Hello fellow Dtoiders, and welcome to my new weekly blog.
Every week, I'll recap what I've been playing over the past 7 days, offer my opinions on recent news, and hopefully provide a few chuckles along the way (though I'm not making any promises).
So I guess I'll hop right in.





The game the entire planet has been waiting for, Grand Theft Auto IV, finally dropped on April 29th, and I was among the roughly 8 goddamn hojillion gamers who contributed to its massive 1st day sales.
It's been just over a week, and I've put in the hours, and I'm loving it.
After finishing San Andreas, the subject of the location of the next GTA popped up in a discussion with my friends. Where would they move the action, and how could it possibly eclipse the scope of an entire state? Without trying to sound like too much of a smug asshole, I just want to say that I got it right on the money: one city, of moderate size, but amazingly detailed.
Let me just start by saying that these are some of the best written characters I've seen in a video game. Not necessarily the deepest or most complex, but best written. I rarely experience true lol moments, literally laughing out loud, but Brucie had me in stitches. Niko's past and quest for revenge make him a much more compelling character to me than Claude, Tommy or even CJ (who was a tad too brash to really endear himself to me).
When it comes down to the game play, the tried-and-true formula is back with some subtle tweaks: cars handle more realistically (ie. riding the handbrake around a corner at 70mph is no longer a viable escape method), drawing the ire of law enforcement now creates a perimeter that you must evacuate unnoticed to lose the heat, and combat has been improved with the help of a cover system.
I've heard complaints about each of these new systems, but I've grown to love each of them. The new driving model was perhaps the toughest to accustom myself to, but each car chase feels much more cinematic now. The AI always seemed to play it safe on the road, and now that you're forced to do the same, chases are more methodical and rewarding.
That seems to be the name of the game now. A slower, more tactical approach is required to overcome challenges. While this is obviously true of the cover system, I feel that statement also applies to evading the police. Scanning the radar, plotting routes to avoid detection while escaping the search area; in previous games, I just gunned it in one direction until I spotted a Pay n Spray on the map.
I haven't had a chance to get online yet, and while it's not a huge priority, I'm hoping to put a few matches under my belt by this time next week.

While GTA has been stealing just about every headline in the known universe, another long running franchise saw a new sequel recently. Mario Kart Wii has also been on my play list, though (and I feel kinda guilty over this) I've played it just once since purchasing it with GTA IV. Given my limited time with the game, I have only limited impressions to offer.
My feelings on this particular entry in the series are a mixed bag, so I'll just list in point form what I do and do not like about it.
-I love the wheel (which handily trumps any previous 3rd party attempts). It's straight up fun to use.
-Item balance is worse than ever. Back in "The Day," lightning bolts were rarely seen, even by the worst player. Now every asshole in the bottom half gets 3 each race. And don't get me started on blue shells. Punishing someone for winning? That sickens even this self-proclaimed socialist.
-I'm torn over the change to 12 racers. While I'm happy to see the formula mixed up, it just means I've got that many more blue shells hunting me down.
-Call me crazy, but I dislike having so many karts to choose from. It's bad enough that most of them are straight up ugly, but it seemingly relegates your choice of driver to, well, nothing. It doesn't really matter who you pick any more, and that just doesn't sit well with me.
Like I said, I haven't had much time with the game yet, so I'll be sure to follow up once I've logged in a few more hours.

The game that has taken up the majority of my time this past week is a game that has taken up more time than any other in the past decade. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions has been my commuting companion since picking it up on the weekend.
First, a brief note about my history with the series. My first tactical RPG, Final Fantasy Tactics was a subject of obsession during the summer of 1998. I rented it nearly a dozen times (failing to realize a purchase would have been only slightly more expensive) over the next year. In early 2004, I purchased a GBA to play its spin off, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. A few months later, by chance, I happened upon a Greatest Hits copy of the original game, which I certainly did not play on an emulator. Between the 2 games, I've lost around 400 hours of my life.
So it was with great anticipation and excitement that I started playing one of my favourite games of all time again. New translation? Job classes? Cut scenes? Awesome!
Only, not so much. While I can't comment on the new job classes (I'm simply not far enough to have encountered them), and while the cut scenes are phenomenal, other aspects of the game leave something to be desired.
First, and most disappointingly, the games has some issues running on the PSP. I never thought it would have a problem reproducing a PS1 game, given its somewhat deserved reputation as a PS2 port machine. However, the game slows to a crawl whenever a spell or skill is used. It's not a game-ending problem, but it does taint the experience.
I'm also having a problem adjusting to the new translation. Don't get me wrong, it's well written, and I have a feeling that the story may make sense for the first time, but the style is just so different from what I've known for a decade. Names of characters and locations have been changed. It's very jarring. I imagine as I get deeper into the game it will be less of an issue, but it was enough to warrant noting it here.
After that, it is the same, incredibly deep game that captured the attention of my 14 year old self.





I'd also like to mention a few demos I played. Echochrome (specifically, the PS3 version) really delivered on an amazing concept. While a tad short, the demo sold me on the game play. I will definitely pick this one up, particularly with the recent Canadian PSN price drop. The only question remaining is what system do I get it for? I'm leaning towards PSP, as I feel it would lend itself better to short periods of play.
Iron Man was a licensed movie game that I thought might come through. With Sega at the helm, some amazing early screenshots and fan service to spare, I had expectations that matched those of the movie. My bad. The experience was just awful. Sure, flying was sorta ok, but combat (that thing that comprised the other 80% of the demo) was not fun in the least. The spastic controls could only be salvaged by the inclusion of retard-proof auto aim. Sorry Sega, better luck next time.





I want to end my inaugural post with my favourite web comic from this past week (this will be a regular feature).
I don't know if any of you are familiar with Fanboys, but it is consistently funnier than anything out there (including Penny Arcade).

I Has A Mount