fable II, mirror's edge, check!

Note: I have a new rating system. It is the idea of "what I would like to do" to the maker of the object that is being reviewed.

on my day off i got down to biznass! I'd been working on finishing fable II for a couple weeks. i did take some time off when i got sick, but I'd say i put a good 20+ hours in on it, maybe 30 or more. i got home at around 10:00 Wednesday then had dinner, watched some TV and then it was game time! i ended up playing fable until about 8am. but i finished. i only finished the main story, there are several side quests yet to be done but not sure if I'll get around to those.
after sleeping until 3 and having lunch etc., i set my sights on mirror's edge. i had finished 3 chapters already but got stuck on a part and became frustrated so i gave it up. after checking a walkthrough to establish that what i had been trying was actually right, i finally completed the move with unprecedented skill and was off! several hours later, at about 2:30am, i completed chapter 9, and the game.

fable II review:
I'll start by saying i don't like RPGs. I've only liked one ever, the Dreamcast's シェンムー (Shenmue). that one can barely be thought of as an RPG though. fable II is probably one of the most playable RPGs around, but that didn't make it much more fun for me. it was OK, it provided a good amount of play time but that play time wasn't all that fun. most of the fighting is just a hindrance to what i am actually trying to do. meaningless fights just pop-up from time to time. most of the enemies are boring. the one cool enemy type in the game is the giant troll thing that tends to be mostly just frustrating because targeting the little bugs on it while avoiding the chunks of earth it flings at you is a pain. the final major boss you encounter, an upside down triangle this, is just annoying, and beating it isn't satisfying, just a relief that you don't have to keep fighting it and waste more time. the final-final boss is a joke. you hold up a music box which takes on his power... then you blast him one time with your gun, or ranged weapon, and it's over?? so lame. i admit that i did enjoy parts of the game, but, overwhelmingly, i just wanted it to end so i could move on to something fun. if you like action RPGs, i would recommend it, there's probably a ton of fun to be had. i just wish they would work on the character design a bit more.

rating:
kick in the nuts

mirror's edge review:
after my suffering and toil at the hands of fable II, i was in the mood for something fun. MI delivered on that fun. after i passed the part i had been stuck on, it was a race to the finish. MI is a sweet platformer with nicely animated cut scenes.the main story is about a girl who is a messenger in a future city devoid many colors other than primary ones. her sister is captured (i think she was framed for something, kinda didn't pay attention to the 1st part of the story) and our heroine is hellbent on getting her back. some friends get killed too. often MI is compared to prince of Persia because of the wall running and whatnot, but i think it'll go down in history with some of the genre defining games such as Super Mario bros. and mega man. it's really a good time. there are a few frustrating parts, but when you pass them, you feel like you've accomplished something. sometimes it's a little tricky figuring out where to head, but most of the time the "runner's vision points
you in the right direction. the game can be played without shooting anyone (it'd be hard), but sometimes it's pretty satisfying disarming someone then blasting his friend. the shooting dynamic isn't as polished as pure shooters, but decent enough in its own right. the only real problems in the game are that it's a little short (probably can be finish in less than 10hrs) and the final boss confrontation is super easy. but i can see myself playing this one several times probably.

rating:
high 5!