A while back, I wrote down a list of games that I had considered for my library. In the month and a half since then, I can say the following: Prototype and Ghostbusters are still on that list and will stay there until their prices go down, KOFXII got BALLS for reviews and will definitely require the price drop before purchase, Tekken 6 will be bought when it comes out, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 will likely not get bought because I'm lazy, and fuck Rock Band: Beatles. Dunno what I was thinking on that one.
That leaves Red Faction: Guerilla, which is the game I did end up getting. I'm not as into it as I would've expected, mainly because the game dumps you onto a planet where you can get points for doing stupid tasks like smashing space rocks for cash or whatnot. I will credit this game for being the first where I could get achievement points but cannot care enough to obtain them. Now, the game is fun, and the whole "busting everything up with rockets and space hammers" gameplay is delightful. It's the story that keeps me at an ass-dragging pace with the game. I don't care what happens next. Unlike Saints Row 1 & 2, which didn't have the greatest story but was somewhat interesting in its semi-whimsical approach to GTA drudgery, RFG is just a bunch of space vigilantes sticking it to the man. My take is as awesome as the actual thing. After clearing half the game, I'm still on the fence as to whether or not it's worth a $60 purchase, but it hasn't let me down considering my expectations weren't huge.
Another surprise was a fighting game called Blazblue: Calamity Trigger, which could possibly be the shittiest name for a game I've ever seen. This is the spiritual successor to the Guilty Gear series. Anyone who's ever read about my experience with Guilty Gear may know it's a series I love and hate. Anyhoo, Blazblue is somewhat lacking compared to the likes of SFIV, with only twelve fighters. But boy oh boy are the graphics purty. Like Guilty Gear, Blazblue incorporates lush 2D graphics in the game, making it appear more like a cartoon than a glitchy-assed video game. And I suppose Blazblue is the fighting game for super-awesome tournament players, as it comes with a DVD teaching the game mechanics and bizarre move sets and combos. Whenever I attempt to see how to accomplish a move on a FAQ, it reads as such: "8A6C5D4D 1+2, then A2A2A2A3D4+B1, 3+3+3." I'm not the best player of fighting games, but I've done it long enough to go ahead and ask WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT EVEN MEAN? Chinese symbols make as much sense. Older moves like "down, down-forward, forward + punch" are a thing of the past I guess.
Regardless, Blazblue is good fun. It didn't last as long as I'd hoped, but hey, fightings.
I forgot to add the upcoming Batman: Arkham Asylum to the list, if only because I'm not sure if I could dig a Batman game.
-C.
