunate. That's the kind of turn-based combat that usually puts me off of that system. It is more of an exercise in patience than a testament to problem-solving.
Now, let's talk about the exploration. There really isn't much in the way of an open world. True, you get to wander around some vast open spaces, but only in specific parts of Middle-Earth at a time. You can explore Hobbiton to your heart's content, but once you leave, that's it. You're just moving on from here on out. But that's okay, it doesn't matter, because this game has no side quests anyway. That's right, nothing to distract you from the main quest with something extra to help you level up faster. No, just plow through the game. One issue I have with the exploration was in the Old Forest level. It is maze-like which would be a nice puzzle to add to the game's variety, except there is nothing for you to solve. All you got to do is wander around the forest until you find Old Man Willow. Well, that's lame and boring. I guess there are some giant spiders to fight to help you level up, but how about some clues or a riddle to help us solve the mystery of the forest? Why is it just bland exploration? This happens a lot in this game.
But when you make it to Old Man Willow, you expect some kind of battle. A boss fight for sure, right? Nope, you just wander around until Tom Bombadil comes and sings his song. That is the first sign that this games lacks, you guessed it, boss battles. There are no boss battles whatsoever. Expecting a big fight as Gandalf against the Balrog? Sorry, got to play the PS2 or even the Snes versions for that. What could be boss fights just end up as cutscenes. Lame. And most of the exploration is uneventful and unexciting. You just get lost and eventually find your way to point B.
And then there are the treasure chests. You will find some treasure chests scattered along the journey, but guess what? You'll notice that you can't open them. Yup, the treasure chests don't open. Of course they don't. Why would they? It's not like in any other rpg treasure chests contain useful items and gold and what have you. Nope, in this game, they are for decoration only. B.S. It would have been nice to find some possible new weapons, armor and gold, but nope not in these chests. That's almost like finding the most powerful sword in a cave, wedged in a rock. Yet, your character wouldn't be able to do anything with because the developers though it would be funny to tease the hell out of you. That's just brutal. The chests are pointless.
Oh, but I haven't gotten to the best part yet. Ready for this? In the Mines of Moria, I remember distinctly entering a room that I was sure was the way to advance. The game froze up on me as soon as I entered. It froze. IT #$%@!@# FROZE UP!!! A portable handheld game. I was flustered and shocked. Never before have I experienced this in a handheld system. Sure, I've come across the freezing bug on pc games, but those made sense since they lacked the right matching specs. This game was tailor-made for the advance, but it came with that one glaring bug. And yes, that room was the only way to progress. I had just about given up on the game at that point. I looked up some help on the internet to get past the glitch and was able to progress and finish the game. As it turned out, I wasn't far off. The game ends not long after you get out of the Mines and it ends abruptly and strangely.
Bottom line: This game sucks!!! The battles are unexciting and stale, the exploration is dull and limited, anyway, the treasure chests don't add to anything but decoration, the sound and music aren't that great, there are no puzzles or strategy whatsoever, no boss battles and it freezes up. At one point, it seemed like a great idea to be able to control all nine members of the fellowship during combat, but it doesn't add to the excitement. It merely adds to the tedium, because you have to go through each one to make their mark. Is it ironic that Betrayal at Krondor is a better Lord of the Rings game than Lord of the Rings? Well this version is terrible anyway, which is really sad when you think how easy it would be for this story to be turned into game. And that is the bad rpg.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Good RPG
Okay, okay, I recall having once said I would write a couple of reviews titled Good RPG/Bad RPG. I also recall that was a couple of weekends. My apologies. I am now finally getting to it. I promise Bad RPG will be tomorrow night. But for now, let us look at a good rpg video game. The game in question is an old nostalgic favorite that I find myself returning to again and again. That game is Betrayal at Krondor.
