DQ 8

So yeah, when I said update on Dragon Quest 8 that night, I meant Wed. night. Actually, I just got real busy and never had a chance to do it. So let us begin now, shall we?

Simply put, Dragon Quest VIII represents what the RPG genre should have been during the PS2 generation. No crazy FMV's to worry about, no agnsty teens and convoluted plots. Its just classic RPG gameplay with the option for some interesting customizations (looks like Enix borrowed a few good ideas from American RPGs). It is also a simple but enjoyable story that tries to entertain rather than confuse.

What is most important however, is the gameworld. Traditional RPG overworlds are strange, pseudo representations of the continent you're traveling. You cross small patches of forest and plains, get into a random battle (which is rendered completely differently), and your character model is the size of a town. This was acceptable back in the days of the NES, but in modern times it would be nice to actaully explore the world. You can do that in DQ 8. Its kinda like an MMO; if you see a path, you can walk it. See a forest, and you can actually go through it (with all the trees and whatnot rendered in full). Have you ever seen an anime where the characters are traversing some random lush countryside, getting into random adventures? DQ 8 is the closest thing to that in the game world, and it's just great. It seems you'll spend as much time exploring as your will completing quests.

Then there is the attention to detail. The cell shaded, Akira Toriyama designed characters look great, and everywhere you visit is full of detail, be it the random plates and cups in the bar or the erratic patches of moss growing in a cave. These little details immerse the player into the world, rather than making them guess what makes one area different than another. The whole game feels natural.

Oh, and the voices; all crazy European accents. Its all well done, and very different than what gamers are used to.

So yes everyone, I am excited about a game from Square Enix. I think I might preorder it. I guess that's because this one is coming from the Enix side rather than the cancer that Square has become. If you can get your hands on the demo I highly reccomend it, and if you can't, you'll just have to wait until the end of November to buy it.

I don't have a picture to link to right now, but see if you can find a picture of the Xbox 360 power supply. Thing is almost as big as a Gamecube. Not a huge deal if it all just goes behind the entertainment set, but now I wonder: can it be used as a backup generator?