Tags
carbine studios, classic games, eve online, final fantasy iv, final fantasy ix, final fantasy vi, games, gaming, MMO, mmorpg, modern games, ratchet and clank, rpg, splatoon, uncharted, wildstar
So a couple of days ago I decided to turn an image that was circulating around Twitter in to a writing prompt. Which, overall, felt like a good idea but it ran awfully long. So this here’s part two of that blog!
I’m also re-using this image just because.
Game with the Best Cutscenes
The Ratchet and Clank series. I adore these games, and I adore the animation of the cutscenes even more. They had such style and character to them, and had a quality level that felt like a natural Saturday morning cartoon or feature-length animated movie. Tie that together with big, entertaining voice acting and it made watching cutscenes in a videogame an absolute joy for once.
Favorite Antagonist
‘Nuff said.
Favorite Protagonist
This one’s all over the place for me, but I’m gonna have to choose Nathan Drake. His games were genuinely fun despite some frustrating parts, and a lot of what he went through in his four games was both high adventure as well as very easy to empathize with. Also, I just like hearing Nolan North’s voice.
Picture of a Game Setting You Wished you Lived In
Favorite Genre
…..duuuuuuh.
Game with the Best Story
EVE Online. Even though it’s not a game I’ve taken part in and doesn’t have a narrative that’s scripted or written, the stories that have come out of that game are literally enough to fill a book. It’s a bit of a cop-out answer, but the things that have happened and continue to happen in that game will always be more fascinating than many game plots.
A Game Sequel which Disappointed You
Star Fox Zero. I tried to like this game, man, I really really did. I tried to muscle my way through the damn tilt controls. But oh boy did this game break my brain. It infuriated me to a point that I haven’t reached regarding games in a pretty fair while. Titanic disappointment.
Game You Think Had the Best Graphics/Art Style
Splatoon. And I make no apologies for that. The way this game looks is bright, colorful, fun and enjoyable. This makes it more striking when you consider it’s a bright art style tied to that most “serious” of games, the online shooter. Using hot neon colors and 90’s-esque fashion in a genre like that makes a statement.
I am forever Team Callie.
Favorite Classic Game
Awgh, I have to pick one?!? Uuuh…uuuh…okay, I’ll say Final Fantasy IV, but only because it was the game that got me hooked on the series and also introduced me to RPGs. But that’s not a hard and fast answer, because there are a LOT of classic games I love. Still, FF IV gets top billing for its impact on my entire gaming diet afterwards. Other classics have come and gone, but the Final Fantasy series keeps me coming back in spite of its dumber design decisions.
A Game You Plan on Playing
Crowfall. And Camelot Unchained. Yes, it’s two games, but they’re both cut from similar cloths and both represent a possible stepping stone for me and my MMO gaming life. Once they’re out in the wild, I plan on seeing whether or not they’re the sorts of experiences I want out of this genre. If not? Well…I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it, I suppose.
Best Voice Acting
The Uncharted series. This game had cinematic-level performances in both animation and in delivery, and I really got wrapped up in every game’s story. Through four games, the acting never really jumped the shark or seemed silly to me. Each game had consistent, brilliant performances.
Most Epic Scene Ever
Another nod to Final Fantasy VI here, but only because Celes attempting to throw herself off of a cliff in despair as the World of Ruin plot began was astonishing. Nowadays, it lacks the cinematic style of today’s tech, but the fact that they were able to squeeze out so much despair and emotion out of a little 16 bit sprite is a testament to the scene, and made Celes’ drive to keep fighting that much more impactful.
Favorite Game Developer
Carbine Studios. They are a plucky, talented, engaging and really fun group of folks and I genuinely hope that when WildStar is finally shuttered that they will get to work on something else. But even if they don’t, I truly enjoy their game as well as their attitude. They’re doing this come hell or high water, and you’ve got to love that.
A Game You Thought You Wouldn’t Like, but Ended Up Loving
I went in to Atlas Reactor wholly expecting to be miserable and to be drowned in wannabe eSports shittalking, but came away a changed man. Atlas Reactor has both depth and charm, and has really opened my eyes to how PvP can be fun when it’s been implemented properly.
Your Favorite Game of All Time
Not a surprise considering how often it’s come up: Final Fantasy VI. Again, hard to single this one out because there are so many games I genuinely love or call favorite, but this game was the pinnacle of Final Fantasy in both story, gameplay, characters and the SNES era of RPGs.
So there you have it! My 30 videogame answers. It’s been a long few days full of a lot of general down feelings, so looking at things that I genuinely love was a refreshing change of pace. If any other bloggers out there wanna do the same thing, I highly recommend it. Even if you’re not a blogger, really. Taking stock of what is great about gaming is a breath of fresh air.
Through Wolfy's Eyes 