Games I am Excited About (Spring Edition)

I really didn't think 2011 was going to be a big year for me, game-wise.  For one thing, I made a vow late last year that I would no longer just buy anything I came across that tickled my fancy, but that I would only buy games that I 1)  Knew I would love and 2)  I knew I might have a hard time finding if I didn't buy them right away because of a low print-run. 

Then, two games that I had been planning to get for Christmas in 2010 were pushed off to 2011 (Ghost Trick:  Phantom Detective and Kingdom Hearts:  ReCoded).  Then they announced a sequel to Dissidia Final Fantasy and any restraint I might have pretended to have was blown away.  The finishing blow was an announcement of (yet another) remake of Final Fantasy IV and its sequel on PSP.  Hell, even if they don't localize it (chances are high they will but you never know...the PSP is pretty much DOA here in America) I will import it.

Also I just happened to read about a cool time-traveling game called Radiant Historia that is supposed to be one of the best JRPGs that have come out in a long time.  Anything that sounds remotely Chrono Trigger-ish is an automatic buy in my book.

*sigh*  Anyway, the game out of those that I am the most excited about is of course, Dissidia.  After long and careful thought, I've figured out who my top 3 characters are that I will main.  Of course, these decisions pend on how they actually play when I get the game, but this is who I am going to try dominating the game with first:

Cecil - Duh, kinda obvious if you know me.  But besides the fact that the eight-year old in me will never stop being in love with him, he was actually a really great fighter in Dissidia 1, underrated if you ask me.  Most people hated that he changed attack styles and fighter class depending on what combo you used, but I loved it.  His Dark Knight attacks were devastating when it came to draining your enemies' strength, and then you just needed to quickly switch to one of his Paladin combos to finish them off easy-peasy.  Yeah, it sucked that he had mostly air combos as a Paladin, but hopefully that will be fixed this time around because an actual warrior that fights in the air (KAIN!) will be in the game now. 

Kain - OMFG KAIN.  The perfect character to introduce the Dissidia sequel with (OK, Lightning was introduced too, but really...who gives a fuck about Lightning?).  Obviously I don't know too much about how he handles besides what I've seen in gameplay videos (as expected, he has a lot of air combos, as he is a Dragoon), so this choice is more purely based on fangirl glee than anything else.  I am hoping that they give Kain Cecil's air moves, and make Cecil more of the ground power-house he was meant to be in Final Fantasy IV.  Also, Kain's EX-mode is Holy Dragoon Kain and he apparently wears teal nail polish.  Really, can you ask for any more than that?  Actually, yes you can...why the fuck did they not give Kain a ponytail like he wears in FFIV: TAY?  And where is his crystal crown?  I know Cecil doesn't wear his crown either (BLASPHEMY!) but poor Kain waited 32 years to finally be better than Cecil at something, they could have at least shown his Holy Dragoon outfit in all its glory that they give it in FFIV:  TAY.  Because let's face it, in that game, Cecil blows and Kain is the head bitch in charge.

Yuna - This is the character I am most hesitant about backing all the way from the get-go.  And no, it's not because she's not part of the hot angst-sandwich that is Kain and Cecil's relationship.  I am intrigued by Yuna's play style, as she doesn't appear to directly fight at all...she summons Eidolons to fight in her place and the only direct attack she really uses is her EX-attack, which is when she "sends" the enemy (basically means she releases their souls so they can die in peace).  As far as I know, there are no other characters that play quite like her.  I'm more of a hack and slash melee girl, so that is why this character is such a departure from what I would normally back.

Just a note, if I were making this list based on characters that were in the old game vs. new characters in this game, this is how my choices would pan out:

Characters returning from Dissidia 1:  Cecil, Warrior of Light, Cloud of Darkness

New Characters to Dissidia 2:  Kain, Yuna, Laguna