Nicholas Wolf's Journal Entries

[Venerable_Wolf]

Nicholas Wolf JE # - 13

Name of Game: Final Fantasy VII
Game author (If known): Hironobu Sakaguchi (Director), Yoshinori Kitase (Producer)
Game Studio: Square (now Square Enix)



Original Platform & control mechanism: PlayStation (1997), using a standard PlayStation controller with a directional pad, face buttons, and shoulder buttons.

Control mechanism you used
Would the experience have been different using the original? How?

I played Final Fantasy VII on a PC rather than the original console, as I did not have access to it, but because the game was turn-based and there was very little reactivity needed to play the game properly. There was slight confusion as I played the game as the controls were different than the usual, however after playing for a couple of hours or so, it was not too bad to deal with. Since this would have been played on a standard controller, there were not too many buttons to memorize.



Describe gameplay and mechanics:
~ 150 words

The gameplay of this iteration of Final Fantasy was a Real Time Strategy or RTS-type game where each character would have their ‘Time’ bar. Once it filled the player was allowed to do actions with the character, whether it be healing, attacking, or casting magic. This Active Time Battle (ATB) system keeps the player on their toes and forces them to make snap quick decisions in the heat of battle and to ensure their player characters do not perish by not having enough healing.

The game plays pretty much like any other JRPG, fight bad guys get loot, do not die, simple formula for success in my opinion. The story like any other is pretty unique in its ways though to be fair this is the 7th game in the series and besides watching lore videos, the game does not hold your hand throughout the prologue as you are thrust into combat almost immediately. Though for this review I only played the prologue of the game, with what I saw I was tempted to play more with the mechanics that I have yet to skillfully master.

Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design
~ 150 words

The strengths of the game come from both its fluid combat and pre-rendered backgrounds which still to this day look pretty good in the modern day and even manage to look passible as compared to other games of the time.

The weaknesses, in my opinion, are the backgrounds, and the boss monsters are so good then you look at the low poly characters in the overworld and cannot correlate the two as seen from the images as one is not even a flattering portrayal of the characters; while the battle scenes look infinitely better. I know that logistically you could not have the higher resolution characters with the tech of the PS one at the time, but it becomes distracting if you keep looking at it.

The fixed camera angles and flat terrain made it hard to navigate the terrain for what could and could not be walked with the characters, not even mention the weird situation of things looking pixilated, then others being clean-cut even when being in the same scene ending up distracting more than anything.



What made it fun?
~ 200 words

The fun of the game is the quick RTS turn-based synergy that the game has going on which makes combat engaging and not just a chore that the player is forced to overcome making for a good gaming experience. The characters all have their very own personality that is illustrated and shown in-game through both their body language and the way they talk, making for an immersive experience, or as close to it as could be achieved at the time. The story and setting are so well done that it left me in awe of both the creative minds and their dedication to the project to the point of creating such an immersive world and characters for me to play around in that it makes me feel like a kid playing their first game.

I found it pretty funny how the profile pictures, battle appearances, and overworld designs all look similar but different from one another to the point of just being comedic about how optimized the game had to become serviceable on the PlayStation.

The boss's overwhelming size as compared to the character's small stature helps illustrate literally how in over their heads the characters in the story are. Like a David vs. Goliath situation.



Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?
~ 200 words

Final Fantasy 7 was one of the most influential RPGs of all time, credited with bringing Japanese RPGs (JRPGs) into mainstream Western gaming. It not only popularized the genre of RPGs to a whole audience of people but made a lot of people fans of the genre enough to want to play more. Its innovations and interesting mechanics in the game show a lot of sincerity and love from the developers and that they wanted to create the best product possible without the usage of capitalistic tendencies which make games eyesores to the average player. This game was so good that there was even a full Remastering done in 2022 because of just how iconic and recognizable Final Fantasy was to Square Enix’s catalog.

This game along with other prominent games put Sony on the map and made it clear that Sony was going to become a dominant force in the Video Game Console industry surpassing the likes of SEGA and Nintendo in their own game.

The storytelling and cutscenes shown in-game look and sound good enough to tell a story on par with films and movies of the time, begging the question of video games being works of art, which Final Fantasy VII easily answered with a resounding yes!

How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))

I would rate the game 5 stars because of just how innovative the game was for the time and the great graphics which have surprisingly held up well in the modern era while the polygonal 3D characters leave much to be desired, at the same time there is not a reason for them to be highly detailed as they manage to tell a decent story by themselves without the extensive graphics to back them up.

[Venerable_Wolf]

Nicholas Wolf JE #14

Name of Game: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)

Game author (If known): Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka, Yoshiaki Koizumi

Game Studio: Nintendo EAD





Original Platform & control mechanism:


Originally released on the Nintendo 64 in 1998, Ocarina of Time utilized the N64 controller, which featured an analog stick, a Z-trigger for targeting, and a unique button layout designed to handle the game’s complex mechanics.


