Overall, God of War II is every bit as satisfying as its predecessor, and even eclipses it in some areas.

The puzzles are even more devious than in the first. The addition of the grappling hook functionality to Athena's Blades is a masterstroke, although you may not think so once you have to go through one of the numerous and terribly frustrating swinging puzzles that thankfully only crop up a handful of times. Surprisingly, the fixed camera system employed throughout this series hardly ever falls short of providing an amazingly cinematic gaming experience. While I typically frown on fixed cameras, God of War II manages to keep the camera stationary while always providing the best view of the action; a majestic feat worthy of the Gods themselves, no wonder Zeus is such a jealous jerk.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention God of War II's storyline as one of the major draws of the title. Simply put, this game rivals Hollywood as far as production values and artistry are concerned. Each snippet of Kratos' infernal struggle is lovingly crafted and the mood of the game positively pours out of the television screen. It's just unbelievably gorgeous... so much so that I had to take a peek under my desk more than once to make sure I wasn't playing this game on a PS3 instead of a PS2. From your first glimpse of the Steeds of Time to your last farewell to the titanic and magma-bathing Atlas, God of War II drowns you in fantastic imagery and sweeping vistas of epic environments.

Kemo D. 7 :)

Square-Enix's Final Fantasy XII has been so long coming that gamers have gone through not just a period of anticipation, but anticipation cycles. Interest picks up and hold steady with new information, months pass, attention shifts to a new game on the horizon or another solid RPG hits the market. With the game's release in Japan over half a year ago, you may feel that the game is now old news and you simply missed out on it. Now that the game has finally hit North America, players can come out of their daze, slap themselves in the face, and enjoy one of the best role-playing games to be released in years.  

The tale told in FFXII is impressively constructed and well-plotted, favors political intrigue over inexplicable ancient evil forces out to destroy the world, and stars a sizeable cast of characters that interact with each other in dramatic and interesting ways. Not a bad start, but it's also backed up by intelligent writing and excellent voice performances. At times the vaguely Shakespearian English and theatrical delivery you may feel like you're watching a period play that, for some reason, includes a hot bunny girl, but it's tough not to be impressed with the production or resist being charmed by a few of the characters.

The plot progresses in a traditional manner, meaning you as the player follow a kind of fated path and are propelled forward by character actions and cinematic cutscenes that are out of your direct control but still entertaining to witness. There's still plenty of room to wander off the central path in search of treasure or simply to kick around, gain some license points and cash, and do your own thing. The primary side-quest involves rising in the ranks of a hunters' clan by tracking down and slaying wanted monsters, and killing a wide variety of monsters is rewarded with item shops offering rare items for purchase. Giant birds called chocobos, airships, and a network of warp stones help you get from one place to another with relative ease, so even in the middle of an important story point you typically have the freedom to go back for something you missed or even shrug things off for a while. It's nice not to feel locked in.

The game looks great, sounds great, has great writing, offers a lengthy and satisfying journey, has a great technical element and engaging sword-swinging and spell-slinging. It would be difficult to find a game out there with better production values, or that meets its goals so successfully while still introducing new ideas and innovations. If you have it in you to enjoy a console RPG -- any console RPG -- you should have no problem enjoying this expertly crafted title.

Kemo D. 7 :)

A new beginning...

Once again taking RPG players beyond imagination, the twelfth Final Fantasy's gameplay features include the Active Dimension Battle system enabling players to move seamlessly between exploration and combat. Characters act according to an intricate "gambit" system of actions and reactions that you determine. As they fight, characters earn license points that can be spent to broaden their knowledge of magic, arms and armor.

Final Fantasy XII looks like it will be one of the most distinct games in the series. I love the art and story direction Matsuno's team is taking the game in. That said, I doubt it will measure up to how insanely popular FFVII was, but artistically the game might mean more for the series. The graphics look fantastic and the developers are trying several new things in the game. Whether they succeed or not, it's cool to see Square giving the new kids a chance to take its key franchise in a new direction.

Kemo D.7 :)

What a Great game! :)

Shadow of the Colossus is easily one of my favorite games on the PlayStation 2. It is a true masterpiece in terms of art direction and, dare I say, cinematography. From the fights with the colossi to exploring the world to basically just standing back and letting it all soak in, Shadow of the Colossus is an amazing experience and an absolute must-have title.

Kemo D.7 :wink: