Thoughts, feelings and other brain farts...

So I have always been a huge fan of essentially any game made by Square, from Chrono Trigger to Final Fantasy’s I through XII. However in recent years it seems Square-Enix have completely lost touch with their fan base. Their games, when they FINALLY get released, are so far from what avid Final Fantasy players of old actually want to play that we have to ask ourselves, “What happened?”

Essentially the beginning of the end was the change to the second generation of consoles, the PS2. Final Fantasy X marked the first of many outings where the gameplay was extremely linear and the “Map” became little more than a tool that drives you to your next objective; FF XIII became the absolute epitome of this. Compare this to FF VII, VIII and IX where the “Map” wasn’t a floating bubble at the top of the screen that details the next objective but instead was something to be explored, it was a stylised ‘world’ that granted freedom and opportunity that just didn’t exist in games outside of the J-RPG franchise. It still boggles the mind that Square-Enix seems to have lost sight of this. So in light of your current situation Square-Enix, I’m going to offer some free tips:

#1: BRING BACK THE WORLD MAP

As I have already outlined above, the ‘world map’ has always been a staple of the Final Fantasy series and one that truly makes you feel like the story is unfolding on a global scale. It also removes the boundaries of linearity. You know that when you leave Midgar in Final Fantasy VII that your next stop is Kalm Town, yet should you wish it you can walk straight past and explore the area around the Chocobo Stables to the South. This is something that has been so sorely missed since Final Fantasy X, when they decided to forego creating a World Map, for the sake of “realism” and instead, reward you with a list of locations. Seriously, what is the point of creating lush and interesting worlds if you won’t give your gamers a chance to explore them? Which brings us to the next point…

#2 VEHICLES

Since the early stages of Final Fantasy, Airships have been an integral part of not only the story, but exploration of the world in general. But it’s not only that, the vehicles you can obtain in the games, while driving the story forward and adding to the enjoyment factor, can quite often be seen as a reward for gameplay. In most cases they aren’t obtained until many hours into the game and it is normally after having achieved some sort of feat, ie: in FF VII you get the buggy after escaping Corel Prison, the Tiny Bronco after defeating Palmer in Rocket Town, the submarine after the Underwater reactor and the Highwind after escaping the Northern Crater for the first time. Many of these of these are pivotal turning points in the story and as such ensure the vehicles make a lasting impression on the gamer. I can tell you the main airships from most FF games, though some would be forgiven for not knowing that it is the “Farenheit” in FFX, “Celsius” in FFX-2, and don’t even ask me what it is in XII because I couldn’t tell you. This is simply because the airships exist only as a list of locations and a quick glimpse in an FMV here and there. There’s no reward for the gamer whatsoever.

#3 MORE TETSUYA NOMURA AND KINGDOM HEARTS

Having created many of the characters we hold dear, Tetsuya Nomura is already an important asset to Square-Enix and one that we can’t get enough of. However, the Kingdom Hearts franchise is easily the best asset to SE outside of the Final Fantasy franchise and it is being bogged down by unnecessary sequels on inferior platforms. Nomura has been working on Final Fantasy Versus XIII for the last few years which has seen very little being released publicly and, while intriguing, seems like a waste of time and talent considering the open ending of Kingdom Hearts II, and the relatively negative reception to the already released FF XIII games. Released now over 6 years ago, Kingdom Hearts II was a huge success and a third installment has been begging to be made ever since. Instead, we have received a multitude of “se/pre/semi-quels” which either re-hash stories already told, or tell new ones we didn’t necessarily need to know - all on platforms that few serious gamers outside of Japan actually use. Which again brings me to my next point…

#4 STICK TO PLAYSTATION EXCLUSIVE TITLES

Why Square-Enix felt that releasing a semi-quel to one of the biggest RPG titles of 2002 (Kingdom Hearts) on Gameboy Advance was a good idea is completely beyond me, not to mention the additions to the Nintendo DS catalogue. The PSP release makes a little more sense. Again though, the story (while engaging) still has you wishing you were playing as Sora - and they are now releasing a new story based after KH2 on the Nintendo 3DS which would surely be better placed on PS3, or at the very least as an early launch title for the PS Vita. The whole situation makes the mind boggle as gamers who are loyal to Square-Enix find themselves having to buy every Sony and Nintendo console just to keep up with the stories, worlds, and characters that they love - it’s a waste of time, money and most importantly it’s being unfair and disrespectful to the fans who keep you in business. Following this trend, by the time Kingdom Hearts 3 actually gets released it will be on PS4 having skipped an entire Playstation generation, and expecting the fans to fork out an additional $1200 just to stay relevant.

