Still Alive...

Wow, I've been busy lately. There's been plenty of news going on related to RPGs, but I just haven't had the time to report on it. Apologies.

Anyway, I'm in the process of starting a new job and that has kept me very much occupied. At the same time, my current job is closing down.... so that stinks. It's just been a very busy and stressful time for me, but I do hope to start doing updates again soon.

Thanks for reading!

Happy Holidays!!!

Happy Holidays from all of us here at Just-RPG!!! While there have been plenty of great holiday releases this fall and winter, we've been pretty busy so I apologize for lack of updates and content.

Anyway, I will be making the long trek home for the holidays, which means I'll largely be afk for the next couple of weeks. So, don't expect much as far as updates are concerned. :)

With any luck I'll unwrap plenty of gaming presents from Santa, and I hope each and every one of you has a wonderful videogame filled Christmas.

Recent Movies and Rants

There have been a few recent movies that may be of some interest to gamers and fantasy lovers such as myself. Rather than waste two blog entries, I'll mention them both here:

The first is obviously Hitman based on the game from Eidos. Now, I'm not a huge fan of the game series but I do enjoy it. I definitely saw shades of the Hitman game while watching the movie and from time to time it sort of felt like I was watching someone play the game.

However, the plot moved along extremely quick without bothering to explain much of what was going on. On top of that, Hitman features some absolutely atrocious acting and even worse dialogue that will surely take you right out of the movie.

Overall, there are some cool action sequences and a few spots where the film makers seemed to capture the essence of Hitman, but in the end the movie was a stinker that left me un-impressed.

The next film, The Golden Compass, will appeal more to fantasy fans. I've never read the book that the film is based on, but I've heard pretty good things about it.

The film starts of pretty quickly and will probably leave you a bit confused. As it progresses, though, it becomes much more interesting and a few things start to make some sense. My biggest complaint with the movie is that it's a series so it ends with a cliffhanger that will leave you totally disappointed and eager for the next film.

The acting and characters are solid, the fantasy world displayed in the film is fascinating, and the story, while still shrouded in mystery, seems to be interesting. Fans of films such as The Chronicles of Narnia will want to go check this one out.

I am Beowulf!!!

So the all-new film Beowulf hit theaters today, and of course, I've already gone out and seen it.

Beowulf is a classic tale of heroism, so chances are everyone out there is already somewhat familiar with it. Of course, it had been so long since I read it that I honestly didn't remember some of the finer details very well. Regardless, Beowulf didn't seem to follow the original story very well and the changes that were made were not for the better. In the end, it made the hero Beowulf lose some honor and it turned Grendel's mother into something totally unlike the beast I remember reading about.

Not to mention, the monster Grendel was just awfully annoying. Seriously, I was sooo glad when he finally died.

Still, there are some cool battle sequences to behold and the animation is very well done. And while it might not be particularly true to the original, fantasy fans will appreciate the new telling of this beloved epic.

Go see it if you like fantasy battles, but don't have high expectations.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween to any and all readers out there!

If you didn't read my earlier anouncement, I'm a bit busy with a new job. I also recently started an Advanced C++ Programming course. So... yeah, I don't currently have a lot of time to dedicate to this blog or gaming in general.

Fortunately, the C++ course ends in 5 more weeks and it shouldnt take me too long to adjust to the new job. With any luck things will be back to normal soon. My videogames are piling up!!!

I'm also hoping to launch a new Just-RPG forum. There's nothing going on there, but I'd love to eventualy build it into something. This definately isn't my main focus right now, but if you've got a few seconds join up and make a post or two!

http://www.justrpg.freemyforum.com/

The Real World

I just started a new 'real world' job. Yes, I work outside of Just-RPG! Haha. So all of those people who want to join the staff and keep emailing me and asking me how much we get paid... stop! We don't! It's all volunteer. Sure, there are perks, but it's not a full-time job.

Although, by all means email me if you're interested in volunteering. We've been actively looking for people to help out around the site for quite a while now and haven't found ANYONE that really meets what we're looking for.

Anyway, short story long.. I'm considerably busier now than before, so if I update less, I apologize. I already have an inbox full of news items I've been meaning to post, so stay tuned!!!

Yay New Content, Boo Bugs!

So the new Oblivion content, titled Fighter's Stronghold, is available today! If you plan on downloading it, do it NOW because it's free for the first week.

Being a big Oblivion fan, I've already downloaded it and begun playing. I had become ridiculously addicted to Oblivion for a while, but it's been a few months now since I played it. I spent MONTHS exploring, doing quests and completing the guild missions. I loved the game, but I actually left it with some bad memories because I ran into a bug that halted my progress with one of the Guild quests.

