T D gMonday, September 16, 2013 - 5A VIDEO GAE REVIE The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com FINE ARTS NOTEBOOK 'Tales of Xillia' makes stateside debut Dumbledore doesn't look a day over 90. Rowl ing returns to wzdg wZ 1 ngord By JULIAN AIDAN Daily Arts Writer Being the 13th game in the expansive "Tales" series, "Xillia" had alot to live up to: The series is regarded as the third B most impor- tant world- Tales of wide, with sales Xillia exceeding 15 million units. Namco Bandai Shattering pre- order records for the series and receiving criti- cal acclaimfollowingits Japanese release in September 2011, "Xil- lia" appeared to have lived up to the hype. Almost two years later, the first copies of "Tales of Xil- lia" meant for a North American audience hit shelves nationwide. As the game starts up, a Jap- anese pop-rock song sweeps through your speakers, with art- ist Ayumi Hamasaki's voice pre- ceded and supported by soaring strings. An intro straight out of an anime, the camera pans over cute, drawn renditions of the cast. Four options, ranging from "toddler-friendly" to "repetitive- motion-injury inducing" present themselves to the player. You're presented the option of incarnat- ing one of two protagonists: Jude Mathis, a promising medical student, or Milla Maxwell, the physical incarnation of the Lord of Spirits. The former is a nerdy brawler with an awesome habit of punching people out, the latter is an elemental spirit-summoning deity of sorts with hair that defies conventions like gravity and logic. In Rieze Maxia, the isolated land where "Xillia" takes place, two nations - Rashugal and Auj Oule - enjoy an unstable peace. Jude, spurred by the disappear- ance of his professor, stumbles upon Milla trying to enter the very military research facility Jude was headed toward. With- in, they find Spyrix technology: Advanced and dangerous weap- onry with the potential to destroy the world as they know it. As the story unfolds, the pair encounters a diverse cast of friends and foes - stalkers, mer- cenaries, kings bent on world domination - in the ultimate goal of maintaining stability New spinoff film to feature fresh cast of characters By REBECCA GODWIN Daily Arts Writer I heard the news in three parts. Part One: J.K. Rowling was going to be writing a screen- play for Warner Brothers. My excitement level was fairly low, as I hadn't been all that thrilled with Rowling's work since "Harry Potter." Part Two: The screenplay was just the first in a series she would be writing for the film studio. My excitement level increased a bit as I thought of all the possi- bilities for the films. Part Three: The series of movies would neither be sequels nor prequels to the "Harry Pot- ter" stories, but would still take place in the magical world she had created. The first film of the series will focus on Newt Sca- mander, the author of Hogwarts textbook "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." At this point, the HP fan-girl inside of me was having a disco party intermixed with minor bouts of cardiac arrest. The day I had been waiting for since the last HP movie premiered was imminent and I had never been happier. Once I had calmed myself a bit and my head no longer felt bogged down by a confundus charm, I began to think over the news. Was I ready to re- enter this magical world? I had started reading the HP books in the second grade and, for almost 12 years, they had been a place where I could escape and dream and imagine. It had taken me a while to accept the fact that the series was done, to accept the fact that my childhood was over. Would I be able to go on this crazy broomstick ride again? The answer is yes. Always. But while I may be ready to dive back into the wizarding world, some are concerned Rowling is only using these screenplays to return to her HP days of glory, especially after her first non-magic related novel was considered such a huge disap- pointment. My answer to such allegations: perhaps. But does it really matter? When HP ended, the world over screamed, cried and begged for more stories. A sequel about the Trio's children or a prequel about the Marauders' time at Hogwarts - the fans were will- ing to take anything so long as the magic didn't end. But Row- ling said no. She said she had plenty of stories she could write, plenty of background and histo- ry on all the characters that the fans never knew (some of which has been slowly released in the last couple years on Rowling's Pottermore site, which offers tons of new, exclusive informa- tion), but she wanted to stop. Now she's back and people are Is video-game snow good packing snow? questioning her motives? They need to sort out their priorities. I, for one, completely trust Rowling and her decisions. She never once, throughout the whole HP series, disappointed me (though she did try her best to make me sob with each char- acter she killed off - some of whom I still refuse to believe are actually dead and not simply kicking ass in an intense game of hide-and-seek). The world she created was so extensive that there are hundreds of opportunities for new stories that can be com- pletely unrelated to Harry Pot- ter and his friends, but which are equally as enchanting and enthralling. As a writer, I do not believe that Rowling would ever try to disrupt the canon or exploit her original creation. She is simply branching out from the very sturdy trunk she's already grown. As for the movie, I hope that a couple familiar faces pop up. At least Dumbledore, who seemed practically 1,000 years old when he died (actually, he was 114, in case you were wondering), could make a brief appearance. As for what else I want in the movie, well, I really couldn't care less because I'm just happy the world that I love so much is coming back. But I guess we all should have seen this coming, as the things we lose have a way of "coming back to us" in the end, if not always in the way we expected. betwee Maxia they cc depend betwee missior tionshi opmen you jot plot po Da di Area popula with t sacks o within careful and be into co factors player- catch tl ing the of the fi button feature laden "Tales JRPGs n the inhabitants of Rieze Combat is simple enough that and the spirits with which one can get away with not learn- oexist (and in many ways ing any of the intricacies on any i on). Gameplay is split of the lower difficulties. How- n various optional side ever, the rewards for properly ns, including social rela- utilizing the various resources p-based character devel- (which correspond to the amount t, and exploring areas as of abilities the character is able to urney from plot point to use) and synergies between char- int. acters are enormous. For tougher fights, using chains of abilities between characters make short adcinematic work of otherwise ted graphics impossible enemies. stract from Players gain experience through combat and gain new 1 labilities and stats through a spi- lt p J* derweb-like system they place points into with every level-up. There's more than enough to dis- s outside of villages are tract and satisfy the most meticu- ted by monsters and rife lous completionist, with in-game reasures. Glints of ore, titles and trophies rewarding the f loot and chests are well devoted. reach of players with a Unfortunately, "Xillia" is a 1 eye. Battles are instanced little graphically dated, even for gin after characters come a 2011 game. The in-game com- :ntact with enemies, with bat dialogue can be an earsore like whether or not the and the voice acting occasionally character manages to leaves something to be desired. he enemy off-guard, affect- Though this doesn't detract from beginning circumstances the depth and complexity of the ight. As a bonus, the flashy, gameplay and its plot, it does -mashing 10-second fights make the experience less enjoy- the energetic guitar riff- able aesthetically. battle music that makes In Nov. 2012, "Tales of Xillia of Xillia" fit right in with 2" was released in Japan, and is of the past. expected stateside in 2014. www. michigandaily.com/blogs/the+filIter DO YOU LOVE FILM, MUSIC, TELEVISION, VIDEO GAMES, BOOKS, FINE ARTS, CAMPUS ARTS EVENTS OR ANY COMBINATION OF THESE THINGS? THEN IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO APPLY TO THE DAILY'S ARTS SECTION. 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