The Gamer’s Quagmire #34: Freelance Advertising For Games
Everything you wanted to know about gaming, and less.
by Jamison DeLorenzo
If you are entertained by mindless yammering then the last several weeks has been a lot of fun for you. Anyone lucky enough to experience the incessant political advertisements over the past couple weeks understands. If you like gaming as well then so much the better. It appears as though we are at the peak of the fanbot (I am coining a term here and I doth not care if it catches on- I choose bot because it has no gender discrimination, most arguments sound exactly the same, and all of them have been programmed to repeat said arguments) era before our current generation of gaming. Once the consoles start coming out people can no longer make endless comments loaded with conjecture about how much fun a console is going to be.So I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. I struggle with my inner sadist (something I am hoping that Jerry Springer can resolve in his “Making Peace With Your Inner Sadist” special). Sure, peace of mind will start to set in once the games start coming out and everyone can play them. All of the pre-launch hype will be gone and we will finally be able to see where all of the consoles truly stand. Mostly I am feeling relief because then the consoles will finally rest where they should- on the merits of the games. Ever get the feeling that a merit badge system is in order to judge these consoles properly? Give me through Christmas and we may have something in that arena.
Enough game trailers, pictures, press releases, and articles have been written to convince me of one thing- if you want to dislike a console you will nitpick everything you can dig up. If you spend enough time reading about these consoles you will start to wonder if people in this country care more about which console is better than their state representative (who, ironically, is more than likely is working on pushing an anti-gaming bill). If there are not any console advertisements that use political attack ads there should be. In fact, that is my motivation for this week’s rant: advertisements we all want to see that nobody is showing.
The reason I think these things up, other than to entertain myself, is because advertising is a major pet peeve of mine. Advertisers, along with sports referees, are among the worst at doing their job right now (I stopped making fun of politicians and lawyers long ago- it is way too cliché). Advertisers make tons of cardinal sins: they rely too much on meaningless clichés, are too in your face (local car dealers are experts here), make up unbelievable lies (like Circuit City’s ad that they eventually pulled where they mentioned they were the only site that showed consumer ratings of products), do something way too abstract (like that PS9 ad when the PS2 was introduced), or make something that makes absolutely no sense (there’s a drug commercial for a sleeping pill with an actual listed side effect of drowsiness, which is basically equivocating the pill to those hair-growing drugs that only work by sheer coincidence).
Admittedly I am almost without a doubt the last person who should be running an advertising campaign, but if nothing else the point would get across and it would be entertaining. My style is this- commercials that are direct, memorable, and funny. Last year I made up an advertisement that involved a bunch of stuffed animals being destroyed in various ways, pretty much stealing the snowman idea from Calvin & Hobbes, in an attempt to demonstrate what would happen if violent games were taken away from kids without any other changes in their lives. The memorable shot of the commercial was a teddy bear with a noose around its neck attached to a slow-moving ceiling fan. I set it all to some eerie piano music also for irony. Like I said, I am almost without a doubt the last person who should be running an advertising campaign (sometimes what people think is funny is nothing more than disturbing). Nonetheless I still think it’s a good idea.
So, in no particular order, are some ideas for commercials. Any statement with a ‘+’ next to it indicates a positive advertisement that I would make based on pretext while, not surprisingly, a ‘-’ refers to a negative advertisement (and if you think I won’t resort to relying on some scary-sounding voice to deliver some of the attack ads you obviously haven’t figured out what I do here yet). Also remember, if you see anything on television or a website that resembles these ideas who know whom to thank!
Online Content:
If you believe that the XBox 360 has been coasting on its online system, Live (XBL for short), you would be right. The controllers are not much different, the multimedia support is only marginally better, and Live is improved but not a whole lot. Granted, there was not a whole lot to improve with Live as it is an overwhelming success in connecting anyone with an Ethernet connection to the outside world. Sony and Nintendo cannot say anything right now about their online stuff without getting served by XBL, so trying to make an ad for either of them would just not be worth it.
+ (360): Considering Microsoft laid the groundwork for online console gaming while nobody else has an established infrastructure for it, the required ad is a group of friends, maybe 5 people, playing together in a FPS and having a good time. After someone mentions not being able to do a 3×3 team game, somebody asks where X is, panning to some guy holding a controller in the obvious shape of a Sony DualShock controller staring at a blank TV sitting on the couch for several seconds. Simple and to the point.
I also think that if you were Microsoft you should have added Bill Gates to the end of several 360 ads- you know- “I’m Bill Gates and I approve this message” during the election timeframe. This would have killed.
- (360): Even easier, but you need to take two different angles. First, because Sony at least tried to incorporate an online element with their last console, you have to resort to obscure hyperbole. Sony doesn’t want you to be online would be good. Definitely toss in a 6 year-old kid who is trying to convince his dad that he can get online too with the dad smiling and nodding. As for Nintendo, there’s always room for a Britney Spears joke. Just make a bunch of people dance around like idiots and talking incoherently into a headset and that should do the trick. Oh, for those of you that inexplicably missed it, Britney pulled a Milli Vanilli at all of her concerts. She claimed it was because the dancing prevented smooth singing while I still maintain that she is wholly unable to carry a tune.
Games:
Only one company has the edge here also, mostly because only one console has been established so far. It is true that there are exclusive titles on the horizon that people cling to, and there is nothing wrong with that, but if you look at what’s out there now Microsoft has a lot going for it. Here are a couple ideas:
+ (360): Elder Scrolls IV, Project Gotham Racing 3, Gears of War are out now and are fantastic. Later on you will see Halo 3. All of these are 360 exclusives and are major sellers. If Gears of War catches on like I think it should (I see it as leaps and bounds, pun intended, better than Halo to date) then you are looking at 4 powerhouses that no other console has. I’m not sure of the best way to flex that muscle as you do have to be careful due to competing titles on other platforms (Gran Turismo and Final Fantasy to name two), but Halo is considered the flagship series for the XBox, so using that is a must. Something like the Master Chief blowing up a bunch of nasty aliens with a series of heavy weapons, diving into a room, seeing the other consoles, standing up straight, and then dropping a grenade and walking casually out of the room with an explosion in the background after strolling down a hall or something. That might work.
+ (Wii): Mario is the most globally (I recently stopped using universally because, well, I’d feel way too guilty if an alien ever read this article… clearly my caffeine intake today is higher than normal) recognizable video game character and we know that Nintendo is pushing hard towards families being able to game together. So it’s simple- anyone that uses another console must be in a dysfunctional family! Show a family of 4 in front of a television with a Nintendo playing some Mario game together. You want a light set for this. After that switch to some teenager sitting by himself in a room with the lights off playing something similar to Manhunt. The father in a wife beater T-shirt comes in and rips the console out from the wall with the kid whining and yelling. Follow this with a camera outside capturing the front door opening and the console being tossed onto the street and shortly thereafter a truck crushing it while driving by. A little dark of an ending for Nintendo, so better switch back to the family thinking they hear something outside only to go back to playing Mario. Fun for the whole family!
