Oh hello there, welcome to a preview of the latest game from the creative minds that brought the world the Persona series. Never heard of Persona? Not too surprising, really. It's not a giant amongst the video game industry, though if you like JRPGs... I'm not sure how you've never heard of it. In any case, I played this game. So... want to see what I thought of it?
Well, let's begin with the opening (not this one). While it doesn't really hold any relevance to the game... (or does it??), it was GORGEOUS! A sort of simplistic, soft art style that transcends time and goes through different parts of history. The image to the right was taken with my cell phone because I was so impressed with it, so I apologize for it's blurriness. In any case, onto the game.
Now, one thing you probably didn't expect from this. It has MULTIPLAYER!!! HUH?! Well, yeah... I couldn't play it, but it has it. It involves races amongst other things. The single player of the game is called... erm... "Golden Theater," which is named for a show that is hosted by Midnight Venus, a six-headed woman wearing a giant red afro in the game. Yup, glorious.
So what's the actual game like? Well, let's take a look. As you've probably seen in trailers (if you haven't, see below), there's a big block puzzle thing that constantly has some sort of creepy creature chasing you. This includes things like babies with forks, creatures construed of a butt with eyes, etc... Pushing, pulling, climbing of blocks to get to the top is what is required of this section. Can't climb fast enough? The monster slaughters you mercilessly. From about 1 minute on is the scene I described (not all of it, but the climbing and fork action).
Aside from that, there is the beautiful animation that is done by Studio4°C. This is when you see that Persona flare - the story telling, the deep mental struggle... The Persona series has always dealt with mature themes, but have always been held back due to the limitations of the video game medium. No one really has taken them too serious. Lately, since games have gone HD, they've been getting quite a bit more attention from the world outside of those that play them. Why? They're pushing boundaries, and people don't like it. And why not? Well, video games are for kids. Right? Well... heh... not always... not anymore.
Other gameplay aspects encompass getting text messages from various contacts, such as Katherine (your spouse) and others. You even get to respond (or choose not to) in various manners, which then affects your morality in the game. Morality obviously changes the outcome of the game, so... like with all the Persona games, this warrants multiple playthroughs. Overall, this game seems to be a gem that many only know about because of the sexual themes being exerted so much. I mean, even the covers of the game are provocative. The left is Catherine, and the right is Katherine.
Is it too much? I don't think so. If anything, this is what the industry needs - another game to push the bounds. The more games we get like this, the more video games will actually be appreciated and not made fun of in terms of a form of entertainment/media. Imagine how boring games would be if they all stuck to the same cut/paste formula. Controversial, thought-provoking, interactive forms of story telling are the future - the world just doesn't know it yet.
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