(I am going to do my best to avoid spoilers. With that said, the game is three years old. If there is the a spoiler or two in this piece, then forgive me.)
Who are you? What do you keep the outside world from seeing? Why do you keep that part of you hidden from those around you? These are questions that we rarely ask ourselves in our everyday lives because we don't need to ask these questions to live a hum-drum existence. It's certainly easier to to go through life without asking these sorts of questions.
So what's the point of wondering?
Throughout Persona 4, you get the chance to see those around you live their lives as would normally. You'll wake up, go to school, talk about rumors with your new friends and just be a normal high school student for a while. But eventually, they are forced to face the side of them that they feel they must repress. It's the side of them that they fear facing, because they want to fit in with the world around them, and it's easier to be what others expect you to be then to be who you want to be.
First, we need some context as to why these people have to face themselves; and in typical RPG fashion it is due to extreme circumstances. Your protagonist represents you, as you choose his actions throughout the game. Somehow, you find that you have a power that allows you to go inside of televisions and into another world of sorts. In this world, it is explained that the monsters are called shadows, and come from suppressed human emotions. These Shadows tend to be violent, especially if one denies their own Shadow.
The earliest case of Shadow rage comes from when you explore the Midnight Channel with Yosuke Hanamura, a classmate at Yasogami High and the son of the manager of the local department store. He urges you to help him inside the TV world to investigate the strange death of Saki Konishi, whom Yosuke has a crush on. When arriving to where Saki was last located, they find that is resembles her families' liquor store. They begin to hear the voices of her family and friends judging her for working at the department store despite the harm its been causing the Central Shopping District which has seen many shops closing in the time since the department store has been open.
While in the Midnight Channel's copy of the shopping district, a second Yosuke appears. He speaks of his hated for being dragged to a boring small town because of his father's job. The Shadow Yosuke says that he used Saki's death as an excuse to find adventure in the Midnight Channel because he was bored of the small town. Yosuke denies these feeling, but has to either face them head on or perish to his (now raging) Shadow-self. He eventually admits to himself, his shadow-self, and to you that those feeling are within him. By admitting that those negative feelings are within him, he's able to find closure and gain his facade to use when facing the world – his persona, Jiraya.
We typically don't go through the same trials as those in video games go through, but we should be able to relate to what the characters in Persona 4 are going through in an emotional sense. We have many aspects that define us; some of which we let the world see, while others we hide from the world and ourselves. We are afraid of being defined by things we are ashamed of that we suppress them until they consume us in a shame spiral that can be difficult to come out of, emotionally. When we can admit to ourselves the good and the bad about ourselves, we have a chance to become a better person.
I started this article to be able to try to figure out parts of myself that I'm suppressing. I hoped that I could find clarity into how I can be a better person for the sake of those around me... and I think I found something that I can admit to. I'm afraid of putting in the effort to become a better person and to get ahead in life, because it's always been easier to go along with those around me. I've been afraid that if I try and fail then I will be in a worse place than if I don't try at all. I'm still having trouble with this problem, but by admitting it I hope I can work to grow into something more than I am now. I want to be a better person, and only by facing my shadow can I accomplish this.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Review - Warhammer Online
Right now is a tough time for MMORPG fans. Not only are there many MMOs to choose from (such as World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, and Lord of the Rings Online), but there are quite a few that are going offline because of a lack of a subscriber base (such as Tabula Rasa and Hellgate: London). It’s very important for fans of the genre to find an MMO that they will both enjoy playing and also be able to play for a long time to come. A more recent contender in the MMO circles is the high-profile Warhammer: Age of Reckoning, based on the popular pen-and-paper role-playing game by Games Workshop. Does it bring enough to the table to stand the test of time? In short: I believe so.
The idea behind WAR is that you are part of one of two factions: the Forces of Order against the Forces of Destruction. Unlike games like WoW where the two factions are warring but not necessarily “bad”, WAR is truly a battle of the good, pious Order against the dark, villainous Destruction. With such a premise, the game is focused on its player vs. player combat. As a member of either faction your goal is to cause the other faction as much grief as possible whether it is through the plot in quests, the PvP areas within each zone, or the scenarios (which are instanced PvP zones with specific criteria for success such as capturing control points or capture the flag). But with such a focus on PvP gameplay it tends to lose focus on the story.