For those that don't know this game, Betrayal at Krondor came out in the early 90s for the MS-Dos systems and was based on an epic fantasy series by author Raymond E. Feist. The series is referred to as the Riftwar Saga which is about kingdoms fighting other worldly foes from a different dimension and the undead and what have you. I eventually read those first four books later on and at first I wasn't sure if I was reading the Hobbit or Fellowship of the Ring or both. The bottom line is that they are pretty standard fantasy affair. However, the game itself takes place many years later and is more quest-based and less epic war-based. Now with that brief back story out of the way, let us get on with the back story for my experience with the game.
Betrayal at Krondor was one of the earliest video games that I owned. Technically, it belongs to my Dad seeing as how he bought it. But, seeing as how I am the only one that actually plays it, I think that's kind of moot at this point. Anyway, this was a new experience for my brother and myself. At the time, the only video games we actually owned were adventure games such as Day of the Tentacle and Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis. Betrayal at Krondor was definitely a whole new breed of game for us. It was our very first role-playing video game and we had no idea what we were supposed to be doing. I remember a lot of clicking and thinking that clicking was going to get us places. But apparently, we had to fight in this game unlike in the adventure games which was mostly puzzle-based and quickly we died. Most of the time we selected the auto fight option and watch our characters fall in battle. As you can tell, we didn't make it very far in this game. Yet, we were hooked by its atmosphere and music. I was hooked at the very least. We kept coming back to it and trying again until the computers eventually upgraded and we could no longer get the game to work. Sad day. That was in 1996 or 97. I would be unable to get the game to work again until late 2004 when I discovered the miracle of the Dosbox emulator. And once more, Krondor was alive and kicking. By this point, I had played so many other rpg video games that I had a better understanding of how Krondor was supposed to play. I no longer relied on a hopeful auto fight system and controlled the characters in the battle.
Now, let us talk about the gameplay of his ancient masterpiece. As I stated, Betrayal at Krondor is a role-playing video game with all of that leveling up jazz. The combat is turn based and certainly stresses your tactician skills. You'll have at least two characters who are swordsmen and one magician. Oh and the swordsmen can also shoot arrows too which is nice. Another nice feature the leveling system had in this game involved leveling up by practice instead of experience. The more you practiced your swordplay, spell casting and barding, the higher your stats increase. I thought it was a nice system as I felt I was leveling more often than I usually do in rpg's. Now, I'll be honest about something. I am usually picky when it comes to turn-based combat or gameplay in general. My first experience with Pokemon was dull. I was thinking, "What do you mean I gotta wait my turn? That's bullshit, that's not how combat goes." I thought it was slow and unexciting as opposed to the fast paced, sword swinging action of Zelda. However, as I have played other rpg's, I grew to enjoy the turn based combat in some respects. Krondor is certainly one of them. I don't know why, maybe it's because I do like strategizing a bit during combat which is plentiful here. Also, it always feels exciting and not overly long (unless your character and the enemy A.I. constantly miss each other in combat, then, there might be a wait). Either way, I enjoyed the combat in this game once I finally understood it.
The other half of the gameplay is exploring and conversing. The game is played from a first person perspective during these phases, but during combat, it is third person. You spend a good portion of the game wandering from town to town, collecting a variety of items for use or sale, engaging in combat and chatting it up with the people of the world. And as typical of rpgs, there are optional side quests which bequeath their own rewards and expand upon the world in this game. I personally enjoyed exploring this world and searching for its secrets. It certainly has quite a bit to check out. One of my favorite things are the riddle chests. I love puzzle-solving and felt that was a great way to get loot from the treasure chests. A lot of the riddle-locked chests held some of the better prizes, anyway. There was certainly a lot one can do in this world that would keep them entertained for hours on end. I was even able to exploit a money-making scheme with one of the shopkeepers by selling them the parts for a specialized bow. You buy back the parts at cheaper prices, string the bow and sell it back for a higher price. Repeat the process and you'll be rolling in dough. And then you can go out and buy all of the expensive spells for your mage to stock up on. See what I mean? Lots to do and discover. It certainly makes for a wonderful playing experience.
But what is the story of this game? Well, it's like this. A faction of dark elves decide they want to overthrow the good kingdoms. However, one member of this faction doesn't like it and decides to warn the good guys of the uprising. Gorath the good dark elf is then escorted around all over the land until they can find out what's really happening and put an end to the uprising. That's it in a nutshell, anyway. It is a fun little fantasy romp, I'll say that.
