As it gets closer and closer to the release of the game, Square Enix continues to show promise, even more so with more updates, fantastic features and much more just to grab all fans and draw them into the world of Kingdom Hearts.

Get Into Reality

When we say “Get Into Reality”, we specifically meant about the new feature, Reality Shift, sequences where the game becomes a comic book. In order to activate the Reality Shift, the A and X button must be pressed at the same time. The type of Reality Shift you do depends on what world you are currently residing in. Also, Nomura had stated in his interview about the Free Flow Action system continually being adjusted and debugged several times.

New Worlds

With Sorcery of Symphony being the 6th world for all players to explore, the last world to appear in the game will be announced. There are to be seven worlds that have to be “awaken” in order to complete the game. Mickey will also appear in this world along with the terrorism Chernabog and the Magic Brooms. This world will also follow Mickey’s time when he was going through his trials of becoming a keyblade master.

Dream Eaters

Since the Dream Eaters will replace Donald and Goofy as party members, they will be able to give Sora and Riku new abilities and aid in combat. As an added bonus, their colors can be customized. The Dream Eaters will also be influenced by the emotions of the characters, another system that Nomura had stated in his interview.

Other Information

As stated in Nomura’s interviews, Organization XIII will be back but will also reveal as to what the members has been doing during certain time periods but also to show Xehanort’s perspective of the whole situation, revealing that all of the members have retained their human forms.

Release Date

The dates that Kingdom Hearts: 3D Will be released on March, 29 while North America and the other countries will receive the games later on this year.

Continue to stay in tune for the many dazzlintg experiences of Kingdom Hearts 3D. We will make sure to get the news to you!

Now let us now know a little bit more about the quiet but ever helpful Desert Warrior, our Super Moderator on the forums.

1. What made you join KHPlanet?

Something to do with Birth by Sleep.

2. How long have you been helping moderating the site? Some of us can see that you have been a Super Mod for quite a while now.

I don’t remember. Probably since at least Fall 09.
3. Are there any other games besides Kingdom Hearts that you like to play? Name as many as you can!

Lots. Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Pokémon, Batman, Soul Calibur, Ratchet and Clank, Sonic the Hedgehog,

Super Smash Bros, Metroid, Castlevania, .hack, Star Wars Battlefront, Advance Wars, Golden Sun.

4. Anything that you remember on KHPlanet that you will never forget?

Don’t know. I suppose I’ll remember the debate section for a long time.

5. Who is your favorite game character?

Probably Link.

6. I wonder… is there someone here on this site that you are… VERY close to on the forums?

Define close. Although I’d have to say Hope (Or whatever long weird name she goes by now).

7. As I go back, I can see that you are place 5th place in the arcade (Right under me of course XD). What do you love the arcade?

I like playing some of the games. And if I feel I can, I’ll shoot for a high score.

8. Is there anyone who? You compete? Someone who you see as a rival?

No, not really.

9. What are your favorite hobbies?

Probably playing video games.

10. If you have one choice to pick a favorite weapon from any game, what would be that weapon?

Probably the Master Sword. A ‘kill all evil’ type of weapon is always nice to have.

We would like us to say thanks to our very own Sorabrawl (Name is Ventus on Forum) who has been dedicated to the site as

a site writer and for helping us catch up on not only on Kingdom Hearts news but also on other games Dragon Quest and Nier.

All of us really do not want us to see him go away but we would like to wish him good luck and that God bless.

Sorabrawl is actually a role-player when he first joined the site. Before he became a site writer, he always introduces many

Role-playing ideas in order to help entertain and to also help keep the other members active. The first game that actually made Him cry and, to him,

the most emotional game was actually the first Kingdom Hearts.

Games that he have beaten this year were: Kingdom Hearts Re: Coded, Beyond Good and Evil HD, Rayman 2, Medal of Honor, Borderlands, Ratchet and Clank, Infamous 2, Super Mario 3D Land, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Uncharted 2 & 3, Resistance 3, Killzone 3, and Shadow of the Colossus. He hopes that he can play Rayman: Origins and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Thank you so much Sorabrawl.

