Radiant Historia does have good music. It's just a very small OST, 25 tracks in total IIRC (actually I think there a few new ones for the 3DS version but not many).
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What JRPG are you playing right now?
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Radiant Historia does have good music. It's just a very small OST, 25 tracks in total IIRC (actually I think there a few new ones for the 3DS version but not many).
The music that's there IS really good. Like, I thin the field and battle themes are great. There just isn't a Battle 2 theme or something, if I recall. But I remember liking it and humming it when I wasn't playing it.
I think the 3DS has some QoL features to it, so maybe they have a built in FF or something. I think it's a really good JRPG, I'd love to see a spiritual sequel or something.
I look forward to hearing what you think of it! I loved the combat system! Please post back your thoughts on the game.
Ni no Kuni 2 - let me outta Goldpaw I can't stand this towns theme anymore!! The music loop is real short and constantly being restarted by all the event and leaving/returning to town ya gotta do!! I'm liking this kingdom building stuff I just wish the development cash rolled in faster! As with the first game I see they locked faster overworld movement speed behind essentially clearing a number of quests an once again say: that's lame. I just wanna go fast!! Quests lead to kingdom improvement leading to all kinds of bonuses is great though. I'm glad thats one system from the first NnK they didn't dump. Makes doing quests so much more rewarding than it is in other games/series! Like the lil army vs army stuff too. Dunno why so many peeps were down on this game.
That sounds extremely accurate to my experience. I was really liking the game up until the point where the grind became unbearable even for me as someone who likes grinding. The extra content they put into the 3DS version did not alleviate said grind either. I'd say based on what peeps have said about the version differences that the DS one is a safer bet.
Ah, okay. I'm gonna at least give it a try, though given how often I give up on games these days I'd say the chances of something similar happening to me are pretty high. The jist of the review I mentioned was actually that the 3DS version was better in that regard, as it includes a new 'Friendly mode' that allows you to skip most of the combat entirely, but while I'm sure that lessens the grind it also seems to kinda defeat the purpose of playing an RPG, at least to me. I think I'm gonna give it a try on normal mode and see how it goes. Thanks, and glad to hear you're enjoying NnK2! I've always wated to give that series a shot and the second one looked a lot more enticing to me than the first. I'm sure I'll play it someday.
I've been playing the original Dragon Quest on mobile for the past year or so. I also keep a personal gaming blog which you can read here that has all the fancy formatting and pictures. Anyway, figured I'd share my thoughts as someone who grew up with Square & FF RPGs. The following is two of my blog posts posted back to back.
My first role-playing games (RPGs) were Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI (otherwise known as Final Fantasy III in North America). I knew about Enix's Dragon Quest (Warrior) and Sega's Phantasy Star, but for whatever reason, I wasn't exposed to them as a kid. As a child, no matter how much you try to influence and educate your parents on the games that you want, at the end of the day, they're the ones footing the bill, so what you get is what you play. Fortunately, my parents chose wisely and I was gifted some of the best games/RPGs to grace the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). As an adult, I've sort of regretted not growing up with Dragon Quest and Phantasy Star, but it's something I've been looking to rectify for many years.
Box art says it all.
My History with the Franchise
Although I've dipped my toes into various Dragon Quest games over the years, I didn't truly understand the appeal of the franchise until I sat down with Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen and Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime for the Nintendo DS. I typically prefer to play a franchise in chronological order, but much like Final Fantasy, each Dragon Quest tells a story from a different perspective set in a unique world with new characters. Familiar terms, themes and monsters appear throughout each entry, however (like the iconic slime enemy and some of the music, for example), which creates a comforting through-line for series devotees.
As a collector and a preserver of save data, I booted up my files for both Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen and Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime for the DS to see where, when and why I stopped playing. As I mentioned earlier, these are the only two DQ games I've finished. Although I'm still a completionist at heart, I had way more time to complete games to their full completion 10 years ago than I do today. Looking back, it looks like I took 46 hours to see the "Happy Ending" in DQIV. Having never fled a battle nor being wiped-out is rather impressive as well (although I'm pretty sure I died plenty of times and reloaded my data to maintain my clean slate)! I also believe I completed most, if not all of the side-quests and optional bosses. I'm eager to move onto DQV as I've heard it's a series favorite among veterans.
I recall thoroughly enjoying my time with Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime. There have been quite a few Dragon Quest side-spin titles since, but this was the first one I experienced. Rocket Slime was a big departure from the traditional DQ formula and instead offered a Zelda-like experience with giant tank battles. I remember being pleasantly surprised by this game and was bummed when its sequels never made it to the west. Based on my old save file, it looks like I completed the game with max heart containers and all 100 slimes saved. I recall an in-game museum that required a huge grind in order to complete, however, which I never finished. One day, I'd like to go back to Rocket Slime and mop-up the remaining content, but for now, it'll be a distant memory I was extremely fond of.
Dragon Quest the 1st
While there are numerous ways to play the original Dragon Quest, for convenience purposes, I bought and downloaded the mobile version for my Android device. The first Dragon Quest released back in 1986 and it's still a very simple, yet extremely enjoyable game, even by today's standards. The mobile version comes equipped with slightly advanced visuals, a touch-screen interface and even a quick-save feature (which I try not to use). It's not my preferred method to experience the game, but the extra quality-of-life (QOL) features are appreciated. I've mainly been playing game during my work commute and on lunch breaks.
