NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (first impressions)

[Zovistograt]

So I started playing the game today.  I must say, it made me go "wth" on many of an occasion.  Basically, from what I played (that being the beginning of both stories, the boy and girl), the storyline is either completely predictable or completely unexpected.  For example, once you get into The World of Dreams, Owl greets you and gives you a tutorial and you meet NiGHTS and such.  Then you dualize (basically become a symbiote) with NiGHTS and you fly around through rings to very enjoyable music.  Then there's a plot twist and you have to rescue NiGHTS.  But what gets me is that they made it so obvious either what to do or what not to do (omg dark ocean) that it's like Owl is more than just a guide...it just seems as though you don't have a lot of control over what's going on.

And that's the thing that annoys me, control.  NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams is a game about freedom and dreaming and stuff like that, but YOU'RE ON A FREAKING RAIL >:(  I want to fly, not merely maneuver!  I felt like the true feeling of flight was robbed from me.  I started playing thinking it would be a free-motion awesomefest, but instead I got a fun limit.  Limits in dreams?  Just make the game more challenging then!  Grah.  And when you do get to fly and get kinda full control (i.e. when the camera is behind NiGHTS), it's in a tunnel or something, so you can't fly around anyway!

Also, going back to what I said about the polar opposites of storyline, I have to say that the boss battles so far have absolutely no connection to anything that I can figure out is going on.  Seriously, one minute you're in a nice peaceful setting and you escaped when BAM you're suddenly in some demented gothic tower bouncing around a crazy clown thing that deals no damage (wth), or you're in some sort of circular chamber with a huge chandelier fighting a giant insane fish robot thing.

Basically, the good things about this game are as follows: setting (vibrant, huge worlds...that you can't explore...but still), cutscenes (verahnice), music (^_^), and finally those silly voice acting moments that probably aren't meant to be funny but are.  Take this one for instance...

"Go ahead and touch NiGHTS...that is, if you're into that sort of thing" - Owl

olol.


K so scores for first impression:


STORY: 6/10 (awesome cutscenes, but...it's kinda predictable.)

GAMEPLAY: 4/10 (sorry, but a flying game where you're on a rail in a 3D environment isn't very appealing.  Also, I find it hard to control NiGHTS sometimes using both the Wiimote and the Wiimote+nunchuk configurations.)

GRAPHICS: 7/10 (ooh pretty scenery...GCN graphics, but...yeah...ooh big pretty scenery omg)

MUSIC: 8/10 (very yes, NiGHTS games have great music.)

VOICE ACTING: 4/10 (points for doing voice acting in general but...it's not very good olol...and NiGHTS is supposedly a guy yet he/she is played by a female with a British accent.  Also Owl is annoying.)


OVERALL: 6/10 (I'm not seeing the "magic" that NP is seeing.  Maybe I have to play moar.  We'll see.)