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Post by Chronos on Jan 27, 2012 1:52:32 GMT -5
Pre-ordered Devil Survivor 2, so there's part of my 2012 game plans taken care of. I think the only one else that I'm really interested in right now, that I know is coming this year, is Growlanser. Anything I should be looking for? Gungnir looks pretty good, and Sting supposedly focused on accessibility of play after Knights in the Nightmare's gameplay hieroglyphics scared everyone except the real hardcores off. Vanillaware's Grand Knights History hits next month for PSP but it's mainly online-focused. Still though, it's Vanillaware. They're good people. And I'm hoping you'll try Xenoblade despite your trepidation; it looks like there's a ton of traveling about, but when the scenery's as beautiful as it is in that game it looks like a sure positive. From what I've read the battle system is similar to an improved and refined FFXII, but I'm not sure about any obscenely long Yiazmat-style battles or MMO-style tedium; maybe one of our EU gamers can fill us in there? (I also don't want NoA to think it was a waste of time bringing it over here, so the more people who play it the merrier, haha.) And Bomber, you forgot to mention that KH 3DS also has a nonsensical title: Dream Drop Distance. Reminds me of the "DS" name pun some DS games have (like Fullmetal Alchemist: Dual Sympathy, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, and of course Devil Survivor).
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Bo Rida
Fry's dog Seymour
Pulled one over on everyone. Got away with it, this time.
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Post by Bo Rida on Jan 27, 2012 10:01:22 GMT -5
^^^Not forgetting No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle, I'm still not sure if that name was to intentionally take the piss out of the DS naming system of if it was just a coincidence.
Anyway Xenoblade has a fair bit of travel but to me that's part of the charm, it adds to both the sense of adventure and the gameworld (if you can see it you can go there), plus as you say the scenery is pretty and there’s loads of enemies and side-quests to keep you busy along the way. Most importantly you can instantly skip to anywhere that you've been to before.
Most battles are pretty short but the bosses are longer, I can see there being some lengthy battles later on in the game but so far they've been just the right length (although I keep dying so it takes me a while).
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2012 21:53:43 GMT -5
The main thing keeping me from getting excited about Xenoblade is that it seems, at least from what I've seen, a lot like an MMORPG, especially in the battle system. I really don't like MMORPGs.
Gungnir does look pretty interesting. Was just watching a gameplay video on YouTube and it does look a lot less imposing than Knights in the Nightmare. Though, the main reason I never tried KitN was a lack of funds at the time.
Grand Knights History looks beautiful. The online part of that would be really neat to play, since it's different than most online RPGs, being turn-based.
Devil Survivor was a weird one as far as DS names go - I'm positive that it's because it's on the DS, but then at the same time there are two Devil Summoner games for the PS2, along with the two Digital Devil Sagas, which is close enough at DDS. Plus the other Devil Summoner. I'm surprised they didn't name Devil Survivor something like Persona Survivor (and naturally, Persona Survivor 2) just to mess with people.
I think there's sadly no PS3 RPGs coming out this year that I'm particularly interested in, other than Ni no Kuni which IGN lists as coming out December 31. Other than that the big hitters for JRPGs on the PS3:
Final Fantasy XIII-2 Tales of Graces F Atelier Meruru Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk-II
But, I probably won't be happy until there's a PS3 Suikoden, Wild Arms, and SMT out.
