Playing

09.23.2006 (Saturday)

Wow. Wow, wow, wow. So then, sat in front of Okami for pretty much the whole day, and I can't easily say it's one of the best PS2 games I've ever played. And it's also the biggest blatant Zelda rip-off of all time. That's not necessarily a bad thing - the world needs more of these experiences - but I'm just amazed how well Clover got the formula down. Like, it's scary close - substitue Link for Amaterasu, and you've got the next Zelda. No joke. Anyways, 15 hours in, just passed the large bridge on the way to the big town, and I really, really like the way the story just evolved...

09.22.2006 (Friday)

Today was the first day I was really able to dig into Okami; the lady left for a weekend vacation, and I plopped down in front of the TV after dropping her off at the airport around 10pm. And didn't get up until 3am. I absolutely love the feeling of lost time while playing a game, and Okami certainly delivers on that front. Got the painting down finally, and am learning how to use bombs in everyday battles. Just got through the first major Zelda-like dungeon, and the amount of stuff I can't interact with yet on the over-field areas both delights and terrifies me - after seven or eight hours in, it's more that apparent I haven't even come close to scratching Okami's surface.

09.21.2006 (Thursday)

So much for holding Okami off until the weekend, I had to play for a couple more hours after work. I can't believe how Zelda this game is, and not just in overall pacing and feel - even the music seems eerily similar at times, especially the notes that play after you accomplish something major. Getting Zelda flashbacks all over the place - including in terms of the enjoyment it brings - which I guess is damn high praise.

09.20.2006 (Wednesday)

Started up Okami, but I don't want to play much until the weekend - the intro cinema was almost too meaty, and if it's of any indication to the...thoroughness the rest of the game holds, I'm going to need some solid playing time. I'm only about an hour in, and I'm already incredibly hooked, which is a great sign.

09.19.2006 (Tuesday)

Prey is done, after three days of light playing. Wow. Whatever, these days I'm into shorter experiences anyways, and it's nice not to struggle to beat a game. Speaking of a lack of struggle, the last boss was a bit on the super easy side - had way more issues with the two boss encounters before. Story was predictable but certainly not bad, and overall I enjoyed the experience. Hope the next release uses more of the spirit puzzles in the action, like they did with the first form of the last boss, it was neat to have to switch back and forth under duress (unlike the "normal" spirt parts, where you'd just turn to complete an easy puzzle). Also, I really don't like earning Achievement Points for just finishing levels...

Bah, whatever. It was a fun ride, and Okami is in hand.

09.18.2006 (Monday)

Nearing the end of Prey, which I need to beat quickly, seeing how Okami is almost out. Overall it's been fun, and some of the puzzles were great head scratchers. But, yeah, the overall theme got a little worn out. The environments never really change much - albeit what you do in them changes drastically depending on puzzle type - and there's only so many anuses and other bodily cavities I can take over the half-a-dozen hours I've already put into it. If they make a sequel, which I'm guessing they're planning on, I hope the next setting is a little less...organic in nature.

09.17.2006 (Sunday)

I know a bunch of people that dislike Prey, for the very reason I enjoy it - it's not your typical everyday shooter. This game is not a run-and-gun, instead it gives you limited sets of ammo for incredibly diverse guns, and splits up the action with plenty of simple environmental puzzles. About ten levels in, and I'm sure I'll end up finishing this sucker - it's not too hard or complex or anything (at least not yet), just fun.

09.16.2006 (Saturday)

Finished off both Yakuza and Saints Row today, each of which were wonderful (and slightly flawed) in their own ways.

Broke out the PSP and finally got some solid time in with LocoRoco this evening. I enjoyed the heck out of the demo, and was even more impressed with the final game. Am looking forward to digging into this one later...

Also, before bed I finally tried out Killer 7 for an hour. Man, that's one hell of a game, and not one to start out before going to sleep. Had quite a few interesting dreams as a result.

