But before you can play a game you have to buy it, and before you do that, sometimes you can even try it.

That’s the news today, as Deep Silver announced that their RPG “Risen” has a demo for PC users, and it’s available right now. It clocks in at an acceptable 1.1GB, but you should check the system requirements first.

The demo, according to Deep Silver, “lets players experience the dramatic introduction of the game where the nameless hero survives a shipwreck in a storm and lands on the shore of the Island of Faranga. Numerous decisions must be made within the course of the adventure, each one influencing the storyline in different ways.”

Start your Risen download over here at the Risen Blog

Nostalgia is one of the new titles hitting the DS this October, so it’s interesting to delve into the game a bit before the release. Set in an alternate 19th century, gamers get to travel the world in a hot air balloon, looking for treasure while fighting the forces of evil. It sounds like an interesting take on RPGs and will allow players to travel to Cairo, St. Petersburg, Tokyo, Easter Island and New York.  Now, I can go on and try to describe the game to you, but that would be pointless since we have screencaps and a trailer for you! Check them out below.

Nostalgia will be released October 27th. For more information, visit the website. Comment below with your thoughts on the trailer.

Developed by Piranha Bytes, the RPG features a nameless protagonists and as the trailer describes “Humanity is Dying,” leaving you in charge of defeating the enemies and saving the land. Well, at least you’ll have Gollum and Gimli to help you out.

Risen releases exclusivley on PC this Friday October 2 with an Xbox 360 version promised for “early next year.” Bummer, this is my sleeper title of the year, I want it now!

Priced at $79.99, this upper-tier package contains the game itself, a detailed strategy guide, an embossed flipcase with foil accents, and an artbook and CD soundtrack.

The strategy guide is a whopping 160 pages long and will not be sold separately Atlus says. So if you want one, act quickly and pre-order at your local video game purveyor.

Tales of Graces is a Wii-exclusive role-playing-game and is reported to contain a staggering 70 hours of gameplay. Not too shabby, especially for Wii RPG gamers looking for their fix between Zeldas.

I actually found it pretty hard to limit myself, and eventually spit out about 15 different ones.  The subject is so complex and the games so great (in my mind) that I could probably do a post on each game on my list.  I mean, just yesterday Marc did an entire post on Final Fantasy VII, which definitely makes my list of best RPGs and probably my Top Five of all-time.

Therefore, in an attempt to edit myself prematurely, I’m going to focus on the inverse today – The five WORST role-playing games I’ve played.  (Note that I did qualify the preceding statement with “I’ve played,” so fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your viewpoint, most of the SaGa and Tales games are safe.)  I did not include old NES games that were meant primarily as action-adventure games with some role-playing elements (so you’re safe, Deadly Towers and Hydlide) or games that weren’t “officially” released in the United States (Final Fantasy 2j or Earthbound Zero, although that’s a decent game anyway).  The list, in no particular order:

I just loved when Frodo killed wolves in the book.

- The Lord of the Rings: Volume 1, SNES.  Much like Peter Jackson’s trilogy stands as the definitive work that the bad, 1980s animated films pale against, so goes the SNES version vs. the modern games.  The action-adventure-RPG fails in every aspect.

Released by Interplay in 1994, The Lord of the Rings’ programmers somehow decided that Tolkien’s original work, which is admittedly dry in some spots, would be better if it was simplified.  Unfortunately, their judgment was pretty piss-poor in terms of what they chose to remove.  For example, gone is Bilbo’s somewhat terrifying reluctance to part with the ring at the start of the tale, and in its place is a simple sentence about how “it’s hard to give up.”  Sigh.

Stealing a page from the book of the Angry Video Game Nerd (NSFW), remember how awesome it was when Frodo fought a shitload of wolves in the Shire?  Oh, you don’t remember how awesome it is because that never happened?  Yeah, me either.  But like the video game version of Back to the Future, which has you dodging bees and garbage cans and plate glass windows, Lord of the Rings SNES has little to do with its literary or film counterparts.  As the full name implies, it covers the first third of the trilogy, but because of dismal sales, I imagine the other installments were never made.

I could overlook this aspect, except that the rest of the game is a steaming pile as well.  You only control Frodo, but all of the other characters of the fellowship join you.  How can that be?  Well, while you walk around, they’re given free reign.  Unlike, say, Secret of Mana, there is nothing stopping Gimli and Legolas from wandering off-screen and getting killed by a goblin or troll.  And this will happen constantly, because the AI is ridiculous.  You can hold the L-button to “control” your other characters, but this prevents Frodo from walking, and it controls all of them at once.  This is an issue when you have as many as eight or nine people in your party.

By the way, death is permanent in The Lord of the Rings.  In the words of Ivan Drago, if Pippin dies, then he dies.  There is no way to revive him.  Combine this with the idiotic AI, and it’s impossible to make it through the entire game with all of the fellowship intact without some serious luck.

There are plenty of other “fail” aspects to The Lord of the Rings.  Even though it is a SNES game and thus a cartridge, there are long pauses when switching areas and accessing the menu.  You can’t chose who equips what; if you acquire a new piece of equipment, the most “important” character (in the order of Aragorn, Frodo, Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas, Sam, Pippin and Merry, roughly) inherits it.  All of the character sprites are tiny, and it would be impossible to tell the hobbits apart, except that they wear different colors.  You do a bunch of crap – exploring caves near the Shire and Bree for stones to open up the way in the Mines of Moria – that isn’t in the book or the movies.  Even if you let everyone else die, Frodo and/or Aragorn can easily power their way through the computer’s also stupid AI.  The last battle is against the Balrog, but you can kill it if Gandalf dies.

