Let’s discuss The MISSING: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories.

It doesn’t take much for me to point out the biggest fault in The MISSING: that at the end of the day, it’s let down by the quality of its gameplay.

That isn’t to say it’s an all-out failure.  Everything works as intended in this puzzle-platformer -- spearheaded by Hidetaka Suehiro (Swery65) of Deadly Premonition and D4 fame -- so you can expect some challenges that demand you make full use of the mechanics.  Minor technical hiccups aside, it’s smooth sailing from start to finish.  Relatively speaking.  The problem is that, while the gameplay isn’t bad or even mediocre, it’s still fairly plain and straightforward.  Workmanlike, even.  

There aren’t really any puzzles that force you to wrack your brain, and there’s not much of a difficulty curve forcing you to sharpen your wits or skills as you go.  At most, you’ll only get platforming challenges along the way -- which, at their worst, are only challenging because you’re put into scenarios where one-hit KOs are a legitimate, prevalent issue.  Basically, don’t get this game if you’re the type that needs technical acuity or execution barriers in your games.  Dark Souls, this is not.

Instead, get it for everything else.

ALL THE SPOILERS INCOMING…which kind of makes this post impossible to read for those who want to go in raw, but whatever.  If you’re worried, just…I dunno, go eat some donuts instead.  I bet Swery would be fine with that.

RE: The MISSING: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories

The MISSING: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories ranks as one of the most spiteful purchases I’ve ever made.

Granted, I’d been leaning toward a purchase for a good while.  Some strong reviews and recommendations offered a push, and when I started watching video footage -- only to shut it off for fear of spoilers, a rarity for me -- I knew I had to get it eventually.  Sooner rather than later.  The big boot came from Call of Duty, of all things.  As someone who’s sworn off the franchise (after doing my time, lest you think I’m a hypocrite), I’m still more than a little butthurt over the fact that the latest installment has made a huge amount of money again.

So consider this impulse/non-impulse buy a middle finger to the lurching behemoth on the horizon.  Fortunately, I lucked out with my one-fingered salute -- because even without the smugness brimming from my one-man protest, the game’s pretty good.

Re: RE: Dragon Ball FighterZ

So I’ve been playing more Dragon Ball FighterZ, and…whew.

Don’t get me wrong.  It’s not a bad game at all.  If you know anything about it at this point -- and you should -- then you don’t need me to tell you that it’s an audiovisual treat that does justice to the brand like few other DBZ games have before.  And while the difficulty of mastering the gameplay is present (as it is with any fighter worth its salt), it’s worth it in order to fight it out with your favorite characters and carve out a win.

Still, I don’t envy anyone who’s struggling to git gud.  Nor am I willing to begrudge them, or shrug off their efforts.  Dragon Ball FighterZ may seem beginner-friendly -- and mash-happy -- on the surface, but as with any fighter that has autocombos baked in, that’s not enough to guarantee a win.  Or even the ability to stand a fighting chance.  Ergo, the learning process involved with the game.

So in the interest of trying to help out others who are getting in deep with the game, here are my thoughts, experiences, and tips so far.  Because if there’s anyone qualified to dish out pro tips, it’s a guy who hasn’t touched an arcade stick since BlazBlue came out.  The first BlazBlue.  Take that as you will.

BlazBlue, 8.213 Years Later (Part 1)

Well, I’ve been on a roll lately with these “X Years Later” posts, so I figure I should go ahead and keep the streak going.  Although since I’m dealing with a wider time gap than the last two posts, it’s probably worth mentioning that leap years aren’t taken into the title’s calculation.  Then again, I can’t imagine those extra days having too big of an impact.  It’s just something to think about, should you decide to take me to court over it.  I hope it doesn’t come to that.

If you’re just joining me here, I’ll admit that part of the reason for this post is a knee-jerk reaction to my brother’s opinion (because as discussed, he’s the inspiration for an insane number of posts).  Even though BlazBlue: Central Fiction just got an update and a new character, he’s about ready to drop it for reasons I can’t begin to fathom -- one of which, in his words, is that BB is “Guilty Gear for babies”.  Is it really, though?  Is BB as a whole worthy of any scorn it’s received over the course of its lifespan?  I’ll go ahead and spoil it right now: no, I don’t think it’s worthy.  That doesn’t mean there aren’t parts that deserve some dirty looks, but I’ll get to that.

So let’s not delay.  Here we go -- starting with my favorite arcade opening.

Shower Thoughts with BlazBlue: Central Fiction

So, how ‘bout them anime fighters, huh?

You know, it’s funny.  I remember a time when it seemed like we would never get another Guilty Gear game (i.e. a totally new one instead of a revamp like Accent Core), but Arc System Works pulled through by introducing the world to Ragna, Jin, and all the rest -- “the rest”, of course, being high-octane sprite battles and tunes provided by verifiable rock deity Daisuke Ishiwatari.  Now the tables have turned, though.  Guilty Gear is back via the Xrd series, while BlazBlue is most likely on its way out thanks to (what I assume is) a wrapped-up story.

Full disclosure: I know BB has its detractors, but I’m not one of them.  I like the franchise, and I think -- or at least hope -- that there’s room for both it and GG in the fighting game world.  Then again, supporting both might stretch ArcSys’ resources too thin, soooooooooooooooooooooo…yeah, not a pleasant thought.

So let’s sidestep the grim realities of game development and wealth disparities.  Let’s get in deep with BlazBlue.  And, more specifically…

I feel really bad for Capcom right now.

*sigh*

You know what, though?  I feel like I’ve got no one to blame but myself.

RE: Persona 4 Arena Ultimax

Ever needed proof that I’m cursed?  Here it is. 

A fellow (supra-dynamic) blogger did a post on the latest iteration of the Persona fighting game, and in anticipation I thought I’d offer up my thoughts on the characters.  So I opened up a Word file to jot down my thoughts (and make sure I could keep things within the comment box’s character limit).  And as I wrapped up, I thought to myself: “Wait, what am I doing?  Does anyone care if I go this in-depth?”  So I realized the answer was no…after scraping together most of a blog post.

So here we are.  I didn’t intend to do a post on Ultimax, but because everything I touch turns into a novella, I figured I might as well do a lickety-split rundown. 

Let’s hear it for resignation to futility, and consistently making the same mistakes!

BlazBlue Appreciation Day: Why ArcSys is Amazing

I find it hilarious that I’m only two days away from owning Persona 4 Arena -- with the pre-order soundtrack, no less -- and now, out of nowhere, I have a new reason for irrational hype and girlish squealing.  A new fighting game is on the way…and you may have heard the name before.

BlazBlue is on its way back.  And it’s about to be better than ever.

Only you, ArcSys.  Only you.