User Reviews

All Reviews by rickyraws

Jeanne D'Arc - PSP

Pros Cons
Engaging story Repetitive gameplay
Loads of content  
Read this D' review

Level 5 has always been tagged with being one of the few RPG makers who 'get it'. They've made more RPGs than Madonna's got wrinkles, but the quality and concepts are top notch. Now This game is an example of such. The game, however, is an SRPG, so unless you're open to games and new things, or are an SRPG fan, you way not see this title as your cup of tea. Jeanne D' Arc tells the historical tale of Joan of Arc with a twist. The game's genre has RPG in it, so expect to cast spells, equip items, armor, weapons, and mange a party. However, since this is an SRPG, expect to take some time planing out your moves, moving on a tiled plain, finding out information about enemies, and adhering to battle conditions in a turn-based manner. The art and graphics are cartoonish, with cel shaded characters, and anime cut scenes. The audio and voice acting is pretty good, with a bunch of characters sporting European accents. The game can consume about 30-40 hours of your time, and has a story that is filled with fantasy, plot twists, frogs, and politics. For a PSP title, you can't go wrong, but again the genre is not for everyone. Coming to this game with an open mind, and some patience can help with that though.

God of War: Chains of Olympus - PSP

Pros Cons
Amazing visuals Not enough content
Awesome audio  
Engaging story  
Epic boss fights  
Intense action  
Tight controls  
Just plain fun  
Badassery meets portability

I've always been interested in ancient Greece. The people, the myths, the creatures, and the bloodshed. So it's only natural that I took a liking to the Playstation 2 heavy hitters: God of War, and God of War 2. When a PSP counterpart was announced to be a prequel of the series, I was a bit skeptic on it's ability to deliver the action-packed hack and slash that the console brethren always brought to me. I mean, the subtraction of an analog stick, and a limited amount of disc space were primary concerns of both the fans of the games, and the developers themselves as well. However, Ready at Dawn studios proved that they know what they're doing, and brought a God of War experience to the portable system with seamless transition. The graphics of the game look like that of a PS2 game, so this proved that with the right technical prowess, the hand held is capable of some pretty high tech stuff. The combat is as good as it ever was, with some minor tweaks here and there that have the potential of being permanent gameplay mechanics; the game hits hard, with diverse environments, new enemies, and moves that are both familiar to season vets, and never before seen at the same time. This is a console to portable transition DONE RIGHT. Though it isn't as long as one may hope it to be, Ready at Dawn has outdone themselves, and deserve some major props for their efforts.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Wii

Pros Cons
Awesome audio Doesn't live up to expectations
Loads of content  
Intense action  
Addictive gameplay  
Tight controls  
Fantastic multiplayer  
Just plain fun  
The siblings are at it again.

Nintendo's all stars have made a collaborative appearance in the previous super smash bros. games, and so when Brawl was announced for the Wii, they had a lot to live up to. Also the fact that it had an excruciating amount of hype did not help it out a bit. But did it deliver? I'll let you be the judge of that when you finish with this review. Super Smash Bros Brawl has the greatest character roster than any of the previous games. This shouldn't be too much of a surprise, because the Wii hardware should allow for such technical feats, but the fact that they each have very diverse yet accessible movesets, slick animations, Final Smashes and more still manage to make that reality even more 'Smashing'. (Yes pun intended). There are a lot of stages, with some cameos form previous iterations, over 500 trophies and stickers to collect, a host of modes and a new adventure mode, and even the ability to create stages. This game is great for parties due to the fact that most characters are easy to get used to, but it is also great for tournaments because the extra practice here and there can turn this game into a competitive monster. The online play isn't the best, and that can strike some as a huge disappointment, but with good internet connection, and playing opponents from your friends list, it pretty much delivers what you'd expect. Though the game doesn't quite get as heated and competitive as melee, it is a fantastic game with great audio productions and graphics that you keep you wanting more. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to pummel an Italian plumber with a talking fox from space.

de Blob - Wii

Pros Cons
Addictive gameplay Lousy camera/viewpoint
Innovative concepts  
Fantastic multiplayer  
De best

Wii games and third party developers go together like the campaigns of Obama and McCain: They don't really get along, and sometimes resent their decisions on offshore drilling. Rather than have its political credibility questioned, however, De Blob for the Wii proves to be a valiant effort from third party developers. At first, the game seems to be a simple case of Nunchuck coloring for kids, but HARK! Give it a chance; it's a very fun and intuitive game. You bounce around bringing color to the monochrome world around you. This concept is a very fun one that you have to play to get what I'm saying. The game has good music, nice, vibrant visuals, and some humor to it. It has quite a number of modes which include multiplayer, and is overall, and very good game. If you're straight out of ideas for Wii games to purchase, I suggest you pick this one up. It's well crafted, designed with fun in mind, and is a unique game worthy of a space in your Wii library. I have to say, I really hope that more third party developers focus on creating more games for the Wii and not chicken out when they realize that 1st party games sell the most.

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King - PS2

Pros Cons
Amazing visuals Poor storytelling
Awesome audio  
Loads of content  
Addictive gameplay  
Just plain fun  
Very well done RPG

The Dragon Quest series is more popular in Japan than Final Fantasy. And not until I played this game did I notice why. This is one of my favorite RPGs of all time. Dragon Quest VIII just has a particular charm about it that kept me hooked to this long, long adventure. Let me break it down for you a little: The story is not the best, but it gets the job done, and has to do with a cursed kind and stuff, but I'm not gonna get into too much detail in that aspect. The graphics are gorgeous, and at times you will genuinely think you are looking at a cartoon. The cell shaded, and well detailed graphics are an awe to look at, and the over world is huge, with no load times. The voice acting is good, and the characters are well animated. This is a simple RPG that contains most elements of classics like level grinding, but it has a great refreshing look an feel to it that is top notch.The customization and battle elements are great, and the mini games and side quests call out your name. The audio productions are masterful, and well orchestrated; you'll be humming some of the tunes as your explore this colossal world of dragon quest.Be prepared to spend 60-89 hours of your life playing this beauty. The boys at Level 5 sure do know how to make an RPG, and if this type of game is your cup of tea, there should be no excuse for not playing it.