Fishing for Metaphors

I have been feeling nostalgic about the Playstation3, the console that started to show a decline in good games and started to behave like a social platform (PC). Whatever little hope I have left, I did try to scout out those hidden gems. Today, I would like to share three fashionable JRPG video games that I enjoyed on the PS3 and I just realized that I platinum all 3 of them!

Not only do these games are fun to play but they are fashionably cool to look at. I like to dress up my characters quite often which is why I enjoyed Code Vein (2019) a lot for being a Dark Souls (2011) knockoff. They took all the good things and sort of made them into their own, and oddly, it’s not as generic as you might think to take ideas from a great game. Great things inspired after all. As the saying goes, “imitation is a form of compliment.” Style does matter if you want to attract the ladies.

Resonance of Fate (also known as End of Eternity in Japan), NA released date 2010

Why did I pick Resonance of Fate? Well because I like guns and clothes. Okay, that didn’t sound right. I only like guns in video games. This game did make me grind for clothes. The Boutique serves no additional incentive. It’s all just aesthetic, which is perfectly fine by me. The world is much prettier when everyone dresses nicely. I enjoyed shopping for Leanne the most since there are a few nice wardrobes you can dress her in. However, there was one skirt that shows her underwear when she does her flip in the air during battle. Go figure. Nice shot for the male gaze. Despite that, I still thought it was a neat idea. If I am going to grind in a game, I am going to want to look at something pretty. I suppose that was the logic of the game design. Trust me, this game can get repetitive at a certain point. Battle-system wise is not bad. Just time-consuming, but hey I can brag to other gamers that I (a girl) 100%the games, and I deserve a cookie. I did bake myself a batch of cookies. The only person I impressed was me.

White Knight Chronicle’s International Ed, NA release date (2010)

Like many people, I find wide-eye cartoons very cute and attractive. The characters and monsters in this game are nothing but cute. Players are prompted to create an avatar which you could use to play online (Geonet) to complete quests and farm materials. Unfortunately, the server is down. And yet, here in 2022, I still find it an enjoyable game. Combine cuteness with fun gameplay you get an addiction. I spent so many hours on this game grinding for better equipment that I didn’t realize how great the gameplay and stage design are. Sometimes we enjoy things without knowing why; just think of a puppet who is unaware that he or she is being manipulated by its master. Great game design is seamless. I would say this game has a high learning curve that would look pretty impressive on your work resume. For your money’s worth (I spent about 1000 hours), it’s a high-quality game that teaches you to learn a gaming system, which shows off your mental agility and willingness to learn. It offers fun adventure, attractive cutscenes, and addictive gameplay which it’s no mere hack and slash. Quite frankly, I sort of like turned-based games that reward players on their skills in memorizing monsters’ weaknesses and strengths. Some people have argued that the playstyle is a bit too slow. I suppose it’s a matter of preference, but I like to think and strategize my kills and not pray on luck. Isn’t that the point of a game? You can play as LS (Long Sword), SW (Short Sword), Mage (support or offense), Bow, Spear, and Axe. It is so fun to try different classes. You can check out the trailer for the combat system: For a trophy hunter, this game is super addicting and fun.

Dragon’s Dogma, released date 2012 and Dragon’s Dogma Arisen, released date 2013

If you are wondering what’s the difference between the two, well the second one to the right (Dragon’s Dogma Arisen) has additional content. That means more monsters and more dungeons. I platinum the first one which wasn’t so difficult. Just annoying that I traveled so long in the game to reach from point A to point B. I don’t recall that there’s a teleport ability. On the positive side, gameplay-wise, it respects the player’s time. In this game, you create a pawn (avatar) and your pawn can be used by other players as well. I thought it was an interesting game design. If you don’t have a group of gaming buddies to play with like me, it’s hard to find a decent person to play with online. Dragon’s Dogma solves that problem. I could enjoy that multi-player experience at any time of the day–without having to wait on the real-time player to help me complete a quest. On top of that, what I enjoyed about the game is the classes and their customization (skill sets or skill branches). The character’s appearance customization was also attractive. It makes the whole gaming experience personal and well worth the money. Glad this game is finally getting recognition in the gaming community as a hidden gem.

So, what did these games have in common and what did I learn about myself? If the game is visually attractive with addictive gameplay, I would spend hours playing. Don’t underestimate style and aesthetics in games! You have to give credit to those who design these games (Level-5, Sega, Capcom). You can tell there is a lot of thought and craft put into the making of these games, which make them masterpieces to me, and for that, they are my treasures that deserve more recognition.