August 13, 2013

Two Games Enter 2: The Cage Match


Ah.  Nothing puts me in a better mood than a good game.  And with this latest bounty, the healing process has begun.  The Last of Us, disappointing?  Pffft.  Forget about it!  I got me some better games!

Grand games, indeed.  Which is where you come in, people.  Let’s have a quick little chat, shall we?

So recently, my brother and I grabbed a couple of games.  He got himself a copy of Dragon’s Crown -- sans the artbook he’d been chasing after, but he got his copy nonetheless.  Meanwhile, as a Tales fanboy (and a supporter of JRPGs not named Final Fantasy), I picked up Tales of Xillia.  Now, I haven’t played/analyzed either of them extensively enough for a full-on Let’s Discuss post, but I think I’ve got enough experience with them to put together something.  Or if not enough experience, then enough hype for me to come up with some semi-topical posts.  The problem is that I can’t decide which one to do a post on first.  I like them both, I’ve played them both, and I could say things -- presumably different things -- for either post.  Or maybe by the time the post goes up, it’ll have evolved into a full-on Let’s Discuss post.  Who knows?


So here’s what I’m going to do.  I’ve left the choice up to Cross-Up visitors in the past, so I have no problems leaving it up to you all again.  The first person to comment on this post can help decide which game gets talked about first, while the other gets put on the backburner.  Although, if you miss out on the first strike, you MIGHT be able to sway my choice with an appeal…hmm hmm hmmmmmmmmmm hmm hmm…

Make your choice, brave reader.  What’ll it be?  Will it be the gorgeous-yet-grisly beat-em-up, Dragon’s Crown?  Or would you prefer the latest entry in the series that proves (once again) that JRPGs are still worth a damn, Tales of Xillia

(I guess this means that Xenoblade Chronicles post is getting pushed back again.  And poor Ni no Kuni…)

I’ll be waiting for your choice.  So let me hear it!  Or, alternatively, fight it out in the comments section.  There hasn’t been enough of that on Cross-Up -- and as we all know, conflict is what makes the internet go round.

So I'll be heading out.  I've got some preparations to make on my end, so enjoy some of the other content here on the blog.  Or better yet, go and check out Memories of a Dimanagul -- not just because of the I Hraet You guest chapters (which are coming along at a steady pace), but just because there's some fine-ass content over there.  Seriously, those stories?  High-quality stuff.  So go.  Or...you know, stay.  Or just comment here.  Like, comment, and subscribe, as they say.

Also, look forward to a post on breasts this Friday.



…Wait, what?

15 comments:

  1. I've been too broke to pick up either of these, but they're at the top of my list. I do love me some VanillaWare.

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  2. Me thinks that DeSu2 will be mentioned on Friday's post.
    Which reminds me, have you seen the anime? Holy crap, it's like everything Persona 4: the Animation did right, DeSu2: the Animation did completely and utterly wrong!
    Anyway, I've been a reader for a while, and I hope you keep on going. Your perspective is pretty interesting.

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  3. I'm looking to pick up Dragon's Crown myself, but I'm sure that either choice will be just fine.

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  4. Dragon's Crown. My Vita needs a new game that isn't Gravity Rush or the new Sonic racing game.


    *remembers new games cost $50-60 on average* Darn, I'm broke...

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  5. I got the $100 Collector's Edition for Xillia and the game and artbook for Dragon's Crown.


    I just finished Xillia.

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  6. All righty, folks -- looks like Dragon's Crown is the winner of this cage match. So yeah, look forward to a post on that one first. Sometime early next week, if all goes well.


    As always, thanks for commenting. Good to know I can count on you guys to settle an impromptu cage match.

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  7. And rightly so. If you've got your eyes on Dragon's Crown, you'll be in good hands. It's pretty friggin' good -- old school charm evolved, so to speak.

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  8. Very perceptive of you. Indeed, DeSu2 does get a small mention, mostly because what I say in the upcoming post is related to something I said in a post dedicated to DeSu2. Much pondering on the female form has been done. Probably more than what's healthy.


    I have actually seen DeSu2: The Animation...or at least watched some of it. I'm not exactly the best at keeping up with anime, but with this series? I was watching it one day, paused it to go get a drink, and then when I came back I was just like "naaaaaaaaaah" and decided to do something else. It's not the worst thing I've ever seen, but man. It's like they didn't understand the game at all. Maybe I'll do a post on it one day in the future.


    In any case, thanks for being a long-time...or long-ish time reader. Rest assured, I don't plan on going anywhere for a while, so if (for some inconceivable reason) you like what I post here, you won't be left wanting.

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  9. It looks like Dragon's Crown is coming up first, so you're in luck. It's hard to say how exactly the final post will come out, but already I can think of a number of flattering things to say about the game.


    Maybe nothing spoiler-related, though. There's a story, but...well, this is a game that puts emphasis on the gameplay. And it shows.

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  10. Dragon's Crown on the go...yep, you'll be in good hands on that end. Then again, I'm under the impression that "Sonic" and "racing" go hand in hand -- at least if historical precedents are to be believed.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIPsCOCvlR8

    ...Then again, maybe not. But man oh man, that music. And mmmmmmm, those eye-gouging polygons!

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  11. Man, you work fast. Then again, maybe my brother and I would be farther along in Xillia if he didn't search every centimeter of every area for knickknacks he can stick onto every character. At one point he stuck a topknot, mutton chops, and Groucho Marx glasses on Alvin.


    This is what happens when he gets customization options. It never ends well.

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  12. Part of it was that I immediately did a 12-hour marathon of the game once I got it. I finished the game at the 31-hour mark after a few more sessions.


    I have a lot to say about it, but I have to get my review of Bodacious Space Pirates out of the way first.

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  13. Aha, that makes sense. Although...a twelve-hour marathon? Sounds wild. But then again, that's to be expected; when you've got a new game, you've just gotta play it as much as you can.


    The newness beckons, like a sultry mistress with a plate of grilled hot dogs...though I could be reaching a bit. (Muffins are a viable substitute.)

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  14. S-S-S-S-Sonic... R... O_O *falls over dead*


    No, seriously though. I've played the Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed demo COUNTLESS times and it's quite fun. Sure, I'm still used to some Mario Kart, but this is quite competent and playable. I'll buy it when my wallet's a bit fatter.


    Sega's learned from their glaring f-ups with... with... ...
    Please don't make me say it again! >.<

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  15. I wouldn't dream of it. But I bet Sega would. They will never forget -- and they'll be damned if anyone else ever rests easy again. No hope, no escape. Only the sense of dread, born from reality. The inescapable fact...that it's no use.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JICUzFXN3uo

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