Last month, Microsoft had an RPG conference in Japan.  The biggest news out of the event was the announcement that Star Ocean 4, previously thought to be a PS3 exclusive, is in fact, an Xbox 360 game and might not show up on the PS3 at all.  Xbox owners can also cheer that The Last Remnant, a multiplatform Square-Enix RPG, is going to be released earlier on the 360 than on the PS3.  Other highlights from the conference include additional media and information on Tales of Vesperia (a 360 exclusive by Namco in the series made famous in the US by Tales of Symphonia for the GameCube) and Infinite Undiscovery (a 360 exclusive by Square-Enix that looks similar to Rogue Galaxy).

I'm reminded of this quote from Vic Ireland, the president of the now-defunct RPG localizing company, Working Designs:

For the future, there are still great opportunities. I have been in touch with a number of other publishers and manufacturers and I will be working with some of the WD staff to do games for other publishers for the time being, but not as Working Designs. One thing that holds a ton of promise is Xbox 360 RPGs, and I've contacted Microsoft about getting what's underway in Japan out in the US and helping to get more done worldwide. We'll see what happens on that front, but please let them know that you want more rpgs here. There's some amazing stuff coming for the '360 in Japan, and I know I want it — I think you will, too.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who read those words from Vic Ireland back in 2005 and laughed in disbelief.  The Xbox 360 being a great RPG machine?  Aside from a couple Bioware games (Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire), the Xbox's library of RPGs was practically non-existent.  Why would the 360 be any different?  And yet, here we are in 2008 and those words of Vic sound more prophetic than crazy.

How did we get to the point where the PS3, aside from Final Fantasy XIII, is sparse in the RPG department, despite the PSOne & PS2's utter dominance in the genre? How did the Xbox 360 come to look so impressive compared to the original Xbox's pathetic showing?  There are a number of factors: Microsoft's courting of Japanese developers and their own investment in Mistwalker Studios (Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey); the Xbox 360's one-year head start; and the cheaper price tag are all factors. But I believe the biggest contributor is that Microsoft published good RPGs significantly earlier than its competition.  RPGs tend to be games with low replay value; thus, fans of the genre tend to buy more RPGs than fans of other genres with greater longevity might.  The early availability of RPGs on the Xbox 360 combined with RPG fans' tendency to buy many RPGs created a snowball effect: a good RPG comes for the system encourages more fans of RPGs to buy the system, which in turns encourages more companies to make RPGs for the system.  The system has momentum now — Western RPGs like Too Human and the Mass Effect trilogy, Japanese RPGs from companies like Square-Enix & Namco, Strategy/RPGs from Atlus — and I don't see that changing any time soon.

Will the PS3 or the Wii be able to catch up and overtake the 360 in the RPG field?  I don't think so.  Final Fantasy XIII, though a big title, looks like it'll be too little, too late.  And with Square-Enix showing more and more support for the 360 and less support for the PS3, there's always the chance that FFXIII could end up as a multiplatform title.  The Wii has a fair chance of developing a good RPG library simply because the system is selling insanely well and the dominant system inevitably gets strong game developer support, but I don't know.  Whether it's true or not, the Wii is getting a reputation as being the console of choice for casual gamers and so developers may prove hesitant to develop RPGs for the system.  The Wii might end up with a strong lineup of RPGs, but as of now, that's merely a hope; there's nothing particular noteworthy in the genre on the system at the moment.

In the meantime, I plan on enjoying the 360's RPG library while marveling at the strange and bizarre world we live in.

Title	:	Skygunner
Platforms	:	Sony PlayStation 2
Publisher	:	Atlus
ESRB Rating	:	Everyone
Game Rating	:	7.2
Review by	:	Ken Gagne

Not every flying game need be a Top Gun. But the alternative isn't for everyone, either. Fly the offbeat skies in the PlayStation 2 game, SkyGunner. 

These skies are not ones of F14 Tomcats and heat-seeking missiles, but colorful caricatures and impossible airships. The pirate Ventre seeks to steal the Eternal Engine, a machine capable of perpetual motion. It's up to the adventurous pilots known as the SkyGunners to protect it. 

