In this post:
1. my two cents re: Ubi Soft’s upcoming holiday line-up, including Avatar
2. my review of Flower, Sun, and Rain.
Yesterday was an Ubi Soft press event, and I managed to nab a last minute invite. What did I see, and play? Well…
- RED STEEL 2 (WII): Never played the original, mostly cuz I heard it sucked, and I guess it doesn’t matter since Ubi basically went to the drawing boards with the sequel. Concept is simple; you’re some dude in a post-apocalyptic landscape that’s littered with samurai cowboys and most defend yourself against such ruffians. You have a gun for quick and dirty defense, but the real hotness is your katana, which is controlled via the Wii Motion Plus. I must say, yet another game in which I wasn’t exactly feeling the true 1:1 level of control that the device was supposed to deliver… the sword fighting in Wii Sports Resort honestly felt more responsive. But there was some kind of issue with the lights at the hotel that made things flat out not work for me, so they may have added some lag as well, plus the control scheme itself is actually quite complex, with plenty of combos and special maneuvers possible. I personally found running around a group of bad guys, dodging and blocking their attacks, before picking them off, one by one, quite satisfying, plus the cell-shaded graphics were neat, so I’ll definitely be interested in the final product, come this early 2010.
- TMNT: SMASH-UP (WII): Not that Turtles In Time remake as I had originally thought it was going to be. Nope. Instead, it’s a Super Smash Bros-type fighter featuring, you guessed it, assorted characters from the TMNT universe. It was okay I guess, but here’s the interesting part: it’s by Game Arts! You know, the same people behind Lunar the Gun Griffon. The story from it’s producer goes something like this: Ubi Soft was looking for a studio to produce a fighter featuring the ninja turtles, and someone he knew recommended Game Arts, which was one of the studios that Nintendo contracted to do work on Brawl. One thing led to another and, there ya go. The funniest part of out conversation was finding out that he had previously worked at Midway and was the producer of Stranglehold (you know, that direct to video game sequel to John Woo’s Boiling Point) and was able to tell the guy what a guilty pleasure that game is for me!
- ASSASSIN’S CREED 2 (XBOX 360/PS3/PC): Again, never bothered with the first game, but now I feel like testing it out since part 2 looked pretty neat (unfortunately, no hands on time with this one). Once more, you’re an assassin from the future reliving the past, via some Danger Room/Holodeck simulator, but this time the past is Venice, circa the 15th Century I believe. Or whenever Leonardo Da Vinci was around, cuz in this game, he’s you’re best friend! he hooks your guy up by making all sorts of wacky contraptions for you! Basically, seems like the first game, but with extra weapons, as well as enhanced abilities; you can now swim! Looked or at least sounded good to me, though the demo I checked out seemed a bit rough around the edges. Though it’s still being worked on, plus I was checking out a PS3 build, so you just know the 360 version will look much nicer in the end.
- AVATAR (XBOX 360/PS3/WII): The movie based on the upcoming James Cameron film that I’m already sick of hearing about. Long story short, the 360/PS3 versions are basically Gears of War, but much brighter and prettier. Also, in 3D, assuming you have a HD set with HDMI capabilities. Which I don’t have. Anyhow, it just looked like a generic sci-fi shooter; the level of graphical detail when it came to the environments was amazing, yet still oh so, well, generic. Plus I found the animations of the humans to be pretty wonky. I asked about multiplayer and was not given any answers, which I found to be silly considering the game comes out in just a few months. Then again, maybe there’s some amazing new gameplay mode that they’re afraid Bungie might steal from them for ODST. Or maybe there isn’t one? In that case… yeesh.
Almost passed on the Wii version, but Totilo recommended that I check it out, and I actually found it more impressive than the “next-gen” versions, due to the very nice graphics and well implemented cooperative gameplay. I also like how additional game modes are available if a Motion Plus module is handy (nice to know that someone other than Nintendo is supporting the add-on). Still not a fan of the goofy, ten foot tall aliens with long-ass tails and blue skin, but that’s not Ubi’s fault but James Cameron’s.
… That new Splinter Cell that wowed everyone at E3 was also there, but it looked just as generic and boring as everyone other entry in the series, so I didn’t pay much mind to it. Also worth noting were the two other reporters/bloggers/whatever who were at the food and bar area the entire time I was there, one of whom was wearing a WWE championship belt, lol. And yes, I did ask about the Scott Pilgrim game, but was able to get zero bits of info. Hey, I tried!