There are two reasons to play The Lord of the Rings.  One, the sound is pretty good.  And two, Tom Bombadil is still the man.  He is the only character who doesn’t lose a god damn thing from book to game.  He still is a merry fellow, bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow; none have ever caught him yet, for Tom, he is the master, and his songs are stronger songs, and his feet are faster.

- Beyond the Beyond, PSX.  According to Wikipedia, this game now has attained a sort of cult following, although I don’t know why.  It bears the distinction of being the first RPG released for the PSX, but this doesn’t excuse its inferior quality.  The game is actually OK in the graphics and sound department, as it looks like it belongs in Sega’s Shining series.

Unfortunately, this is where the similarities end.  The gameplay is plodding, with the double whammy of a high encounter rate and long, meandering dungeons.  Enemy magicians are especially overpowering, as group-effecting spells can wipe you out in a single round.  Your own magicians aren’t as lucky, because there isn’t a ton of MP to go around, and you often have to save it up for healing and fighting boss characters.  Nothing comes easy, and all of these gameplay and battle system issues have nothing to do with its debut status.

Also, as I mentioned in my review of Black Sigil last week (yay for self-pimping!), one of Beyond the Beyond’s major characters is cursed for a good portion of the game.  It is as if you have a confused character in your party the entire time. There is a one-in-three chance that he attacks, freezes up or takes damage each time he does something.  The whole “cursed” thing is the insult-to-injury, pointy stick rammed into the eye socket aspect of Beyond the Beyond that pushes it from below average to cringeworthy.

This skull randomly tells you things in The Black Gate. It is cheesier than you imagine.

- The SNES Ultima games.  Yeah, I’m just doing a group entry for them, but if I have to mention one, let’s go with The Black Gate, the seventh installment.  It features a top-down, three-fourths perspective that makes me somewhat sick to my stomach while playing.  The font used by the game doesn’t help matters either, as its slightly-cursive tint, small size and prodigious length makes it hard to read.  The other SNES Ultimas at least have a legible font, although they all seem to use the horrible perspective.

The Black Gate is the usual non-linear sort of game primarily featured in the Ultima series, but the dizzying perspective and better alternatives on the SNES – like a decent port of Might and Magic III – allow it to earn its place on this list.  Besides, being non-linear isn’t the problem, as Quest for the Avatar is an underrated gem for the NES, and very first, plain old Ultima is serviceable.

- Legend of Mana, PSX.  Here is the secret to beating Legend of Mana: Have a pulse.  If your lungs work, then you should be able to stream roll your way through the game.  Even if you are a corpse, or some sort of ethereal being that only has limited possession skills, you should still be able to handle it.

Basically, the only requirement to beating Legend of Mana is having a working thumb with which to press the attack button.  (In fact, by reading the preceding paragraph the game might have rewarded you with an extra level or two.)  It bears little in common with the great Secret of Mana, and nothing in common with the quirky, comical and underrated Secret of Evermore.

"And then I had to go allllll the way uphill to the market..."

- Lagoon, SNES.  If you’re wondering why there are so many SNES games between this list and the section below, it’s because the success of some legitimately great games – Final Fantasy 2 and 3, Chrono Trigger, Soul Blazer, Illusion of Gaia, Dragon Quest 5 and 6 in Japan – caused some developers to just dump mediocre games on the market.

The people behind 1991’s Lagoon probably noted (or bet on) the success A Link to the Past to propel their paltry title to some increased sales.  Lagoon is an adventure-RPG; Zelda with hit points and equipment, or a more RPG-ish version of the PSX and DS Castlevania games.  Like Beyond the Beyond, it was one of the first titles for console, but this doesn’t excuse its sins; Final Fantasy 2 came out in the same year and that’s still great.

No, Lagoon would still suck if it came out in 1791, although the villagers of Salem would get some sick enjoyment out of screaming “Witch!” at its strange, rectangular form before burning it atop a stack of actual witches.  Your character can only move in the four compass directions, which is a problem when you’re trying to dodge fireballs and other attacks from the game’s later bosses.

In addition to the lethargic movement, combat is hurt by the minuscule attack range of your character.  A swing from your sword has enough range to disturb some flies in your general area, and not much else.  The hit detection is generally poor, and makes Lagoon frustratingly hard.

As suggested by my picture selection, the dialogue is nothing to write home about either.  Most villagers will prattle on about any old thing.  And yes, your character is called Nasir.  Hot, I know.  The only names of major characters I like less in the various RPGs I’ve played are Ashley from Vagrant Story and Poo from Earthbound.  (Maybe that list can be next.  A man can dream…)

- Also at least considered, seriously or fleetingly, for this list: 7th Saga, Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled, Brain Lord (since Enix somehow got that stateside instead of Dragon Warrior 5 or 6), Brandish, Breath of Fire 2 (the SNES version with the high encounter rate, minimal experience gains and low gold drops), Chrono Cross, Drakkhen, Final Fantasy (yes, seriously), Final Fantasy Legend 1 and 2, Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, Final Fantasy X-2, Grandia Xtreme, Harvest Moon, The Legend of Dragoon, Lufia and the Fortress of Doom, Lufia: The Ruins of Lore, Magna Carta, Ogre Battle, Paladin’s Quest, Pinball Quest, Romancing SaGa 3, Shadow Hearts 3: From the New World, Spell Craft, the numerous bad Star Trek games, Suikoden IV, Uncharted Waters, Vagrant Story and Valkyrie Profile.

