Monday, September 29, 2008

The World Ends With You

Formed many years back from the merger of two huge gaming companies (the name should give you a clue as to which two), Square Enix has always been a venerated hit churner especially in the roleplaying games (RPGs) department, and with good reason. With their Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series (as well as several other smaller titles here and there), they have been coming out with AAA titles for many years and dominating the field for as long.

Still, a common complaint about the Square Enix RPGs (as well as the entire RPG market in general now) is that they’re all facsimiles of each other. Featuring identical characters, very similar gameplay and the elements, almost all RPGs now all seem to follow an unspoken formula, with the FF series representing the epitome of the perfection of this formula but nonetheless lacking that spark of creativity and originality.

With one of their latest releases, though, Square Enix has shown that they are not only the masters of the conventional RPG, they are also great at coming out with innovative, excellent RPGs that don’t have the words “Final” and “Quest” in the title. Despite having a protagonist with the whacked-out hairdo and angst common in other games, The World Ends With You introduces originality in spade and proves that Square Enix has what it takes to not just rest on its laurel and churn out one epic cinematic soap opera game after another.

Set in modern day Shibuya, which is a real-life district in Japan (instead of fantastical lands, some unnamed, filled with magic and whatnot), TWEWY tells the story of Neku, said follicle-deranged main character, who wakes up one day to find himself dead and part of a game by The Reapers, a group of strange characters with wings and powers. Participants in this game must complete a given task daily for seven days, the failure of which will lead to their complete erasure from existence.

While the plot might seem a bit lackadaisical and admittedly it does take quite a while to take shape, the story does get much better later on and features a huge number of twists and turns. The characters, while mostly one-dimensional and initially annoying (angry, anti-social Neku is the prime example), they do have slight developments as the game progresses and, by the end of it, you’d be so engrossed with the story that it doesn’t make that much of a difference. Still, though, the one complaint that I have with the story is that dialogues are hilariously long and endless, not to mention un-skippable.

The gameplay is hugely different from other RPGs and comes with a surprising amount of depth and customizability.

Firstly, enemies are not met through uncontrollable random encounters. Rather, you just have to scan an area, see what enemies there are around (different enemies have different icons so you always have an idea of what each entails) and fight with them at will. This method of engaging with enemies allows players to choose whether they just want to level up enough to move on with the story or grind up to unbeatable proportions.

Also, you can choose to chain enemies (which means fighting a series of enemies in a row) to get more experience and items or change the difficulty settings with the LVG Gauge and difficulty settings. The lower your gauge, the lousier your stats are but the more rewards you reap if you manage to win the battle. This way, there is no set true difficulty level to the game and players can choose to play the game in the setting they are most comfortable with.

Combat is where the game really stands out, utilizing the DS’s touch screen to the maximum. Instead of each character in the game (Neku has a few different partners, each of which brings something different to the game and story) having set abilities, powers are given to Neku through pins, of which a maximum of six can be equipped to him at any one time. There are an unbelievable number of pins in the game (think hundreds), each with its own ability (with some able to evolve further to more powerful attacks) and activating them in battle often requires movements like dragging across the screen or tapping on the tap and such.

With such a varied number of pins (all of which have a limited use in battle before having to recharge), players are given the freedom to customize their pin-set as they please and find the best possible combination.

Players, other than controlling Neku on the bottom screen, can also control their partners on the top screen, using the directional pad to direct them (each partner has a different set of moves), the goal of which is to chain up a series of attacks which will allow Neku and his partner to perform a one-off super-power combo attack. While this extra controlling takes much getting used to (and is actually optional because the game will auto-control your partner if you choose not to), it ultimately adds much more to the gameplay and makes for faster battles.

Other than all these aspects of gameplay, players also have to take into account fashion and what their characters wear (which ties in again to the realism of the game, being set in trendy Shibuya). Their clothes and accessories often affect the fashion trends in the game and grants them better stats at different places.

Aesthetically, the game is also vastly different from the usual. Instead of going for the mega-realistic 3D models or the uber-cute 2D sprites that most RPGs use, the game instead uses a unique, graffiti cel-shaded style, which is not only pretty cool and different, but also lends a distinctive air to the art direction of the game. The soundtrack is similarly funky, with contemporary-sounding rock and pop tunes dominating the game, instead of the usual orchestral masterpieces.