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Post by Chronos on Jan 27, 2012 22:56:21 GMT -5
Persona Survivor Plus (or something like that) for DS would be an even bigger troll move than Atlus USA's Gungnir marketing campaign, haha. At least Devil Survivor's title is a great summation of its game's theme and has something to do with the game, unlike say the FMA game I mentioned earlier. Pretty sure the No More Heroes thing was a coincidence, as it was for the Wii and Suda 51 did most of the piss-taking with the first game, so to speak. Desperate Struggle fits the game pretty well also, for that matter. Did a little more research and it looks like Grand Knights History's an Amazon exclusive, at least for now. Vanillaware's also got a game called Dragon's Crown heading to PS3 and Vita, it's an embarrassment of riches. It's amazing how high-quality the stuff Vanillaware releases is, so these should both be fantastic. If that's the PS3 vanguard for RPGs things are dismal, quite frankly. The only real redeeming thing there unless Atelier Meruru turns out fantastic is Ni no Kuni, and I would've preferred the DS version of it. And even if Tales of Xillia comes over here I've heard it's not good. At least Persona 5 is supposed to be in development. Also just came across something interesting: Level-5's new project, a "game without a genre" called Time Travelers for 3DS, Vita, and PSP. Hmm...
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2012 22:05:33 GMT -5
I just finished Persona 3 Portable. I liked it a lot better than the console version, if only for being able to control your teammates. I forgot how easy it is to sink a ton of time into Persona 3.
Just started up Jeanne D'Arc, I like it so far. It too is a Level-5 game, so that's two of their games I've played this year that were really good - this and Dark Cloud.
Would absolutely get P5 if it is in fact in development. Those games are pretty big moneymakers for Atlus and Atlus USA, aren't they? Still would like another main series SMT, though I guess Strange Journey counts as one.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2012 22:16:11 GMT -5
It looks like Atlus is dropping hints about a possible Radiant Historia reprint.
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Post by Harry The Arrow was Wrong! on Feb 2, 2012 15:04:20 GMT -5
It looks like Atlus is dropping hints about a possible Radiant Historia reprint. I really hope this is true because the price that's going for is ridiculous. I finally got around to getting Dragon Quest IV so I am looking forward to playing that. I'll probably pick up DQ V & VI when I'm finished. Picking up FF XIII-2 tomorrow although I'm not really looking forward to it. Buying FF games on day one has become more of a habit than anything else.
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Post by Chronos on Feb 3, 2012 13:07:42 GMT -5
I've been playing Star Ocean 3 for the first time since 2009, and it's still such a blast to play. (As my sig states, I'm trying for 240 battle trophies to unlock the 4P outfits, anything beyond that I don't care about.) One of the best battle systems ever, so good that even the vs. fighting mode's a real joy. Pity about the incalculably stupid plot twist.
A Radiant Historia reprint would be a godsend to those who missed out the first time, the prices are way up there right now. I'm glad it's gotten the demand to command such high prices as well; it's really great.
DQV and VI DS are much better than IV's DS version in my opinion. VI has personal bias as it's my favorite Dragon Quest but the job system, story, and characters are great, and V hands down has the series' best story. The party chat feature in both games (it was also in IV's Japanese version, but for some weird reason they took it out of the western releases) adds a lot to the characters. Not to mention that they don't go overboard with the regional accents like they did with DQIV. Watch out trying to find DQV though, if the PAL version's like the US version it's pretty rare since it was underprinted compared to DQIV.
I'd say that Persona is one of Atlus' core brand names, especially over here; I think P3 got a Greatest Hits rerelease, making it one of only two Atlus-published PS2 games to have that (along with Disgaea). Whenever Atlus on either side of the Pacific has dropped hints about a new game the last couple of years there's quite a few "P5 NA0 PL0X" people about, so it's a hit. I'd personally like both a main series console SMT and a PSP version of P2 Eternal Punishment before P5, but P5 would obviously be fantastic.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2012 4:11:04 GMT -5
Never played any of Star Ocean beyond The Second Story. Is the battle system in SO3 similar to that? I don't like battle systems where I have to free run all over, like in the Tales games as well.
Radiant Historia is one of my favorites in recent years. More people need to play this game, so hopefully it gets a reprint and if it does, hopefully it sells well.
