Chris's Blog

Usually I'd do a Top 5 but I've only bought 4 games this year that were released in 2005. Every other game I've bought has been released earlier. Also I don't get to play a lot of games so the list is small. If you have a problem screw you. So without further adieu:

Chris' Top 5 of The First Half of 2005

1. Resident Evil 4 - I'm a long time Resident Evil fan and though I did enjoy the old style that RE used I welcomed the shift. Instead of focusing on zombies they introduced a new, smarter menace. The first 20 minutes or so fo the game with you being chased by crazed villagers is intense stuff. It slows down afterwards but the game does a great job of keeping you moving. The graphics are top notch the best the GameCube has offered so far, the controls while the same as old work so well in this perspective only the whiniest of gamers will find fault, the story is just as silly as an Resident Evil game, the sounds are great, etc. There is little fault in this game aside from some asinine puzzles. Seriously why would they make a slide puzzle in a castle? And for those haters who say this isn't real Resident Evil, you may have a point on calling it '4' but it sets up the future events quite well.
2. Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap - Capcom and Nintendo deliever the best original joint effort they've done for the Zelda franchise. The graphics are top notch (copying the cel-shaded style from the Wind Waker) and bringing in the old school top down Zelda style of old. The music is splended mix of old school Zelda and new music which fits well and the story is as good as any for a Zelda title. The controls are top notch and you'll never feel out of control of Link, like every Zelda game I've played to date. Lots to explore as the bringing in of Kinstones (medallion shaped objects that open up secrets if combined with their other half) makes talking to the large cast of NPCs important enough to be worthwhile. And something I find unsual is that nearly every item has use outside the dungeon you get it in which is rare in Zelda titles for some reason, aside from the last item which the way to get it is tedious and you can't get until you beat the game. Other complaints, well Kinstone matching can get tedious, they just took characters from older games and mixed them in for the most part which is okay but new characters are nice, and only 6 or so (albeit lenghty) dungeons are in the game. The game will take awhile to beat and there lots of secrets to find. Any Zelda fan should feel at home.
3. God of War - Violence has a new name and it's name is Kratos. Seriously, you spill so much monster blood in this game you'll wonder why the enemies even try anymore. Kratos' quest to kill the Aeries the God of War is a wonder to behold. Great PS2 graphics, epic sound, tight controls, and lots and lots of combos. Plus more extras than some DVDs. While the game looks repetitive on the outside there is a bit of flexibilty in the game. Combos can be racked up in many ways and you can power up abilities to your specification. Its an old school type game that demands multiple play through which I really like, though when you are about ready to get tired of the game it's over and you want to play again to get better. On the downside it does get repetitive sometimes, annoyingly hard others, sometimes Kratos won't do exactly what you want, and sometimes the camera gets in the way. Also there is a sex-based mini-game early on that is so pointless I almost feel embarressed to play it to get orbs. God of War is about putting the hurt on many many monsters and it doesn't disappoint.
4. MVP Baseball 2005 - EA hits a final grand slam with their spectacular baseball franchise which will sadly see not be coming around next year due to third party politics (this is EAs fault by the way). Most of what was wrong with last years is fixed, no lefty glitch, animations for everything are less common, and the game gets even more accurate to real life baseball. They add in another layer of minor league and the franchise management is made deeper. Pitching is made more precise as they made it harder to get a perfect pitch which is so accurate it's scary. On the downside the commentary is repetitive, hitting sometimes feels harder than it should be (ever get owned by a mediocre pitcher? It sucks.) and the owner mode makes you build a stadium from scratch literally. But that is why I play Dynasty instead. With the additions of mini-games and other tweaks this is the best baseball game on the market. Though now I am left without a baseball game to play next year. Dang.

What I'm Looking Forward To For The Rest of 2005

1. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Put the words "new" and "Zelda" togethor and you've got my interest. While I was disappointed Nintendo dropped the cel-shaded look because of disgruntled fanboys this game looks not to be OoT2 that so many of them simply want. I'm looking very forward to the new stuff they bring in and the new story twist they created.

2. Killer 7 - Crazy looking adventure/shooter. Shows that cel-shading has more than just cartoon purposes this looks to be a highly stylized game that will keep me interested.

3. Shadow of the Colossus - I loved ICO (I bought it with my PS2 last winter) this game is more of soul sequel then direct sequel but it seems to follow the idea of mood setting and unique gameplay. Props to Sony if this works as well as ICO does. I love unique.

4. We Love Katamari - I did indeed love Katamari Damacy. This looks to bring more to the party. I'm looking forward to rolling up people like some horrible 50's movie.

5. Geist - While I haven't followed it up entirely it has a unique mechanic, possession, which hopefully seperates it from the typical FPS experience.