Controllers:
It is pretty safe to assume that Nintendo has put the most work into this arena this time around. I still refuse to believe Sony was able to put together a tilt controller with full range of motion as a reaction to the last E3 but I guess anything’s possible. Either way as Nintendo you have to push this angle because the Wiimote’s form factor lends itself much more easily to tilt control gaming.
- (360): Clearly you have to try and sell the whole notion of tilt controlling not being that fun considering Microsoft is the sole company not integrating that into their console experience. Show people using the Wiimote and the Sixaxis controllers while clearly frustrated. Show some game footage of characters dying in spectacular fashion and the player getting mad or putting the controller down while upset. After enough sequences a character stopping on screen and placing a couple question marks in a bubble over their head would be good too. Show a split-screen shot of both controllers with red X’s and the buzzer sound effect. Finish off with a stick-with-what-works motif and you’re all set.
- (Wii): Nintendo is the only company willing to use a controller that looks different this time, so that needs to be the target. You should be thinking what I’m thinking- kids insulting each other at their friends house! Hey, they’re doing it online anyway, so the transition is smooth. Show up at house A with a 360, have one kid yell at the host with something like “I can’t believe you’re still using that same old controller!” He gets up and leaves, the friends follow, and the host just sits there with a dumb look on his face. Everyone makes it over to the house with the Wii, they start playing, then somehow this kid pulls out a PS3 controller and have the 360 host grab the controller and throw it on the ground. He stares at the kid, who now has a shamed look on his face after everyone else is shaking their head at him for even bringing it into the house. You can’t lose as long as you decry the other controllers.
+ (PS3): The current ad Sony is doing with the PS3 controller isn’t bad although it is borderline too abstract… the one with the controller moving objects around the room, not the exploding Rubik’s cube. The only reason I mention it here is because it is actually pretty good, which is a rare thing given my skewed taste.
Cost:
Clearly one of the only non-subjective topics in the battle. The only possible controversy is that if you want to be an early adopter for high-definition DVD then the PS3 does indeed save you money. However, most people do not want to spend that much money for what for them is largely just a gaming console (although it’s funny that when the PS2 came out, the additional DVD feature was popular… now it’s pure evil).
+ (Wii): I have yet to use women effectively in any of these advertising ideas, and I think I have one of my really good ideas for this one. Show two men in separate frames taking $600 with the girlfriends giving them an evil look. Both go into a mall. One buys a PS3 and comes home to a slap in the face with the girl storming out the front door. The other buys a Wii and some jewelry, keeps the Wii in the trunk and brings in the necklace. Everybody wins, and don’t you just love happy endings?
+ (PS3): We need something similar here, except you have to sell the idea that the PS3 is much more than a gaming console. The multimedia capabilities are quite impressive, so if you care about such things then this ad will work wonders for you. I thought about going the same route as the previous commercial with this one. I wanted to use the college angle because I enjoyed it so much, like watching HD movies and having another $300 in Ramen noodles in boxes behind the couch, but no college kid low on cash is going to spend $600 to save on a hi-def DVD player. The best way t go if you’re Sony for this is to have two guys standing in separate but adjacent lines in an electronics store. Customer A is struggling to hold a 360, HD-DVD player, and a multimedia hub. Customer B is just holding a PS3. They look at each other, then look away, the PS3 customer smirks, swipes his check card and gets out the store quickly. For added effect the customer behind the Customer A asks him why he’s holding all those boxes, Customer A turns around and throws all the boxes at him, knocking him over (physical humor still works like a charm), and leaves.
There are many more ideas, but that seemed like enough for the week. With any luck you were able to picture what I was trying to describe. Who knows, if a company uses one of these ideas then there just may be a future for me in advertising. Wouldn’t that be fun?
Post your comments in the Forum!
November 15, 2006
On The Shelf This Week – 11.15.06
DARK HORSE COMICS
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Escapists #5 (Of 6), $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Brian K. Vaughan, Art by Jason Shawn Alexander and Steve Rolston. As strong as this title has been, it is kind of sad to see that there are only 2 issues left. Sometimes the best way to kill a good story, however, is to make it ongoing – not saying that would happen here, but it is always better to have an outstanding mini than it is to have a mediocre ongoing. Vaughan’s has a good thing going here – his twist on Chabon’s Escapist is fun and unique. This will make an excellent trade purchase once it comes out. If you have missed the story so far, that is.
DC COMICS
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100 Bullets #78, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Brian Azzarello, Art by Eduardo Risso. Moving right along – only 23 issues more to go. Very little else to report on this title, and that is unlikely to change over the next two years. 100 Bullets has become basically impenetrable to new readers, but still enjoyable to anyone who has been on board since the beginning. It still reads very well in the collected format, so if this title has you curious, it is better to shop for the trades.
52 Week #28, $2.50, 32 Pages. Written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid; Breakdowns by Keith Giffen; Art by various; Backup features by Waid and various. As time goes on, this title seems to be getting less and less relevant. Not that the quality is dropping, but rightfully people are getting into the individual stories of their favorite ongoings (as event hype finally calms down), and the missing year just isn’t as much of a draw anymore. Still a good story, but probably one that would benefit from a lower profile.
Aquaman Sword Of Atlantis #45, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Kurt Busiek; Art by Butch Guice and Tony DeZuñiga. Still not sure if this title is as good as Pfiefer’s run was, but so far so good. It doesn’t have quite the universal appeal, but real Aquaman fans will probably enjoy Busiek’s version a whole lot more. Sword of Atlantis continues to surprise.
Astro City The Dark Age Book Two #1, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Kurt Busiek; Art by Brent Anderson. The case of why comics should be monthly, and come out on time, Exhibit A. The Dark Age was my first real exposure to Astro City. Yeah, yeah, late on the bandwagon. But at this pace, the 16th and final issue won’t come out until deep into 2010. It doesn’t matter how good the art is, 17 months is way to long for only 5 issues, and if this keeps the same pace, 5 years for a 16 issue story is right out. Shame – this was an interesting story, it is just really tough to keep up interest when the time between issues is this long.
