Final Fantasy Type Irony.

I don't quite understand why some games from popular series never come out of Japan. Final Fantasy Type 0 is one of that kind of games. In my opinion, it should have been originally available in all world regions, especially because it's part of the spin off series based in Final Fantasy XIII. Instead, we had to wait for an HD version for the latest consoles. No, not even for PS3 or 360. It had to be for PS4 and XBone, with PSP-based HD graphics... You need a 400€ new gen home console to play a graphically outdated portable game that came out several years ago in Japan. That makes absolutely perfect sense! Nobody is going to pay full price for an outdated game for a portable console that the general public no longer plays. So they decided to release a new version for the latest systems because... well... it's more enticing to consumers, maybe? Even if the game looks more "outfashioned" and pixelated than a Minecraft version for Windows 95? Yeah, the game doesn't look like anything remotely close to a new gen game. I was excited at first but after seeing a demo of it, I became more reluctant because it doesn't look that good...

Yeah, I've bought the regular Collector's Edition from a local website. I say "regular" because the Square Enix Store featured a different edition with a much better looking package. But (there is always a but...) of course, it was impossible for me to buy it because I live in Portugal and Square Europe doesn't send items to Portugal without even explaining why. The usual 1st world problems, video game collectors version. We have tiny little companies making awesome games and sending them to the Moon if it's necessary, such as WaterMelon Games and Super Fighter Team. But then, Square Enix, a pretty damn big corporation with this website designed specifically for European consumers, decides to sell exclusive items only to a couple of selected destinations? Okay. I can live with that. Some people can live without a kidney, so I can live without that edition too.

Overall, I'm quite happy that I missed the special cover. I mean, it's not like I collect videogames at all, you see. Especially Final Fantasy games with exclusive editions and slipcases, I never buy those... It makes perfect sense that half Europe cannot order exclusive games from Square Enix Europe. (/irony).

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China FTW

This is yet another game I don't know much about and I seriously have intentions to play it: Sleeping Dogs. I was expecting to buy the game by the time the price dropped, but in the something made me buy it sooner. I found this paritcular boxset from micromania, a french retailer, and I couldn't let it go. It's the first and only time I've seen it and I am glad that I actually won it. This isn't exactly a press kit... an employee kit? I don't know. All that matters to me is that I have it :) And yeah I made an unboxing video of this one as well :)

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Far better than I expected.

And here it is yet another game I underestimated: Deus Ex Human Revolution. I usually don't let my opinion be influenced by the media or critics. I wasn't a fan of Deus Ex and I'm not really into shooters or certain 1st person games, and I hate when producers try to input RPG elements onto those.  The game itself seemed quite similar to Mass effect at first - which is a great game but I don't like its gameplay style that much.  Many Wertern players call these games modern RPGS but I can't consider these games as RPGs. Japanese RPGs to me are still the best, except they they are too cheesy or filled with their pop culture. The last gerat experience I've had with an RPG was Xenoblade. I don't think I'll play such a great RPG in a long time.

Anyway, back on the tracks...  I knew this game was receiving good reviews but to be honest I don't think it was that appealing. A close friend told me I really should try it before making a judgement. For no particular reason at all, I suddenly had that necessity to actually try the game. I visited a local GAME store and found a used copy of this Augmented Edition for a rather affordable price. Why not' It's used, so I can't have the excuse to keep it sealed like I did with the Collector's Edition.

Basically, I do think the game has its flaws like most games do (even Xenoblade has plenty) but I really loved the game! I mean it. The gameplay is awesome. It really reminds me of Mass Effect, but I think this one 's much better in that field. The storyline is quite interesting - nothing very original but it's developing well.  The scenarios are big enough and very well built. The game actually lets you play it your own style: you can choose the routes you want to take as there are several ways to accomplish the missions and you can even chose to either sneak throughout the scenarios or go on a rampage and kill everyone - and it does all this very very well. The sidequests and missions are actually useful, they are strongly related to the storyline and unlike many other games they are not excessive at all. I'm loving this game, now I just wish I had more time to play it :/

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PS3 and Xbox 360 again, for both systems. Someone make me stop.

Ok, I'm not that hyped, considering I only played 1/5 or so of the first game before my Xbox 360 became ill with the usual Ring of Red (ill? more like died and resurrected), and after purchasing a Slim model I still didn't play it.