In a previous post, I have stated that I would post a Nier review and I am not one to break promises.

Presentation

At first glance, the viewer of this game would immediately be turned off due to its low rendered quality of graphics compared to other high quality games such as Uncharted 2 but as he or she looks deeper into this game’s design of this atmospheric world, it is understood that Nier stands out amongst the others. The music, the world and the story all feel fresh and creative but what lets the game down is the fact that the game itself is lacking in polish. Swords and spears disappear into the ground. The characters chop from one hill to the next ledge like online lag in Modern Warfare 2 when the characters move from one place to the other. The most disappointing aspect of the game is the fact that the graphics could have been dramatically improved and weren’t implemented like its predecessor of 2010, Final Fantasy XIII. What was Square-Enix thinking when they released this straight after Final Fantasy XIII, one of the best looking games of 2010!? Despite this major setback, the design of the stylized blood strokes, characters and the world make up for this terrible mistake and create an amazing sinister atmosphere, not many games succeed in doing.

Story

Nier takes place after the world’s apocalypse and even though it is unclear why the world seems it is taken back in time, it makes perfect sense as the story clears up this confusion. The main character, who is unnamed (let’s call him Chris), starts off in a desperate effort to save his daughter from a disease called the Black Scrawl. After hearing about a book that can save his daughter from the tragic fate of death, he scowers towards the fittingly named “Lost Temple.” When he found the lost book, Grimoire Weiss, he is surprised to hear the book talking. From there, he learns of a legendary tale of two books fighting over the powers of the Versed Seals. Even though the story sounds as basic as the usual old roleplay on a forum, it has its moments with great voice acting and a constantly changing plotline. Many have stated that the plotline is convoluted but I disagree. Firstly, the plot is explained thoroughly and after finishing the game, it is almost crystal clear with a couple of plot holes to keep you wanting to beat the game again so the player can fully understand what’s going on. I like this feeling of wanting to beat a game again because after almost 40 hours, it still feels fresh with new voice acting and cutscenes including telling the other side of the story. Also during your second playthrough, you start to fully understand the antagonists of the game, the Shades. Without spoiling the story, the Shades are the creatures who have been causing chaos throughout Earth in 3300AD.  Not much is known about the Shades except the threat of them attacking mankind. I cannot explain the story in further detail due to the fact that I would be spoiling it if you knew the main jist. So what’s the verdict on the story? It is told very well with the help of great voice actors, dramatic changes of events and the excellently thought out script which can turn some heartstrings and make some people laugh out loud.

Gameplay

This game really shines when it comes to the gameplay thanks to its various enjoyable boss battles, side quests and abilities. The bosses are fleshed out extraordinary well and even though the Shades are not diverse in combat or strategy, it is always fun to slay them with the shortsword, longsword, spear or a devastating spell. Something to keep in mind, however, is that the player gains new spells in the first half of the game with only the shortsword avaliable and then in the second half of the game, the player obtains the new weapons other than the shortsword but will not gain any new spells. The game works well with this formula of progressing because this had a great deal to do with the story. It would have been nice to have more spells on the other hand. The boss battles are the main reason someone should pick up this game because they are fast, action packed and during the battle, the characters who fight alongside you sometimes dictate what happens in the fight, adding an element of interaction with the story; this is a story driven game after all. In addition to that, there are a significant few instances of repeating lines of dialogue, if any in comparison to other hack and slash games. Many hack and slash games as well have an element of repetitiveness, which is true in some aspects of Nier but what makes this stand out are the uses of magic and several different weapons to manipulate. There are several tasks to do as well after you beat the game including side quests, collecting weapons, upgrading weapons and fulfilling trophies or achievements. Overall, the game play feels solid and interesting enough to keep you going for a 40 hour play-through.