However, critically speaking, the over the shoulder shooter mechanics could be frustrating at times, especially at lower levels when pumping rounds into a nearby enemy with any precision was a task in and of itself.  I played Mass Effect for its RPG elements and the somewhat flawed shooter experience was only a mere detriment to my experience, however BioWare has monumental plans for the sequel to bring the shooter feel to the forefront.

Speaking at GDC yesterday in an interview with IGN, Ray Muzkya of BioWare explained that, of the “bigger buckets of things we’re working on” for Mass Effect 2, perhaps the most important is the way the game feels in terms of its shooting and its action.

“One of them is the intensity of the action, amping that up so people will see this as a shooter RPG”, he said. “It’s going to feel like shooter fans are going to have a great experience”.

Sadly, BioWare made no mention of anything to do with their other project, Star Wars: The Old Republic, but as always keep checking back for future details.

via Kotaku, IGN interview

Blue Dragon Plus is the sequel to Blue Dragon, a 2007 RPG for the Xbox 360, and its story picks up a year after the events of that game, with very similar premises. Shu, a generic spiky-haired anime hero must set out to save the world from certain doom in the wake of the destruction wreaked by purple-skinned super villain Nene through the course of the first game. For those returning to the franchise, a good chunk of the heroes and villains in this game are familiar faces from the original, and for those newcomers, everybody’s talents and place in the story are explained at length and easy to pick up. The most relevant common element are the Shadow powers the characters have, which are big animal spirits that each party member can summon to unleash special abilities in battle. Shu’s manifests itself as a big, blue dragon-hence the game title.

The game takes place on a big mechanical space cube infested with hostile mecha-robos programmed for wanton destruction. Shu and company must investigate the old technology on this cube and shut its down while preventing the robots from escaping and bombing their home city. Also, Nene comes back to life and you get to fight him all over again. There are twists, turns, friends become enemies, enemies become friends…a fairly standard RPG story.

Progression through the game is broken into two parts: individual combat stages and a map screen connecting all the stages and showing how your parties move around between them. The combat stages are where the RTS elements come into play, and generally where the story unfolds, and the map stage is where all the RPG stats tweaking, character adjustment and item organization happens.

Because combat is RTS-style, every combat encounter is a wide stage with a pre-set number of enemies against the members of your party, the number of which changes according to the story and to your adjustments. Now, as anybody who has ever fallen victim to a Zergling rush will tell you, there is strength in numbers in any RTS game, and what this means for Blue Dragon Plus is that there are a lot of playable characters (up to 16 at times). This is mitigated some as the story forces you to split your party up into 2-4 groups to explore different areas of the map, but while a good group size is three or four party members, if the story leads two groups to combine, you can suddenly have 9 characters in a crowded hallway all trying to be part of the boss battle and all getting in each others way.  At its best, its like watching a 16-bit 3 Stooges routine, but at its worst, your best attack units will not be able to reach a monster because they’re stuck behind your healers who are on the front lines for some reason, taking all the damage.

The combat is a pretty basic point-and-click system with the stylus. Characters will automatically engage nearby enemies with a physical attack, and the player can activate more powerful Shadow abilities. These abilities need to be recharged between uses (so you can’t just spam over-powered ones) and are type-sensitive, (so, for example a ground type attack is more effective against flying type enemies). The system is pretty intuitive, but the game still does a thorough job of walking you through the finer points of RTS combat, even giving you tips on how to arrange your units in battle and which ones to pair together for optimal results.

These beginner tips and simplicity of the combat system mean that Blue Dragon is really more an introductory-level RTS game, and doesn’t have some features more advanced players would expect. The stylus isn’t the most precise instrument in the world, and will often select the ability or location just next to the one you were trying for, which, mid-battle, can be a little frustrating. Also, there’s no way to influence a characters point-to-point movement, which means occasionally a unit will decide the best way to get across the map is to wander through enemy territory, unintentionally leading all your enemies right to the rest of your party. And, if you are gearing up for a fight, there’s no good way to ensure that the first person who reaches the battle isn’t your low-defense healer and not the high-defense attack unit it’s supposed to be. The gameplay isn’t rigorous enough that these missteps ever become a real problem, or cost you more than a few HP before you correct them, but they do limit the quality of the RTS elements to a point so that the novelty wears off long before 30 hours have elapsed.

There is a sharp contrast between the amount of time the game dedicates to introducing the player to the fairly simple RTS combat system (a tutorial and most of the opening few chapters) and the arguably much more complex stat and item system (almost none: read your manual). There’s not necessarily anything there that is new to any RPG player, but it’s a familiarity the game assumes of its players, sort of like it’s an introduction to the RTS genre specifically tailored for RPG fans. Items can only be equipped in the map stage in-between combat, which means if you forget before starting a fight, you can back yourself into an unpleasant corner, but once you do start playing around with stats modifiers, healing and attack items and mixing and matching types of party members for streamlined combat, it’s hard to stop. Like any good RPG, there are a slew of stats to be built up (though when there are 16 characters in play, this can get maybe a little out of hand) and plenty of items that can boost your weaker areas, and even unlock shadow abilities of a different type to round out your party (healers can learn powerful attack spells, etc.).  There are also plenty of opportunities for exploring the map and power-leveling in between story missions, and, if 30 hours of story and a zillion playable characters aren’t enough, there are side-quests a plenty and the option to construct robotic party members with parts you find on the map. So, if you are the kind of gamer whose favorite thing to do is wander through the tall grass in Pokemon, endlessly capturing and levelling up, you’ll find plenty to play around with here.

