Journey Review

Glimpse Team on July 26, 2013

Enter a unique and incredible experience. Developed by thatgamecompany, this Indie game made a stand of its own and even supplanted other high budgeted titles in becoming number one in 2012. Journey is a unique game that each person should experience, especially if one calls himself a gamer. This PS3 exclusive game is filled with depth and quality. It’s emotional and mysterious, and you don’t need to be a hardcore player to beat the game. The controls are simple and the objective straightforward. You’ll notice that the game’s level designs and graphics look amazing. It’s clear that thatgamecompany invested so much time with this game and nothing is compromised, quality speaks for itself in this game. It’s a breath of fresh air each time you play this game. Free yourself from shooters or from adventure and fighting games. This game dwells deep to a level of personal reflection and companionship. The game doesn’t explain things for you, rather you interpret these moments that you experience. However, I will try to explain the simple elements of the game.

Basically, you are a traveler and you’re only goal is to reach the mountain top. You’ll find yourself in a desert through the early parts of the game. Here you’ll notice your objective right away, of which to reach the mountain. Now, the game gets interesting as you progress, there are many obstacles along the way and you need to overcome them. As to what these obstacles are, it’s more fun that you would discover them on your own. Now the most interesting part in the game is that you can finish it with an online companion. Your friend randomly pops in or out. What’s wonderful is that you don’t know who’s the person you are “journeying” with (no pun intended). The game developers purposefully did this because they think that if there are chats or names, then the players will be distracted and won’t be able to fully experience on their goal, of which is to reach the mountain’s peak. However, the only communication that the players can do is do a “chirping” sound. By pressing the circle button, the player creates a sound, this signals the players partner. This can mean many things, they can simply say “follow me” or “come here” , etc. That’s the beauty of the game, and the player can also choose to wait for the player, go together and be partners or they could just leave them behind and go solo. This unique experience on traveling with a person you don’t know is highly emotional, especially in the later parts of the game, where the obstacles get tougher and tougher. I think it’s safe to say that companionship and friendship makes this game more unique than any other game out there. You don’t know the person, and you only have one means of communication. Therefore, trust is imperative if you guys want to succeed. In this game, you also have a scarf, this makes you glide temporarily. You can replenish this ability by getting other scarfs or you can let your friend replenish it for you and vice versa. You can replenish the scarf of your friend by holding circle. You may also want to get white crystal symbol items, these items make your scarf longer. The longer the scarf, the better. The music for this game is phenomenal, the musical score is done by Austin Wintory. The melodies of the music are perfect for the wonderful levels and the music fits well with the ambiance of the game.

In closing, Journey is an amazing and highly emotional game. This game lets you reflect and makes examine your inner self. The multiplayer aspect is well integrated and definitely adds the fun factor of the game. Wonderful graphics and spectacular visuals, the developers for this game understands the meaning of  “quality”. They did well in the graphics department. If you’re a PS3 owner, you’re doing a disservice to yourself if you haven’t played this game yet. For those who don’t have a PS3, you can try to play this with your friend who has one. That’s how good it is. This game is really good, it also has won many awards, including IGN’s Game of the Year award for 2012. Although, this game is a 2hr game, those two hours are one of the best. It’s definitely worthy of your time. This game is a masterpiece, no doubt about it. Try this game out, experience a unique and fun journey.

Rurouni Kenshin

Glimpse Team on July 26, 2013

Rurouni Kenshin, also known as Samurai X in the West has been one of the greatest works of Nobuhiro Watsuki. The manga was released from April 11, 1994 up to November 4, 1999. It was well received by most fans and critics garnishing into one of the best manga series up to date. The complete work consists of 28 tankobon volumes, while years later it was reprinted into twenty-two kanzeban volumes. Written and drawn by  Nobuhiro Watsuki, the first chapter of Rurouni Kenshin premiered in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1994 and was serialized in the magazine until 1999. Rurouni Kenshin also developed an anime series which aired in Japan from January 10, 1996 to September 8, 1998.  I remember vividly on how Rurouni Kenshin or Samurai X became so popular that almost every person I know, knows the anime quite well. There were many viewers both young and old who loved the series. Merely because the story is great and widely appealing. It focuses on atonement, peace and love.