What really made this game for me, however, was the sound and atmosphere. Okay, screw 'was', it still makes the game for me to this day. The music plays wonderfully like it belongs in a fabled Arthurian tale. Any time I feel the urge of classic fantasy rpg game, I instantly think of this wonderful music that is so easy on the ears and so epic at the same time. The graphics and atmosphere have a more western medieval feel to them than the cartoony anime style most rpgs use. And it doesn't hurt that most of the cut scenes and text are surrounded by pages. This makes the game feel like interacting with a fantasy novel. It just feels unique like this. This comes the closest to a classic sword and sorcery game that I sometimes crave.
So, what don't I like about this game? Yes, there is one thing. It is the fact that it feels slow sometimes when you are wandering around. Yeah, I know it is an old dungeon crawler, but there were moments when I felt like I was on the road just a little too long. It takes away from the overall experience only slightly. Otherwise, the rest of the game is perfect as is.
Well, not much more to say, really. This is a classic from childhood that I pull out over the years any time I get that urge. In between those years when I couldn't get it to work, I searched for many rpgs that matched this game to try and get the fix. But, none were able to match up, sadly enough. Krondor truly is unique on its own. Tomorrow, we look at a Bad Rpg that I tried to use to fill in the gaps of Krondor.
For those that don't know this game, Betrayal at Krondor came out in the early 90s for the MS-Dos systems and was based on an epic fantasy series by author Raymond E. Feist. The series is referred to as the Riftwar Saga which is about kingdoms fighting other worldly foes from a different dimension and the undead and what have you. I eventually read those first four books later on and at first I wasn't sure if I was reading the Hobbit or Fellowship of the Ring or both. The bottom line is that they are pretty standard fantasy affair. However, the game itself takes place many years later and is more quest-based and less epic war-based. Now with that brief back story out of the way, let us get on with the back story for my experience with the game.
Betrayal at Krondor was one of the earliest video games that I owned. Technically, it belongs to my Dad seeing as how he bought it. But, seeing as how I am the only one that actually plays it, I think that's kind of moot at this point. Anyway, this was a new experience for my brother and myself. At the time, the only video games we actually owned were adventure games such as Day of the Tentacle and Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis. Betrayal at Krondor was definitely a whole new breed of game for us. It was our very first role-playing video game and we had no idea what we were supposed to be doing. I remember a lot of clicking and thinking that clicking was going to get us places. But apparently, we had to fight in this game unlike in the adventure games which was mostly puzzle-based and quickly we died. Most of the time we selected the auto fight option and watch our characters fall in battle. As you can tell, we didn't make it very far in this game. Yet, we were hooked by its atmosphere and music. I was hooked at the very least. We kept coming back to it and trying again until the computers eventually upgraded and we could no longer get the game to work. Sad day. That was in 1996 or 97. I would be unable to get the game to work again until late 2004 when I discovered the miracle of the Dosbox emulator. And once more, Krondor was alive and kicking. By this point, I had played so many other rpg video games that I had a better understanding of how Krondor was supposed to play. I no longer relied on a hopeful auto fight system and controlled the characters in the battle.
Now, let us talk about the gameplay of his ancient masterpiece. As I stated, Betrayal at Krondor is a role-playing video game with all of that leveling up jazz. The combat is turn based and certainly stresses your tactician skills. You'll have at least two characters who are swordsmen and one magician. Oh and the swordsmen can also shoot arrows too which is nice. Another nice feature the leveling system had in this game involved leveling up by practice instead of experience. The more you practiced your swordplay, spell casting and barding, the higher your stats increase. I thought it was a nice system as I felt I was leveling more often than I usually do in rpg's. Now, I'll be honest about something. I am usually picky when it comes to turn-based combat or gameplay in general. My first experience with Pokemon was dull. I was thinking, "What do you mean I gotta wait my turn? That's bullshit, that's not how combat goes." I thought it was slow and unexciting as opposed to the fast paced, sword swinging action of Zelda. However, as I have played other rpg's, I grew to enjoy the turn based combat in some respects. Krondor is certainly one of them. I don't know why, maybe it's because I do like strategizing a bit during combat which is plentiful here. Also, it always feels exciting and not overly long (unless your character and the enemy A.I. constantly miss each other in combat, then, there might be a wait). Either way, I enjoyed the combat in this game once I finally understood it.