Blue Dragon Plus isn’t a bad game; it’s just that at times there’s too much of it. The story relies too heavily on our interest being hooked from the previous game, and it’s difficult to really develop a character well through dialogue boxes, let alone when he or she has to share the stage with 12 to 15 other players. The RPG and RTS elements are for the most part pretty solid representations of the two genres, but the game doesn’t do anything creative with them beyond just throw them together (which was innovative two years ago when FFXII: Revenant Wings came out, but is now just sort of copy-cat). There are some good elements here, and if you have 30 hours to kill, there are certainly worse ways to do it, though there are definitely better ones too. The $30 price tag seems reasonable given just how much game there is here to sink your teeth into, but do some soul searching first, and make sure you have the patience for it.

If “because orcs are ugly” doesn’t seem like sufficient reason to put your life and credit rating on the line, Bioware has come up with six additional (though not necessarily more convincing–orcs are really ugly) reasons for your character to take up arms. You’ll want to think about these for a while, since your choice will affect far more than the opening cinematic. Each backstory will provide a unique experience throughout the final product’s sure-to-be-lengthy playtime, ensuring plenty of replay value . CYOA below.

From EA/Bioware:

BIOWARE REVEALS ALL SIX DRAGON AGE ORIGIN STORIES

BioWare’s Spiritual Successor to Baldur’s Gate Weaves an Epic Tale
that Begins in One of Six Different Ways

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (February 12, 2009) – Leading video game
developer BioWare(tm), a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:
ERTS) announced today the highly anticipated details of all six Origin
Stories featured in the upcoming dark, heroic fantasy Dragon Age(tm):
Origins. Each Origin Story starts the player off with a unique series
of locations, characters and events that establish their motivations
and lay the groundwork for the adventure to come.

With each Origin Story boasting several hours of unique game play, as
well as challenging strategic combat and exploration, these 6 distinct
preludes make Dragon Age: Origins the first BioWare game to offer not
only multiple endings, but also multiple beginnings. Players will
start their adventure in one of the following roles:

Dalish Elf
As one of the last “true elves”, you were content to spend your life
wandering with your clan… until a chance encounter with a relic of
your people’s past threatens to tear you away from everything you’ve
known.

City Elf
You have always lived under the heavy thumb of your human overlords,
but when a local lord claiming his “privilege” with the bride shatters
your wedding day, the simmering racial tensions explode in a rain of
vengeance.

Dwarf Commoner
Born casteless in a land where rank is everything, bound as the lackey
and thug of a local crime lord, you have spent your life invisible…
until chance thrusts you into the spotlight, where you can finally
prove whether you will be defined by your actions or your birth.

Dwarf Noble
The favored child of the dwarven king, you proudly take up your first
military command… only to learn that the deadly intrigues of dwarven
politics pose an even greater danger than that faced on the
battlefield.

Mage
Gifted with a power considered a dangerous curse by most, you have
spent most of your life secluded in the remote tower of the Circle of
Magi to be trained and watched closely by the dreaded templars. Now
your final test is upon you — succeed and prove your strength, fail
and you will perish.

Human Noble
Born to wealth and power second only to royalty, you find your
training in both diplomacy and war put to the test when your father’s
castle is betrayed from within on the very night your elder brother is
to lead the family’s forces to war.

The player’s choice of Origin Story lays the foundation for a profound
journey based on the character’s past experiences, establishing how
they perceive the world and how the world perceives them.  The choices
you made during an Origin Story will influence the way the game
unfolds, including different story elements, dialogue options and even
plot branches, providing a wealth of replayability.

Dragon Age: Origins offers an immersive, beautiful and often
threatening world in which the player will live out a fantasy of epic
proportions.  With six unique paths to choose from, the choice of
Origin Story will be the first of many important decisions players
will face in Dragon Age: Origins.

For more information, visit www.dragonage.com.

In 1996, Nintendo released Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars for SNES and decided to have an outside company known for their success in the genre to develop it. Sega must have taken a cue from that, because they went to another popular RPG developer, BioWare, makers of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect, for Sega’s first mascot-friendly RPG. While Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood is a valiant effort on BioWare’s part, it has several flaws.

The game has a few nods back to Sonic’s past, and not only his video game past. Growing up, I’m sure we all would wake up every Saturday morning to catch the Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon. One of Sonic’s notable traits in his cartoon was how much of a complete and utter asshole he was. Sure, he had a friendly side when he needed it, but for the most part, he was snarky, full of himself, and “way past cool.” Bioware titles are notorious for their dialogue sections — where you pick what the protagonist says in conversations, in a return back to the old Sonic cartoon, you can once again have Sonic be an ass.