Helping the weak against the abusive and evils of society, Kenshin aims to do and vows not to kill again. Himura Kenshin is known as Battosai the Slasher “Hitokiri Battosai”  during the final days of the Edo period. He was a killer at a very young age, 15-19 years old to be exact. Plagued by his grief of killing countless people he later decides in becoming a Rurouni (wanderer) and help other people. He eventually met a young woman named Kamiya Kaoru. She’s in a middle of a fight with a person who claims to be “hitokiri battosai” of which tarnishes the school’s name of which Kaoru is teaching. Kenshin decides to help Kaoru out and he defeated the fake Battosai. Kaoru offers Kenshin a place to stay because of his help, of which Kenshin accepted. Now, he meets other people as well, like Sagara Sanosuke,a former Sekiho member. He also met Myojin Yahiko, an orphan from a samurai family and Takana Megumi, a doctor who’s formerly into opium trade. There are many other people he met along the way but basically, these are his “family” throughout the series. If you’re a fan of the series you’ll know what happens next. This is just an overview of how Kenshin become a killer into a protector of justice and a hero to all.

Rurouni Kenshin didn’t only become a hit with the anime series alone. There were also OVA’s made as well as a Live Action movie (2012 film). The live action movie was released in August 25, 2012 and it was released internationally in the progressing months. Various medias and merchandises were created in the whole series and movies. There was also a video game released solely for Japan as well. Going back to the movie, it was a huge hit. Many people praised Takeru Satoh for his role as Kenshin in the live action movie. He did a great job in portraying Kenshin in real life. The director and other staff even commented that there’s no ideal person to be Kenshin aside from Takeru Satoh, because his stature, charisma and charm reflects highly of the Kenshin in th anime and manga. The movie is absolutely excellent, based on my opinion. There’s also news of 2 sequels coming for the live action movies, now this is exciting indeed.

Overall, Rurouni Kenshin has impacted not only a general core of audience but it also impacted a large fan base whether they are young or old. Kenshin’s story is honorable and definitely worthy of respect. The dark tone of the series has ever been so appealing that it makes you feel the contrast of Kenshin’s past and present ideals and situations. Rurouni Kenshin is definitely one of the best Manga/Anime/Movie ever made since the past decade, and I believe it’s safe to say that people will continue to love the franchise no matter what. Considering that it sticks to its theme and quality, Rurouni Kenshin will continue to expand its way through greater heights of the industry.

Seoul Korea

Glimpse Team on July 25, 2013

Seoul is the capital city of South Korea and its beauty attracts a lot of foreigners all around the world. From the beautiful Seoul Tower in Namsam park to the busy city streets of Insadong. You’ll find that the city is full of diversity and unique culture. Korea’s food is excellent as well. Whether you like kimchi or jajangmyeon, you won’t be disappointed. The Seoul capital area, which includes the surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province, is the world’s second largest metropolitan area with over 25.6 million people, home to over half of South Koreans along with 632,000 international residents. The birthplace of  K-pop, Seoul was voted the world’s most wanted travel destination by Chinese, Japanese and Thai tourists for a third consecutive year in 2011 with over 10 million international visitors in 2012. Today, Seoul is considered a leading and rapidly rising global city, resulting from an economic boom and growth known as the “miracle on the Han River” which transformed it from the ashes of the Korean War to the world’s fourth largest metropolitan  with a gross domestic product of  US$773.9 billion.

Seoul is definitely South Korea’s pride. Living here is a dream come true. Koreans learn how to adapt from being thwarted by civil war into becoming one of the greatest and most advanced cities in the world. Koreans are simply brilliant in what they do. Korean culture has also been influential with the rise of the K-pop culture all around Asia and South America. One example of a famous artist, actor and singer is Kim Hyun Joong. Also known for his leading roles in “Boys Over Flowers” and “Playful Kiss” he had made numerous tours in Asia and through South America. Koreans are people who value discipline and respect. They show respect to their elders in such a way that drinking “soju” with someone older, they need to look away before drinking it. As in any country, respect is valued just like in South Korea. Seoul has been very popular and there are a lot of people who enjoy their vacation. Some even stay permanently because of the value of life and beauty of this great city. Seoul has many visitors every year, as stated earlier, it’s one of the best cities in the world. Technologically advanced and clean, beautiful sites that’s also filled with wonderful people.

