Sunday, November 06, 2005
Wanderful.
I wrapped up Wanda to Kyozō a couple of nights ago. A glance at the latest charts says at least the Japanese version is doing decently. It's #1 for the week of 23 - 30 October and it didn't launch 'til the 27th. Wanda came in with a lot more hype than Ico was ever privy to and it's nice to see Ueda got his wish, which was "to make a game lots of people buy." 140,000 people in 3 days is alot of people. It's nice to see such a radical game, on the PS2 of all platforms, get some well-deserved play. Huge banners on the side of half the buildings in Akihabara doesn't hurt either.
Hindsight is 20/20. This is the best way to critique a game, I've found. Hindsight has shown me that Wanda, for all it's gargantuan encounters, stunning vistas, and captivating emotions, is far from seamless. Thing is, Wanda's perfect where it counts.
Sometimes it putts along at 15 fps. Ken Kuturagi himself says 60 fps is like a slideshow. (Hyperboles. Ahoy!) Techno-babble like that never really holds any weight with me. The specs aren't important. It's what you do with what you have. Ueda knows this, and his team knows the PS2 very well. What Ueda and co. seem to be more concerned with is the player. Graphics help, sure. But cosmetics only take you so far.
Then there's the matter of the controls. For all of Wanda's Zelda-esque conventions, this one misses the mark. They're not bad. They just take some getting used to, whereas Zelda always feels like second nature. I haven't played Wanda in like 5 days now, and my right index finger still feels numb pressing R1 like my life depended on it.
I wrote a review for Drakengard a while back. I bring this up, 'cause in terms of character, out of all the games I've ever played from start to finish, it's at the opposite end of the spectrum from Wanda and Ico. Wanda's soaking in it. From the undaunted wanderer, to his willfull horse Argo, to the eerily lifelike colossi. That's why this game is so gripping. It's not trying to merely entertain as much as it is trying to make you feel something. In that respect, I'd say Ueda's done it again. I really want to see what he can do with the resources of a PS3. Even still, Wanda is a tough act to follow. Even at 120 fps.
posted by Matthew @ 4:48 PM
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Hindsight is 20/20. This is the best way to critique a game, I've found. Hindsight has shown me that Wanda, for all it's gargantuan encounters, stunning vistas, and captivating emotions, is far from seamless. Thing is, Wanda's perfect where it counts.
Sometimes it putts along at 15 fps. Ken Kuturagi himself says 60 fps is like a slideshow. (Hyperboles. Ahoy!) Techno-babble like that never really holds any weight with me. The specs aren't important. It's what you do with what you have. Ueda knows this, and his team knows the PS2 very well. What Ueda and co. seem to be more concerned with is the player. Graphics help, sure. But cosmetics only take you so far.
Then there's the matter of the controls. For all of Wanda's Zelda-esque conventions, this one misses the mark. They're not bad. They just take some getting used to, whereas Zelda always feels like second nature. I haven't played Wanda in like 5 days now, and my right index finger still feels numb pressing R1 like my life depended on it.
I wrote a review for Drakengard a while back. I bring this up, 'cause in terms of character, out of all the games I've ever played from start to finish, it's at the opposite end of the spectrum from Wanda and Ico. Wanda's soaking in it. From the undaunted wanderer, to his willfull horse Argo, to the eerily lifelike colossi. That's why this game is so gripping. It's not trying to merely entertain as much as it is trying to make you feel something. In that respect, I'd say Ueda's done it again. I really want to see what he can do with the resources of a PS3. Even still, Wanda is a tough act to follow. Even at 120 fps.
posted by Matthew @ 4:48 PM
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