Never tried any of the Dragon Quests, which is probably really strange. What are the games like, and which of IV, V, VI, VIII, and IX would you recommend? (Those are the ones Amazon has in stock)
I don't think P3 had a greatest hits release, but maybe I missed it. I haven't seen one at least. I am pretty sure that P3 and P4 sold very well in the States, and I think some of the other SMT games did okay also.
I'd definitely want a PSP version of P2EP and a console SMT before P5, but before all of them I'd want more Devil Summoner. Love the detective/horror/weirdness/comedy combination those games have.
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Post by Harry The Arrow was Wrong! on Feb 7, 2012 11:04:20 GMT -5
I've been playing Star Ocean 3 for the first time since 2009, and it's still such a blast to play. (As my sig states, I'm trying for 240 battle trophies to unlock the 4P outfits, anything beyond that I don't care about.) One of the best battle systems ever, so good that even the vs. fighting mode's a real joy. Pity about the incalculably stupid plot twist. A Radiant Historia reprint would be a godsend to those who missed out the first time, the prices are way up there right now. I'm glad it's gotten the demand to command such high prices as well; it's really great. DQV and VI DS are much better than IV's DS version in my opinion. VI has personal bias as it's my favorite Dragon Quest but the job system, story, and characters are great, and V hands down has the series' best story. The party chat feature in both games (it was also in IV's Japanese version, but for some weird reason they took it out of the western releases) adds a lot to the characters. Not to mention that they don't go overboard with the regional accents like they did with DQIV. Watch out trying to find DQV though, if the PAL version's like the US version it's pretty rare since it was underprinted compared to DQIV. I'd say that Persona is one of Atlus' core brand names, especially over here; I think P3 got a Greatest Hits rerelease, making it one of only two Atlus-published PS2 games to have that (along with Disgaea). Whenever Atlus on either side of the Pacific has dropped hints about a new game the last couple of years there's quite a few "P5 NA0 PL0X" people about, so it's a hit. I'd personally like both a main series console SMT and a PSP version of P2 Eternal Punishment before P5, but P5 would obviously be fantastic. DQ V is pretty easy to get over here. It goes for about ?25 on Play.com.
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Post by Chronos on Feb 7, 2012 14:35:10 GMT -5
Lucky Europeans. Looking on Amazon though it's apparently been reprinted! Didn't know that, it's good news. Star Ocean 3's battle system is a fair bit more in-depth than Second Story's. You've still got your techs, but you can chain a minor (X) skill and a major (O) skill together for incremental damage increases. Being 3D, movement is also more free than in Second Story, and it's easier to get away from enemies if you need to since the battlefields are a bit larger. No actual "free running" involved, though, if you don't want; push the attack button and your character moves into range automatically. If you're going to play Star Ocean 3, also know that characters and enemies can die from MP damage as well. Maybe I mixed up P3 with another game, then. I just remember seeing a Greatest Hits edition for it or something that looked like it used at Gamestop once, might be wrong. It wouldn't surprise me if not enough copies of it were printed in the first place for the possibility of a GH rerelease. I'd love to see another Raidou game too. We know about three of the four Kuzunohas (Raidou, Geirin, Kyouji), let's have Raidou team up with the fourth one to solve some new calamity, haha. Maybe show the origins of the Kuzunoha Detective Agency that shows up in the earlier Devil Summoner games and Persona 2. Dragon Quest, hoo-wee. In general the series is very traditional and well-known for sticking to its roots, so gameplay-wise it's bread-and-butter turn based RPG goodness. Story-wise the series varies, though, from being barely there aside from "kill the villain, save the world" (the first two games) to having great stories that hold up well even 15-20 years after their original release (IV, V, VI). The world and character/enemy designs are always bright and colorful, and humor and puns abound in the games. And the music is usually always great, if a little samey at times. Sugiyama loves his grand orchestral compositions, and at the same time there's a real charm to his work. Now, for recommendations/rundowns. This'll be long, I apologize. If it was the original NES version of IV I'd recommend it, but as it is the western DS versions lack the party chat the original Japanese version had (which adds so much to the characters, really) and the translation goes just