Surprise Bargains

What was supposed to be just a normal trip out to the burbs to shop at a mall called Yorkdale Shopping Centre turned into an orgy of game purchasing for Games-I-Like-But-Don’t-Love that I’ve been Kind’a-Sort’a-Meaning-To-Pick-Up-At-Some-Point.

Thanks to EB Games and a “March Madness” sale that I just didn’t see coming, they had huge bins full of used/rental copies of games. One bin was 2 games for $20 and the other was 2 games for $30. Here’s what I ended up with.

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War

I’ve been playing the Ace Combat series since it first debuted on the Playstation 1, but had gotten slack in keeping up with the series on the PS2, thanks to the explosion of other games that kept me busy. This will be a good chance for me to once again enjoy my favorite feature of the game; the radar summary at the end that charts your flight path and shows you just how much you suck when you hopelessly pursue enemy planes. Who knew all those turns would end up as a pretty corkscrew when viewed from thousands of feet away?


Drakengard 2

I got the original Drakengard primarily because the concept was so out there; a combination of Army Fighter (where you as a lone soldier take on an entire army, usually simultaneously) combined with Panzer Dragoon (think arcade fighter flight simulation, but with dragons) mechanics… And it was made by Square-Enix, the Final Fantasy guys. While it wasn’t a classic, the game still offered a warped and disturbing plot, as well as some adequate game play. I’m curious to see how the follow up goes.

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

Had to get it, man. Had to. The first Prince of Persia: Sands of Time was one of the best action/platformers made in the PS2/Xbox generation. And even though the critics came down pretty harshly on the sequel for abandoning everything good about the first in favor of a “dark, gritty” Frank Miller-esque take, I still want to find out what happens next. And hey, it was 10 bucks…

Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones

And finally, the conclusion to the Prince of Persia trilogy which came out just last year. This one I have much higher hopes for, if only because the critics were more generous in their praise. The game is supposedly a return to the form of the first, with more emphasis on the platforming, acrobatic, environmental puzzle aspects that were so unique in the first place. As you can see, there’s also a chariot race, and the game incorporates some of the same Dragon’s Lair-esque mechanics of the God of War series with special moves being executed to timed button presses.

Speaking of which, God of War II is now finished, and that was practically a religious experience if you’re any kind of action gamer. Anyone that has a PS2 MUST get this game, though it can be a bit demanding during certain points even at the normal difficulty level. Still, this is without a doubt the single finest action game experience you’re ever going to have on the Playstation 2, so if you’re a fan of the genre, do yourself a favor and DO NOT MISS THIS TITLE.