March 12 – March 16

Section: 

Despite Mass Effect 3 being released last week, it appears that video game makers intend to continue to release other games even if they are not Mass Effect 3. I had just assumed that upon closing out the story of Shepard, the industry would just pack it in, say it had been a pretty good run and get a good job in glass manufacturing or such.

I give high marks to the coming week for games with to-the-point naming, such as Shoot Many Robots and All Zombies Must Die!, both for which I think I understand the basic concepts without having spent a moment in game. Silent Hill is back with a version called Downpour, which IGN raves is an "unfun, disappointing experience." I bet they don't put that on the box. Also, Ridge Racer hits the Vita and Journey tells its story on PSN. Beyond that, though, there's not much I see to get super excited about for this mid-March week.

I suppose I'll give the GotW nod to FIFA Street, whose cover athlete this year looks definitely like some kind of professional soccer player, though one that is neither David Beckham or that Rooney guy who I'm pretty sure is Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I've always felt like the Street games make for a nice enough distraction and a decent rental to fill an afternoon or two. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, I concede, but probably the best solution is just play more Mass Effect 3 anyway.

PC
- All Zombies Must Die! (Steam)
- Azkend 2: The World Beneath (download)
- Defenders of Ardania (download)
- Warp (download)

Xbox 360
- FIFA Street
- Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations
- Silent Hill: Downpour
- Defenders of Ardania (XBLA)
- Shoot Many Robots (XBLA)

PS3
- FIFA Street
- Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations
- Silent Hill: Downpour
- Tales of Graces F
- Yakuza: Dead Souls
- Journey (PSN - $15)
- Shoot Many Robots (PSN - $10)
- Warp (PSN - $10)

PlayStation Vita
- Reality Fighters
- Ridge Racer

Nintendo 3DS
- Dragon Crystal (eShop - $3)
- Shinobi (eShop - $4)
- Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble (eShop - $4)

Nintendo DS
- Silverlicious
- Xia-Xia

Comments

Journey was robbed!

I really would've expected you to pick Tales of Graces f. It's in your favorite genre and everything!

Oh, Tales of Grace D is one of my favorites, but Tales of Grace E just destroyed the franchise. Just give me classic Tales of Grace B X10 Super Edition and I'll be happy.

I have been playing and thoroughly enjoying Mass Effect 3 in both single and multiplayer, but without question, the best game I played last week was Journey. If you have access to a PS3, it is an absolutely unmissable experience.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I really would've expected you to pick Tales of Graces f. It's in your favorite genre and everything!

Tales of Graces was robbed!

Oh hey, new FIFA? Get ready for more XBox Live account hacks!

I had just assumed that upon closing out the story of Shepard, the industry would just pack it in, say it had been a pretty good run and get a good job in glass manufacturing or such.

I think you're confusing Mass Effect 3 with Bioshock Infinite.

[/hyperbole]

I'm hardly about to trust IGN's opinion on anything, though I've never really played a Silent Hill that wasn't Shattered Memories. Nonetheless, due to my lack of attachment to the franchise, I'm not about to go and spend $60 on the game. I'll wait for it to drop in price.

Either way, just another week for me to play Resident Evil: Revelations, Kingdoms of Amalur and start a run in Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom.

That's Lionel Messi on the cover. Do a youtube search, you won't regret it!

One example from the latest quarter final Champions League (strongest club competition worldwide) match against Leverkusen, where Messi scored 5 goals.

Elysium wrote:

Oh, Tales of Grace D is one of my favorites, but Tales of Grace E just destroyed the franchise. Just give me classic Tales of Grace B X10 Super Edition and I'll be happy.

Bah! It's been sixteen years since Tales of Graces d. You can't expect them to just tread water all this time. If they did, game journalists would be slagging on them for their refusal to change. Devs just can't win.

The thing about Tales of Graces e is that, no, it wasn't entirely successful in everything it attempted, but they were really trying to step outside their established fanbases and reach out to new audiences. Personally, I thought the greater emphasis on character interaction and the streamlined combat system really improved the franchise. Is it the hardcore dungeon crawler that Tales of Graces b was? No, but I cared so much more about my party members in e than I ever did in d or, especially, c and a.

I am a bit disapointed to see such a bad review for Silent Hill Downpour, but Gamespot gave it a decent review (75). After Homecoming and Origins my high expectations set by Silent Hill 2 and 3 have been knocked down enough that I may still pick this one up for full price.

Journey will be just the thing after the unrelenting grimdark of ME3. Lovely.

Though I am tempted by a bit of Silent Hill as well.

