Suikoden V

So I'm a little bit late to the party when it comes to the most recent chapter of the Suikoden series, but I finally managed to get up to speed.

Suikoden V was released in 2006, and now, 4 years later I managed to finish the game. Ironically this is a game I bought when it first came out, but didn't really play until December 2009 simply because I took about 5 years off from gaming, and had to finish playthroughs of Final Fantasy 12 and Suikoden 4 first.

Now, I guess the question becomes was the 4 year wait between purchase and playthrough worth it? I have mixed feelings on that. While I certainly enjoyed the game, I can't help but feel a bit let down by it. Part of that goes back to the hype and build up that I had going into this game. I browse a few gaming message boards, and based on the opinions of people I respect and long-time series fans, I thought this game was going to end up as the be all to end all in terms of RPG's. With hype like that, it's easy to see why I ended up disappointed.

So where does my disappointment stem from? Ultimately it's in the gameplay, however I feel I should discuss the aesthetics of the game first. I am not the type of person who often looks at a games graphics and makes judgment based on the that alone. I didn't do that with Suikoden V, but I can honestly say that the graphics of this game certainly hurt the game. The graphics look like something out of the late PSone early PS2 era, and do a poor job of conveying emotion from the characters as well atmosphere from the locales in Falena. In the modern era of gaming aesthetics matter and are important to a game developer's ability to tell their story and help the gamer connect to the characters, events and locales in the game world. Suikoden V does a good job considering what they had to work with, but it should have been better.

Then there's the gameplay, which is again, a mixed bag. I can't fault the gameplay as a whole because there are some really great elements to it. For example, the combat system is deep and allows fairly substantial depth for turn based battles. There are multiple formations that the player can choose from and each one provides different stat bonuses, and favors different types of weapons. With nearly 60 playable characters, there's a lot of different formations, parties, and battle techniques to test out. The other phenomenal thing about the battle system is the skills assigned to each character. Each character can develop competency in a set of skills they can equip in battle and raise certain stats. This also adds to the depth and flexibility of the different battle teams the player can put together. For a turn based system these are all good things.

Now onto the bad, and what in my opinion prevents Suikoden V from being a great game - the pacing. For one, at my age I have no tolerance for RPG's that take 15-20 hours to develop the main story. Suikoden V takes at least 15-20 hours to develop the main story, and it's almost that long before you are even going into a dungeon. In today's world that's unacceptable. The only way I can tolerate that sort of build up is if the game world is massively explorable, engrossing, and there's some sort of nostalgic charm to it. Dragon Quest VIII is an example of this as the game is slow, plodding, and old school, but it has a massively explorable overworld, lots of charm, and drew me in. A great deal of that though was based on the aesthetic presentation of Dragon Quest VIII, something Suikoden V suffers from. Aside from the slow build up to the story, I also was disappointed in how the game played. The random encounter rate was a bit too high for my liking, and traveling through Falena took much longer than it should have, even when players gained the freedom to teleport to different locales in the game. The characters just moved slow, and that is something that made recruiting the Stars of Destiny as much a test of patience as it was a test of skill. My big issue here is that when I sit down to play a game, I sometimes only have 30-45 minutes to play. I couldn't sit down and play Suikoden V for only 30-45 minutes because I either wouldn't be able to accomplish anything because of the slow pacing of the game, or the slow movement of my characters, or there was a significantly high probability I wouldn't come across a save point during my session. That's another one of those things that in today's gaming world just simply is not tolerable. Kudos to Square-Enix because the one thing they tend to do in their games anymore is oversaturate them with save points. I am appreciate of that as a gamer who can sometime only devote 30-45 minutes at a time to a game.

As a whole I found the game to be around a 7.5/10. The storyline is compelling and engaging. The battle system is fun, and I love the Stars of Destiny system in the Suikoden games. But the slow pacing, and just slow movement of the game in general detract enough from the game for me as a whole. I'd recommend the game to anyone who wants to play an old school JRPG, but if you're new to JRPG's, or the RPG genre as a whole, try Mass Effect or some of the PSOne Final Fantasy games to get a flavor for the genre. You'll be far more satisfied than if you stick with Suikoden V

Boise State

Today is the day of reckoning for the Boise State Broncos, and it might be a lose-lose situation for them.

Tonight Boise State plays Virginia Tech in a game that could very well be Boise's key to the BCS title game. After tonight the toughest game on the Boise State schedule is their game against Oregon State in a couple of weeks. After that, there's a very high probability that they will go undefeated over the course of the season. But if you're a college football fan you already know that.

From a personal standpoint I am torn on this game. Part of me wants to see Boise State lose and get brushed aside from the national championship picture. I just don't think they match up against the more "elite" programs in college football like Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Ohio State, USC, and the Florida's. It's easy to go unbeaten every year in the WAC when you recruit better, and are coached better than the rest of the league. That being said, their run, even in the WAC, deserves credit because teams like Fresno State have been known to put out highly ranked, competitive teams every few years. For Boise State to do what they've done as long as they have is nothing short of remarkable. But that doesn't mean it entitles them to a shot at the national title.

The other part of me wants to see Boise ride this out simply because it will throw a wrench into the BCS. I am not someone who hates the BCS. I think the system works fairly well for the most part. I get the argument that it doesn't determine a true champion because there's no playoff and teams have ups and downs over the course of the season. However, I would argue that every team knows going into the season that, with the way the BCS is currently constructed, they have to bring their A-game to the stadium every week. At the end of the year, the team that does that most consistently typically ends up as your national champion. But the system discriminates against teams like Boise State for not playing in stronger conferences. So, as much as I'd like to see the hype behind Boise State go away once and for all, I wouldn't mind watching an inherently flawed system crash and burn once and for all.

