And even if Jake Hunter did stuff right, it would still be half-assed: The Japanese version of the game features three cases not found in the American release. Not that 1UP wanted to untangle more predictable murders (three is enough -- trust them!), but if publisher Aksys wanted the game to seem somewhat appealing to crime-solving consumers, they could have at least made an effort to include the extra cases in the American version. It doesn't really matter, though, because the verdict still remains the same: Jake Hunter should quit his day job.
411mania talks about this week's game releases. Highlights include Cross Edge, Yosumin!, Crimson Gem Saga, Zenonia, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Jake Hunter Detective Story: Memories of the Past, Gyakuten Kenji, and Days of Memories 3.
I strongly encourage everyone to at least take a look at..nay pick up Cross-Edge. I would say that the game does give fan service by bringing in some characters many people may know as well as some many may not know; yet it also has an addictive battle system and great music to boot. So again I strongly advise those looking for an RPG to pick this up.
Alan Kim reports:
''Although we're big fans of point-and-tap whodunit games like the Phoenix Wright series, we can't quite get behind private detective Jake Hunter. Detective Chronicles has a ton of potential, but ham-handed presentation and "so simple a baby could do it" hand-holding make this gumshoe seem more like a goofball.
There are three cases for you to play through, all of which involve you going to a crime scene, talking to everyone until you learn the needed clues, and then going back to your office and puffing down cancer sticks and reviewing the day's events (via a neat quiz-style game in which you recall the details) until the facts become clear. This is literally true - Jake thinks when he smokes, so he's at his most brilliant when his alveoli are crying for mercy.''
Alisha Karabinus reports:
''In a platform game, it's important that you be able to actually move from one platform to the next. Action game? It's similarly important that you be able to fight and move, in order to progress through the game. Few people would argue those points -- so why is the text in a text adventure often less than great?
Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles could have been a great game. The potential is there, and there are a lot of great little touches. Unfortunately, the localized script is sloppy, and that, combined with the missing cases, makes this much more a miss than a hit.''
