Chimera Post: Infinite Yokai Headphones

I kind of dig these posts that span a few aspects of gaming rather than just strictly one.  I hope people coming in from Google (i.e just about everyone) don’t mind working a bit harder for their free information.  So what’s new in gaming?

Well, Tokyo Game Show 2009 is bearing down on us.  I feel an intense sense of left-out-ed-ness for not being able to attend. E3 was a great experience, but I feel like it’s truly second to TGS.  Maybe I just miss being in Japan, who knows.  Anyway, as the grand event grows closer, more and more titles which will be highlighted there are being revealed.

One game which definitely has peaked my interest is titled Disgaea Infinite.  There have been a number of rumors speculating what system the game is for, ranging from PSP, PS3, and purely PSN download.  Considering NIS hasn’t really released anything too complex since Disgaea 3, I think it’s a safe bet that Disgaea Infinite will be a substantial title.

The main site for the game (linked above) opens on the 17th.  Hopefully by then we can begin to wrap our minds around whatever that Prinny is hiding behind.

Next, the official site for Persona 3 Portable continues its aggressive series of updates.  A new video was added showing the female protagonist summoning her persona in battle.  Note the pink action dial:

In addition to this video a bunch of blog banners were put on the site which normally wouldn’t interest me much since I never use them.  However, they do reveal a few different outfits for the female protagonist:

It’s fun to watch them dance.  I like how every outfit still features her red headphones — they are quite eye-catching.  In case you are not familiar with Persona 3, the outfits appear to be (from left to right) winter school uniform, winter leisure outfit, and summer leisure outfit.  I really like the winter outfit.  Any ladies out there have any thoughts on these outfits?

Those who have befriended me on the PSN may notice that I have pretty much given myself up to Demon’s Souls.  If I have  a free moment, odds are I am playing the game.  I have made a lot of progress on my character as I can now take on enemies that once struck intense fear in me.  I want to play as much as I can before my review comes out, since this is definitely one of my favorite games this year.  I guess quite a few people have beat me to the punch on their reviews, which may be why there is hardly anyone online for me to play with.  I just got the ability to invade people’s games and murder them to regain a physical form and to nom up their souls.  I definitely wanna experiment with multiplayer before I start the review.

When I am not playing Demon’s Souls or working, odds are I am watching Foxes play Muramasa:  The Demon Blade on my newly acquired Wii.  The game is absolutely beautiful and really has absorbed my friends.  I love seeing all the different yokai since I consider myself to be somewhat of a Japanese demon lore enthusiast.  I realize that most people in the West are probably completely clueless as to the background of many of the demons in the game.  I hope this isn’t detracting from people’s experiences or anything.  Personally, I find myself really enjoying recognizing the demons and the spin the game puts on them.  Also, many of the yokai play an important part in the story which I hope isn’t causing further confusion.  I think at this point the overwhelming success of the game is evidence that the lack of a native background is fairly unimportant.

I believe this game does an amazing job capturing the essence of Japanese culture.  Possibly the best example is the focus on food.  I am always shocked at how food-centered Japan is.  A love of food permeates everything from TV, seasonal changes, prefectures, etc.

The cooking system the player utilizes throughout the game really highlights the food and makes it seem special, like a spiritual experience.  The brief videos (above) which show your character eating make me absolutely ravenous for food you just cant find in the state of Connecticut, which is rather frustrating.

I believe Foxes will be writing a review on Muramasa for the site once she has cleared both Kisuke and Momohime’s stories. You can probably look forward to that sometime in October.  If you haven’t already bought a copy of the game you may be interested in a copy I put on eBay which includes some bonus items I got at E3.

Well that about sums up recent video game news and my personal gaming exploits.  Damn, I am starting this week off strong  

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