Goombd Played! - Gungnir

The saying goes that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. In Gungnir's case, Atlus' newest grid based J-RPG, being beautiful only takes it so far. 

Unlike the usual Japanese role playing game, Gungnir doesn't sport a particularly convoluted plot. Two factions are at each other's throats, one being the lower class, suffering in the slums and in poverty, while the other, the rich folks. Guess which side the heroic Esperanza guerrilla group stands and you've got yourself into Gungnir's story in a nutshell.

Similarly to INS' hugely popular RPG series Disgaea, Gungnir's combat system is entirely grid-based, with the same options of equipping characters and somewhat customizing their abilities to your taste. If you've played any tactical game released in the last fifteen years, among them greats like Tactics Ogre and the newer Joan D'Arc, you will know what to expect. While not close to being boring in this regard, Gungnir does little to set itself apart. Battles play out as you'd expect and very rarely stray out of the realm of the 'rock-paper-scissors' formula of planning out attack turns. Even on boss fights.

As I briefly touched earlier on, this game's plot is a little uninspired and boring. Unlike previous attempts at tactical RPGs that were mentioned before, there are hardly any redeeming points in this tale of the plight of poverty, and what's even worse, the little there are in attempts at development fall flat. All thanks to the limited scope of dialogue choices that very rarely go past the clichéd and tired stoic "dying for what it's right" stance, all throughout the game. There's not even a drop of the much expected animé humor thrown in and granted, that's a huge cliché in this sort of game but hey... it would've helped in this case.

On the other hand, I can't help but applaud Gungnir's visual design. At a certain point during my playthrough, I decided to pay more attention to the colorful art than anything else. Gungnir is absolutely gorgeous. Its mix of beautifuly textured polygonal environments and detailed sprite work is easily this game's most distinguinshing feature.

There is a handful of tactical RPGs out there already that do what Gungnir tries to do with much better results, not only story-wise, but in gameplay. That's not to say Gungnir is completely awful and if you manage to turn yourself off from the pinky toe level shallowness of its plot and focus on just winning battles, it works. But that's what holds it back, potential players having better options already available on the same portable system. Gungnir does little to nothing to set itself apart from the bunch and that's what kills it. |6

Goombd Played! - Trine 2

Following in the footsteps of its 2009 predecessor, Trine 2 is absolutely gorgeous. It carries the great combinations of beautiful art and smart puzzle design the original Trine an amazing indie game and takes some core ideas even further.

The magical artifact called the Trine calls upon the trio of heroes yet again. The wizard, an expert in conjuring items out of thin air, was busy taking care of his new family, while the bulky, sword and hammer wielding knight killed evil weeds and the acrobatic thief looked for the next big heist. Called off for a new adventure, they each employ their unique set of skills in their new quest to save a kingdom. Their only catch, which quickly becomes your problem - you can only control one of these guys at once.

That is if you're playing Trine 2 by yourself. This is the first time in the series where you're able to invite a friend onto your couch or online lobby to join you, each controlling a different character. Playing solo is possible and fun on its own but Trine 2's big draw is the new cooperative mode. The puzzle design is brilliantly designed in a way that allows you to figure everything out on your own but can also be broken up by a group of players putting their brains together.

Much like the first Trine, Trine 2's story is presented in a fairy tale book style. Each colorful level brings its own flavor, hitting your eyes with vibrant visuals in just about every corner. Even caves are beautifully drawn in this game. This is probably one of the few instances where you'll be happy to be in a dank place for so long, only to find your character drawfed by a gigantic sunset.

There's a lot to look forward to in Trine 2 if you're familiar with the original game. Likely, you probably got annoyed by the character development tree in the original or how magic drained a meter with every spell. One of these matters are done away with, in a sense. The magic meter, of one, is gone, while the development tree is made much simpler to deal with. A new skill point is earned with every 50 experience points you collect. It can be spent in new abilities for one of the three characters. This time, though, you're able to freely "respec" the tree at any time, so even when you don't have enough points to max everyone out, you can activate the right abilities at the right time and switch everything out on the fly.

These special abilities play a big part in game. Some puzzles require simple deduction and probably only one of your characters while others deal with complex timing that demands quick reactions and multiple abilities working in tandem. That's the fun aspect of Trine 2 that constantly dares you to be creative and think outside the box or even better, not to over-analyze a situation and simply look at what is dealt to you.

Trine 2 is a blast. While not the longest of journeys you'll embark in anytime soon, it's one hell of a ride. It's gorgeous, smart and mostly importantly, it doesn't hold you by the hand. This is one the best sequels out there and it can easily fall into anyone's 'favorites' list like it did with me. If you're into puzzle games with charm, personality and a little something extra, you should look no further. Trine 2 is just that. |8