Tonight will be an interesting night in the world of college football. This is a game that's been hyped up for the past year. Boise has performed well on the national stage like this before. It's those performances that have put them in this position tonight. But the pressure tonight will be unmatched to those previous experiences. Boise State has their shot at a national title on the line tonight. I think Boise State will win tonight if only because Virginia Tech isn't exactly known for performing well in big games. If that's the case, it will be an interesting ride through the rest of the college football season

Chris Jericho Walks Off Into the Sunset.....again

It's starting to look like the upcoming Night of Champions PPV will be the last time that we see Chris Jericho on WWE programming for at least a little while. As of today, the WWE and Jericho have not reached an agreement to extend his contract, and Jericho himself is looking to take time off to tour with his band Fozzy. Based on these known factors, and Jericho saying in a kayfabe interview last week on RAW that he'd quit the WWE if he didn't win the WWE Championship at Night of Champions, signs point to Jericho taking some extended time off from the company after the September 19th PPV.

My only hope is that this isn't an extended absence from the WWE like we saw from Jericho after he left the company in 2005, only to return more than two years later. While 2006 and 2007 were great years for WWE programming, Jericho has more than proved his worth and held his own during his three year run since he returned. He's held multiple World Title's, set a record for the most Intercontinental Championships held ever, had one of best runs as a tag team champion we've seen in recent memory with Big Show, and literally held RAW together when most of the roster was hurt or taking time off. All the while he finally evolved his character into what I thought it should have been back in 2003-2004 when he was first being pushed a main event talent - an ego driven man so blinded by his own beliefs and values that he truly believes everything he says and does is for good. It really has been a remarkable run for Jericho.

All that said, Jericho isn't a guy who can carry a wrestling promotion on the big stage. He isn't a guy that will reinvent the wheel with his ring work. But what is is a guy who fits in all over the card, can step into the main event when needed, and really anchor the upper mid-card/lower main event scene for a company. Yes, Chris is getting up there in age, but he's still performing at a level that most dream of. Truthfully, I think he's at a higher level, performance wise, than Shawn Michaels was when he was Jericho's age. Which leads me to believe that Chris Jericho has at least a few good years left in him.

That's what I am hoping for. A few more years from Chris Jericho. The fans love him. The WWE loves what he can do for them. The industry loves, and needs, guys like him. So Chris, here's my request to you. Enjoy touring with Fozzy. I get that you love your band. I also get that you have a lot going on in your professional life outside of wrestling that could keep you financially secure for years to come. But, I'm hoping you still have enough in the tank to give us one more run in the WWE. You've been too good for too long to walk away after your contract expires. I hope you have enough passion left for one more run. Best of luck to you, and I hope we get to see you in that ring again sometime soon.

College Football is Here at Last

It's finally here! College football season. My favorite sport. Tonight was the first night of many I plan to sit down, prop up my feet, and just watch college ball all night long. And what a great way to start off the season. I know that it's hard to really take a lot away when a team with the talent, history, tradition, and athletic ability of Ohio State plays a team like Marshall. But there are some things worth noting from tonight's game. For one, the offensive line looked vastly improved. Again, I realize they played Marshall, but they held the pocket and opened up holes for Brandon Saine that they weren't opening up against teams like Purdue and Toledo last year. The real test will be if they are capable of doing the same thing against a team like Miami or Wisconsin. We'll find out next week.

The other story tonight was Terrelle Pryor. He looked like the quarterback we saw in the Rose Bowl a year ago. Actually, he looked better than the quarterback we saw in the Rose Bowl a year ago. He kept his eyes downfield, made multiple reads, didn't panic, didn't get happy feet, and made tough throws when he needed to. He missed a couple of passes (he had DeVier Posey wide open for a 50 + yard score in the first half he overthrew by about 5 years) and had a few dropped balls (again, Posey was the guy I noticed dropping a couple of balls), but his numbers were great. 17/25 for 247 yards and 3 TD's. I'm still not ready to say TP is going to contend for a Heisman Trophy, but I will say he's made progress as quarterback. Much of that progress can be attributed to the offensive line playing well tonight, and Pryor therefore not having to run for his life, something which could change against a team like Miami. So again, we have progress. Hopefully it continues.

Then there's the defense. I feel it was hard to get a read on the defense tonight. There seemed to be something missing from the defense tonight that made them special last year. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there was something that just didn't feel right. It could be breaking in new guys and new rotations, and the fact that Chimdi Chekwa didn't start and played sparingly, or even the fact that after the first quarter Ohio State had scored 3 TD's and was basically playing a soft zone. I'm hopeful I am reading too much into things, but something there just didn't feel right.

Last but not least, Tyler Moeller. Tyler Moeller was attacked last year and suffered severe head injuries. He missed the entire season recovering, and at some point I think there was doubt he would ever make it onto a football field ever again. Tonight Tyler Moeller was back on the football field, and he played well. He made plays in the backfield and was a ballhawk as the Nickel corner. I don't know if his play with continue the rest of the year, but I don't care. I'm just glad Tyler Moeller got the opportunity to play football again in an Ohio State uniform.

So the first one is in the bag, and the next one will be a bit tougher against Miami. I'm ready for it. Bring it on. I can't wait. College football season is here.

And Finally, the Top 10!

The countdown continues, and the season is even closer. In two days I will be watching the Buckeyes against Marshall. I can't wait. Seriously, college football makes me giddy. I enjoy the NFL game, but the passion and emotion of the college game can't be duplicated by the NFL. So as we prepare for the season, I'm looking at the AP preseason top 10. Overall, I can't disagree too much with the rankings. There are a couple of teams in the top 10 that are probably a bit overhyped, but I think you will have that every year. So with that said, let's start with number 10:

10. Virgina Tech - Every year the Hokies are seemingly ranked in the top 10 or top 15 and get on a roll and the hype machine gets behind them and Frank Beamer and they end up in the top 5 at some point. Then every year at the end of the season when you look at the final polls, Virginia Tech has 3 or 4 losses on their record. Sometimes even 5, and the cycle repeats itself. This year should be no different. Although I have no passion for this football program (and honestly probably resent it a little due to undeserved hype), I am looking forward to their game against Boise State on September 6th. Boise State is a team that I think is overhyped as well, but in reality Virginia Tech has superior athletes to Boise State. It'll be interesting to see how Boise State holds up.