The gameplay consists of many MMO conventions that have proven successful over the years and if you have played an MMO recently then you shouldn’t have much problem picking up the controls. The biggest change focuses on the individual classes, because they each have a mechanic that makes them very different to play from other classes. For example, the Sorcerer (a caster class for the Destruction side) builds Dark Magic points as they cast their spells, which they can use with some of their abilities to cause extra damage at the possible cost of a backlash. Each class mechanic gives the game a fresh play style.
The game looks fantastic for by MMO standards. The character models look realistic and detailed; the scenery runs a gambit of being lush and beautiful to dead and decaying pending on the area. The game looks great but with such detail it may take an upgrade to ones PC if they are a gamer who is newly interested in MMOs. Its minimum requirements will technically play the game, but it’ll look like an interactive slideshow at times and a frozen screen when the action picks up. Make sure you look up the recommended specs before you check this game out.
It is a fun game with quite a few people online on many servers. It’s generally easy to get groups for quests if needed, and you can get a feeling of accomplishment in a short time span. But with these positives comes some things to pick at. The questing aspect of the game can seem very linear at times. Depending on which side you choose, you have to stick to a linear road from one area to another. There really isn’t any reason to go exploring outside of the general areas which is a shame because I would have loved to see some areas that may have been untouched by the war. But these are rather small discrepancies when the rest of the game is as good as it is.
Rating – 8/10
The idea behind WAR is that you are part of one of two factions: the Forces of Order against the Forces of Destruction. Unlike games like WoW where the two factions are warring but not necessarily “bad”, WAR is truly a battle of the good, pious Order against the dark, villainous Destruction. With such a premise, the game is focused on its player vs. player combat. As a member of either faction your goal is to cause the other faction as much grief as possible whether it is through the plot in quests, the PvP areas within each zone, or the scenarios (which are instanced PvP zones with specific criteria for success such as capturing control points or capture the flag). But with such a focus on PvP gameplay it tends to lose focus on the story.
The gameplay consists of many MMO conventions that have proven successful over the years and if you have played an MMO recently then you shouldn’t have much problem picking up the controls. The biggest change focuses on the individual classes, because they each have a mechanic that makes them very different to play from other classes. For example, the Sorcerer (a caster class for the Destruction side) builds Dark Magic points as they cast their spells, which they can use with some of their abilities to cause extra damage at the possible cost of a backlash. Each class mechanic gives the game a fresh play style.
The game looks fantastic for by MMO standards. The character models look realistic and detailed; the scenery runs a gambit of being lush and beautiful to dead and decaying pending on the area. The game looks great but with such detail it may take an upgrade to ones PC if they are a gamer who is newly interested in MMOs. Its minimum requirements will technically play the game, but it’ll look like an interactive slideshow at times and a frozen screen when the action picks up. Make sure you look up the recommended specs before you check this game out.
It is a fun game with quite a few people online on many servers. It’s generally easy to get groups for quests if needed, and you can get a feeling of accomplishment in a short time span. But with these positives comes some things to pick at. The questing aspect of the game can seem very linear at times. Depending on which side you choose, you have to stick to a linear road from one area to another. There really isn’t any reason to go exploring outside of the general areas which is a shame because I would have loved to see some areas that may have been untouched by the war. But these are rather small discrepancies when the rest of the game is as good as it is.
Rating – 8/10
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Review - Grand Theft Auto 4
There is something different about this installment of GTA IV. In the past I would put in a bunch of codes to give myself insane weapon and a tank and just go on a killing spree before starting out. But for some reason, I can’t find wanton destruction as appealing as it used to be. Maybe it’s the realism of the characters, who I have found myself really caring about. Maybe it’s the scope of the city, which is so impressive in content I would just feel like a jerk if I took an RPG and blasted a traffic jam to kingdom come.