The story is as cliché as it gets, but for a game from the 80s, it does its job well enough; an evil overlord has kidnapped a princess and it's your job as the hero to rescue her. Castles, towns and dungeons comprise the majority of the journey and random encounters are front & center. Like many old-school RPGs, townsfolk guide the player with vague clues and secrets in order to progress, too. For instance, in one town, a hidden villager hints at a treasure "2 paces south" from some bathhouse in another location. The majority of the map can be explored right from the start of the game as well. Bridges act as warning signs as stronger, more deadly foes await the player on the other side, yet nothing is stopping you from stepping foot into new areas (and subsequently getting slaughtered).
The most interesting thing about the original Dragon Quest's combat system is its one-on-one encounters. There are no party members or additional allies and each battle pits the player against a single foe. While options are limited and most battles play similarly, it's ironically manageable and somewhat relaxing. Considering the fact that I'm playing a mobile version (usually single-handed), I welcome the low-key party management. So far, the dungeons have been a letdown, as they've all been maze-like caverns which require consumable torch items or a "Glow" spell (learned at Level 9) in order to navigate. I've been playing for a few hours and I just gained access to purchasable keys (which should allow me to make some significant progress in the story as certain areas are gated), so look forward to my next update soon!
With the announcement of Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition – (what a mouthful) for the Nintendo Switch, I'm reminded that there's an incredible old-school RPG on modern platforms waiting for me at the end of seemingly endless road of adventures. As someone who enjoys playing most, if not all of the entries to a franchise, it's been taking every fiber of my being to not unseal my PlayStation 4 (PS4) copy of the game. What's also stopping me is the fact that I'm still in the middle of a handful of other RPGs (Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Octopath Traveler, Ever Oasis, just to name a few). While I've been wanting to make time for DQV, DQVI, DQVII and DQVIII on the Nintendo DS and 3DS, respectively, I'll most likely take a slight detour to checkout DQ Builders and the first DQ Heroes on my PS4 once I conquer the original game.
Keys to the Kingdom
Keys are really important. There's nothing worse than misplacing your car keys when you're in a hurry or getting locked-out from your house when you've had a miserable day at the office and you just want nothing more than to collapse on your couch. In the original Dragon Quest, "Magic Keys" are essential to making any sort of significant progress in the game. Not only are important items locked behind certain doors, but treasures and even shortcuts can be discovered if you have an abundance of these special keys. One may asketh where doth one become the master of unlocking? Well, some random non-playable character (NPC) in town might know! The first DQ was a relatively progressive game for its time and beyond its (quite literal) gated progression, a lot of the game can be accessed from the beginning of the quest.
As I mentioned, bridges connect each major continent in the game. Although there's nothing stopping you from venturing across these rickety old walkways, the enemies on the other side will most likely take your life if you're not prepared/properly leveled. Unlike the bridges, however, locked doors prevent you from accessing particular areas in the game. In one such cavern, the princess you're tasked to pursue at the start of the game can be discovered behind one of these doors, which also happens to be guarded by a dragon. Upon defeating the dragon and rescuing the princess, the hero escorts the maiden back to the castle and is welcomed with open arms. Although some players may take minor details like this for granted today, the fact that the townspeople/castle-folk changed their dialogue in response to your actions was relatively groundbreaking for its time.
After rescuing the princess, one would think the quest is over, right? Wrong! There's an evil overlord who needs to be vanquished and your next objective is to travel to each corner of the map in search of special relics in order to gain access to his secret lair. The NPCs in the various towns speak in riddles and provide vague clues regarding points of interest on the map. One person speaks of a flute that must be used on a golem in a village named Cantlin and another teases a hidden item that can be discovered underfoot at a specific location. Finally, wise old men in shrines provide the juicy details, such as a staff of rain needed to make a bridge appear and proof of a hero's birthright to (presumably) become a true dragon warrior. Regardless, if you put the game down for a period of time and you're not taking notes, prepare to be lost upon loading your save file. Fortunately, I wrote down most details when I could and I'm likely nearing the end of the journey.
Final Steps
I believe I'm a few steps away from reaching the final dungeon. I have a golem to beat in Cantlin (which I don't think I'm properly leveled for) and a location or two I've yet to discover on the map before I reach what is presumably the overlord's castle. Fortunately, I discovered the location of the fan-favorite Metal Slimes on my own, so let the grinding commence. I've been doing my best not to use a guide nor have I been abusing the save-state features available on the mobile version. If I fall in combat, I either deal with the loss of gold or load a prior save-point and make amends with the time lost. A part of me wants to experience the original home console version too, but for now, the convenience of playing the mobile port has given me a new perspective on an old classic.
My first role-playing games (RPGs) were Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI (otherwise known as Final Fantasy III in North America). I knew about Enix's Dragon Quest (Warrior) and Sega's Phantasy Star, but for whatever reason, I wasn't exposed to them as a kid. As a child, no matter how much you try to influence and educate your parents on the games that you want, at the end of the day, they're the ones footing the bill, so what you get is what you play. Fortunately, my parents chose wisely and I was gifted some of the best games/RPGs to grace the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). As an adult, I've sort of regretted not growing up with Dragon Quest and Phantasy Star, but it's something I've been looking to rectify for many years.
Box art says it all.