Music

The music is by far the substantial positive about Nier with the soundtrack revolving around the theme of the game, Ashes of Dreams. It is a remarkable soundtrack as the thunderous drums roll in the background or the tender sound of the violins sounding among a choir or a beautiful voice speaking a fictitious language. It has its own style and this was a nominee in Gamespot’s Original Music category for their Game of the Year Awards of 2010. The melancholy and upbeat songs from the soundtrack also compliment the mood perfectly and Classic Game Room’s review of the music is entirely wrong as he tells his viewers that “the music definitely needs more variety” when there is a drastic change in tone as you travel from town to town and different stages of the story. Nier has a masterful sound from Takafumi Nishimura and major reviewers such as IGN stated that “the score [...] is actually one of the more memorable and interesting in recent memory.”

Conclusion

Nier is one of those games, people should not miss thanks to its spectacular story and creative design but with the release of Final Fantasy XIII being only one month earlier to its release, Nier was overlooked and disregarded because of its lack of polish. You could say “Don’t judge a book by its cover!” Hopefully a sequel will be created so this aspiring series could match up to the great J-RPGs of previous times.

Bibliography:

Clements, R. (2010, May 11). Nier Review. Retrieved January 20, 2011, from IGN: http://ps3.ign.com/articles/108/1088798p1.html Room, C. G. (2010). Classic Game Room HD – NIER review . InecomCompany. Teague, C. (2010, May 5). PS3 Review- Nier. Retrieved January 20, 2011, from Playstation Lifestyle: http://playstationlifestyle.net/2010/05/05/ps3-review-nier/ Review: Nier DualShockers. (2010, June 18th). Retrieved June 4th, 2011, from DualShockers: http://www.dualshockers.com/2010/06/18/nier-review/

In the KHPlanet community, we are getting close to banging our heads on the wall because of the long wait for Kingdom Hearts 3. So, I will be your gaming doctor and give you a prescription of Nier and Final Fantasy XIII.

Nier (PS3, 360)

• Nier takes place in a post apocalyptic world. You are taken into a Zelda-esque adventure in the eyes of Nier, the main character (or whatever you call your character in the beginning of the game) and he tries to save his daughter, Yonah, from a curse called the Black Scrawl. This curse turns people into beings called the Shades, much like Heartless in the Kingdom Hearts series. With the help of your friends, Kaine and the wise talking book, Grimoire Weiss, you set off on an adventure to save the cursed girl. However, the plot is not as simple as it seems, which will be left for you to enjoy. No spoilers here!
• This game is simply a bloody version of Kingdom Hearts with slight differences. In your arsenal are various spells given to you by Grimoire Weiss and a sword. Later on, the player will unlock more weapons and spells, keeping the gamer hooked until the very end. Tactics are a key asset to the games’ boss battles and you will have to mix spells and weapons to find a way to defeat the enemy. Nier, besides, its simple control scheme plays well and will keep the player hooked for a long time. In my playthrough, it took 40 hours to beat the game with all the extra missions and unlockables.
• The game is very cheap so pick it up!
• A written review of Nier will be posted shortly after this post!

Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, 360)

• In Final Fantasy XIII, the world of Cocoon is the center piece of a dramatic story with rivaling sides; man vs magic. Very much like medieval times in England, magic is seen as a curse for the people of Cocoon. It starts to spread and in a spiraling tornado of events, these six heroes (Hope, Lightning, Vanille, Fang, Sazh and Snow) are corrupted with what they call, the Mark. From there, they receive a mission or otherwise called “Focus” in the game and if they do not succeed, they will turn into monsters called the L’Cieth. The story is well told with beautiful cut scenes and any Kingdom Hearts fan would enjoy the deep storyline, Final Fantasy XIII has to offer.
• The game play for some is a very controversial subject but after a long play through, FFXIII becomes very enjoyable. Final Fantasy XIII has the same formula as its predecessors with a turn based system. However, the new “paradigm shift” tactic of the game adds a fresh new twist to the already enjoyable franchise. Some may say it restricts you on the player’s choice of attacks but the new “paradigm” system gives the game a strategic feel giving particular characters the role of Medic or Commando (Warrior), for example. The new twist helps the casual, core and even the hardcore gamer to  jump right in without the hassle of assigning your characters commands to fulfil if Lightning, for example, plummets down to 100 HP. Final Fantasy XIII also has challenging boss battles which are sometimes frustrating but feel satisfying once they are defeated.
• There are many bonus missions after you finish the game, including the Faultwarren Trials.
• Once the player grinds through the first 10 hours of game play as the characters progress with various techniques and spells, the player will begin to love this game just like the other Final Fantasies in the franchise. Have patience and you will be awarded!

