Star Wars, EDFIA, Genma Onimusha, and Indigo Prophecy

On 12/22/2015 at 12:40 AM by KnightDriver

I saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens today, finally finished with EDF: IA, tried Genma Onimusha, and spent some quality time with Indigo Prophecy. Details below.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens was just fine. J.J. did a decent job of presenting new characters firmly within a story very derivative of episode IV. I hunger for something new, but I enjoyed it.

I am done with Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon at last. Mark, I, and a few randoms played Inferno mode to Chapter 2, Level 2 before we got stuck. Then we started over because we were both close to the Rank 8 achievement on our Armors. We both got it by the end of Chapter 1. Then I looked over the rest of the achievements and realized that they all are going to take a good deal more grinding. I wasn't down for that. So I'm done. I logged 66 hours in this game, and it was really fun the whole way.

Then I popped in the next disc based game on my short play games list, Genma Onimusha, an original Xbox game compatible with Xbox 360. One problem with it, though, is that, on the 360, you can't use the analog sticks to move, you have to use the d-pad. This wasn't ideal and, after a while, I decided to put it aside until I could hook up my original Xbox and play it there. The game is a third person sword fighting game set in the Sengoku Period in Japan (16th C). That's the same period Nobunaga lived. For a 2001 game, it looks pretty good. You fight with swords and use spells and there is a big dramatic cut scene at the beginning curtesy of producer Kenji Inafune (Mega Man, Dead Rising). I'm liking it, I just want to use the analog sticks. So I'll wait 'til I dig into my original Xbox.

Then I put in Indigo Prophecy, also playable on Xbox 360. Last time I played this David Cage game, I got stuck in the killer's apartment right near the beginning. I kept getting caught by the cops, and then I quit. I wonder what I was doing because I breezed past that part of the game easily this time. I got to the second time in his apartment where you have to boost his moral or he jumps out the window. I failed the first time because you have to do a lot of rhythm game type stuff, which I did pretty well, but you have to be perfect to be successful. I didn't have time today to replay that part, so that's where I left it until next week.

I'm really diggin' Indigo Prophecy. It has really great characters, excellent voice acting, and a Twilight Zone type story. The controls are well designed and unique. I just hope there's not a huge amount of those timed button press sequences for action moments, because they annoy me after a while.

I can see where TellTales got some of their game mechanics, because I.P. feels a little bit like a TellTale game but with more exploration and more control over your actions. I'll be playing this game some more next week, definitely.

And that be the end of my weekend. Have a happy holiday. I'll probably blog something at Xmas. Well see though.

Alex-C25

12/22/2015 at 02:53 AM

I though The Force Awakens was more than decent.

I'll be looking more into Genma Onimusha. Seems to be an updated port of the original PS2 Onimusha.

KnightDriver

12/24/2015 at 01:53 AM

Yea, the more I think about SW, the more it seems pretty good. It reintroduces you to what made the original trilogy so great and gives you new characters as well.

Yea, this Xbox version of Onimusha: Warlords is improved in certain ways. I have the PS2 version, and will play that too to see what's different.

Cary Woodham

12/22/2015 at 05:32 PM

I saw the new Star Wars movie opening night. You are more than welcome to read my spoiler-free blog about it if you get a chance.

12/24/2015 at 02:06 AM

I read it. I like the themed food you got in the theater. I have a Movie Tavern thing near me that does food and drink. I would see SW there if some friends wanted to. I did that with Guardians of the Galaxy.

Halochief90

12/22/2015 at 06:23 PM

I am in the same boat with the new Star Wars as you. It's good, but it seemed to lean on the originals a bit too much than be its own thing.

Original Xbox games always had a bunch of random glitches. I remember Pariah froze in one spot no matter what and Panzer Dragoon Orta had the colors mess up.

12/24/2015 at 02:11 AM

The borrowing from the movies really bothered me in the Clone Wars TV show, but it bothered me less in this movie, even though they borrowed like everything from Episode IV. I guess JJ made it feel new enough.

Some of the original Xbox games played on Xbox 360 have some problems. Like the sound for dialog dropped out of Armed and Dangerous, the analog sticks wouldn't work in Genma Onimusha, and I had a full crash with MechAssault. Others worked fine though, like Indigo Prophecy is ok.

PixlBit