Tales of Graces f Early Thoughts

Alright!  So I snagged up my copy of Tales of Graces f this Tuesday.  So far, I have to say I am very pleased.  Being as I’m quite a few hours into it, I thought I’d give my quick early thoughts for those that may be on the fence for this title.  I’ll give my full review once I’ve completed it.

Story: Asbel is the up and coming lord of Lhant, a remote city in the region of Windor.  Windor along with 2 other regions, Stratha and Fendel, fight over rule of the world.  Asbel is quite the rebellious child.  He often spends most of his time doing anything his father does not wish of him, adventuring to dangerous places.  One day Asbel takes his brother Hubert, a smart but cowardly boy, and travels to a meadow near his home.  Once there, they stumble upon a strange girl who seems to have amnesia.

Final Fantasy 13-2 Early Review

After a night of playing Final Fantasy 13-2, I’m on to the third world so far. I’ve spent some time early on leveling and trying to master the Crystarium System, so I probably could have gone further. I thought I’d throw out my early thoughts on the game for those seeming to be on the fence for this title or might be curious about it. Warning: Story segment will contain spoilers of the first 30 minutes of gameplay, nothing huge but if you don’t want to read it, skip on to “Graphics”.

Gears of War 3 Review

The third installment of Gears of War franchise is both revolutionary and fun.  I’ve been through the mayhem of the first and second title.  However it seems like 3 kicked it up a notch.  So without further ado, lets get into this review!

Story: Unlike the other Gears of War titles, this title has some plotlines and twists.  While they arn’t novel quality, they definitely help to push you forward.  Right off the bat you’re introduced to the coward president who holds information on Marcus’ dad being alive, a video.  In this video he pleads for Marcus to find him as he has the key to getting rid of the lambent.  Throughout this installment, you find the lambent isn’t only effecting Locus, but also humans, so it’s vital to get rid of it.

Uncharted 3 Early Thoughts

The adventures of Nathan begins once again.  The 3rd installment of this great series launches today, and after I’ve gotten through 8 chapters, I’m here to give you a quick review of what I think so far.

Right when I fired it up, the first thing I noticed was a bit of loading, a couple of minutes before even starting the intro.  However due to preloading, the loading screens were non existant after that point.  So fret not when you see them.

After an action packed start, I quickly realized that the hand to hand combat got reworked.  I actually prefer to duke it out now (hah).  Using Square to hit, triangle at prompts to counter, and circle to throw and struggle.  I’m very happy with these changes.

Solatorobo: Red The Hunter Early Thoughts

So, played into my first couple hours of Solatorobo Red The Hunter.  So far I have to say I enjoy it very much.  So here’s a quick summarized overview of different aspects.

Story: Catchy so far.  The world is full of half human half dog/cat people.  Red is an adventurer (or mercenary) that does different jobs.  While on a job he discovers a medallion and a mysterious boy right before a humongous stone creature appears.  After a town is attacked by strange creatures, the mysterious boy hires Red to destroy the stone creature.

Gameplay: The gameplay is pretty smooth.  The combat consists of either grabbing and returning projectiles, or wrestling an opponent and then throwing them to damage them.  The maps consist of puzzles and navigating standard mazes.  While nothing hugely difficult has come my way, it does seem the complexity, challenge, and dynamics are changing.

Graphics: Best I’ve seen on DS.  I’m also enjoying the mending of 3D and 2D art.  It’s done really well.  While some may find some of it offputting, it’s got it’s own flare and I commend them for what they’ve done with this.  5 stars in my book.

Sound: I’m half and half on this one.  The music scores are great.  I think the random voice plugs are cute but some might find them offputting if they arn’t used to the cutesy Japanese style.  One downer, and it’s sort of a consistant one.  I’m running into some sound effects that just seem rough on the edges.  Such as the yelling he makes when Red does certain actions.  It’s not game breaking, but definitely not well done.

Anyways, for those that may be on the fence for this one, I hope this quick early thought can give you the boost you need one way or the other.  I’m loving it, and can’t wait for more.  Stay turned for the full review when I get through it ^_^

Gears of War 3 First Impressions

The 3rd installment of the Series that has really redefined the 3rd Person Shooter genre has reached my doorstep a couple days ago.  So far, it’s been a pleasant experience.  So I thought I’d shoot you all my early thoughts in case you’re on the fence for this one.

Story: It has one! Dear goodness, that’s right.  While not insane, the game offers a great plotline to keep you motivated to carry on through each checkpoint.  Marcus discovers his father is alive and he’s off to discover where he’s at, and what secrets his father has found to save the planet.

Sony Drops Ball on Vita Release

Sony has made an announcement saying the American date for Playstation Vita has been pushed back to early 2012.  This contradicts their earlier announcement of it being holiday 2011.  All I could do when I heard this announcement was shake my head in disappointment.

What does this mean exactly?  Essentially when it comes to mobile gaming this holiday season, 3DS is going to take front seat.  When parents make out their lists, and a portable gaming device is on the mind, 3DS being current gen and at a cheap $169, 3DS is on that list.