Batman Legends Of The Dark Knight #212, $2.99, 32 Pages. This is the first of a series of at least three one-shot stories. If that is the direction this title is going to go with Confidential taking on the out-of-continuity Batman stories, that isn’t such a bad idea. One thing that Batman has really been lacking over the past several years is a good book for the casual reader, and this kind of thing would really fill that niche. Now if there was some way to really let people know that you don’t need to worry about being mid story-arc ever on this book…
Catwoman #61, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Will Pfeifer, Art by David Lopez and Alvaro Lopez. Film Freak is really turning out to be a way more interesting character than he first seemed to be, isn’t he? Pfiefer has really done wonders with the supporting cast on this book, it has become one of the real strengths of this story. Not that Selina herself isn’t interesting, but with a character like that, without a good supporting cast to back her us, she tends to get a little un-interesting. Should be another strong month here.
Checkmate #8, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Greg Rucka; Art and Cover by Jesus Saiz. It took a few issues, but this title has really come into its own. The Suicide Squad’s appearance last arc was a nice treat and pulled off quite well. Checkmate has proven to be a tense thriller and dense to boot – quite the opposite of the padded stuff that has been en vogue for the past several years. A really enjoyable read – and this issue is the first in a new story arc, so it is a good time to jump aboard.
Claw The Unconquered #6, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Chuck Dixon; Art, and Cover by Andy Smith. Man, it is a shame to see this one end. Fantasy comics have been tough to come by outside of Conan, and it was nice to see one of the big two come forward with a quality series for a change. Claw met with rave reviews and did fairly well – it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise to see another one sometime in the future. Provided this one ends well, of course.
Deadman #4, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Bruce Jones; Art and Cover by John Watkiss. Better, but not quite good enough to shake the bad streak that Bruce Jones has had since he switched over to DC. And this is a case where the problem is clearly scripting – this series seems to suffer from a confusing presentation and a little too much technical explanation. However, the first arc is only a little over halfway done, and though it would be preferable for a title to start strong out of the gate, this really is a concept that might require a few issues to warm up to. There is potential here – and that is the best Jones has had in some time. Hopefully he can run with it.
Green Lantern Corps #6, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Dave Gibbons; Art and Cover by Gibbons and Michael Bair. Seems like forever in between issues! This title doesn’t really seem to be running late at all thought – must be because it is a darned good read. Between this title and Recharge, we have had a good solid year of quality comics – this has to have been the best time for the Green Lantern franchise in a long, long time. Hopefully Gibbons can keep this up for the long term. Still enjoying Guy Gardner after a year, and that is something I never thought I would hear myself say.
Hellblazer #226, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Denise Mina; Art by Leonardo Manco; Cover by Lee Bermejo. Mina has really settled into a good rhythm and has overcome the rockiness that some felt she had going in her first arc – the news couldn’t be better for Hellblazer fans. This really is a title that needs an exceptionally strong story to stay afloat, and it looks to be solid in that department.
Omac #5 (Of 8), $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Bruce Jones, Art and Cover by Renato Guedes. Another head scratcher from Bruce Jones. The tale of the last OMAC could potentially have been a good one, but the first four issues of this series have been vague and hard to pin down. Might be too late for this one to turn around, sadly.
Omega Men #2 (Of 6), $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Andersen Gabrych, Art and Cover by Henry Flint. Probably one for the fans here – newcomers to the Omega Men might have a hard time making heads or tales of this. There is a lot going on – it is well written but perhaps a little too intricate for someone new to the characters to really understand. The art is decent however – and the book has a fairly unique feel when stacked up against other comics today. Worth checking out if you are up for something different.
Robin #156, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Adam Beechen; Art by Freddie E. Williams II. This book is kind of in no man’s land now. Beechen’s initial arc angered a lot of fans with his treatment of Cassandra Cain – of course now it seems that this drastic change in character may have been an editorial decision. Nonetheless, Beechen paid the PR price, and that mischaracterization only served to amplify other flaws in his plot and characterizations. In all, his Robin hasn’t been bad – but it has been a real step down from Willingham’s run. Beechen seems to be improving though – perhaps things will be different this arc.
Shadowpact #7, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Bill Willingham; Art and Cover by Cory Walker. Things do seem to be getting better on Shadowpact, but it still is taking a little time to shake off the shock of the first arc (or so). Day of Vengeance had such a perfect look for this team, to see such a radical change in look over the first several issues of this series was a real blow, and adversely affected the perception of this title’s quality. You often here how important I find story to a comic – this goes to show how important art can be. The story wasn’t too bad (continuity hiccups aside), but the art style meshed so well with Willingham’s story in Day of Vengeance that it totally wrecked the first arc of Shadowpact when it was missing. Hopefully things continue to improve this issue.
Supergirl #11, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Joe Kelly; Art by Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmund. The real problems with Supergirl as a character are really coming to light via this series. When she has another strong character along for the ride (Power Girl, for example), the story moves along quite well. When she is alone? It is almost a disaster. It is becoming more and more apparent that DC just wanted another Supergirl, but instead of bringing back one with an established character, they just slapped an S on a Michael Turner drawing, added some blonde to the hair, and called her Supergirl. Reading this book makes me really, really miss Peter David’s Supergirl. And anyone who knows me knows just how heavy that statement is.
IMAGE COMICS
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Deadworld #6, $3.50, 32 Pages. Written by Gary Reed, Art by Dalibor Talajic. Yeah, a zombie book. Almost seem a dime a dozen these days. This isn’t so much a rip-off of Walking Dead though – Deadworld has been around much longer. And with Desperado heading to Image, and the popularity of Zombie stories in the wake of Walking Dead, well, the timing was just right for it to come back. This one is a rarity, mostly because it doesn’t seem to come out too often. Issue 4 just came out in May – just under six months ago. Not really uncommon with Image, but it does put a crimp in your story’s flow. They seem to be stepping things up though – issue #5 just came out, and issue #7 and the first trade are due out next month. Hopefully they can deliver as promised and keep up the pace.
Jack Staff #12, $3.50, 32 Pages. By Paul Grist. Jack Staff is definitely a title that is going to appeal to some of you out there. It is definitely a straight-up super-hero comic – one thing you don’t have to worry about here is an epic 6-8 issue story arc which basically requires a six month investment of time and money to get a payoff for your story. A few short, complete stories an issue, and you get it all in one. It has been compared to Astro City, at least in concept, though the look is certainly totally different. If you like those throwback comics, and have a taste for British culture, you might consider giving this book a shot.
MARVEL COMICS
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Astonishing X-Men #18, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Joss Whedon, Art by John Cassaday. So, the end is neigh for Astonishing, eh? Well, at least for this team. Not sure if they plan to continue it or not after Whedon and Dassaday ride off into the sunset. Before that, though, this issue ends the “Torn” arc. Should set things up nicely for what is to come.