SkyGunner's Japanese origin is evident in both its art and character styles. Between levels, the storyline is developed in slowly-progressing comic book panels, forcing gamers to endure the fixed pace. At boot time, either Japanese or English spoken dialogue can be chosen — but loading a saved game will reset to whichever option was chosen for that saved data. The only way to switch languages is not only to reboot, but to restart from level one. 

Once the options are set and a training mode complete, gamers are launched to do battle with the wicked Ventre and his minions. The gameplay is not altogether different from Star Wars Rogue Leader, where squads of enemies must be defeated or allied ships protected. Novice gamers will fall into a routine of strafing runs, followed by quick retreats and 180-degree turns. This practice may finish the level, but it won't earn any rewards. 

A complex scoring system introduces an element of strategy into the game. Targeting specific enemies can cause high-scoring explosions that will eliminate entire squadrons and gun batteries. Considering this element in the heat of battle is difficult, though, and is further unaided by the control scheme. 

Whereas most flying games provide a variety of camera angles, including from the cockpit, SkyGunner sets the pilot as secondary to the target. The camera is always locked on the enemy, not the hero, and no matter the dive, climb, or barrel roll, the player, if not his plane, will always be focused in that direction. 

The controls allow many different ways to lock onto an enemy. The R2 button switches between units, while Triangle alternates between enemies in a unit. It is confusing to determine exactly which enemy in which unit should be targeted, and then to do so. And since the camera doesn't point in the same direction as the player is flying, potential targets are often limited to whatever the game feels like showing the player. 

What is shown is bright and vibrant, depicting a full world through which to fly. Air battles in various weathers, as well as strikes against ground and sea units, must be endured. The potential blankness of a blue sky or ocean background is relieved with lightning storms, lighthouses, and cityscapes. Many gauges and other information litter the screen, periodically joined by speech balloons and environmental descriptions. Though powerful warships can fill the screen, drawing a bead on the smaller, more standard fighter planes is a harder task. 

The music is suitably light and cheerful for the game's cartoonish atmosphere, occasionally reminiscent of the early Final Fantasy games. The voice acting, whether in Japanese or in English, is only average. 

SkyGunner is a lighthearted romp through dangerous skies. The gameplay is as simple or complicated as a player wishes, but gamers are likely to be unengaged by the former and find insufficient incentive to seek the latter.

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This article is copyright (c) 2002, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Sentinel & Enterprise, 22-Jul-02

"Dear Kyleen, My fiancee left me 5 years ago and I still haven't gotten over her. Now I fall for girls aimlessly. What can I do?"

Answering this question is Kyleen Nelphe, a vivacious 16-year old girl from the floating city of Sharan, whose saucy, "me first" personality often is reflected in her replies. Kyleen is just one of the many girls of Thousand Arms, Atlus' role-playing game for the Sony PlayStation.

Thousand Arms' hero, Meis, is a young "spirit blacksmith" on a quest to save a magical world from an unspeakable evil. The key to his success is that a beautiful woman must be present to help impart a spirit to Meis' forged swords; the stronger the love and respect of the woman for the blacksmith, the greater the weapon that can be forged. Thus, in addition to all the other cool events that occur in this epic RPG, Meis needs to meet - and date - women to accumulate charisma and intimacy levels so they will help you forge or improve weapons you and your party acquire as the story unfolds.

Thousand Arms was originally developed by Atlus in cooperation with RED Company of Japan, and it happens to be the first Japanese RPG game to be translated and made available for American gamers to enjoy that includes a unique "dating" element.

"Ren'ai", or "romantic", video games (also known by some as "dating simulations") have been all the rage in Japan for several years. In these, the player's character (usually male, sometimes female) must meet and get acquainted with various characters with the goal of fostering a virtual "relationship". This is usually accomplished by scripted "discussions" with a character, who will pose questions or make small talk. Players usually select one of several possible answers (often indicating different degrees of interest) that will have a direct bearing on whether the character decides she likes you or not and what happens in the story.

