Japan Review Check: The Last Story, Valkyria 3

The New Year holidays are over, and Japan's game industry is back to feverishly releasing new titles. It's a bumper crop for Asian console gamers this week, and here are the main highlights, as seen in the review section of this week'sFamitsumagazine:

-The Last Story(10/10/9/9, 38 points): High marks abound for Hironobu Sakaguchi's latest full-scale RPG, with much of the praise focusing on the game's fights."The battle system seems complex at first, but it's actually simple enough to control that even casual users won't have a problem,"Famitsusaid."There's a ton of strategy involved. Your party members talk a lot, too, which adds a great deal to the feeling that you're on an adventure."

"It's a very classical RPG,"another reviewer added,"but the battle system is revolutionary in the way it combines fast action with deep strategy. It allows for players to come up with original strategies for any situation."

-Valkyria Chronicles 3(9/9/9/9, 36 points): Many gamers were disappointed that Sega's unique strategy/action hybrid series stuck with the PSP for the second release in a row, but luckily, the game itself doesn't seem to be any the worse for wear for it."The unique setting and deep storytelling elements really pull you in,"wrote one reviewer."The battle map helps with that, too, making it easy to gauge the situation at all times. I also like how each unit is really different; how you use and improve them has a direct effect on your battle tactics, which is fun."

"The BLiTZ system has been expanded and updated, giving you more freedom than ever,"another added."The more you understand it, the more unique the battle strategies you're able to come up with."

-MindJack(7/7/6/6, 26 points): Square Enix isn't doing much to advertise this shooter on either side of the Pacific, and looking at the review scores, it's plain to see why."The way you can switch to online co-op or competitive gameplay at any time in story mode is a novel idea,"one writer said."However, the game's hard right from the outset (because co-op play is a given, perhaps?), and battles tend to go on forever, which makes them samey after a while. The fact that not even a headshot will take an enemy down fast really hurts the pace of the game."

Another reviewer had different complaints:"The controls need work, like with the way you leave your cover if you move your view around in cover mode. The AI is a little suspect as well, with enemies and allies both flying into fire without any backup."

-Dragon Age Origins(10/10/8/9, 37 points): A variety of old-ish Western games are hitting Japan console shelves in the coming week, and Dragon Age Origins was by far the oneFamitsuhad the most enthusiasm for."With the game's deep setting and diverse range of characters, it's like you're in a medieval fantasy movie,"one review began."It's very impressive how much your party, the story, and the attitudes of people around you change depending on your decisions. It really makes you want to play the game with all the different races and classes."

Another writer summed it up well:"If you want to sit down and really get into a work of dark fantasy, this is the game for you. There's a lot you need to keep track of, but any fantasy RPG fan should try it."

-Scribblenauts(9/9/7/10, 35 points): Konami has finally localized the original Scribblenauts for Japan, andFamitsu's reviewers had a very interesting divergence of opinion about the results."There's a lot of fun stuff to do in this game -- finding new words, thinking about how to use items, discovering a novel use for something you had before,"one said."You can't help but want to show your friends whatever uncommon and neat solution you just came up with to solve a puzzle. It's that sense of discovery that makes this special, something you only see in games."

Another reviewer, while liking the concept, complained about a lack of real gameplay content."There isn't a lot here that motivates you to keep on playing,"he wrote."I think this is something you'll get bored of pretty easily. Some more story elements, or some kind of character-improvement system, would have been nice."

-The Sly Collection(8/8/7/7, 30 points): The reviewers were polite, if not all that adulatory, about the PS3 Sly Cooper compilation."All three games are easily approachable and don't require difficult controls,"one said."The first one is divided into stages and is pretty easy to handle, but the others are more about finishing missions in much larger environments, greatly expanding the 'thief' element."

"The camera angles are a bit rough in spots -- particuarly annoying in the first game, where you die in one hit,"another noted."Still, it's a very nice, well-connected package, even if the PS Move stuff is nothing more than a little bonus."

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