9. Iowa - A lot of people are high on Iowa this year, but I am not one of them. They have a ton of talent coming back on defense and on offense, but I am still not a believer. It is basically the same team that last year squeaked out wins in every game and ultimately lost to Northwestern. Maybe another year will mature the team, and having a senior quarterback leading the team will be the difference. I think Iowa is more likely to end up as a team ranked in the top 15-20 when the season ends.

8. Nebraska - In my opinion, Nebraska should be the favorite to win the Big 12 this year. Texas is breaking in a new quarterback and has some turnover on defense, and lost one of it's biggest playmakers not named Colt McCoy. Nebraska has some problems on offense, most notably the quarterback, but they make up for it with their defense. The Big 12 North is once again soft so they should have an easy path to the title game. They proved last year they could hang with Texas. I think this is the year for them to get over the hump. And what a way to exit the conference.

7. Oklahoma - While I think Nebraska is better than Oklahoma, I also believer the Sooners will bounce back this year. While last year's injury to Sam Bradford was devastating and ultimately cost Oklahoma a chance at a national title, it may help the program over the next couple of years as Landry Jones got some great experience and proved he could play at the college level. Ultimately I expect Nebraska to be a 10 win football team headed into their bowl game.

6. TCU - Another small time program ranked up at the top with the big boys. I like TCU more than I do Boise State. In fact, I like TCU more than anyone out of the Big East. I really believe that the Mountain West is better than the Big East. Now is TCU's chance to shine. If Boise State or another top 5 team falters, and TCU runs the table they could be playing for a national title.

5. Texas - While I really believe that Garrett Gilbert, the quarterback stepping in for Colt McCoy, is going to be a good, possibly even great, college football player, let's not underestimate what Colt McCoy did for this Texas program. He is the winningest quarterback in college football history and had Texas playing for a national title last year. I think the loss of McCoy, Jordan Shipley, and Sergio Kindle (among others) will hurt the Longhorns a bit this year. Top 5 is a bit too high for me. Texas takes a step back and is a 9 win football team this year. 10 wins if everything breaks for them.

4. Florida - Really this should say see Texas. Losing Tim Tebow should not be understated. Tebow is arguably the best quarterback in college football history. You don't lose a player like that and automatically rebound. Granted, the program is filled with talent and John Brantley will probably step in and be a nice player. But he's not Tim Tebow. Much like Texas, I see Florida as a team that's probably top 10, and a 9 or 10 win team if everything breaks their way this year.

3. Boise State - This is the year Boise State has their chance to play for a national title. Everything is set up for them. They've got out of conference games against Virginia Tech and Oregon State. They play in a weak conference. They have an incredibly generous preseason ranking. So we'll see what happens. If they lose once they are done and the talk about Boise State as a perennial power will forever be gone. That said, they are a talented team. Kellen Moore is a great quarterback and Chris Peterson is a great coach. Personally speaking I actually expect Boise to be in the national championship game. They perform well when they have substantial time to prepare for an opponent and they still play a WAC schedule. They're ranked in the top 3, and either the Buckeyes or Alabama will probably slip up at some point.

2. Ohio State - As a lifelong Ohio State fan I am happy to see the Buckeyes ranked in the top 3 to start the season. Terrelle Pryor holds the keys to success for the Buckeyes. The national media seems to think that Jim Tressel was holding back the reigns on Pryor last year and that his play in the Rose Bowl is what we've been missing out on. Anyone who watched this team last year knows otherwise. Pryor had the reigns taken off him early in the season and was a turnover machine (see Purdue). If The Rose Bowl Pryor shows up, or even 70% of that TP, then the Buckeyes play for a national championship and should win one.

1. Alabama - It's hard to argue with Alabama as number one seeing as they won it all last year and have their quarterback, star running back, and star wide receiver all coming back. They'll get nicked up in the SEC, but should play for a second straight national title if Boise State or Ohio State slip up along the way this year.


College football is in the air. I love it. Starting Thursday I will live, breathe, and sleep college football. There's nothing better. The countdown continues.

Top 20 and Counting

So with college football season right around the corner I'm going to keep looking at the AP top 25. So without further ado let's take a look at the top 20:

20. Florida State - I am not sold on the Florida State turnaround post Bobby Bowden. Christian Ponder may be a good quarterback, and he may even make Florida State an 8 win team by himself, but I can't see the 'Noles doing much more than that. Jimbo Fisher has essentially been running the ship at Florida State for the last few years, even though Bowden's been called "coach". I expect another disappointing season from Florida State

19. Penn State - I am not sure what to think about Penn State this year. I think the ranking of 19 in the AP poll is more accurate than the 14 they got in the Coaches Poll. Penn State lost their quarterback and will have to replace him. Evan Royster comes back which will help break in a new quarterback, but I'm not sure it'll be enough for Penn State to do what they've done the past few years in the Big Ten.

18. North Carolina - Consider UNC out of the top 25 after week 1. With allegations all over Butch Davis that agents are paying players, and that his personal nanny was tutoring players in order to help them become academically eligible, UNC is in trouble. A few of the players caught up in this scandal won't be playing either. With that said, UNC will take a big hit and likely end up just average in the ACC.

