The Mog Blog

Oh man, if there’s one thing about the year that I happen to enjoy is all the games I’m going to be looking forward to for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, unlike the last few years… this year is almost total mystery. Granted E3 and GDC is pretty much around the corner, there are some games we’ve known about for a bit of a time that have me all types of excited to get. Though not in any particular order, these are the games that I currently can’t wait to get in my hands.

Binary Domain – PS3/XBOX360 – Release Date: Feb 28th

First, let me just say this. I’m not gonna knock Mass Effect. Mass Effect is a good series, I enjoy it quite a bit personally (and I’m still buying it) but as I had stated before in my preview. Not only is this a game from Nagoshi and his team, I can’t stress enough how well this team can make a story.

I’ve been following Nagoshi and his work since the first Yakuza and despite the awful voice acting, it had by far one of the best stories I have ever experienced in a video game up to that point. Yakuza 2 followed behind and improved on just about everything over the first. The following entries also continued to improve a bit over the previous entry with minor tweaks and more detail thrown into the world. If there’s one thing, his games to pull you in and immerse you in the world in which he throws you into. Kamurocho is like a second home to me at this point.

Binary Domain however is a Sci-Fi shooter that seems to have a fairly down to earth story with nothing really to crazy to begin with. I know a lot of people love games that are over the top and everything but not me. I enjoy a bit of realism in my games because it helps me connect a bit more with the characters and the world I’m in. Binary Domain, with its changing story based on your decisions, seems to be the game I was looking for when I had purchased Alpha Protocol. I don’t feel as if I will be disappointed in this though the game honestly may be a short experience.

Yakuza Dead Souls -PS3 – Release Date Mar: 12

I don’t think I can promote Nagoshi anymore than I already have but whatever. Yakuza Dead Souls (known as Of The End) is the 6th Yakuza game in the series for home consoles or what you can consider a storyline break from the main games. This is a side story about a zombie outbreak in Kamurocho which carries over the multicharacter aspect of Yakuza 4. Its actually a shooter as well, third person though.

If you are having problems trying to figure out how that could work, you obviously didn’t use guns in Yakuza before. They also made it where you can move and shoot and everything so its all gravy. The world is also fairly detailed with more areas opened up. Hell, the gaming area is bigger than Yakuza 4 and its the SAME CITY! It wont be as stiff as you’d think but at the same time, this isn’t a game where I plan to be playing it just to shoot zombies. I play Yakuza for story.

My RPGs recently haven’t been doing much of anything to scratch that itch but don’t look a gift horse in the mouth if it presents you a respectable story outside of the genre you’re expecting. I treat these beat-em-ups like RPGs because well… they do kick ass when it comes to enjoyment. Something had to give this gen honestly but I can’t believe how little my faith on RPGs have dwindled.

Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown – PSN/XBL – Release Date: Summer 2012

Ok, can’t believe Sega has 3 spots on my top 5 list but first I’m gonna say this. Yes I like fighters. No there are no others on this list. I know all about Soul Calibur V, I’m happy for Vega being in SFxTK, I haven’t been interested in Tekken Tag 2 at all, and the only other things I’m interested in is Skull Girls because I wonder how it will perform. I really give no damn about that Persona fighter. Virtua Fighter is my one and only love in terms of fighting games. The first fighting game I picked up was not Street Fighter, but Virtua Fighter and ever since I’ve been drawn to it.

VF5: Final Showdown isn’t just an expansion on Virtua Fighter 5. The move from plain VF5 to Final Showdown is as clear as night and day or something a bit more understandable like Street Fighter 4 to Super. The basics remain the same and there are 2 additional characters. Jean Kujo (new character) and Taka Arashi joins the fray along with the rest of the VF5 cast.

You also have character customization… and I don’t wanna hear “Oh but Ed…. It’s in Tekken and Soul Calibur.” Get the hell out with that, customization was in this long before Tekken decided to do it. If you ask me, it also looks better in Virtua Fighter… actually, THOSE GRAPHICS MAKE MY DICK ROCK HARD. Even to this day, Virtua Fighter 5 is still one of the best looking fighters I have ever seen, period. The game is also fairly even when you have an understanding of the battle mechanics. Each character also has plenty of depth to them and its not about trying to throw fireballs or dragon punches all day. The only thing that’s even comparable is honestly Tekken but its so lolsy. I take my VF very seriously.

I’ll leave you with this though, if you’re new to fighting games and want a jump on point, keep an eye on this. Even and their mothers will agree that have bothered with Virtua Fighter 4: Evo, it has hands down the BEST tutorial for a fighting game ever. If Final Showdown incorporates a tutorial as extensive as Evo’s, you shouldn’t be asking a damn person how you do shit.

Tales of Graces f – PS3 – Release Date: Mar 13

It’s no surprise that lately I have been missing my RPGs. I’ve been repeatedly disappointed by quite a few things honestly but I think Namco may have the thing to alleviate my problems. Granted I own the previous game they put out on PS3, Eternal Sonata, its been a pretty barren field with a GREAT portion of RPGs being moved to the PSP and 3/DS. It’s become quite an infuriating world to live in.

I wasn’t that big on Final Fantasy XIII (hated it) but I’m willing to give XIII-2 a chance. Star Ocean… man, I wish that was in the ocean. Most games from NIS to me have also devolved into… ok, I take that back, they are pretty much just immature jokes tossed about but I have heard that Disgaea 4 was actually pretty good story wise so I may that a chance. Right now though, my sights are set on Tales.

One of the main reason I want this game is that it actually gives me something to play in a franchise I haven’t touched since PS1. It’s also including something I’ve been wanting in an RPG for a while, a multiplayer experience in a real-time battlefield. No other game right now I know is offering this and hopefully Tales itself doesn’t let me down.

Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen – PSVita – Release Date: Feb 22

Why am I excited for Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen? One word, Tenchu. This is the game that spawn when the company moved on from Tenchu, which they eventually ended up getting back. The other thing though is that this is more akin to Way of the Samurai as well. I happen to enjoy the choices that I am given in being able to craft my own story with my own character. That type of thing draws me in a lot.

The other thing is that this is the game that is literally making me go out and grab a Vita. No other game dropping on launch has my interest soaring as high for the portable and I plan to capitalize on it. I can understand why people may be wary of Way of Samurai because its looks quite dated. Still enjoyable for me but even I have a problem with graphics that look like I’m back on PS2 while using my PS3. Revenge of Zen however shouldn’t have that much of a problem trying to gain appeal. Who else wouldn’t want to be a ninja that can make their own story?