An aimless perception and Dragon Ball ZenoVerse - SJBMCPRS Diagnosis

Random, pessimistic, reserved, self-loathing, obsessive, moronic and hard-headed... These are a number of descriptions (not all) that portray who I am, and its these attributes that create the perception of mine regarding several of life's happenstances. Like it or not (and I certainly don't like me just FYI), that's mii (see that's a deliberate Nintendo reference and I'm trying to be funny ha, ha! (sarcasm!)).


Is this due to my "mental incapacity with the majority" or "mind wired differently" due to my... (sigh) ...aspergers? Is this why I came up with 'SJBMCPRS'; a collection of letters that define key modes I enter given the conditions presenting and mood I'm in? Is it the cause of my negativity? ...The way I can subsequently imagine fatal situations with objects I encounter like scissors or the useless laser posts on the Weymouth seafront?


Can aspergers explain why I have zero (0) patience with people at times; enter Big Bad and Brutal mode, groan to myself and increase my pace in order to pass the obstructions with little regard for those who obscured my path? (elderly people are alas a constant example on pavements, I don't barge through like a tank or curse with blatant profanity at their sluggishness and obscuring of the path I'm walking, but I do go past at a quicker pace to get passed when there is an opening on the left or right side of the pavement, and irritated because of obstacle they present).


...Or is who I am regardless if I have aspergers or was "normal"? I'm not looking for an excuse; I'm merely trying to be honest about how I perceive and view things? In other words this whole blog (the SJBMCPRS Report) is a series of explanations of who I am and how and what the "World" is according to mii.


Why am I doing this? That is amongst the many questions that have no definitive answers. Its not like; 1+1=2, or yes/no or true or false answers to questions like you see on quiz shows. There's a reason why this post is entitled: "An aimless perception"; I'm not striving for any particular goal and I'm certainly not doing this to become popular. The best explanation I can give is that I do this because I need people to understand and be aware of mii; the world's nemesis, a cause of despair and unwanted complications, and therefore know how to approach or deal with mii in a way I won't affect their lives for the worse.


Ideally and oppositely, I would rather enrich the lives of those I care about and call 'friends' for the better by ensuring their lives aren't as grim as mine. Being honest and compensating for my actions and mannerisms that I perceive to be 'wrong', 'bad' and possibly harmful is nothing new and honestly a small price to pay for feeling better about myself by making others happier and better off. With the group of friends I meet now; I provide stuff like biscuits and fizzy drinks not just as a token of my appreciation, but a means of compensating for what I say or mannerisms which may not be appropriate. If that's unusual, weird or in some way off-putting; then I apologise for what feels not only necessary but also natural.    


I share my thoughts and opinions on games and products like the WWE because it might make others aware of a problem for example that might be off-putting and encourage developers to do something about fixing the problem if they see it being written about on the internet and so on. Plus getting something I feel is worth explaining gives me relief like having a chain tethering you to an anchor pulling you down into the watery abyss below snap and allow you to escape.


That said, I am of the mind-set that public opinion ultimately doesn't influence a company or government, and that those who argue or rally against establishments are shown so-called "compromises" and "understanding" that appeal and satisfy the public when really all it is the usage of context to paste over the said problem. Therefore I am aware that my opinions yield little influence; look at how "unnecessary" DLC and features are still extracted away from the main game experience only to be sold independently implemented in games, despite my disdain and countless other people's rage against the implemented practise. What more proof do you need?    
    
Knowing this I am aware that nothing I say will yield much merit, and thus this blog (the SJBMCPRS Report) is as unnecessary and pointless as umbrellas for shoes or the Peugeot 1007. Still I continue with posts on this blog because there is the possibility that someone might read what I have to say, and because there is some fun in doing this and its better then playing something as atrocious as Lightning Returns Final Fantasy XIII or Alone In The Dark for the Nintendo Wii.


Moving on to happenstances that have transpired lately; I have submitted my support in bringing Jeremy Clarkson back to the BBC via Change.org. Whether the BBC rid their hands of Jeremy Clarkson or not means little to me, though I am of the opinion that the BBC will have greater problems if they let Clarkson go and spell the end of Top Gear as we know it. While I do not agree with everything that Clarkson or his co-presenters on Top Gear and other programs they are involved in, I will admit the antics and hard-headed tongue-in-cheek is humorous, watchable, and inspirational. I am not the biggest fan of Clarkson by any means, but I admire his contrasting personality compared to the tedious groaning heard in news programs and the dribble that is politics, as well as being unafraid to express his opinion bad or not. Compared to the known 'evil' people in prisons who are responsible for inhumane atrocities like the Soham murders, 9/11, and far more important issues like 'global warming' and the EU; this latest controversy with Clarkson is a joke and if anything an inconvenient accident that can be sorted with an apology. While Clarkson isn't going to change regardless of what COA the BBC take, it will be damning to lose what is considered pivotal to the success of the BBC and inspirational to the rest of the world.


