Final Fantasy VII journal - entry one

I’ve known the general story of Final Fantasy VII for years now. Even the most basic search results have a tendency to spoil the game’s “huge plot twist”. And knowing how kids from my generation who grew up with anime like the original Transformers and Gundam Wing can sometimes forget how things actually were and simply look back on entertainment from their childhoods through rose-colored glasses, I was skeptical (to say the least) of Final Fantasy VII’s ability to hold up some fifteen years after its initial release. At the same time, this is one video game that I had previously never experienced – heck, the closest I’d come to indulging in the Playstation One classic was watching the Advent Children film (which left something to be desired, I might add). So while I felt it was a necessary and logical course of action to fill this void in my gaming experience, my expectations were not set particularly high.

For some inexplicable reason, I was under the impression that Cloud would be a rather quiet protagonist, allowing the other party members to convey the story (not unlike Link from Ocarina of Time, released the following year). However, Cloud is a rather talkative fellow – perhaps even more so than Lighting in FFXIII or Cecil in FFIV (the other two core Final Fantasy titles I have played that are driven by a predetermined cast of characters). And this probably has a lot to do with the fact that FFVII is, at its core, a story about Cloud. Yes, Tifa, Barret, Aeris, and company are important, but every cutscene or flashback concerning another character ends up coming back around to reveal more about Cloud.

The battle system is fantastic – considering how akin to FFIV’s it is, it may end up among my favorite battle systems in the series. The Limit Breaker ability is a nifty addition, and while Cloud, Barret, and Red XIII’s powerful attacks are nice, I find Aeris’ Healing Wind the most convenient of them all. The boss encounters thus far have not been overly imaginative, but there has been decent variation, at least. The top-down perspective with Cloud traversing pre-rendered surfaces can be a bit confusing at times, as it is not always clear whether a doorway or a ramp leads from one surface or another. There have also been a few instances where I came across spots that looked like they would lead to new areas, but found they were simply empty spaces.

Now that I have some context for characters and plot points, I have a greater appreciation for the soundtrack. Yes, it’s MIDI, but I can appreciate it – Majora’s Mask is host to one of my favorite soundtracks in any video game, and it uses the same format. The graphics look pretty good for their day, though the cutscenes are far more visually appealing than the greyscale streets of Midgar. And though I’ve only scratched the surface on the relationship shared by Cloud and Sephiroth, the development of events has been rather believable and well-paced. I actually feel a little bad for Sephiroth now that I’ve seen the first flashback detailing his mission to Nibelheim.

Both the sometimes-vulgar language used by characters and the recurring theme of death in FFVII make it pretty clear to me why this game earned a ‘T’ rating. Barret’s mannerisms are a bit excessive and his depiction is somewhat racist, to be frank. Many of the artistic and style choices, along with subplots and minor events, are typical of 1990s Japanese entertainment. Final Fantasy VII would seem overly cliché if it weren’t for the fact that it does a really good job at combining the industrial futurist city of Midgar with old world weapons and modern modes of transportation. It’s a curious approach, but also thoroughly interesting for its day. Though I can’t say it has surpassed Final Fantasy IV for me in terms of its overall quality, Final Fantasy VII is certainly playing out far better than I had anticipated.

25 Days of Villains - #12: Revolver Ocelot

"You're pretty good!"

Child of The Boss and the Sorrow, Ocelot grew up away from his parents, under the influence of the Patriots from a very young age. When he eventually reconnected with his birthmother, neither of them was aware of it, and Ocelot's role as double agent for the KGB and CIA in investigating Colonel Volgin's GRU faction took center stage. As Naked Snake embarked on Operation Snake Eater, Ocelot began to investigate the Philosopher's Legacy, taking a liking to Naked Snake and forging a rivalry in the process.

Years later, Ocelot and Naked Snake (now known as Big Boss) joined a faction of the Patriots under the influence of Major Zero. The Les Enfants Terribles Project led to the birth of Solid and Liquid Snake, with Big Boss leaving shortly thereafter to organize his own faction. Ocelot began to resent the policies of the Patriots, but kept his thoughts to himself.

Ocelot incited Liquid Snake's insurrection at Shadow Moses. He tortured and killed DARPA Chief Anderson. He challenged Solid Snake to a duel, swearing to kill Snake after losing his hand to Grey Fox's blade. He also tortured Solid Snake in the same fashion. After all was said and done at Shadow Moses, he took the REX data for the grand scheme of the Patriots.