17. Arkansas - I like Arkansas because I like Ryan Mallet. He's arguably the best quarterback in the country (the same Ryan Mallet Rich Rodriguez didn't want up in Michigan). However, their defense will have to improve if Arkansas wants to be a legitimate force in the SEC. This may be the year for it though. With Florida reloading after the Tim Tebow era, and the heat on Les Miles at LSU, Arkansas could be poised to make a big jump in the SEC.

16. Georgia Tech - I'm a big fan of Paul Johnson, but my opinion of him and his gimmicky offense slipped a bit after Georgia Tech faltered against Iowa last year in the Orange Bowl. They're probably still the best team in an incredibly overrated and overhyped ACC, but that may not mean much.

15. Pittsburgh - Dion Lewis returns as a sophomore, but Pitt needs to break in a new quarterback. Having a running game in place will only help. Cincinnati is likely to take a step back this year with Brian Kelly bolting for Notre Dame, and Pitt is the other team (aside from West Virginia) to move up and benefit from that move. However, I question Dave Wandstedt's ability to win in the big game and get a team over the hump. That may ultimately be what holds Pitt back.

14. USC - Not ranked in the Coaches Poll because of their off the field troubles, I actually don't have a problem with this ranking of 14 in the AP poll. I think USC is probably the best team in the Pac 10 (take that as you will because the Pac 10 is incredibly bad this year). That said, this ranking is mostly irrelevant because they've been barred from postseason play and won't be ranked in the Coaches Poll. All I can say is - justice tastes good.

13. Miami (FL) - It's hard to get a read on the 'Canes. We will get an idea of where they stand week 2 when they go to the Shoe to play the Buckeyes. There's no doubt that the Hurricanes have a lot of speed, but they ran into a wall against Wisconsin in their bowl game and complained about the weather and the cold. That leads me to believe they're a finesse team which will get them some wins, but not much more than 13 ranking.

12. Wisconsin - One college football preview source (I forget which one) said that Wisconsin would have the best offense in college football this year. I find that a little hard to believe but it is intriguing. They do have John Clay (last year's Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year) and their quarterback returning as well as most of their offensive line. Those things alone should make Wisconsin dynamic on offense.

11. Oregon - Last year's media darling that was exposed by the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl. Honestly, I'll be shocked if Oregon finishes in the top 20 this season. With their star quarterback kicked off the team, and who knows how many other players in jail or in trouble with the law, the Ducks seem poised for a fall. They were overhyped going into the Rose Bowl last year and exposed after playing a horrible Pac 10 last year. I expect a big drop for Oregon.

Holy Crap! It's college football season!

I can't believe that 1 week from tonight (pretty much 1 week from when I write this) college football will be back in season as Ohio State kicks off against Marshall. As most people who know me know, I am a huge Buckeye fan. I am looking forward to this season as I think Ohio State should be playing for a national title this year. It all hinges on the ability of Terrell Pryor to develop as a quarterback and leader on the football field. The Rose Bowl was a good start, but hopefully it is only the tip of the iceburg. There is nothing I would like more than for the Buckeyes to beat an SEC team for the national championship.

That said, I spent some time reviewing the AP and Coaches preseason polls. After taking a look at them both I debated if I wanted to do my own top 25 poll. But I'd rather provide some commentary on the AP poll. There's more to talk about in the AP poll in my opinion. So with that said, here's a bit of commentary on the top 25. I'm going to start with 21-25 and work my way to the top over the next week, and provide a few thoughts on the teams, their preseason rankings and what I expect from this year. So without further ado:

25. West Virginia - It's hard to argue that West Virginia shouldn't be in the top 25. The Big East is easily the worst BCS conference, and I'd argue that the Mountain West is on par with the Big East. West Virginia could win the Big East depending on what Pitt is able to do this year, and if Cincinnati takes a step back, like expected, with the departure of Brian Kelly and stars Tony Pike and Marty Gilyard. But just as easily they could finish 3rd in an incredibly weak conference.

24. Oregon State - As much as I dislike the Big East, the Pac-10 isn't much better this year. And with that said, I think Oregon State isn't much worse than Oregon. They played them competitively last year and Oregon lost their start quarterback in the off-season. Oregon State is probably the second best team in the Pac-10 (I'm not counting USC since they aren't bowl eligible this year).

23. Georgia - I admittedly don't know a whole lot about Georgia this year, but I think they could be better than people think. Mark Richt is still on the hot seat as a coach, and I think Florida may take a bigger step back this year then people realize. I wouldn't be surprised if Georgia is a top 15 team when the season is over, possibly even top 10.

22. Auburn - Auburn is another SEC team that doesn't really excite me. Granted they have 15 returning starters and a huge recruiting class that should add some depth to their roster. They're a middle of the pack SEC team that isn't that will be more love than most teams because they play in the mighty SEC.

21. LSU - I have forever, and will forever, claimed that Les Miles is one of the most overrated coaches in all of college football. He backed into a national title in 2007 with Nick Sabin's recruits and has been average since then. LSU will win 8 or 9 games this year, but that's still underachieving. Miles will probably get fired if the Tigers only win 8 games, and that's exactly what I am predicting for this offensively starved team.

Can I play in your sandbox?

Over the last decade sandbox games have become arguably the most popular form of video game on the market. What's a sandbox game? A game like Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, Morrowind, Fallout, and other games like this where there's a central plotline to follow, however for the most part, the gamer has the freedom to explore the entire game world from the beginning of the game, and can partake in just about any quest from the beginning of the game until the end of the game. It's a cool concept. Personally speaking I only like sandbox type games if there's a semi-coherent narrative driving the main story. After finishing the main narrative (or getting close to the end of it) it's fun to explore the game world.

