Role-Playing

Highly polished... and hard to find

HIGH A notable level of design and polish make it go down smooth like butter.

LOW A lot of grinding is required to ensure progress.

WTF Spending points to "reveal" abilities, then spending more to earn them.

More than a mouthful

HIGH Retains all the classic SMT elements dripping with style and polish.

LOW No voice acting for the dialogue.

WTF Why is the encounter rate set so high?

Can you really beat (a level of) a Game of the Year contender playing as a baby?

So recently, the discussion of innovation versus presentation has been popping up in regard to various titles. Specifically, how should a critic view a game that makes no attempt at breaking new ground, but instead focuses on delivering a very polished and playable experience?

Of course, I think the answer certainly depends on who the critic is and what their personal philosophy is composed of. It really couldn't be any other way, could it? That said, I do think it has to be taken into account that the games industry is a large one, and there are players of all stripes within it.

Keeping this in mind, I think it can be safely assumed that there is room enough for games that push the envelope, as well as those who are content to stay sealed within it.

Rewriting history with DLC

HIGH Finally fixing the utterly illogical and contrived original ending

LOW Not enough new gear, though the Tesla Cannon is pretty fab

WTF Was there no way to save and carry over exp. from the last two add-ons?

Ragtag misfits firing guns in the woods

HIGH It's great to see more from characters who didn't get enough screen time.

LOW $5 seems a little high for one brief mission.

WTF Edy's the star of this DLC? Who liked her in the first place?

Spent most of the weekend with Valkyria Chronicles.

Despite having a few misgivings at first, the gameplay quickly won me over and I'm now a complete convert. I've got to say, it's certainly one of the best reasons to own a PlayStation 3, and after having made it through a little less than half of the main campaign, I'm shocked that Sony didn't give it more of a push. It's far better than the majority of what's available for the PS3, it's a system exclusive, and it's got loads of both both style and substance.