After hearing news of this game way back when before Dead Phoenix was canceled, and no one hated P.N.03 (did you ever notice that when you say this game out loud that it sounds like Piano3?!), I was a bit excited. The same way I was excited about P.N.03.
P.N. 03 came out to little or no fanfare (barring Halverson and his Play gushings, which more turned me off to the game more than made me excited). I held off and held off until I got the game for $14.99 new at a Kay-Bee toys that was closing down. Not only is it a great game but one of my favorite GC only games. It takes long enough your first time through to feel meaty. Most of this is just filler in the form of training missions that can be removed through ignoring them. I will still pull this game out occasionally on a weekend and just run through the main missions. When I was working on it more frequently I could beat all the missions with little damage taken in around 1hr30min.
Viewtiful Joe (announced with RE4, P.N.03, Dead Phoenix and Killer 7) also delivered as promised even through I never bought the sequel. According to Hiroki Kato, “Production Studio 4 has a knack for creating very elaborate and detailed visuals.” This is very true the games so far. But what were we promised exactly with Killer 7?
“For the growth of the gaming industry. For GameCube. These words describe our initial thoughts. In an industry where you create to amuse and entertain, do you sense a crisis about the industry’s continuing regression of excitement and new stimulation?
“We believe that the regression of excitement is solely the fault and responsibility of we creators. By the same token, we believe it is also our mission and responsibility to create something that is ‘worth seeing’ for the user.
“In a market that has become prosaic with character dependant games and sequel games, we would like to take this opportunity to announce five new and exciting games for GameCube.”
So I guess this relates in one-way or another to the “Games Devolving?” conversation. Well more or less directly. We have a production company trying to change things up from what they felt was a stale market, and they were using the Gamecube (which these were all initially exclusive to) as the platform to advance … and regress.
After some issues with God (hurricane) halting me from playing this game (which I bought on 7/7 ho!~ho!), I stayed up pretty late last night and made it through the first 2 chapters. After tons of initial reports and word of mouth accounts from people with the Japanese version, I was not too excited to play the game expecting only to be slightly amused at best. I still don’t know what my take is on the game, but I do have some items to say.
After being delayed for almost 2 years (the initial expcted release was Winter 2003) I can see exactly why it was important to have this game look perfect. The visuals are unique and well executed. To be blurry, bleeding or have poor anti-aliasing would break this game, as it is the most important part of it, next to the writing that is. People are going to hate this game because of the writing. I re-read a GamePro review of the game (tangent: This review gave the game a 1.5 out of 5 with no score higher than a 2 and was then proceeded with a 7 page mini strategy guide… yea) sometime very early this morning stating that the story is that of “a feverish dream.” While not exactly incorrect it is only part of it. You are being asked to piece things together and remember a lot. On top of that you are asked to deal with many emotions, all of your own, none that are applied as a fake layer to the story.
These two things are mixed together with a play element that is also unique and ultimately flawed. Good thing it is not the important part. If you want to enjoy this game go into it thinking of it as an interactive movie. The play is about as involved as a point and click adventure with lightgun (via the controller) elements. Once accustom to the control the game moves very smoothly.
My only complaint so far is that switching between combat and walking has a bit of lag at times. In a game that is trying to make things as seamless as possible and aiming to bring the game closer to film in many ways it brings a level of frustration. Breaking the 4th wall as they say.
I don’t want to say I hate the game yet, and I don’t want to say I love it. I can say you will either enjoy this game or absolutely hate it. I know that is kind of vague and can be said about most games but, like P.N.03, there are really only going to be rare accounts of people in the middle on this.
So what are other people thinking about this game? The cut scenes are the most important part of the game as the FMV animation that reminds me of Policenauts (indirectly at least). Important note should be taken of the camera shots in the games and the framing. The personalities are quite a show taking center stage with reactions from outside elements in the form or carrier pigeons and sushi chefs (as of yet). You are reminded through writing that Dan Smith is “straight out of a Japanime.” Everyone is “bad ass.” The way Mask de Smith goes downstairs. New “awesome” characters are being born. I just hope that this story is complete and we don’t get a sequel.
I bought Riviera: The Promised Land. I caved in and bought it to play while my wife plays Harvest Moon: For Girls (both GC and GBA version), but the EB we reserved them at, and fully pre-paid at, did not get them in today. She is a might angry about it too. I don’t know if I will play Riviera or not. If I make it past the 10 hour point I will probably finish it. I mainly got it because it is already becoming somewhat difficult to find, and I think we all know how hard it can be to get Atlus games later. I am not sure why I got it really.
So it is finished. Done. I… just sat there. Looking at the TV, my wife asking if it is finally over. I told her yes, I think. There was a question mark at the end of The End. 
In another strange turn of events I have been working on AoS for about 30 min a night for a while now and just “beat” the game last night. I got the bad ending, and I did not even know that I was at the end of the game. I mean, I only have about 93% of the castle explored. 