This is a nice nod back to the old cartoon. In Dreamcast titles, from Sonic Adventure onward, Sonic has become rather flat and undeveloped as a character, and it‘s nice to see what BioWare does with him. Another nice nod to the old cartoon is the return of Dr. Robotnik’s SWATbots. I always thought they were much cooler than those goofy Eggman robots which littered Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog.

The music and graphics are good — nothing really special, but by no means bad.

There is a bittersweet mechanic involving special attacks where one must tap circles on the screen or follow a circle as it glides over a line in a very Elite Beat Agents sort of way. However, the biggest flaw with this mechanic is that unlike EBA, the tapping isn’t in sync with any kind of musical cue – Something that some players might find annoying, and it might take a few tries before one can successfully get the hang of initiating or dodging an attack. I guess this mechanic was added in to make the game more upbeat and “tricky” like some Sonic games are, but in many cases it becomes tedious and repetitive. This could be a turn off to more traditional RPG gamers.

The Star Ocean series began in 1996 with a Super Famicon release in Japan. Americans got to experience the sequel, Star Ocean: The Second Story, on PlayStation in 1999, but really this has been a back seat RPG series for Americans on focused on the other RPG series from Square Enix.

With a title now on the PlayStation Portable in Star Ocean: First Departure, we get to see a alternative battle-based adventure with some very good animation, voice acting, and cutscenes.

The game takes you to the planet Roak, where a group of friends — Roddick Farrence, Millie Chliette, and Dorne Murtough –are in the small town of Kratus. Bandits descend on the town, and you have to fight them off. Pretty simple stuff so far, but after the first few hours of gameplay, you get to board a space ship. The fun really starts there.

This is a very basic RPG with a few twists. As your character levels up, you get to spend skill points as you please to raise your strengths. Instead of getting lost in a half-hour battle every few minutes, the fights take place in real time and go by really quickly.

Old school Golden Sun and Shining Force fans will defintiely appreciate the look and feel of First Departure. With the popularity of the DS and the PSP, we get to relive the old school-looking RPG games, but don’t underestimate how good the graphics and sound are on this game.

After all, it is a Square RPG.

There was a time when Dragon Quest games would be compared to Final Fantasy games, as each series was the flagship of its company-Enix and Square, respectively. Those days are gone, as they have since joined forces to become the Square Enix many know and love today, but with the remakes of various classics from both companies past coming back to retail, some of the comparisons can start again.

For example, Square Enix recently released a 3D remake of Final Fantasy IV, originally a 16-bit Super Nintendo classic that was built using an engine meant for the original NES. Because of this, the game was nowhere near as impressive visually as either of its FF successors. They added voice work, cut scenes, and a CG intro to the Nintendo DS version that incredibly made one of the greatest RPGs of all time an even better experience.

While FF has always been about pushing hardware and innovation, Dragon Quest has been more interested in staying old-school, and the recently released Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen is no exception. Originally released as Dragon Warrior IV on Super NES here in North America, the graphics have been given a new coat of paint reminiscent of the original Playstation remake, and the localization has been revamped, but other than that it’s a bare bones affair (as far as improvements go) that plays like it was released in the distant past-and to be fair, it was.

Just because Square Enix didn’t go the extra mile with this gem does not mean that it’s a bad effort, though. The original game was innovative at the time, with four distinct chapters preceding the final-and longest-one. These four chapters are meant to introduce you to the characters that will assist the Hero (or Heroine, as you’re given a choice when you start your journey) one at a time, until you complete the four and start a new quest with the Hero you picked and named a dozen hours beforehand. This system is still refreshing today, but if you are not into level grinding, then it may be somewhat of a turnoff for you.

Equipment in Dragon Quest games is always expensive, and this game follows that tactic. The thing is, you need excellent equipment and a high level to take on the enemies, as you are not able to instantly revive fallen companions on the field for quite some time, and you will be ambushed by a screen full of characters thanks to the random battle mechanic. You will have to go through a level grind period four separate times in order to beef up your characters for their respective chapters, but thankfully, when you hit the final one, they are already leveled up thanks to your earlier work.

Battles themselves play out like most turn-based RPGs, with your standard set of “Fight”, “Magic”, and “Item” commands. You cannot select which enemy you are attacking, but you instead choose a group. Your AI companions are pretty good about picking the same enemy as you for the most part, and throughout most of the game you will not be one-shot killing the opposition, so that’s a good thing.

When you die in battle, you return to your last save point, retaining all of your experience and items collected since last time you saved, but you will lose half of your current gold supply.

The bank feature seen in more recent DQ outings is nonexistent, though there is an item you can collect that will allow you to avoid losing gold entirely upon dying. Until that time though, you might want to wade in the shallow end of the pool until you are sufficiently leveled.

 

As for the story, your nameless Hero is the Chosen One, and only he and his Chosen companions have the ability to defeat the evil power that threatens existence and the world you live in. You’ve heard this yarn spun a thousand times over since the time of DQ’s original release, but if you’re playing an old-school RPG for story, you’re barking up the wrong tree.

Nowadays, you need a story and a nifty battle mechanic to hook fans to an RPG, but back in the old country, we couldn’t afford to have both at the same time. Know going in that while this story is better than the DQ games that came before it-especially with the chapters game mechanic-it is nowhere near what you dealt with in more recent Dragon Quest outings.

Your characters are sprite-based, and it’s a good look for the game. Nothing in particular stands out as impressive visually, though Akira Toriyama’s character designs continue to improve, looking less and less like his work with Dragon Ball Z.

