Now Playing: Week of April 21-27

Welcome back to the place where we talk about what games we'll be playing in the upcoming week! Here's the run-down:

Holly
I'll be playing much of what I have been playing for weeks now: game-beating is slow-going with an overstuffed class schedule to keep one busy. So my "usuals" are returning: Metroid Prime, Xenoblade Chronicles, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Golden Sun, and Metroid: Zero Mission are priorities. I might try to squeeze some Okami in, but somehow playing it feels more like a chore than anything else right now. I'm afraid I can't explain that...

Mary
With all of her activities (especially as the school year approaches its close), Mary has limited herself to one gaming desire for the week: playing Guitar Hero. If the opportunity presents itself, however, we may play some Donkey Kong Country Returns or World of Goo together at some point.   

Now Playing: Week of April 14-20

Welcome to another edition of Now Playing! Let's dive right into the games of the week:

Holly
As a recent First Impressions post would tell you, I finally received and have been playing the Wii game Xenoblade Chronicles. This week, I also hope to break back into Okami for Wii. I'm finding it somewhat difficult to do so, but I must! Metroid Prime rounds out this week's Wii line-up. It's pretty ambitious, I know! In the handheld realm, I will still be playing Kid Icarus: Uprising, but, having beaten it, it'll be more of an afterthought to GBA games Golden Sun and Metroid: Zero Mission. In addition to all of the above games, I may sprinkle in some of the following during the week: Rhythm Heaven Fever, Super Mario Galaxy (1 and 2), Final Fantasy III, Super Mario 64, and Wii Sports Resort. How 'bout you all?

First Impressions: Xenoblade Chronicles

A lot of things went through my mind as I played Xenoblade Chronicles for the first hour last night. Were they good or bad? You'll have to read on to find out!

Voice Acting
The voice work in the game is pretty solid. At times it felt like it was somehow disconnected from the rest of the game. Also, I found it rather obnoxious that the same lines would be repeated several times in a row during battle. And the after-battle lines didn't have much variation either. Other than those two qualms, I'm alright with the voice acting.

Game World
I haven't even reached the good parts in the game world that Xenoblade Chronicles creates, yet I already know from the little bits I have been in that I'm in for a treat. Environments are lush and just beg to be explored. There is one reason and one reason only why I want to get back to the game, and it's to set out in a land riddled with secrets to discover.

Battling
Battling is also solid in Xenoblade Chronicles. The method for battling doesn't involve mindless button mashing, I can tell you that. During battle, approaching an enemy will cause your character to automatically attack. However, it turns out to be useful to take advantage of special powers called Arts. That is where strategy comes in. The Art system is easy to use, but has a welcome depth to it.

Other Thoughts
One thing I find irritating about Xenoblade Chronicles so far is the size of the print. I found myself squinting at the screen when I wanted to read tutorial information. I tried to find a way to change that in the options, but it was a no-go. Fortunately it won't be long before I'm through with tutorials, but there are other places where the game is plagued with this minute text. It remains to be seen whether this will detract from the entire game.

Frankly, Xenoblade Chronicles hasn't impressed me a whole lot so far. However, I can honestly say I'm looking forward to playing again. I know the best is yet to come!