Studio Ghibli and Level-5's Ni no Kuni (The Another World) PS3

Level-5 and Studio Ghibli has revealed that they are developing a video game, Ni no Kuni (The Another World) for the PS3 console. This is the same game that is also being developed for the DS, though it will obviously feature upgraded visuals and animation.

It will also support the new PlayStation Move controller, though little is known how that would work. It will be released in 2011. Check out the amazing 720p direct screenshots and the trailer below.

Level-5 are masters in JRPG, and combined with the story telling expertise of Studio Ghibli, I honestly can not wait for this game. They better be planning on localising it.

Jeanne d'Arc review

I finally completed my first play through of Level-5's Jeanne d'Arc. Seeing that this title may not receive a European release, possibly due to the low commercial viability of strategic RPG genre in this part of the world, I guess it is a good time to write a quick review on this Level-5 game so you can decide whether or not to import the game before it goes out of print.

According to Level-5, Jeanne d'Arc is a blending of reality and fantasy loosely based on the tale of Joan of Arc and her campaign to save France from the English during the Hundred Years' War back in the 15th century. The developers has decided to interpret freely the myths behind the legend and does include historical accuracy, as well as practising their artistic license. Henry VI's insanity for example is explained to be of demon procession nature caused by the Duke of Bedford. As well as the historical campaigns based on Joan of Arc, the game dabbles with plenty of fantasy based plotlines. The fictional War of the Reapers is one such example, a tale of a war between human and demons - which explains why the English conscripts are mainly made up of ugly monsters.


Gameplay wise the title is divided into chapters. It is very predictable really. It kinda works like this: Cutscene -> Confrontation -> Battle repeated ad nauseam. The world map is made up of towns, villages and other locations connected via sprawling lines where your party travels through. There are no random battles as per usual to SPRG conventions here and grinding requires you to participate in free battle locations. The party is made up of members whom la Pucelle meets during her excursions and there are no class or job system here though unique skills can be assigned. There is a similar mechanism to Dragon Quest VIII's Alchemy Pot where skill stones can be fused to create more powerful ones.

Like Disgaea and Final Fantasy Tactics, battle occurs on a grid based location and are turn based with EXP points are gained for whatever actions a character takes regardless of whether or not the enemy is defeated. Battles are condition based and does not necessary involve defeating all enemies. As far as gameplay depth goes, Jeanne d'Arc isn't very deep. It is a very traditional title - even more so than Tactics. You will be hard pressed to find the high level of customisation provided by other titles like Disgaea or the tactical skills required in Tactics.


Despite the reserved attitude, Jeanne d'Arc does introduce some rather intriguing combat mechanism. One such example is the "Unified Guard" where if your allies are close by, it increase the defence of the targeted party member. Enemies can counter attack, but if you attack from the back it decreases the chance of a successful counter attack and vice versa. Attacking an enemy target will also produce a burning aura on the tile behind the enemy, which another party member who attacks from the tile will be given a temporary attack boost. Jeanne, among others, also have the power to transform once per battle. This gives temporary stat boost as well as bonus turns for every enemy Jeanne kills. This gives a tactical advantage to the player when playing levels which has very few turn limits.

Visually the game is set on a rotatable square-based grid plane with full polygonal backgrounds and characters. While the cel-shaded characters are well done, personally I would have preferred if they have gone for sprites. The lack of emotional expressions is one of the reasons why sprites would have been better - just look at Disgaea or Final Fantasy Tactics. Both features low-res sprites but still allows far more detail to be conveyed when compared to Jeanne d'Arc's super deformed chibby characters.


Regardless the graphics still stack up nicely, a testament to Level-5's knowledge in pushing a console's polygonal power. The environments are detailed with French architecture suitably based on the medieval time period. This reassures me as at least now I know that Dragon Quest IX is in very capable hands. In between battles we have story sequences that are sometimes told via FMVs. They aren't too distracting (I am not normally a fan of prerendered videos in video games) and are well animated. Plus you won't find a more vibrant and colourful game than this.

