Solve Unamusement: Games for $8

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The Dudel Journal

Games for $8


Not long ago there was a suggestion to people to go out and grab themselves a PS2. In case you weren't aware of this suggestion, here you go. How to fully justify getting a $50 system is easily done simply by saying "Three games for $8". Let us do a quick over view of what I spent less than ten dollars on.

Of course to be this cheap the games have to be "low quality" or have to have been something released early within the systems life cycle. This means PSX looking graphics, beast load times and dated sound. For games not costing more than four bucks you could deal. (Personal note: They did not come with a box, which decreased their price by about twenty-five or fifty cents a piece.)

The games are Siren, Oni and Orphen: Scion of Sorcery.

First Impressions: Siren is weird, Oni is Bungi's take on Ghost in the Shell and Orphen: Scion of Sorcery is.... impossible to describe.

Siren Trailer


Siren is a stealth survival horror but, to me, there is more comedy than anything. The voice acting doesn't fit to the actors lips in the slightest and the horror elements are almost never worth a startle or jump. The game is kooky and has a lot of obvious flaws in the design but there is something interesting in being able to see through other people's eyes and hurt zombie-not-zombies. Think grade Z Japanese horror plus odd super natural element with a dash of "I've no idea what the story is doing, right now" and you have Siren all locked up. Only technical problem is that my TV and game settings needed the brightness jacked up to max in order to see anything in the game. The game is really dark. Darker than it should honestly be. That and the controls can be difficult compared to things you might already be used to.

Oni Intro


If you're like me, the first words and thoughts were "Cool, this is Ghost in the Shell." The Wiki even states very cleanly that the game has heavy influences from Ghost in the Shell even making the two main characters look like some familiar faces. Being a fan of the anime listed (Having seen all of "Stand Alone Complex" and the first two films) that is okay by me. The combat is wonky and even with several control options the controls will take time getting used to. The game is visually ugly in many contexts but the over all feel and run of the game is good. Missions might get boring if you let them.

Orphen Intro


This game is difficult to classify. It sells itself as an action-RPG but I ain't buying that. Really one of those try it and see titles. The game is based off an anime with a similar name. I hear the game is short but short doesn't mean bad, especially when the cost of only a couple bucks means that only six hours of gameplay is enough. This game seems to offer about 20 hours.

Oh the grandness of having a slowly dated system! Imagine all the golden trophies that rest around the world. It wont be but a year or two before a lot of PS2 games end up more in pawn shops than anywhere else.


Side Note: PSX/PS1 games are also on the look-out.

3 Replies:

bagalagalaga said...

Are the zombies at the end of the Siren trailer mauling, or gently hugging someone?
PS2 is the most advanced system I own, and I haven't bought games in forever. I've got all the classics I need for it - Marvel vs Capcom II and Soul Calibur II for fighting, some Madden and NHL Hitz for sports, a Tony Hawk, and Timesplitters: Future Perfect as my FPS. The used game stores I've been to are having less and less PS2 now, usually one bin and no shelf space. Damn new-fangled systems.

bagalagalaga said...

But I'm playing emulated Megaman X3 right now, that is by far the hardest Megaman I've ever played! For one thing, I can't logically guess what weapon will beat a Catfish or Seahorse, and then the mini-bosses they throw in everywhere are pretty tough. I also had to use save states and 20-30 tries to get through the very first stage after all the 8 bosses are beaten.

Dudel said...

Err... strangling not mauling or hugging.

If you want PS2 games go to a pawn shop or your local flea market if you must. They will be even cheaper there because they can't (by law) mark up as EB and such do. (Because they aren't a game business and usually sell at yard-sale prices)

& Emulation FTW! XD

 
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