A Blue Odyssey

So, the first (and for quite awhile, only) rpg of '08 hits this week in Lost Odyssey. To be honest, even though it has quite the pedigree, I hadn't had much interest, as it seemed like a very bland, traditional rpg. But oddly enough, it was Blue Dragon, which I have gone through a little odyssey of my own with, that may be having me changed my mind. Blue Dragon is a very, VERY traditional Japanese RPG. It was more a victim of bad timing than anything else. Literally the day I brought it home was the day my 360 decided to crap out on me. So it sat there for 5 weeks with no way for me to play it, and by the time I got my 360 back, you get the insane trifecta of Halo 3, Mass Effect & Orange Box just on 360. Nevermind that there was also a couple of other titles like Mario Galaxy & Uncharted also getting most of my attention. So it basically sat on my gaming shelf. But, about a week ago, convinced I would find it dull like the less kind reviews have been saying. And suddenly nearly 30 hours in, I'm really digging the old school vibe. Yeah, it's turn-based (which RPGs seem to be moving away from these days) and Marumaro is one of the most annoying characters in a long time, but there is plenty of enjoyement to be had for those of us who grew up on these kind of rpgs and still enjoy the occasional one. And while I won't pick up Lost Odyssey right away since I want to actually finish Blue Dragon first, I'll be likely to pick it up as soon as that's done (which should actually be in the next week). And for those wondering, Devil May Cry 4 is still sitting unwrapped in my table...

The long-awaited Will Wright epic Spore finally has a release date of Sept. 7th. That is a ways off, so hopefully it's a date that can be kept, as this was one of those games people were betting would be stuck in development hell for all of eternity.

What's the best post-strike news? That Scrubs, come hell or high water will be given a proper finish. Granted, theoretically I'd want the show to keep going forever, but 7 years is an incredible run for any show, and it's good that they end it while the show is still top notch rather than waiting until it's a shell of it's former self (I'm looking at you, Simpsons).

Finally, I'd like to give a cheap plug out to my buddy Warden, fellow game enthusiast with a pretty solid blog of his own. Also a good source for more in-depth reviews rather than the usual quick snippets you see on here.

TRAILER OF THE WEEK: CJ7