So I have decided to again dip into my pile of shame and see for myself what Metal Gear has to offer.  It was time for me to make up my own mind.  To begin my journey into the Metal Gear universe I opted to start with Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (aka The Sons of Liberty).  From what I’ve heard and read, it seems to be the most beloved game in the series and thus a good representation of what creator Hideo Kojima is able to create.  I went into the game with no expectations and an open mind.  It was time to meet Solid Snake.

Before I began, I must admit that I did do some “light” reading to catch up on the story thus far so as not to be completely and utterly confused.  The now infamous storyline has long baffled gamers and I wanted to be sure I had a chance to try and make sense of it on my own.  Once I felt confident that I had some inclination of the story preceding the events of Substance I fired up the PS3 loaded my first ever Metal Gear disc.  I have now emerged, 14 hours later,  finally able to write about one of gaming’s most polarized and beloved games.

From the moment I turned on the game I was instantly impressed with the visuals and cinematic style.  The much touted “cinematic feel” is definitely beyond what most games do with cutscenes and Kojima’s unique camera angles are truly amazing.  Kojima’s ambitions of becoming a movie director clearly shine through in every cinematic and are fun to watch.  However, cutscenes aside, I think I was most surprised by how incredible the character animation was.  Snake moves with fluidity and there seem to be more animations in Substance than in most games you’ll see even today.

All of the visuals and sound design work well together to help Kojima tell his story of Solid Snake…and I’ve got to admit, it’s a mind-job!  There are more twists and turns in this story than you’d find in a pretzel factory.  More than once I found myself scratching my head as I tried to make sense of what was going on while trying to understand the complex inter-relationships between the characters.  By the end I was quite thoroughly confused…but somehow satisfied.  The game kept me interested throughout because I never knew what would happen next.  Overall, the dialogue in the game was good and the voice acting was really strong.  I can see now why David Hayter (voice of Snake) is so idolized by fans of the series.  He does a fantastic job and really brings the character to life.

Finally, I had my own chance to experience the fabled controls of Metal Gear.  While initially cumbersome and not the most intuitive, I certainly got the hang of them and managed to get Snake (and Raiden) to do whatever it was I wanted them to do.  I can see how some gamers would be frustrated by the controls but with a little patience I felt they didn’t detract too much from the game.  Do I think this game could control better?  Definitely.  Is is a deal breaker and barrier to entry?  Definitely not.  To be honest, you only need to use them about half the time…to get from one cutscene to the next!

It was with great satisfaction that I finally completed a Metal Gear game and got to see what all the hype was about.  I was really impressed with the graphics, the cutscenes and the overall presentation.  While the story could be easily described as ridiculous, I still found myself enjoying the plot twists and seeing what would happen next.  I can certainly understand the resentment some gamers feel when they claim the game actually involves very little “playing” and much more “watching.”  The cutscenes were long and frequent, but I definitely enjoyed them and thought they gave Metal Gear an identity all it’s own.  It felt more like an interactive movie at times, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

On balance, I really enjoyed the game and would recommend to anyone that hasn’t played it yet to try it.  While it won’t appeal to everyone (as we already know from the divided opinions out there) for those that buy into the story and the characters, Substance can be a rewarding experience.  Now that you can get it as part of the Metal Gear Solid Essential Collection for only $30, there has never been a better time to meet Solid Snake.

Many gamers will end up mistaking Darkness for an adventure game. Even those who download the demo may not get far enough into the story to realize that Darkness is in fact an RPG, and a very good one at that. RPG fans should take notice. The battle system in Darkness utilizes real time mechanics but adds a turn based flavour (Final Fantasy fans may yawn at this point…but there’s more). As you select commands for your group you are also responsible for blocking enemy attacks, which actually is a game in itself. Timing a block takes practice and it will keep you on your toes throughout the game. Like any good RPG, each character has a special attack that charges over time and can be unleashed after completing a successful mini-game. In action, the battle mode is at the same time frenetic but also very strategic. It needs to be experienced to be truly appreciated.