Blade #3, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Marc Guggenheim, Art by Howard Chaykin. Well, as you might have expected, this series isn’t much to write home about. If you are a real fan of the character, or at least the current presentation of the character, this series is an enjoyable read. But there is really only so much you can do with Blade, so there isn’t much ground-breaking going on here. An okay read if you are a fan.
Cable/Deadpool #34, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Fabian Nicieza, Art by Reilley Brown. This… this is good! Of course, I had to stumble onto spoilers, but even knowing what happens, it is impossible to be disappointed. Nicieza really has hit the perfect tone with their relationship. For some reason, Cable and Deadpool often see eye to eye, and clearly have a respect for one another. But it is simply impossible for them to be on the same side forever, no matter what happens. Good read – fans of the series are no doubt enjoying this arc.
Civil War #5 (Of 7), $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Mark Millar, Art by Steve McNiven. About a month and a half later, Civil War is finally here. On the surface, it appears that the delay was moreso to build up suspense and to get some of the tie-ins caught up, but this month was a bad month for it. Fans reacted quite poorly to the events in the last issue, though a few do seem to be still standing by the series. Personally, whenever you have major story concepts being developed in the pencils stage, that is just a sign that you really have no idea where this story is going. Something that major should have been a part of a script’s rough draft for crying out loud, not tacked on at the last minute just because it seemed like a cool idea. It demonstrates that the death didn’t have anything to do with advancing the story, and was only included for the sensationalism. That is no way to treat any character.
Ghost Rider #5, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Daniel Way, Art by Javier Saltares. This title is off to a rough start. After a fairly well received first couple issues, the Ghost Rider fans seem to be ready to turn here. Maybe it is just impossible to write a good Ghost Rider story anymore? Or maybe the character just doesn’t work with the modern style? This title could do with several decent done-in-one stories, kind of like Jonah Hex had there at the very beginning. Not all characters are made for uber 6-issue arcs, and this is a classic example of that.
Iron Man #13, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Daniel Knauf, Art by Patrick Zircher. Finally – a Civil War tie-in for Iron Man! Honestly, tons and tons of event tie ins are generally a bad thing, but sometimes it is only logical. As is the case with Iron Man. This issue is supposed to set out exactly why Tony Stark is so gung ho over registration. Hope it is a really good reason, because it is going to take a whole lot to explain why he would be so out of character over this…
Marvel 1602 Fantastick Four #3 (Of 5), $3.50, 32 Pages. Written by Peter David, Art by Pascal Alixe and John Livesay. The only thing worse than bad press is no press at all – and that is pretty well what this title is getting. After the underwhelming New World outing, it is surprising that Marvel would come out with a third 1602 series. Unfortunately this one isn’t faring much better than the last. To make matters worse, readers don’t even seem to care about it enough to complain about it. Reviewers are giving it a wide berth and chatter on message boards is pretty well non-existent.
Marvel Adventures Avengers #7, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Tony Bedard, Art by Shannon Gallant and John Stanisci. This month we get a Juggernaut origin story – should make for a decent read. This book has really turned into a bright spot for the Marvel Adventures line-up – it quickly overcame doubts about the team make-up and started cranking out good stories. In a way, the original line-up definitively took it out of continuity to a point where it was clear that these were not just re-imaginings of classic Marvel stories, but that a total rewrite of an idea was acceptable and to be expected. A great, all-ages read – highly recommended.
Moon Knight #6, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Charlie Huston, Art by David Finch and Danny Miki. Sometimes reading this title forces me to hold in a scream. It’s an awesome read, with one terrible exception. It is way too padded. This is a great story that would be so much more intense if more actually happened in an issue. It is frustrating how fast this title reads at times. Still, worth picking up, for sure. A variant cover is available this week for those collectors out there.
Ms Marvel #9, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Brian Reed, Art by Mike Wieringo and Chris Sotomayor. Man, this should be a good issue art wise! Ms. Marvel gets a lot of flack for being a fluff book – and admittedly, a lot of that is deserved. Still, it is a guilty pleasure – ok, granted, the salaciousness could be cut back on a bit – but it is nice to have a book that is easy to read, lot’s of action, and not overly pretentious. Ok, you female readers out there with complaints about this book? You all have a point. But since I know nothing about the mechanics of women’s cloths and skin-tight costumes, and since I don’t read comics for the T&A (and thus find it usually easy to ignore), that stuff all kind of washes over me. On an unrelated note, it will be interesting to see the fully clothed Rogue appearing this month. Should be a good confrontation.
New Avengers #25, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Jim Cheung. Since Tony Stark is such an important part of Civil War, it is logical to assume that New Avengers will be critical to that ongoing story (especially since the real meat of the story is happening in the tie-ins). As with Civil War, readers have been mixed about the story we are getting here – though like it or no, it is pretty well essential to what is to come for the Avengers, so you kind of have to read it if you are aiming to pick up the forthcoming Mighty Avengers book.
Squadron Supreme #7, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by J. Michael Straczynski, Art by Gary Frank. Glad to see that this issue has finally made it out. When you have a major promotional crossover going (Ultimate Power), and one of the parties involved is MIA, it is tough to generate that crossover sales boost. Hopefully the wait will have been worth it for Squadron fans.
Thunderbolts #108, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Fabian Nicieza, Art by Tom Grummett. It is going to be tough to see Nicieza go, that much is certain. This has been a good time for Thunderbolts readers – first they got the team back, then the original numbering, and on top of all that a great story to boot. Even with the potential momentum-killer that is a major event tie-in. Hopefully Nicieza’s successor will be able to keep the fans happy.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #36, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Mike Carey, Art by Pasqual Ferry. There is still some serious reader shock on this title – the style Carey and Ferry have put forth here is so radically different from Millar and Land that most readers are turned off. Is it a case of style shock (as mentioned before with Shadowpact) or is it something more?
Union Jack #3 (Of 4), $2.99 ,32 Pages. Written by Christos Gage, Art by Mike Perkins. This one has thus far been a pretty solid mini. Lots of action – I somehow get the feeling that some might have chosen to pad this one out a couple more issues (thankfully, they did not). In all it has been a great read – perhaps we will get another one in the not too distant future.
What If Spider-Man The Other, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Peter David, Art by Khoi Pham. Oiy, was The Other something that we really needed to revisit? That is one of the more curious things about Marvel. No matter how poorly something is received, they will assume that people want to see more of it if it sells well in the first place. Of course, you can get really complicated and point out that it probably got good numbers because Marvel is excellent at marketing, and that doesn’t really translate to fan appeal. The trouble is – they are usually right. For some reason, though The Other was fairly universally hated (granted, there are some readers that liked it, as there are with most major stories like this), this issue will doubtlessly do very well. Comic fans are a strange bunch.
