So, I graduated from High School 5 hours ago.

00TJ · 06-09-2011, 11:53 PM

I don't know whether to be happy or sad. I still got San Diego State to look forward in a month.

Yay me.

Dux is not you · 06-10-2011, 12:01 AM

Congratulations. Keep up the good work.

**Crazyswordsman** · 06-10-2011, 12:06 AM

Huzzah for you!

You should have a lot of fun at SDSU. I've met some people from there (despite my diagonalness across the country) and they love it. -CSM

User Name · 06-10-2011, 01:10 AM

Congrats! You should be really happy. College is so much better than high school. It's hard work, but the people and experiences are more worthwhile. Good luck in your future, man!

Rainbow Dash · 06-10-2011, 02:10 AM

welcome to the real world kid it only gets harder

Bomby · 06-10-2011, 07:42 AM

I remember that feeling. Once you've been to college for a week you won't miss high school at all.

***Ace Mercury*** · 06-10-2011, 08:28 AM

As you progress through the game, you will gain new abilities, but have to take on additional responsibilities. For example, once you unlock your own car, you'll find that it's mostly just fetch quests and (the dreaded) escort quests. Once you learn how to do a U-turn, your wingmen will occasionally get attacked and you have to turn around to help, or suffer the reputation penalty.

There's plenty of health around early game, but some levels have you scrambling around for potions and medipacks (not free, depending on the server you're playing on). On the other hand, you typically start the day with your energy bar full, and it depletes as you perform actions. The maximum size of this bar gradually shrinks each day (I guess it's a way to artificially increase difficulty) unless you regularly apply skill points to your max health/energy. Managing the energy bar is crucial to get 100% completion on some levels.

The tutorial section at the beginning is unskippable, which is inexcusable for modern games, and the length puts Final Fantasy XIII's tutorial to shame. However, the tutorial isn't strictly on rails, and there are plenty of diversions to keep you interested. Even though the tutorial is so long, it doesn't teach you any of the really important features of the game, such as multiplayer features and managing your time/energy bar effectively. I suppose the game designers figured you would pick up this knowledge as you play, but I can see some people throwing their controller in anger after failing the "prom" level for a third time in a row.

I find that there's too heavy a reliance on the in-game currency (dollars) to perform even the most basic of tasks. It's difficult to find small amounts of dollars early on without sequence breaking. Later on, it's relatively easy to gain a sizable amount of temporary dollars, but it's incredibly difficult to amass a warchest without playing easy mode. (If you receive alerts that your parents are funding your bank account, you're playing easy mode.)

I don't want to spoil the endings (there are multiple endings!), but I have to say that some of them can be quite disappointing if you fail critical sections. However, it's still a must have for any serious gamer's library.

Gameplay: 9
Story: 10
Graphics: 7
Sound: 8
Replayability: 0
Final Score (not an average): 8.8

***Marilink*** · 06-10-2011, 03:20 PM

Hey, congrats! I just did the same about two weeks ago.

I have a friend that goes to SDSU. If you ever meet a Korean guy named Tim, let me know.

**Valigarmander** · 06-10-2011, 03:43 PM

Welcome to the ~~boring~~ super-fun world of adults, buddy.

Zaden · 06-23-2011, 04:42 PM

"Graphics: 7"? You need contacts, man. These visuals are stunning. Or maybe you just don't live in California.

I just graduated, too, high school blows.

06-09-2011, 11:53 PM	#1
00TJ Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Gender: Posts: 185 Thanks: 4 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	So, I graduated from High School 5 hours ago. I don't know whether to be happy or sad. I still got San Diego State to look forward in a month. Yay me.

