In the KHPlanet community, we are getting close to banging our heads on the wall because of the long wait for Kingdom Hearts 3. So, I will be your gaming doctor and give you a prescription of Nier and Final Fantasy XIII.
Nier (PS3, 360)
- Nier takes place in a post apocalyptic world. You are taken into a Zelda-esque adventure in the eyes of Nier, the main character (or whatever you call your character in the beginning of the game) and he tries to save his daughter, Yonah, from a curse called the Black Scrawl. This curse turns people into beings called the Shades, much like Heartless in the Kingdom Hearts series. With the help of your friends, Kaine and the wise talking book, Grimoire Weiss, you set off on an adventure to save the cursed girl. However, the plot is not as simple as it seems, which will be left for you to enjoy. No spoilers here!
- This game is simply a bloody version of Kingdom Hearts with slight differences. In your arsenal are various spells given to you by Grimoire Weiss and a sword. Later on, the player will unlock more weapons and spells, keeping the gamer hooked until the very end. Tactics are a key asset to the games’ boss battles and you will have to mix spells and weapons to find a way to defeat the enemy. Nier, besides, its simple control scheme plays well and will keep the player hooked for a long time. In my playthrough, it took 40 hours to beat the game with all the extra missions and unlockables.
- The game is very cheap so pick it up!
- A written review of Nier will be posted shortly after this post!
Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, 360)
- In Final Fantasy XIII, the world of Cocoon is the center piece of a dramatic story with rivaling sides; man vs magic. Very much like medieval times in England, magic is seen as a curse for the people of Cocoon. It starts to spread and in a spiraling tornado of events, these six heroes (Hope, Lightning, Vanille, Fang, Sazh and Snow) are corrupted with what they call, the Mark. From there, they receive a mission or otherwise called “Focus” in the game and if they do not succeed, they will turn into monsters called the L’Cieth. The story is well told with beautiful cut scenes and any Kingdom Hearts fan would enjoy the deep storyline, Final Fantasy XIII has to offer.
- The game play for some is a very controversial subject but after a long play through, FFXIII becomes very enjoyable. Final Fantasy XIII has the same formula as its predecessors with a turn based system. However, the new “paradigm shift” tactic of the game adds a fresh new twist to the already enjoyable franchise. Some may say it restricts you on the player’s choice of attacks but the new “paradigm” system gives the game a strategic feel giving particular characters the role of Medic or Commando (Warrior), for example. The new twist helps the casual, core and even the hardcore gamer to jump right in without the hassle of assigning your characters commands to fulfil if Lightning, for example, plummets down to 100 HP. Final Fantasy XIII also has challenging boss battles which are sometimes frustrating but feel satisfying once they are defeated.
- There are many bonus missions after you finish the game, including the Faultwarren Trials.
- Once the player grinds through the first 10 hours of game play as the characters progress with various techniques and spells, the player will begin to love this game just like the other Final Fantasies in the franchise. Have patience and you will be awarded!
Still Not Satisfied ?
If these do not cure your Kingdom Hearts cravings then here’s some more great games to tuck into!
- Okami (Wii, PS2)
- Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PSP)
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
- Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World (Wii)
- Dragon Age: Origins (PS3, PC, 360)
- Dragon Age 2 (PS3, PC, 360)
- Borderlands (PS3, 360)
Pictures from:
NIER confirmed…. (2010, January 7th). Retrieved April 2011, from PSU: http://www.psu.com/NIER-confirmed-for-a-spring-2010-release–a008491-p0.php
Video Game Central. (n.d.). Final Fantasy XIII. Retrieved 2011, from Video Game Central: http://www.video-game-central.com/ps3-final-fantasy-13.html