Ocelot joined up with Sergei Gurlokvich with plans to steal the Metal Gear RAY being developed by the US Navy, then took it for his own after double-crossing Sergei. Everything that occurred in the years that followed - the construction of Big Shell, the production of more RAY units, the creation of Arsenal Gear, and the rise of the Sons of Liberty - were aided by Ocelot's actions. He provided the tech that Fortune used to deflect bullets, and revealed this to Solidus Snake as he bid them farewell, taking off in a Metal Gear RAY unit.

With Liquid Snake's personality merged with his own, Ocelot (know more accurately known as Liquid Ocelot) led his own insurrection with Private Military Corporations shaping the face of international affairs, and the concept of power. Ocelot faced down Solid Snake in the RAY, while Snake piloted the REX, which resulted in both being rendered useless. With his own plans to unravel the Patriots complete, Ocelot challenged Snake to one final duel, his last words being the same that he uttered to Big Boss during Operation Snake Eater.

While Revolver Ocelot was actually working against the Patriots for the majority of his involvement with them, Ocelot leads both Solid Snake and players on to believe he is the enemy throughout the entire series. Though his aims may have been justified all along, Ocelot thieved, manipulated, and killed countless people to achieve that end. He knew this major goal would require some drastic actions, and was prepared to travel down the darkest of paths to see to its success.

Boss theme:

I chose his theme from Metal Gear Solid 4's final boss fight because it represents every one of Ocelot's appearances in the previous games.

PS2 review: Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2

Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is one of the best DBZ games released for the Playstation 2. However, while it is a decent enough fighting game, there are some issues with the controls and levels of play difficulty. Though load times are relatively short, the fact that each individual mission needs to load before players can commence it becomes annoying fairly quickly. Players are given the option to tackle each mission under three degrees of difficulty and are able to replay these at their leisure, so if a player decides that level one difficulty was too easy on a certain mission they can go back and replay it on the level two difficulty setting. However, this isn't likely to happen to many players, save perhaps for longtime fans of the Budokai series, as the three levels of difficulty are incredibly unbalanced. Level one comes off as far too easy, and after a short time with it even newcomers will feel that level one difficulty is a cakewalk. From there, one would expect level two to provide a decent challenge and level three to be for hardcore Budokai fans who have spent hours upon hours mastering the game's specifics. This is not the case, however, as level two will deliver a serious beating to anyone who attempts to take it on. Enemies on level two difficulty give players practically no time to dodge or block attacks, unleashing a most unforgiving barrage upon them. Even if players manage to hold up a block against the CPU, there's little guarantee that the CPU won't charge up its attack enough to break through the block and then render the player immobile long enough to continue the aforementioned assault. With that in mind, it's highly unlikely that many gamers will choose to even attempt level three, as the majority of level two missions have only a marginal success rate.

The fact that this is a fighting game means that players can expect to be using the same controls over and over again. However, there a number of variations on these basics that can be achieved by holding the joystick up, down, left, or right while performing an attack to get a slightly different punch, kick, or beam attack. Players can charge up their energy with the L2 button. When fully charged, their character will be able to unleash physical attacks without pause for a brief time frame, or unleash the energy in the form of a much stronger beam or rush attack. If a player is knocked around hard enough, they will be temporarily rendered immobile and must recover by repeatedly pressing the circle button. This isn't a bad recovery system, but the circle button is so out of the way in the basic control scheme that a rotating a joystick or pressing one of the trigger buttons would have been much more fluid and practical. While each character has the same basic set of attacks, there are some slight differences that make them distinctly different in their play style. For example, Piccolo can reach over twice the distance of most characters with his grab-and-toss attack, first form Cell can sap health from his foes while grabbing them, and Super Buu can release an energy wave around himself that also acts as a self-destruct giving players the option to gamble with Buu's remaining health in order to take down their opponent(s).


In regards to the characters included in Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2, there are over 120 playable, and a handful that merely show up in the single player adventure mode for the sake of the story. The majority of these characters are from DBZ, though there are a number of guest inclusions from Dragonball and Dragonball GT. Initially, players are granted use of the original Z fighters, and while this allows for a decent balance of play styles, advancing through the single player mode will result in the unlocking of more greatly varied characters and play styles. While one might think this would ultimately litter the multiplayer character roster, the fact is that each different form of the various DBZ characters is considered to be a separate character, and said different forms can be accessed from a single push of a button while hovering over a character's picture icon. So while there are technically 120+ characters to choose from, players should keep in mind that Goku, Super Sayin Goku, SS2 Goku, and SS3 Goku count for four out of those 120+.