White Tiger #1 (Of 6), $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Tamora Pierce and Timothy Liebe, Art by Philippe Briones, Don Hillsman, and Chris Sotomayor. Another novelist trying her hand at comic writing – I guess this has worked out pretty well so far, so why not? This series focuses on the new White Tiger as seen in Daredevil – so anyone who enjoyed that story arc might want to give this book a try. It will be interesting to see how well Pierce does on her comic debut.
X-Men First Class #3 (Of 8), $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Jeff Parker, Art by Roger Cruz. There are two ways to look at this title. On the one hand – it is nice to see a light-hearted comic story. We don’t get nearly enough of those. Sure, it doesn’t always make for the most compelling read, but it isn’t supposed to. On the other hand, they could have tried just a little bit harder, couldn’t they? Early X-Men stories have been done again, and again, and again. Probably would have been better to see a Marvel Adventures: X-Men, but this will have to do. Worth picking up if you are looking for an easy X-Men read.
Craig’s Pick of the Week
Birds Of Prey #100, $3.99, 48 Pages. Written by Gail Simone; Art by Nicola Scott and Doug Hazlewood and Paulo Sequiera and Robin Riggs. The big 100th issue – and another new team line-up. This time things look to be a little more serious – the last couple of times we got a new team, a new operative was added as something of a minor member, leaving the core of Huntress, Black Canary, and Oracle strongly at the core. Manhunter features pretty prominently in issue #101, so perhaps she will be one of the new team members. There are a lot worse things than Gail Simone writing Kate on a regular basis. Should be interesting to see how this issue turns out. Simone has been consistently good on this book (quite possibly her best comic effort to date, this coming from a Deadpool/Agent X fan), and this should be a perfect chance for a new reader to come aboard.
NOTE: Opinions here may not reflect those of X-World Comics LLC or it’s staff and are solely the opinions of the writer.Want to comment on this week’s newsletter? Give your feedback here!
NOTE: Opinions here may not reflect those of X-World Comics LLC or it’s staff and are solely the opinions of the writer.
Post your comments in the Forum!
November 8, 2006
On The Shelf This Week – 11.08.06
DARK HORSE COMICS
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Star Wars Dark Times #1 (Of 5), $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Welles Hartley and Mick Harrison, Art by Doug Wheatley. Another brand new Star Wars series – the way they are spacing out these new titles really is a good thing. To have all the books start at the same time would have been really tough on the readers. This series, as the title suggests, is set during the fabled “Dark Times,” the period after Darth Vadar’s turn to the Dark Side in Episode III. Once again this is a fertile area with lots of story potential. Should be a good read for those who enjoy the Star Wars comics.
DC COMICS
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52 Week #27, $2.50, 32 Pages. Written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid; Breakdowns by Keith Giffen; Art by various; Backup features by Waid and various. Tough to say exactly what we will get this week – seems like even the solicit writers are starting to run out of material week after week. Outside the back-ups, though, this series really hasn’t had a bad week. Off weeks, sure, bumpy here and there, but never really bad. The creative team deserves a lot of credit for that.
Batman #658, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Grant Morrison, Art by Andy Kubert and Jesse Delperdang. In typical Morrison style, this arc seems to have lost its direction a little bit as it is coming to a close. It isn’t that the idea here is a bad one – it never is. But Morrison tends to lose track of the specifics and he misses the little touches that really makes the story complete in its later chapters. A lot of what we are seeing in this story is starting to come off as unbelievable, and that is hurting the whole thing. The story wraps up here, hopefully he cleans things up a bit for the conclusion.
Batman And The Mad Monk #4 (Of 6), $3.50, 32 Pages. By Matt Wagner. Thus far this has been a rare reimagining that is actually good. Usually you get lame stories with too much “hipness” when you get an update of a classic story, Wagner is doing a good job of just telling the same story with a more modern tone and style. Very impressive. This mini will make for a great trade read once it finally gets to that point.
Batman Strikes #27, $2.25, 32 Pages. Written by Scott Beatty; Art by Christopher Jones and Terry Beatty. Oh well, at least it isn’t Batgirl again. Status quo here – if you like the cartoon, you will like the comic. If not, well, you won’t. Probably decent for the kids too, though this probably isn’t even close to the best example of a Batman story if that is what you are looking for. You are better off tracking down an old Batman Adventures book.
DMZ #13, $2.99, 32 Pages. By Brian Wood. Maybe a hint of politics in this issue? Perhaps, but if Wood handles it with as much class as he has up to this point, then it is all good. This issue finds Riccardo going undercover as a day laborer to get the dirt on the company doing most of the reconstruction. As always, Wood is doing an outstanding job on this book which has more than found a home at Vertigo. Well worth checking out.
Firestorm The Nuclear Man #31, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Stuart Moore; Art by Jamal Igle and Keith Champagne. Oiy, not another one. Firestorm has been slipping in the sales over the past few months (not sure why – the book has been as good as ever), and was mysteriously absent in the January solicits. Is it cancelled? Will it be? Who knows – DC hasn’t uttered a peep (that I have seen anyway). Firestorm is a really good title that is well-deserving of an ongoing audience. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should. Especially if this is one of your last chances to do so.
Gen 13 #2, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Gail Simone, Art and Cover by Talent Caldwell and Matt “Batt” Banning. OK, naturally Fairchild’s cloths being blown off is kind of her “trademark,” but all trademarks aren’t by their very nature good things. The Little Caesar Roman saying “Pizza, Pizza!” – that is good. This? Salacious sure, but not good per se. In all the launch of the new Gen13 has been about what you would expect – fairly good, perhaps not up to Simone’s usual standards, but she did have to go the extra mile to please the long time fans of the series. Still too early to tell if this latest volume is going to have real staying power though. A variant cover for this issue is available this week for you collectors.
Green Arrow #68, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Judd Winick, Art and Cover by Scott McDaniel and Andy Owens. Is it some kind of law of the comic universe that good titles drop in sales? Or at least have a hard time keeping the numbers up? Firestorm is struggling, Manhunter just about gone, and now Green Arrow – not in cancel danger at all, but sales have been steadily slipping over the past few months. This is as good as this title has been in recent memory, yet for some reason it is losing readers. Just one of those phenomena that you just can’t explain. You don’t usually hear me recommending Green Arrow (My Archer-hero bias at work), but you really need to sample this run right now. One of DC’s better books at the moment.