Control mechanism you used

Would the experience have been different using the original? How?


I played Ocarina of Time on a PC with a keyboard, which comes with the downside of not owning a controller at the moment, leading to some issues with controls, not to mention the emulator as the issue of if I alt-tab for any reason the game speeds up to 200% making the game and its cutscenes unplayable. This leads me to need to reset the page in its entirety and load up a save game from that point, though on occasion, it seems to do it on its own.


Describe gameplay and mechanics

~ 150 words


Ocarina of Time is an open-world action-adventure type game where your main goal is to navigate dungeons, battle enemies, and progress the story to ultimately defeat the big bad of the series, Ganendorf. The game, like many Nintendo games, does not hold your hand in the slightest as you are tasked with locating a sword and a shield before starting the actual game, this is a very clever tutorial that introduces the player to the shop, to explore the surrounding forest for goodies, and learn basic combat to protect yourself and prepare for the troubles ahead.


Its mechanics are fairly straightforward, though the game Link will acquire and equip a sword and a shield after having to buy a shield for 40 rupees and exploring for a sword which will lead to combat. Ocarina of Time makes good usage of a lock-on system which for some makes combat easier as the camera locks onto an enemy, though in my experience I never liked using lock-on as it allows for battles with multiple enemies to get the better of you as you focus on only one enemy.


Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design

~ 150 words


The strength of the game is that for a Zelda game, the 3D environment looks traversable and vibrant, unlike the 2-D games that, while nice and detailed, only conveyed one dimension. Meanwhile, Ocarina of Time with its 3D environments could tell a better tale with scale and environmental storytelling not to mention the textures, colors, and sound design help to convey the liveliness and nature-loving people in the village. This helps immerse the player in the story and the world more so than the graphics would ever do.


The weaknesses are the textures the overall environment, and the models, which are not entirely on Nintendo as with a 1980x1080 monitor it is difficult to see what someone in 1998 would have seen on their older TV as they played this game. To say that the TV would have covered most of the imperfections, with a clear enough screen, all the imperfections become clear. The low poly models look uncanny if you look at them for too long, and the environments, while vibrant with color are taken away from by the sharp square-like blocks and the angular corners which are unnatural and are unnatural to the human eye.





What made it fun?

~ 200 words


The fun of the game is in the exploration aspects which are done to teach the player the mechanics of the game without putting the player through an extensive tutorial for the general game mechanics.


The music in Ocarina of Time is so good that realistically I could just have the music playing in the background without really needing to be doing anything and just vibing. This allows for a wider audience to enjoy the game regardless of skill level and just enjoy the journey and adventure Nintendo cooked for them. I enjoyed the music more than the game as I only had an hour to play as I wanted to get a good grasp on the game, and while not all of the OST songs were 10/10’s, they make the playtest the best it could have been at the time without seeming overbearing.


The Controls while appearing simple, allow for complex playstyles to form and for an “easy to learn, hard to master dynamic forming allowing for new players and experienced players to have something to chew on. This allows players to immediately be able to get into the action without needing to go through an extensive tutorial. Rather there are some in-game NPC’s who can and will give a pseudo-tutorial to the player allowing both new and old players to have a good experience; with new players being allowed a tutorial without hindering the old players who already know the controls from previous games, or are on their 2nd playthrough.


Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

~ 200 words


The game was pretty influential both for its 3D graphics in late 90s gaming tech, the music design, and the open-world exploration aesthetic helped foster growth in the industry moving forward.


The 3D graphics, while archaic by modern standards, help show the level of growth that we have progressed to after less than 30 years of the industry evolving. But Ocarina of Time also showed Nintendo’s willingness to get with the times and evolve past their 2-D type games and move into the 3-D space and grow with the industry rather than hold it back.


The sound and music design of Ocarina of Time is so good that it puts it on par with modern games in music alone, and shows the importance of a good soundtrack in a video game and how good gameplay and music could make a game unbeatable in quality, even by today's standards.


Most of Nintendo’s games were open world to an extent, but Ocarina of Time put the ‘open’ in open world by allowing the player to do whatever they felt like doing as the first pseudo-quest is to acquire a sword and a shield as you will need to face monsters on your way to meet the World Tree, and the guard will not allow you to pass otherwise. It not only acts as a soft tutorial for the player to learn the mechanics of the game but also keeps the player from dying without the proper equipment being acquired first. This is a tactic that while not every game needs, its addition allows those who are not literate in common gaming knowledge to be on an equal footing with a person who lives and breathes gaming.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good)):


I would rate the game a solid 5 stars for its innovative design and content making it stand out among Nintendo's past Zelda games into taking the game in a positive direction that led the game to greatness. Ocarina of Time walked so Breath of the Wild could run.