Basically, I completed a quest, received my award and was told to wait for the next quest... but my quest log never updated and the person who is supposed to give me the next quest won't give it to me. It's VERY frustrating because I've spent soooo much time with Oblivion and hate to see something like this happen. Plus, I'm playing the 360 version, so I want my achievements. Ah well. Someday maybe I'll replay the game and try to finish the Thieves Guild quest, but I've put in too much time with the game to start over now (making it even MORE frustrating). I've heard about a lot of people experiencing similar bugs, so be careful!!!

I'm having a blast playing Oblivion again... I think playing Two Worlds recently gave me a bit of a craving for it. I never quite finished all of Shivering Isles either, so maybe I'll jump back into Sheogorath while I'm at it.

Puzzle Quest Now on Live!

Puzzle Quest, the innovative puzzle/RPG from D3, is now available for download on the Xbox Live Arcade!

Puzzle Quest was highly praised by reviewers when it originally appeared on the PSP and DS. Now D3 and Microsoft will be opening up the game to a brand new audience of players! Developed by Infinite Interactive and based in the popular Warlords universe, Puzzle Quest combines addictive gem swapping, puzzle gameplay with deep RPG elements of storytelling, character building and exploration.

While I really enjoyed Puzzle Quest, I originally played the DS version, and many of the problems with the game stemmed from the platform itself. For example, using the stylus as a gem selector seems natural enough, but it's also far too easy to accidentally miss and select the wrong piece. Splitting the content among the two screens also caused some problems because it made it difficult to keep track of exactly what was going on. This makes me even more excited about the 360 version!

The Orange Box.. Gotta Have it!

Totally un-RPG related, but The Orange Box comes out today. For those who aren't familiar with it, it's the latest installment in the acclaimed Half-Life series. Although, it's more than just a single game... it's an entire package that includes Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode 1 and the all new Half-Life 2: Episode 2. Not to mention the multiplayer Team Fortress and the interesting new Portal.

I'm particularly excited about this release because I never actually got around to playing Half-Life 2 at release. I've obviously played the classic Half-Life (and dabbled in some Team Fortress), which is probably my favorite FPS of all time due to its exciting storytelling, out of this world weaponry, and fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat gameplay. Other games have successfully mimicked this same formula, but Half-Life is the the original. Unfortunately, life, crappy computers, and various other games have kept me from experiencing the sequel.

Considering I've been wanting to check out Half-Life 2 for quite a while now, The Orange Box is a great deal that I can't afford to miss out on!!! For those that are interested, The Orange Box is available for Xbox 360 and PC with a price tag of $59.99.

The Seeker

I went out and saw The Seeker over the weekend. I'm not going to bother going into a lot of detail about it, but I'll give it my recommendation.

I wasn't as impressed with it as I have been with some of the recent fantasy films, like Stardust, but it was still a fun movie to watch. The storyline was pretty predictable and many aspects of it seemed a bit silly or cheesy. However, it's a great film for younger audiences and tells a fairly interesting little tale.

It's not a 'must see', but it's worthwhile if you're a fantasy fan or if you've got a boring night ahead of you with nothing else to do. Otherwise, I'd still suggest seeing it, but it can wait for a rental.

I'm a Wussy

Want to hear a sad confession? I still haven't beat BioShock.

The game is absolutely amazing, but the eerie atmosphere of the game and the edge-of-your seat suspense makes it a game that I find hard to play for long durations. Yes, I'm a pansy!!!

Of course, a few other games have distracted me since I've started BioShock. The main distraction being Two Worlds, which is flawed but so ridiculously huge that it managed to kill a lot of my time. There's also the fact that I'm all about exploration, so I've wasted a lot of time in BioShock exploring to make sure I've seen every nook and cranny in Rapture. If it weren't for that, I probably would have completed the game weeks ago.

Ah well. I'm almost done... wrapping it up now.

Still Playing Two Worlds...

So, I've gone back to playing Two Worlds. Honestly, the give is bursting at the seams with flaws... yet it's somehow really addictive.

I think it's best left for true RPG lovers. Final Fantasy fans and those spoiled by Oblivion may not like it quite so much, but if you give it a chance it can be a lot of fun. You really have to spend some time with the game to appreciate it. Two Worlds suffers from frame rate issues, horrid voice acting and a clunky inventory system... but it's also a huge game with plenty of things to do.

So, long story short, give it a try. You just might like it!!!

Wii Fit... Funny Video

Prepare for a brief rant... or just go down to the video... it's hilarious!

I'm not going to lie, I'm still a critic of the Wii and have yet to give in to all of the hype. Yeah, I occasionally play Wii, and there are a few titles that I've enjoyed quite a bit such as Big Brain Acadmy. Still, even the games that I've enjoyed have all had limited appeal and my Wii goes largely unplayed while I play 'real' games on my Xbox 360, like Blue Dragon and BioShock. I guess I'm still not convinced that it's anything more than a casual game system and a platform for party games. It's great that the system is attracting so much attention, but I'm a hardcore gamer, not a casual gamer. Party games are cool... but for 10 minutes. Wii Play, one of the system's best sellers, is pretty much a pile of crap. Honestly, Wii Sports is awesome considering it's free, but it still has limited appeal and isn't deep enough to hold the interest of a real gamer, who expects some level of depth in a game.