JLA Classified #29, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Howard Chaykin; Art and Cover by Killian Plunkett and Tom Nguyen. Howard Chaykin – the new Chuck Austen? Maybe – Chaykin certainly has some past credits to really rest his laurels on, which gives him a leg up, but it does seem as if almost anything the man is involved with anymore gets bashed. Be it his art on Hawkgirl, or his writing here and on other projects. Maybe it is an unfair wrap – doesn’t make this arc any more readable though. Great if you enjoy his writing, sure. But not the best days this title has seen.
Martian Manhunter #4 (Of 8), $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by A.J. Lieberman, Art and Cover by Al Barrionuevo and Bit. There is really little else that can said about this title anymore. Just about everything that was said about his run on Gotham Knights is also true here, though we are still waiting on that Hush appearance. When the most interesting thing about your story is that you are borrowing names from English soccer players, you know you are in trouble. Not looking good at the hump for Martian Manhunter.
Nightwing Renegade TPB, $14.99, 144 Pages. Written by Devin Grayson; Art by Cliff Chiang, Phil Hester, Brad Walker and others. This arc got its fair share of criticism – deservedly so – but in the long run, it made for a great story and will read a lot better in the trade format. There is no denying that it got a little long and drawn out when you were reading it issue-by-issue, but that is a non factor here. This was the final arc before One Year Later started up, and also the final arc for long-time writer Devin Grayson. An enjoyable read if you are a fan of Nightwing, or Grayson’s work. Nightwing is in good hands now, but she will be missed.
Stormwatch Phd #1, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Christos N. Gage, Art and Cover by Doug Mahnke. Another new Wildstorm #1, this time Stormwatch, which was set up a bit by the recent Worldstorm one-shot. This one will most probably appeal more to the long time Wildstorm readers more than any of the other relaunched books as Gen13 and The Authority have a lot wider appeal. Gage is touted as a “screenwriter” – the most notable film to his credit to date is the unintentionally hilarious Teenage Caveman, but he has done an episode of Numb3rs and a pair of Law and Order SVU episodes, and the Deadshot mini he did was fairly decent. Should be pretty good for those of you looking forward to this series. A pair of variants for you collectors this month.
Tales Of The Unexpected #2 (Of 8), $3.99, 48 Pages. Written by David Lapham and Brian Azzarello, Art by Eric Battle and Prentis Rollins and Cliff Chiang. Really wanted to come out raving about this series, but sadly that is impossible. On the plus-side, it wasn’t bad, just different. The stories were fairly decent, though I had hoped that the issue as a whole would be a little more accessible to the casual reader, it being DC’s first real foray back into the anthology game. Tales is very much worth checking out, though it might require a bit of patience to read through.
Teen Titans #40, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Geoff Johns, Art by Tony S. Daniel and Kevin Conrad. Sometimes, the young girl (or boy) version of a popular hero works. It did for Supergirl and Superboy – even Wonder Girl worked pretty well, as did Spider-Girl. But Martian Manhunter? He is the last character in the DC line-up that we needed a cute, young, female version of. A rare let down from Johns here.
Y The Last Man #51, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Brian K. Vaughan; Art by Pia Guerra and Jose Marzan Jr.. Vertigo promises that this issue will finally tell us who was responsible for the man-killing plague. Man, that sure does sound like the end, doesn’t it? Granted, there is a lot of story to go, but once the whys and hows start to come out like this, you know we are gearing up for the end. Granted, we knew for a while this was going to happen, but now it is starting to feel like it. Sad, but at the same time exciting. Can’t wait to see where Vaughan takes us.
MARVEL COMICS
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Amazing Spider-Girl #2, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Tom DeFalco, Art by Ron Frenz. Pretty well an average Spider-Girl outing last month, which is a good thing. There were come concerns that too much would change with the relaunch, but it has so far ended up the same old book, different title and numbering. Spider-Girl fans should be happy. It most probably did very well sales wise – the key will be how well it is doing a few months from now, when Marvel marketing (in their usual, ADD fashion) forget it exists and moves on to the next new item. Hopefully the injection of regular readers will be enough to sustain it.
Annihilation #4 (Of 6), $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Keith Giffen, Art by Andrea DiVito. May I say that it is a real joy once again to not only be looking forward to a Marvel Event month after month, but to be excited about it? The little fan-boy flame once thought long dead has started to flicker once again as Marvel finally puts out an event mini to get jazzed about. Never thought to see it again. Kudos – hopefully this story travels steady to an explosive conclusion.
Avengers Earths Mightiest Heroes II #1 (Of 8), $3.99, 32 Pages. Written by Joe Casey, Art by William Rosado and Tom Palmer. A brand new Earth’s Mightiest Heroes series. Basically a treat for classic Avengers fans, this series fast-forwards to another incarnation of the team which included Goliath, Black Panther, Wasp, Hawkeye, and Vision. The first one was fairly good – no reason why this one shouldn’t be as well.
Bullet Points #1 (Of 5), $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by J. Michael Straczynski, Art by Tommy Lee Edwards. Alternate history stories are a dime a dozen, sure, but there is always potential for a good story when that is the premise. JMS is a strong writer, so he should be able to come up with something decent here. But he does have a tendency towards an overly padded story (I am sorry, they call that “pacing” these days, right?), which in a 5 issue mini just ends up seeming light. The concept is basic though strong – one changed event leaves some of Marvel’s marquee heroes powerless. Or power-different. Worth checking out if you are a fan of the What If? scenario.
Civil War Young Avengers & Runaways #4 (Of 4), $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Zeb Wells, Art by Stefano Casselli. Wells’ presentation of the two teams didn’t sit perfectly well with some long-time fans of either, but sometimes when you are writing a story that is intended to attract new readers to a particular book, you have to get a little cheesy with the exposition. Beyond that little bit of necessary evil, Wells did a great job on this mini, and with luck both titles should see a bit of a sales boost as a result. Great news for fans all around. The series itself? Good solid action read. Not to heavy, but enjoyable. A good bet – though the last issue is always a bad place to jump aboard.
Doctor Strange Oath #2 (Of 5), $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Brian K. Vaughan, Art by Marcos Martin. Vaughan is off to a good start with this mini. This issue those who liked the revamped Night Nurse in one of her various appearances in the Marvel Universe recently. Decent story that is off to a strong start – Strange fans should be pleased.