06-10-2011, 08:28 AM	#7
*Ace Mercury* Marshmallow Knight ☆ Supermod Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Southern Ontario Gender: Posts: 23,275 Thanks: 568 Thanked 3,297 Times in 1,582 Posts Blog Entries: 1	It's a Brave New World. As you progress through the game, you will gain new abilities, but have to take on additional responsibilities. For example, once you unlock your own car, you'll find that it's mostly just fetch quests and (the dreaded) escort quests. Once you learn how to do a U-turn, your wingmen will occasionally get attacked and you have to turn around to help, or suffer the reputation penalty. There's plenty of health around early game, but some levels have you scrambling around for potions and medipacks (not free, depending on the server you're playing on). On the other hand, you typically start the day with your energy bar full, and it depletes as you perform actions. The maximum size of this bar gradually shrinks each day (I guess it's a way to artificially increase difficulty) unless you regularly apply skill points to your max health/energy. Managing the energy bar is crucial to get 100% completion on some levels. The tutorial section at the beginning is unskippable, which is inexcusable for modern games, and the length puts Final Fantasy XIII's tutorial to shame. However, the tutorial isn't strictly on rails, and there are plenty of diversions to keep you interested. Even though the tutorial is so long, it doesn't teach you any of the really important features of the game, such as multiplayer features and managing your time/energy bar effectively. I suppose the game designers figured you would pick up this knowledge as you play, but I can see some people throwing their controller in anger after failing the "prom" level for a third time in a row. I find that there's too heavy a reliance on the in-game currency (dollars) to perform even the most basic of tasks. It's difficult to find small amounts of dollars early on without sequence breaking. Later on, it's relatively easy to gain a sizable amount of temporary dollars, but it's incredibly difficult to amass a warchest without playing easy mode. (If you receive alerts that your parents are funding your bank account, you're playing easy mode.) I don't want to spoil the endings (there are multiple endings!), but I have to say that some of them can be quite disappointing if you fail critical sections. However, it's still a must have for any serious gamer's library. Gameplay: 9 Story: 10 Graphics: 7 Sound: 8 Replayability: 0 Final Score (not an average): 8.8

06-10-2011, 12:01 AM	#2
Dux is not you Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Not Columbia Gender: Posts: 1,976 Thanks: 92 Thanked 113 Times in 74 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Congratulations. Keep up the good work.

06-10-2011, 12:06 AM	#3
Crazyswordsman This key doesn't work. Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Booyaville (yeah!) Gender: Posts: 10,791 Thanks: 1,019 Thanked 686 Times in 467 Posts	Huzzah for you! You should have a lot of fun at SDSU. I've met some people from there (despite my diagonalness across the country) and they love it. -CSM

06-10-2011, 01:10 AM	#4
User Name Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Gotham City Gender: Posts: 7,209 Thanks: 701 Thanked 536 Times in 367 Posts	Congrats! You should be really happy. College is so much better than high school. It's hard work, but the people and experiences are more worthwhile. Good luck in your future, man!

06-10-2011, 02:10 AM	#5
Rainbow Dash been dreamin', i've been waitin' Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: a bomb-ass cloud house bachelorette pad Gender: Posts: 24,402 Thanks: 173 Thanked 1,179 Times in 716 Posts	welcome to the real world kid it only gets harder

06-10-2011, 07:42 AM	#6
Bomby You just freaking blew Joe Biden's mind! Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: WHAT?house Gender: Posts: 19,491 Thanks: 513 Thanked 1,449 Times in 849 Posts Blog Entries: 5	I remember that feeling. Once you've been to college for a week you won't miss high school at all.

06-10-2011, 03:20 PM	#8
*Marilink* Gotta catch 'em all! Supermod! Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Location, Location. Gender: Posts: 29,118 Thanks: 2,535 Thanked 1,823 Times in 1,008 Posts	Hey, congrats! I just did the same about two weeks ago. I have a friend that goes to SDSU. If you ever meet a Korean guy named Tim, let me know.

06-10-2011, 03:43 PM	#9
Valigarmander The Bee's Knees Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: The land of rain and trees (Oregon) Gender: Posts: 29,755 Thanks: 1,649 Thanked 5,701 Times in 2,581 Posts Blog Entries: 20	Welcome to the ~~boring~~ super-fun world of adults, buddy.

06-23-2011, 04:42 PM	#10
Zaden Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: in the beak of a mighty condor Gender: Posts: 991 Thanks: 273 Thanked 88 Times in 51 Posts Blog Entries: 5	"Graphics: 7"? You need contacts, man. These visuals are stunning. Or maybe you just don't live in California. I just graduated, too, high school blows.