Anyway, my pessimistic views on the Wii probably made this even funnier for me. I almost fell out of my chair laughing. Enjoy!

Two Worlds - So far, so good!

I received Two Worlds in the mail today (finally!) and I have to admit I blew the entire day addictively playing the game.

So far I'm enjoying it a lot. The game is extremely open and allows for you to freely roam the countryside, embark on quests, battle enemies, and spend hours acquiring new skills and items. It's a lot of fun for fans of game's like Morrowind or Oblivion.

So far I'm not at al sold on the whole "you can shape the world" aspect of the game, which was one of the most hyped features. I'm many hours into the game and haven't really made much of an impact aside from completing quests. I've been given very few choices aside from whether or not I want to pick up a quest. Hopefully that will change as the game progresses.

I definately see some problems with the game, but right now I'm still having fun. I'll make up my mind later.

Now that I spent the whole day playing Two Worlds, I have a lot of catching up to do on other things. Anyway, so far so good!

The Last Legion

Being a sucker for historical fiction and fantasy films, I went out to see The Last Legion the other night. For those unfamiliar with it, The Last Legion stars Ben Kingsley and Colin Firth and chronicles the legend of Excalibur, the fall of the Roman Empire, and the rise of King Arthur.

To be honest, I didn't know a lot about the movie, so I didn't have horribly high expectations.

Most of The Last Legion was incredibly predictable, and therefor hard to enjoy. The film also features some extremely cheesy moments, many of which surround the female member of the legion. This character tried very poorly to hide her sexuality and was surrounded with several awful cliches. First off, it's pretty cliche to have an attractive female character pop in and join your party for no reason. Secondly, this female character was also the best fighter of the group, which the film makers seemed to think was really creative. The third cliche is that this single female character ended up becoming the love interest of the hero, despite no chemistry between them.

Anyway, the acting is also poor and the story takes quite a while to pick up. When it does get moving, though, there are a handful of neat fighting sequences. And, if you're like me, you'll appreciate a new King Arthur and Excalibur related tale.

In short, The Last Legion isn't awful, but it's not really worth a trip to the movies unless you're a sucker like me. Otherwise, avoid it altogether or just wait for a rental. If you haven't seen it, King Arthur, starring Clive Owen, is a similar and superior flick.

Check out Eternal Sonota

A while back I posted about how there is now an Eternal Sonata demo up for download on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Since that time I went ahead and downloaded the demo myself to give them game a try.

I'd been hearing a lot of good things about the game, but it seemed that a lot of the hype for it was being overshadowed by games like BioShock and Mass Effect. The lack of JRPGs on the Xbox 360 has probably resulted in a somewhat small following for games of the genre on the system, and the fans that ARE out there are probably wrapped up in the hype for Blue Dragon right now.

With that said, Eternal Sonata deserves a lot more attention. For starters, the battle system is deep and fun. It features special abilties that have a different effect depending on your location, the option to customize the abilities of each of your characters, and allows you to avoid annoying random battles. It's also pretty straightforward to catch on to, with hot keys that are used for using items, attacking or using specials. The hybrid turn-based/real-time battle system is a lot of fun so far, and I can't wait to jump further into the game.

Secondly, the game is absolutely gorgeous. The music... the artistic style... and the extreme level of detail... it really is a work of art! I can't possibly say anything that will do the game justice, so you'll have to experience it for yourself.

The final game is set for release in late September. Be sure to give the demo a try first!

Mmmm.... Games...

The coming few months are really looking good for gaming. Two of my most highly anticipated games are nearing release, BioShock and Two Worlds, and a few others are lined up for the near future.

It's been forever since I played System Shock II, but everything I remember about the game is great. As an RPGer, I loved the game's blending of RPG and FPS elements. Combine that with plenty of action and a totally eerie atmosphere, and I was hooked right away. Needless to say, it's made me eager to give BioShock a try!

I've been looking forward to Two Worlds for quite some time. I was in love with Oblivion, so when this game started being hyped as an "Oblivion-killer" I immediately began to wonder. Honestly, I don't expect it to top Oblivion, but if it can deliver a similar experience, I'll be happy.

Blue Dragon is coming out in late August, also. I haven't played any Japanese RPGs in quite a while and it'll be nice to finally play one on my Xbox 360. In a couple more months Mass Effect will be released, which should be a great time for gamers. KotOR is still among my all-time favorite games, so I'm expecting great things from Mass Effect.

Anyway, I'm just starting to get a bit hyped for the fall. After all, we all know that we tend to get a flood of great games right before Christmas. Unfortunately I haven't had a lot of time for gaming lately, so I'm particularly excited to get my hands on these upcoming titles.