Worst Video Game Series: The Sims

Let’s face it, for every good videogame you’ve played in your life, you can probably recall a dozen that you’ve played that simply weren’t up to par. Every aspect of life has its duds, and video games are no exceptions, whether it’s the result of poor controls, bad writing, or just a really crappy independent company that has no business making video games in the first place. We can all recall plenty of games that are just horrible, but which game SERIES is the worst? In my opinion, it’s got to be The Sims. I know this will probably seem like a strange choice to many readers, due to its popularity, when there are so many other games out there that are universally hated. And I’ll admit, there are a few things that The Sims does well which can make it “fun” to play. But if we’re talking about it in terms of series, The Sims comes out on top because of the fact that more universally hated games are usually a single game without a series because they were so bad that the developers dropped it immediately, or because they are a lone dud within the midst of a successful and well-done franchise. For me, The Sims matches neither of these criteria, so let’s jump right into the fray.

Favorite Video Game Character: Ratchet, from Ratchet and Clank

Every good game needs good characters. A great plot, great gameplay, doesn’t mean anything if your protagonist is an annoying jerk, your villain is shoddily put-together, or you’re playing a FPS. (No offense, HALO fans) If the characters in the game aren’t relatable or likable, then the player won’t want to play the game, since the essence of the game is following these characters around and how they drive the plot forward. So while I’m preparing for finals this year, I thought I would introduce you to my favorite videogame character: Ratchet, from the Ratchet & Clank game series.

Final Fantasy Favorites

One of the more common video game blogs I’ve seen online have at one point or another done their own take on the Final Fantasy video game series, ranking them from worst to best, so I thought I’d join the club and contribute my own list to the internet. I find it really difficult to pick an absolute victor in the game series, however, since each game is so different from the others in so many different ways. So instead of a list, I’ll compare and contrast the games that I have played, which sadly is a rather short list, based on certain elements of the games, with a personal favorite in each category. Because this review list would otherwise be insanely long otherwise, I have decided to split it up into several separate posts, each detailing a different element. I’m excited, and I hope you are too!

First up: Gameplay

Friday Night Retro: Jet Force Gemini

Once upon a time, video games used to be difficult. Now, I’m not talking about difficult in terms of faulty controls or infuriating design. I’m talking about the fact that gameplay used to actually be a challenge. Let’s face it, today’s gamers are soft because today’s games are too easy. (With the possible exception of Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls) Gone are the days when you had to spend hours trying to master a game, progressing inch by slow inch through an area as hordes of enemies tried to end your character’s puny existence, replaced with games that baby you, and the only danger is that you might accidentally fall to your death. Strategy and intricacy have taken a back seat to beautiful graphics and brute force, and even when you beat a game, it doesn’t seem to mean as much because you didn’t really have to try too hard. So let’s take a look back at one of the hardest games I recall from my childhood, Jet Force Gemini.

Maniacal Monday: Seymour, from Final Fantasy X

The Final Fantasy game franchise is widely regarded as one of the best RPG series’ of all time.  And with over thirty game titles to their name, it’s certainly one of the largest. The first Final Fantasy was released in 1987 in Japan, as a last-ditch attempt to save the Square company from bankruptcy, and it quickly grew one of the largest fanbases in videogame history. Each new title in the main series brings an entirely new story, a new battle system, and new characters. Like any good story, however, it needs  good antagonists. And one of the most intriguing is Maester Seymour, from FFX.

Eidolons of Gran Pulse - Brynhildr

By the grace of Etro, warrior maiden be drawn by the fires of battle.
Come forth, wreathed in blazing glory.
Your Rousing Inferno terrorizes all with your fury,
Discouraging those who would seek to quarrel.
The Ethereal Blaze that surrounds your vessel
Shall burn to cinders any who provoke thee,
And with ease, your enemies shall swiftly foresee
The demise of those who with Eidolons meddle.

As you burst forth swiftly, racing through
Your enemies, they will with dying groans exclaim,
As you follow your powerful master's bidding.
Múspell Flame, burn those who dare challenge you.
A name in blood, a pact of flame.
Brynhildr shall rise, her bond eternal and unyielding.

Eidolons of Gran Pulse - Odin

By grace of Etro, let thunder herald your arrival.
Come forth, sunderer of falsehood.
Allow no evil to remain, struck down by good,
Struck down by you, thou lightning-bound angel.
The world remains in a state of peril,
Besieged by enemies vicious and crude.
They tremble before thee, bright-shining, and hued,
As they wait for a punishment cruel.

Gallop into the sunset swiftly,
As the story follows in futile pursuit.
The end will nigh find itself coming.
Zantetsuken, annihilate all those unworthy.
A name in blood, a pact of truth.
Odin shall rise, his bond eternal and unyielding.

Friday Night Retro: Mario Party

Within the seemingly endless number of videogame and videogame sequels popping up this year, it’s nice to fall back on familiar classics that everyone knows. And easily the most recognizable videogame character is Mario, that pudgy Italian plumber that’s always one step behind his eternal rival Bowser and his lovely lady Princess Peach. He is Nintendo’s poster-character, and is synonymous with old-school gaming. He has aged quite a bit better than most of his 8-bit friends like Sonic, but we all remember and love him during his early years. Nintendo has always been about multiplayer games, and so it’s no surprise that their most famous franchise has dozens of games designed specifically for party play, even one that literally calls itself that: Mario Party.