The menus are as simple as can be, both to use and to look at-this is only a disappointment in battle, as the battles could have run on the top screen with touch screen menus on the bottom, but instead, Hit Points and other battle stats are tracked on a plain looking menu up top. The lone change in that screen comes with the time of day in-game, as it will reflect what time the battle started, be it day, dusk or night. Overall, the lack of stylus integration is somewhat disappointing, but in a way it would feel out of place in a game that strives so much to retain its classic, old-school charm.

As for the sound and music, both are cut from the mold of DQ releases past and present. Dragon Quest, unlike Final Fantasy, reuses and recycles many of the songs and sounds of its past, which in a way, helps to perpetuate the idea of a Draqon Quest universe and style. Luckily, these sounds and tunes are top-notch, as Koichi Sugiyami has once again done an excellent job with his work. The soundtrack from the original DQIV is a classic anyways, as the orchestral version of these songs was released as a soundtrack, and is considered one of the best in gaming history. A

long with quality sound, the localization work is superb, and may be the best part of the remake. There are various dialects depending on region-you will travel to an area that sounds like Russia, as well as locales that evocative of Scotland and Ireland. It makes the dialogue of NPC’s fun to read, and helps to give some of your characters more of an identity.

Here we have a game that is easily the cream of the classic Dragon Quest crop, remade to be a more impressive looking 2D, sprite-based outing than it was initially. It’s a different angle than the one Square Enix used for that other number IV, but that’s intentional, as even DQ’s modern, 3D outings such as the eighth entry in the series scream old-school and hardcore. If you aren’t into the turn-based, level grinding scene, this game is not for you, but if you’re up for a trip down memory lane-or have never experienced DQIV in the past-this game is worth your time.

Originally released in 1995, Chrono Trigger sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide and received almost universal critical approval. It received “Best RPG” and “Best DS Game” accolades at E3 this year and looks to be one of the top portable games of the holiday season.

Story

When a newly developed teleportation device malfunctions at the Millennial Fair, young Crono must travel through time to rescue his misfortunate companion from an intricate web of past and present perils. The swashbuckling adventure that ensues soon unveils an evil force set to destroy the world, triggering Crono’s race against time to change the course of history and bring about a brighter future.

Game features:

• A masterpiece with an engaging and unparalleled storyline, leading to the discovery of multiple epic conclusions to a journey that transcends time
• An inspiring musical score created by Yasunori Mitsuda
• Intriguing battle system made possible by the unique combination of the “Active Time Battle” system and “Tech” skills
• Famed character designer Akira Toriyama lends his signature art style to create the vibrant world that has captivated gamers around the world
• Taking advantage of the Nintendo DS hardware, CHRONO TRIGGER makes its way onto the portable platform with all-new dual-screen presentation and Touch Screen functionality
• Brand-new dungeons and an Arena mode add exciting new dimensions to this timeless classic

Your uncle has apparently committed suicide, leaving you a mine on Luna Crysta, which is “booming” like a California town in the late 1800s. You travel to Luna Crysta to do something with your new mine. After you start meeting people, from the suspicious manner in which everyone acts, you start wondering about Uncle Jake’s “suicide.”

You meet a beautiful woman, (wow, that’s a plot twist we didn’t suspect, did we?) a sinister man, an oily official, a belligerent cop and an oh-so-accommodating bartenter. Your girlfriend whines on the phone, and your sister talks like she wants you dead. And that’s all in the first couple of hours! You do manage to meet two friendly faces, an older female miner, and a young Cephid child, both of who have heard all about you from your uncle, and seem willing to help you.

You have very little money to start, and you might be thinking of selling out. A trip to the casino shows you that beautiful woman is a blackjack dealer, who is welling to cheat for you, (at least until her boss shows up). This gives you a little money to start building up a “kit.”

All the while, people are out to get you. The oily official says he’s sorry out one side of his face, and suggests you pay for the damage uncle Jake’s death caused. The belligerent cop can’t wait for you to misstep, so he can “get” you. The sinister man reveals your darling sister hired him to get your claim — and the words “one way or another” run through your mind while he’s talking. The oh-so-accommodating bartender offers you a price that you “just can’t refuse” on any ore or crystals you find. And the beautiful woman? She’s been hired by the boss to get close to you and watch you.

Boy, do you ever need a friend, huh? Do you feel like you’re in the middle of an afternoon soap? Well, just wait until the game really gets started.

Dark Side of the Moon is mostly a puzzle solver, although there is plenty of opportunity to get killed along the way, so trust me kiddies, save, and save often! This is not a game you want to space out and forget, even if you think you’re safe because no monsters have pounced on you yet.

There are several mysteries to solve, (like starting with what REALLY happened to your uncle,) and various puzzles to solve. Very early on, the sinister man gets blown away, and of course, they think that you did it, so you become a fugitive, which makes for many opportunities for you to get blown to smithereens. That is cool too, if you get killed, you see your atoms floating in the cosmos, you state that while you are dead, you can’t stay that way, you have places to go, and people to see; and the big programmer in the sky-gives you another chance! How many games ya played that returns you close to where you were zapped-and doesn’t even penalize you?

