Nice, great seeing XII so high on your list Pumpkin :)
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Nice, great seeing XII so high on your list Pumpkin :)
Yay XII! :dance:
I wish I could play IZJS.
I'd be curious to hear why you like the License Board so much, Pumpkin, as it's one thing I've seen even big fans of XII say is very weak. Not trying to attack you or anything of course, I'm genuinely interested :p
Also metagloria, I won't provide links or anything, but I am given to understand that if you poke around the correct parts of the Internet, a fan-translated IZJS playable on a PS2 emulator does exist.
Because it allows full character customization so I can make character types I don't often find in other games. Like my biggest example is Black Mage Archer. I love archer characters, I love black mage characters, but they are very rarely combined. Archers are usually not that magical and Black Mages usually are close distance staff fighters when they don't use magic. So for games like this where I can customize not only what abilities they have but what weapons as well I can have a black mage archer. And a time mage gunner. That type of thing
I'm a huge fan of games with set job classes OR freedom to make my own. I prefer making my own but I'll accept set jobs classes as a second best. What I don't really like as much is the middle grounds where everyone kind of has some of everything
The main complaint I've heard about the license board is that it is too easy to max out every character so you basically end up with all characters being the same, so deciding early on what path to take each character is a bit inconsequential in the end. To keep the characters different you would have to stop expending LPs after a certain point. I am tempted to agree with that. Compared to, say...X's sphere grid or the job classes in V...the license board seems small and takes much less effort to fill up.
I never had that problem :lol:
Ah, I see! That is interesting, thank you for giving more detail on that :)
IZJS does make a Black Mage Archer pretty much impossible, sad to say. It does make the Black Mage a pretty ridiculously fun class to begin with, though. Having the Level 1 Spells do area-of-effect damage is just all sorts of broken.
So, am I to understand that the so called "improved" IZJS version actually takes away freedom?
I think it gives you job classes which is still pretty cool, but does take away why I personally like the license board. I'm sure there's other improvements but I haven't played so I dunno first hand
Yes, IZJS does take away freedom. But that's not an inherently bad thing, it just makes you specialize. IMO it works quite well.
And well that's only one of many other things that are changed in IZJS. It doesn't solve all of XII's technical issues, and creates some new ones, but its improvements far outweigh everything else. For instance, just about ALL the chests/treasures are changed, and they are actually useful now. A lot of the best magicks, technicks and equipment have to be found in chests in difficult dungeons. Also, no more BS Zodiac Spear, that little secret has been taken out entirely, and you can get the spear in a different way. Finally, any respawnable chests are now respawned by going only ONE screen away, making farming them a hell of a lot more manageable and fun.
There's also the single feature that makes it absolutely impossible for me to go back to original FFXII ever again: the L1 speedup. Pressing L1 makes the game run at about triple speed, which turns getting around towns or lengthy areas from a chore to just a little diversion. A wonderful little addition.
And now I'll stop derailing this topic into a discussion that probably should've been on the XII board. :greenie:
Isn't there some kind of equally powerful bow that replaces it, though?Quote:
Originally Posted by Karifean
Dragon Quest V starts with our young hero journeying with his father. Unfortunately things take a turn for the worst and we'll watch our hero grow over the years and follow his journey to learn more about his parents while starting a family of his own.
This is an RPG and battles are fought in first person. You can control up to 4 characters in battle, but you can also allow them to control themselves by selecting a strategy for them to use. In this game you can also recruit monsters to fight by your side. You can also talk to your party members when walking around towns and fields and later in the game you get to pick between three potential bachelorettes to be your wife.
General impressions:
It should come as no surprise to anyone that the main reason I went for this game was because marriage. I played the game so my cute little sprite character could get married to another cute little sprite character, but what I wasn't expecting was the wonderful game I would get in the meantime. So basically what I'm saying is I came for the wedding and stayed for the charming story.
Story:
Absolutely great, I adored it. It's a cute little story with some funny moments and puns but then it throws some heart wrenching scenes at you and it shakes you up and it hits you pretty hard before it goes back to being sweet and cute. You watch your hero grow up and you see everything that he goes through and how it makes him a stronger person in the end and it's just. I can't describe. I was not at all expecting a story that moved me this much. Like I said I was expecting the game to peak at the marriage with some fun surrounding it, but instead the marriage was just a drop in the bucket of wonderful moments. I laughed, I cried, I probably applauded somewhere in there. I'm serious, I don't really have any complaints about the story.
