December 18th, 2005
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Another World
Resolutions are the kind of things that happen everyday, not just at New Year’s. We strive to better ourselves, and lay to rest our tragic weaknesses. Sometimes, we try to be practical, and set short term goals. I have more than new administration, but I hope to add some small amount of accomplishment to my life with fixed periods of abstinence.
For the month of December, I will not play video games (for recreation). This means no console at homes, AND no GBA or DS on the train. I’m just that serious. I hope to accomplish a lot more this month than I have in the last three, because the vices I have with CRTs are just glasses of beer and whiskey for trampled individuals. There is something worthwhile in them, but for the most part it’s just a coping mechanism to dull the pain of a hard day, mental and emotional dope. But for the last month of the year, I will not pour the problems and frustrations of my life into some pixilated, blue haired starlet who casts cure spells and dreams of saving the universe.
The ban does not apply to everyone in the household, unfortunately.
I FINALLY finished Star Ocean 2 on the night of November 30th, though not completely done with the Cave of Trials, I finished the seventh floor and got my two pairs of Bunny Shoes and an Eternal Sphere (thanks Santa). Ultimately, I think I was overdoing it. The truth is I probably could have beaten Indalecio even without the augmented equipment, if I had refocused my strategy a bit more. But, I ran to the cave with the promise of fantastic experience, and emerged several weeks later at level 137. I didn’t really realize it until the final boss battle was over, but I had far exceeded the minimum requirements. I beat the tar out of that tenth wise man, or as my dad would say, “I cleaned his clock.” It took about a minute and a half, and I only got hit once.
In any case, it’s done, and so is my torrid affair with Star Ocean, for now. I have mixed feelings about the game, similar but different than Chrono Cross. The story was uninspiring at points, and there were enough strange (or weak) interpretations of things to make it hard to cuddle up to. The game was released in 1999/2000, in the same window as Final Fantasy IX, and it’s impossible to make a comparison between the two. Either Square is leagues more adroit than any other RPG maker, or Tri-Ace has an odd approach to development. It’s probably both.
But it wasn’t terrible. I thank the wonderful people at Enix for a RPG and levelling up system that is fairly original, and has a good number of creative ideas that could be transferred to future games. The ATG based battle was much more satisfying than Chrono Cross’s as well. The graphics were pretty weak though, both 3D and sprite-based.
In any case, no more games this month, and a renewed effort at being productive, and doing things that will reward me more farther down the line; mental investments. Even though I cheated on Star Ocean and started Silent Hill 3, that one’s going to have to get shelved for a while, much as Resident Evil: Code Veronica did.
Editor’s note: After getting incredibly sick with a cold that floored me for almost a week, I ended up going insane just laying around watching movies and beat Silent Hill 3 over pizza. I am a weak, weak man.
