A couple weeks ago Mark from PSNation, Bleak Harvest, and myself had a rousing discussion concerning our experiences importing Final Fantasy XIII.  Actually Mark didn’t import it, he was just our ringleader so to speak.

I realize at times the tone may border on the negative but rest assured both of us genuinely enjoyed our time with the game.  For more on my feelings concerning Final Fantasy XIII you can check out my impression, which may also clear up some of what we talk about in the podcast.  After giving it another listen, I think I sounded like an escaped mental patient while trying to explain the weapon system…

If you’re still frothing at the mouth for more opinions concerning the game, you can also check out Bleak Harvest’s extremely in-depth impression here.

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The guys over at PSNation were kind enough to invite my RPG-loving-ass back on their program for a second, shorter discussion, this time all about the Fallout 3 DLC.  You could also consider it a mini-review of the Game of the Year edition.  I spent a mind-numbing amount of time with this game so I think I had a hard time really collecting my thoughts into such a condensed segment.  This is a problem of mine when it comes to speaking, hence why I write.  Still, I think I got most of my main ideas across.

Also, if my voice sounds slightly digital at times, don’t be concerned, I am not a program made by an escaped mental patient to convince people to play JRPGs; Mark was having some issues with recording, but it’s nothing that should really bother you.

The day after the podcast I ran across a pretty serious bug which required some drinking and contemplation to work around.  In the end I managed, but it was certainly the most annoying bug I had encountered in my Fallout 3 career.  I wish it happened before I went on the podcast so I could have discussed it.

To those who are wondering it happened with Operation Anchorage right before the battle with Jingwei.  If you work off the auto-save of when you first enter the Chinese base, it’s possible that your character will be stuck, levitating, unable to trigger the conversation with Jingwei that allows you to complete the mission.  It was very annoying, especially since I was trying to get his sword!  I figured out that by reloading the game entirely (rather than just the save) it would occasionally work.  When it did work, I tried to shoot his sword out of his hands, but realized that fellow American soldiers were firing at me for NO REASON.  Some people think this is a result of friendly fire, but I tried using melee weapons (Powerfist) and this STILL happened — very frustrating.

Still, there are a lot of awesome parts of the DLC, mainly the number of unique items and perks you can acquire.  You will literally be buried in items far cooler than anything you get in the normal version of the game.

Please give the podcast a listen.  Also, if you are a SOCOM fan (which you probably aren’t if you’re at my site), an intensive interview with the game’s creators is scheduled for Glenn and Mark’s next podcast.  I am really impressed with how professional and thorough these guys are being with this interview so if you’re a fan you definitely want to hear it.  It should be up later this week, so check their site for updates.

Related Entries:
Tokyo Game Show, Podcasting, and Fallout 3 DLC Begins
Kotowari on PSNation

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TOKYO GAME SHOW 2009

Again I awoke to few, if any, Tokyo Game Show updates worth mentioning.  It looks like the event may be losing its momentum as it gets closer to being opened to the public.  I still wish I got to go for swag and food purposes.

A few more disappointingly short trailers, devoid of new information have surfaced.  Take this Persona 3 Portable trailer for instance:

It’s mostly a fusion of existing trailers we’ve already seen, arranged to distract the viewer from the fact that they aren’t learning anything.  Kind of like watching reality TV right?

I daresay the most successful and interesting enterprise of the event is easily Kojima’s Metal Gear Solids.  He’s somehow managed to really provide substantial information about both his two projects (Peace Walker and Rising) and his philosophy on gaming in general.  Case in point: this excellent article by Stephen Totilo via Kotaku.  That’s right: I just liked to Kotaku.  Boo-ya.

If there was a Kotowari award for Tokyo Game Show Champion, Kojima gets it.

PODCASTING

Mark and Glenn of PSNation were nice enough to have me on their most recent podcast to discuss current events and review a few recent/upcoming RPGs.  It was a lot of fun and I think we did a pretty thorough job discussing Demon’s Souls specifically.  I plan on having my review up soon for the game, but if you want a preview of my thoughts this is definitely a good place to start.

I noticed I said “like” a lot.  Damn.  I guess I am more eloquent when writing than talking.  I knew I should have taken public speaking in high school!  Anyway, if all goes well I will probably be back on Mark and Glenn’s podcasts sometime again.

FALLOUT 3 DLC HITS PSN

Yesterday, Broken Steel went on sale on the PlayStation network.  I cannot tell you how long I have waited for this day.  Fallout 3 blew me away last year and is still one of my favorite games for the PS3.  This particular piece of DLC really builds on the game by providing story after the somewhat controversial ending.  It also increases the level cap from twenty to thirty and provides some more difficult enemies to keep things interesting.

Bethesda was kind enough to provide me with a PSN code for Broken Steel, so I plan on diving into it as soon as possible.  Expect a review soon!

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Things have been strange lately at Kotowari. I have been making fewer, arguably lamer posts lately and it has me feeling a bit anxious.  I hope I am not losing what interest the Internet has in what I have to say.  This doesn’t bode well when mixed with job worries and a general shit-job fatigue.  I can’t help but feel like the “little hater” Illdoctrine first defined is starting to get to me.

Anyway, if you guys are interested, I was approached by Mark of PSNation regarding a MegaTen question he received from one of their podcast fans.  I had planned on appearing on the show to answer the question, but the very same day I had an interview scheduled with [VIDEO GAME COMPANY REDACTED] regarding the [POSITION REDACTED] they’ve posted.  This forced me to submit my reply via e-mail, but Mark read it on the podcast.

You can listen to the show here.  My question is about 25% into the podcast, right after a question about the PSP Go.  I recommend giving the whole thing a listen, though — Mark and Glenn do a great job.  The show is quite enjoyable, and they cover a mixed bag of games and topics, so there is something for everyone.

I am intrigued by this podcasting thing so I may start to look into it for the site.  It would be easier/faster to produce than our vlogs, so that would be a definite plus.  Let me know if you have any thoughts one way or another and I will be looking into it.

I anticipate changes on the horizon for the site, probably reflecting changes in my life.  Not sure if they will be for the better, but I sure hope so.

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