My History with the Franchise
Although I've dipped my toes into various Dragon Quest games over the years, I didn't truly understand the appeal of the franchise until I sat down with Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen and Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime for the Nintendo DS. I typically prefer to play a franchise in chronological order, but much like Final Fantasy, each Dragon Quest tells a story from a different perspective set in a unique world with new characters. Familiar terms, themes and monsters appear throughout each entry, however (like the iconic slime enemy and some of the music, for example), which creates a comforting through-line for series devotees.
As a collector and a preserver of save data, I booted up my files for both Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen and Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime for the DS to see where, when and why I stopped playing. As I mentioned earlier, these are the only two DQ games I've finished. Although I'm still a completionist at heart, I had way more time to complete games to their full completion 10 years ago than I do today. Looking back, it looks like I took 46 hours to see the "Happy Ending" in DQIV. Having never fled a battle nor being wiped-out is rather impressive as well (although I'm pretty sure I died plenty of times and reloaded my data to maintain my clean slate)! I also believe I completed most, if not all of the side-quests and optional bosses. I'm eager to move onto DQV as I've heard it's a series favorite among veterans.
I recall thoroughly enjoying my time with Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime. There have been quite a few Dragon Quest side-spin titles since, but this was the first one I experienced. Rocket Slime was a big departure from the traditional DQ formula and instead offered a Zelda-like experience with giant tank battles. I remember being pleasantly surprised by this game and was bummed when its sequels never made it to the west. Based on my old save file, it looks like I completed the game with max heart containers and all 100 slimes saved. I recall an in-game museum that required a huge grind in order to complete, however, which I never finished. One day, I'd like to go back to Rocket Slime and mop-up the remaining content, but for now, it'll be a distant memory I was extremely fond of.
Dragon Quest the 1st
While there are numerous ways to play the original Dragon Quest, for convenience purposes, I bought and downloaded the mobile version for my Android device. The first Dragon Quest released back in 1986 and it's still a very simple, yet extremely enjoyable game, even by today's standards. The mobile version comes equipped with slightly advanced visuals, a touch-screen interface and even a quick-save feature (which I try not to use). It's not my preferred method to experience the game, but the extra quality-of-life (QOL) features are appreciated. I've mainly been playing game during my work commute and on lunch breaks.
The story is as cliché as it gets, but for a game from the 80s, it does its job well enough; an evil overlord has kidnapped a princess and it's your job as the hero to rescue her. Castles, towns and dungeons comprise the majority of the journey and random encounters are front & center. Like many old-school RPGs, townsfolk guide the player with vague clues and secrets in order to progress, too. For instance, in one town, a hidden villager hints at a treasure "2 paces south" from some bathhouse in another location. The majority of the map can be explored right from the start of the game as well. Bridges act as warning signs as stronger, more deadly foes await the player on the other side, yet nothing is stopping you from stepping foot into new areas (and subsequently getting slaughtered).
The most interesting thing about the original Dragon Quest's combat system is its one-on-one encounters. There are no party members or additional allies and each battle pits the player against a single foe. While options are limited and most battles play similarly, it's ironically manageable and somewhat relaxing. Considering the fact that I'm playing a mobile version (usually single-handed), I welcome the low-key party management. So far, the dungeons have been a letdown, as they've all been maze-like caverns which require consumable torch items or a "Glow" spell (learned at Level 9) in order to navigate. I've been playing for a few hours and I just gained access to purchasable keys (which should allow me to make some significant progress in the story as certain areas are gated), so look forward to my next update soon!
With the announcement of Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition – (what a mouthful) for the Nintendo Switch, I'm reminded that there's an incredible old-school RPG on modern platforms waiting for me at the end of seemingly endless road of adventures. As someone who enjoys playing most, if not all of the entries to a franchise, it's been taking every fiber of my being to not unseal my PlayStation 4 (PS4) copy of the game. What's also stopping me is the fact that I'm still in the middle of a handful of other RPGs (Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Octopath Traveler, Ever Oasis, just to name a few). While I've been wanting to make time for DQV, DQVI, DQVII and DQVIII on the Nintendo DS and 3DS, respectively, I'll most likely take a slight detour to checkout DQ Builders and the first DQ Heroes on my PS4 once I conquer the original game.
Keys to the Kingdom
Keys are really important. There's nothing worse than misplacing your car keys when you're in a hurry or getting locked-out from your house when you've had a miserable day at the office and you just want nothing more than to collapse on your couch. In the original Dragon Quest, "Magic Keys" are essential to making any sort of significant progress in the game. Not only are important items locked behind certain doors, but treasures and even shortcuts can be discovered if you have an abundance of these special keys. One may asketh where doth one become the master of unlocking? Well, some random non-playable character (NPC) in town might know! The first DQ was a relatively progressive game for its time and beyond its (quite literal) gated progression, a lot of the game can be accessed from the beginning of the quest.
As I mentioned, bridges connect each major continent in the game. Although there's nothing stopping you from venturing across these rickety old walkways, the enemies on the other side will most likely take your life if you're not prepared/properly leveled. Unlike the bridges, however, locked doors prevent you from accessing particular areas in the game. In one such cavern, the princess you're tasked to pursue at the start of the game can be discovered behind one of these doors, which also happens to be guarded by a dragon. Upon defeating the dragon and rescuing the princess, the hero escorts the maiden back to the castle and is welcomed with open arms. Although some players may take minor details like this for granted today, the fact that the townspeople/castle-folk changed their dialogue in response to your actions was relatively groundbreaking for its time.