#5 CUT PRODUCTION TIME IN HALF

This really isn’t a big ask, after all there are many successful franchises that release installments every 1-2 years, like Uncharted and Assassin’s Creed. Of course, asking for annual releases is unnecessary and can be to the detriment of a series (Compare Assassin’s Creed 2 to Revelations), yet it can work if you intend on releasing minor sequels with small tweaks to the original engine. Granted this has been done with Final Fantasy XIII-2, but that was a sequel that no one really wanted or needed - and again begs the question, “Do you actually know what your customers want, or a you telling them what they want in the hopes they will listen?” - not everyone can operate the same business plan as Steve Jobs. At the moment Square-Enix takes the better part of a decade to release a game and in that time, what little of the game is shown remains gorgeous to look at but story-wise is cryptic at best. If you are taking that long to produce a game for your main franchise then you better make damn sure you tick all the boxes and don’t leave the fans wanting…or you just might find that come Final Fantasy XV, no one will be buying.

First image of Henry Cavill in Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel” (2013)…if this image is anything to go by then my prediction earlier in the year for a grittier Superman story may be coming to fruition - exciting times ahead!

It’s been a hard day today, that’s for sure. Usually my posts tend to be light-hearted and film related but today lends itself to something a little more serious. Today I was forced to say goodbye to my dog Brodie, and I can tell you, it has left a gaping hole in our family. We have all had a bit of a cry today and my Mum has just been beside herself all night. Brodie, a completely healthy dog, had to be put down because he nipped the face of a small child - an act which is completely out of character for a dog that I know so well, and an act that I am sure, despite what anyone says, was provoked.

It’s a hard situation to be in and you never really understand the situation people are placed in when their pets act violently towards others. I will be the first to admit that I have seen people on the news who advocate for their pets who have just mauled a child, and thought what idiots they were. But now the shoe is on the other foot, and my baby Brodie, my orange barrel of a dog, is gone. Words truly can’t express how much of a loss I am feeling right now and its hard because I have so much anger and sadness boiling up inside but have no idea where to direct it. I can’t be angry at a one year old boy because the argument is that he is little and he doesn’t know any better. However I’m not angry with Brodie either because I know unequivocally that my dog DOESN’T do this sort of thing - and he would have had to be harmed to react the way he did. I KNOW this deep in my gut.

But the point stands, he “bit” a child (which was really more of a glorified graze), and we cant in today’s society let a dog live that’s going to bite a child, even in self defence. I mean after all, if a cat scratches a child even once we would put them down right? I was hit in the head by a cricket bat at school, I still have the scar above my eye - surely the boy at the other end of the bat should have been marched to the hospital and lethally injected no? Extend the same point into another context and the idea just seems silly, yet here I stand, dogless - and Brodie lies lifeless, and no one is to blame.

My Mum was put in an impossible situation, and had to make an executive decision to end Brodie’s life. This is a decision that I could not possibly imagine having to make, and even now I find myself trying to find a solution that ends well for everyone - but it would still be too late. The idea behind it is that Brodie now has a taste for blood, and he would act unpredictably in a similar situation - yet couldn’t you say the same about a convict being released on parole? Again, this isn’t a situation where we just end them. And I really don’t agree with the idea that they aren’t humans and hence their life is seen to have any less meaning than ours. I’m not a religious person but even I don’t think we have any right to say who’s life is more important than another.

Brodie was an amazing dog, and I still remember vividly the day we picked him out of the bunch at the SPCA (or shall I say, he picked us). He fought for my attention amongst the multitude of dogs he was squished in with, and I remember seeing his deep orange coat and the blue tint on his ears - which I can only assume was to tell him apart as either a male or a dog who has been vaccinated. As soon as they took him out of the cage he jumped into my arms and started furiously licking my face. I turned to my Mum and just said, plain as day, “Mum, we will call him Brodie.” And it stuck. Brodie chose me, and even though I’m crying as I write this, I feel it is important that I say what needs to be said. Brodie wont leave this world being thought of as just another dog who attacked a child. He will be remembered as the amazing, obedient, good dog that he was and is. It kills me that Brodie woke up this morning looking forward to another day hanging out with little Caleb. He LOVED that kid, and would have done anything to protect him. And he woke up looking forward to seeing him, not knowing that the very event will lead to him not being here now. I miss my dog more than I could ever express and I think I will feel his loss for a very long time to come, as will all our family members, cats included.