This got me wondering - why don't we see more of this in JRPG's? (JRPG = Japanese RPG like Final Fantasy). Instead the genre is driven by linear stories and lack of freedom to explore. In fact, it's becoming more and more like that's the norm. The World of Ruin in the second half of Final Fantasy VI is probably the closest thing we've seen to a sandbox type game and that was released back in what? 1994? No wonder the genre is lacking innovation and ultimately dying after the boom it experienced from 1997 through 2005ish. Developers are sticking with the same tried and true formula's they've been using since the mid 1980's to woo gamers. They may throw seemingly complex battle systems and stat building systems at us, but ultimately it's the same thing dressed up in a different color and is simply trying to be different for the sake of being different rather than actually trying to innovate. Final Fantasy is the biggest culprit when it comes to "innovative" stat building systems. The crystarium system in Final Fantasy 13 and the license board in Final Fantasy 12 are just plain boring and all they do is give gamers an incentive to grind levels in order to get the fanciest equipment and magic.

Ironically the game that I think did one of the best jobs in recent memory of taking the JRPG genre, and at least adapting it to the present day was Square-Enix's Dragon Quest VIII. Dragon Quest is a series long known for it's 1980's roots and dedication for level grinding and simple battle systems. But this game got it right. The battle system was simple - but had enough depth that forced you to think. The level grinding was there, however in this case it didn't bother me, because I was so busy exploring the overworld. I literally would sit down and play the game for an hour and do nothing but battle and explore the map because I wanted to make sure I found every treasure chest, didn't overlook any secrets, and quite frankly, I wanted to see the game world. The developers made sure it was well designed, detailed, and beautiful. Each tree, blade of grass, mountain range in the horizon, bird flying across the screen, and fence post looked, or at least felt real. I felt like I was traveling across a real world in a video game. That's something that seems to be lost on this generation of JRPG's. Final Fantasy 13 is the biggest culprit of this. Over the course of the game you go from location to location to location, but there's no world in between. It's just locale after locale. You don't have the opportunity to get a sense or a feel for the game world. This is where the developer's really missed out on this game and ultimately robbed the game of it's soul.

So now to come full circle and tie this all to the idea of sandbox games. Why can't see this in JRPG's? The concept has been done before. Look at Bethesda studios and the Morrowind series. Look at the Fallout series. Even the first Mass Effect does this to a certain extent (albeit in a flawed manner). All it would take is a large game world like the one we saw in Dragon Quest 8. Add in some more depth to the world such as guilds in towns, NPC's who have missions for you, recruitable characters that aren't part of the main story (to be fair we see this in the Suikoden series)and other secrets of the course of the game. Another option would be to go the route of a game like Disgaea where you can do stupid things like battle in the Item World (the Item World is where the player can go inside a random dungeon inside the Items in their inventory and fight monsters to power up the Item).

The current generation of consoles are easily capable of handling what it would take to make this successful. With the major consoles connecting to the internet it would be very easy to make downloadable content available to gamers (ala Fallout 3, Mass Effect, and Mass Effect 2) that would help expand on the game world. Adding more to the game worlds of most modern day JRPG's can only help the genre. At this point it certainly can't hurt it.

Kane vs. Taker - Round 3

So here we are yet again. Kane vs. The Undertaker. Or at least we are building towards it. I have to admit, I'm slightly intrigued. I like the angle that the WWE has taken on building this feud. The angle that it's something Kane has been plotting for basically his entire tenure in the WWE. I like how they have spun this as Kane keeping The Undertaker close to him when the Brothers of Destruction reunited as a way to essentially build trust with The Undertaker, and buy time before enacting his plan to take his brother out. Then he strikes - after Taker takes out after his alleged ego gets the best of him after he ends the career of Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 26. It's solid, believable, and it builds off past history between the two. And quite frankly it's somewhat simple. Kane was jealous of his brother. Over the years he's plotted to get back at him. Things happened to work out now that he could strike back so he did. Simple.

Now that said, the question going forward is what happens when this feud ends? There has been a lot of speculation the last couple of years as to whether or not Taker and/or Kane are going to retire. I remember back in 2004 when the "Deadman" gimmick was brought back for The Undertaker that people were speculating that Taker would have a run with this gimmick and then we'd see him retire. That was almost 7 years ago. So, in a nutshell does this feud signal the end of either Kane or The Undertaker? If I were a betting man, I'd say no, unless the feud is dragged out of over several months only to reach Wrestlemania 27. If that's the case, then I could see one, or both retiring in a final face off against one another. So we'll see I suppose. It will be interesting. In a way I would almost hope that Kane and Taker feud through Wrestlemania only to have some sort of grand finale to both their careers. It would be fitting. But time will tell. If I had a vote, that's where I'd be casting it.

In case you haven't been watching - ESPN has lost all of their integrity

Am I the only one who seems to have noticed what a joke ESPN has become over the past couple of years? I mean seriously. It just keeps getting worse and worse. It's hard to pinpoint exactly when ESPN stopped caring about credible journalism and cared only about being some sort of pseudo-sports entertainment company. I mean seriously, it's gotten to the point where they try to build storylines like you see in professional wrestling. I mean this whole Brett Favre thing - will he, won't he. I get that it's a big story, one that any credible sports media outlet should cover. But at the same time I can't buy the way they've covered it. Last year Ed Werder was hiding in the bushes down by Favre's mansion and had inaccurate report after inaccurate report. Is this journalism? Its sensationalism at best.

What really ended up being the nail in the coffin for me was their handling of LeBron James over the past few weeks. LeBron James called ESPN and told them not to report the story that Delonte West had had a relationship with LeBron's mom or else he wouldn't do any interviews ever again with ESPN or an ESPN affiliate. Couple that with the fact they hosted the spectacle only known now as "The Decision" and I have fully opened my eyes to what ESPN is.

