Gamin' Watch! - September edition

Last week, I went and had my monthly visit to the local video game store Gamer's Hideout just to see if theres anything new. Well, that visip ended up having me picking up not just one, but two games at once. I really can't tell what got me into doing that. Suffice to say, I was just powerless to resist the temptation of good video games. Of course, at the time I couldn't say for sure whether those two games are any good. After spending some good time with it, here's what I have to say about them:

Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise is a sequel of sorts to Viva Pinata (du-uh), that game from two years ago. However, saying its a full fledged sequel ain't really quite right. Perhaps thats why Rare (the developer) decided to just add a sub-title rather than just calling it Viva Pinata 2..

That's not to say that the game is no good because theres just no other game quite like it. Don't let the cute and cuddly look of the pinatas to fool you into thinking this is a kids game - the gameplay can be very demanding yet at the same time satisfying. A gamer who does not like this game is, well...lets just face it, don't even call yourself a gamer. Just play the game, you'll know what I mean.

The other game I bought was Tales of Vesperia. After my frustration with Lost Odyssey, I find it hard to bring myself to buy yet another Japanese RPG - it doesn't suite my taste anymore of late. It was fortunate that I gave this game the benifit of a doubt because it turned out to be completely awesome.

The game has some issues though. My main gripe with it comes from the fact that its a Japanese RPG, and it shows. The story can be summarised as JRPG template 6 or 7. It didn't exactly drop my jaw but the way it presented is so good that I was able to look pass that problem. It is probably the closest thing to an interactive anime. The characters, to me, are the most lovable bunch since Final Fantasy 7. The game also has a good sense of humor which had me totally excited to listen what the characters are gonna say next.

I also fell in love with the game's battle system. It plays like a dumbed down fighting game, but with just enough depth to keep battles interesting. The boss fights are also the highlight of the game. If you are even remotely into Japanese RPGs or find it hard to pick one up because they don't change much since 15 years ago, you should defintely give this one a try. For me, it reinvigorated my love of not only the genre but also of anime.

Now, I should probably restrain myself from buying another game until Fable 2 comes out later next month. To all the gamers - Happy gaming!