GTA Multiplayer Trailer Released! (The world needs new pants)

I'll make no effort to hide my excitement towards the upcoming open-world adventure GTAV. I was a huge fan of GTA IV'smore focused narrative , but the lack of anything else to occupy your time left me wanting. Thankfully, Rockstar seems committed to addressing those concerns and giving us the GTA that fans want while retaining the complex narrative that made the fourth installment so compelling. After today's multiplayer trailer, my anticipation has hit the fucking roof.

The multiplayer portion of GTAIV is called GTA Online. The trailer shows off the expected assortment of explosions and gang related violence, but the overall theme seems to be “Everything Together.” Rob banks together, play tennis together, scuba dive together, whatever you can think of together.

The other bit that I love is the ability to create your own story. Progression is measured by what you want to do, not what the developers want you to do. Buy an apartment for your buds to hang out at. Buy a car lot and fill it with personalized vehicles. Base jump with all 16 other players. It's all up to you.

By separating the multiplayer portion from the single-player, Rockstar will also be able to give players new content on the fly. Hopefully, like GTA IV, the question of content will be non existent. It'll be nice to have something to enjoy while waiting for the Xbox One and PS4 to iron their wrinkles.

The Crystal Challenge: Final Fantasy I

The original Final Fantasy was released in 1987 by a little company known as Square, now SquareEnix. The story goes that the game was a last ditch effort by the studio to make something worthwhile, giving it the title Final Fantasy to symbolize their struggle; this was their last chance. After the critical success of FF in Japan it eventually made its way to the states in 1990. Since then, versions have been released for dozens of different consoles and systems, including the PlayStation 1, Game Boy Advance, and PSP.

The version I played was part of the Dawn of Souls collection for the Game Boy Advance put out in 2004. It features refined graphics, game play tweaks both small and large, and four additional dungeons. Even with these changes, structurally, it is a nearly identical port of the original.

Examining FF with contemporary eyes causes many core mechanics that were once called revolutionary, appear stale and generic in comparison. Only by adjusting your vision to those of a gamer in the 80's do the traits that made FF so special come out. The random battles, now a staple of the JRPG Genre, are addicting. Every few steps you take, with exception to a handful of areas, triggers a battle in which you and the enemy take turns trading blows. In order to succeed, you have to use your enemies weaknesses to do the most damage. This type of system would later be copied and tweaked by JRPG's for dozens of years to come.

Although the battle system was admittedly brilliant for its time, this version has a few tweaks that work against it, creating a rather dull experience. The original title was, supposedly, a very brutal experience that forced you into grinding for both experience and gold often in order to progress. Boss's also required your full attention rather than the passive experience Dawn of Souls can be. It takes you no time to gain levels, stuff your wallets with gold, and access all the latest equipment available to your party.

Enemies have been dumbed down to the point that mental participation is entirely optional. Near an Endgame location I lost about 15 minutes just wandering around an area and spamming the attack option, regardless of character class. I wasn't even looking at the screen. The difficulty turns a game that could be a challenging, active experience into something dull and lifeless. At least boss's are there to keep you on your toes from time to time during the 12-15 hour story.

Speaking of the story, there isn't one, not really. After picking the classes of your four party members and naming them, you’re dropped into the world to figure it out as you go. Dialogue is of the “Go here, do this” variety, usually leading you to a dungeon with a treasure to find. One aspect that I wish SquareEnix would have changed is the lack of direction. Normally, it's not too difficult to find out where you need to be, but every now and then you have to find a specific person in a specific town that you haven't even been to yet that will then tell you where you need to go.

It's funny that my favorite part was a twist, turning the entire adventure on it's head, right at the endgame. I’m not going to spoil it save that, for it’s time, it’s genius. I have a feeling that, had the devs been able to flesh out the story for the remake, they could have had something really special on their hands when reintroducing this title to the world. Hardcore fans might disapprove, but nothing is ever perfect; everything can be improved.

As a whole, there are just as many parts that I like as there are that I don't. This is probably going to be the case with the first few titles in the series before it finally hits its stride. What this title has going for it is the fact that when it came out, it did revolutionize the RPG. Now it’s place is as a reminder of where it came from with hints of where it was going. It wouldn't take long for the potential that the devs showed for narrative to pay off. I would recommend the Dawn of Souls version to newcomers to FF and the JRPG genre, if only for the history lesson that it provides. In today’s market it’s not amazing, it’s not bad, it’s just okay.  

The Crystal Challenge: The Heroes of Light Awaken

I've been “gaming” since three, when my father taught my brother and I how to use the Commodore 64 (C64). According to my parents, by a few months, It was second nature to my still developing brain. By modern technology standards, the C64 is a dinosaur; but in 1989 it was considered a decent piece of hardware. It also played some sweet games like Defender of The Crown, Lode Runner, and Zak McKraken. Adventure games were my first love, one that has yet to die, especially considering the recent splurge of Adventure Games on the market.

As I child I owned and/or played every system without regard to what constituted a 'good game.' As long as the graphics were colorful and you could jump, I was content. Mario and Sonic were my favorites, but I did have a pretty solid spot for both Flashback and Out of This World. I'm still patiently waiting for a proper reintroduction of the Platform genre to home consoles.

Despite my love of jumping, it wasn't until the original PlayStation console (PS1) that my gaming habits turned from small time hobby to full-blown past time. The only problem was that, after surviving Resident Evil and bouncing around with Crash, nothing was grabbing me like I needed it to. There was a desire for something deeper and more complex than zombies or anthropomorphic bandicoots. Then one day, a bastard friend brought over his PS1 and a game that would both establish and forever cement my love for the Japanese Role Playing Game (JRPG).

That night, without a memory card, because neither of our parents understood that you needed one, I had one of the most enthralling adventures of my gaming career. I leaped off a train, bumped into a mysterious flower carrying stranger, and climbed the foreboding Shinra Tower. The next morning I imagine my parents found me passed out on the floor with a wet towel to wipe the gross amount of sweat from my hands. The next thing I knew, I had a PS1 of my own, a memory card, and a habit that has since influenced my choice of career. Final Fantasy VII was the spark I had been waiting for.

Since then I've taken part in every numbered adventure in the FF series. As I've gotten older emulators helped when physical copies were impossible to find or when money was an issue. Despite playing them all, I've never completed a single one; The challenge was, apparently, too much for me at the time. This is why I'm taking part in a self-created challenge dubbed “The Crystal Challenge.” The goal: Complete every numbered game in the Franchise, excluding spin-offs and Massively Multiplayer RPG's (MMO's).

Along with each play through, I'll provide impressions of each title, referencing what makes them unique among the entire series as well as if they've managed to stand against the sands of time. In doing so I hope to educate gamer's unfamiliar with a franchise that arguably gave the genre the publicity it rightfully deserved. 

I've already managed to finish off the original via Dawn of Souls for the Game Boy Advance. I realize it's not the genuine article, but at this point it's all I've got. You can't even find a ROM of the thing. Once I do somehow get it, I'll replay it as well as FFII for a more authentic experience. 

I’m not playing them in any particular order, which is why I've already started playing 12. It was the last one I bought and one I’m particularly fond of because of it’s political story that didn't revolve around saving the world from ruin, for once. Check back later for some impressions on my Final Fantasy 1 Experience. 

While we are on the subject of JRPG’s, what’s your favorite? Do you have an opinion about Final Fantasy? Which one do you like the most? The least?