PoderOmega wrote:

I am a bit disapointed to see such a bad review for Silent Hill Downpour, but Gamespot gave it a decent review (75). After Homecoming and Origins my high expectations set by Silent Hill 2 and 3 have been knocked down enough that I may still pick this one up for full price.

75 by Gamespot is pretty bad.

If you have a PS3, you must take The Journey (see what I did there?).

garion333 wrote:

Journey was robbed! ;)

Don't stop believin'!

ClockworkHouse wrote:
Elysium wrote:

Oh, Tales of Grace D is one of my favorites, but Tales of Grace E just destroyed the franchise. Just give me classic Tales of Grace B X10 Super Edition and I'll be happy.

Bah! It's been sixteen years since Tales of Graces d. You can't expect them to just tread water all this time. If they did, game journalists would be slagging on them for their refusal to change. Devs just can't win.

The thing about Tales of Graces e is that, no, it wasn't entirely successful in everything it attempted, but they were really trying to step outside their established fanbases and reach out to new audiences. Personally, I thought the greater emphasis on character interaction and the streamlined combat system really improved the franchise. Is it the hardcore dungeon crawler that Tales of Graces b was? No, but I cared so much more about my party members in e than I ever did in d or, especially, c and a.

I'm not sure if you guys are being sarcastic, or if Tales of Grace F is actually the sixth game in a series.

When I first saw the title in the list, I thought it was a typo. Either that, or Tales of Grace F is a rage comic game (but then it would be Tales of Grace FFFFFFFFFFFFUUUU!)

Tales of Graces f is actually the 12th game in the Tales series which includes games like Tales of Vesperia, Tales of Symphonia, and Tales of the Abyss. It's an enhanced port of a Wii game for the PS3, which is where that "f" comes from. (Although I wonder why they kept that in the localized version since the Wii version didn't come out here.)

ClockworkHouse wrote:

Tales of Graces f is actually the 12th game in the Tales series which includes games like Tales of Vesperia, Tales of Symphonia, and Tales of the Abyss. It's an enhanced port of a Wii game for the PS3, which is where that "f" comes from. (Although I wonder why they kept that in the localized version since the Wii version didn't come out here.)

Wait, I actually know what you're talking about now.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

Tales of Graces f is ... an enhanced port of a Wii game for the PS3, which is where that "f" comes from.

You say that as if that makes any sense at all.

Is "F" the Japanese equivalent of "X" here in the west, where marketing people just attach it to the end of things for no apparent reason?

doubtingthomas396 wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

Tales of Graces f is ... an enhanced port of a Wii game for the PS3, which is where that "f" comes from.

You say that as if that makes any sense at all.

Is "F" the Japanese equivalent of "X" here in the west, where marketing people just attach it to the end of things for no apparent reason?

It stands for "future" and isn't really a common thing, but yeah, it's part of the grand tradition of Japanese games/shows/books that slap a couple extra letters onto the end of something to differentiate it as a new product. A Western equivalent might be "Director's Cut" or "Special Edition" or "Ultimate Edition" or "HD." It just indicates that this version has some other stuff or feature that the other one doesn't.

Rooney = Flea! Finkle = Einhorn! Dragon Crystal = SERIOUS Game Gear nostalgia!

I was about to insert a snarky comment about whether or not the IGN quote for Silent Hill was before or after they hosted the EA Game Change event at GDC. Then I realized that FIFA is EA and Silent Hill is... someone else.

Journey for me this week (it's awesome). I'm curious about Defenders of Ardania and wondering why on earth the PC doesn't get Shoot Many Robots! this week (it was fun to try it at PAX East last year!).

ClockworkHouse wrote:
doubtingthomas396 wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

Tales of Graces f is ... an enhanced port of a Wii game for the PS3, which is where that "f" comes from.

You say that as if that makes any sense at all.

Is "F" the Japanese equivalent of "X" here in the west, where marketing people just attach it to the end of things for no apparent reason?

It stands for "future" and isn't really a common thing, but yeah, it's part of the grand tradition of Japanese games/shows/books that slap a couple extra letters onto the end of something to differentiate it as a new product. A Western equivalent might be "Director's Cut" or "Special Edition" or "Ultimate Edition" or "HD." It just indicates that this version has some other stuff or feature that the other one doesn't.

Even better, it's not even an "f", but the italic (florin) "ƒ": Tales of Graces ƒ.

FWIW, I love those sorts of naming idiosyncrasies in Japanese games. They do make sense, after some thought and to a degree, but more important (to me) is that they're really playful, and make for really unique and interesting titles in English.