Maniacal Monday: The Overlord, from the Overlord game series

We all love villains. Whether they are a sleazy, nasty slimeball or a sophisticated supervillain, everyone secretly adores bad guys because we somehow find a way to feel for whatever plight has led them to become evil, and their initiative in trying to make the world a better place, even if their methods and ultimate goal are not what we would consider “better.” And while many books exist that examine events from the viewpoint of villains, coming across a tale where you ARE the villain is very rare. Enter the Overlord, the stereotypical fairy-tale villain, and protagonist of the Overlord game series.

Friday Night Retro: Bomberman 64

The transition from the old 2-dimensional games of the arcade days to the new 3-dimensional game systems in the ‘90s was rough on a lot of game franchises. While some series, like Final Fantasy, adapted without sacrificing its identity, not every game was so lucky, and this led to quite a few game franchises to fail. The Bomberman series was of the few that managed to hang on through the transition, and though the games have recently become nothing more than a throwback to its 2-d days of fame, it managed to churn out two rather decent games for the Nintendo 64 game system, the first of which was Bomberman 64. It was a game I spent endless hours trying to beat, but never managed to finish, due to some fatal flaws in the gameplay mechanisms, but more on that later.

Friday Night Retro: Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog

I am possibly one of the youngest people that can still recall looking forward to Saturday Morning Cartoons, before the advent of the DVR. Getting up early on the weekend seems blasphemous to me now, but back then, nothing beat the feeling of getting out of bed just to lay down on the couch for a few uninterrupted hours of cartoon watching. Those Saturday time slots were gold for kids and TV shows alike, the foundation of a lot of quality nostalgia. However, not all nostalgia is perfect, and one show that stands out today as less than great is the infamous show, “The Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog.”

Music Reviews

As you may have noticed in my previous reviews, I tend to focus a lot on the figuratively quiet influence of music upon the audience. Though most people don’t often recognize or focus on music in games or movies, as their primary concern is with the plot, auditory perception is possibly the most important element of any form of entertainment. The plot, the gameplay, the characters, they all count for nothing if the sounds that accompany them are abrasive and make you wish you could rip your eardrums out of your head. So I have decided to review music on this blog as well – though I don’t think I’m going to change the title of my blog; too much work. While this won’t be a regular segment like Friday Night Retro or Maniacal Monday, as I don’t wish to overburden myself with the shadow of college looming just around the corner, I will be doing my best to review a soundtrack or music album at least every other week, and keep you guessing about which day it gets published. 

This Week: NiGHTS: Lucid Dreaming, an OverClocked Remix Album.

Maniacal Monday: The Shadow, From Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Winner of the "Scariest Game Ever" Award

Few things are more frightening to the human psyche than darkness, though we truly fear the unknown which lurks inside the darkness rather than the darkness itself. It stands to reason, then, that the most frightening villain of all is one that we cannot see, and that is truly the case for The Shadow from the game “Amnesia: The Dark Descent.” This is, without a doubt, one of the scariest games I have ever played, period, and this is a direct result of the effect of The Shadow on both the character and the player. Why is this villain so terrifying? Read on to find out.

Maniacal Monday

If there is one thing upon which we can all agree, it’s that bad guys are evil. They do evil things for evil reasons, (and sometimes no reason at all) and it’s up to the protagonist of the story to stop them. And though we cheer when good inevitably triumphs, we’d all be lying to ourselves if we didn’t admit that there were times when we were rooting for the bad guy. Let’s face it; villains are usually much more interesting characters than heroes. Villains have motives, they have selfish desires, and we can relate to them in a way, whereas heroes seem to exist for the sole purpose of defeating the bad guy and restoring peace and balance to the world. So, in honor of these baddies, I am proud to announce a new weekly segment: Maniacal Monday! Where we will honor the best of the worst, and find out just what makes them tick. 

This Monday: The Shadow, from Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Friday Night Retro: Star Fox 64

Look, the action's exploding!

Star Fox 64 was one of the best games of the 64-bit era, and certainly has a special place in my heart. In many ways, it pushed the boundaries on what home-console video games could do, from its revolutionary Rumble Pak, to multiple gameplay paths, and the immense amount of voice-acting dialogue. My father and I wasted hundreds of hours discovering everything about it, and was actually probably better at the game than I was, though I’ll never admit it to him. Let’s not waste any more time, and jump right in.

Friday Night Retro

Remember the careless days of your youth, when your biggest worry was deciding what flavor gum you were going to buy on your way out of the grocery store? We always tend to look back our childhood with fondness, and with my new weekly segment, Friday Night Retro, I am going to do my best to bring back the things that made our childhoods memorable. Every week, I’ll review something from the past: videogames, bands, toys, books, you name it. Anything from the 90’s and early 2000’s is fair game. If you have something you would like me to review, don’t hesitate to send me a message or leave a comment, and I’ll add it to the list. Enjoy!

This Friday: Star Fox 64.

Hero or Villain? Choose your path in inFAMOUS 2.

inFAMOUS 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed PS3 game, inFAMOUS.

Welcome

I'm JLawrence Kenny, and this is my blog, "On Poetry, Prose, and Videogames."