Video Game Analysis | John Friscia

Category Archives: Video Game Analysis

Reviewing Until Dawn

Posted on August 28, 2015 by John Friscia 2 comments

Until Dawn is a horror movie that you get to play and control. It celebrates as many tropes of the horror genre as it can fit into the span of one story, for better and for worse, but without ever devolving into parody or soulless copycat. This is not a game catering exclusively to horror junkies though; I had been excited to get my hands on this game for a long time, in spite of not actually being a fan of horror myself. As it turns out, my excitement was warranted. Until Dawn ain’t perfect, but that didn’t stop me from loving it. Read more

Reviewing Final Fantasy Type-0 HD

Posted on May 27, 2015 by John Friscia 2 comments

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is a game about death. In spite of the presence of magic, monsters, and chocobos, it manages to capture the despair and terror of war better than any game I have played before. Does that make this game a classic for the ages? No, not by a long shot. But it is quite a good upgrade on the Japan-only original released for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) back in 2011. I was an unexpectedly huge fan of the earlier PSP title Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII when it released, and Type-0 HD takes that action RPG style of combat and expands upon it with over a dozen new styles of play. Combine that combat with the obsessive ruminations on death, and you have a very unique new title in the Final Fantasy series, and a pretty unique title in general. Read more

Why Creating a ‘Greatest Video Games of All Time’ List Is Impossible

Posted on April 30, 2015 by John Friscia One comment

Everybody loves to make “best ever” lists–best movies ever, best novels ever, best dish detergents ever, etc. And when it comes to video games, the Internet is bloated with articles trying to tell you which ones are the best. In fact, in my review of Axiom Verge, I casually began by calling Super Metroid maybe “the most perfect video game ever created.” But upon further scrutiny, I realize now that such distinctions are not really possible for video games. Here’s the simple reason why. Read more

Reviewing Axiom Verge

Posted on April 12, 2015 by John Friscia Leave a comment

Placed in historical context and judged by its own merits, I think Super Metroid might be the most perfect video game ever created. Through unusual art direction and an exceedingly good soundtrack, the game managed to create a deeply rich atmosphere and weave a story with almost no dialogue. The levels were also designed so well that the game never needed to hold your hand, nor did it ever offer to hold your hand. Super Metroid was an experience where gameplay was king 100 percent of the time, and success or failure could always be blamed squarely on you, the player.

Axiom Verge draws inspiration from several old classics, not just Super Metroid, but including Blaster Master, Bionic Commando, and even the original, seldom discussed Metroid. Yet it is still what many people now call a “Metroidvania” game, and it surely intends to deliver an experience where gameplay is king. And you know what? Axiom Verge delivers, above and beyond expectations. This game is just darn clever. The fact that it was made top to bottom by one guy is all the more impressive. Read more

Retro Review: Dragon Warrior VII

Posted on March 21, 2015 by John Friscia 3 comments

The Dragon Quest series, known as Dragon Warrior in the US until the release of Dragon Quest VIII, is the prototype for the entire JRPG genre. Originally inspired by complicated western role-playing computer games like Wizardry and Ultima, Dragon Quest simplified the formula and ended up becoming the most massively successful game series ever in Japan. In the United States though, the series has always played second fiddle (or maybe fourth or fifth fiddle) to the prettier and more cinematic Final Fantasy series. You can’t really blame the US though; we never officially got the fifth or sixth installments in this country at all until they were remade for the Nintendo DS. And although we did finally receive Dragon Warrior VII for PlayStation, it did not arrive until 2001, a full year after the release of PlayStation 2. I myself did not get my hands on the game until 13 years later.

In spite of its absolute adherence to tradition and an almost complete lack of innovation in its gameplay, I find that Dragon Warrior VII still holds up surprisingly well by today’s standards. I would even argue that, in both good and bad ways, this game pushes the concept of the traditional JRPG to its limit. Read more

Reviewing Dragon Age: Inquisition

Posted on December 10, 2014 by John Friscia 2 comments

In a lot of ways, Dragon Age: Inquisition was Bioware’s second chance at making Mass Effect 3. Both games task you with uniting the world/galaxy to combat a common threat, and both games are the third entry in series packed to the gills with history and player choices. The problem is that a whole lot of people hated Mass Effect 3. Its ending, as well as other elements of its design, alienated or at least disappointed many series fans, especially considering that Mass Effect 2 was so acclaimed that comparisons to The Empire Strikes Back were made. Dragon Age: Inquisition was Bioware’s opportunity to show they still had what it takes to put out a high quality AAA release. And they mostly succeeded.

[No Spoilers Ahead]

[Please Note: This review only covers the single-player component of the game.]

The Jackal in Us All: A Critical Analysis of Illusion of Gaia

Posted on November 17, 2014 by John Friscia 23 comments

The Super Nintendo was home to any number of masterpieces. Chrono Trigger, Super Metroid, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Final Fantasy VI, and Earthbound are merely the first few to come to mind. As a kid in elementary school, one of my favorites was Illusion of Gaia. It was one of a rare few games that I felt the need to play over again periodically, and eventually, I realized the game was my all-time favorite, even ahead of Chrono Trigger and Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete. It was a game that just resonated with me on a very profound, very nerdy level.

As an adult, a while back, I decided to revisit that view. The result was a lengthy critical analysis of the game, covering every aspect of its design and execution. What did I discover? And is it still my favorite video game? Read on, dear viewer, if you want to read the most intricate dissection ever written about a video game that no average person has ever heard of.