The soundtrack is okay with very good orchestra-like collection, but gets very repetitive. Sound effects are exceptionally well done with environment details and what-nots available. Only the English voice acting is available for the US version, but like Dragon Quest VIII, Level-5 cleverly decided against an Americanised voice accent, usually favoured by other developers like Nippon Ichi America for Disgaea's English voiceover. While the entire game's voice acting language is in English, regional stereotypical accents is applied to provide nationality. The voice of the virgin one is provided by video gaming voice actress veteran Kari Wahlgren, whose CV includes Ashe (Final Fantasy XII) and Lilika (Rogue Galaxy)


There are a couple of issues with the games though. The directional controls for example can get a tad annoying. Pushing the d-pad into the direction you want the character to move may not yield the result you want due to the way the camera handles, which is why I am happy to toggle the camera bring a vertical or horizontal viewpoint rather than an isometric one. Regardless this is purely a personal preference and may not affect everyone. But it does put a damper to my enjoyment of the game.

Loading times is also an issue. Even accessing the menu from the world map will bring up the loading screen. But anyone who has ever played the localised versions of Dragon Quest VIII will realise this is most likely due to the elaborate design that Level-5 puts into creating the menus. Performance wise the game runs smoothly with the framerate not once stuttering, though the graphics could do with a little bit of anti-aliased filtering. Finally the game is not too challenging, though you may encounter the Game Over screen early on while grasping the rules. Even then this title should not give your brain too much a work out.


It is a minefield out there having to choose a SRPG game for the PSP as it holds host to a number of quality titles like this, Final Fantasy Tactics and Disgaea Afternoon of Darkness. However Jeanne d'Arc is the only original title among the games I listed and despite its flaws, is a must have game for PSP owners seeking for a quality SRPG title and fans of the genre alike. It may not have the level of depth the previous title exhibits, nor does it push the genre much. Like Dragon Quest VIII, Level-5 has developed a title that is charming if a little bit too traditional and accessible.

8/10

Rogue Galaxy review

Rogue Galaxy is a beautiful game. I mean stunningly beautiful. It isn't pixel perfect or high definition like a PS3 game - it is just beautiful. Cities are vast and the environments are massive, making exploration a joy. Consider that it was made by the same developers who made Dragon Quest VIII (which incidentally was a very very beautiful game), then you will know what I mean. Level-5, I kowtow to you, the visual experts of cel-shading.

Phew. Anyway that's the best part of the game. Now on to the average part, starting with combat. It isn't exactly the most beautiful combat system in the world. In fact it can get messy. You see. jRPG fans are a fickle bunch. They love old school turn based combat. And Level-5 excelled in such when they did the incredible old school Dragon Quest VIII. Even when the series almost became an action RPG, fans cried aloud and eventually they decided to switch back. Rogue Galaxy is Level-5's take on finally modernising the archaic combat system, by making it real time, ala Final Fantasy XII.

But... it doesn't do it quite as good. Like Final Fantasy XII, combat takes place instantaneously as there are no transition between exploration and battle. Unlike the menu-based-real time Gambit system employed by Square-Enix, the combat system by Level-5 is almost Ninja Gaiden/Devil May Cry'ish, not quite unlike Level-5's own Dark Cloud series; with some sort of auto fighting system engineered in it for good measure. So is it a RPG, or a button-masher? Well, it is sort of both, jack-of-all and master of none sort. RPG elements are evident as you are able to go into menu and get all sorts of RPG cliché items and customising your characters.

Much like Final Fantasy XII's License Board and Final Fantasy X's Grid Sphere, Rogue Galaxy also has a system similar (Revelation Flow) that requires the player to unlock special abilities. Similar to the License Board, I find it slightly annoying and serves no gameplay purpose. It is also less intuitive than Square-Enix's version. But there you go. These sort of gameplay hurdles is set to stay whether we like it or not, so better get used to it.

Rogue Galaxy, like Final Fantasy XII, has a Star Wars'esque plot. The protagonist Jaster Rogue (an orphan BTW) a man who dreams of escaping his desert planet Rosa, and somehow managed to do so when a monster attacks his town. He then inherits a sword... Sounds familiar? No? Well go download Star Wars Episode Four AND One then (even Lucas rips his own films). The plot (Rogue Galaxy, that is) is pretty much a typical RPG plot cliché, so I won't ruined the rest for you. Unfortunately Jaster and his band of space pirates are some of the worst character development in RPG history.

So Rogue Galaxy is almost like Final Fantasy XII so you may as well play XII. But if you have already enjoyed XII, then there isn't any reason why you wouldn't enjoy this. It just isn't as polished and in almost every part of the game from graphics to voice casting to gameplay, it is sub par to Square-Enix's finest in the past ten years. As long as you understand that and recognise the me-too generic plot, then you will likely enjoy this, if not for the above average gameplay.

7/10

You can purchase it here from Amazon UK or import the NTSC version from Play-Asia

Five exclusive PlayStation 2 games you should own

With the recent arrival of the PS3, there hasn't been a better time to get a PS2. Unlike Microsoft and Nintendo, the PS2 has yet to be abandoned, a testament to its versatility - despite it being the weakest in terms of raw power of all the last-gen consoles. New games are still being released for the PS2, such as Rogue Galaxy, Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria and Atelier Iris 3.

With many early adopters trading in their PS2 collections, pre-owned PS2 games are increasingly becoming widely available. Just yesterday I saw a guy trading in his almost mint condition copy of Shadow of the Colossus. Inspired by Richard's take on PS2 games, I decided to write this up. It's only five games though as I am just too lazy and tired (shakes angry fist at politicians who thinks British Summer Time is a great idea)!

5. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater / Subsistence
Kojima Productions, Konami (£10-£15 / £25-£40)


The thick forest setting is quite a departure from the mainly urbanised setting of previous Metal Gear games.

While Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was a great game, but if you can afford it, Subsistence is the definitive version to get. With an improved 3D camera (the same one to be used in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4), massive amount of additional content and other bonus stuff usually included in a "director's cut", as well as the first two games in the Metal Gear series - both based on the superior MSX 2 releases, there really isn't any point in getting the flawed (but still awesome) Snake Eater.

Snake Eater is set in Russia during the Cold War and centers on Naked Snake (Big Boss), a CIA operative sent to rescue a weapons researcher. Unlike previous Metal Gear games, Snake Eater begins with Snake infiltrating the enemies territory through the jungle, a far departure from the usual urban environment of previous Metal Gear games.

Subsistence also contain Metal Gear Online, and if online multiplayer rocks your boat then go get it. Take note however that the North American server for MGO will shut down next month. It is possible that the European servers would go before the year's end too, so beware. Regardless MGS3 is a solid 3rd person stealth shooter with an amazing plot. It also host what is arguably one of the most memorable boss fight in video gaming culture.

4. ICO
Team Ico (In-house), Sony Computer Entertainment (£15-£35)


ICO's architecture is a marvel to look at, even through the dated visuals and ugly textures.

ICO's failure as a commercial item is a sad affair. To be fair, part of the blame can be attributed to SCE's reluctance to market the game properly, but even then it isn't entirely their fault. Such risk taking can only go so far in a video game market dominated by uninspired titles. Even despite the recent reprinting, the only place to purchase this game today is eBay and online stores dealing with niche products.

At the age of twelve Ico, the game's protagonist who was born with a pair of horns, was taken in by warriors to a castle where they locked him up, offering him as a sacrificing token to keep evil at bay. The boy escapes from his casket. He soon finds Yorda, a fellow captive in the fortress, and together they work together to make way out of the massive fort, solving kindergarden easy to brain busting difficult puzzles and occasionally battling wraiths and ghouls as they progress.