Before I say anything else, let’s get the basics out of the way. They game looks great and sounds great. This version of Liberty City, which takes a striking resemblance to New York City, is full of content and interesting people. The multiplayer is fantastic, which takes Liberty City’s large neighborhoods and pits you against other players in free-for-all deathmatch or team based battles. It has received top marks all around, and for good reason. It takes the sandbox formula GTA is known for, adds content such as an improved cover and aiming system and a ‘Friendship’ system (where major characters in the game will help you out depending on how friendly you are to them), and it keeps the GTA franchise fresh.
While GTA: San Andreas had a strong focus on personal development like fitness and fashion, GTA IV abandons much of that in favor of your relationships with people you meet. You play as Nico Bellic, an Eastern European immigrant who comes to visit his cousin Roman who is living “the American Dream”. Roman introduces you to some of his acquaintances which you will get to know better as the game goes forward, like Little Jacob. But for the most part, you’re set to do what you want. You can call your friends to hand out, call your girlfriend for a date, or do a little work on the side for a friend. If your friends like you then you’ll be able to enjoy perks, like free taxi rides courtesy of Roman’s taxi service.
You will want to help out your friends because you will want to hang out with them, not because you are supposed to for the stories sake. You will want to help Roman with his gambling problems and you will want to get drunk with my favorite rasta Little Jacob (who seems to be becoming increasingly paranoid with his dealings with Badman). You will want to make sure to give your dates a good time on their dates. Your friendships give you some perks as I’ve explained earlier, but the greatest perk is getting to know more about the characters. You’ll feel like you are truly helping them out, as a friend.
I’ll end this review by saying that Nico Bellic will be remembered as one of the greatest protagonists in gaming for this generation. But the reason he is such a strong character is because of the people around him. They give him depth, and he gives them depth in return. The characters in this game cause you to like them even when you want to kill them… and that is what makes great characters.
Score: 9/10
Before I say anything else, let’s get the basics out of the way. They game looks great and sounds great. This version of Liberty City, which takes a striking resemblance to New York City, is full of content and interesting people. The multiplayer is fantastic, which takes Liberty City’s large neighborhoods and pits you against other players in free-for-all deathmatch or team based battles. It has received top marks all around, and for good reason. It takes the sandbox formula GTA is known for, adds content such as an improved cover and aiming system and a ‘Friendship’ system (where major characters in the game will help you out depending on how friendly you are to them), and it keeps the GTA franchise fresh.
While GTA: San Andreas had a strong focus on personal development like fitness and fashion, GTA IV abandons much of that in favor of your relationships with people you meet. You play as Nico Bellic, an Eastern European immigrant who comes to visit his cousin Roman who is living “the American Dream”. Roman introduces you to some of his acquaintances which you will get to know better as the game goes forward, like Little Jacob. But for the most part, you’re set to do what you want. You can call your friends to hand out, call your girlfriend for a date, or do a little work on the side for a friend. If your friends like you then you’ll be able to enjoy perks, like free taxi rides courtesy of Roman’s taxi service.
You will want to help out your friends because you will want to hang out with them, not because you are supposed to for the stories sake. You will want to help Roman with his gambling problems and you will want to get drunk with my favorite rasta Little Jacob (who seems to be becoming increasingly paranoid with his dealings with Badman). You will want to make sure to give your dates a good time on their dates. Your friendships give you some perks as I’ve explained earlier, but the greatest perk is getting to know more about the characters. You’ll feel like you are truly helping them out, as a friend.
I’ll end this review by saying that Nico Bellic will be remembered as one of the greatest protagonists in gaming for this generation. But the reason he is such a strong character is because of the people around him. They give him depth, and he gives them depth in return. The characters in this game cause you to like them even when you want to kill them… and that is what makes great characters.
Score: 9/10
Review - Burnout Paradise
Burnout Paradise is the latest games in the action driving Burnout series, and is available for the Xbox 360 and the PS3. With a revamp with its presentation Burnout succeeds at adding some fun, new ways to play, but takes out some of our favorite ways to play as well.