The main story mode is every DBZ fanboy's (and fangirl's) dream. Players can advance through every story from Dragonball Z, beginning with the Sayin Saga and ending with Goku's final showdown with Kid Buu. Most of the films and specials see inclusion, though Broly's inclusion is only that of his first film. While it is a riot to play through the Freiza Saga, Android Saga, and Cell Games, the films and some of the lesser story arcs get kicked to the curb and see the same battlefield reused time and time again. A prime example would be Bojack Unbound, wherein players fight a half-dozen matches against Bojack and Zangya on the same battlefield. However, a few of the film story arcs, including Super Android 13 and Cooler's Revenge only include a handful of matches and wrap up quickly enough that it doesn't seem nearly as mind-numbingly repetitious.

Aside from the main story mode, players can compete in tournaments to earn in-game money, advance through a series of battle to level up characters, and engage in duels against the CPU or a second player. The difficulty levels in these modes make a lot more sense in regards to balance than those in the single player mode, though sometimes the hardest difficulty in duel mode can be surprisingly easy. Players can use Z fusion to give their characters health and attack bonuses in the style of an RPG, and can visit the store to buy and sell various upgrades or items.


The art style hides many of the PS2's graphical limitations from the time of DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi 2's release by giving everything a cel-shaded look. Overall this both makes the game look better and maintains a similar feel to the anime. The soundtrack is completely original, and while it doesn't use any pieces from the show's original soundtrack, it's all very fitting to the game just the same. The majority of the voice actors from the Funimation English dub provide the voices of their respective characters in the game, so players can expect the same voice acting - which, in my opinion, is top-notch. However, players are able to switch to the Japanese voice actors if they desire.

Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is easily one of the best Dragonball Z games as well as one of the more solid anime-based games released to date. A huge roster of playable characters, fluid game mechanics, and a variety of game types makes it a solid fighting game. Inclusions like the Z Fusion and level-up system make the game more player-driven and interactive. It isn't a perfect game and DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi 2's shortcomings stick out like a sore thumb amidst everything the game accomplishes well, but it's incredibly enjoyable and carries much of the anime's charm and excitement.

My rating: 7.75 (out of 10)

25 Days of Christmas - #11: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is quite possibly the most controversial title in the series. After the massive success of Metal Gear Solid, Hideo Kojima decided to tease fans with the prospect of playing as Solid Snake in a dystopian future where Metal Gears are being developed in secret. However, players are only granted control of Snake for the first relatively short chapter of the game, and once the tanker incident is complete they assume control of newcomer Raiden. Raiden was (and still is) one of the most disliked characters in the Metal Gear Solid series (though Guns of the Patriots certainly helped redeem his image). I personally thought he was a total imbecile when I first played the game. But this change of characters makes perfect sense in regards to the story.

In Sons of Liberty, Raiden is sent in to rescue hostages being held aboard Big Shell, a facility constructed off the shore of Manhattan to clean up the pollution caused by the tanker incident in the introductory chapter. Solid Snake has been blamed for the crime and marked as an international terrorist, along with his colleague Otacon. Thus, Raiden is responsible for taking down the terrorist organization known as Dead Cell, supposedly led by the now rogue Solid Snake. Throughout the game, Raiden will have multiple encounters with Snake, Otacon, Mr. X (a throwback to Gray Fox), Revolver Ocelot, and main antagonist Solidus Snake. Due to all the different people involved in the Big Shell hostage situation, it’s understandable how Raiden could become so utterly confused as to who to trust.

As the story progresses, Raiden receives intel from Colonel Campbell and his girlfriend Rosemary. Both sources prove to have holes in their information. Despite this, Campbell reassures Raiden that he is doing a good job while Rosemary constantly talks about herself and how much more attention Raiden (also known as Jack) should give her. While Rosemary saves the game each time you ask, she never shuts up and interrupts you at the most random times. Everything she says is dumber than the next and by the end of the game I found myself having a strong urge to throw objects at the television screen each time Rosemary started yapping away. Rosemary aside, every single character in this game is multi-layered and distinct, from sado-masochistic Vamp to techie-gone-rebel Otacon to political extremist Solidus Snake. Speaking of Solidus, he is easily the most important character in the game, as he is linked to every single character in some way or another. His role as former President allowed him to scour computer databases in search of information on the organization known as the Patriots, who are revealed to be the driving force behind the world of Sons of Liberty and Guns of the Patriots. Though Liquid and Solid Snake are the more important sons of Big Boss, Solidus is easily my favorite of the three, as well as one of my favorite villains in any video game. His objective is essentially the same as that of Snake and Raiden, but the way he intends to go about it is far more brutal and relentless. Solidus may be hot-tempered, but he bears the mind of a genius.

The control scheme is very similar to the first Metal Gear Solid and works just as well. Guns are cycled trough at the player’s leisure, though espionage is still preferred. There are a few items, such as the bomb coolant, that will only be used once or twice and seem like extra baggage later on. Despite this, the sub-missions are a welcome break from constantly sneaking around patrols.

