Love/Hate: Final Fantasy X/X-2

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THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. And blood. And milkshakes.

I arrived a little late to the party as far as Final Fantasy games go. I believe I picked up Final Fantasy X at Blockbuster one fateful day in 2002, when I passed it in the PS2 section and thought, "That guy looks cool." Oh, how looks can deceive. But I became a massive fan of the series despite how irritating some of the characters were.

It was my first experience with the JRPG genre and it was a good one. The lengthy, complicated story, the gorgeous soundtrack, and the in-depth world background (and Seymour Guado) all made up for how squeaky and obnoxious Tidus was. Jecht smacking him around a bit helped, too. 

As a love story, it was kind of beautiful ... in a way. You've got Yuna -- a young woman, completely accepting of her fate as a summoner to die at the hands of Sin in order to keep the world safe for just ten more years. Then there's Tidus, an angsty athlete from an alternate dimension, kicking and screaming his way into the summoner's guardianship, all the while insisting, "THERE MUST BE ANOTHER SOLUTION!" Like I said, beautiful ... in a way. The game had its flaws, but it was enjoyable and the story played out well.

But by far the best part of the game was the end -- it wasn't a happy ending. Yuna and Tidus didn't get to be together, because Tidus was dead. His character had served its purpose, Sin was gone forever, the cycle was broken, and the citizens of Spira could live out the rest of their days in peace. Good job, Square. You managed to break the cliché of "and the googly-eyed hero and heroine lived happily ever after" by killing off the hero, and it was a truly amazing ending to a game. I cried like a baby.

So that's the end, right? ... right? :(



Fucking wrong. Surprise! Yuna and Rikku make a comeback wearing little more than hotpants and a thong, and oh wait...who's this butchy, gothy pile of angsty feminazi goo?



That's right. It's PAINE. Hi, my name is PAINE and I used to be a cutter but now I just channel my emotions into more creative pursuits like writing poetry about unrequited love and finger painting because I am a unique individual.

They're back, and they're on a mission. Fuck if I remember what the mission originally was, except that it involved dancing your enemies to death and a lot of high fives and a heavy girl-power vibe. Oh, oh right. They're looking for clues to lead Yuna back to Tidus. You know, the one that's supposed to be gone forever.

The most irritating part of Final Fantasy X-2 for me isn't the dress-up-game combat system, or even the fact that Yuna gets to be with Tidus again. It's these guys.



Lenne and Shuyin -- somehow tied in with Tidus and Yuna, these two died during the Machina War in what looked like it could have been a much more thought-provoking story. We got a little bit of the Machina War back-story in FFX, so I've always felt like a prequel taking place in Zanarkand during that era would have made more sense than what we got -- a fanservice-driven, mindless addition to the Final Fantasy series that's hardly been improved upon in FFXI or even FFXII, which also ended up disappointing me. I'm sadfacin'.

The dancing feminazi trio's cheap rivalry with LeBlanc's crew and the conflict between the Youth League and the New Yevon party didn't save the game for me. There was no real depth to them; they just felt like more uninspired filler in an already uninspired game. While some of the cutscenes admittedly made me a little warm and fuzzy, FFX-2 just didn't sit right with me.

In short, I loved Final Fantasy X (and realize that I'm part of the minority here). I hated Final Fantasy X-2 (then again, I've never met anyone who didn't). So there.

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EA shows 10 reasons to give The Sims 3 this year

by: Chad Smith
NEWS - The videos for The Sims 3, including the Twilight parody, have been quite humorous.  Some of the things that your little virtual people can get into opens the door for much fun.  EA has put together another video showcasing the Top 10 reasons to give The Sims 3 this holiday season. 

I chuckled quite a few times watching it, which leads me to wonder why I've never tried any of The Sims games.  At any rate, enjoy!


video details and more



Read The Full Article:
http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/EA-shows-10-reasons-to-give-The-Sims-3-this-y
ear/Item15390.aspx

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Steals & Deals - Dec. 11, 2009

All games at Wadjet Eye Games are 50% off until the end of the month - just enter the coupon code HOLIDAY at checkout. Ten percent of the proceeds go to the GetWellGamers.org charity. MumboJumbo has released two great gaming bundles: Get the Luxor 2, The Office, and Ricochet Infinity 3-pack for $19.99, and Samantha Swift and the Golden Touch, Casebook: Episode 1 and Concentration 3-pack for $19.99.

read more

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A war is coming on Cybertron

by: John Yan
NEWS - Here's the debut trailer for Transformers: War for Cybertron. The game looks like it's going back to the blocky style of robots, which I like and it sounds like it takes place before the battle comes to Earth. I kind of dig the updated transforming sound when Optimus Prime flies through the air and takes down a few missiles. And is it just me or does that one big robot at the end remind you of Omega Supreme?



Read The Full Article:
http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/A-war-is-coming-on-Cybertron/Item15391.aspx

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Three pack of songs from Green Day, plus tracks
from 30 Seconds to Mars and All-American Rejects, will be added to Rock Band Music Store downloads for

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a three pack of songs from Green Day, as well as tracks...[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Gamezplayorg-DailyGamesNews/~3/UZelGv99Rmw/three-p
ack-of-songs-from-green-day-plus.html

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OverClocked Remix celebrates its 10 year
anniversary

1999-2009. Game music remix site OverClocked Remix is 10 years old now. This takes me back...

I've been around since the beginning, when the site was orange and brown and ugly and lovable in that kid brother kind of way. I started submitting sh*tty remixes in 2000. Kind of even made a bit of a name for myself for a bit. I grew up with OverClocked Remix, so it's kind of special to me. And look at it now. I'm so proud.

It started on December 11, 1999 with just a handful of musicians. Very small. Tight-knit group. Everyone knew everyone. It has since blossomed into a big site that's making big waves in game music, sporting thousands of artists and almost 2,000 quality arrangements of the best game music. The site has been featured on television, in magazines, and other media, and now shows face at conventions and concerts. They've contributed to Video Games Live and had musicians do the sountrack to Capcom's Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. The site has fans in the videogame development community, and some composers have even submitted remixes of their own. They're "big time" now.

I've met some of my closest friends there. Because of them, I've had amazing life experiences. I don't get around to remixing as much as I used to, but I'm working on something now for the site, and I continue to check back and keep up. I still love the place. It's really a showcase for some of the internet's best musical talent, from people that just happen to also love videogames.

Site creator David W. Lloyd says that to celebrate, ten mixes will be posted today, from ten different games and ten different artists, with each mix writeup briefly summarizing a different year from the site's history.

Here's to another ten years. Happy Birthday, OverClocked Remix.

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Heroes of Hellas 2: Olympia - Just In

A follow-up to the puzzle game Heroes of Hellas, Heroes of Hellas 2: Olympia, has just launched over at Alawar. Download the game, write a review, or chat about it in our forum.

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The Dark Hills of Cherai Review

There are so many hidden object games now that it's difficult for one to surprise or even impress you, but that's exactly what The Dark Hills of Cherai will do. It hits the expected HOG notes beautifully, but adds in brand new melodies that are wonderfully unusual and unexpected.

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