Gameplay:
So so. It wasn't the easiest game to play, but it wasn't terribly difficult either, save for a few boss fights here and there that gave me some trouble. I liked having monsters join but it was hard to get the monsters I actually wanted. I did really like that you could talk to your party members and they would say so many different things. Like if you talk to one NPC, they'll commented on what he said, and then if you talk to another NPC, they'll comment on that one as well. I thought that was a charming little touch and would love to see more games do that.
World:
There were some good memorable places but I would say overall the world was about average. There was some good diversity and very few of the dungeons were annoying (but there were some). My biggest complaint would be that the world felt kind of small and I would have liked it more if there was more to explore.
Characters:
I really like the cast, there just wasn't a very big cast. But even the silent hero managed to have personality and spirit and I didn't dislike anyone. I obviously enjoyed having the matchmaking feature although I felt the game had it heavily weighed towards one option instead of having them all on equal ground.
Favourite character: Nera Attachment 63245
Honourable mention: Saber Attachment 63246
Nera is a sweet and precious woman and I loved having her in my party and hearing her comments. She was just the nicest lady. One of my top game characters ever, no doubt about it. And Saber is your sidekick saber-toothed cat so what's not to like there?
Overall this is n amazingly charming game with a beautiful and well told story that sticks out to me among the ocean of RPG's I've played. It could have been stronger in a lot of areas but it's still a great game and I'd highly recommend it to fans of the genre.
Tomorrow, the last post of the day will begin our top 10, how exciting! I bet a lot of you an guess what's coming just by process of elimination by this point. I'm glad everyone has been enjoying the list, I'm having a lot of fun posting it!
I have yet to play Dragon Quest V, but I own it now! I also just beat XII for the first time. I have issues with the license board at times, but I got used to it by the end of the game and had no issues. I also don't really mind being able to max something like that out easily. I can make everyone the same, but I don't have to (and I didn't).
Always good to find others who appreciate SO4.
This game is the conclusion to the Xenosaga trilogy and answers most of the questions the games had us asking, so I can't go in to much detail without spoiling anything. It has a very large inclusive database to catch you up on the first two games if you have not played them, although I'd recommend at least playing the first one. For what the series in general is about, see my Xenosaga I review (#23)
Final Fantasy fans should feel pretty at home with Xenosaga III's combat system. It's discarded the more complex combat systems for a traditional command menu on which you select actions such as Attack, Tech, and Item. There is a break gauge that will stagger a character or enemy when depleted and the boost gauge is once again present. There are also special attacks for individual characters that can be used when you have enough boost built up. Each character has two main skill paths they can explore but I mean why wouldn't you just learn all of them? There are also E.S. Battles at set points in the story, which are basically the battles with giant robots because Xeno series. There are 7 playable characters and 3 guests.
General impressions:
Being a long time fan of the series, this was a game I snatched up almost immediately after it was released. And I wasn't at all disappointed. I was wondering how they would address all of the changes made from I to II and I found that it rather cleverly combined both games in to a rather perfect blending of the strengths of each. I also loved that it wrapped up most of the questions and there were some awesome moments. The main complaint I have would be that they obviously rushed to finish it so Disc 2 was just non-stop one major thing after the other. Oh and also some bloody scenes are censored which kind of makes them make no sense unless you know what's going on.
Story:
Like the rest of the series, wonderful. We finally get to the bottom of a lot of the questions we had from the other two and the whole thing is brilliantly told, sucking you in and making you excited. There were so many water works from me this game! So many touching and sad moments and a bunch that were just really fun to watch. I also loved how in this game you can also go back and watch all of the scenes again in case you wanted to show someone some of them or just wanted to see them again because they were great. As far as complaints, it was rushed towards the end and it was a bit odd to have all new characters introduced for the last game in the series, but it was pulled off rather well considering.
Gameplay:
Finally this game was simplified for a player like me who enjoys that type of thing. No more having to read a guide on how to effectively use the complex system, it's just a good old fashion RPG style of battle. The one thing I didn't like was the abilities. Well kind of. You had set abilities for your characters which led to very little customization other than choosing in which order they would learn some of them. What I did like was the massively powerful end abilities you would get by learning all of them, which to me was a great way to show how the characters had grown and become super powerful after 3 games of fighting bad guys. It was a really great reward for the player who made the effort.
