Final Fantasy XII
RPG fans can rejoice, for after quite a drought (“Dragon Quest VIII” providing about the only reprieve), dear old Japan has brought American PS2 owners the first real breath of fresh air in the Final Fantasy series in several years. Some might be fooled into thinking that the game strays too far away from Final Fantasy norms and is therefore bad; “Resident Evil 4” strayed from the norm and I hear few complaints about that. FFXII has one of the most mature and politically driven (no angst-filled, spiky-haired boys with amnesia here) stories seen in the series, and the characters are very likable and all have a significant part in the story.
The game is lengthy (it takes a few hours for the story to kick into gear, but once it does – wow), and the combat system is much more convenient than it first appears. The AI ‘Gambit’ system is very well done, and, should you find yourself not able to make something exactly to your specifications, you can manually give your party members commands (pausing combat while doing so) – which you’ll find yourself doing, especially during boss battles. The game isn’t easy, but not mind-numbingly hard – the hardest part is finding money, since enemies no longer drop gil (the currency) upon defeat.The graphics are noticeably towards the upper bound that the PS2 has ever been capable of, and the soundtrack is superb, though different. The load times are few and far between, and short when they do show up. I have no qualms with saying this is perhaps the (or at least one of the) best of the Final Fantasy series, and is one hell of a way to finish up the series’ run on the PS2.
Graphics: 4/5 Sound: 5/5
Gameplay: 5/5 Overall: 4.75
Guitar Hero II
Basically, they took everything that was good in Guitar Hero, made it better, put more songs in, and packed in a damn nice-looking crimson red guitar. For those who might’ve found the first GH’s multiplayer to be lacking, let us hope they be silenced by the added features in the sequel — two players can now choose to play cooperatively, with one player taking lead, and the other taking rhythm or bass (depending on the song), with both players sharing the same rock meter; combo, or star power with both players simultaneously raising their guitars to activate it in co-op.
The competitive mode is still here, and there’s also an all-star mode, so that both players play the entire song, instead of switching on and off as in previous iterations. The graphics (as if they truly ever mattered very much in a game built around sound) aren’t exactly awe-inspiring, but they are improved from the original. The sound, of course, is superb. The tracks chosen are lovely, and the bonus tracks have some nice surprises such as Strong Bad’s “Trogdor,” and for fans of [adult swim] or Metalokalypse, Dethklok makes an appearance.
GH II would make a great Christmas present for fans and newbies alike. I know I’ll be playing it for months to come, or at least until the 360 version comes out. Who can beat downloadable content?
Graphics: 3/5 Sound: 5/5
Gameplay: 5/5 Overall: 4.33
Gears of War
Few games get the massive amount of hype that “Gears of War” was showered with prior to its release. Fewer games still live up to that hype. The Xbox 360 has lacked a Halo-esque killer app, but now “Gears of War” is quite possibly it. The graphics are the best seen on the console. The gameplay itself is much more realistic in that instead of soldiers running around jumping and shooting, they hide behind cover while utilizing cover fire. Nothing will make you feel like a soldier like the roadie run, GoW’s version of running/sprinting. Of course, even that doesn’t compare to the most stress-relieving thing ever produced – chainsawing your foes in half. Why did it take this long to think up a weapon made up of an assault rifle and a chainsaw? Co-op play is such a natural part of this game, it’s a damn shame if you don’t have Xbox Live or a friend to splitscreen with. You can be playing single-player by yourself, see a friend come online, send them an invite, and they’ll simply take over one of your squadmates (you always have at least one with you throughout the entire campaign). The campaign’s somewhat short, but if you play on the harder difficulties, they’ll take several hours longer. The multiplayer is also extremely enjoyable, though all the modes are small variations on team deathmatch. “Gears of War” has to be experienced, not read about, so I suggest you go buy a copy now. If you don’t have a 360, go buy one of those too. It’s Thanksgiving and soon it will be Christmas. You deserve it.
Graphics: 5/5 Sound: 4/5
Gameplay: 5/5 Overall: 4.75

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