It's only fault lies with the camera system, which sometimes hamper our ability to marvel at the inescapable beauty of ICO's architecture. The graphics of ICO may seem primitive by today's standard (even back then the lower polygon was somewhat against it - this was a PS1 game), but don't let that fool you as the visual design are still outstanding. The gameplay, surreal atmosphere and architecture is just as majestic as when it was when released. ICO is a beautiful game, and a highly artistic one at that, even down to the surrealist art cover.

3. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Level-5, Square-Enix (£15-£30)


There never has been a Dragon Quest game where Akira Toriyama's character designs are blown to video game life so realistically, giving the group of protagonists much charm - something that their next-gen photo-realistic counterparts lack.

There is hardly any difference between Dragon Quest VIII when compared to the near two decade old DQ III. Apart from the graphics and plot, nothing much has changed. Battles are still very much and combats are done through the traditional turn based system. This is very much a love-hate game, and it is entirely up to the gamer whether he likes his gameplay old school or otherwise.

The plot is the simple but effective 'once upon a time' and 'they live happily ever after' kind, and can take a massive 70-80 hours to complete (and that is just for the main quest). The game begins with you, the nameless royal guard known as the hero, who has travelled to Farebury, with a mysterious companion known as Trode, hunting for a mysterious jester known as Dhoulmagus. The jester, armed with a magical sceptre, has unleashed a curse upon the kingdom, cursing everyone within including the king and the princess. Only you, the hero, remained unscathed and it is up to you to rescue the kingdom.

Where the game truly shines is the graphical overhaul, all thanks to Level-5. The cel-shaded look is stunning and the overworld is amazingly huge. It compliments the game very well.


Dragon Quest VIII features an excellent translated script as well as brilliant voice acting by European actors.

2. Final Fantasy XII (review)
In-house, Square-Enix (£25-£35)


XII is the first Final Fantasy numbered game to introduce a hybrid turn and menu based combat system. I hope they keep it.

Final Fantasy XII is the direct opposite of Dragon Quest VIII. It eschews jRPG traditions for new innovations, even more so than the pitiful Final Fantasy X-2. Unlike X-2 however, they got many of the new and old stuff right.

The plot, built over from Final Fantasy Tactics' political unrest of Ivalice (although in a different time line), is an acquired taste, as it lacks the individualism of the more popular (but in my opinion over-rated) Final Fantasy games. It is still on an epic scale, providing much relief in the overcrowded angry teens as protagonist RPG market. Final Fantasy XII highlights that there are still people within Square-Enix's internal development team intent on progressing a stale genre and introducing new gameplay ideas.

1. Shadow of the Colossus (review)
Team Ico (In-house), Sony Computer Entertainment (£15-£30)


SotC's visual design is not unlike that of Ico's, with washed out pale colours and majestic architecture.

Ignoring the lack of frame rate and the occasional camera reset, what you have here is the spiritual successor to Famitu Ueda's Ico, times ten. The plot is shamelessly simple. A young man known as the Wander (or Wanda in Europe) has travelled far with his faithful horse Agro to arrive at a temple in the middle of a barren land. In order to restore the life of a girl, he was commanded to slay 16 fabled ancient creatures. You then spend the entire game travelling, climbing, killing and repeating the process ad nauseam, minus the nausea bit.


Travelling through the desolate landscape, said to be the size of Tokyo, is a surreal experience.

Shadow of the Colossus isn't any conventional platforming game. For one the game consists of only 16 'enemies'. And second, the platforming levels are the giants themselves. There are no dungeons to traverse upon, no minions to battle through, just the pure adrenaline rush scaling the giant beasts, admiring the view from the top (and holding on), then slaying them.


You will often feel insignificant when battling any of the Colossi, but not so much after you slay each one of them.
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There you go, five fantastic exclusives that I recommend you get. Five games that makes owning a PS2 worth it, even if those are the only five games you will ever play.