Brodie, buddy, I say this to you now as I’m sure you have access to Tumblr in heaven. I love you mate, you were such a good friend and you didn’t deserve to go this way. You will never be forgotten. Rest in peace buddy, look over us, and I’ll see you when I get there someday.

“The Amazing Spider-Man” teaser trailer was finally released online after it’s showing at Comic-Con 2011. Unfortunately the internet is still filled with uneducated idiots who actually think Raimi’s films are the epitome of a ‘good’ Spider-Man story.

Firstly, I am extremely excited about this - the inclusion of the death of Peter’s parents, Richard and Mary, into the origin story will allow for a much deeper catalyst for change come Ben Parker’s death as well as exploring a darker, teen-angst side of Peter Parker that was so well explored in Bendis’ “Ultimate Spider-Man.”

Secondly, if I hear one more person ask why Mary-Jane is blonde I think I’ll go nuts - it’s Gwen Stacy, and canonically she came first! The story seems to be fairly similar to the 2008 animated TV series, “The Spectacular Spider-Man” - which dealt with a teenage Peter Parker and his relationship with Gwen Stacy while they both work in a lab with Curt Connors (later to become The Lizard) - all of these elements are seen in this trailer.

Thirdly, yes, Tobey Maguire was perfectly adequate as Peter Parker but he hardly defines the role. He captured the nerdy awkwardness of the character (perhaps playing up on it a little too much) however he never really felt heroic or funny enough. Marc Webb and Andrew Garfield have the opportunity to show us a side of Peter Parker that we haven’t seen yet, and from the looks of the trailer that is exactly what they are trying to do. I for one, can’t wait to see them pull it off.

It’s been a busy few months and as such I haven’t really been Tumblr bound in a long time. However for the first time since moving out of home I’ve found myself interested in something other than work and rent so I figured I might as well blog about it.

Last week saw the E3 Entertainment Expo in full-swing at the Los Angeles Convention Centre and, although I wasn’t fortunate enough to actually be there, I figured I could pretend I was by watching the content online. And I have to say, it was quite interesting. There were a few expected appearances of game titles that I have been following for a while…and quite a few unexpected appearances that have me equally excited. Anyway, here’s my top picks from the show:

#1: Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception

This one is a no brainer, Uncharted is quite possibly one of the best game series ever created in terms of flawlessly integrating action gameplay, puzzle-solving and an extremely well-crafted, cinematic narrative. If anything, Uncharted has become this generation’s Indiana Jones, mixing archaeology, action, history and supernatural elements (and no stupid CGI animal sequences like Indy 4). This one follows on from Uncharted 2, seeing the return of characters such as series regulars Nathan Drake (obviously), Elena Fisher, Victor Sullivan, and returning from her debut in Uncharted 2, Chloe Frazer.

The plot seems to draw on elements from the previous games, with an important call-back to Francis Drake’s heirloom ring that Nate has held round his neck since the start of the series. The story revolves around, not only Drake’s ancestory, but also the journey’s of T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) and his apparent discovery of the legendary lost city, Iram of the Pillars (a.k.a. Atlantis of the Sands). This is a definite day-one purchase for me.

#2 Assassin’s Creed: Revelations

My next top pick is the fourth game in the Historical/Modern Sci-fi series, Assassin’s Creed, and the third and final entry in the trilogy of Ezio Auditore da Firenze. The story of main protagonist, Desmond Miles, has been on-going since the first entry in the series, as he attempts to re-trace the steps of his ancestors through a machine called the Animus and in doing so, help to end the centuries-long war between Assassin’s and the Templars. Assassin’s Creed 2 moved away from exploring Altair of 12th Century Jerusalem and chose to follow Ezio’s search for the Apple of Eden in 15th Century Italy. Since then we have had two games, Assassin’s Creed 2 and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, end with the most amazing twists and Cliffhangers that are just too good to spoil here for anyone who hasn’t played them yet.

The plot of Revelations follows Desmond who, now in a coma after the events at the end of Brotherhood, has been plugged into the Animus in a sort of ‘safe mode.’ It is up to Desmond to piece together his own subconscious in order to re-awaken. While he does this he re-lives the memories of a much older Ezio, who has taken to 16th Century Constantinople, looking for secrets left by Altair in Masyaf (The Assassin’s order from the first game). During this process Ezio finds ancient artifacts that allow him to re-live Altair’s memories, much like Desmond in the Animus. Hence players get to play Desmond, playing Ezio, playing Altair. The end of this game is said to bring closure to all previous games in the series while making way for Desmond’s story to continue with the coming events of 2012, as outlined at the end of Assassin’s Creed 2. This will again be another essential day one purchase.