I'm not generally one to hate on Sony, but geesh the PSN experience is weak. I'm trying to put funds in my wallet to buy Journey later. I can't. It errors out and I end up at a white screen. I've tried three browsers multiple times.

I'm only trying to put funds in my wallet because I can't buy the game from the PlayStation web page. All it offers is a link to BestBuy.com so that I can buy a PSN gift card.

All of this after going through the "change my password because I can't remember what I put in when you made me change it on the console back when you were hacked".

Compared to XBLA, where I once accidentally purchased a game using my Media Center remote I didn't know was also controlling the 360, I can see the love/hate.

Guess I'll try on the console tonight, because I do so love typing lots of characters with a game controller.

Gravey wrote:

Even better, it's not even an "f", but the italic (florin) "ƒ": Tales of Graces ƒ.

FWIW, I love those sorts of naming idiosyncrasies in Japanese games. They do make sense, after some thought and to a degree, but more important (to me) is that they're really playful, and make for really unique and interesting titles in English.

I do, too. "Playful" is a good word for them, and they're a nice way of breaking up the monotony of English titles where everything just gets to be a [insert something here] Edition. Ultimate Edition, Divine Edition, Special Edition, Inferno Edition, etc.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
Gravey wrote:

Even better, it's not even an "f", but the italic (florin) "ƒ": Tales of Graces ƒ.

FWIW, I love those sorts of naming idiosyncrasies in Japanese games. They do make sense, after some thought and to a degree, but more important (to me) is that they're really playful, and make for really unique and interesting titles in English.

I do, too. "Playful" is a good word for them, and they're a nice way of breaking up the monotony of English titles where everything just gets to be a [insert something here] Edition. Ultimate Edition, Divine Edition, Special Edition, Inferno Edition, etc.

I was disappointed that EA and Bioware missed the chance for Mass Effect 3: Favorite Edition on the Citadel.

Maybe they'll release a Shepard's Choice variant with all the DLC and when you click a button on the packaging it has him say his famous catch phrase.

(Okay that was a stretch for a really bad joke but God dammit they can't all be gold).

LilCodger wrote:

I'm not generally one to hate on Sony, but geesh the PSN experience is weak. I'm trying to put funds in my wallet to buy Journey later. I can't. It errors out and I end up at a white screen. I've tried three browsers multiple times.

I had no trouble adding funds to my wallet through the PS3 interface, and Journey was my first PSN purchase. I didn't know you could add funds through their website...

All of this after going through the "change my password because I can't remember what I put in when you made me change it on the console back when you were hacked".

KeePass is your friend.

Guess I'll try on the console tonight, because I do so love typing lots of characters with a game controller. :(

I get where you're coming from here, but I will say that inputting your credit card using a DualShock is soooo much more comfortable than using a WiiMote and pointing at a virtual keyboard.

LilCodger wrote:

All of this after going through the "change my password because I can't remember what I put in when you made me change it on the console back when you were hacked".

I went through this exact same thing while downloading Journey.

I'm aware that this is an old complaint, but I can't believe they still have the ridiculous setup of

Do you want to buy Journey? > Yes
You don't have any funds in your wallet. > OK.
Would you like to add 15 dollars to your wallet? > Yes.
...insert payment info...
Confirm that you want 15 dollars in your wallet? > Yes.
You now have 15 dollars in your wallet! > OK.
Do you want to buy Journey? > Yes.
Are you sure? YES. AUGH.

Demyx wrote:

I'm aware that this is an old complaint

An oldie, but a goodie.

IMAGE(http://art.penny-arcade.com/photos/217495581_Y8WAq-L-2.jpg)

Isn't that exactly how it works on Xbox Live if you don't have sufficient Magic Money to buy a game?

ClockworkHouse wrote:

Isn't that exactly how it works on Xbox Live if you don't have sufficient Magic Money to buy a game?

Pretty much. I think what made it jarring about PSN though is that everything is in real actual dollars, like Steam or Amazon—but you still have to go through the "put your money in a bucket" rigamarole.

Now if you're buying a 360 game through the XBL Marketplace, which are priced in normal existing dollars, does that just function like every other online purchase? I.e., Do you want to buy this? "Yes". Okay, you've bought it.

I thought that might've been a Penny Arcade comic, thanks for finding it for me

And XBLA is actually worse because you can only buy things in particular denominations. I was mostly complaining about PSN because it happened two nights ago :p

Also I feel like PSN has more screens you go through, but maybe I'm imagining things.