Now for the bad points. There are 6 CD’s and you will spend a LOT of time swapping them. I would have liked it if they could have grouped some stuff you had to do more on the same CD. When you are talking to someone, as good as the graphics are, the action gets somewhat jerky, and I think the jerkiness shows up even more because the graphics are so good. If you don’t like “tongue-in-cheek” acting, you might be tempted to say that the acting is poor. I prefer, the sinister man is very sinister, the oily official ‘drips’, etc.

The movement and conversation are somewhat controlled. About half of the conversation on your side goes down without your control, when you are offered a choice of comments to make, I noticed that it didn’t seem to matter what you asked first, you will have to check every comment to exit this screen. As far as the movement, when you click the mouse to move, and you stop; look around, cause you only stop when there is an intersection, or when there is something next to you to look at. The reason I mentioned this as a bad point-this opinion will vary from player to player. Some people won’t care, some people that are used to having more free rein in the games they have played might feel this is confining.

The big bad point however — the game tends to lock up. When I first started to play, I got stuck in the same spot a half a dozen times; and I mean locks-up-need-to-hard-boot-your-computer lock-up. I finally had to uninstall, re-install, and start over so I could get past that one screen. I did some research on the web, looking to see if there might be a patch, and I did find out that it wasn’t my system. Enough other people mentioned it that it has to be a universal problem. I also noticed that I couldn’t play for too long, maybe a half an hour to 45 minutes at a time, and then Norton started to interrupt with messages saying that my memory load or CPU load was too high. I had to quit the game. My CPU usage was 97 percent and my memory load was 95 percent. I might mention at this point that I have an 8 MB video card, and a 450 P2 with 128 MB of RAM.

OK, so now you’re going to ask why bother since there were so many bad points, and I’m going to tell you why. Some of the bad points won’t be considered bad by everyone. As far as the lock-up glitches, I’m hopeful that SouthPeak, after working on the game for 2 years, will have a fix for these bugs soon. You don’t put as much work into a project as was obviously put into this one, without being willing to clean up those stupid bugs that crop up after production, though some beta testing might have helped.

I just would not let a few lock-ups keep me from getting this game.

The graphics are gorgeous, the sound is great and the story is quite good. If you like RPGs, or science fiction, or you just want to check out something different, give this game a try. I think you’ll be very pleased.

Quick hits:

Publisher: Southpeak Interactive
Developer: Southpeak Interactive
Platform: Adventure
Players: 1
Launch Date: Nov 30, 1998

Playability: 3.5 out of 5 stars
User friendly: 5 out of 5 stars
Sound: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Graphics: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
Ratings were determined in 1999

Ye Olde System Requirements

• Pentium 166 MHz
• 32 MB RAM
• 8x or faster CD-ROM
• 60MB hard drive space
• 2MB SVGA graphics for 640×480 resolution
• PCI or AGP video card with 2MB RAM strongly recommended

Hothead Games announced Tuesday that Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One will be available for download on Xbox Live Arcade and via Greenhouse digital distribution for the Windows, Mac and Linux versions next Wednesday, May 21.

“On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One is an RPG-Adventure game set in the deranged 1920s universe of New Arcadia, delivered to gamers via accessible episodic releases,” according to Hothead. “Players join Gabe and Tycho, the crime-solving team of the Startling Developments Detective Agency, to combat savage enemies and solve mysteries hidden deep in the sinister heart of New Arcadia.”

The game is based on the amazing webcomic.

Hothead says Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One is expected to offer players six to ten hours of gameplay and will cost $19.95 for the Windows, Mac, and Linux versions and at 1600 Microsoft points via Xbox LIVE Arcade

Bethesda Softworks has released new screenshots for the upcoming postapocalyptic RPG sequel that they resurrected after the demise of Interplay.

The game is coming to the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms at the end of the year.

Fallout 3 pits you against hordes of irradiated mutants as you seek out your missing father. It was a cult classic in the Interplay days and looks to be a top holiday season title this year.

“The update adds several new enhancements upgrading the game to version 1.03,” Lighthouse said in a statement.

Upgrades in version 1.03:

• Monster health bar instead of “wounded text”
• Low mana/health feedback improved
• Bugfix: unexpected monster health refill
• Bugfix: monster disappears
• Bugfix: planetarium laser
• Balancing: Kalios fire dwarf quest easier
• Balancing: Tertius boss monster in vault level easier
• Workaround: ‘disable videos’ option for users with codec/driver problems

The complete list of new features included in the upgrade, is available at the Lighthouse forums and at www.avencast.com.

Download the Avencast 1.03 patch (file size: 8.8 MB) FREE from Blast Magazine

Game sumary:
As the sun rises over Avencast, the renowned academy of magic; a young adept begins his perilous journey. In a world of wizardry, wonder and untold mystery, you must undertake some of the most diverse quests to hone your abilities in spell casting, weaponry and melee combat. Your martial skills are soon put to the test as demonic monsters of unknown ancient origin descend upon Avencast turning the academy into a horrific state of chaos and destruction. Armed with over 50 combat moves and spells, and a vast arsenal of equipment items, you must uncover the source of these ominous happenings while vanquishing an onslaught of fiendish enemies. Treachery and deceit reveal themselves as the vicious army of adversaries beleaguers your frail haven threatening Avencast’s very existence. Amidst the mayhem, an astonishing truth unfolds which will forever change the battle scarred Wizard.

