July 2016 - Page 2 of 5 - Samantha Lienhard

World of Final Fantasy CE, LE, and Day 1 Edition

Jul 222016

If you, like me, have been won over by the gameplay and characters shown from World of Final Fantasy, you might be interested in one of the special editions recently announced.

First up, the World of Final Fantasy Collector’s Edition, available only for the PlayStation 4 version of the game, includes:

World of Final Fantasy
A pop-up book that doubles as the box for all the CE content
An 80-page hardcover art book
A 20-song soundtrack CD
Mini figurines of chibi Cloud, Lightning, and Squall
Digital content: a Sephiroth summon, Red Bonnetberry mirage, White Chocobo mirage, Glow Moogle mirage, and a Japanese voice-over option

The Collector’s Edition costs $120 and is exclusive to the Square Enix Online Store.

If you aren’t interested in the Collector’s Edition, the Limited Edition might interest you more.

The World of Final Fantasy Limited Edition, also available only for the PS4 version^*, includes:

World of Final Fantasy (in special packaging)
A 24-page art book
The digital content (a Sephiroth summon, Red Bonnetberry mirage, White Chocobo mirage, Glow Moogle mirage, and a Japanese voice-over option)

It costs $60 and will be sold at retailers, including Amazon.

*Note: Some announcements said the LE would be available for the Vita as well, but this version has yet to surface at retailers, even Square Enix’s own store.

Finally, if you miss out on the Limited Edition or want the PS Vita version, there is a Day One Edition.

The World of Final Fantasy Day One Edition is simple. It includes:

World of Final Fantasy
The digital content (a Sephiroth summon, Red Bonnetberry mirage, White Chocobo mirage, Glow Moogle mirage, and a Japanese voice-over option)

All copies should be the Day One Edition until they run out, so right now it’s available everywhere and costs $60 on PS4 and $40 on Vita.

Why is Japanese audio included as DLC? Why does the Limited Edition cost the same as the Day One Edition? No idea. But if you’re interested in World of Final Fantasy, you now have a variety of options.

Here’s a new trailer to help you decide.

What do you think of World of Final Fantasy and its special editions? Chibi characters and cuteness aside, will it truly be an epic Final Fantasy adventure? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Rhythm Thief is Like a Musical Layton Game

Reviews, Video games 4 Responses » Tagged with: adventure game, puzzle game, rhythm thief

Jul 202016

Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure is a fantastic game, and I say this as someone who generally dislikes rhythm games.

More than anything else, Rhythm Thief feels like a Professor Layton game with rhythm games instead of puzzles. You will encounter occasional puzzles, but they’re mild and usually based on audio cues.

You move from screen to screen to traverse Paris, interact with NPCs around the city, and tap the screen to search for secrets.

While a Layton game rewards your tapping with hint coins, you’ll find a variety of things in Rhythm Thief.

Medals, the most common, can be used to buy movies, items to make a rhythm game easier (or harder), and more. Sometimes you’ll find Phantom Note pieces, collectibles for a side quest. You can also find Sound Disks, which add music tracks to your gallery.

Finally, you’ll find sounds you can record. Some are required to advance the story, while others are part of a side quest.

As you’ve probably guessed, music themes are prevalent throughout Rhythm Thief, both in its gameplay and story. Its excellent soundtrack makes this enjoyable.

Now, the main reason I enjoy Rhythm Thief more than other rhythm/music games is that it’s story driven. And much like a Professor Layton game, its story becomes completely insane.

You play Raphael, whose father vanished three years ago, leaving behind a coin marked with a mysterious symbol. Raphael adopts a secret identity as “Phantom R,” a thief, and hunts for clues about his father’s whereabouts. His search leads him to a girl named Marie, whose violin bears the same symbol.

But Marie is pursued by Napoleon, who has risen from the dead to reclaim his throne with the help of an ancient treasure Marie is the key to finding.

Fighting the Chevaliers Diabolique

Yes, we have a musically-inclined thief facing off against an undead Napoleon (and his “Chevaliers Diabolique”) while searching for ancient treasure. It’s crazy and awesome!