They aren't about any sort of sports journalism. They are about sensationalistic stories and pandering to big name athletes so that they can use their programming as a forum for star athletes to promote themselves and stroke their ego's. I find it odd that across the country other sports writers, talk show hosts, and newspapers had the stones to put LeBron down for his handling of his free agency. Only ESPN put pundit after pundit on the air defending LeBron and seemingly refusing to call into question his decision making abilities. If the rest of the country is attacking LeBron why is everyone at ESPN not saying anything bad about him, unless of course LeBron has some kind of deal with ESPN to protect his image. Then there's the story that was pulled from ESPN that details LeBron's actions in Vegas, and paints a picture of him as a spoiled diva. Again, where's the integrity?

My issue with ESPN isn't so much with the material that they post on their website and air on their programming. It's how they try to present themselves. I've got news for you ESPN - you aren't a sports news network. You're an entertainment channel and a forum of diva athletes to promote themselves. Once you stop pretending that you're something else, maybe I'll come back to you for my sports news. Until then, I'll pass on Sportscenter, PTI, and Around the Horn and head over to cbssports.com. At least they aren't trying to be something the aren't, and can post news with a bit of integrity.

The King is Trying to Fend Off A Mutiny

Lebron James is at it again. This time in an interview that will be part of an upcoming GQ magazine article. As most people probably know at this point, James states in the interview that growing up he hated Cleveland because Clevelanders looked down on Akron, and still hates people in Cleveland. He also at one point says that he would not rule out playing for Cleveland again in the future. All of this is tied together but what I consider to be a fleeting attempt to try and heal wounds in his hometown of Akron so he doesn't feel like an exile there.

As someone who was born and raised in Cleveland, let me tell you something LeBron - people in Cleveland don't care that you're from Akron. We never did. We never looked down on Akron. Who is Cleveland to look down on anyone (unless it's Detroit)? And for that matter, why do you even care what Cleveland fans think of you? I know some in the national media (I'm talking about Colin Cowherd) are quick to dismiss Cleveland fans as inbred hillbillies who have nothing better to do than chew tobacco and collect unemployment, and attribute their mass hatred of Lebron James strictly on these alleged aforementioned characteristics, but nothing could be further from the truth. Cleveland fans get slapped in the face, spit on, and kicked in every possible manner when it comes to their sports teams, and really most other aspects of life. Cleveland has never been a sexy city, and it's economic problems are well known nationwide. That said, Cleveland still has it's pride. We don't need or want LeBron James telling us he'd play for us again or using another media outlet as a way to justify his actions. While ESPN may not say anything bad about you LeBron, rest assured, the rest of the country can't stand you, your arrogance, and an article in GQ magazine isn't going to change that. I can't speak for natives of Akron, but I can speak for a large part of the state of Ohio: You aren't welcome here. We respect your right to leave (again, contrary to what Colin Cowherd says we do), but we don't respect your choice to make a spectacle out of your free agency and to spit in Cleveland and the state of Ohio's face on national TV.

All that said, why do you care what the people in Akron think about you LeBron? And for saying you hate Cleveland and Clevelanders, why would you even suggest that you might one day return to play in Cleveland? Do you feel so unloved and unsure of yourself that you need to try and mend fences with a place that was essentially your home because if people here legitimately hate you, you can't handle it? All of this makes perfect sense when you look at your on the court performance in the playoffs this year. You couldn't handle the pressure of being asked to lead a team to an NBA title. So you folded under the pressure and quit. Like a spoiled little kid. Now you're feeling the pressure, and probably some guilt, from your decision. You're so arrogant that you probably didn't expect the backlash that you received from how you handled your free agency. Sure ESPN does what you want, but they don't have any integrity, so does that really count? Now you're opening up the papers all over the country and see that people don't have the same opinion of you that they did 3 months ago. They want you to fail. And you can't handle that pressure, or that criticism, because you don't have the heart, the guts, or the courage to man up and be a leader. Well LeBron, don't worry. You won't have to man up and lead. You've got ESPN in your back pocket to paint a rosy picture of how great you are, and every night you can pass the ball to Dwayne Wade to take the final shot, all so you don't have to.

So enjoy playing second fiddle. Enjoy being Scottie Pippen. But please, spare us the pity party and stop trying to paint yourself as some sort of victim that was tortured by the city of Cleveland. We're far better than you, and you aren't worth our time.

The Biggest Party Of The Summer

It's Summerslam 2010. It's been a long time since I've watched a WWE Pay Per View on my own dime. So I guess tonight marks a personal return to glory of sorts. Something like that. Either way, I'm stoked.


Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship is our opening bout for the show.

The match starts off with a bang. Kingston quickly dives through the middle rope to go after Ziggler, but Vickie Guerrero pulls Ziggler out of the way. How is it that Vickie Guerrero, for as much heat as she gets is nothing more than an older, fatter, uglier version of Lita? She hoes around with whoever the WWE wants to push for the time being. Every time they push her into more of a lead role (such as RAW GM) she flames out after a week. Now granted it may be her personal choice. I know her first resignation from the WWE was due to her desire to spend more time with her children. But still. Let's give the whole GM without hooking up with one of the wrestler's angle a shot. I think we'll all be pleasantly surprised. The match itself ends with Nexus interference. I don't quite get the point of Nexus interfering in the opening bout. I mean I understand having them interfere in something tonight. It sets the stage for the "epicness" of the main event tonight, but I don't know if I'm inserting them into the opening match.

Next we see Chris Jericho and Edge trying to convince Miz to be a part of team WWE. The only reason I bring this up is because Edge is eating a Slim Jim in the corner and I find that to be absolutely awesome seeing as he's been doing the commercials for it lately. It's just so goofy that it works somehow with Edge's crazy persona.