After rescuing the princess, one would think the quest is over, right? Wrong! There's an evil overlord who needs to be vanquished and your next objective is to travel to each corner of the map in search of special relics in order to gain access to his secret lair. The NPCs in the various towns speak in riddles and provide vague clues regarding points of interest on the map. One person speaks of a flute that must be used on a golem in a village named Cantlin and another teases a hidden item that can be discovered underfoot at a specific location. Finally, wise old men in shrines provide the juicy details, such as a staff of rain needed to make a bridge appear and proof of a hero's birthright to (presumably) become a true dragon warrior. Regardless, if you put the game down for a period of time and you're not taking notes, prepare to be lost upon loading your save file. Fortunately, I wrote down most details when I could and I'm likely nearing the end of the journey.
Final Steps
I believe I'm a few steps away from reaching the final dungeon. I have a golem to beat in Cantlin (which I don't think I'm properly leveled for) and a location or two I've yet to discover on the map before I reach what is presumably the overlord's castle. Fortunately, I discovered the location of the fan-favorite Metal Slimes on my own, so let the grinding commence. I've been doing my best not to use a guide nor have I been abusing the save-state features available on the mobile version. If I fall in combat, I either deal with the loss of gold or load a prior save-point and make amends with the time lost. A part of me wants to experience the original home console version too, but for now, the convenience of playing the mobile port has given me a new perspective on an old classic.
Right now I'm playing through Dragon Quest VIII on the 3DS and enjoying it immensely. I have a bit of a long history with this game and series as well.
Growing up, I always knew about Dragon Quest as a series. I knew about how popular it was in Japan and all the myths behind it (people waiting hours in line for the newest game, kids skipping school to play it, etc.). So once Dragon Quest VIII on PS2 arrived here in the USA with great reviews, I decided this was my time to hop into the series and see what it was all about. I played through some of the game and even though I was annoyed by the high random encounter rate and difficulty, I still liked it. However, I put in about 20 hours into the game before I stopped and decided this wasn't the game for me.
At first, I felt a bit of shame that I wasn't into the Dragon Quest, the "grandfather" of JRPGs. I didn't understand why though, I really liked the Toriyama-style art (growing up, I was a huge Dragon Ball fan), the cast of characters were interesting, music was great and the gameplay was solid, even though it was more difficult than I was normally used to in video games. Maybe at the time I felt like I "had" to play a Dragon Quest game because of its prestige in the industry and the hype I built up in my head didn't meet expectations, so by playing through the game from that perspective I was never fully able to enjoy it. It could also be because of how traditional the game played. I always appreciated JRPGs like Final Fantasy and Persona for trying to make each game and story different, while Dragon Quest as a series seemed to be the same sort of story and gameplay with very little innovation.
After that, I didn't play another Dragon Quest game for a while (besides Rocket Slime, which was pretty fun). Years later, I decided to pick up Dragon Quest VII remake on the 3DS, thinking maybe I'll give this series another shot. But yet again, I only got a couple hours in before I decided to retire the game. It didn't click with me just like VIII didn't either. Then, I found out that VIII was going to be released on the 3DS as an enhanced port. Feeling some nostalgia, I picked up the game at launch and hoped with the added features and quality-of-life improvements (no more random encounters on land) I would finally be able to enjoy the game. But sadly, I played only past the first boss and put it away again. Once again, I left defeated that I couldn't enjoy the series as much as I wanted to.
Then, just recently, the series "clicked" for me.
With the recent announcement of the Dragon Quest Hero being in Smash Bros and an Definitive Edition of Dragon Quest XI on the way, it gave me a bit of inspiration to try playing through Dragon Quest VIII again on the 3DS. Loading up the save file that I haven't touched in two years, I was thrown back into the world of Dragon Quest VIII and soon enough I played about 16 hours of the game throughout the weekend. I don't know what caused me to be engaged with the game now more than ever (could be that I'm a lot older now), but I really get why people enjoy this series a lot. The gameplay loop felt really satisfying and thanks to the QOL improvements of the 3DS version, the game felt a lot less frustrating to play. I really enjoyed how I always felt that I was achieving some sort of progress in the game, even if I put in about 10 minutes of gameplay at a time. It kept me wanting to play more.
Now I'm looking at other games in the series to play once I finish with VIII, I ordered V for DS on Amazon and I plan on buying XI on Switch once it's released. It feels good to finally be able to enjoy Dragon Quest.
Growing up, I always knew about Dragon Quest as a series. I knew about how popular it was in Japan and all the myths behind it (people waiting hours in line for the newest game, kids skipping school to play it, etc.). So once Dragon Quest VIII on PS2 arrived here in the USA with great reviews, I decided this was my time to hop into the series and see what it was all about. I played through some of the game and even though I was annoyed by the high random encounter rate and difficulty, I still liked it. However, I put in about 20 hours into the game before I stopped and decided this wasn't the game for me.
