Getting back on track

Sorry for the long delay, but working on getting back on track worldwide.

First step is getting my hands on a used laptop for working on podcasts. Something that is presently a work in progress.

Part of my summer schedule is getting podcasts back on track. That means posting related episodes of 3DS Addict, Antisocial Gamer, Pocket Gamer and Wii Life in relations to RPG and Strategy gaming.

First thing first, getting back on track to posting daily content. Stay tuned.

Micro Review (handheld edition) featuring Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution

Micro Review Handheld Edition
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution

When it comes to world building strategy gaming on the DS the experience for me to date has been decidedly hit or miss.

Maybe it is a fairly decent though ultimately shallow experience like Age of Empires Age of Kings. Maybe its an engaging though ultimately one trick pony like city building sim Sim City Creator, or its an oh my god this game is impossible even after reading the gamefaq walkthrough 1606 aka Age of Discovery! Either way the simple matter of fact is that I don't have the best track record with city or world building sims on the DS. Does this game change that? Well... yes, but I emphasis that with astericks and warnings that this can fulfill your world building needs... if shown a proper respect of its limitations and shortcomings.

The main driving force of the game is its line up of scenarios to play through. Unlike other games of this caliber like Age of Empires, Revolution does not have a story mode. Instead you have a sandbox open play mode, a mode to play preset scenarios... and there used to be a map of the week mode... years ago when this was new, forget about this. The meat and potatoes is freeplay and scenario play.

The first, and biggest fault I have with this game is a lacking online multiplayer mode. At best if there is multiplayer it might be ad hoc local, and good luck finding a second DS owner with a copy of this game. Then again I for one was never a big fan of the pre-3DS era DS wifi so go figure. Having a game like this with lacking wifi hence is no real surprise for me, disappointing yes but not surprising by a long shot.

The game itself is a pretty fun world builder overall. Build armies, build up cities one settler built or invaded or converted city at a time, and work your way to the future, doing research, fighting barbarians as well as rival nations... overall lots to do so that's good. However even with all that? Ultimately the game feels very repetative, and the AI seems unbalanced (too easy on the first difficulty, hard as heck on 2nd, and jumping leaps and bounds from there). Also, another fault of the AI, is a lack of unpredictability. Yes it is a straightforward strategy world builder, but even I enjoy a good twist in a game now and then. Having an AI that can think past simple aggression slash passive responses would have been great.

Long story short if you embrace it's limitations you'll find a pretty addictive fun game here... wish it had online multiplayer, yeah, and I hope they fix that if they port Civilization to the 3DS but... try it. Pretty fun for a DS world building strategy game. A 4 out of 5. Enjoy!

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance on Game Boy Advance

How can a game be good, and yet still have it all ruined by such a thing as a plot driven device like in this game? Yet here we are, a game with detractors for the fact of a simple plot element.

It all starts in the normal everyday world, where you learn the game's combat system through a snowball fight, as well as meet the gang. Once you do the story begins as a mousy boy, possessing a magic tome, wills the world to change somehoe turning the world into Ivalice from Final Fantasy Tactics of which I'm still trying to review.

You must join a clan to survive, and find the world your in dominated by chocobo riding beings called Judges, the one reason why lots don't like this. Really. Are the judges that bad? In the game they throw their weight around bullying everyone, but that's part of the story (they're with the mousy boy who turned the world, apparently being manipulated by a woman who is probably not his dead mother.

Speaking of dead you seem to be cast in the role of the destroyer of worlds, ready to tear Ivalice apart in order to return home... especially since this isn't really Ivalice but a hollow reflection created by a sad boy who only wants his family whole again.

The gameplay is solid, of course, and the judges add an element of difficulty even if you are not a fan of judges, and yes you are eventually armed with means by which to neutralize judge's orders, or change them to suit your needs if I remember right.

I think critics of the judge thing are way too harsh. I don't like them either, but not enough to score down the game. The game doesn't deserve to be ranked down for an element like the Judges, and all my memories of the game are fond ones, so I'm scoring it a nice solid 4 positive judgements out of 5.

Once I played it long enough I'll review Final Fantasy Tactics, then I'll get in the Fall Final Fantasy Tactics War of the Lions for review. Stay tuned.

Reviews of the Week - July 11th to 15th

Upcoming reviews of the new week

July 11th - Crystal Defenders (PSP)

July 13th - Dragon Warrior III (Game Boy Color)

July 15th - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 (DS)

For the podcast versions of the reviews listen to PSP DLC Life Episode 3 and Retro Game Boy Life Episode 1 for the first review. Stay tuned to 3DS Life for my upcoming review of KH 358/2'

A podcast for RPG and Strategy gaming?

I don't know, but if there is sufficent interest in such a thing I'll work on it. So I'll keep an eye on comments, post a voting poll later and watch how many followers the page gets. The more interest the better. Stay tuned.