Moving on; since the release of Dragon Ball Zenoverse on 27/02/2015 (in the UK), I have been delivering countless Galick Gun Ki blasts and beating the wholly Hell out of Goku (who I prefer to call Kakarot). It is so far the most fun I have had with a video game released in 2015, as well as a game which some potential for the future Dragon Ball games series. Similar to that of how numerous CastleVania titles followed the "MetroidVania" gameplay of Symphony of the Night, I can imagine how future Dragon Ball games, as well as other fighting based games may adopt the style and structure of Zenoverse. Subsequently, if Namco Bandai announced a sequel which follows on from Zenoverse and expanded with more gameplay elements and improvements, I would pre-order as soon as possible because I love playing Zenoverse. But is it perfect? Absolutely not and here's why:

• Its a Dragon Ball game, which means you have to be familiar with or a fan of the series, which means it aimed at a specific audience who enjoy anime, of which not everyone likes (and even if your a fan of anime, the vastness of the Dragon Ball series may be off-putting).
• The controls and gameplay style take a while to adapt to. I have to guide and support my younger brother again and again even in the easier Patrol Quests.
• It would have been more straightforward if the 2 player vs. mode was listed on the Main Menu screen instead of in Toki-Toki.
• Online is fickle, even though a recent patch has improved gameplay online and servers, it still has bugs like the majority of video games with online capabilities.
• The AI for supporters (i.e. your comrades) is laughable; I've lost count of how many times Kakarot (as well as other fighters/characters) have flown in obstacles and been unable to get free.
• The difficulty spikes unevenly which brings moments of tedious simplicity when opponents hover above doing nothing but wait for your assault, and pure frustration when an opponent on a sugar rush erupts on your fighter/character like a larva spewing volcano (its almost impossible to do anything if you find yourself against two (2) or three (3) opponents with this same intensity).
• Plot points in Quests are hit and miss, sometimes the required affect is triggered and other times nothing changes. This is particularly irritating in Patrol Quests involving the recovery of Dragon Balls and in Quests like no.14: Legendary Super Saiyan where you want to unlock particular items, equipment and abilities like Super Saiyan by defeating Kakarot in Super Saiyan form.
• Dialogue spoken and presented in subtitles doesn't match all the time.
• Some characters like Bulma, Chi-Chi and fighters like Android #16, Cell (1st form), Frieza (in various transformed forms), Cooler and so on, aren't in the actual game (only referenced by characters like Vegeta and Trunks, or as items and Z-souls).
• The created character/fighter has no dialogue (except for attacks and damage taken).
• The open world of Toki-Toki has only three (3) areas.
• There's DLC which means characters/fighters and so on were held back from the retail main game.

In essence, there are issues that prevent Dragon Ball Zenoverse from being regarded as a great video game. While I certainly enjoy this game as do others; Zenoverse isn't as good as it could have been. Aside from the points mentioned above, a key flaw in Zenoverse in my opinion is with the character/fighter that you create and use. The choices for race, gender, clothing and general appearance are all fine; but no matter how well you customise your created character/fighter, you're left with a cold, empty and mostly emotionless hero. As mentioned above; the created character/fighter has no dialogue (apart from attacks and taking damage) and has very poor interaction with the likes of Trunks, Supreme Kai of Time, Kakarot and the antagonists. The created character/fighter is mute for the most part and has no personality; he/she/it merely obeys and responds accordingly. This might be fine to some, but nowadays I think its a little disappointing that there is little to offer in terms of making the character/fighter unique besides appearance. Am I not mistaken in thinking that Dragon Ball Zenoverse came years after the likes of Grand Theft Auto Vice City, San Andreas and the Mass Effect series? In the Grand Theft Auto games mentioned; the protagonist can be dressed differently just like the created character/fighter in Zenoverse, but then the protagonists in those GTA games could talk as well. Why couldn't Zenoverse have this trait as well? (I know they're different games, but then consider the level of customisation available in later Tekken and SoulCalibur games which are fighting games as well). With Mass effect in mind; it would have been interesting to have the created character/fight in Zenoverse choose which side he/she/it is on, good or bad. Considering the enormity of the tasks Trunks sets the created character/fighter, and how very little he does; the option to be nice and accept the request or blow up in his face bitterly like Commander Shepard can in the Mass Effect series would have been welcoming and defining.


To explain; choosing good or bad responses regardless of the outcome in the said quest may effect which fighters the created character/fighter meets in Toki-Toki and can choose as allies. Say for example you choose your created character/fighter to be good, then you have Z-Fighters like Kakarot, Gohan, Krillin and so on to meet in Toki-Toki, have as masters, and as allies to choose from in Patrol Quests. On the other hand if your created character/fighter is more of a renegade and relishes beating on the likes of Pan and Goten, then the likes of Frieza, Cell, Super Buu and so on would be there. In the creation mode; the choice to choose which character/fighters you like and dislike could mean which Z-Fighters and villains will be an ally to your created character/fighter or how your created character/fighter will respond during battle via dialogue similar to how Frieza and Vegeta respond to one another. Additionly, as in Dragon Ball Z Supersonic Warriors via 'What If...' scenarios; the ability to change the events of history in Zenoverse to your preference could have possible even if it shortens the overall story and becomes a dead end like the Wrong Endings in the Corpse Party series or the Time Paradox in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.


In a nutshell; all I'm suggesting is that a little more option for the player to take the shape, form and personality of his or her created character/fighter as stated above would be a nice addition to the overall creation mode and give the player the character/fighter they would wish they could be. The option to argue back at hot-heads like Vegeta and then engage in a furious battle, or rub it in to weaker foes like Yamcha after defeating them in battle would be satisfying don't you think? If Zenoverse 2 were to be a reality and build up and improve on the good points of Zenoverse, then it could well be the greatest Dragon Ball game ever. Given how 1.5 million copies have been shipped, I'd say there is strong evidence to suggest that people like Zenoverse.


Why not ride on that wave of popularity and feed off that interest by giving gamers and fans more Zenoverse huh Namco Bandai? Every other publisher with a popular game series does it, and there was that Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD Collection after all.   


Speaking of HD; Final Fantasy Type 0 HD has at last arrived in the West, and I happen to have it on my Xbox One. While its far too early to state what I think of the video game; I like it more then the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy, that's for sure! On 27/03/2015; the Xbox One will get Oddworld New n' Tasty, a ground up remake of Oddworld Abe's Oddysee. Another game I will definitely enjoy on the Xbox One.


Next month I will have a newer post where I might just cast my opinion on New n' Tasty. Until next time, see ya!