As you play and as the world is revealed to you, you will discover that there’s a lot of depth to the plot – if not the characters – and that there’s a whole host of philosophical conundrums beating, like a steady counter-rhythm to the playful platforming.
Please note: This article is LITTERED with links. They will open in a new window and will take you off-site.
Now that four-in-February is behind us, I thought I'd take some time to look into games that I'm at least a little curious about for the calendar year of 2016. I have divided my choices into three broad sections:
Things that will almost definitely be with us in the near-future or before the end of 2016.
Things that might make it into 2016, but you never know.
And, finally, things that I'm totally worried about. Sometimes with good reason.
So, let's take a look and see, shall we? Read more
The World is a big place. A big place, with lots to do and see. Video games are a big industry. A big industry with lots to play and… watch on YouTube/Twitch?
Combine these two facts and it becomes clear that you can’t play everything, or read about every game. Especially in a year like 2015. A year in which we saw amazing releases like The Witcher 3 and Undertale. And then Steam opened the flood gates and made everything even worse. Read more
Before we get started with this epic tale, let's set the mood a little, shall we? About 3 years ago during one of the big Black Friday sales, I was at a local Wal-mart with all the other crazy people in the world. It was around 5 A.M. and I was searching through their generous section of games and movies that was kept conveniently cordoned off until a specific time happened. As I was let in with a group of 15 people, I had five minutes to look through and find other deals that weren't listed within the ad.
My eyes searched through the racks that were rapidly losing stock, because people were out for deals. They saw a cheap price and were grabbing like crazy. It was then that I saw... it.
A DS game sitting on top of the racks that someone had picked up and sat back down. A big $5 sticker just on top of the name. I thought hell, for five bucks if I get an hour out of it, I've gotten my moneys worth, and I hadn't even looked at the name yet. My time ended and I left the area with a handful of TV shows, as well as a couple titles for my 360. After paying and walking out, I traveled home because this was the last stop on my journey through crazy.
Several hours later, after getting a bit of rest, I shuffled to my spoils of war and pulled out this DS game that had tickled my fancy. Tearing off the plastic wrap the title unfolded.
Okay, so I bought Glory of Heracles. Now what the hell was it? An rpg? How about a fighting game? Excitedly I popped the game and this greated me:
A JRPG, this was the game I had picked up. I had been searching for something to entertain me, but was this going to knock my socks off, or was I just going to play the first 20 minutes of it and give up like I had with a few previous titles?
When you gain control of the first character you go through the ever dreaded and mostly skipped training. The controls were easy enough. You set a front or back position and tap to attack. Of course as any good RPG continues through its story, you gain control of more and more characters. The front line position became more dedicated to melee and tank like characters, while the back holds your ranged.
Each character comes with their own little side story, though the main character, who you initially name, can not remember who he is or where he came from.
As the game continues, it draws you in, but not just by the story. Each character brings a new aspect to the battle as well. Soon you have to collect elements to be able to cast magic, and learn to rotate the battlefield to balance out what type of attackers you encounter. This game keeps you on your toes. Once in a while you have to solve puzzles to continue to newer zones.
Eventually you find out that you have been sent to foil an evil plot that will end the world. The titles like 'Glory of Heracles' would suggest, the game does include a bit of Greek Mythology, which is always a plus for me. (Bit of a History buff) I don't want to give away too much of the story line because if this article has given you any interest it's always better to discover it on your own.
I spent the better part of a week trying to push through to the end, because I had been craving a game such as this. My five dollar find actually turned out to be more than what I had hoped for. It took a total of about 28 hours on and off to complete the game from start to finish.
Overall it was entertaining. Not necessarily a must have, but enough to scratch an itch. For a first generation DS title, it most assuredly was a graphically stunning game.
Today Glory of Heracles still has a price tag of about $20 USD at most retailers, though you can grab a used copy off Amazon for about $4 USD. If you do ever see this game in a resale shop for under $10 I would grab it. Definitely will get your moneys worth.
~As Always
