The Bowlingotter Blog

2013 Finished Games Post - Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon

Games I’ve finished in 2013:

1/15 - ZombiU [Wii U]

2/13 - Omerta: City of Gangsters [PC]

2/29 - Valkyria Chronicles [PS3]

3/19 - Batman: Arkham City [PC]

3/23 - Orcs Must Die! 2 [PC]

3/29 - Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC [PC]

4/3 - Dead Space 3 [PC]

4/10 - Dead Space 3: Awakening DLC [PC]

4/25 - Surgeon Simulator 2013 [PC]

4/29 - Professor Layton and the Curious Village [3DS]

5/1 - Theatrhythm Final Fantasy [3DS]

5/3 - Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon [PC]

This game is in a peculiar state, almost entirely because it carries the “Far Cry 3” name in its title. The plot has nothing at all to do with Far Cry 3. It’s a parody of 80’s future thrillers and is quite silly in a lot of places.

On the other hand, much of the gameplay is very Far Cry 3. There’s lot of sneaking and the shooting is, obviously, the same (not to mention the driving). It’s very short (you can get through the primary campaign in about 3 hours), and it’s quite linear when compared to Far Cry 3.

But it’s only $15 - and that’s not a sale, it’s actually only $15. And the recreation of the 80s sci-fi thriller world is oh-so accurate. The soundtrack is SPOT ON. And in a nice touch, the NES-style cinematics fit the atmosphere perfectly.

It kinda feels like a mod of Far Cry 3, and thusly, I can understand choosing that title. At such a short length and such a great price for the quality, it’s an absolutely worthwhile play - particularly if you enjoyed movies like Terminator and Blade Runner.

I’m doing a full video review which should be up by the weekend.

2013 Finished Games Post - Theatrhythm Final Fantasy

Games I’ve finished in 2013:

1/15 - ZombiU [Wii U]

2/13 - Omerta: City of Gangsters [PC]

2/29 - Valkyria Chronicles [PS3]

3/19 - Batman: Arkham City [PC]

3/23 - Orcs Must Die! 2 [PC]

3/29 - Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC [PC]

4/3 - Dead Space 3 [PC]

4/10 - Dead Space 3: Awakening DLC [PC]

4/25 - Surgeon Simulator 2013 [PC]

4/29 - Professor Layton and the Curious Village [3DS]

5/1 - Theatrhythm Final Fantasy [3DS]

I use the term “finished” with this title loosely. I got the credits, so I’ll go with that. But there’s much more to do.

First, let me say that this game is far more entertaining than I had anticipated. I expected just a little rhythm game that might tickle my nostalgia a bit and will hopefully not be too boring. I played the demo 4 or 5 times before deciding to buy the full game outright. Zero regrets.

It’s a rhythm game through and through. But instead of just setting a little rhythm game to FF music and calling it a day, Square Enix went out of their way to incorporate all sorts of Final Fantasy standards into the actual gameplay. You get to customize a 4-person group that you can change before each set of music, and it’s complete with experience gains, level-ups, ability learns, and item finds. Even as the rhythm mechanics themselves are tons of fun, what surprised me most was how enjoyable it is to customize your party and experiment with different items and abilities.

It takes a while to get there, though, because playing through the “Series” mode - which walks you through each core FF title with 3 songs a piece - is incredibly easy. It’s worth it because it shows you the ropes, and you get to enjoy some classic FF tunes.

But the real fun comes in the Challenge mode. This is where you get to play the songs in Expert mode, and if you get an A or an S rating there, the Ultimate mode as well. Once you start playing in Ultimate mode, that’s a solid challenge. And that’s when messing with your party and experimenting with items and abilities really becomes useful.

There are also “Dark Notes” as well, which are pairs of songs in different combinations that appear to be in Expert mode. These are cool because they’re rare to find at first, and I’ve only been able to discover more by in turn completing previously-discovered Dark Notes. They also make use of the StreetPass technology and you can use that to pass Dark Notes to others who also own the game. It’s also cool that it keeps track of who discovered which note.

This game is flat-out addictive. It’s that rare title that really implores you to repeatedly declare “oh, just one more song.” If you’ve got a 3DS and you’ve enjoyed any Final Fantasy titles over the years, this is a highly recommended purchase.

2013 Finished Games Post - Surgeon Simulator 2013, Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Games I’ve finished in 2013:

1/15 - ZombiU [Wii U]

2/13 - Omerta: City of Gangsters [PC]

2/29 - Valkyria Chronicles [PS3]

3/19 - Batman: Arkham City [PC]

3/23 - Orcs Must Die! 2 [PC]

3/29 - Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC [PC]

4/3 - Dead Space 3 [PC]

4/10 - Dead Space 3: Awakening DLC [PC]

4/25 - Surgeon Simulator 2013 [PC]

What a crazy game. Far from a “simulator,” this one combines awkward/floaty controls - in which you have individual control over each finger - with the tasks of a surgeon. Simply picking up the tools for the job is ingeniously difficult to do. And then when you get that saw, why not cut out a rib? Or two? Or eight? Grab that lung and chuck it out of the way - you don’t need it anymore. You can empty out the entire body cavity. As long as you put the new heart in the middle after all is said and done, you’re golden.