At first, I felt a bit of shame that I wasn't into the Dragon Quest, the "grandfather" of JRPGs. I didn't understand why though, I really liked the Toriyama-style art (growing up, I was a huge Dragon Ball fan), the cast of characters were interesting, music was great and the gameplay was solid, even though it was more difficult than I was normally used to in video games. Maybe at the time I felt like I "had" to play a Dragon Quest game because of its prestige in the industry and the hype I built up in my head didn't meet expectations, so by playing through the game from that perspective I was never fully able to enjoy it. It could also be because of how traditional the game played. I always appreciated JRPGs like Final Fantasy and Persona for trying to make each game and story different, while Dragon Quest as a series seemed to be the same sort of story and gameplay with very little innovation.
After that, I didn't play another Dragon Quest game for a while (besides Rocket Slime, which was pretty fun). Years later, I decided to pick up Dragon Quest VII remake on the 3DS, thinking maybe I'll give this series another shot. But yet again, I only got a couple hours in before I decided to retire the game. It didn't click with me just like VIII didn't either. Then, I found out that VIII was going to be released on the 3DS as an enhanced port. Feeling some nostalgia, I picked up the game at launch and hoped with the added features and quality-of-life improvements (no more random encounters on land) I would finally be able to enjoy the game. But sadly, I played only past the first boss and put it away again. Once again, I left defeated that I couldn't enjoy the series as much as I wanted to.
Then, just recently, the series "clicked" for me.
With the recent announcement of the Dragon Quest Hero being in Smash Bros and an Definitive Edition of Dragon Quest XI on the way, it gave me a bit of inspiration to try playing through Dragon Quest VIII again on the 3DS. Loading up the save file that I haven't touched in two years, I was thrown back into the world of Dragon Quest VIII and soon enough I played about 16 hours of the game throughout the weekend. I don't know what caused me to be engaged with the game now more than ever (could be that I'm a lot older now), but I really get why people enjoy this series a lot. The gameplay loop felt really satisfying and thanks to the QOL improvements of the 3DS version, the game felt a lot less frustrating to play. I really enjoyed how I always felt that I was achieving some sort of progress in the game, even if I put in about 10 minutes of gameplay at a time. It kept me wanting to play more.
Now I'm looking at other games in the series to play once I finish with VIII, I ordered V for DS on Amazon and I plan on buying XI on Switch once it's released. It feels good to finally be able to enjoy Dragon Quest.
Steam is dead right now because of the Summer Sale, but when it comes back:
Cosmic Star Heroine is $5.99. Awesome Indie JRPG if you haven't already checked it out, buy it!
Cosmic Star Heroine is $5.99. Awesome Indie JRPG if you haven't already checked it out, buy it!
Finished the first story in Birth by Sleep and hopefully my copy of Radiant Historia arrives tomorrow. Anything I need to know before jumping in?
After that I'll go into DQ7 which I understand is a like a 100 hour commitment. I'm interested to see how I feel about it because I love DQ8 and 11 but am far cooler on the older games I've played (1, 2, 4 and 5)
After that I'll go into DQ7 which I understand is a like a 100 hour commitment. I'm interested to see how I feel about it because I love DQ8 and 11 but am far cooler on the older games I've played (1, 2, 4 and 5)
Radiant Historis is pretty good. I think its one of those games that's best enjoyed the less you know about it. It'll surprise you and that's good.
3DS or original? Idk about the original but DQ7 3DS took me I believe a little under 60 hours, and I'm a notoriously slow players, my average times are like always longer than others, I feel. So I think 100 hours is overblown. Even at 60 hours the game was a drag, good luck.
3DS, I tend to finish games quicker than most but I mostly play my 3ds while watching tv so it will likely take me at least 2 months (it took me like 3 months to get through the first Trials of Cold Steel which did really drag to me)
100 hours is way overestimating, dun go in thinking it'll be that long! I clocked out under 74 hours an thats only cause I grinded tons of vocations for each character. I'd give it 60 hours tops if you're not goin' nuts on the grindier aspects!
Going through Etrian Odyssey 1 right now on the 3ds. Played this on the DS before but only made it to the last(?) set of floors. I'm now at the same place, I wonder if I'll be able to beat it this time lol.
About Ni no Kuni 2: its an action rpg with visible enemy encounters, harvesting spots for items useful in crafting strewn about, an loads of sidequests. I think these are four pretty underused things in jrpgs which are always turn-based, with random encounters, plain old items that're useful as just items, and lacking in the questing department. This games definitely working ta fill in a big niche here. I definitely haven't encountered the things in NnK2 in recent rpgs I've played such as .hack//Link, Star Ocean 5, Blue Reflection, DQ11, Ni no Kuni 1... wait a minute...
Games really hard ta put down! Finished up Chapter 6 of ? like a half hour ago. Been questing away gaining new members for the kingdom an upgrading it when possible. I almost kinda wanna idle around in the kingdom waiting for the kingsguilders ta build up but that'd be kinda silly huh? This one may be less wizardly than the original but its still got magic usage for stuff in dungeons/overworld along with leaders & other important people teaching ya magic which is good! I also love that ya can advance dialogue with the shoulder buttons, dpad, and three of the face buttons! Thats really really handy! Also neat how theres lotsa high level baddies inside random caves and some overworld spots. Really oldschool having super tough baddies off the main path!
Games really hard ta put down! Finished up Chapter 6 of ? like a half hour ago. Been questing away gaining new members for the kingdom an upgrading it when possible. I almost kinda wanna idle around in the kingdom waiting for the kingsguilders ta build up but that'd be kinda silly huh? This one may be less wizardly than the original but its still got magic usage for stuff in dungeons/overworld along with leaders & other important people teaching ya magic which is good! I also love that ya can advance dialogue with the shoulder buttons, dpad, and three of the face buttons! Thats really really handy! Also neat how theres lotsa high level baddies inside random caves and some overworld spots. Really oldschool having super tough baddies off the main path!