Technically, Darkness looks and runs great. The cartoonish animations and comic panel approach give the game an authentic comic book feel that works incredibly well. Add in some Mass Effectesque dialogue trees and the game does well to immerse you into its crazy world and ridiculous story. Darkness is easily one of the best looking XBLA games to-date.

Of course, there is some bad with the good. The cost of entry for Darkness is a bit high at $20, making it the most expensive stand-alone XBLA title so far. This wouldn’t be so much of a problem if the game was a bit longer…most gamers will be finished with Darkness after 7-9 hours. Unfortunately, Darkness doesn’t lend itself to multiple playthroughs, so once you are done, you likely won’t be replaying it. In addition, despite being relatively short the game still manages to require a fair amount of backtracking which may turn off some gamers.

The Good:

+ Fantastic battle mode mechanics
+ Refreshing humour (if you like Penny Arcade especially)
+ Graphics and presentation are great

The Bad:

- A bit short at 7-9 hours of gameplay
- Some backtracking
- High cost of entry

The Verdict: BUY IT

Penny Arcade’s first game manages to overcome a high price tag with a game that will win over RPG fans and Penny Arcade enthusiasts alike. For those who are on the fence, at the very least you should try the demo. For me, I’m already looking forward to the next episode. Let’s just hope they don’t make us wait too long.

If you want to see the game in action, check out a clip here:

The story revolves around an immortal, Kaim, who has lived for 1000 years. While the game doesn’t take place over the span of those years, it has flashbacks in the form of dreams that help to flesh out his life and backstory. Of course, along the way he is helped by several companions and one man aims to rule the world. Typical stuff. I won’t go more into the story here, as I always feel that is something you need to discover for yourself. Not only is it more rewarding, it’s part of the overall experience. However, I will say that there are some great characters in this game. Notably, Sed (get it, like Cid from FF?) and Jansen stand out.

Despite being a traditional JRPG (random battles, turn based combat etc), a few notable additions serve Lost Odyssey well. First, it has implemented a ring system (pictured below) in the combat that requires you to hold down the right trigger and release it at the right time to achieve more effective attacks. There are hundreds of different rings that can be attached and a fairly deep assembly system that allows you to craft rings with various elemental effects or status boosts. In addition, there is now a “wall system” in place that takes into account the formation of your party on the battlefield. The long and short of it is that party members in the back row get a defensive boost relative to the HP of the front row. It serves to add a little more strategy to how you build and position your party throughout the game. On a side note, I feel it is important to point out that there are NO SUMMONS in this game. If you go in expecting to find them you will be disappointed. Rather, Lost Odyssey uses a elemental based system with fire, water, earth and wind.

Overall, Lost Odyssey can present quite a challenge to JRPG newbies. There is little in the way of a tutorial and the first boss fight can kick your ass if you aren’t prepared. However, seasoned Final Fantasy fans will likely have no problem hacking their way through the game.

The music in Lost Odyssey is absolutely top notch. Oematsu has crafted a fantastic soundtrack and I enjoyed it throughout the entire game. While it is very reminicesnt of his work on Final Fantasy, it still manages to stand on its own and help craft a unique identity for the world of Lost Odyssey.

There has been much made of the supposed 30 second load times in Lost Odyssey as highlighted in several reviews. Fortunately, this was only a problem with the early code and the retail version doesn’t suffer from any long load times that ruin the experience. However, there is a noticeable frame-rate chug when entering battles and even in some cut-scenes but neither do much to detract from the experience.

As always, the question remains, do I recommend this game? Unfortunately, the answer is not as straightforward as you might think. Any fans of Final Fantasy will really enjoy Lost Odyssey. It is essentially the game that Sakaguchi would have made as Final Fantasy X had he remained with Square-Enix. While the game mechanics of a turn-based RPG may feel a bit dated after the likes of Mass Effect and The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, Lost Odyssey remains a solid RPG and should be considered by any fan of the genre.

The Good:

+ Great magic effects
+ Engaging and mature story
+ New ring system keeps combat engaging
+ Nice cinematics

The Bad:

- Pacing is a bit dis-jointed
- Dream sequences interrupt the flow of the game
- Some framerate issues

The Verdict: BUY IT