Still Not Satisfied ?

If these do not cure your Kingdom Hearts cravings then here’s some more great games to tuck into!

• Okami (Wii, PS2)
• Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PSP)
• The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
• Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World (Wii)
• Dragon Age: Origins (PS3, PC, 360)
• Dragon Age 2 (PS3, PC, 360)
• Borderlands (PS3, 360)

Pictures from:

NIER confirmed…. (2010, January 7th). Retrieved April 2011, from PSU: http://www.psu.com/NIER-confirmed-for-a-spring-2010-release–a008491-p0.php

Video Game Central. (n.d.). Final Fantasy XIII. Retrieved 2011, from Video Game Central: http://www.video-game-central.com/ps3-final-fantasy-13.html

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, for the Playstation Portable, takes place 10 years before the events of the first game. The world of Departure is the initial setting, where the three main characters; Ventus, Aqua and Terra train to become a keyblade master. Master Eraqus and Master Xehenort are their mentors but as the plot unfolds, we find out that Xehenort is a being of darkness while Eraqus is the being of light. Terra, as he tries to muster his own skills, tries to decide which path to take; light or darkness. Meanwhile, Ventus tries to find Terra as he searches the worlds to find information on his whereabouts. Aqua, in turn, under Eraqus’ orders, is on a mission to search for Ventus so he can come back home in safety. The downfall of the story, however is the lack of new characters other than a particular Final Fantasy character and he, in fact, is the only one in this entire game; Disney have a monopoly over this one, Final Fantasy fans. It would have been great to see new Disney films or Final Fantasy games get the Kingdom Hearts treatment but alas, they replicate the worlds from series’ past. Overall, the worlds chosen for the game are, let’s face it, have a weak plot line but as a general experience, the game deserves praise for blending the deep saga of Kingdom Hearts games and filling a majority of the holes left in the story.

Fans of the series were worried about the game being too much of the same but fans, be rest assured! This game indeed has fundamental changes from its predecessors despite a few setbacks. Firstly, the command system has been totally revamped with a new layout. From the beginning of the game, you have three slots to enter commands with. These commands, in the form of regular attacks, spells and potions can be bought, blended together and sold. In addition, commands are leveled up as you fight the heartless. In the process of progressing through the game, you can obtain recipes for stronger blending options. Unlock new abilities such as HP Boost and finishing moves which upgrade as you fight the Unbirth. Secondly, a new game play mechanic twists the strategy of the game called the shotlock commands which can cause bars of damage when used correctly. They are essentially super moves and can devastate large groups of enemies when he or she is in a tight situation. This is very useful but can be catastrophic because when the player finishes the move, your character tries to regain their composure before being able to move. At this crucial point,  an enemy may find a chance to strike against you. The difficulty, which was criticized in Kingdom Hearts 2, has been revamped and it now has a deep sense of challenge. From time to time, the player will scratch their heads as they get defeated time and time again by the bosses of each world. I played the game on Proud Mode and the challenge of Birth By Sleep gives me nostalgia of the first Kingdom Hearts. The Unbirth, however, are the flip side . Birth By Sleep’s weak point is the lack of common enemies you can face and they rarely change as the story progresses. They are very bland and they are rehashes of the previous games. No innovation has been implemented in this department but the bosses of this Kingdom Hearts prequel definitely smooth out this rigid task of killing common enemies. Overall, the game feels smooth, fast paced and there are enough new mechanics to make it feel fresh to the veteran Kingdom Hearts junkie.