Melina vs. Alicia Fox is up next, and let me tell you - I'm a fan of Melina. A big fan. But what in the world is she wearing tonight? She reminded me of Big Bird walking out to the ring in that headdress. It was a little much, even for wrestling standards. The match ends with a Melina victory and that makes me happy. I found the segment after the match to be interesting too. Michelle McCool and Layla are okay on Smackdown (even though their gimmick is a complete and total rip off of TNA's "The Beautiful People"), but I've always felt the WWE has focused their women's division almost solely on RAW. I only bring this up because McCool and Layla have easily been the most pushed women on the roster over the last 6-12 months and now they are interacting with the diva that is essentially the face of the RAW women's division. It makes me think we are going to see the end of the Diva's title or the end of the Women's title. I hope so, because the talent pool is diluted and there's no need for both.

Another thing I've noticed tonight (and in the past two to three months). Michael Cole seems to have found a niche as a douchebag commentator. He's always been somewhat of a stooge, but the past few months he's been more obnoxious, openly supporting heels, and it's come off great. I hope they continue this with him and find a true babyface announcer to compliment him. It works. The only other time Cole was this tolerable was when he was paired with JBL (who I'd give me left kidney to see back in the WWE).

Straight Edge Society vs. Big Show is up next and can I just say this is how you do a mid-card feud. One of the things I don't like about the WWE is that they just do a terrible job of making mid-card feuds relevant. I actually find TNA does a much better job of this. TNA takes time and energy (admittedly at times to a fault) to develop a feud between Brother Ray Dudley and Jesse Neal. WWE gives us no build up and a couple of mid-card guys thrown together. Now maybe this feud works because realistically both CM Punk and Big Show are main event caliber wrestler's, but right now they're both filling a hole on Smackdown. That hole happens to be the mid-card. Either way, this feud has worked because we've had a few weeks of build up between the Straight Edge Society and Show. They're playing off that the SES injured Show's biggest weapon (his hand), and Punk has been his usual self on the microphone. It's just well rounded, it works, and I hope we see more of this.

The match itself I found entertaining (I missed parts of it because I was trying to keep my dog under control). I particularly found the use of Tornado rules early on to be fun when Punk ran out to the ring apron and grabbed the tag rope after Joey Mercury and Luke Gallows were tossed from the ring. That's a classic heel move and actually made me laugh. I'm hoping this leads to better things for both Punk and Big Show. Punk is particularly interesting seeing as he left the SES for Bit Show. I'm starting to wonder, with Punk's attitude lately, and how he treats Gallows, if we're seeing the end of the SES in coming weeks. I hope not, unless of course we see the birth of the Second City Saints.

Randy Orton vs. Sheamus is scheduled next but before we got to that, we were given a promo by the Miz. There's a couple of things from this segment I loved. First of all, Miz refers to John Morrison as Marty Jannetty. We all were thinking it. I give the WWE credit for having the stones to say it. Then Miz stops mid-catchphrase to tell the fans in the audience that the WWE Universe isn't allowed to use his catchphrase, and instead needs to raise their hand and ask for permission before they can speak. That is classic heel stuff, and why Miz is going to be a World Champion some day. All the while Michael Cole is praising Miz as the second coming of Jesus to the point where it would not be a surprise if he got into the ring and serviced Miz in front of the live crowd.

Finally we moved on to Randy Orton vs. Sheamus. Admittely I missed parts of this match as I was trying to cancel my subscription to the Wall Street Journal. But overall I liked how this match was booked. Sheamus looked strong, but not quite as strong as Randy Orton. It's an odd way of booking. Sheamus takes the cheap out with a DQ, but during the match still does some things that make him look credible - he counters the RKO and Orton's middle rope DDT which are two of the biggest moves in his arsenal (with the RKO being his finisher). I like the way this match turned out overall and it sets up a rematch at the next PPV.

Kane and Rey Mysterio finished up the undercard. I went into this match thinking that we'd see Kane retain and The Undertaker return, and that's what we got. The match itself was nothing special in my opinion. But it was enjoyable. Afterwards when Kane tried to stuff Rey into a casket the Undertaker magically appeared, just like I assumed he would, and let me tell you. Taker's put on a few LB's, and looks old. Older than normal. I wonder how much time he's got left. But this ultimately sets up Taker vs. Kane as The Undertaker indirectly let's us know Kane was the one who took him out of action by trying to chokeslam him instead of Rey Mysterio. That's a typical response and really how I expected the segment to play out.

I know people are always talking about how Undertaker is supposed to retire (and understandably so), but what if this Taker/Kane feud is really a way to retire Kane? Kane came into the WWE as a monster who was going to take out The Undertaker, and he never did. What if we get the feud one more time, and Kane can't finish off Taker, so he disappears from the WWE and this is creative's way of retiring the Kane character? I'm not saying it will happen, but I think it is a possibility and would be interesting.

So we've finally come to the main event and John Cena reveals that The Miz will not be the 7th member of team WWE, but another mystery superstar will - and that mystery superstar is the previously fired Daniel Bryan. I found this to be somewhat surprising, probably due to the fact I haven't been paying attention to the wrestling media lately. If you think about how his firing unfolded and how he was written out of the storyline it makes perfect sense. I like it. The main event match between Nexus and the WWE guys was good. Jericho played the role of traffic director by making sure everyone was where they needed to be. I thought the way this match was structured really worked. You had team WWE come out and eliminate a couple of Nexus guys right off the bat. It was kind of like a football game where the underdog comes out and punches the favored team right in the face with one or two touchdowns right away. That was team WWE. Nexus recovered and we went back and forth the rest of the match until Jericho and Edge imploded, and Cena was by himself and eeked out a victory. I liked the booking. I didn't think it made Cena look too strong. I thought he looked cunning by avoiding Justin Gabriel's 450 splash and then pinning him, and then finally using Wade Barrett's arrogance against him to counter into an STF for the submission victory. Nexus's own strengths worked against them at the end of this match.