Eternals #5 (Of 7), $3.99, 32 Pages. Written by Neil Gaiman, Art by John Romita, Jr. Gaiman fans, of course, absolutely love this series. But that is what you expected to hear, isn’t it? As far as the non die-hards go, the series is pretty good. Gaiman, in comics, tends to be the most interesting in the first couple issues, and later issues (at least in my experience) start getting a little too dreamy and the plot kind of wavers. Seems to be what we are getting here. It isn’t bad – fairly decent in fact. Right up you’re alley if you have liked some of his past Marvel work. Once again, a variant cover will be available for this issue.
Heroes Reborn Iron Man TPB, $29.99, 336 Pages. Written by Jim Lee, Scott Lobdell, Jeph Loeb, and Ed Benes, Art by Whilce Portacio, Ryan Benjamin, Terry Shoemaker, and Mike Miller. With the new Heroes Reborn stuff coming out, it makes sense that we would start to see these trades popping up. This one, as the title suggests, collects Iron Man’s part of the story from Iron Man(II) #1-12. Worth checking out if you are at all interested in Heroes Reborn, or are going to check out the upcoming Onslaught Reborn series.
Magician Apprentice #3 (Of 12), $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Raymond E. Feist, Michael Avon Oeming and Bryan J.L. Glass, Art by Brett Booth. So is Dabel basically the Marvel Vertigo now? Not a bad thought really – they tried it with MAX and it never seemed to work out quite right. The Magician, like many Dabel Projects, is a novel adaptation from the popular 1982 Feist novel. If this series does well, we will no doubt see the successive novels make their way to the pages of a comic at some point. A good thing to sample if you enjoy the fantasy genre, even if you haven’t read the novel before.
Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #18, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Zeb Wells, Art by Jose Angel Cano Lopez. Par for the course here – and that is usually pretty good when it comes to this book. Wells is doing a great job as always with the characters, and last issue’s Thing story was a good one. This month we get an Invisible Woman tale – “Sue Storm, Secret Agent.” Not sure what to expect – it should be an entertaining all-ages read.
Marvel Legacy 1980s Handbook, $4.99, 64 Pages. By Various. This series is fun, but there are just too many handbooks coming out! We have the regular monthly, and then this one, which takes a snapshot of the Marvel Universe as it existed just before midnight on New Year’s eve, 1989. A fun bit of nostalgia for sure – probably the better of the two Handbook titles out at the moment from Marvel.
New X-Men #32, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Craig Kyle, Art by Mike Norton and Juan Vlasco. It really is hard writing about this book sometimes because there is rarely anything positive to say about it. New X-Men’s Golden Age is well in the past, and the Weir/DeFilippis run is fast becoming a distant memory. It is pretty bad when a year passes and people still can’t talk about how much better the last creative team was…
Punisher Very Special Holidays TPB, $12.99, 120 Pages. Written by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Andy Diggle, Art by Mark Texiera, Paul Gulacy, and Kyle Hotz. Collecting a few classic Punisher holiday stories, sure to get you in that Christmas Spirit! Not sure what it is about old Frank Castle, but in a perverse way he is a natural protagonist in these holiday specials, bloody as they are. This trade collects a few recent ones – Red X-Mas, Bloody Valentine, and Silent Night. A great read, even if you aren’t necessarily a fan of the ongoing Punisher series. Also Available: Punisher #40, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Garth Ennis, Art by Leo Fernandez.
Secret War TPB, $24.99, 256 Pages. Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Gabrielle Dell’otto. Man, did this series take forever to come out. Even with 3 months between issues because of the painted art, it still was late, and a good deal of readers plain lost interest in it towards the end. When a series is exciting and packed with plot, you can pull off 3+ months between issues. But when you have padd.. err… pacing, you don’t really have enough going to really sink the claws into the readers’ interest. This one should read WAY better in trade format.
Wisdom #1 (Of 6), $3.99, 32 Pages. Written by Paul Cornell, Art by Trevor Hairsine and Dave Stewart. Not really an old character (well, not as old as you usually see in revival books like this one) but it is a good bet that a lot of you have never heard of Pete Wisdom before. Of course, there have been so many mutants in the Marvel Universe, it is a real feat to actually know all of them. Should be a fun read for those fans of the character, or anyone who might be up for a bizarre exciting read. To give you some idea, the first issue features fairies (yes, tiny, winged, magical creatures) attacking England and brutalizing all they come across. Don’t get much stranger than that.
Wolverine Origins #8, $2.99, 32 Pages. Written by Daniel Way, Art by Steve Dillon. This series isn’t so much bad as it is disappointing. Taken by itself, it is an ok action read. Lots of fighting, the occasional guest appearance, action and more action. But the way this title came about – all the promise of these major revelations about Wolverine, the depth that we were lead to expect… it all just vanished like a mirage. There is nothing wrong with a brain-dead action #2 Wolverine book… it just should have been sold as that. Reviewers probably would have been more kind if they promised what they ended up delivering.
Craig’s Pick of the Week
Franklin Richards Happy Franksgiving, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel. Written by Marc Summerak and Chris Eliopoulus, Art by Chris Eliopoulus. A new Franklin Richards one-shot is always welcome. The fact that it is a Thanksgiving special just makes it that much better. Yes, this series gets a fair amount of digs for being a Calvin and Hobbes rip-off, and that isn’t undeserved. But the stories have merit on their own, and the fact that it is like Calvin and Hobbes is a strength. The style is the same, but the stories are original. Son of a Genius is always a fun, entertaining read, and this month’s issue should be no different. Very much looking forward to this one.
NOTE: Opinions here may not reflect those of X-World Comics LLC or it’s staff and are solely the opinions of the writer.Want to comment on this week’s newsletter? Give your feedback here!
NOTE: Opinions here may not reflect those of X-World Comics LLC or it’s staff and are solely the opinions of the writer.
Post your comments in the Forum!
November 6, 2006
The Gamer’s Quagmire #33: Final Fantasy Burns Chiropractor
Everything you wanted to know about gaming, and less.
by Jamison DeLorenzo
Ever since stumbling upon the the news of Final Fantasy XII’s release the rest of my life has almost been a complete blur. It’s pretty scary when you realize that your sanity in coping with the universe is highly dependent on the quality of a video game for a franchise that hasn’t seen anything new since 2004 (and, arguably, not anything good since 2002). X’s sequel may have been the best thing that has happened to the Final Fantasy franchise for the simple reason that it forced Square-Enix to think about why there are so many fans of the Final Fantasy series. Square made that series what it is and, honestly, I don’t think anybody at the company after Square’s and Enix’s merger understood why the FF series is the defacto flagship RPG for the gaming industry.X-2 introduced a major paradigm shift in the series and, while it had several pluses, it was effectively rejected by most Final Fantasy fans and gamers in general. Four years later the series has some life breathed back into it. Millions of RPG addicts outside of Japan could finally stop itching and get their fix in for the new game. Every delay between releasing a game in Japan and the U.S. starts the trigger of me going into a bookstore. And yes, I’m fully aware that I have a problem here.