The story and characters kept me invested in Rhythm Thief. The overall gameplay is enjoyable (more so if you like rhythm games), although the few rhythm games that use the gyroscope are frustrating and the Phantom Notes seem to adjust positions in a way that was probably meant to be helpful but ended up annoying.

There’s only one other thing I can criticize about Rhythm Thief. While the main story is wrapped up, it ends with a clear cliffhanger and sequel hook… for a sequel that never came.

In 2012, the producer expressed interest in making a sequel. Four years later, it still hasn’t happened.

That’s too bad, because it sets the stage nicely for an epic sequel. Maybe someday? Nevertheless, I recommend Rhythm Thief without reservations, even if you aren’t a big fan of rhythm games.

Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure may be difficult to find physically, but digital copies are available from the Nintendo eShop.

(There was a mobile port called Rhythm Thief & the Paris Caper, but it was discontinued.)

I hope we see a Rhythm Thief 2 someday. In the meantime, let me know your thoughts on or questions about the game in the comments.

Buy Rhythm Thief and the Emperor’s Treasure from the Nintendo eShop
Buy Rhythm Thief and the Emperor’s Treasure from Amazon

Grand Admiral Thrawn’s Return and Why It Matters

Books, Movies and Shows No Responses » Tagged with: star wars

Jul 182016

Over the weekend, many Star Wars fans exploded in glee over a character announced for Star Wars Rebels. If you never read the old Expanded Universe novels (now Star Wars Legends), you might wonder why. Who is Grand Admiral Thrawn?

I’ve never watched Star Wars Rebels. I don’t know much about it. But Thrawn showing up in Season Three matters to me.

When I talked about the Witcher movie, I said I was relieved my favorite Star Wars Expanded Universe character was no longer canon, because I’d never have to worry about an adaptation ruining him.

But in truth, it’s the one thing that disappointed me the most about the old Expanded Universe being declared non-canon. As I sat in the theater to watch The Force Awakens, I felt… sad. When the opening text faded, I wouldn’t see Captain Pellaeon on the Star Destroyer, and he wouldn’t report to Grand Admiral Thrawn.

I’d never seen Thrawn’s strategies and machinations brought to life on the big screen.

Then I heard rumors that Thrawn might be part of the new canon after all, and I dreamed of the day he’d be dramatically revealed. Now, in the trailer for Star Wars Rebels Season Three, it finally happened.

Best of all, Timothy Zahn has written a new Star Wars book titled Thrawn.

Pre-orders should be available soon, and you better believe I’ll be first in line.

Timothy Zahn wrote the original Thrawn Trilogy, considered by many fans to be the best the Star Wars Expanded Universe had to offer. When I read the first book in the trilogy, Heir to the Empire, I was amazed that not only were there Star Wars novels, but they were good!

The Thrawn Trilogy isn’t perfect, but it has a lot of great moments and characters. And the greatest is Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Thrawn, whose full name is Mitth’raw’nuruodo, belongs to an alien race known as the Chiss. He is the only nonhuman to achieve such a high rank, because the Emperor couldn’t pass up such a valuable strategist even with the Empire’s anti-alien philosophies.

He can out-maneuver almost anyone, and he has a great love of art… which also plays into his strategies. He studies the art, architecture, and culture of his enemies to gain a better understanding of how they think and make his plans accordingly.

Being a brilliant, ruthless, and deadly strategist makes Thrawn an exciting villain, but there’s more to him than that. He’s not the pure evil sort of villain you see so often (especially among the Imperials).

If Thrawn thinks he can’t win a battle, he pulls back rather than waste lives. He encourages his subordinates to present advice and ideas. In one memorable scene, an ensign develops a creative solution to capture Luke… which fails. But while someone like Darth Vader would kill the ensign for failing, Thrawn promotes him for his quick thinking and willingness to learn from mistakes.

(In contrast, he executed someone earlier who refused to admit his mistake.)

He’s an excellent character and my personal favorite. So, will the new Star Wars universe do him justice? I believe it will, for two reasons:

The Star Wars Rebels trailer shows him surrounded by art, saying suitably Thrawn-like things.
Timothy Zahn is handling the novel. Who better to write Thrawn than the author who created him?

I can’t wait.

While we wait for Thrawn pre-orders to go live, let me know your thoughts on Mitth’raw’nuruodo and his return to canon in the comments below.

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