Gaming Update: Infinite Undiscovery Edition

I do not identify myself as a "gamer," gaming is merely another hobby of mine -- no different than reading books, watching movies, listening to music, writing, weight lifting, or any other interests I choose not to singularly define myself through. So don't expect a heavy emphasis on video games on this blog. But the kids and close friends do occasionally enjoy reading my thoughts on video games, so I'll probably post them here once a week or so.

So what's new this week? Well, as I previously mentioned I've been digging into Chrono Trigger for the Nintendo DS. My roommate purchased a handful of games on Black Friday, including Infinite Undiscovery, Far Cry 2, and Rainbow 6: Las Vegas 2 (R6LV2? What a numerically-rife acronym!), and so I've been giving those a spin on his downtime.

Infinite Undiscovery is currently my main squeeze. I'm roughly five hours into the game, and not so much impressed. By all means, the game is fun -- the gameplay is a mixture of elements from Final Fantasy XII and Star Ocean. Unfortunately, less than stellar voice acting, animation, and narrative pacing compromise my long-term interest in the game. My roommate, Jim, is already on the second disc and says he still has no idea why the moon is all chained up and what the purpose behind that is. Not a promising sign, Tri-Ace/Square Enix...

I really haven't spent enough time with Far Cry 2 or R6LV2 to comment on either. From what I've seen of Jim's play-through of Far Cry 2, the game is certainly expansive and pretty. I'm sure after this smorgasbord of Role Playing Games I'll be jonesin' for a good shooter.

Oh, I want to go on record stating that, for me, Fallout 3 was a tremendous disappointment. Now, I've never played the first two games to hold the game up to any standard within the franchise... but with all the hype, buzz, and other such vernacular I expected a bit more "oomph." Unfortunately, what I got was shoddy animation and voice acting as well as lackluster character development and storytelling. I think the game is certainly worth a play-through, but not worth the $60 price tag unless you're a die-hard Fallout enthusiast.

I'm not always negative, I swear! I do like some games! Just you wait and see... One of these days I'll post about a game I simply adore. Perhaps after I finally manage to play Mirror's Edge...