Expect wonderful Korean culture. If you want, you can also learn their language “Hangul” and be able to speak with them in no time. Although, it’s a bit of a challenge, you’ll master Hangul if you are really interested in it. Korea is full of wonderful sites as well. Visit historical sites such as the Changdeokgung Palace. Learn Korean history and its former kingdoms. Seoul has already been very attractive in all its ethnicity and culture. People do appreciate and are amazed with such development. Even people from the West migrate to Korea, not only to know about their culture but also learning to speak among them. If you have the chance, visit Seoul and experience Korea. It’s definitely worth it.

Final Fantasy XV

Glimpse Team on July 24, 2013

After so many years of waiting and speculating, Final Fantasy XV or formerly Final Fantasy Versus XIII had been announced. A trailer and some gameplay footages were presented at the E3 2013 press conference. This was a huge surprise because the game has been silent since 2011. The game was first revealed in 2006, then it remained silent until 2011. It was originally developed exclusively for the Playstation 3. However, Tetsuya Nomura (the game’s director) decided to shift it to the next generation of consoles. His reasoning is that, the vision of Final Fantasy XV can be achieved more with next generation hardware. Since the next generation of consoles are just around the corner, he decided to develop these new systems. That’s the reason why after the 2011 gameplay and trailers, Final Fantasy Versus 13 remained silent. They cannot announce a game yet because the Playstation 4 and Xbox One at that time hadn’t been announced, logically speaking. This made fans wonder if the game is still in development after all these years. Some fans even waited for the game for almost 7 years. Tetsuya Nomura’s vision for the game is ambitious and is certainly worthy of the power of the next gen consoles. Fans all around the world know that Tetsuya Nomura directed the Kingdom Hearts franchise, one of the best success of his work. However, that’s for another story. Final Fantasy Versus 13 was also rumored that it was vapor ware but Square Enix responded that it was a false rumor. Many fans were pissed off because of that announcement but also were very relieved once they knew that it was just false news. After so many years of waiting, they announced it in E3 having Tetsuya Nomura on screen and at the end of the trailer, they revealed that Final Fantasy Versus 13 is now Final Fantasy XV.

A lot of fans rejoiced and most of them were fascinated with the improvements to gameplay and visuals. I also read from various polls and internet discussions that they literally “cried” when they saw the trailer. That is totally understandable knowing that the game never shed light in so many years. Information and speculations have now been answered and the fans were extremely overjoyed with the official reveal of this game. You can see how dedicated the fans are for this game. The graphics for this game have improved as well, knowing that this is going to be for next gen, it’s definitely going to be awesome, the visuals are spot on, as expected from any Final Fantasy game. The game’s lighting uses Square Enix’s new Luminous engine. As with the power of the next generation systems, texture and level of detail have been upgraded and improved. The gameplay trailer for Final Fantasy XV was well received as well. Square Enix also made short bios for the characters of the game. Certain parts of the story have also been unveiled.

Here’s some information about the story:

“The only crystal left to the world lies in the Kingdom of Lucis. Upon striking a peace with the garrison state of Niflheim, Lucis rejoices in having at last brought the cold war to a close. Their celebrations, however, are premature. Under the guise of amity, Niflheim dispels the anti-armament runewall and launches a full-scale invasion of the kingdom. The peaceful lives Crown Prince Noctis and his entourage once knew are consumed by the flames of war as they struggle to mount a resistance.” -Final Fantasy XV wiki

Basically, the main lead character Noctis Lucis Caleum is a prince of Lucis and he is the last heir of his kingdom. There are 4 kingdoms around the world that possess a crystal of power. These are the kingdoms of Lucis, Tenebrae, Solheim and Accordo. However, these nations lost their crystals through warfare and cold wars. The kingdom of Lucis having closed their doors to other nations possess the final and last crystal. The kingdom of Lucis is described as a nation both highly advanced and developed, culturally intact, with traditions that are vibrant and still alive. Upon striking a peace with the garrison state of Niflheim, Lucis rejoices in having at last brought the cold war to a close. Their celebrations, however, are premature. Under the guise of amity, Niflheim dispels the anti-armament runewall and launches a full-scale invasion of the kingdom. This shows the treachery and greed of the kingdom of Niflheim. Prince Noctis and his team have no other choice but to fight and create resistance.

