This weekend, my six year old son finally had his chance to continue playing his Sly 2: Band of Thieves game (he's not allowed to play videogames during the week). It is really an incredible game (especially if you're six years old!) full of awesome graphics and intricate gameplay mechanics that any kid (myself included) would appreciate. While he was working his way past Dimitri and on to India and Rajan - I decided to dig up the old "launch day" PlayStation and hook it up to see how it worked after all of these years. While the machine was showing its age (I had to rest it on its side to get the CD Drive to work - just like the "old days") it seemed to work just fine. It really brought back quite a few good gaming memories - including my favorite original PlayStation title - Metal Gear Solid (which, actually. was even better on my Dreamcast with the shortly lived Bleem! version, but oddly not as fulfilling). I looked through the old library of games - and there it was staring back at me - the one (actually, one of many) games that I've always intended on playing - but that I'd just never got around to doing: Chrono Cross.
Now for those of you that know about CC - Gamespot, this very site, gave it a 10/10 - you'll groan and think "This guy obviously doesn't know games...". But an RPG is a delicate thing - if it doesn't grip me in the first few hours, chances are that it will not be played. I don't have enough time as it is, never mind playing through a game that is boring the hell out of me because it will become interesting somewhere, sometime, after 15 hours of game time. That's the very reason why Square RPG's generally don't do well with me - they take too long to get going ... at least as far as I'm concerned.
In any case, I through in the disk and started playing. It takes a while to get used to the style, graphics, gameplay and whatnot from that generation of games, we've really come a long way. BUT - I'm on to the "Manor" in the game with Gieles (SP?) and Kid - trying to climb up the rocks - and frankly, I was bored as hell, yet again. I'm committed to giving it another chance, I'll play through a few more hours during the week to see how it turns out (the story idea is, I'll admit, intriguing) - but it reminded me of why PSone era RPG's didn't appeal to me. Every "stereotype" of Japanese RPG's that we toss around today, was incorporated into these RPG's - but without the necessary tongue in cheek. I guess that's why they're stereotypes. It's like watching episodes of the Brady Bunch today - and laughing at how the show is a living parody - but it's even funnier given that lines like "everybody is so happy and gay .... on the sunshine day" - without any hint of irony.
So ... in conclusion, I'll play through the "source material" for games like the Bard's Tale, which will be coming out soon and in effect parodies these traditional RPG's - and then play the Bard's Tale itself. A perfect one - two punch for an RPG starved papa.
Cheers!