Anyway, I just couldn't miss the N7 edition of this game so I bought it. Well... actually, I bought two. The Xbox version and the PS3 version. I usually don't buy the same edition for the two different systems unless there's a good reason to do so.  My preferences would be just the 360 version, because it all started there and because it's the only console with the limited editions of the previous games. But then, the PS3 had a different box. Yeah, I prefer the PS3 box. So I bought it. How lame is that? Silly excuse to be paying double just because the box is different in a time I really really need money to buy other things and had to be selling some doubles. There are obviously other reasons behind, but you don't really need to know those. 

The first time I did that was probably with the FFXIII Collector's Edition but being such a huge FF fan I really wanted to get both. The same thing is true for the Crystal Edition. I originally missed the PS3 version because scumbag HMV decided to cancel my preorder one week before the release date, by the time it was nearly sold out everywhere else, so I bought the only version I found: the 360. I usually have some sort of preferences when I buy a particular game for a particular system of more than a system get the game. In FF's case, it's quite esay to find out why I would prefer the PS3 version...

Then the same thing happened with Metal Gear Solid HD Collection. Preordered the PS3 version, then found out they weren't numbered and they would get an Australian release. Suddenly, a wild 360 version appears. Just to make sure I wasn't going to regret, I prerodered it. Yeah, you all know what happened to the PS3 version when the first 4000 were announced. BOOM, 200 to 500 pounds on ebay. Scumbag sellers...

I also have another copy of Dead Space 2 Collector's Edition waiting for me. I preferred the 360 version because it included the chinese-made plasma cutter replica... I mean, that thing is indeed crappy as it DOESN'T EVEN ROTATE. There are many things that upset me a lot, like poverty, wars, bad behaviour and stuff like that, but something as silly as the fact that this replica doesn't even rotate really tingles my nerves. Anyway I knew the PS3 version included the full edition of Dead Space Extraction and the differences between the two would justify owning both. Finally my dear good friends (not...) Johnny and Dark-Vash found a few copies lying on a stote still sealed for a little less than 12 euros and they decided to call me. I'm thrilled (almost... not quite actually). They told me it sounds gay when I thank them, but I must, so - thanks guys :P

...

And more recently... There ya go! Dead Island GOTY Limited Edition for both Xbox 360 and PS3. I actually intend to play this one online with a couple of mates :P

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How tough could it be to get a Crystal?

Damnn, another final fantasy game, yet another limited edition going insane on ebay after it became sold out. Stipud HMV decides to cancel my order one week before the release that, when it's already too late to find it in any other place. But suddenly they have a few more copies in stock. Zavvi, on the other hand, pulled a very dirty stunt... The edition was available for sale on their website for 59 pounds. It became sold out pretty quickly. The game gets released and this edition pops up on their ebay outlet store for TWICE AS MUCH. Seriously, WHY????

I had to get this edition from local stores. If it wasn't for that, I would have missed the PS3 version because it was pretty hard to get. I eventually picked up both, being such a Final Fantasy Fan... actually, I was a fan of the original 3 PS1 titles, and that's still one of the main reasons that makes me collect all games and editions from the series. If it wasn't for that, I'd not worry so much with buying the same game/edition for both consoles...

Right now I'm only missing the two exclusive slipcases and the blue slipcase for PS3 of the original FFXIII game.

Oh and I can't forget to mention that I also have the two preorder tin cases, one for each console, both factory sealed. My only complain is the fact that this is a steelbook and no matter how good people consider them, they rust where I live - and no I don't live in a pond, I live in a sunny country actually. Overall it was a fairly good preorder bonus to be honest.

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Kingdom Hearts pain to get...

With the newly released Collector's Edition titles for PSP (I'm talking about Persona 2 and Trails in the Sky...) I remembered I have been missing a particular PSP Edition for a long time now and it was becoming a pain to find a factory sealed copy. It's the Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Special Edition in factory sealed condition. Damn it was not that easy to find a good price for this thing as all the deals I've found for a seald copy were usually 50 euros or more. Finally I found a place selling that for almost half the price. It was now or never folks... so I got it =)

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It's just fantasy

Do I like Final Fantasy games? Hell yeah. That's what I have for now. The most important ones are all there. Soon enough I'll get the older games and maybe move to others that weren't release outside Japan / US, such as Tactics or FFX-2 Final Mission. I'm still missing I+II for the GBA and XII wasn't released here yet.

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