The USCSS Nostromo was a starfreighter, not a starfighter or even a cruiser. It was nothing but a space tugboat, used to push loads of cargo between the stars. It just goes to show you that you can’t judge a ship by its looks, because the Nostromo may not have been much to look at, but it served one of the most important roles in Alien, acting as a floating Amityville Horror, Camp Crystal Lake, and 45 Lampkin Lane all in one. Alien was basically a slasher film in space. While it’s true that in space, no one can hear you scream, no one can run away either. The Nostromo’s oppressive blend of cramped quarters, hissing steam valves, dripping pipes, and cat hidey-holes made it as much of a character and as much of a scare generator as the xenomorph that roamed its halls.
It also featured killer dinner entertainment.
I don’t know what stage of what chapter I’m on and I don’t know how many times I’ve tried it. I lost count when it got above twenty. I can’t even remember which mask I have on. Is it the one that makes dogs ignore me, the one that lets me absorb one bullet, or the one that lets me kill instantly with thrown weapons? All I know is that I’m in a closet. More like a vestibule, really. And beyond this door there’s a man with a shotgun. I need him dead and, more importantly, I need his shotgun.
After the jump, see how well that works out. Continue reading →
Battles in Ni No Kuni are mostly real time. I say mostly because there’s a moment at the beginning of each battle when the game pauses to let you choose your first target. After that, it’s a bit of controlled chaos as familiars attack monsters, monsters attack familiars, and Esther undoubtedly goes down. Oh, Esther. Maybe next time use one of those healing tears on yourself.
After the jump, glims make all the difference. Continue reading →
There’s a moment in the opening hour of Ni No Kuni that places the reality of Oliver’s journey in question. He suffers an unimaginable loss and his tears revive Mr. Drippy, Lord High Lord of the Fairies, who had been conveniently trapped in stuffed animal form all of these years. Shadar cursed Mr. Drippy to remain in doll form, the same Shadar who had taken over Mr. Drippy’s world, the same Shadar who had banished Alicia, Great Sage and soulmate to Oliver’s mom. To go with Mr. Drippy meant a chance for Oliver to not only save Mr. Drippy’s world but also do something about Oliver’s loss. As I watched this, I wondered if this was all real or if this was Oliver’s way of dealing with the tragedy.
After the jump, saying goodbye to Mr. Drippy Continue reading →
Oliver can take part in combat directly, but the majority of the beastie stomping in Ni No Kuni is done via familiars. Familiars are borne of any living thing with a heart, but a heart in the metaphysical, feel-good-summer-of-love sense of the word, not just the literal, beating thing. At the beginning of the game, Oliver gains all of his familiars as story beats but soon Esther can sing songs to serenade creatures who have become so impressed with the beating they just received that they want to join the fun as a familiar. Think Pokemon but without the dog-fighting feel.
After the jump, the most important part Continue reading →
Early on in Ni No Kuni, a JRPG for the Playstation 3, wizard-in-training Oliver and his band of adventuring pals are tasked with completing a set of trials to prove they’re capable of tackling Shadar. Shadar is the Big Bad keeping the world in a perpetual state of brokenheartedness. Seeing how Oliver is the only person willing to take on Shadar, it seems odd that to make him jump through hoops, but this is how wizards have always been evaluated. The Sages aren’t about to let all-encompassing evil get in the way of procedure.
After the jump, find out how wizarding trials break my brain. Continue reading →
