Ben's Week In Review: July 22

Final Fantasy Versus XIII

I think I'll just keep playing Rainbow Moon for a while. Makes the slow summer days pass a little quicker. :)

I'm sorry, Versus XIII, I don't care if you're dead or not

So the big rumor is that Final Fantasy Versus XIII is no more. And you know what? Don't care one way or the other. I was honestly never interested in this from the start; it just looked like a real-time, open-world action/RPG that is farther from the traditional franchise roots than even FFXIII or FFXIII-2. If the project has been canceled, I don't care why, but I get the feeling that somehow, somewhere, the word got back to Square Enix - took a number of years, but whatever - that some of the big-time FF fans really have no interest in seeing their beloved series make such a drastic departure from that which they've known and loved for so long.

Then again, maybe it's just because the game ran out of gas. Maybe there was some creative dissension in the ranks and the developers couldn't decide exactly what to do, and what gameplay style(s) to embrace. But really, I don't care at all if this game never arrives. I'm far more interested to see what they do with Final Fantasy XV...but if it turns out like the snippets of what I saw of Versus, then my interest will quickly wane.

I think The Last Guardian is in trouble

If Square Enix actually does officially confirm that Versus XIII is done for, I wouldn't be surprised if Sony made the same announcement concerning The Last Guardian. It has taken too long, there have been too many unsettling rumors, and perhaps most telling of all, there has been no new media or information. If it was a third-party multiplatform title, then I wouldn't jump to conclusions. But when it's a first-party title exclusive to the PlayStation 3, one the Sony fans have been waiting on for a while, not hearing anything is a terrible sign. And then you say it's facing "technical difficulties?" That's not good. I know they say it's still in development but I'm definitely concerned, and you should be, too.

I'll try to remain optimistic, though, and hope to hear a more positive - and detailed - update at the Tokyo Game Show. That could be a great place to resurrect the dying hype for that game.

Personal gaming update

With little coming out this month, it's really all about Rainbow Moon for me. It's crazy addictive, even if I still get annoyed at the primary control issue. I keep thinking the developers could release a quick fix-it patch that would fix the problem; even instituting a feature that confirmed our movement selection would be fine. For a downloadable title, there's just so much to like and for old-school fans, you won't find a better deal for $14.99. I tried finishing Spec Ops: The Line the other day, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Too many missed opportunities.

Strangely enough, I'm looking forward to the two fighting games in September: Dead or Alive 5 and Tekken Tag Tournament 2. I've actually always been a DoA fan, despite my aversion to the fighting genre, and I really like what I've seen of DoA5 thus far. As for TTT2, that'll be more about nostalgia. I can't help remembering the first TTT arriving on launch day with the PS2 and everyone gathering around to see the new technological awesomeness. I just wanna see the long-awaited sequel. :)