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Thanks, that's what I thought but then got a headache so never started last night.
I'm slowly making my way through the Era essential rpg list having finished 9 more since the list was posted (and Radiant Historia and Divinity 2 sitting on my stack)
Man I just impulse puchased YsVIII on Steam because it's $40. I already play half of it on Switch when I had it on GameFly. It would've been cheaper to rent the game from GameFly and continue my save file.
But.... 60 FPS on my computer is so nice. Much easier to time those perfect dodge and guards. I'll have a fun time with Hard mode this time around.
But.... 60 FPS on my computer is so nice. Much easier to time those perfect dodge and guards. I'll have a fun time with Hard mode this time around.
Still Tales of Vesperia, just got the last spirit and had to track back through the freakin mountain again.
I use holy bottle so I can get back quickly and the level is utter boredom.
But there is always a couple of huge ass monsters blocking the way, which means you have to fight them anyway.
This is peak rubbish level design. Just a left or right dungeon, treasure chests inaccessible till later and shitty monsters blocking the way.
I use holy bottle so I can get back quickly and the level is utter boredom.
But there is always a couple of huge ass monsters blocking the way, which means you have to fight them anyway.
This is peak rubbish level design. Just a left or right dungeon, treasure chests inaccessible till later and shitty monsters blocking the way.
I've been playing Final Fantasy VI the last few weeks and it's been really good, but I do feel ready to complete it and move on now.
I still need to reunite with Terra and Locke in the World of Ruin so I'll try and get that done tomorrow then perhaps try and finish it. If my current character levels are in the low to mid-30s, will I struggle with the final area and boss? I'm playing the SNES version in case the answer to that question is affected by which platform I'm on.
Finally finished Tokyo Xanadu eX+
Jeepers, I wish I had just bothered with the Vita version, the new content is just a waste of time.
Its been a while when I wanted a game to just end. Me and my stupid rule of finishing the games I play.
Will probably go with Tales of Vesperia next.
Jeepers, I wish I had just bothered with the Vita version, the new content is just a waste of time.
Its been a while when I wanted a game to just end. Me and my stupid rule of finishing the games I play.
Will probably go with Tales of Vesperia next.
I don't remember what end levels are like in that game, it's been a loooong time since I last replayed it to the end!
But if I remember correctly there are plenty of easy grinding spots late in the game that you can easily climb a few levels with minimal effort to get them up if you need to, so no wories.
I'm playing Trails of Cold Steel for the first time and I'm loving it quite a bit. I put it off because the whole school setting sounded like a dreadful idea but I think it works pretty well thus far, I would even say I already prefer this to the first Trails In The Sky.
But with that said I've just been witness to the proper arrival of Rean's sister and it really hit me like a ton of bricks. How is this nonsense even here?
This is a game where a goofy bit of accidental face-in-tits at the beginning of the game, used for both humor and to kickstart a will-they/won't-they, is brought up by a different member of the group 15 hours later to highlight how the main character's penchant for chivalry and all around 'being nice'(which is what inadvertently led to said face-in-tits) can and often is easily misinterpreted as arrogance. Or when completing a simple "Kill monster" sidequest at the request of a military leader, one of your teammates rightly points out that the task was simple and the military man could've solved it by sending a squad of soldier handle it and the military man responds with a well reasoned explanation about the optics involved, that even if it was to kill a troublesome monster, troop movements are not to be done lightly as they can agitate both civilians and bordering neighbors.
How does a game that has such quality writing, not just in funny dialogue(which it also has) but also in the way it examines the events that are happening, thinks about them and their immediate ramifications, and then allows some of the characters that same privilege, how does such a game also permit Rean's sister to even exist? I am legitimately flabbergasted at her first big scene where she meets Rean at his school.
Oh, and even though Rean isn't a terrible character, I am officially tired of these boring as hell main characters that plague JRPGs. Can you just imagine how great this game would be if Machias was the lead? If the focal point of all this was the quick to anger, judgmental as hell, nobility hating, perfectionist who always comes in second?
But with that said I've just been witness to the proper arrival of Rean's sister and it really hit me like a ton of bricks. How is this nonsense even here?
This is a game where a goofy bit of accidental face-in-tits at the beginning of the game, used for both humor and to kickstart a will-they/won't-they, is brought up by a different member of the group 15 hours later to highlight how the main character's penchant for chivalry and all around 'being nice'(which is what inadvertently led to said face-in-tits) can and often is easily misinterpreted as arrogance. Or when completing a simple "Kill monster" sidequest at the request of a military leader, one of your teammates rightly points out that the task was simple and the military man could've solved it by sending a squad of soldier handle it and the military man responds with a well reasoned explanation about the optics involved, that even if it was to kill a troublesome monster, troop movements are not to be done lightly as they can agitate both civilians and bordering neighbors.
How does a game that has such quality writing, not just in funny dialogue(which it also has) but also in the way it examines the events that are happening, thinks about them and their immediate ramifications, and then allows some of the characters that same privilege, how does such a game also permit Rean's sister to even exist? I am legitimately flabbergasted at her first big scene where she meets Rean at his school.
