2/19/10

Final Fantasy XIII Reviews

 

Final Fantasy XIII Features

  • Newest installment of Final Fantasy features futuristic civilization illuminated by the Light of the Crystal
  • Features the latest in cutting-edge technology
  • Provides tangible, intuitive controls
  • Delivers seamless transitions between real-time gameplay and stunning in-game cinematics
  • Developed by Square Enix

Final Fantasy XIII Description

From the creative minds behind FINAL FANTASY VII and FINAL FANTASY X comes the latest installment in the critically acclaimed series. As FINAL FANTASY VII was for PlayStation, and FINAL FANTASY X for PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, FINAL FANTASY XIII will be the first numbered FINAL FANTASY title for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360, and will look to once again reestablish the series as the RPG brand. Players will follow Lightning, Snow, and the other heroes who are dealt a hand of fate by the god-like fal'Cie. Cursed and regarded as enemies of society, they have the world against them and nobody to rely on but each other. Will they find the strength within themselves to break free of their curse and determine their own fates, or will they succumb to this higher power? With a story that is sure to connect with players' hearts, diverse new characters from world-renowned creator and character designer Tetsuya Nomura, and exciting new gameplay features centered around an evolved Active Time Battle system, FINAL FANTASY XIII will be the pinnacle in gaming experiences.

Story
Cocoon — a utopia in the sky. Its inhabitants believed their world a paradise.
Under the Sanctum's rule, Cocoon had long known peace and prosperity.
Mankind was blessed by its protectors, the benevolent fal'Cie, and believed that tranquil days would continue forever.
Their tranquility was shattered with the discovery of one hostile fal'Cie.
The moment that fal'Cie from Pulse — the feared and detested lowerworld — awoke from its slumber, peace on Cocoon came to an end.
Fal'Cie curse humans, turning them into magic-wielding servants.
They become l'Cie — chosen of the fal'Cie.
Those branded with the mark of a l'Cie carry the burden of either fulfilling their Focus or facing a fateharsher than death itself.
A prayer for redemption.
A wish to protect the world.
A promise to challenge destiny.
After thirteen days of fates intertwined, the battle begins.
 

Features

  • Take Part in a Gaming Experience that Sets New Standards – The first in the series developed for a simultaneous release on multiple high-definition consoles, FINAL FANTASY XIII pushes new boundaries in cinematic presentation, sound and gameplay.
  • Experience the Unity of Speed and Strategy with the Ultimate Active Time Battle system – The familiar system has evolved, granting players the freedom of executing numerous commands in a single turn with the multi-slot ATB gauge. Whether inputting singular commands in each slot for consecutive attacks, or expending multiple slots at once to activate a devastating blow, it’s up to the players to respond effectively to the battle conditions at hand.
  • Adapt to the Ever-Changing Tide of Battle with Paradigms – A brand-new game mechanic enabling players to assign roles to their party members at any time during battle, shifting between combat paradigms. Consisting of various combinations of the game’s six roles, ranging from Commando, the offensive specialist, to Medic, the quintessential healer, paradigms allow players to respond and adapt instantly to any given situation to turn the tide and seize victory.
  • Witness the Battle Scene Transform with an All-New Summon System – Introducing Gestalt Mode, a powerful dimension of the summon system that elevates the action to a whole new level. In Gestalt Mode, characters and their transformed Eidolons fight as one, dealing massive damage to enemies through simple button commands.
  • Delve into an Emotional Experience – An immersive storyline connects players to an intriguing cast of characters. Will they have the strength to confront their cursed fates, or will destiny prevail over all that they believe in?
The Characters
Lightning Lightning
This solitary young woman speaks little of herself – even her true name is a mystery. She is known to others simply as "Lightning."
Snow Snow
An irrepressible, fiery young man, Snow dives headfirst into danger using nothing but his powerful physique as a weapon.
Vanille Vanille
Vanille is an endearing young woman with a relentlessly sunny disposition. Her bright personality gives no hint of the dark resolve that lies within.
Sazh Sazh
Sazh is a friendly, cheerful man who is never without his curious companions – a chocobo chick and a pair of pistols. He is quick to banter, but also keeps a mature perspective on matters.
Hope Hope
Hope has enjoyed a markedly uneventful youth on humankind's haven of Cocoon. His life is turned upside down at the hands of the Sanctum's Purge.
Sera Sera
Sera is Lightning's younger sister and Snow's fiancee. Always showing concern for Lightning, she has an inner fortitude that allows her to make her own decisions without relying on her older sister.
Fang Fang
Fang is a mysterious woman who is working with the Sanctum military despite bearing the mark of the detested l'Cie. She has a strong-minded personality and is unconcerned with trivialities.

