Ben's Week In Review: October 11

White Knight Chronicles

Okay, so we didn't get much from the Tokyo Game Show, but that's okay. There's always plenty to talk about. :)

Only one concern about White Knight Chronicles...

So who loved all the new WKC details that popped up in the past week? I was most psyched for the first bit - even though I know I won't have the time to fully indulge - that said the story campaign in the game could take as long as 100 hours, which just seems nigh-on impossible. I have yet to play a RPG that took 100 hours to complete, and of course, I'm not counting side-quests or extra missions or anything. I spent about 100 hours on Dragon Quest VIII, but about 30-40 of those hours were spent doing all the optional stuff. I think the only game that took over 100 hours to legitimately complete was the original Saga Frontier; if you went through and beat the game with each of the seven characters, it would take that long. It took me about 120 hours, and for the record, I have yet to meet anyone else who has done this... Anybody out there who can attest to this feat? I bet not! :)

Anyway, I liked that, but then about all this PSN co-op business and 16-player lobbies with 4-player online quests is kind of rubbing me the wrong way. Sure, you can do the whole Create-a-Combo thing - which does sound unassailably cool - but I really hope Level 5 isn't putting too much of an emphasis on the online or multiplayer aspects. I don't mind them, certainly, but I've seen far too many instances this generation where developers tend to sacrifice a bit in the way of single-player, just to cater to the multiplayer aficionados. Look, a role-playing game is a single-player, solitary experience. I can't see it any other way. I have no problem with online or multiplayer, mind you, but when it comes to something like White Knight Chronicles, I will NOT be playing that with others. I just hope Level 5 doesn't go too heavy on the multi stuff, although I probably shouldn't be worried if that 100-hour story claim is even close to true...

Dead Space suddenly hit #1 on my October priority list

Arnold will be handling the review and I have a bunch on my plate as well, which means I probably won't get a chance to play this one immediately. Even so, it's now my most anticipated game of the month, even though I would like to add that I have been touting this game's potential for months. Yeah, that's right. The initial feedback is amazing, and when I hear quotes like "world's scariest game", I get even more psyched. I just got finished reviewing Silent Hill: Homecoming, and while fittingly frightening, it suffered a bit in the gameplay category. This doesn't seem to be the case in Dead Space, and I just can't wait to play it. Perhaps if it turns out as amazing as people say, more gamers will start to cut EA some slack. I certainly agree that PS3 owners have every right to be pissed, but as I said before, it seems the publisher is indeed working to reclaim lost trust. Look, if they're capable of delivering something great, I can forgive and forget...provided they keep it up.

And I don't intend to step on the toes of any LittleBigPlanet fans - Arnold tells me he loves the game, too - and I will try it. It's just something like Dead Space suits my palette just a bit better. That's all.

Personal gaming update

So I'd like to finish Silent Hill: Homecoming, Yakuza 2, and Wipeout HD, but that's all on hold until I get a better handle on the reviews. There are 40+ PS3 games coming out in October alone, and we've got to scramble fast to keep up. I still have to find a way to get Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway and Fracture done, and I've also got NBA 2K9, NBA Live 09, Golden Axe: Beast Rider, Saints Row 2, Far Cry 2, and more to handle. Bear with me 'cuz it's going to take a little while, but I'll get them complete as soon as I possibly can. There's also the question of the Resistance 2 beta, which is rumored to start on October 17, and I have to be ready for that, too. 'whew' Most times, when I say there are "too many games," I'm usually bragging, but in this case, it's just frustrating. LOL

By the way, the reason you're seeing my Week in Review now is because I'm taking off for a few days this holiday weekend. I leave this afternoon and I'll be back Tuesday night, but I figured I should tell everyone. The last time I left without saying anything, some of you guys just about had a hernia and I realized it probably wasn't fair of me to just leave unannounced. So in order to avoid that, I'm telling you now; I'll be back, of course, and the many, frequent updates will continue. :)