Strife's Video Game Reviews

Growlanser: Heritage of War

2008-04-08T01:40:00.007-05:00

War Once Again for the Light Saviors
This is the latest installment in the Growlanser series. The Growlanser games are known for their highly strategic battle system. Most of the games have to do with war time themes. This one is no different, you're put in between opposing countries as a peace keeping organization known as the PMB (Peace Maintenance Brigade).

The Overview
The main character's name is Hachen and he's from the small village of Warsley. One day Warsley is attacked by ancient creatures that have been ravaging the land for ages. Hachen survives thanks to an operation but many do not. Hachen finds himself fighting for the PMB in an attempt to bring peace across the land.Does Hachen have the ability to bring and keep peace within the world or will he perish trying?

The Review
I have to say for the first 3D Growlanser I was very impressed. At first the battle system is a little hard to get use to for those who have played the other Growlanser games but after a couple battles it's easy to get the hang of. Unlike in the other Growlanser games the battle system allows you to run around freely and act. The battles are generally quick but just like all the other Growlansers, the story battles require strategy and well thought action. As for the story line, it is nothing short of great. It still has a war time theme, thus the name. However there is the added bonus of the Screapers, the ancient monsters who hunt mankind. There are several side quests within this game, as well as some mini games. The one thing that makes this one different is that you get to use different characters in the game to get their aspect and see their roles in the story through their eyes. Overall this game was a lot of fun, I give it a 4 out of 5.

More information at Gamefaqs

Tales of the Abyss

2008-04-06T23:53:00.003-05:00

Another Tale
For those of you who have been keeping up. Tales of the Abyss is the most previous installment of the Tales series for the Playstation 2. I have always been a big fan of the Tales games for their fantastic story lines and unorthodox battle systems. After playing all of the other Tales games I have to say that Tales of the Abyss aims to please.

The Overview
The game starts out with you as Luke fon Fabre, the son of the Duke of Kimlasca. Kimlasca is one of the two major countries in the world that are at war with each other, Malkuth is the other. Luke finds himself in a predicament when a mysterious young woman tries to assassinate his Master in swordsmanship. Upon clashing swords with the young woman, her and Luke end up getting teleported out of his manor. Now Luke seeks to return home and is forced to ask for the help of the woman who attacked his Master. Will Luke ever return home and if he does will that be the end of his journey?

The Review
First off I have to say that this is one of my favorite games by far. The story line is epic and new which is something that really grabs my attention nowadays. The battle system is pretty much the same as the other Tales titles but with the addition of FOF or Fields of Fonons. Fonons are elements such as fire, water, wind, and so on. Utilizing these fields allows for an extensive tactical advantage in battle. I will tell you one thing, this game is not meant for those who do not like to read. There is a TON of reading in this game! This is also not a game for those who get bored with long games. This one will run you a good 50+ hours. As you play through the game there is many parts in it in which you think you're at the end. Well I have to say that you couldn't be more wrong. There are so many twists and turns in this game. When you think you know everything there is to it. the story mixes things up and makes you go, "What?! I did not see that coming"! For those who are fans of Tales of Symphonia, you'll love this. The boss fights are much harder and the enemy A.I. (Artificial Intelligance) on harder difficulties really makes this game a challenge. Plus, there is a ton of extras and side quests to be had in here. I guarantee that you could play through once and not get every single thing there is to be had. Overall, I loved this game and I still play it to this day. If you can get your hands on it then buy it. This game is just like Valkyrie Profile in the sense that only so many copies of the video game were shipped over here to the U.S. I give this game a definite 5 out of 5.

More information at Gamefaqs

Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core

2008-04-05T01:07:00.004-05:00

Crisis Core...UNLEASHED!!!
Finally, what we've all been waiting for (or at least some of us) FFVII: Crisis Core. This game is for the Sony PSP so for those of you who don't have one, I suggest you go buy one. I bought this game about a week ago and I have to say that I am absolutely loving it. For those of you that have played Final Fantasy VII and loved it, you can't miss this one. For those of you who are new to the story of Final Fantasy VII, this is also the one game I would start with.

The Overview
The story takes off in Midgar, a technological city that houses the most power company in the world, Shinra Corp. The main character of this one is none other than 2nd Class Soldier, Zack Fair. He dreams of becoming Soldier 1st Class and above that, a hero. Many different challenges await Zack as he finds himself conflicted with friendship, trust, love, and betrayal. Does Zack have what it takes to make it to the top and secure his position as a hero?

The Review
When I started to play this game I started to see a lot of similarities in a few of the Final Fantasy games. The battle system is a lot like Final Fantasy XII in that you have somewhat of a hack and slash/ATB (Active Time Battle) system. The battles are very quick and can be a lot of fun. Zack also has the ability to use Limit Breaks which is like a random slot. In this, Zack can match up other characters and use their limit abilities in battle. Oh and for those of you that know, Sephiroth and Cloud are two of these characters! As far as summons go, it's pretty much the same as the Limit Breaks. Not exactly the best thing but not entirely bad. The graphics on this game are pretty impressive for the PSP (playstation portable). We're looking at graphics that live up to that of the PS2 (Playstation 2). The movie cinemas and CG's are just amazing, they're just like the Advent Children movie and they run smoothly. Loading times are not that long in this game so that's a definite plus. As far as length goes, this isn't a very long game but if you're like me and want to get everything that the game has to offer then this one will take you a good week or maybe even two. If I didn't have one already I would go out and get a PSP just for this game, it's worth it if you're a FFVII addict like me. Overall, I give FFVII: Crisis Core a 4 out of 5.

Check out Gamefaqs for more information

Prelude

2008-04-05T00:47:00.000-05:00

Hey there, the name's Strife and this site will be dedicated to helping out all gamers out there. I'll be doing reviews for video games in the past as well as in the present. Role Playing Games are my specialty but I'll be keeping an open mind for others as well. Well I'd like to thank you for stopping by and I hope to see you here regularly, welcome.