While the story, gameplay and visual style of The World Ends With You might take gamers weaned on a diet of Final Fantasy games quite a while to get used to, the game gets incrementally better as it progresses and provides a breath of fresh air to the stale RPG market. Definitely one of the best RPGs to come out for the DS in such a AAA year for DS RPGs and also one of the best games overall for the system. A must buy for any DS owner.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Sunday, September 21, 2008

My Sassy Girl

Along with Autumn In My Heart, My Sassy Girl was one of the pioneers that sparked off the Korean frenzy that has firmly cemented itself in the Singaporean consciousness. Featuring a quirky irreverent style and a non-stereotypical female lead, the show found great support from fans and critics alike, raking in a pretty huge box office success.

While I thought it was slightly overrated and much preferred its unofficial prequel Windstruck, I nonetheless enjoyed the movie and the breath of fresh air it brought to the rather stale Asian movie scene at that time. That’s why, coupled with the fact that the US has been making dud after dud of Asian remakes as well as a whole list of not-so-great reviews, I was quite hesitant about watching the US version of My Sassy Girl. I mean, it went straight to video in the US so that must mean something right?

To my delight, the remake is actually pretty good.

Starring Jesse Bradford (Bring It On, Swimfan) as well as Elisha Cuthbert of 24 fame, the movie pretty much follows the storyline of the original (although, having watched the original so many years, I’m hard-pressed to notice any glaring differences): Charlie Bellow (Bradford) is a normal, decent undergrad who sees Jordan Roark (Cuthbert), a rich, eccentric girl who gets whatever she wants, drunk and about to fall into the path of a train. He rescues her and from there begins an unlikely romance, mostly pushed along by Roark’s willful, domineering ways.

While the story is pretty cookie-cutter, the execution is pretty well-done. With the usage of quirky film techniques (like fast motion scenes) and decent pacing, viewers probably wouldn’t be bored at any moment. The movie does lose a bit of steam in the middle but it never gets any slower than the typical Meg Ryan fare (for example) so it’s not that bad and before one knows it, the movie picks up for its predictable but suitably heart-warming ending.

Bradford, as nice-guy Charlie, is sweet and meek, lending an endearing, affable charm to his cherubic, lop-sided grin. Having done similar roles in the past, he really excels in this role, bringing a sort of boy-next-door quality to his poor, bullied character that will undoubtedly have female audiences swooning and engraving his name in their diaries with heart shapes all over. Cuthbert, though, is a mix bag. While she’s not terrifically wooden or anything, she seems to lack chemistry with Bradford and, while she’s supposed to bring a sort of quirky cuteness to her role, all she seems to portray at times is an annoying, spoilt drunk.

While the movie isn’t particularly outstanding in any area and can’t live up to its record-breaking source movie (and its arguably superior prequel), My Sassy Girl is still a pretty good, light watch, surprisingly enjoyable and perfect for anyone looking for a decent date film.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Sunday, September 14, 2008

A Thousand Splendid Suns

The Kite Runner was easily my favourite read of last year. A debut novel for Afghan writer Khaled Hosseini, the emotionally charged tale of deep friendship set in war-torn Kabul won both critical and mainstream acclaim, becoming an international bestseller that published in more than 40 countries and even spawned a movie of the same name (although it didn’t do anywhere near as well as the book).

In the past week, I finally got the chance to read Hosseini’s second book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, which was also a bestseller worldwide. While, to me, it doesn’t deliver as much of an oomph as or is an instant classic like the first book, A Thousand Splendid Suns (or ATSS, as I’ll call it from now on) still makes for great reading and has no doubt cemented Hosseini as one of the more prominent voices of mainstream English literature in recent years.

ATSS tells the story of two women whose paths cross when one, a young naïve girl who orphaned when her house is bombed, marries into the family of the other, a jaded harami (illegitimate child) hardened by rejection from both her wealthy father and chauvinistic abusive husband. Despite an initially frosty relationship (understandably, given the fact that one has essentially stole the other’s husband), the two women begin to foster a strong bond while having to survive a devastating war and, on a more personal basis, having to survive an abusive, demanding husband.