As for what I’ve been playing on my own accord, I’ve recently decided to jump headfirst into the wild world of Shin Megami Tensei. For a while, I had the itch to start Persona 4 up again, but almost immediately, Katie began playing it, so I’ve been mostly just watching her and observing her different in-game dating habits. Thanks to the urging of Joe and Mia, mostly via this forum thread, I’ve recently begun playing Nocturne, and thus far, it’s awesome! And later this afternoon, before hitting a party at Kotaku/Gawker HQ (hey, what is a blog without shameless mentions of special, invite-only affairs?), gonna stop at Gamestop to trade in some crap games that I’ve finally decided to part ways with for a copy of Devil Survivor. Especially now that my DSi is finally unoccupied by…
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REVIEW: FLOWER, SUN, AND RAIN (DS)
Two things need to be stated up-front. For starters, as some folks already know, I absolutely hated Killer 7, which was the first game that made people take notice of Suda 51 and Grasshopper Manufacture. In case you weren’t around Insert Credit or Select Button at the time, to hear me rant and rave and explain myself, it was a title that I desperately wanted to love (I watched the teaser trailers literally hundreds of times in frothy anticipation). And despite some truly groundbreaking art direction, a captivating cast plus story, plus a compelling story, I found the actual experience of playing the damn thing to be absolute torture, mired by a mixture of underwhelming gameplay and shit being too weird for the sake of being weird. The latter of which by itself is not the worst offense in the world, but when said nonsense got in the way of actually playing the game, especially when there’s not a whole lot to do in the first place, then you have a serious problem. My favorite train of thought from one of its apologists, and there were many, was how “it’s not supposed to be fun to play.” Oh God.
The next important thing to note is how I’m fully aware of how most of the world absolutely hates Flower, Sun, and Rain, a DS remake of Suda’s very first PS2 title, from way back in 2001. I’ve looked around and virtually everyone has given it either 4 out of 10 or Ds. Hence the whole point of this particular review, to defend the game, rough edges and all, and to possibly shed light on the fact that… and I know I’m going to get a ton of flack for stating this… it’s actually one of the finest DS games to come out this year, without a doubt, and quite work of genius. And I know already that most will point and laugh since I’ll be contradicting myself over statements made regarding Killer 7.
FSR revolves around the exploits of Sumio Mondo, who defines himself as a “searcher” and basically makes a living by finding people’s lost items. Sumio has been invited to the tropical resort island of Lospass by Edo Macalister, the manager of Hotel Flower, Sun, and Rain to help prevent a crisis; a terrorist has planted a bomb on a plane that’s set to detonate shortly after taking off from the island’s sole airport, and it’s up to Mondo to track down and defuse the explosive before disaster strikes! The game starts with Sumio checking into his room and attempting to make his way to the airport. Problem is, people keep getting in his way, mostly their problems, which boils down to them needing something and Sumio having to find it, everything from a personal item to one’s motivation in life. Once a dilemma has been rectified, Sumio is able to move on, but by then it’s too late, as evidenced by the exploding plane in the distance. Yet it’s okay, because the very next day begins with Sumio waking up and realizing that the plane hasn’t exploded yet. Eventually he realizes that he’s stuck in a time loop, with the same day repeating itself over and over again, a la Groundhog Day. Each day a new problem is solved, and you make it a little bit further, but not by much; I forget how days it takes to get even outside the hotel, though it’s more than a few.
What truly makes the game so fascinating and enjoyable is it’s cast of characters, starting with Sumio, whose an all around nice guy to a fault, which those he encounters are often quick to point out, due to his willingness to help anyone that crossed his path, no matter how undeserving or flat-out annoying they might be. One constant highlight is the back and forth between him and Edo, an extremely enigmatic but ultimately nice fellow (to a certain degree), and it’s primarily from this interplay that Sumio begins to slowly evolve as the days go by. Of all the years I’ve been playing video games, which is a lot, I simply cannot recall another title that features such richly defined characters. Rockstar’s offerings, with their “sophisticated” personalities (i.e. they’re poorly conceived ethnic stereotype that also curse a lot) can’t hope to possibly come close.
