Square-Enix recently published a lengthy FAQ outlining in great detail, with collapsible segments and example conversations, the sort of behaviour they deem to be unacceptable in their hugely successful MMO, Final Fantasy XIV. This is in many ways extraordinary in itself, going far beyond the broad and safely acceptable (and largely ignorable and/or under-moderated) rules … Continue reading Online players are real people
[A quick note before we begin: Going forward you'll be able to find all of these Dragon Quest X diary posts under the new ~Dragon Quest X Play Diary~ tag] At a bit of a loose end and with my brain turned to mush after writing an unreasonably enormous review on brand new Taiwanese RPG Sword & … Continue reading My Dragon Quest X Play Diary: Part 02
When judged purely on its merits as an RPG 2009's Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light is... it's fine. It's faux-retro in many of the ways I don't really want a game to be, with multi-level dungeons filled with staircases leading to dead ends (or a solitary chest containing an item that's never quite … Continue reading Four good-lookin’ Heroes of Light
In its original form Dragon Quest X remains online only and exclusive to Japan (the upcoming offline version is an entirely separate and heavily reworked entity), although it's a little easier to get into these days thanks to a Final Fantasy XIV-style relaxation on its entry requirements: Anyone living in Japan (or pretending to be) … Continue reading My Dragon Quest X Diary: Part 01
Games are supposed to give us a playable hero to identify with - a central figure who is just that little bit stronger, smarter, sassier, and generally better than everyone else created to support them. They're designed to be the first person you notice on the cover and when playing they'll get all the best … Continue reading More important than the leading man
It's clear from the moment you begin that Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is a far more extensive remake of the original Super Famicom game than PSP stablemate Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions is of its equivalent PlayStation progenitor. Even those fateful opening questions on faith, family, and friendship have been reformed into something new, … Continue reading The Wheel begins to turn…
Everyone expects modern MMOs to have a reliable stream of tie-in events, with Square-Enix's rich, interconnected, and naturally RPG-friendly stable arguably under more pressure than most to mingle its three flagship online games (Final Fantasy XIV, Final Fantasy XI, and Dragon Quest X) with each other, with the wider range of games available under the publisher's extensive … Continue reading All the world’s a stage
Poisoned drinks, deadly falls (preceded by a malicious push), heavy candlesticks swung at the back of someone's head, jealous lords offing innocent princes... murder's been a popular plot device for about as long as people have been telling stories, which has the unfortunate side effect of making even a well written tale feel a little … Continue reading Back to the future (via murders and music)
"Oh don't you worry DISSIDIA 012 [duodecim] FINAL FANTASY" I say after the long (but appreciated) data install's just finished and I'm now going through the pre-game setup questions "I can still remember spending some time with the original... w-well over a, um, over a decade ago... I'm sure I'll be absolutely fine diving back … Continue reading Finding my style
[A short note before we start: At the time of writing Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is roughly seventeen years old and I feel fair game to discuss freely without dancing around any particular themes or plot points... however it's also just a few weeks away from receiving a HD "remaster" (try not to mind the … Continue reading An unforgettable adventure
Kimimi The Game-Eating She-Monster 