Other recommendations:

Yakuza (SEGA)
Suikoden III & V (Konami)
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2 (Atlus)
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (Nippon Ichi)
God of War (SCEA)
Devil May Cry 3 (Capcom)
Okami (Clover)
God Hand (Clover)
Soul Calibur III (Namco)

Next week, five exclusive GameCube games you should own... or maybe the Dreamcast...

Jon's "Christmas Awards" 2006

EDGE's Christmas issue is due in the shops any day now. With it the annual Christmas Awards were announced, with Final Fantasy XII getting game of the year. Which is great and all but since FF XII isn't out in PAL territory until next year I guess it is all conjecture, at least for me. Here are my "Christmas Awards" for gaming in 2006...

Best Game
Dragon Quest VIII Journey of the Cursed King (Square Enix, PS2)

In many ways Dragon Quest VIII is one of the best games you can ever play in recent history. Sure RPG haters will naturally hate this, but even Jennifer, who traditionaly shun turn based combat games has learnt to love this. At first, due to the narrative, then progressively the combat system. Combined with great visuals, excellent British voice acting and stunning orchestra, this really does deserve game of the year, even if it came here more than a year later.

People
Satoru Iwata (Nintendo)

Console Game
1. Dragon Quest VIII (Square Enix/Level 5, PS2)
2. Shadow of the Colossus (Sony Computer Entertainment, PS2)

Portable Game
1. Final Fantasy III (Square Enix/Matrix Software, DS)
2. Gyakuten Saiban 2 (Capcom Production Studio 4, DS)

Best Innovation
1. Nintendo Wii
2. Professor Kawashima's Brain Training (Nintendo EAD, DS)

Best Visual Design
1. Dragon Quest VIII (Square Enix/Level 5, PS2)
2. Shadow of the Colossus (Square Enix, PS2)

Best Audio Design
1. Dragon Quest VIII (Square Enix, PS2)
2. Uhm, nothing else strikes me as unique

Best Developer
1. Nintendo EAD (Japan)
2. Square Enix (Japan)

Best Publisher
1. Nintendo Japan (Nintendo Europe gets worst publisher)
2. Atlus

Best Online Experience
1. Animal Crossing: Wild World (Nintendo EAD, DS)
2. Gaming blogs and fanboys during E306

Best Hardware
1. Nintendo DS Lite
2. Sony PS2 Slimline (I know it came out in 2005)

Idiot(s) of the year
1. Jack Thompson and anti-gaming lobby.
2. Idiots who started class action lawsuits on Nintendo due to Wii strap 'issue'.

BTW, Jenni just got Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening and she loves it. I had no idea she is into this sort of games!

Sonic/Mario GAME gift cards / Dragon Quest IX on DS!

I don't normally go for GAME stuff but these gift cards are awesome. Great for any fans of Sonic and Mario. Too bad the new Sonic the Hedgehog game blows. Pokemon (Pikachu) and The Sims 2 (bleh!) cards are also available.



Anyone moaning the lack of RPG goodness on the DS platform should send letters to thankfulness to Yuji Horri. After one successful Dragon Quest spin-off and another one on the way, the creator of the series has decided to bring the next major installment (numbered) of the series, Dragon Quest IX, to the DS platform. And it won't be a spin-off either. The early build looks great. Combat will move from turn based to action orientated (ala Mana series), which may enrage some hardcore fans. But to me RPG isn't about the combat system, it is about role-playing. This is why the genre is called RPG (role-playing game).



The super deformed characters reminds me a whole lot of the SNES era and this wil solidify the DS as the new SNES. Fixed consoles like the Wii and PS3 may have better graphics than portables, but with people like me always on the move, bringing one of the best series to a (successful) portable platform may actually pay off for Squenix. By the way, it will be developed by Level 5, the developers who made the pretty Dragon Quest VIII.

Waiting for the inevitable special edition Dragon Quest DS Lite. My enamel navy DS Lite is getting seriously needing a replacement. I counted about six specks of dusts under the touch screen. Bloody annoying, especially in the sun.