There are various modes for you and your friends to play with but the problem is the lack of true online gameplay. It could be easily fitted into the structure of BBS’ Mirage Arena…So, what can you play with your friends and how many people can play? The structure of Mirage Arena is set into 4 modes with the offering of 3 player capability ; Battle (where you can fight your friends), Arena (a co-op “survival” mode), Command Board (players play a Monopoly-esque game) and Rumble Racing (A hoverboard racing mode). These 4 modes work very well into the Kingdom Hearts formula for “online” play and while Battle and Arena are pretty obvious to have and work very well, the Command Board surprisingly establishes a great game mechanic. The Command Board is a fun addicting twist of using your abilities for placing spots on a board. However, the game plunges into the darkness with the one mini game called Rumble Racing.  The controls are sloppy and the hover board or the keyboard gets stuck on the edges of the track. Each of the tracks’ layouts felt like they were slapped on by an amateur game designer in Modnation Racers or LittleBigPlanet. Like each of these games’ catchphrases, this game definitely felt like it was “created in minutes” rather than hundreds of hours. It is very obvious that Square did not take this mini game as seriously as the other stellar modes available in the Mirage Arena. The aspect of leveling up is clear in the Mirage Arena as well in the form of ranks and medals. Medals allow you to obtain group commands such as Trinity, new recipes for your command mixing and also crystals which are added when you mesh commands together to create power ups (or abilities); for example, the Thunder Boost. The multiplayer game play is an engaging aspect of Birth By Sleep but alas, the racing implement of the multiplayer is a shameful waste of time for you and your friends.
You may, on the other hand waste many minutes listening to the game’s soundtrack. As soon as you boot the UMD for the first time, you know that you are in for a treat to the ears, as the melancholy sound of Dearly Beloved lifts you up and greets you to start your next quest in the epic saga of Kingdom Hearts! The worlds, beautifully composed by Yuko Shinomura, lighten up with personality and it helps the player feel immersed into this engaging tale. The voice acting, particularly by Jesse McCartney, is top notch and the emotions invoked by the characters feel believable. Jesse McCartney, without spoiling the story, provides a great twist to Ventus’ voice, meshing two characters’ voices together and that, my friends, is a great showing of creative voice acting. The voice actors for Disney characters sound exactly like their original counterparts aswell, giving the Disney worlds, an extra sense of believability. The sounds of keyblades swinging, magic spells whirling and the grunts and cries of the characters when they flinch match the exact movements of the character. The sound, as always in the history of Kingdom Hearts, is magnificent through its alluring soundtrack, the natural sounding voice acting and the sound effects which help immerse the gamer through this excellently told story.

The Playstation Portable, year by year, confounds the Nintendo DS with its superior graphics and in comparison to 358/2 Days, Birth By Sleep finally gives the Kingdom Hearts fans something to smile about, graphics wise. The cut scenes of Birth by Sleep arguably look sharper than its older brother, Kingdom Hearts 2 and have been revised over the past 4 years. One aspect of the graphics which is startling are the clouds. The way they move amongst the landscapes of the worlds look great and whirl around in different fashions. In The Land of Departure, the clouds whirl around a mountain and in one world, I cannot say because of spoilers, the clouds race along the dirty auburn sky. This yet falls short because the worlds feel awkwardly empty. An example of this would be the town of Thebes, where, according to the film “Hercules”, it is bustling and distressing to walk around with salesmen homing down your back but in “Birth By Sleep”, there is nothing but an empty square. The worlds do not feel as vibrant as the movies they are inspired by. The bland atmosphere of the worlds despite the game’s beauty lets down the game presentation wise but it is an improvement over 358/2 Days.

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep does not fail to deliver as the hours steadily go up as you finish every feature of this Playstation Portable exclusive. The main story on each character lasts up to 10 hours and collectively bump to 30 hours. This is a heavy PSP title and plenty of replay ability is found here. He or she can take part in the Mirage Arena on offline or the so called “online” modes, play the mini games of Disney Town or  level up while collecting everything in the game. This can total up to more than 4 times the original playtime and possibly much higher, which is an astounding value for the consumer.
Despite the minor hiccups of the game, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep is easily one of the most unparalleled experiences on the Playstation Portable and if this gaming device, like many others, is collecting dust, liven it back up with this deep, story driven title.
53.5/60

89%

NOTE: The rating is usually out of 50 with 10 being the score for each category; Presentation, Story, Gameplay, Replayability and Sound. This is what has totaled the score of 89%. If you have any comments or complaints, please email me at thecanukgamer@gmail.com or go to my YouTube accounts, chrispen9 and thecanukgamer.

