• 12Jul 09

  My Comments on Lux-Pain

  Hey again, my non-existent readers.

  Oh, Lux-Pain. For every step you take forward, you seem to take two steps back. Onto hot coals.

  First, my opinions: Lux-Pain, you have a wonderful, but slightly vague story that would be better expressed in a newspaper column than on a Nintendo DS screen. And yup, if you've heard anything about L-P's gameplay, it's probably this: the gameplay is not there.

  L-P, you are not a good game, and here is why. You have earned poor scores on gaming websites and reviews simply because you are not a game. Lux-Pain's greatest flaw is trying to pass itself off as being more than it really is. The extent of your gameplay throughout the maybe 20-hour experience is this: scratch the DS screen until something happens, then press A repeatedly until the others characters stop talking. Go to another area in the game, and repeat the process.

  TOO MUCH DIALOGUE.

  To be quite frank, I usually have no problems with the characters expressing themselves or conversing often within a game. But in L-P's case, the entire game is built around dialogue. Like I said, it's essentially a visual novel.

  -slight spoilers ahead; still intended for those who have not played the game

  Lux-Pain is a slightly eerie talk of a teenage exorcist who roams the town of Kisaragi searching for "The Original," a person from which SILENT, an insanity-prompting condition, originates. SILENT has infected the people of Kisaragi, and it is up to you, as Saijo Atsuki, to find the infectees and prevent them from lopping off their own heads, or, in some cases, other people's. Oh, and you're undercover at a high school, too. Fun times.

  Yeah, it's kind of typical of the Japanese to create a plot like this. When I first saw the main character, his grey-silver hair and black trenchcoat (leather?) immediately reminded me of another famous company's creations. (Can you say SQEENIX?) But as it turns out, Saijo Atsuki is a great character. Although a little on the soft side, he's not emo, and certainly doesn't go around angsting about his life or flirting with the many extremely attractive girls in the town (but I'll get to that later.) But, like everyone in L-P, Saijo has a story. The problem is, Lux-Pain never tells us about it. And I was really curious, too. Oh well.

  Anyway, the townspeople fall into pretty distinct categories. There are the very attractive girls (ex. very busty Rui Yamase, adorable Nastuki V., intelligent Yayoi, or even your informant, Nola), the extremely attractive guys (ex. your "angelic" boss, Ray, your sexy Chinese partner, Liu Yee, the mysterious telepath Hibiki Kiryu, or the very buff Akira Mido), the insane people (ex. your creepy gun-loving math teacher Yamato, the disturbed manager of convenience store Day & Night, Kunio Hoshino, or the animal-abusive Hiroshi Tazaki.)

  
  Yup. The hot, the hot for you, and the insane.

  Notice how I say the "hot for you" are the guys. For some reason, I see a lot of homosexuality. On the side of all the murders and suicides, I mean.

  Anyway. So you're working for FORT, Force for Obliteration of the Rising Terrors. Basically, they hire people who have telepathic powers. And you're one of them. Yeah. With your company and your very sexy Chinese partner constantly backing you up, you will eventually save Kisaragi in one of three possible endings. Yup.

  And that's all I really have to say. Except, on a parting note, you need to be into this genre in order to remotely like this game. Otherwise, poor translation/localization, too much dialogue, and a really only mediocre story will ruin your life. Or at least waste a good 15 hours of your time.

  Bye now.

  • Posted Jul 12, 2009 2:49 pm GMT
  • Category: Games
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• 17Nov 08

  My Comments on The World Ends With You

  Hello everyone~

  My first blog entry here. I've decided to write about the last game I played- The World Ends With You. 

  This isn't a review. Just a quick commentary. Although I may write a review of this game later, there's so much I have to say.

  Majority of the following are opinions. If yours differ, then please tell me what you think. Politely, please. That means not writing things like, "This game sucks" or "You're such a n00b." I will ignore comments like that.

  -slight spoilers ahead; still meant for those who have not played the game-

  -this blog leans towards more of a rant than a commentary-

  Firstly, a message to those who have a Nintendo DS: buy this game. It is most certainly worth your money, and the gameplay innovation, art, unrivaled soundtrack, plot, incorporation of the DS touchscreen and post-storyline value is well worth the price tag. 

  I finished this game in about two months. I played on and off and was not in any hurry to finish it; although there were some points in the story where I had to stay up a bit to beat a boss or complete a mission. The storyline, in my opinion, was well-written, with little twists and "lol wtf" moments. The soundtrack was an extremely unexpected but welcome surprise, and by far my favorite compilation of music in a game to date. 

  And oh, the characters. From the un-sociable emo teen (all too Square Enix-y on that point) you control, Neku, to the logically challenged but rightfully driven "bad guy" Megumi Kitaniji, to the mathematically-obsessed Sho Minamimoto, whose "side" taken in the story does not become clear for a long time. To the somewhat hilarious shop clerk NPCs whose opinions and thoughts on you change depending on how much you buy.

  The gameplay was also something to rant about. using a (materia-like?!) system in which the pins you equip change the abilities of your character, you can slash, tap, or draw in the DS touch screen, or shout (or blow, my preference) into the DS microphone. Although this game's "two screens at once" system (the top screen can be set to auto-play, however) is a little awkward at first; you get used to it as you progress. Learning how to equip items to improve stats by following the "trends" of the gameplay area, Shibuya, Japan, was overwhelming at first but became easy as I played. 

  All in all, (what, you're done already?!) this game was a great recommendation by a friend of mine, and I am still playing every once in a while despite unlocking and collecting absolutely everything. I do believe this is the best game I've played for the DS, and I have gone through quite a selection of games. 

  Thank you for reading.

  Meiflower

  • Posted Nov 17, 2008 9:07 pm GMT
  • Category: Games
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