These are just some of the information, hopefully, we will know a lot more of the story in the coming months. They also revealed some information about the characters of the game.

Here are some of them:

1.  Noctis Lucis Caelum, or “Noct” as he’s often referred to, suffered a childhood affliction that has left him able to see a heavenly light that enables him to sense others’ deaths. Despite being the heir apparent to the throne of Lucis, Noctis rejects royal convention even to the point of being something of a renegade, though his loyalty to those around him is unquestionable.

2.  Ignis Scientia was raised to offer his unwavering voice of reason in counsel to Noctis. Weaned on shrewd logic and a classical education from youth, he and Noctis share a deep mutual understanding and trust built on years of familiarity.

3. Gladiolus Amicitia is the eldest son and lord of the noble House Amicitia, which is sworn to protect the crown. Despite this, the bond between “Gladio” and Noctis goes deeper than simply being one of duty, but is instead one of friendship.

4. Prompto Argentum is a mischievous playboy who knows Noctis from school. Being from outside the royal circle has left him with a chip on his shoulder, but he’s still eager to help in any way he can. While he can get carried away easily, there’s another side of him which is driven to help friends in need.

5. Lord Commander Cor Leonis is a living legend, completely devoted to the king. Though he and Noctis’ ragtag band of followers rarely see eye to eye, he is honor bound to protect them.

6.  Stella Nox Fleuret is a young girl and ambassador from the Tenebrae’s Kingdom, which her family Fleuret is from. She’s one of the primary characters that first appeared on the Final Fantasy XV. Stella had a brief conversation with Nocits about the “Light”.

According to Nomura, the world of Final Fantasy XV can be traveled by car or by an airship. Basically, you can control your car or airship while traveling the world. Now, that’s a nice touch because we weren’t able to do that literally since Final Fantasy IX. Digging out some of the Final Fantasy classic gameplay like these are very much appreciated and welcomed. Chocobos are also present but we will know more of that in the coming months. The tone of the game is much darker compared to other Final Fantasies. The game’s level design and world map is yet to be revealed fully as we progress through other game press conferences and events in the near future. Hopefully, we could have a release date soon. Square Enix stated that Final Fantasy XV will not be released before its fiscal period, of which ends in March 2014. So this means, we will probably have an announcement for the release date after March 2014.

Overall, many are excited for this game, including myself. This is a different Final Fantasy but we all know that this game boasts of quality. Hopefully we can have more information soon. The game is available for the Playstation 4 and Xbox One. Although I thought at first that this would be a Playstation 4 exclusive but oh well, the more the merrier. This game is definitely one of the most highly anticipated games of the year. We will just have to wait and see.

 

Links:

Final Fantasy XV Announcement Trailer

Final Fantasy XV Gameplay Trailer 2013

Playstation 4 is the Best Choice

Glimpse Team on July 24, 2013

Sony officially announced the Playstation 4 for the first time way back in February 20, 2013. However, it was in E3 2013 last June that Sony fully gained respect and wide world recognition because of their used games and pro gamer/consumer policies. So far, it’s the number one console choice for gamers around the world. Although, it’s a bit early for that since both consoles for Sony and Microsoft have not been out yet. The amount of pre orders from retail companies such as Gamestop and Best Buy, shows that the PS4 is leading the race against Microsoft. The ruckus and issues with Microsoft’s anti consumerism and restrictive policies certainly paved way to Sony’s advantage. We all know that Microsoft already with held those policies but it made such bad image in the company that the effects are daunting. There are a lot of Xbox loyalists move to Sony’s banner because of this. Well, enough of Microsoft, let’s talk a little bit about Sony’s Playstation 4. The Playstation 4 is technically more powerful than the Xbox One. It’s memory is also faster than its competitor.

