Level-Up Friday’s: Level 08

Well it’s been somewhat light on news this week so lets get that out of the way.  Those who are looking forward to Valkyria Chronicles 2 and can speak Japanese It seems as though a Demo will be coming soon. A Valkyria Chronicles 2 Demo is set to be released on November 1st in Japan. The demo is the same demo that was playable at TGS this year so those who have been following the game extensively will probably know exactly what to expect. Still getting your hands on the game itself can still be quite the thrill so keep a eye out for it.

Much more important(at least to me) is word that Selvaria Bles will appear in Valkryia Chronicles 2. Those who pre order the game(In Japan of course) Will get a code giving them access to play as Selvaria. It’s unclear as this point if she will actually be involved in the storyline and given the events of the first game it seems unlikely although not impossible. At this point I would say this is just being done for fans but we may find out she does indeed have involvement with the story line. At this point it’s hard to say.

In other news NIS has released a new trailer for Ar Tonelico III and I have to say it looks incredible. The majority of the trailer shows beautifully detailed anime cut scenes set against beautiful music with bits of game play here and there. While the game may not graphically floor anyone it still looks impressive and the art style really helps the game stand out a bit. It’s not he best Cel Shading out there(I still think Trusty Bell holds that title) But it’s certainly far from the worse. For those looking forward to the game you can check out the full trailer here on YouTube.

Lastly it seems the US release date of Final Fantasy XIII may be coming soon. A Ad for a casting call seems to indicate a event that will unveil the release date. The add lists things such as a look at the history behind the series, Developer commentary as well as new footage. Lastly the words “Camera Pans Back to Unveil Release Date” Seems to confirm that the announcement will be coming soon. May have speculated that Spring 2010 would be the likely release point for the game however it will be nice have a much more concrete timeframe for the game.

Today we are going to talk about a incredible classic that at the time of releases was extremely overlooked  by gamers. I speak of Chrono Cross. Yes the sequel to Chrono Trigger was never really appreciated by fans although it was praised by critics even receiving a perfect score from Gamespot(At this time they still had a reputation). The game obviously could not live up to Chrono Trigger widely considered to be one of if not the best RPG’s of all time but that doesn’t mean the game wasn’t incredible amazing at the time. However fans couldn’t seem to get past the fact that the game should have lived up to and surpassed Chrono Trigger.

The game is more or less unrelated to Chrono Trigger only featuring key themes such as time travel and alternate dimensions. An entirely new cast of characters(Many of which are in my opinion Iconic to this day like Kid and Lynx). While the game does have some relation to Radical Dreamers which was a side story for Chrono Trigger released only in Japan the average fan saw the game as more of a Final Fantasy in that it seemed to be a completely new story and world.

At the time the game was a graphical masterpiece of graphics that to this day can hold up when played through again. Add to that the incredible musical score by Yasunori Mitsuda(Who also composed Chrono Trigger) and you had one of the most epic and beautifully put together games of all time.

So what exactly was it that made the fans shy away from this incredible game? Well there are a few reasons I can think of some that make sense and others that are pretty questionable. I have had quite a few people tell me that the incredibly large cast of characters turned them off because they tended towards wanting to only use and see a few key character. I can understand this as the game did have a very large cast of 45 characters that could all be recruited to join your party at one point or another. Some thought this idea went a bit overboard and while I personally didn’t mind it I can see how someone would get confused and shy away from the game.

Another  reason could simply be that most people wanted a direct sequel to Chrono Trigger and that’s not what they got(Although references and other various bits are referred to). The game is considered a sequel but it’s fairer to say that it’s simply the next game in the series ala Final Fantasy as I mentioned earlier.

There is no doubting the game is incredible. From the incredibly unique combat system(There has still not in my opinion been a combat system more fun and unique then the element system) To the incredible story line to the awesome characters. The game was in my opinion a masterpiece. I really would love to see a sequel in the future and while the idea has been talked about and tossed around at Square-Enix it seems as though the idea is dead in the water for the time being. Altough if there is any time for a new game in the series it would be now with the recent release of Chrono Trigger on the DS. Renewed interest in the series could very well spawn a sequel if enough people out there clamor for it.

That’s it for this week. Leave you questions and comments below and I will be sure to answer them if I can.