Graphically, the game has its flaws. It was one of the earlier titles released for the Playstation 2, so the shortcomings are understandable. That said, for an early release, Sons of Liberty has better lighting and textures than almost any early PS2 release. But the graphical upgrades are significant and noticable in even the smallest of things in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

Sons of Liberty, like any of the Metal Gear Solid titles, is first and foremost about the story mode. Sons of Liberty plays out like one big mystery, as each layer is exposed only to pose more questions. At first glance, the game is about Raiden stopping Dead Cell. Then the focus shifts to clearing Solid Snake's name. Finally, the spotlight returns to Raiden as his relationship with Solidus is explained and the climactic finale tilts the world off balance. The game includes a nice variety of bonus features with its expanded material of Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance. A virtual mission mode allows players to shoot a set number of targets, or reach a checkpoint while avoiding and/or eliminating guard patrols. Each mode of play will grade the player in points and upon completing each separate mission it will subsequently unlock another. The virtual mission are the biggest bonus feature included, spanning over 500 individual missions. Also included was a casting theatre that allowed players to recast characters from the first two games into major cutscenes from Sons of Liberty.

Whether playing Sons of Liberty or the expanded version known as Substance, Metal Gear Solid 2 is an incredibly thought-provoking and engaging game. The story is definitely not for the casual gamer, and can be incredibly confusing at times. That said, Kojima really upped the ante with this sequel and set up brilliantly for the third and fourth titles in the series. It’s surprising when a game takes the premise of sneaking and makes it the core mechanic of the gameplay. It’s even more surprising when such a game is good – really good. By the end of his battles with Dead Cell, the Metal Gear RAYS, and Solidus Snake, Raiden has actually become stomachable and (dare I say) even cool. Metal Gear Solid 2 is one of those rare instances where the sequel is actually better than the original – a truly impressive feat, as the original Metal Gear Solid was so revolutionary.

Slap into a Slim Jim

Apparently the pressure finally got to Sony - the PS3 Slim is real. There have been rumors circling about the gaming community since practically a month after launch, but there was never any solid proof. Making the PS3 Slim itself wasn't entirely necessary, but the price drop was.

Before I get much under way with this post, let me say that, while I still think the PS2 is one of the greatest gaming consoles of all time, the PS3 is possibly my least favorite. I think that the PS3 has fantastic graphical capabilities and a smooth controller. The cause of my dislike for the PS3 is not the system itself, but rather Sony's marketing plan. The exclusive titles currently available for the PS3 are either amazingly epic (MGS4, Little Big Planet) or mediocre at best (Drake's Fortune, Resistance: Fall of Man). There are so few exclusive titles for the PS3, it's really no surprise why many gamers would opt to buy an Xbox 360. That way they can have a plethora of exclusives (or at least games that are only available for 360 and PC) such as Gears of War, Halo 3, and Mass Effect, while having a large library of multi-platform games including Bioshock, Resident Evil 5, and the Orange Box. I'm not saying that all of these titles affected gaming the way that MGS4 did, but there are a lot more titles available for the 360 that are considered "good" as opposed to the PS3's two "superb" games that rise up among a sea of "okays". That mixed with the fact that there are more 360 owners than there are PS3 owners, it's really no surprise why so many developers flock to Microsoft nowadays (Metal Gear Rising, anyone?)

But anyways, back on track. The PS3 slim is supposed to retail for $299, a price to compete with the 360 Pro. This would mean that gamers can play all of their PS3 and PS2 games on a cheaper and smaller system that (hopefully) will have next to zero kinks in the system upon release. If all goes swimmingly and none of the systems decide to severely overheat like some of the first batches of the original PS3, then Sony just might be able to pull themselves back up and be neck-in-neck with Microsoft and Nintendo. And the fact that the system is in fact smaller doesn't hurt either - more shelf space for your games and movies.

However, there are rumors about the 360 receiving a price drop as well. This has yet to be confirmed, but if it is the case, Sony could have their thunder stolen. Honestly, I am more a fan of the 360 than the PS3, but I really hope that this price drop works out for Sony. I do not, however, wish for them to rush out a piece of junk simply because everyone was pressuring them to make a PS3 slim. Nor do I want them to announce the PS4 any time soon. They need to fix what is broken right now, which means releasing some more exclusive games that are good. Where is Kingdom Hearts III? How far along is team ICO on The Last Guardian? Again, I don't want these projects to be rushed, but Sony is really good at teasing gamers with trailers and then not saying anything else for a whole year.