TGS: Hands-On Impressions of 19 Games

Posted on Tuesday, September 27 @ 16:35:51 Eastern by Heath_Hindman

Last week I went to the Tokyo Game Show and played a whole bunch of video games. Here are abbreviated evaluations of all of them, followed by a verdict, given as follows:

*Skip - Nothing to see here. Move along, people.
*Consider - Keep an eye on it. If you're a big fan of the series and/or genre, this might have particular appeal to you. If you're not or only fair-weather on that sort of game, then it's kind of a tossup or perhaps too early to tell.
*Buy - I am confident enough in what I know + have seen + have played at TGS that this is a game I can wholeheartedly recommend to fans of this genre or series. For example, I feel that shooter fans should totally get Battlefield 3 and RPG fans should absolutely buy Ni no Kuni.

Ni no Kuni (PS3)
The prettiest game of the generation so far might end up being PS3's best RPG to date. I've now played four different Ni no Kuni demos and each one has wowed me in a different way. This game is going to be killer. Buy!

Uncharted: Golden Abyss (Vita)
I doubted this game could impress me, because I'm about 50 times more negative and cynical than the biggest downer you know. But here we are. The game had the looks and, more importantly, the gameplay that seemed to be what adventure fans will be looking for when they pick this up. The touchscreen use did seem a little gimmicky to me but I suppose it's inevitable. The demo I played at least kept it to a minimum. Consider!

Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention (Vita)
The tactical RPG madness that is Disgaea 3, straight from PS3 to your handheld. Looks a little nicer thanks to the smaller screen. Consider!

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance (3DS)
The best Kingdom Hearts game since the last one. Consider!

Bravely Default: Flying Fairy (3DS)
Remember, when you need to default on your loans... do it bravely. My hope for this game is that it will actually be worth playing, not just an obvious gimmick title showing off AR for no other reason than because it's possible. Consider!

Ragnarok: Princess of Light and Dark (PSP)
Way too easy, even for a demo. Offered nothing you haven't seen in 273 other tactical RPGs, and I say this as someone who can't get enough tactical RPGs. Skip!

Final Fantasy Type-0 (PSP)
Holy flurking schnidt, a Final Fantasy game that actually felt, at most times, like it was a Final Fantasy game! I was on an overworld map riding a chocobo and like "Whoawhoaholyshit is this an RPG?" Yes, yes it is. It actually, really is. And fun, too! Consider!

Battlefield 3 (360, PC, PS3)
Oh, you know this will be good. What am I even doing here? Buy!

The Michael Jackson Experience HD (Vita)
Fuck this game. I'm supposed to take on the role of Jacko, but I have to hold a portable system in my hands and use a touchscreen to watch some onscreen avatar dance? If any system did this game right, it was the 360 with Kinect. How am I supposed to do the Thriller dance when both hands need to be on the Vita and slide along various points on the screen? I was raring to get up there and bust some like, serious dance moves, but Sony just was not having it and told me to settle down. Skip!

Even more hands-on impressions after the break!

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Tags: tgs, ps3, PS Vita, 3DS

Comments

mrallamericanboy
Joined: Jun 2006

Posted: Sep 27th, 2011 at 5:34 pm
excellent analysis!!!

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KevinS
Joined: Dec 2008

Posted: Sep 27th, 2011 at 11:29 pm
I want Saint Seiya!

Seriously, don't ask why, but for some reason I want me some Saint Seiya.

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Heath_Hindman
Joined: May 2011

Posted: Sep 28th, 2011 at 5:08 pm
This lacks a "Tokyo Game Show" tag for some reason.

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usaglory
Joined: Mar 2009

Posted: Sep 30th, 2011 at 8:27 am
What was wrong with Saint Seiya?

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Heath_Hindman
Joined: May 2011

Posted: Oct 1st, 2011 at 4:56 pm
Samey "Muso" style fighter just with a different anime attached to it. Felt like I'd played it 1 hundred times before. If you're a hardcore fan of any franchise, almost no amount of samedom will keep you away from something, I suppose.

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