#3 Tomb Raider

This title intrigues me as it sees the return of Crystal Dynamics, the publishers behind the successful ‘Legend’ and ‘Underworld’ arcs, plus the Anniversary remake for the first Tomb Raider game. This alone would be enough to excite me, however I was blown away by the announcement that the game will be made in collaboration with, quite possibly my favourite game publishers, Square-Enix! The same action platforming we have come to love from a Tomb Raider title, mixed with the detailed, open environments and strong narratives of your average Final Fantasy game - pretty much spells the recipe for a freakin’ awesome game.

The plot of this game is a complete reboot of the series and an entirely new take on the character of Lara Croft. Instead of the sleek, sexy and sophisticated Lara Croft of old, we are introduced to a young, inexperienced 21 year old Lara who is thrust into a situation where she has to learn very fast how to survive, and what she is capable of doing to ensure she does. From what is known so far, Lara Croft has freshly graduated from University and is in search of lost relics, one would imagine as a means of getting some practical experience in her chosen field (an O.E. if you will). Things suddenly go terribly wrong and her boat is shipwrecked on an inhospitable island where is forced to undergo physical and mental torture in order to survive. It has been revealed that the game will feature free-roaming in large open areas, as well as moving away from the mechanics of past games. Lock-on combat has been replaced with manual “free-aiming” and it has been made clear that Lara will start the game with no weapons and the player will be forced to use their wits and stealth to advance in the early stages. They will also be introducing a character progression system in order to gain and enhance abilities (much like other RPG titles). There is still a lot to be seen with this title but there is still heaps of time, it’s not due out until quarter 3 of 2012.

#4 Playstation VITA

One of two consoles that have peaked my interest at E3 this year. The PS VITA (PSV) looks to revolutionise the quality of handheld gaming, both in terms of what it looks like and how we interact with it. Basically the games seen so far seem to reach near PS3-grade graphics (at the very least it greatly exceeds PS2), and the console itself possesses, among many other features, dual analog sticks, a touch sensitive screen and a touch sensitive back (you really need to see a video to demonstrate how that works but the integration of a whole new control system is intriguing to say the least), Flash card based games (diverting away from the frustrating UMD format), as well as also having Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and in some models, 3G capabilities.

What’s most important is the announcement of it’s flagship launch title “Uncharted: Golden Abyss,” yeah Sony you just secured yourself a purchase.

#5 Wii U

The other console that I’m possibly mixed about but at the same time intrigued, is the Wii U. Yes it is true that Nintendo needs to be shot for it’s choice of names (though funnily enough ‘PS Vita’ seems to have copped more slack), one would think they should just cut out the misspelled attempt at subtext and call it “The Console of Togetherness” - seriously we’re probably a generation away from the “Hei U” and it’s handheld counterpart, the “Hoo Mii” (p.s. Nintendo, if you use that, I want royalties!). Names aside though, Nintendo really do seem to have a grasp on blowing us away with control schemes and the upgrade to outputting in 1080p with next gen graphics puts them on square footing against the other two giants, Microsoft and Sony. The new controllers look quite cool, think iPad but smaller. Seriously. The idea of playing a game like Zelda, opening up your inventory and having it displayed separately on a touch sensitive screen in your lap is inventive and downright cool, though I struggle to think how this might translate to other games.

As it stands at the moment, the console comes with one tablet controller and it is unclear whether more than one can be operated at a time on a single console. There are also queries regarding battery life and price (personally I’m not too keen on a controller that costs the price of a console to replace). The console though, does appear to be backwards compatible with Wii controllers - and one would think it would need to be, after all could you really play tennis with an iPad Nano and risk severely brain damaging a relative? In any case I’m excited by the new prospects being explored here, not an essential day one purchase but something I may consider in the future after an initial price drop.

NOTEWORTHY: Final Fantasy XIII-2

I’m not saying this game stood out for me at all, in fact it kinda faded into obscurity behind the more western titles being paraded by Square-Enix this year and if anything this game just really acts as a Band Aid for the absence of ‘Final Fantasy Versus XIII’ and ‘Kingdom Hearts 3’ (which arguably isn’t even in production until the former is released since it’s the same team behind it). But I would feel bad if I didn’t make note of one of my all time favourite series.