a bit overboard with the different regional accents and slang (no offense meant, EU guys), though that might just be me being used to the original names more. The story is the first time the series really played with narrative structure (you play as the supporting characters in the first four chapters, and the fifth is the hero's journey with everyone coming together) and is very well-executed and solid. V I'd wholeheartedly recommend. The story is amazing, one of the best in videogame history (this one starts with the hero's birth and follows him through adulthood and having a family of his own), and I'm personally a big fan of the monster recruiting in the game. Having a rotten apple named Adams following you around, insisting that he doesn't taste good and you shouldn't eat him, is amazing. Speaking of that, the aforementioned party chat is in this one, as well as VI (and a form of it's in VIII as well). VI is my personal favorite in the series, though people have been turned off by its job system, which involves more grinding than your typical RPG job system. It's a wonderful experience, though, both pretty dark compared to the rest of the series and a little more heavy on fantastical/whimsical elements (one of your vehicles is a flying bed, for instance). It's also one of the most challenging games in the series; even the easier DS version is still pretty rough in parts. And it contains my favorite place in all of videogames: the village of Calberona (Sorceria in the western versions). VIII is the first Dragon Quest game with Level-5 (of Professor Layton, Dark Cloud, Jeanne d'Arc, and Rogue Galaxy fame) as the developer, and they bring their penchant for item creation systems into the fold as well with the Alchemy Pot, which is a simple premise: toss two items in, a new one comes out. The big draw for DQVIII is the graphics, which are beautifully lush and colorful; the world itself is gigantic and great fun to just explore in, as well. The story is basic good vs. evil, but it's solid, knows its limits, and doesn't try to be pretentious about it. Character growth's spiced up a bit by adding skill points, which you can put into specific disciplines for each character to confer new skills/passive bonuses, and "tension" is added to the battle system as well; you can choose to increase tension each turn to make your attacks stronger, and once you attack it returns to 0. (You may have seen images or video of characters looking like Super Saiyans, that's "super-high tension" mode, when a character's tension is at max.) IX is also developed by Level-5 and thus all of the things they added in for VIII are included. The Alchemy Pot's a bit more fleshed-out as well, though you have to go to a specific place to use it (unlike in VIII where you can alchemize anywhere). The game was focused on interactivity with other players and post-game grotto busting; this shows in the story, which is serviceable but not anything special (or really long). IX also has a job system, but it's centered around the skill-point setup from VIII and learned abilities don't transfer between jobs like they do in VI and VII's job system. Also, new jobs are unlocked via both meeting the prerequisites and completing a quest given to you by an NPC (NPC quests are all over the place in this game), and one of them (luminary) is severely annoying to unlock. Wi-fi is used for both interactivity with other players and for the DQVC, the game's online shop whose inventory changes weekly. Also, the game has no random battles; enemies are visible on the overworld/in dungeons and you run into them Chrono Trigger-style to initiate battle. It...might go a bit too far into MMO territory for you to be honest, with the big focus on post-game dungeon crawls and NPC quests. Phew...hope that helps!
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Post by Harry The Arrow was Wrong! on Feb 7, 2012 15:19:38 GMT -5
I'm enjoying DQ IV (although the accents are kind of annoying) so I will pick up V,VI and possibly IX. I was huge fan of VIII and have finished it multiple times. Nearly finished FF XIII-2 and it's very enjoyable although the story is pretty bad (if you can even call it a story) and there is no depth to the characters whatsoever. With that being said though, the gameplay and capturing monsters is a lot of fun.
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Fundertaker
Vegeta
Hideo Kojima should direct every ending ever!
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Post by Fundertaker on Feb 10, 2012 11:05:31 GMT -5
Radiant Dawn is BEAT! Skyward Sword was beat this last weekend as well so... HELLO XENOBLADE CHRONICLES! Been a while!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2012 12:18:24 GMT -5
Wikipedia has P3 and P4 listed as Greatest Hits, but they're missing from the list at the US Playstation website, so maybe it was only in Japan?
