A few impressions....

So August was an interesting month in gaming. I picked up and beat Bioshock as well as 2 other highly anticipated titles that I am currently playing. I am only short ways into both titles but here are a few impressions for you:

Lair (PS3) - Ok this is a game that has been hyped up for a long time to come. It was one of the first confirmed PS3 exclusive titles and has been hailed as one of the most anticipated games on the system. The hype was focused on three primary factors;

(1) The idea of soaring through the skies on the back of a dragon and having complete control over what he does is interesting. (2) The graphics looked incredible and would be one of the first game to really show off the power of Sony's new system.
(3) THis would be one of the first games to take complete advantage of the six axis controller.

So heres how it goes... The developer (Factor 5) really seems to have missed their mark. I don't want to come to my final decision until I have finished the game but it's not looking too good right now. First off, the graphics are really choppy and only a few environmental details look good. Most of the effects are simply nothing special. This is a game that could just as easy been made on an xbox 360. The dragons do look awesome but what does that mean if everything else just looks mediocre? Now for the gameplay. The six axis controls are kind of cool but they are only fun for a short period of time before they become tedious. The battles are hectic and its really difficult to do just about anything. Im only 5 missions into the game but it seems to me that this title will be nothing more than space filler for the time in between now and Heavenly Sword. This game has been pushed back multiple times and has been in development for years, you would think that would show in the games overall polish but it doesn't. Expect my full review soon.

Blue Dragon (Xbox360) - So I took the plunge and popped in Blue Dragon today. The game has gotten fairly decent reviews across the board but nobody has dubbed it a final fantasy killer or anything crazy like that yet. I am 2 hours into it and have only gotten a basic idea of the story and the battle system. The graphics do look beautiful and im sure the world is going to be a joy to explore. The story seems simple enough at this point; Blue Dragon is the story of a trio of friends whose village is plagued by a monster once a year. Having had enough, these three friends group together to try and take the monster down only to be sucked into a much more sinister plot being led by the evil "Nene". Shortly after the game begins, they locate a magical force that transforms their shadows into large blue beasts that act on their feelings (if they are threatened it will attack, if hurt the beast will heal them, etc...). The battle system seems pretty basic for anyone who has played a traditional RPG before yet it still feels somewhat fresh. This is probably due to the shadows that enter every battle with you. So far I am enjoying it but I wont know how I feel about the story, pacing, and overall gameplay until I am finished with the game so expect my full review in the near future.

Peace!