Paradise is the first game in the series to offer an open world racing experience. In races, you are given one of eight destinations and you are supposed to get there in any way you see fit before the other guys. In Road Rage, you get to go anywhere with the goal of smashing other racers into walls, other cars, or any typical road obstacle. There are also other modes that focus on style (Stunt Run), speed (Burning Route), survival (Marked Man), or destruction (Showtime) which can be fun distractions from your common races.
The biggest fault with the offline game is that it pushes the luck in your favor. I’ve won countless races, which I honestly should have lost from a bad crash, with a split-second decision in my favor because of the rubber band AI. And it seems that Showtime mode relies mostly on hitting buses to fill your boost and increase your multiplier.
The online is well done. You start off by just driving around Paradise City and doing small challenges set by the host. You can also set up races starting from one of the intersections to on the eight destination points for a more competitive game, which rely more on skill instead of luck since you compete against real people.
As far as presentation goes, the game looks great on both HD and SD displays. But I was absolutely disgusted with the licensed music chosen for the game. Jane’s Addiction, Alice in Chains and Faith No More has tracks that can pump you up during a race. But when something like Avril Lavigne or Kerli comes up in the playlist, it kills the drive to drive. But you can customize the track list (which contains 70 tracks) so you’ll find something you like in the mix.
All in all, it’s a fun game with as many achievements as it has shortcomings. If you like racing games (and you don’t mind the scales being turned in your favor) then you are likely to enjoy this game.
Final Score: 7/10
Paradise is the first game in the series to offer an open world racing experience. In races, you are given one of eight destinations and you are supposed to get there in any way you see fit before the other guys. In Road Rage, you get to go anywhere with the goal of smashing other racers into walls, other cars, or any typical road obstacle. There are also other modes that focus on style (Stunt Run), speed (Burning Route), survival (Marked Man), or destruction (Showtime) which can be fun distractions from your common races.
The biggest fault with the offline game is that it pushes the luck in your favor. I’ve won countless races, which I honestly should have lost from a bad crash, with a split-second decision in my favor because of the rubber band AI. And it seems that Showtime mode relies mostly on hitting buses to fill your boost and increase your multiplier.
The online is well done. You start off by just driving around Paradise City and doing small challenges set by the host. You can also set up races starting from one of the intersections to on the eight destination points for a more competitive game, which rely more on skill instead of luck since you compete against real people.
As far as presentation goes, the game looks great on both HD and SD displays. But I was absolutely disgusted with the licensed music chosen for the game. Jane’s Addiction, Alice in Chains and Faith No More has tracks that can pump you up during a race. But when something like Avril Lavigne or Kerli comes up in the playlist, it kills the drive to drive. But you can customize the track list (which contains 70 tracks) so you’ll find something you like in the mix.
All in all, it’s a fun game with as many achievements as it has shortcomings. If you like racing games (and you don’t mind the scales being turned in your favor) then you are likely to enjoy this game.
Final Score: 7/10
Review - Metroid Prime 3
One of gaming’s biggest mysteries is how Samus can be a tough-as-nails bounty hunter that saves the galaxy many times over, yet she constantly loses her suit upgrades. We may never know why Samus is so clumsy, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to save it again in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo Wii).
The story takes place months after the events in Echoes and has you, as Samus, meeting up with the Galactic Federation. The Federation has assembled the best Hunters in the galaxy to activate the laser defense system on Norton. During the event they get attacked by Dark Samus and are knocked unconscious. When the Hunters awaken, they go on a search for Dark Samus with new Phazon upgrades.
Many Wii games tend to fall short in the controls area, but Corruption plays very well. With a similar set-up to the previous installments and entertaining use of the Wii’s motion sensing controls, Samus can rip shields away from enemies with a tug of the nunchuk while blasting away at foes with charges shots, missiles, or with the new hypermode (where Samus goes into berserk mode by draining one bar of health for a large massive boost) added to game. The controls are very responsive, but you can’t slouch around when you play this game and you must stay focused. Since turning is based on where your Wiimote is pointing, Samus can find herself in a pirouette if you get distracted.
The game looks absolutely stunning for a Wii game. The Prime look and feel is left intact, and the game makes great use of particle effects. However, many fans will be disappointed to find that Corruption is more linear than the previous games. The game is still rather large and contains plenty of little secrets to find, but it is by no means as labyrinthine as Prime and Echoes.
Corruption also has a problem that is rooted in the other games in the Metroid Prime series. While the Scan Visor is a nice touch that gives more background to the game, it eventually feels like a chore to keep up with every little scannable object, from enemies and computer screens to plants and health pick-ups. Early on you will feel like quitting, but you won’t because you want to unlock the bonuses in the Extras menu. The Scan Visor is time consuming and quits being fun really fast.
Corruption is easily one of the must-own games for any Metroid fan or and fan of FPS on the Wii. With frenetic action, highly interactive puzzles and some of the best graphic on the Wii, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is worthy of bringing Samus’ current adventures to an end.
Rating: 8/10
+ Good Graphics and impressive environments
+ Great use of Wii controls
+ Very challenging boss battles
- Too linear for a Metroid title
- Overuse of the Scan Visor
The story takes place months after the events in Echoes and has you, as Samus, meeting up with the Galactic Federation. The Federation has assembled the best Hunters in the galaxy to activate the laser defense system on Norton. During the event they get attacked by Dark Samus and are knocked unconscious. When the Hunters awaken, they go on a search for Dark Samus with new Phazon upgrades.
Many Wii games tend to fall short in the controls area, but Corruption plays very well. With a similar set-up to the previous installments and entertaining use of the Wii’s motion sensing controls, Samus can rip shields away from enemies with a tug of the nunchuk while blasting away at foes with charges shots, missiles, or with the new hypermode (where Samus goes into berserk mode by draining one bar of health for a large massive boost) added to game. The controls are very responsive, but you can’t slouch around when you play this game and you must stay focused. Since turning is based on where your Wiimote is pointing, Samus can find herself in a pirouette if you get distracted.
The game looks absolutely stunning for a Wii game. The Prime look and feel is left intact, and the game makes great use of particle effects. However, many fans will be disappointed to find that Corruption is more linear than the previous games. The game is still rather large and contains plenty of little secrets to find, but it is by no means as labyrinthine as Prime and Echoes.
Corruption also has a problem that is rooted in the other games in the Metroid Prime series. While the Scan Visor is a nice touch that gives more background to the game, it eventually feels like a chore to keep up with every little scannable object, from enemies and computer screens to plants and health pick-ups. Early on you will feel like quitting, but you won’t because you want to unlock the bonuses in the Extras menu. The Scan Visor is time consuming and quits being fun really fast.
Corruption is easily one of the must-own games for any Metroid fan or and fan of FPS on the Wii. With frenetic action, highly interactive puzzles and some of the best graphic on the Wii, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is worthy of bringing Samus’ current adventures to an end.
Rating: 8/10
+ Good Graphics and impressive environments
+ Great use of Wii controls
+ Very challenging boss battles
- Too linear for a Metroid title
- Overuse of the Scan Visor
Quick intro about me, and why I made this blog
Hi everyone. My name is Michael Lanter, and I am a gamer from Kentucky. I've been playing video games since I was two years old, where I became hooked on Fishing for the Atari 2600. Later I went to the NES, then SNES, Genesis, PS1, N64, so on and so forth.
I made this blog because of the recent problems with the site I'm writing my reviews for, www.allgames.com. It's been getting hacked lately, so I'll let this site be my reviews' home while the site gets worked on. I'll continue to update this site when the Reviews section is fixed on the All Games site.
But now I want to know what games you think I should interview next (and don't forget to read my interviews as well). Happy Gaming!
I made this blog because of the recent problems with the site I'm writing my reviews for, www.allgames.com. It's been getting hacked lately, so I'll let this site be my reviews' home while the site gets worked on. I'll continue to update this site when the Reviews section is fixed on the All Games site.
But now I want to know what games you think I should interview next (and don't forget to read my interviews as well). Happy Gaming!
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