Games I did not play:


Prince of Persia: Sands of Time: I already played a lot of Platformers and wanted to play something different than another platformer. Though the cinematics and cutscenes alone were very well done to warrant a review on their own.


Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast): Another platformer so I wanted to play something different, especially since I’ve already played Sonic for a review.


Super Mario 64 (N64): I played it for a bit and saw the coolness though I wanted to play Zelda as opposed to an Italian plumber.

[Venerable_Wolf]

Nicholas Wolf JE #15

Name of Game: Resident Evil 4 (2005)

Game author (If known): Shinji Mikami (Director)

Game Studio: Capcom





Original Platform & control mechanism:


Resident Evil 4 was originally released on the Nintendo GameCube, featuring a third-person over-the-shoulder perspective with a tank control scheme. Players used the GameCube controller’s dual sticks, triggers, and face buttons to aim, shoot, interact with objects, and manage inventory.


Control mechanism you used:

Would the experience have been different using the original? How?


I decided to play Resident Evil 4 with a keyboard and mouse as it had a good port and all the buttons and movements were pretty good overall without me needing to play with a controller. The experience would have been pretty much the same as it likely would have been on a controller.


Describe gameplay and mechanics

~ 150 words


You play as this silly little guy who’s been tasked by the President to find, secure, and return his daughter, Ashley, who was kidnapped. The game is a Third-Person shooter with a laser attached to Leon’s gun to help the players shoot the gun accurately when in third person as other wise people would be missing left and right.


The biggest opponents to Leon’s objectives are not the enemies but rather his very limited inventory space that he is forced to deal with throughout the remainder of the game, this makes the player question everything they are picking up and whether it is better to leave there for later on, or to just take it now. This also makes the player constantly in a state of finding ways to not have to waste ammo all the time as most initial enemies take 2 bullets to the head to defeat, while a more conservative way would be to headshot the enemy, briefly stunning them then kick and use Leons handy dandy knife to finish them off. While this method does not work for all enemies, it is the little savings that count.


Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design

~ 150 words


The strengths of the game are in the “realistic” graphics that allow the player to be immersed in the story and world that the game takes place in without feeling too cartoony or gritty, hitting just the right amount of comedy and seriousness through the storytelling. Its linear storytelling and map accessibility open the door to backtracking while at the same time pushing the player along without feeling too forceful. Each map has abundant enough resources to leave the player with a slight surplus of supplies if they play their cards right. Otherwise, there is a barren amount of resources that leave you with little else in choice but to get good and not use up all your healing items at all times.


The weaknesses of the game are in the camerawork being dodgy at all times and even more so when you are using a keyboard to play the game properly and it feels static as the camera is dependent on Leon's movement and not independent of Leon, making for situations where you have to physically turn Leon around to look behind you, which is nitpicky at best.





What made it fun?

~ 200 words


The fun of the game came from both inventory management and the overall unpredictability of gameplay, as the player has no idea what will come next, which will force them to look into making sure they are both prepared for the unknown, but flexible enough to pick up any item that they think will help them down the line. It is this fine line between having a sufficient arsenal to deal with the various threats of the game, while also having enough room for more equipment, should it arrive in the future. The shop is a good addition as it allows for a safety net if you mismanage your ammo count.


The music of Resident Evil 4 is so barren and dry in the best way I can praise as the mountain villages barren medieval villages that seem stuck in the past are so abundantly empty that it creates more of a suspense-type feel rather than a horror one as even an empty village will unsettle even the bravest player.


There was some fun to be had in the random Quick Time Events when they showed up as they provide events that will require you to do your best to overcome them.


Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

~ 200 words


This game is influential in both the “original” and “comedic” one-liners that Leon Kennedy has in store for both the player and his enemies that he belts out without missing a beat. His one liners alone influenced the way male protagonists in gaming would be created, either being created as quipy one liner machines, or silent protagonists who, whether there game is first or third-person will not say much outside of grunts and inner dialouge when saying things.


The quick time event’s while not pleasant at the worst of times was at the least something to spice up the monotony of gameplay. However the problem is that most games use quick time events for important events, when they are mainly ment to break up the gameplay between long walking sessions to spice things up and keep the player on their toes.


The story teling and action was the best as it blended good story telloing though dialouge, while also focusing on environmental storytelling though the rural Spanish mountainside. The environment makes it easy to become cornered and to be ambushed from all sides, making it a tense game where you feel as if you are always being watched, and that you will need to stay calm and focused if you want to survive. This is a good concept to put into any prospective horror game that wants to forego the jumpscares for actual scaring.







How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))


I would rate this game a solid 5 Stars as despite its smaller flaws, the game immersed me so much that I had a good time reviewing this game. The game has enough content that you can get right into the action without the need for a tutorial or for a crash course if the game going to get hard, then Capcom might as well throw you into the deep end and hope you can swim.