 





Heavy Rain (PLAYSTATION 3) Reviews

 

Heavy Rain Features

  • A PlayStation 3 exclusive featuring accessible gameplay via intuitive, contextual controls and interface.
  • An evolving action adventure thriller featuring mature content, reflecting a realistic world setting and powerful themes, in which you shape the story with every decision made.
  • Action featuring four playable characters that allows you to continue playing as one of the other characters if your initial character is killed.
  • Savable chapters that allow you to replay the actions of the past, while maintaining the continuity of the events of earlier chapters.
  • Stunning graphics, animation and technology support an emotionally driven experience.

Heavy Rain Description

Heavy Rain is an interactive, single player, action adventure game in which every decision players make influences the evolution of a desperate quest to catch a deadly killer poised to strike again. Featuring a complex and dark storyline meant for mature audiences, the game is a PlayStation 3 exclusive featuring a variety of possible endings, advanced crime scene analysis, replayable chapters, four playable characters and the ability to continue play as remaining characters in the event of your current character's death.


Heavy Rain game logo
Story
How far will you go to save someone you love? In Heavy Rain each player discovers their own answer to this question as they experience a gripping psychological thriller filled with innumerable twists and turns, where choices and actions can and do result in dramatic consequences. Spanning four days of mystery and suspense, the hunt is on for a murderer known only as the Origami Killer - named after his macabre calling card of leaving behind folded paper shapes at crime scenes. Even more chilling is the fiend's well established pattern of killing his victims four days after abducting them. The public is gripped with fear as the police seem powerless to stop the carnage, and another potential victim — Shaun Mars — has gone missing. Now four characters, each following their own leads and with their own motives, must take part in a desperate attempt to prevent the killer from taking yet another life. 

Shaun and Ethan Mars from Heavy Rain
Discover how far you will go to protect a loved one as you join the search for the Origami Killer.
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Gameplay
Heavy Rain is a single player, action/adventure game with a particularly strong emphasis on a player-influenced storyline as a means of facilitating the evolution of action towards one of many possible conclusions. The game features four playable characters: a father, a photographer, a FBI agent with a special skill set and a retired cop turned private detective. Each have different paths, means and motives to ending the reign of terror that the Origami Killer has imposed on their city. As players follow the path laid before their character of choice, they are able to explore, interact with and view their surroundings in a variety of ways using their controller's left and right sticks. At crucial times players are given a series of choices relating to how to proceed in various situations, with the outcome of these choices revealing both benefits and consequences. Benefits can be important to progressing through the game, while possible consequences can in turn pose a very real danger to characters, including death. But unlike other games, and because Heavy Rain features four playable characters that exist independently of each other, yet simultaneously within the same the story arc, this does not end the game. Players are instead able to play as one of the other available characters, with appropriate changes to possible outcomes due to the absence of the deceased character(s). 
Key Game Features
  • An evolving action-adventure thriller in which you shape the story with every decision you make.
  • Action built around four playable characters that allows you to continue playing as one of the other characters if your initial character is killed.
  • Savable chapters that allow you to replay the actions of the past, while maintaining the continuity of the events begun in earlier chapters.
  • Mature content reflecting a realistic world setting that explores powerful themes.
  • Stunning graphics, animation and technology that support an emotionally driven experience.
  • Accessible gameplay via intuitive, contextual controls and interface.
Additional Screenshots:
Private detective Scott Shelby looking over evidence and packing heat in Heavy Rain
4 unique playable characters.
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FBI agent Norman Jayden working a crime scene in Heavy Rain.
Advanced crime scene analysis.
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Scott Shelby debating whether to interfere in a robbery in Heavy Rain
Story influencing actions.
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Troubled photographer Madison Paige from Heavy Rain
Stunning graphics quality.
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Product Description

Experience a gripping psychological crime thriller filled with innumerable twists and turns, where even the smallest actions and choices can cause dramatic consequences. The hunt is on for the Origami Killer, named after his calling card of leaving folded paper shapes on victims. Four characters, each with their own motives, take part in a desperate attempt to stop the killer from claiming a new victim.