As for how Sumio, and the player, solves people’s problems, he uses a suitcase called Catherine that allows him to jack into virtually any object or person, and the answers always lie within a guidebook that Edo hands to you in the very beginning of the adventure. This is where the complaints start popping up, but I personally love the idea of some innocuous looking pamphlet, similar to what everyone has already seen if they go to any hotel or travel agency, that’s just filled with random information like topographical information, local radio station frequencies, the menu at the hotel restaurant, ads for products, and the like that also happens to be the key everyone’s problems in life. I love adventure games and all, but am not a fan of fine combing through assorted locations for whatever tiny clue, so keeping everything nice and compact is a Godsend. Especially since the ways the clues are hidden in the book is always inventive and never frustrating, plus the level of writing of said book is outstanding, as is all the dialogue throughout the game, all of which is delivered in a garbled tongue, similar to something found in Banjo Kazooie that’s never tiresome to hear. But back to the splendid characterizations, when you finally solve a problem for a character, it’s intensely satisfying, because you honestly feel as you’ve helped someone out. The writing is just that good.
Keeping all the answers in one central location also helps to offset all the destinations you’ll be traveling towards, though it’s not so much that there’s a ton of places to go, but how everything is spread out. Add the fact that there’s hardly any vehicles, you’ll be doing a LOT of running, sometimes back and forth, which is another primary complaint. Yet I never grew bored or frustrated, not once, and back to Select Button real quick: one concept they helped to popularize was the notion of a “lonely game” in which it’s you and you alone, with the weight of the world, in a desolate landscape, and I honestly can’t think of a better example than FSR, in which you’re constantly going here and there for the dumbest of reasons, and not for the job you’ve been hired for. I have a feeling that was the intent; as you run around, you can’t help but ask yourself what the hell is going on and why you are doing this. I suppose the real question though is if any of it is “fun”… and I could go on all day trying to argue that it sorta is, yet I still can’t blame anyone for hating this game. It’s most certainly not for everyone, that’s for sure.
Though helping quite a bit is the amazing soundtrack, making those long stretch of road running tolerable, which even the game’s most vocal critics can’t help but gush about. Most of the music is based upon the works of Satie and Gerswhin and is brilliantly implemented; it’s very soothing and calming, plus helps to reinforce the locale, whether it be a five star hotel or just the landscape of a tropical paradise, quite effectively. The original PS2 had the same soundscape (which btw is the brainchild of Masafumi Takada, the one video game composer that hardly anyone talks about, sadly) and I’m impressed that much of it came along without any major bumps and bruises. Too bad the same could not be said for the visuals, which are admittedly pretty rough; the original FSR was very nice looking, yet quite obviously a first gen-title, which you’d think would carry over well enough, but sadly not. The FMV videos that are so beautiful on the PS2 are just pixelated messes on the DS. Still, the art direction and overall presentation is jaw-dropping, and only further enhances and reinforces the esoteric and enigmatic qualities of the game as a whole. Coupled with the cast of kooky characters, the deceptively simple plot in the beginning, the pleasant upfront but definitely unsettling underneath vibe, along with the simple fact that it revolves around a hotel, makes Flower, Sun, and Rain feel like very loose video game adaptation of Twin Peaks, or at the very least a love letter. So in that case, could Suda 51 be heralded as David Lynch of video games? Maybe?
FSR is a very important piece of the mythology of Grasshopper Manufacture, and a must play for any Suda 51 fanboy, which I myself am, despite not liking Killer 7 (once again, for the record). It’s actually the second installment of the “Kill The Past” trilogy, which Killer 7 served as the closer. The first title, The Silver Case, came out in Japan for the PSone and it too was going to be released on the DS, but recent comments from Suda casts heavy doubt on that project now, unfortunately. Which really sucks since there’s more than a few connections between that and FSR from what I understand, and I’m dying for the whole picture; Sumio is in that game as well, plus a few other Grasshopper Manufacture, and FSR references can be found across the board (just check out No More Hero’s Sylvia Christel’s panties in this Japanese ad for that game). Also worth noting is how Edo makes an appearance in Killer 7 that’s pretty downright ingenious, but I don’t want to risk spoiling the details (though simple check out some FSR/Killer 7 fan-sites for the full explanation). Suda has also stated recently that he’d love to bring back Sumio someday, which would be fantastic, since… and I say this with absolute sincerity… he might be one of the most compelling characters in the history of video games. And my personal dream game would star both him and NMH’s Travis Touchdown in some kind of buddy flick/game.
Anyhow, to wrap things up: Flower, Sun, and Rain is simply a work of misunderstood genius. If you get your hands on it and are instantly turned off, I won’t be upset, since I’m not one of those idiots that claims that one must endure 5 hours of boredom and frustration cuz that’s when the game gets good. As stated, it most certainly is not a game for everyone. Just keep it mind that it’s still one of the finest games to come out in a long while, that’s all.