The story begins as Neku Sakuraba, an unsociable 15-year-old boy, unexpectedly wakes up in the Shibuya shopping district of Tokyo, Japan. While trying to piece together his rude awakening, he receives a strange text message warning him that he will cease to exist unless he accomplishes a certain mission. Although he barely has time to grasp what is happening to him, he commences his assigned task in the mysterious streets of Shibuya.

“The World Ends With You is a cutting-edge, fast-paced adventure that takes full advantage of Nintendo DS functionality,” said John Yamamoto, president and CEO of Square Enix. “Square Enix is excited to bring an RPG set in modern times and real-life locations to gamers of all ages and abilities.”

The game will be anime-style set in modern day Tokyo.

Game features:

• Distinctive modern art style created by a team of artists led by Tetsuya Nomura, world-renowned character designer of the upcoming Fabula Nova Crystallis project which includes Final Fantasy XIII amd FF Versis XIII
• Innovative Stride-Cross Battle System allows players to control two characters simultaneously, unleashing special attacks with the stylus
• Collect a vast array of custom-designed pins, each with a powerful psychic ability that can be activated with the right touch or sound command
• Customize characters with Shibuya’s coolest fashions and exchange items with other players via Mingle Mode
• Experience an amazing soundtrack combining a fusion of musical influences from hip-hop to rock to electronica
• Battle with up to three friends in Tin Pin Slammer, an exciting and fast-paced mini-game, via local wireless connection

“World” will be available for $39.99.

Electronic Arts announced Thursday that Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (WAR) has passed 500,000 beta participants in North American and Europe.

“It’s fantastic that over half a million players want to help us with the development of WAR,” said Mark Jacobs, vice president and general manager of EA Mythic. “Their feedback will help us take WAR to the next level as we focus on refining gameplay, adding polish, and most importantly, making sure the game is extremely fun. We can’t wait to let them all into the living, breathing Warhammer universe that we’re creating.”

The anticipated massively-multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) from EA Mythic, is due out n mid-2008.

Beta testing resumes next week with a special sneak peek at the new Dark Elf lands and careers portions of the game, EA said in a statement. Developers hope to produce a successful online RPG with few bugs and finely tuned with a beta player pool half a million strong.

About the WAR:

War is everywhere in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (WAR), the new fantasy MMORPG from the creators of Dark Age of Camelot. Based on Games Workshop’s wildly successful Warhammer tabletop fantasy war game, this world provides a rich setting for hundreds of thousands of players to experience the epic nature of war and the glory of battle.Players are thrust into a grim world of perpetual conflict to fight for the Realms of Order (Dwarfs, High Elves, and Empire) or Destruction (Greenskins, Dark Elves, and Chaos). Next generation Realm vs. Realm game play ensures that players are never fighting alone. With an army of allies at their back, players will defend their homeland, invade enemy Realms, and ultimately lead the siege of their enemy’s Capital City. Every aspect of the game – every player, every quest, every encounter, and every battle – can turn the tide of the ongoing war and mean victory for a player’s Realm!

For the first time ever, players can engage in Public Quests – multi-stage, communal quests to be completed by allied players fighting together against overwhelming odds. They can also embark on an epic quest to complete the Tome of Knowledge and unlock Warhammer lore, detailed monster information, new abilities, rewards, and major story plotlines. Drawing from a quarter century of highly detailed source material, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning will bring Games Workshop’s fantasy world to life in a way that will allow players to create characters destined for great deeds on the field of battle.

To learn more about the game, please visit www.warhammeronline.com.

Electronic Arts is hoping to turn Warhammer Online into the biggest new MMORPG of 2008. Click here to sign up for the beta.

WAR is based on Games Workshop’s tabletop fantasy war game.

Gothic 3 needs a lot of machine to run as intended. The game has some absolutely amazing visual elements to throw at the player, but bit by bit, many gamers have to tweak and switch off these features until the game runs smoothly.

There are also some major technical glitches that can hinder gameplay, the most serious of which is your player becoming stuck under an object with a low ceiling, or on top of something you accidentally climbed. Thankfully, there is almost always a way to wiggle yourself out.

Finally, amidst rumors of memory errors and crashes on Dells, I tested and was sad to see that the game would not run on either of the older Dells we have lying around. On an old Dimension 3100 and a Latitude D610, a memory error prevented Gothic 3 from starting at all.

Seriously though, keep reading.

Notwithstanding shortcomings and bugs, Gothic 3 is actually one of the best open ended adventure games I’ve ever played. It’s a bloody shame that even the most dedicated gamer might get turned off before even swinging a sword, because there is a good nonlinear game under the hood with a barge full of replay value.

The game begins with a staple adventure game cut scene; the king is under siege and the mages scramble to channel their power on the defensive. The mighty orcs have conquered and enslaved most of the human race in the land of Myrtana. You, the unnamed hero, are one of the few free humans left, and with that freedom comes choice. Do you rebel against the orcish oppressors or stand with them against your countrymen? Or do you say “the hell with it,” and go off and live by your own rules?

The action begins immediately as your comrades arrive in the occupied village of Ardea, and the orc garrison immediately attacks you. The true nature of this game becomes apparent very quickly. When you engage the orcs, the human slave population rises up with you. If you’re good, and you pummel the Orcs quickly, most of the human slaves will survive and praise you as their liberator. If you get knocked down a few times and fight a long, bloody battle, almost all the slaves can be killed and you’ll be left with a barren wasteland of a town with a few people here and there. Fortunately, the population will replenish eventually.