By Matthew Scott Hunter
‘Final Fantasy XIII’ (T)
****
Not like the rest of them
Square Enix
Xbox 360
After years of waiting, we finally have our next-gen “Final Fantasy.” Is it a great RPG? Is it a worthy entry in the celebrated series? Yes and no, in that order. “FFXIII” is undoubtedly a fantastic role-playing game. It has a deep combat system, memorable characters and an epic story. But, due to a few major deviations from the franchise formula, it doesn’t quite feel like a “Final Fantasy” game. You only control one party member in combat, while A.I. covers the rest, and most of the game is surprisingly linear, yielding startlingly few opportunities for exploration and side quests. Pulse is arguably the most breathtakingly beautiful world ever seen in a series known for breathtaking beauty, but it never felt like I saw it all.
Most of these complaints flutter away like loose Chocobo feathers once you lose yourself in the narrative. The story is involving, if a tad melodramatic, and the characters are easy to fall in love with (except for Vanille, whose gratingly bubbly voice and personality make her the Jar Jar Binks of “FFXIII”). Plus, the battles have never been more visually dramatic. Characters bound across the screen as the camera automatically swoops in to capture the most cinematic angle. The series has taken some big strides this time around. I just wish all those steps were in the right direction.
‘Pokemon Heartgold/Soulsilver’ (E)
***
Nintendo
Nintendo DS
“Pokemon’s” “Gotta catch’em all!” tagline is beginning to feel like it belongs on a list of chores. Who knew there’d be so many we’d have to catch? These two new “Pokemon” games are just like the rest. You find the little critters in the wild, catch them with a pokeball and force them to do turn-based battle with the stock of rival Pokemon trainers. These games, however, come with a “Pokewalker” — sort of a cross between a pedometer and a Tamagotchi — which allows you to take your Pokemon for real world walks, so at least you’ll get some exercise.
‘Deadly Premonition’ (M)
**1/2
Ignition Entertainment
Xbox 360
This “Twin Peaks”-inspired tale of a schizophrenic FBI agent investigating paranormal events in a small town comes very close to being “so bad, it’s good.” Dialogue is unintentionally hilarious, the music is wildly inappropriate, and no one seems to notice that the protagonist talks to an imaginary friend. Unfortunately, the gameplay is equally absurd and far less entertaining. Enemies are repetitive, combat is broken, and traveling between objectives takes forever. You’ll want to see how bad it gets, but it’s a shame you have to keep playing to do so.
‘Metal Slug XX’ (T)
***
Atlus
PlayStation Portable
This is essentially a direct port of “Metal Slug 7” for Nintendo DS. Thankfully, 2-player co-op — a series staple that was inexcusably absent from the DS — has been restored, but other than that, no changes were made to accommodate the new hardware. The graphics weren’t enhanced to make use of the larger PSP screen. Rather, the image has been stretched and blurred to fill the space. Longtime fans of the 2D sidescrolling shoot’em-up will probably want to play with the proper aspect ratio, which is an available option. But unless you bring a friend, you may as well be playing on DS.