 

Here are the official Specs for the Playstation 4:

Product name PlayStation®4 Jet Black
Product code CUH-1000A series
Recommended retail price US$ 399, Canada$ 399, € 399, and £ 349
Main Processor Single-chip custom processor
CPU : x86-64 AMD “Jaguar”, 8 cores
GPU : 1.84 TFLOPS, AMD next-generation Radeon™ based graphics engine
Memory GDDR5 8GB
Storage size 500GB Hard disk drive*1 (user replaceable)
External dimensions Approx. 275×53×305 mm (width × height × length)
(tentative, excludes largest projection)
Mass Approx. 2.8 kg
BD/ DVD drive (read only) BD × 6 CAV
DVD × 8 CAV
Input/ Output Super-Speed USBx (USB 3.0) port × 2
AUX port × 1
Networking Ethernet （10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T）×1IEEE 802.11 b/g/nBluetooth® 2.1（EDR）
AV output HDMI out port
DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) port
Included PlayStation®4 system × 1
Wireless Controller (DUALSHOCK®4) × 1
Mono headset × 1
AC power cord × 1
HDMI cable × 1
USB cable × 1

 

Sony’s first-party studios have 30 games in development for the PlayStation 4, 20 of which are due to release within a year of the console’s launch and 12 of which are new franchises. This is more than Microsoft’s 15 games and 8 of these are new IP’s. As you can see, Sony definitely has the edge. Sony is well known for its huge exclusive games for the PS3, of which the Xbox 360 only has 2 well known hit exclusives. Sony has made exclusives like the Uncharted Series, Heavy Rain by Quantic Dream, God of War Series, Ni No Kuni, Metal Gear Solid 4, and the list goes on. While Xbox 360 has only Halo Series and Gears of War as huge exclusive hits.

Sony’s messaging regarding used games in E3 and its pro gaming policies has been received by gamers world wide. The issues with Microsoft didn’t do well with gamers because in E3 they were arrogant enough to say that “this is the future”, and after a week (possibly due to weak pre orders) they changed their policies. Well, we don’t know for sure but that’s one factor in looking at it. Sony bashed Microsoft with grace and sheer power. If this was a boxing match, Sony uppercut the face of Microsoft. Their clear messaging and emphasis on the gamers choice has certainly impacted a lot of audience. Abolishing the rules of DRM within Sony’s first party games and always online rule. Sony mentioned that Playstation 4 won’t need online requirement to play single player games and “it won’t stop working if you haven’t authenticated in 24hrs”, after Sony’s announcement regarding used games, everybody in the crowd cheer for joy. Whether the media were shocked or even relieved, it’s safe to say that it’s something of a positive note. Sony even made a short video on how to share Playstation 4 games, here is the link for it, how to share ps4 games. 

The video is kinda hilarious, isn’t it? This just shows that Microsoft has gone overboard with their policies that even the most simplest way of sharing your games has been “re-enacted”  by Sony so that the gamers would get their message by saying that they own the games that they buy and that they can do anything with the games that they purchased. They can sell the game or lend it to whomever and whenever, just by simply giving/selling  it to their friend personally. That’s how Sony punched Microsoft in the face, they want to tell consumers and gamers that they don’t want to choke them and feed them something that they do not want in the first place.

To end this, Sony announced the price of $399 for the Playstation 4. That’s a hundred dollars less than the Xbox one, which is $499. Sure, Xbox One is more expensive because of kinect, but Microsoft required it in their package. Sony didn’t include the Playstation eye, because they don’t want to force their consumers to buy something that they don’t want. There are a lot of people who don’t like Kinect as well, so why force them to buy one? There are a lot of claims saying that they even hate Kinect. However, to be fair to Microsoft, the Kinect 2 sensor will get the consumers to “test” the new features of Microsoft. However, those new features are addressed to the casual or even non gamer. All Microsoft does is TV, television, TV, television, if you watched previous gaming news, you know what I mean. To put it simple, the hardcore gamers don’t care with those features, because it all comes down with games, of which Microsoft fails to understand. That’s why for this generation, Sony is a way better choice. From specs, price and games, the Playstation 4 will deliver entertainment into your living room with pure fun and pure quality. These are all facts and there’s nothing wrong if you purchase an Xbox One, but are you really sure, even though the Xbox One has turned 180, they have showed themselves to be money hungry corporate thugs that want to milk your money in every way possible that they can. I would rather buy a Nintendo Wii U than an Xbox One. Well, that’s just a personal choice. Good job for Sony, and let’s hope that this new generation of consoles would bring us more and more great and quality gaming experiences.