The book is neatly divided into four parts, telling different parts of the story. The first part tells the story of Mariam, the harami and her tumultuous childhood. Having grown up in a dilapidated shack in the wilderness with her mother, Mariam’s yearning for acceptance by her wealthy father leads to a series of events that irrevocably change her life completely; the next part introduces Laila, the second girl, whose budding romance with childhood friend Tariq and idyllic life with her parents is shattered when their neighbourhood is entered into turmoil; the third part of the book, the meat of the story, details Laila’s marriage to Rasheed, Mariam’s husband and their struggles to survive amidst war; the final part, also the shortest, concludes the story with a hopeful, if sombre tone.

Perhaps due to the segregation of the book as well as Hosseini’s masterful pacing, ATSS never once feels belaboured nor tough to read, despite its slightly hefty length (especially for those weaned on a diet of brain fluff comedy lit like me). The writing is smooth and simple yet effective in both painting unbelievably detailed descriptions as well as pushing the action along, resulting in a page turner that never ceases to grab the attention.

Still, despite the fact that scenes are luridly portrayed and the characters well-fleshed out and relatable, the book in general lacks emotional oomph, the reader mostly feeling only indignant and anger throughout most of the narrative. That’s not to say that it wasn’t emotion-evoking or touching at all. Hosseini is a master at playing with the reader’s emotions and his talent shows here as it did in The Kite Runner. It’s just that this book didn’t affect me (and leave me feeling winded) as much as its predecessor did.

Nonetheless, A Thousand Splendid Suns is an excellent piece of narrative that not only paints a clear picture of the war and strife in Afghanistan in a most heart-tugging way but also depicts the wonder of the human spirit, of friendship and of courage under fire. While it might not pack as much of a punch as The Kite Runner did (and this really is just my own opinion; I’ve read several reviews that place this above its forebear), it is still a great read and much better than many of the other books out there at the moment.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Nike Human Race

Barely a week after finishing the Army Half Marathon, I returned to Esplanade Drive to embark on another run, this time of an even larger scale – the Nike Human Race. Spanning over 20 countries and involving a million runners, the Nike Human Race was a hugely advertised charity 10km run where the proceeds of the race would go to three different charities – the World Wildlife Fund (more often known as the panda-logoed WWF), the Lance Armstrong Foundation and ninemillion.org, a UN Refugee Agency campaign dedicated to educating nine million children.

Going into the run itself, I had a mixed bag of feelings. Not only had I had a particularly exhaustive week, going outfield after AHM and returning only to service my vehicle and take an IPPT test, the previous week of queuing up for my race pack had also left a bad taste in my mouth as I’m sure it did for the thousands who had to stand in line for literally more than four hours to collect the goodie bag (which, admittedly, contained pretty decent gifts like a huge Nike bottle).

The run itself, being only 10km (which is pretty much a walk in the park compared to the monstrous 42km of a full marathon or even the slightly scary 21km of a half marathon), was pretty quick and lasted just about an hour for me, although certain factors kept it from being an enjoyable or even smooth hour.

With the number of participants numbering in the thousands, the organizers had attempted to reduce any jams by sending off the runners in two waves. However, they had neglected to take into account the running route itself. Stretching from Boat Quay to Alkaff Bridge and then on to Clarke Quay before ending at the Padang, the route, while scenic and interesting, was far too cramped for such a large number of people to run in, resulting in massive bottlenecks and blockages at certain points.

To make matters worse, water points were set up at inexplicably tight paths like on a narrow bridge at Riverside Point, resulting in a massive build up of runners who stopped for a drink and started walking instead (on that note, I also encountered several inconsiderate runners, suddenly stopping or slowing to a walk right in the middle of the narrow path, refusing to walk at the sides of the road and choosing to be human roadblocks for those who want to continue running and, even more annoyingly, those who urged their friends to stop with them and saunter in a straight line, totally blocking the running path).

While the Human Race might be more of a fun charity run than a competitive marathon, it was still irksome to find my running momentum totally stymied because I’m forced to walk thanks to badly planned routes and/or runners with no sort of race etiquette and who stopped when and wherever they wanted to, not caring if they were blocking others.

At the end of the day, of course, running the Nike Human Race was just a bit of a novelty run as well as a platform to do my small bit for charity and I’m still glad I went for it. And, admittedly, the other aspects of the race were well organized, with constant email updates and an ample amount of guides, ushers and bag depositors on the actual day. I just wish the race itself had been more excitingl.