This game is deceptively enjoyable. Nothing about it should be fun, but pretty much everything is. It doesn’t take itself seriously at all, and it’s all for the better. Then you can do all the operations in a moving ambulance with your tools flying around as the vehicle hits bumps, and if you find the easter egg, even do a heart transplant in SPAAAAAACE.

$10 for this guy on Steam. It’s dumb fun that’s totally worth the asking price.

4/29 - Professor Layton and the Curious Village [3DS]

Now here’s one that was a very overdue play-through. Lissy has loved these games for a while and has played them all. A while back, I decided to finally start working through the series myself. I got about 80% through this title and then got sidetracked for whatever reason. Well, recently getting back into my 3DS, I decided to finally finish this one last night.

Professor Layton’s system of puzzles is a veritable joy. The art style is pleasing and the twisting plot line is entertaining, but the magic is in the puzzles. They’re the sort of brainteasers where you often have to take out your brain and put it next to you to solve (not Surgeon Simulator 2013 style). If you’re not getting it, you’re not taking the right angle to the task. And virtually every time, if you’re stuck, just keep looking at it and you’ll eventually figure it out.

When I first saw these games, I thought that they looked kind of childish. But now I completely disagree with that assessment. This is a fantastic game that is not only suitable for anyone of any age, I’d outright recommend it to anyone who hasn’t played it. I’m excited to dig through the remaining three titles in the series now.

Falling Back in Love with the 3DS

I bought a 3DS at launch. I was so enamored with it at the time that I spent the first couple days just clicking around, looking at things like the setup menu and exploring everything I could find. However, the title selection at launch was abysmal. I found myself playing Pilotwings (which was easy to finish in a couple hours) and then everything else I played were legacy DS games.

Since then, plenty of solid titles have surfaced, but it still hasn’t enamored me quite as much as I’d expected. My wife still plays her a lot, but again, it’s still primary legacy DS titles. For me, I’d practically forgotten that I owned one.

One game has unexpectedly made me want to pick up my 3DS over and over again: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy.

Last week, I downloaded the demo on a whim. To my surprise, I loved it, and I played the demo songs repeatedly. I implored my wife to download it as well and she had the same reaction. So, I went ahead and ordered a copy from Amazon. It’s so easy to get lost in that game for hours. It’s much more than a simple rhythm game. For one, if you’ve played any Final Fantasy games, anything from the original NES titles to FFXIII, you’re likely to be inundated in nostalgia before long.

For me, Final Fantasy IV holds a very special place in my heart. After having played through the original Final Fantasy on NES, playing Final Fantasy IV (II US) on the SNES was not only an early experience on the Super Nintendo for me, but seeing the sequel to one of my favorite NES games in 16-bit glory was mind-blowing, and I beat the game multiple times. Hearing the music all over again in a new 3DS title brings back so many wonderful memories and feelings.

Theatrhythm revives select scores from those games in all of the beauty of their original state, completely untouched. It also includes a cast of characters from which to build a 4-member party to complete the songs with. Naturally, I immediately gravitated to Cecil for my party leader. But in true FF fashion, playing through levels with your party members earns them experience and eventually levels them up as they learn new abilities and increase their max hit points. And yes, these things matter in the more difficult skill levels.

You play through each core game in the series from I to XIII, each represented by three choice songs from their respective titles, plus excerpts from the intro and epilogue tunes. Not only does the music from each game that I’ve played exude loads of nostalgia, but after having played through all of the series levels in Theatrhythm, I’m more interested than ever in playing the FF games that I’d missed along the way.

And while the Series mode is relatively easy, the Challenge mode and Dark Notes can get very difficult quickly on the higher skill levels, so it still feels like there’s something to master. Plus, my wife and I can use StreetPass to trade Dark Notes back and forth. To top it off, there are additional songs available as DLC. Awesome title, through and through.

It sure has made me want to play my 3DS more than New Super Mario Bros. 2 ever did. I can’t stay interested in that title. The novelty of collecting countless coins also makes it incredibly easy because you’ll often get at least two 1-Ups for every time you die in that game. It feels like going through the platforming motions and that’s about it, which is a huge disappointment since that was the game that I’d expected to get me playing my 3DS again. I might go so far as to say that, after all these years, Mario just isn’t doing it for me anymore.

And then we get this bombshell:

A LINK TO THE PAST 2!

The 3DS is actually going to play host to a sequel to one of my most beloved games of the SNES era.

Again, I bought a 3DS at launch, and I don’t think that I’ve been this excited for any announced title since until this one. The 3DS is the perfect platform to showcase a Zelda title in the same old-school style of the SNES classic.

The enjoyment of Theatrhythm and the anticipation of the Zelda title have simply encouraged me to pick up my 3DS more these days. I’m even finding myself revisiting legacy DS games that I hadn’t finished. I’m about 80% through Professor Layton and the Curious Village and I finally feel driven to finish it (and play the other games in that series as well). And once again, to hearken back to FFIV, I’ve had the enhanced DS version of that game for some time as well and haven’t played through it. All of this just makes me want to give it a go all over again.

Congratulations, 3DS, you have my attention again. But now this begs the question:

WHAT HAVE YOU GOT FOR ME, VITA?? GIVE ME A REEEAAAAASSSSOONNNNN TO LOVE YOUUUUUUU!