Killer 7 is quite the experience, and very impressive in terms of style. Very impressive. I really respect it, but not sure if I'll continue to play - this game is a piece of art, but I'm not exactly sure if it's fun...yet.

09.14.2006 (Thursday)

Only had a few minutes to enjoy Yakuza today, I'm really looking forward to the weekend to finish it off...

Had a surprisingly fun time with Cooking Mama though, it was a game I bought my lady - as she needed a new DS game and some colinary tips (har, har) - but I ended up preparing quite a few dishes myself. It's nothing all that deep or hard, but has a keen Japanese vibe and rad pacing, and is suprisingly solid for a budget title...

09.12.2006 (Tuesday)

Now in Chapter 11 in Yakuza, after one hell of a ride finishing up the previous area. One thing I love about this game is I can't tell where I am in it; I have no idea how many chapters it holds (and I refuse to check out GameFaqs for the answer), and I'm constantly feeling very near the end and nowhere near it at the same time. Which, as strange as it sounds, is very cool. I haven't had much time to play the past few days, but like I stated in the previous entry, I'm totally ok with the experience not ending anytime soon.

09.11.2006 (Monday)

Tonight I reached Chapter 10 in Yakuza after eleven and-some-change hours of play, and the experience just refuses to ebb. Just got through a very Virtua Cop-style shootout, and I had to once again force myself to stop playing for the night, despite the keen story twist that just unfolded. Really want to see this through as soon as possible. That said, I also really don't want it to end...

09.10.2006 (Sunday)

Eight hours into Yakuza and I hit the first mission that caused me grief. Really now, to say somebody's missing and I have to find her, without giving a clue where to start sort of sucks. I was running around for hours earlier today, and when I finally stumbled into the first bread-crumb, it put me in a nice moody mix of relief and anger. Sigh. The good part is I was able to do a lot of the "side stuff" while looking, and earned a bunch of cash fighting in tournaments, gambling, finding locker keys and selling their contents and the like. And lost a bunch in gambling and doing the whole "host bar" thing. Those ladies have expensive tastes...

Also, officially half way through Saints Row as of this afternoon, and am really enjoying some of the main missions - the last Los Carneles mission was tough and fun, and I'm killing my way through the last "open" gang. Even though I didn't notice them for the first few times I played, I'm starting to stumble across more and more CDs, so I'm taking a little extra time in exploring new areas, looking for discs and tag spots. Energy is sort of running out, though, as the "fun" mini-missions are all about complete (or are getting too hard to be considered "fun" anymore), which means I'll be forced to start playing the ones I don't really like if I want to keep the main game going... Blorg.

Lastly, for a bit of fun, I threw in the Xbox Grand Theft Auto Double Pack to check out Vice City again. Yeah, it's getting old, especially after Saints Row. Funny though, they both excel at different things. The Row is all about incredible visuals, way better gun combat, a radically improved mini-map system and overall tighter car handling. Vice City still has it beat in overall experience though, especially when it comes to flow and story telling. The mission structure is better (no artificial barriers between story missions), as is the voice acting and cinematic presentation.

Certainly hasn't aged all that well in the looks department, though. Yikes.

09.09.2006 (Saturday)

It's always a good sign when I have to force myself to stop playing a game, and I just hit that with Yakuza. Started it this morning and am now well into Chapter 6, and the story refuses to stop unfolding in cool ways - but I want this experience to last as long as possible, so packing it up for tonight.

Funny though, this game looks like ass on my new TV. Sigh. I'm totally getting Overblood 2 flashbacks. Damn new technology screwing with the old...

09.04.2006 (Monday)

40% through Saints Row, and am finding the fact you have to go through some of the mini-games in order proceed the "story missions" quite aggravating. Not to mention some of the games themselves. Especially the Body Liability one, the cars are way too unfrequent (an issue that permeates the entire game), and it seems to be more about luck that skill. I couldn't pass a level 3 challenge for the life of me, until I bounced off the right car and suddenly doubled the amount of money needed, unlocking an achievement the process. And I have absolutely no idea what happened...