Now, Final Fantasy has lost a lot of steam in it’s recent years, due in part to the increase in technology. They are still the most beautiful RPG’s ever made with rich, detailed environments, however the stories these days tend to get overly complicated and less and less attention is being paid to creating deep, fleshed-out and likeable characters. They have also lost a lot of fans due to their failure to have an open-world airship/vehicle system since Final Fantasy IX, that’s right folks, it’s been 5 whole Final Fantasy games since we actually got to fly an airship, a staple of the series that has been a part of the FF experience since day one! Basically Final Fantasy XIII-2 looks to give us pretty much what X-2 gave us a few years back, Same world, same locations (though updated to account for the years past since the events of the first) and making a main character out of a more minor character from the first game.

This game sees us following Serah, a main, though unplayable, character from XIII who is looking for her sister Lightning (the original protagonist) who has gone missing (the parallels to X-2 are uncanny right?). Square-Enix claim that this title exceeds XIII in every way but from what I’ve seen so far I’m not so convinced. They have included in-battle cinematics to add action and flair (hardly original since Uncharted epitomised that ages ago) and the party members seem to be limited to two, Serah and a new character named Noel Kriess, plus the third slot can be filled by monsters that players can catch in battle along the way…so basically Square-Enix has taken away our airships and given us Pokemon instead…and even in Pokemon u get a fuckin’ bicycle! I couldn’t in good conscience buy this before the likes of ‘Uncharted 3’ and ‘Assassin’s Creed: Revelations’ - however my Final Fantasy fanboy status, as well as my OCD for having complete collections, will basically guarantee I buy this title, regardless of how shitty it so far sounds. In any case it’s due for release early next year so here’s hoping they take the time left to make it better.

So anyway that’s what stood out for me at E3, though I doubt anyone is actually reading this. In the odd chance that you are and you care enough to have an opinion feel free to leave a note.

I realise this has quickly become a Spider-Man blog but I really make no apologies for that - for a bit of nostalgia here is the opening credits for the 1977 Amazing Spider-Man TV Series - I remember watching my mum’s video of this as a kid :)

Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy get cosy in the bleachers:

Another shot of Andrew Garfield as a fairly original looking “Spider-Man,” this time fully masked (and if you look closely you can see his web shooters):

And we also have an image of Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy:

I eagerly await the release of this film, now nostalgically titled “The Amazing Spider-Man,” next year - as much as the suit doesn’t match the typical style, I like that it is being updated and modernized and I have full faith that Marc Webb will do justice to the source material. And seeing photos of the lead actors, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, in their respective roles further enforces how perfect the casting for this film is - gah! I just can’t wait!!!

Okay, so I feel the need to thank the team behind Supernatural season 6 for finally getting to the point. For the first time I feel like the current season is heading in a direction that is actually exciting (I had a similar feeling after the Dean/Vampire scenario but my excitement was quashed by the Souless-Sam reveal - I would’ve preferred a more Devil-Sam scenario). It’s completely understandable that it would take Sera Gamble a little while to find her feet post-Kripke and I think she has finally gotten there.

While the laughs have still been coming strong all season, this episode was a return to form in all respects, including seeing the return of the Sam Winchester that we all know and love, and the Alpha/Purgatory plotline was finally paid-off with the reveal of the Alpha’s endgame - namely, to resurrect their “Mother.”

Although the identity of the Mother was never expressly specified, a quick wikipedia search shows the “Mother of all Monsters” to be “Echidna” from Greek mythology, who gave birth to her children (monsters) as a test for heroes (ie: Sam and Dean). According to Wikipedia, Hesiod described her as:

“the goddess fierce Echidna who is half a nymph with glancing eyes and fair cheeks, and half again a huge snake,  great and awful, with speckled skin, eating raw flesh beneath the secret parts of the holy earth. And there she has a cave deep down under a hollow rock far from the deathless gods and mortal men. There, then, did the gods appoint her a glorious house to dwell in: and she keeps guard in Arima beneath the earth, grim Echidna, a nymph who dies not nor grows old all her days.”

Although this isn’t confirmed, this excites me as a possibility as it marks the emergence an enemy that can hold it’s own against previous ‘big-bads’ such as Azazel, Lilith and Lucifer. It takes me by surprise as well as I figured there was no way to beat Lucifer, Heaven/Hell and the Apocalypse but I hadn’t even entertained the notion of ignoring religious origins and instead aiming towards mythologies of the classical world. The amount of untapped possibilities within classic myths and fables are almost limitless, suggesting that if Sera Gamble’s team can pull this off, we could see a few more years of Supernatural yet.

I’m pretty sure this will be my new ringtone :P