[Venerable_Wolf]

Nicholas Wolf JE #16

Name of Game: Halo (Reach) 2010

Game author (If known): Bungie

Game Studio: Microsoft Game Studios





Original Platform & control mechanism:


Halo: Reach was originally released for the Xbox 360 in 2010. It was designed to be played with an Xbox 360 controller, featuring dual-stick movement and aiming, trigger-based shooting, and button inputs for actions like melee, grenade throws, and reloading.


Control mechanism you used

Would the experience have been different using the original? How?


I finally began to use a controller after a couple of years of never touching one and it was very disorientating using something like that to play an FPS and having to re-learn different controls, which made the situation harder as Halo’s controls are not user-friendly. Sprinting is an ability rather than a feature meaning the button for it was X rather than A or a joystick press making it hard to use in the heat of battle. However, because the controller I was using was effectively an Xbox controller there was not any change from the original game.


Describe gameplay and mechanics

~ 150 words


The gameplay of a Halo game is pretty straightforward all things considered, you are given your orders and objectives, and it is your job to fight Aliens and take names while doing it. Because I played on Legendary difficulty there was a lot of death, and a lot of peak and shooting from behind cover, grenading the enemy into oblivion with both standard and sticky grenades.


In my opinion, the ODST-type games of Halo seem to be the best ones as for the most part you are not playing as the main character, you are playing as a nameless grunt who we know will lose the fight eventually as compared to Halo’s golden child Master Chief who in lore seems to be nigh-invincible. As ODST you will have to scavenge and loot the Alien corpses for their weapons as in many cases you simply cannot even pierce their outer shielding with a majority of the human weapons; pushing you to get creative to destroy the more advanced enemies.


Describe strengths & weaknesses of art & design

~ 150 words


The strength of having a space-age game is that you can make the guns as blocky or complicated as you want them to be to fit the engine, which leads to optimization being pretty good for such a large game with big open maps to use as a sort of playground. The level's linearity keeps the player moving and allows for a pleasant experience as the terrain flows into each section, even if there is a freeze to load all the new stuff loading it and unload all the unneeded stuff.


The graphics, mainly the models look dated when compared to the more modern Halo games in the franchise which does not bring down the overall aesthetic of the game as they were limited by their era and the time they had to work on the game. Additionally, the game while good in its level loading, does have noticeable sections where you freeze as the game loads the next level section, which is not a big gripe, but it does break up gameplay and is noticeable. Not to mention that the AI companions in Halo are not the best in most if not all situations besides being bullet sponges, especially the essential ones that cannot be killed





What made it fun?

~ 200 words


The fun aspects of the game were the ways of utilizing abilities, weapons, and vehicles to gain an overwhelming advantage against the xeno scum to the point where even on Legendary difficulty most aliens are very susceptible to the HMG mounted on the warthog. The grenades, especially the sticky grenades are pretty much an instant kill on any Xeno, no matter how powerful they are which is a nice balancing on the development side of things whereas on harder difficulties in other games, enemies become bullet and grenade sponges like in most of Bethesda games.


The level design also allowed players a pretty good deal of freedom in how they would go through the levels, and what they used to go through, and generally, freedom of play made playing the game easier to get into without knowing what was powerful and what was not.


Though on Legendary difficulty some enemies do become bullet sponges to the point where you would need to put the hurt on them to ever advance. Making it so that the player will need to use all the weapons in their arsenal and even more so as ammo quickly runs out so using any weapon or vehicle you come across was fun as it made me feel like I was fighting an overwhelming force that absolutely would crush me in an instant if I became too confident.


Now that you’ve played it, Why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

~ 200 words


The game and its franchise were great influences on modern gaming, both in how FPS shooters were developed, but also in how to make a good protagonist who did not speak much. While the game is not as good as more modern games in many aspects, it does hold its own in the speedrunning community for its many fun levels. The level of design would go on to inspire thought into how gameplay and the terrain could go hand in hand in enhancing one another.


The enemy AI also makes Legendary difficulty worth its weight as they dodge grenades, strafe away from projectile bombs, and generally group up with their allies if they find themselves outgunned. Famously the Grunts if their squad leader goes down will either run away in panic or they will prime two sticky grenades and at you to sacrifice themselves to kill you outright. This pushes the player to advance cautiously and be mindful of positioning and how they engage the enemy.


The vehicles were a great influence on the idea of vehicular combat and how it could be done in a fictionalized setting realistically without making parents worry about their child running around in a tank.







How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))


The game is a strong 5 stars as I have no real problem with the game while it is not Battlefield One, it is a staple of the FPS genre and was considered a worthy competitor to COD until Halo Infinite, where the game was mired by microtransactions.


The game on its own is a marvelous piece of work and shows how far the industry has come since the first Doom game or Quake game.