What makes the "dating" experience, especially in Thousand Arms, so dynamic is that the characters on screen have different facial expressions, reactions, body language, and lip sync that accompany fully spoken dialogue by talented voice actors. The characters react appropriately to your responses, too, and the programming is such that they can be increasingly receptive or equally moody. And if you "say" the wrong thing or exhibit boorish behavior, they sometimes will "remember" slights and exhibit jealousy or anger toward you or other characters. Of course, a player's long-term goal is to have successfully dated each character, not only to obtain spells but to see the character's unique events and reactions as the storylines progress in the game.

Yet the girls of Thousand Arms are not content to remain characters in their fantasy world; they're now offering their advice about life, love, and dating in the Sodina & Friends Advice Column.

"We struck upon the idea of an advice column, similar to the ones seen in the new brand of men's magazines (Gear, Details, etc)," said Colin Totman, the Thousand Arms script editor and author of the girls' wisdom. "Thankfully, the mature themes and the strong female presence in the game were a natural fit for this type of column."

Totman reads the emails sent to advicegirls@atlus.com, then sits down with a group of Atlus men and women. After deciding which questions to answer and possible slants to take in the advice, Totman gets into character and writes the girls' responses. The web page, found at http://www.atlus.com/thousandarms/advice1.html, is updated regularly with the latest serious and not-so-serious questions and answers.

The column's letters and responses vary from the serious to the whimsical, with Sodina usually offering practical answers and Kyleen (and sometimes Myna) tending to be a bit more outrageous.

Oh, and Kyleen's response to the opening question? "It's time to move on… Please step away from the self-pity. It isn't flattering."

But as the web page says, readers are encouraged to remember: "This advice is for entertainment purposes only. Any attempts to use this advice in real life may get you slapped or laughed at."

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This review is copyright (c) 1999, 2000 by Ken Gagne and Richard E. Rae. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original Publication: Sentinel & Enterprise, 1-Nov-99

Title	:	Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers
Platforms	:	Sega Saturn (1996), Sony PlayStation (import, 1999)
Publisher	:	Atlus
Game Rating	:	9.4
Review by	:	Robert Boyd

In the near future, everyone is hooked up to a massive electronic network. Incredible virtual worlds allow experiences never before thought possible. On the surface, things seem better than ever. But technology can be used for evil as well as good. An organization known as the Phantom Society seeks to steal away the souls of every man, woman, and child through Paradygm X — a new virtual world. Only the Spookies (a group of amateur hackers) stand in their way. 

This is the world of Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, for Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn (Saturn version reviewed here). It's the latest RPG in Atlus' Megami Tensei series. Only one game in the series has been translated into English so far — a gaiden (side story) for the PlayStation called Revelations: Persona. If all of the games in this series are as good as Soul Hackers, it's a shame that we haven't seen more of them. 

Unique is the word that best describes Soul Hackers. Utilizing an equal mixture of advanced technology and the occult, the developers at Atlus have created a truly unique world. Monsters stalk the hallways of major corporate buildings. Your best friend, Hitomi, brings new meaning to the phrase, "multiple personalities," when she becomes possessed by a powerful spirit. People lose their souls in front of their computers. Portable computers summon forth powerful demons. This is not your usual RPG. The story makes good use of the system's FMV capabilities and delivers many memorable moments. 

Gameplay is also very unique and quite deep. Your characters fight the forces of evil with knives, guns, magic — all typical weapons — but they also fight with dialogue. In most battles, negotiations with the enemy can be attempted. If successful, combat can be avoided, items and money can be extorted, and enemy demons can even be persuaded to join your team. Demons can be powerful allies in battle (up to 4 can be summoned at a time) and can be combined to create even more powerful monsters. The Phantom Society is made up of many master devil summoners (hence the title); if you don't build up an army of powerful demons yourself, you don't stand a chance against them. 

Another interesting aspect of the game is the portable computer your character uses. This computer is primarily used for summoning and storing demons, but it can also be upgraded with various add-on modules (26 in total). These modules enable a wide range of useful (and useless) features like automapping, saving in dungeons, enemy detectors, and a clock. Some strategy is required here as only a limited number of modules can be utilized at any one time. 