Sounds like DQ V and VI are the two I'd like the most. Item creation is one of those things I don't really mind in a game, but I'd rather not have to deal with in the first place. And I don't think I'd be able to enjoy IX as much as I would want, since I have to change security settings to use the DS' WiFi capabilities. I'll definitely check out V and VI eventually.
Finished Jeanne D'Arc a few days ago, just wrapping up some post-game content now. I found out that the game saves all the difficulty for the stuff you can do after you beat the game - a couple extra free battles open up, the levels of all the enemies at free battle locations gets increased considerably, and there's a colosseum that gets a second round of increasingly difficult fights.
The final boss was pretty easy once I figured out that the best strategy for it was to ignore all semblance of strategy. The fight is this big monster that's the actual boss, four towers that either heal enemies or attack you, and annoying demons that spawn, some of which are seemingly immune to physical attacks. The first time I tried the fight I went after the towers and ended up overwhelmed by the boss and the demons. So the second time through I just rushed the boss and killed it in about 3 or 4 turns, with only 2 characters dying in the process. It's a grid-based strategy game, and the final boss takes up 9 squares on a grid, so a number of multi-square attacks took huge chunks of his life in one round, and the towers can't keep up healing if you keep hitting him.
Not really sure what I want to play next. Still have Persona and P2 sitting around, but then I also have Devil Survivor 2 pre-ordered so I don't want to overdo it with SMT.
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Post by Zabel Zarock on Feb 10, 2012 22:34:28 GMT -5
Thinking about picking up Growlanser Generations, any opinions?
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Post by Chronos on Feb 10, 2012 23:52:22 GMT -5
I haven't played any of the Growlanser games, but Tempest is a fan of them and I trust his opinion, so I'd say pick it up. Isn't it sort of hard to find, though? Also, Tempest, don't let the fact that DQVIII has item creation put you off of it; outside of the thief's key when you first get the alchemy pot it's pretty much totally optional (and even then you don't HAVE to make the key, it just really helps), and the gear you get in stores and from dungeons is definitely enough to get through the game. And a fantastic game it is, definitely on par with IV-VI. Jeanne d'Arc's something I need to get as well; I've seen it but the case was mangled. Pass. Right now I'm playing Fire Emblem for GBA, after that will probably be miscellaneous Tactics Ogre stuff and another Devil Survivor run, both to lead into DS2 and to get the last ending I need (Atsuro's). Radiant Dawn is BEAT! Skyward Sword was beat this last weekend as well so... HELLO XENOBLADE CHRONICLES! Been a while! Congrats! Endgame in Radiant Dawn can be a real headache, even with the broken-ass Greil Mercenaries. Chomping at the bit for Xenoblade still, as well; I'm really hoping my excitement for it won't vanish like it did for Skyward Sword. Oh, and a last bit of news: Grand Knights History's new release date is . Dragon's Crown is still on track but it's published by Ignition. Ugh.
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Post by Zabel Zarock on Feb 11, 2012 1:59:09 GMT -5
Local Gamestop has a copy for $15
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2012 8:22:02 GMT -5
I couldn't afford Growlanser Generations and the massive box set it came in when it first came out, which has bothered me since. I'd pick it up if it's available.
If you use Amazon at all they have Jeanne D'Arc for about $10, easily worth the price.
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Post by Chronos on Feb 12, 2012 17:42:17 GMT -5
Local Gamestop has a copy for $15 Lucky. Go for it, if it's in well enough shape. The price I saw Jeanne d'Arc for was $7.99, and it'll probably be that when another copy rolls around. No pressure.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2012 13:21:18 GMT -5
Your avatar and sig makes me bitter about the lack of Mother 3 in the States.
Alternatively,
Tempest sobbed, moaned, and started wailing.
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