Oh, and even though Rean isn't a terrible character, I am officially tired of these boring as hell main characters that plague JRPGs. Can you just imagine how great this game would be if Machias was the lead? If the focal point of all this was the quick to anger, judgmental as hell, nobility hating, perfectionist who always comes in second?
Does anyone have a recommendation for an entry to the Tales of franchise? I don't have a gaming pc but I have a PS4, Xbox One and Switch.
Everyone recommends Vesperia.
Personally, I didn't enjoy the combat (most people love it though). But it has very strong writing/characters. Coming from playing Ys VIII this game felt like an odd curve ball. Maybe in a different context I could've enjoyed it. I'm not a Tales superfan though, maybe someone here can give you a better response. I'm just echoing what I hear most people say, and that's play Tales of Vesperia (it was my first/only Tales of game)
Symphonia,abyss and Vesperia are all safe bets. If you enjoy them i would then suggest graces f
Just picked up FFX for Switch on sale - haven't played the game since it first came out 18 years ago
Xenoblade X justifies the existence of the WiiU. If you're not going to play it, just take the WiiU to Goodwill now.
I bought Shining Resonance Refrain and Tokyo Xanadu eX+ on the Steam sale because they were cheap. How badly did I fuck up?
From current gen, Zestiria is somehow my favourite lol.
Enjoyable cast, relatively simple story, great soundtracks, and probably overall the best dungeons in the series. Also watch the anime afterwards.
Tales of Vesperia has the best group dynamics and looks the nicest.
Tales of Berseria for me is kinda boring actually.
It's shitty of me to do this, but I just want to rail against the Zestiria recommendation >.> I have played through every single Tales Of mainline (and sequel), and it is imo the worst. I honestly think anyone starting there would potentially write off the franchise as a whole.
Armitization, equipment, the camera, etc are all huge problems. The anime is significantly better than the actual game.
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Juggling Ys 8 on vita and Star Ocean First Departure on psp. I am not far in neither.
First time playing a Star Ocean game. The story is picking my interest. It kinda reminds me of Xenogears.
Ys 8 is a beast as usual. Good music and fun combat. It looks good too on that OLED screen.
First time playing a Star Ocean game. The story is picking my interest. It kinda reminds me of Xenogears.
Ys 8 is a beast as usual. Good music and fun combat. It looks good too on that OLED screen.
Playing through FFXII at the moment. What a beast of a game, & probably the most difficult Final Fantasy game I've played.
Still doing Persona Q2. On what I believe is the last labyrinth. It's visually a bit much, not as interesting or enjoyable as the previous ones, though exploring it does add some new and interesting gimmicks. A great game overall if you were a fan of the first, which I very much was.
I really liked Tokyo Xanadu Ex. The dungeons are a little Bland but I enjoyed the weird mix of Persona, Cold Steel and Ys that it was. I'd buy a sequel happily.
Can't comment on Shining Resonance. I ried a demo on Switch and erm.... Let's just say it didn't make me leap to buy it lol.
That's good to hear. I'm definitely more hopeful for Tokyo Xanadu because it's Falcom.
Finished FF-X-2 for the first time few weeks ago. Horrible cash grab with fan service plot and endings. Combat was fantastic(probably the best in the franchise) and the songs are amazing, but everything else is bad.
Almost every boss is recycled wtf. And you would think an optional big dungeon like Via Infinito would be at least as decent as Omega ruins, but nope. you go through like 10 floors before fighting a strong recycled boss and each floor is basically one of the 4-5 repeated floors with the exact same design and textures. Waste of time.
If only there is a mod that let's me play with the girls and all of their dress/jobs in the original game.
Almost every boss is recycled wtf. And you would think an optional big dungeon like Via Infinito would be at least as decent as Omega ruins, but nope. you go through like 10 floors before fighting a strong recycled boss and each floor is basically one of the 4-5 repeated floors with the exact same design and textures. Waste of time.
If only there is a mod that let's me play with the girls and all of their dress/jobs in the original game.
If you like their Ys, Trails games new and old then you will propably enjoy it. It's not as good as either of those series but still good stuff :)
I'll tell you what jrpg I'm about to play. FF X/X2 PS4. It'll be my second jrpg, ever played. Well I have played Pokemon, but in particular, I played and finished P5 and loved it.
With FF Remake coming, and still being slightly confused about FF as a whole, I thought id give 10 a try. And here I am, just recently finding out despite being numbered, the games aren't related to each other plot wise. What a relief
With FF Remake coming, and still being slightly confused about FF as a whole, I thought id give 10 a try. And here I am, just recently finding out despite being numbered, the games aren't related to each other plot wise. What a relief
Playing through Tactics Ogre on the vita for the first time. I really enjoy strategy games (especially Fire Emblem and Advance Wars) but I will admit I'm terrible at them. Im really enjoying the story and the soundtrack is fire. Hopefully the difficulty doesn't ramp up too much because some of the battles are already giving me some difficulty and I'm only in Chapter 2
I wouldn't say the game can be broken like FFT, but you'll definitely start to beef up as you build your characters. It's an absolutely amazing game, though. In my top two, with FFT being #1 :P
Yeah I'm really enjoying it. I recruited a bunch of archers and it's definitely making things a lot easier.