Welcome to a new year and another great lineup of video games from our heroes over at Square Enix! Sure, some of the games we were promised last year have been delayed, but I’m happy to say most have definitive release dates now, so check out some of the next stories in your favorite series and make a gaming schedule for 2010!

Final Fantasy XIII (PS3 and X-Box360)

First appearing at E3 back in 2006, the newest Final Fantasy story will become available in North American and PAL regions on March 9, 2010. XIII belongs to the Fabula Nova Crystallis collection, which includes two other games under the XIII title, although these have yet to get a release date of anything other than, TBA. The story follows a resistance team who fights to stop the purging of civilians and features a former solider named, Lighting. This game proves to be especially interesting, as no other Final Fantasy release has had a female lead, with the exception of X-2, which stems from its predecessor, X, where the main character was Tidus, not Yuna.

Final Fantasy XIV (PS3 and Windows)

Said to be released sometime within the 2010 year, Final Fantasy XIV is like XI, as it will be a massive, multiplayer online, role-playing game. The title is suppose to be released in all regions at the same time and will be available in French, German, English, and Japanese. The story follows the nations of Eorzea being challenged by the Garlean Empire. They banded together despite their past warring so they could repel the common enemy, however, the Empire never invaded, which left an enormous amount of soldiers and mercenaries without jobs. The game is said to have at least five playable races and four different disciplines which are, War, Magic, Land, and Hand.

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP)

While us Kingdom Hearts fans were hoping to get this title released last year so we could learn more about the three mysterious characters shown during the secret ending of Kingdom Hearts 2, it still is, most unfortunately, not yet out. However, the game has just been put on sale in Japan on January 9, 2010, where it was also sold in a limited edition bundle, so our time can’t be far off! General internet rumors put the release date somewhere within the months of June and July and realistically, that doesn’t seem too farfetched. Referred to by Nomura as Episode 0, Birth by Sleep is the prequel to Kingdom Hearts 1, taking place ten years before Sora’s first adventure and the three characters are keyblade apprentices in search of their lost master.

The 3rd Birthday (PSP)

This game is the third entry in the Parasite Eve series, although this is a spin-off title, which is why the name, ‘Parasite Eve’ was excluded. One of the designers of this to-be-released game, sometime in the year of 2010, is Tetsuya Nomura, lead director and character designer of such Square Enix series like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts. The 3rd Birthday, though lacking in information, seems it will follow Aya Brea as the main character while she responds to an attack on Manhattan by creatures called, the Twisted. The game, said by director, Hajime Tabata, will be a true third person shooter.

Nier (PS3 and X-Box 360)

Nier, known as Nier Gestalt in Japan and there an X-Box 360 exclusive, will be released in North America sometime in the spring of 2010 on both the X-Box and Playstation 3. The Playstation 3 exclusive of the game, known as Nier Replicant in Japan, will not be leaving the country, as Square Enix designers were said to believe that the younger Nier will appeal better to only Japanese audiences and the older Nier was better for the Western gamers. The only major differences are said to be the aesthetics of Nier and his relationship with the character, Yonah. The story follows Nier as he searches for a cure to the Black Scrawl virus, which has infected his daughter. The game also features a hermaphrodite swordsman, Weiss, who serves as Nier’s access to magical spells and a demonic weapon named, No. 7.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope (International Version) (PS3)

This version of The Last Hope is a PS3 exclusive, featuring additional content as well as dual voices, (Japanese and English) and multiple subtitle options. The Playstation 3 release will be February 9, 2010. The story takes place on Earth in the year of S.D. 0010, where the planet is deteriorating and mankind is forced to live underground after WWIII has broken out.

Other Games

Square Enix is pretty good at keeping everyone on the edge of their seat, waiting for news conferences and reveals at conventions to kill rumors and set facts straight, which is why some of the following games have little information on them. Supreme Commander 2, a real-time strategy game is set to release in March on Windows and X-Box 360, there is news of a Dragon Quest X to be released on the Wii and Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie for the Nintendo DS sometime within the year.