The other half of the gameplay is exploring and conversing. The game is played from a first person perspective during these phases, but during combat, it is third person. You spend a good portion of the game wandering from town to town, collecting a variety of items for use or sale, engaging in combat and chatting it up with the people of the world. And as typical of rpgs, there are optional side quests which bequeath their own rewards and expand upon the world in this game. I personally enjoyed exploring this world and searching for its secrets. It certainly has quite a bit to check out. One of my favorite things are the riddle chests. I love puzzle-solving and felt that was a great way to get loot from the treasure chests. A lot of the riddle-locked chests held some of the better prizes, anyway. There was certainly a lot one can do in this world that would keep them entertained for hours on end. I was even able to exploit a money-making scheme with one of the shopkeepers by selling them the parts for a specialized bow. You buy back the parts at cheaper prices, string the bow and sell it back for a higher price. Repeat the process and you'll be rolling in dough. And then you can go out and buy all of the expensive spells for your mage to stock up on. See what I mean? Lots to do and discover. It certainly makes for a wonderful playing experience.
But what is the story of this game? Well, it's like this. A faction of dark elves decide they want to overthrow the good kingdoms. However, one member of this faction doesn't like it and decides to warn the good guys of the uprising. Gorath the good dark elf is then escorted around all over the land until they can find out what's really happening and put an end to the uprising. That's it in a nutshell, anyway. It is a fun little fantasy romp, I'll say that.
What really made this game for me, however, was the sound and atmosphere. Okay, screw 'was', it still makes the game for me to this day. The music plays wonderfully like it belongs in a fabled Arthurian tale. Any time I feel the urge of classic fantasy rpg game, I instantly think of this wonderful music that is so easy on the ears and so epic at the same time. The graphics and atmosphere have a more western medieval feel to them than the cartoony anime style most rpgs use. And it doesn't hurt that most of the cut scenes and text are surrounded by pages. This makes the game feel like interacting with a fantasy novel. It just feels unique like this. This comes the closest to a classic sword and sorcery game that I sometimes crave.
So, what don't I like about this game? Yes, there is one thing. It is the fact that it feels slow sometimes when you are wandering around. Yeah, I know it is an old dungeon crawler, but there were moments when I felt like I was on the road just a little too long. It takes away from the overall experience only slightly. Otherwise, the rest of the game is perfect as is.
Well, not much more to say, really. This is a classic from childhood that I pull out over the years any time I get that urge. In between those years when I couldn't get it to work, I searched for many rpgs that matched this game to try and get the fix. But, none were able to match up, sadly enough. Krondor truly is unique on its own. Tomorrow, we look at a Bad Rpg that I tried to use to fill in the gaps of Krondor.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
The Dark Crow Synopsis Revealed
In a comic book world, super heroes and super villains are always locked in a never ending battle of wills...and super powers. Usually, the villains set up some elaborate scheme to take down the heroes and the heroes usually win. Superheroes also always get the drop on normal muggers and bank robbers without breaking a sweat. But what happens when some desperate mugger actually murders a super hero at point blank? Everyone, including the super criminals, are out for that person's blood. Things only get interesting when that same schmoe decides to don the costume of the fallen hero in a desperate, but futile attempt to make them all believe their beloved hero is still alive. Quickly, he becomes entangled in a city-wide conspiracy involving super heroes, villains and politicians alike while trying to balance his own bank robbing lifestyle with his new super heroic extracurricular activities.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Camera 101 Workshop Repost
I decided to repost this for my friend, David. I promise I'll have something new posted for tomorrow. The holidays have thrown me off just a bit.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
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