Where the WWE goes from here is up in the air. I think there's a lot of flexibility post-Summerslam though on RAW in terms of where to go with the Nexus storyline. They didn't dominate the main event, but Nexus wasn't dominated either. So I expect creative to continue booking Nexus as a dominate force with a few kinks in the armor. I imagine we'll see more of a breakdown of the group as well. For example we might see Skip Sheffield and Darren Young work as a tag team against Jericho and Edge. Barrett will focus on Cena, and then we will see a guy like David Otunga feud with Morrison. At least that's how I'd book it.

WWE programming is usually slow in the fall. I'm hoping the Nexus angle keeps things going through the fall and into winter. It would be a nice change of pace. One I am keeping my fingers crossed on.

A Pseudo Return To Glory After an Epic Fall From Grace

About 6 weeks ago I finished Final Fantasy 13. I went into this game with low expectations and had no idea what to expect. The previous installment in the Final Fantasy series (Final Fantasy 12) came out in 2006 and literally took me 3 and a half years to play. There's a number of reasons for this. I generally lost interest in video games and had a lot of other things going on in my life that I prioritized above gaming. But the game itself was still a massive disappointment. The storyline was boring and the characters had no personality. The game was saved by strong, albeit repetitive, gameplay. For all my criticisms of Final Fantasy 12 I still managed to sink 90 hours into it (mainly due to side quests that allowed me to fight all kinds of strong monsters). So really, I guess I can't complain too much. Either way, the game didn't live up to my expectations when it comes to the Final Fantasy series. In fact it failed to meet my expectations to such a degree that I made the decision that if Final Fantasy 13 also failed to meet my expectations that I would pretty much be done with the series as a whole.

Enter Final Fantasy 13. I have mixed feelings on this game. My first impressions were not all that positive. On one hand, the characters instantly had more charisma and more personality than the cardboard cutouts of Final Fantasy 12. However the game itself seemed to lack soul right from the beginning. What I mean by that is that we had a world that was slowly but surely shaped over the first 10-12 hours of gameplay, and that world appeared to be interesting. There were distinct locales, there was mythology, there was an artistic beauty to the areas you did visit. However, despite all this the game never really capitalizes on it. Instead you run from point A to point B hearing about the next area you visit, and get little snippets and facts about the area you're currently in, but they never go beyond that, and you never get to explore because you are constantly moving in a straight line. It's a tragic flaw in the game. Areas like Nautilus, the Vile Peaks, and Eden never get fully fleshed out. They're beautiful, but that's all they are. It's nothing more than a skin deep beauty. I liken it to going out on a date with a super model. At first you're excited because you're going out on a date with a super model. But after you get to dinner and get into conversation with her you realize there's not much there and you might have been better off spending your money elsewhere. That's Final Fantasy 13. It's a pretty package that looks amazing and throws a lot of different features at you. Some stick and some don't. But beyond that, there's not much depth. There's enough there to satisfy the masses, but for people new to the genre and long-time fans, you won't find what you want.

Despite the somewhat shallow exterior Final Fantasy 13 throws at you, I ended up satisfied with the game overall. I found the mythology of the world to be interesting enough to draw me in. The characters, while also shallow, at least had some semblance of personality which was a huge upgrade from Final Fantasy 12. The battle system was fun, and fast paced, which I liked. However I have two complaints about it. The first one being that I feel it just likes to throw big numbers around for the sake of doing so. When my characters are doing 80,000 damage in one round, I tend to feel that you're simply making numbers big and giving bosses a lot of hit points because you think that people are going to be impressed with it. My other problem with the battle system is the lack of control over your characters. You only control one character, and have to rely on AI for the others. While the AI isn't necessarily bad, I would have preferred to have control over my characters.

When all was said and done I would give Final Fantasy 13 an 8/10 rating. It's a very flawed game, with the flaws largely being driven by linearity, lack of ability to explore the game world, and some minor story problems that result from this, but it's easily a step in the right direction from its predecessor. I will be interested to see where things go from here. I am cautiously optimistic about the future of the series, which is something I couldn't say after finishing Final Fantasy 12.

Revamp

I'm back and ready to go. I'm here to talk about the lighter side of life. The things that we fill our free time with and use to escape from the doldrums of every day life. Those who know me know that I am a huge professional wrestling fan. Over the past few years my interest in wrestling hasn't diminished as much as it's been put on the backburner. The past two weeks I watched RAW on Monday Night and really actually had an opportunity to sit down and enjoy it. The current storyline with the Nexus has been one that I have to tip my hat to the WWE on. They've managed to strike a degree of balance and freshen things up when it was going stale. However, I will be interested to see where it goes after SummerSlam on Sunday. It's been going on for a few months now, and I am not sure it has much steam if Nexus loses on Sunday, unless of course the creative team plays up a revenge angle.

That said, I can't believe Summerslam is this Sunday. I thought we had another week to go. Then it hit me that the show is this weekend. I had a momentary debate as to whether or not I should get the Pay Per View. Then it just kind of hit me that this is one of the biggest shows of the year for the WWE. I have to get Summerslam. Besides, the next several Pay Per Views they've got going on are all gimmick Pay Per Views, and lord knows I'm not a fan of that.

I am finally starting to wrap up Suikoden V. I started playing the game back in January and took a break to basically devote three months of my life to Mass Effect, then another 6 weeks to Final Fantasy 13. I have to say that I was glad I put down Suikoden V to play Mass Effect and Final Fantasy 13. I started playing video games last summer and enjoyed it as a hobby but never really got drawn into a game the way I remembered from my childhood. Mass Effect changed that. I cannot remember playing a game that drew me into the universe, the gameplay, the characters, and the story the way this game did. Final Fantasy 13 was similar in that respect, but different. It was the first time I can ever remember being drawn into a game to where I was in love with the universe, storyline, characters, and gameplay, but still able to step back and say "man, this game has some problems".

And that will be my next post. My thoughts on Final Fantasy 13, and the Final Fantasy series in general.