The graphics are well designed even though they are not spectacular from a technological viewpoint. The music sets the tone nicely and is pretty good, but not great. But Soul Hackers' original and well done story and deep gameplay make up for these minor shortcomings. Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers is a very good game. It's also pretty long. 

Atlus was planning on translating this game into English, but Sony has denied them a US license. Feel free to contact Sony and complain. Right now, the only way to play the game is by buying the Japanese version from one of the import game companies on the internet. The Saturn version is currently available and a PlayStation version (with Pocketstation support and a demo of Persona 2) is about to be released. The game requires a knowledge of Japanese to truly enjoy (an English guide is available at http://www.gamefaqs.com though), but if you're up to the challenge, Soul Hackers is well worth your time. 

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This article is copyright (c) 1999, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Sentinel & Enterprise, 12-Jul-99

Title	:	Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers
Platforms	:	Sega Saturn (1996), Sony PlayStation (import, 1999)
Publisher	:	Atlus
Game Rating	:	9.4
Review by	:	Robert Boyd

In the near future, everyone is hooked up to a massive electronic network. Incredible virtual worlds allow experiences never before thought possible. On the surface, things seem better than ever. But technology can be used for evil as well as good. An organization known as the Phantom Society seeks to steal away the souls of every man, woman, and child through Paradygm X — a new virtual world. Only the Spookies (a group of amateur hackers) stand in their way. 

This is the world of Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, for Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn (Saturn version reviewed here). It's the latest RPG in Atlus' Megami Tensei series. Only one game in the series has been translated into English so far — a gaiden (side story) for the PlayStation called Revelations: Persona. If all of the games in this series are as good as Soul Hackers, it's a shame that we haven't seen more of them. 

Unique is the word that best describes Soul Hackers. Utilizing an equal mixture of advanced technology and the occult, the developers at Atlus have created a truly unique world. Monsters stalk the hallways of major corporate buildings. Your best friend, Hitomi, brings new meaning to the phrase, "multiple personalities," when she becomes possessed by a powerful spirit. People lose their souls in front of their computers. Portable computers summon forth powerful demons. This is not your usual RPG. The story makes good use of the system's FMV capabilities and delivers many memorable moments. 

Gameplay is also very unique and quite deep. Your characters fight the forces of evil with knives, guns, magic — all typical weapons — but they also fight with dialogue. In most battles, negotiations with the enemy can be attempted. If successful, combat can be avoided, items and money can be extorted, and enemy demons can even be persuaded to join your team. Demons can be powerful allies in battle (up to 4 can be summoned at a time) and can be combined to create even more powerful monsters. The Phantom Society is made up of many master devil summoners (hence the title); if you don't build up an army of powerful demons yourself, you don't stand a chance against them. 

Another interesting aspect of the game is the portable computer your character uses. This computer is primarily used for summoning and storing demons, but it can also be upgraded with various add-on modules (26 in total). These modules enable a wide range of useful (and useless) features like automapping, saving in dungeons, enemy detectors, and a clock. Some strategy is required here as only a limited number of modules can be utilized at any one time. 

The graphics are well designed even though they are not spectacular from a technological viewpoint. The music sets the tone nicely and is pretty good, but not great. But Soul Hackers' original and well done story and deep gameplay make up for these minor shortcomings. Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers is a very good game. It's also pretty long. 

Atlus was planning on translating this game into English, but Sony has denied them a US license. Feel free to contact Sony and complain. Right now, the only way to play the game is by buying the Japanese version from one of the import game companies on the internet. The Saturn version is currently available and a PlayStation version (with Pocketstation support and a demo of Persona 2) is about to be released. The game requires a knowledge of Japanese to truly enjoy (an English guide is available at http://www.gamefaqs.com though), but if you're up to the challenge, Soul Hackers is well worth your time. 

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This article is copyright (c) 1999, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Sentinel & Enterprise, 12-Jul-99