Having a really great time with Tokyo Xanadu. The story might be generic, but the battle system is so fun. Changing character on the fly is so natural, and the hit effect is so satisfying, the enemies are pretty challenging too, the dungeon is so simple but it made the action more clear.
So... Xenoblade X is interesting so far, but there's quite a few drawbacks:
-Characters ugly as sin
-Footstep audio design egregiously bad (also dat sprint swimming audio)
-Terrible tutorialization of combat
-Lots of generic sidequests that feel the need to spin simple premises into 3 minutes of babbling text boxes
-Very poorly executed silent protagonist
-Unnecessarily confusing UI
-Unforgivably small text - I genuinely have no idea how this got through QC
-Zillions of abilities that explain nothing about what they do. "Swordbreaker II" oh great, my character is good at breaking swords now. Hopefully there's a robust wiki out there I can use to look up abilities.
Despite all that I'm still enjoying myself, but something weird happened when I loaded up my save this morning. I was right where I was when I left off last time, next to the exact NPC where I last saved.
But there are some quests that I absolutely did that were basically reset in my missions list. I finished Kitty's "go do the probes" mission, but the current mission status reads as "find out about probes from kitty." I also saved Conner, but my mission status says "go find Conner"
What happened there?
Edit: actually it looks like it didnt erase my quest progress like I thought and it turns out talking to NPCs about rumors about other NPCs is *kinda* fun. I still hate that I have no idea what I can do differently strategically if I cant take on a certain enemy successfully. Get better equipment? Level up more?
Edit: Jesus Christ some of this music direction is so bad. 10 minutes ago I could barely understand Elma over these bombastic drums that were blaring and now I can barely hear her over a vocal track that's playing in the background. And in both of these scenes the track starts at the beginning of the scene so it's not just a timing issue. Just awful music direction.
-Characters ugly as sin
-Footstep audio design egregiously bad (also dat sprint swimming audio)
-Terrible tutorialization of combat
-Lots of generic sidequests that feel the need to spin simple premises into 3 minutes of babbling text boxes
-Very poorly executed silent protagonist
-Unnecessarily confusing UI
-Unforgivably small text - I genuinely have no idea how this got through QC
-Zillions of abilities that explain nothing about what they do. "Swordbreaker II" oh great, my character is good at breaking swords now. Hopefully there's a robust wiki out there I can use to look up abilities.
Despite all that I'm still enjoying myself, but something weird happened when I loaded up my save this morning. I was right where I was when I left off last time, next to the exact NPC where I last saved.
But there are some quests that I absolutely did that were basically reset in my missions list. I finished Kitty's "go do the probes" mission, but the current mission status reads as "find out about probes from kitty." I also saved Conner, but my mission status says "go find Conner"
What happened there?
Edit: actually it looks like it didnt erase my quest progress like I thought and it turns out talking to NPCs about rumors about other NPCs is *kinda* fun. I still hate that I have no idea what I can do differently strategically if I cant take on a certain enemy successfully. Get better equipment? Level up more?
Edit: Jesus Christ some of this music direction is so bad. 10 minutes ago I could barely understand Elma over these bombastic drums that were blaring and now I can barely hear her over a vocal track that's playing in the background. And in both of these scenes the track starts at the beginning of the scene so it's not just a timing issue. Just awful music direction.
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Yeah, I think all of your observations are all on point. The game is very different from Xenoblade 1 and 2, especially in that story-telling/character department. I almost never enjoy silent protag, and it isn't very good here. The text size is INSANE. What were they thinking? Nearly unplayable off the WiiU pad, you have to hold it up to your nose.
The first 1 hour of the story/plot and the final 1 hour of the story/plot are the absolute best. The game drip feeds you "story" for all the hours between, it's really disappointing. They save their best stuff for the final 30 minutes of the game's story and leave you wanting so much more. So don't get too heavily involved in the story... it's not going to pick up and blow you away mid-way through or anything.
All that said, the game is still a 10/10 for me. The exploration and combat are so so awesome. If you manage to stick with it long enough to get a flying mech (about halfway through the game) it's INCREDIBLE to be able to fly around this open world. There's even more exploration to do once you can fly. You'd assume that you'd just "break" the game and do whatever because you can fly, but nope. There's vertical areas to explore with high level monsters protecting them that you have to fight mid-air in your mech! It really feels like the "upside down castle" in SoTN, where once you think you've explored it alll.... NOPE, you're only halfway through!
If they ever do a remaster/remake they should definitely speed up the process and get you the flying mech sooner. I'm afraid too many people leave the game before getting it and it's really the most special/unique thing about the whole game... so magical! But it does feel so rewarding because you have to do a lot before you get it, you definitely feel like you've EARNED the moment.
Don't stress too much about understanding all the crazy systems, or which skills to use in combat. I'm pretty sure the game is tuned well enough so that you can make it through the entire game just ignore that, and just picking whatever skills fill up the fastest. I feel like "knowing what you're doing" is really only important if you want to tackle special monsters above your level and end-game monster stuff. But just natural progression through the game doesn't require you to have super knowledge of all the many poorly explained systems the game throws at you. Like you mentioned: there is a great support online wikis and YouTube videos that do a great job of explaining all the stuff the game doesn't for you. But don' tfeel like you need to know and master all that stuff in order to enjoy the game. Just play and do whatever, you'll be fine and take down the monsters you need to progress.