As expected, the launch of the game was not a smooth one for me. I feel the need to share this small part with you about the game because it paints a very clear picture about my obsession with RPG’s. Monday night was the planned release for the game and I had even worked out a sleep schedule where I could sleep until an hour before midnight, get the game, play it until 7 am, then get ready for work AND be completely rested. After calling the game store before taking the rest somehow the plans for the release got changed so the only store that was doing a midnight release for the game was in a town I had never been to and is about an hour away from my house. After a long debate about driving outside Rochester to get a game and completely nuke my office productivity for the next day I decided that Tuesday was indeed an acceptable day to start Final Fantasy XII.
Why am I telling you these things? The answer is simple- if you are a fan of gaming and a fan of good storytelling then I feel it is perfectly reasonable to sacrifice sleep, skip house cleaning, ignore non-gamer friends, answer the phone with a disclaimer about Final Fantasy only conversations being allowed, and all the other normal and healthy reactions to a great new game being available. Playing this game reminds me of why I started gaming and why continue to play video games. There are great new movies, books, and music that constantly makes owners of those hobbies happy, and I will have words with anyone who feels that enjoying this particular art form is somehow completely underneath any other hobby.
What scares me is that I honestly believe that my body decided to help out with my addiction without me even realizing it. As I was unaware of XII’s release only until most of my vacation days had been used or allotted for later in the year (and while it was tempting to cancel Christmas plans to play a game I decided that my family might take issue with being bumped for a game) the best I could hope for was a full weekend of gaming without interruption. In college you can skip class or ignore homework for a couple days usually without massive repercussions. Sure, a major test or project being due is an unavoidable road block, but if you have the right teachers you know what you can get away with and still get above a 3.0. Just over a day after getting my hands on the game my aching back decided it was time to force a dependency on a cane and pain medication for several days. Normally this would bother me, but this time it meant being able to sit in front of the television for four days and do nothing but play XII almost non-stop.
Playing this game for the past week has taught me that even with all of the console bashing going around, especially now that we are on the doorstep of having the next-gen consoles ready for battle, my love for gaming has not diminished one iota. This was an important revelation for me because I had gotten to the point where all of the bookmarks that I maintain for gaming news I had feared clicking on. This is not a good place for an avid gamer to be in. So basically I desperately needed XII to bring something fresh to the table.
Everything about XII reminds me of why I became a fan of the franchise in the first place. It also tells me that the PS2 era is ending on the right note. Just as all of the best games of the franchise have done, the music in this game draws you in, the visuals capture your eye, the cut scenes and movies take your breath away, the characters compel you to explore the world in its entirety and resolve conflict, and the battle mechanics feel fresh and intuitive. I even had to edit that sentence several times to avoid over-selling what I’ve seen so far so you may want to look at it again. After claiming that Final Fantasy is the benchmark for keeping a franchise fresh, XII reinforces that argument from almost every facet I had pondered before making that statement.
Let me expound on that point. There are several distinctive points for what keeps these games fresh. Looking at many of the past games in the franchise these are the major items that change every time and are what I feel are always the highlights of the game.
Character dynamics are always interesting and you never see the same main character twice. Some games do not have a lead character and some do. While roles are always filled you can never say that one character talks and behaves the same as any other character. You will never see another Cecil, Kain, Terra, Cyan, Cloud, Vincent, Zell, Selphie, Tidus, Wakka, or even Garnet (Final Fantasy VI still holds the most impressive display of characters). Some characters are vaguely similar and some are borderline useless (okay, you caught me, I was looking for another excuse to mention Yuffie again). If and when the day comes where I see a character and start looking for jokes from the developers that they stole them from a previous iteration I will retract that. Until then I welcome newcomers into the party in Fran, Balthier, Zaan, Ashe, Basch, and Penelo.
The soundtrack is a very big item for me. As music is playing for 99% of every game I need to rely on the fact that reused tracks like a town’s theme is not going to get on my nerves after hearing it during the 40th hour of me in a shop upgrading my equipment. I need to be able to jump onto an airship or leave a town to do some traveling without having to fear the traveling music. I want scores from boss fights, cut scenes, movies, and most other places to send shivers down my spine. XII’s soundtrack has yet to disappoint, although admittedly I am relatively easily to please and am prone to missing subtleties in music that can shift the tone of a scene.
The battle system also is a big deal to me. It can sound rather unimportant, but if you make several games without ever reworking how you deal with enemy encounters you are going to make most of your followers incredibly bored. The Dynasty Warriors franchise serves as the best example of having repetitiveness drain the life out your work faster than a Creed album. We have seen Espers, Materia, Magic Capturing, Sphere Grid, Jobs, and now Gambits. And while we’re on the subject, the shift into eliminating random encounters is not completely true. While you do see the majority of the enemies on the landscape before you fight or run from them enemies do pop out of the ground or slither up from the grass to take you by surprise. What makes this more compelling is that if you are not careful you can move around in a fight and draw way too much attention to yourself. Any veteran of Diablo can tell you some very ugly horror stories in this matter.
While I have yet to make it through the game once (45 hours in and I feel as though I’ve barely scratched the surface at level 31) I am eager to rush back to the game and continue playing it. I want to unlock all of the abilities. I want to see how the story turns out. I want to see which characters are going to turn on me. And if you think I’m going to stop exploring this game after one play through you’re insane because it is a universal fact that you always miss something major the first time through a Final Fantasy game (well, unless you’re spineless and insist on using a guide).
What I find remarkable about this game in particular is that, while VIII still stands as my favorite, the battle system, aside from being a completely fresh change for Final Fantasy fans, provides a good challenge for many of the boss fights. Very quick reactions are required to win boss fights even when you force the game to wait while you go through your ability menus. Yes, some fights are pretty easy but there have been a couple that have forced me to really study all the intricacies of the battle system. The best part is that I have already told myself this twice, so I know there’s something else coming around the corner that is ready to take me by surprise.
It is still relatively early for me to assemble my overall impressions of the game. What I can tell you is that not one aspect has made me groan in disgust, several scenes have drawn me deeper into the story, there are several wow factors, and, probably the biggest ticket for me, this game has a good chance of becoming the new king of the series depending on several key factors- how impressive are the big spells, how much satisfaction is there in finding the best equipment, how do the characters play off of each other, how impressive is the story ending, and does the epilogue, complete with the musical score, definitively punctuate the game.
I’ll just have to do my best not to ignore everything else in the gaming world in the meantime.
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