World:
Actually an improvement on the series although still not the best game world. This time around we had some towns to explore, a lot brighter and more interesting locations, and an ending location that had so many layers to it it was hard not to be impressed.
Characters:
Mostly the same as my other two reviews, although Shion is darn near unbearable this time around. Yeah, it's kind of plot relevant, but it was a bit disappointing because in the first game she was such a polite and kind woman who wasn't afraid to stand up for herself. By the time this game rolls around she's an obnoxious, verbally abusive spoiled brat. But we did get to use some series regulars in battle this time and one of them I could not be happier about.
Favourite character: MOMO Attachment 63258
Honourable mention: Jr., Miyuki Attachment 63259Attachment 63260
So no one is surprised by MOMO and Jr at this point, although sadly MOMO's role in the story this game was essentially non-existant, which is a shame. But she's adorable, she's an archer, and she's incredibly badass in battle this time around. Jr. Is still cool and a pretty well rounded character to use. Miyuki! I've always liked her so it was great to give her some more screen time and to actually be able to use her in battle for once. That was pretty awesome.
Overall this is my favourite game in the series. It ties the other two together in a great way, it has some beautiful and touching moments, the gameplay is made simpler, and it's just a great conclusion.
Probably the best of the trilogy, although I've only played it once and barely remember anything about it at all
Tales of Xillia gives the player the choice of two heroes, Milla, Lord of the Spirits, and Jude, a med student. The game is mostly the same no matter who you pick, but there are some differences and one major separate point. Milla has lost her ability to summon the spirits and warns that there is a dangerous weapon she must stop. Jude, not wanting to just ignore the dangerous weapon or Milla, decides to join her on her mission.
Tales of Xillia plays similar to a lot of the games in the series. You attack with the X button and use Arts with the O button. Using arts uses TP, which can be replenished by attacking. Characters can also link for joined attacks and support skills. The player can also accept quests for rewards. There are 6 playable characters, with 4 usable in battle at a time.
General impressions:
Tales of Xillia was my first ever Tales game. I'd heard a lot of good things about the series, but I'd never had a chance to play it myself. So off I went to Game Stop, where I had a few choices. Xillia looked the most interesting, but to be honest the art style displayed on the cover turned me off. Luckily for me (and no one else) the art style in game was much much closer to my tastes. Not only that but the game turned out to be great fun. I wasn't sure at first because I found the battle system quite confusing, but once I got the hang of it it was really good. I liked the characters, I had fun playing, and the plot twists kept me on my toes. It's what got me in to the rest of the series.
Story:
The story is a definite strong point to the game. I love the pacing, the unexpected twists and turns, and the way it was told. It was very easy to get immersed when playing the game and I always wanted to see what would happen next. There were a few less good parts (SPOILER)like Alvin's constant flopping back and forth, but overall it was really well told. Your enemy changes, the world changes, the information you have changes. Playing it again is certain to have a different feel because you have a different understanding of what's happening and why. Great fantasy story.
Gameplay:
As I mentioned, the gameplay had me confused at first, but after a while I got the hang of it and I found it quite fun. I liked linking up with others and doing combos, the battles were fast paced and fun. I loved being able to take control of whoever I wanted in battle while being able to have a separate character as my running around character. I'm also very happy with the fact that the game was set on easy and the game WAS EASY. Much plus points in my book. I also liked the battle quotes and the victory quotes, they made the game that much more amusing. Although I liked the option of choosing which of the two main heroes to follow, I'd say my main complaint was how uninteresting they made Jude seem at first. I was offered Lord of the Spirits and... med student. And I actually ended up liking Jude much much more, but I had chosen Milla because hers just seemed that much better from their initial scenes.
World:
I have two opinions on the world. (SPOILER)Well the two worlds. Rieze Maxia was gorgeous, absolutely stunning. Area after area kept my interest. (SPOILER)Elympios on the other hand was ugly and bland and I hated it. But I suppose it was intended to be that way for the most part, so... good job? My favourite area, although there were many I thought were stunning, would be the Kijara Seafalls and Kanbalar
Characters:
The characters were the best part of this game. Since this was my introduction to the series, it introduced me to the skits and things that I absolutely adore in Tales where the characters all interact with each other. They don't live off of the main character only, but they all have relationships between each other, which is awesome for making the game feel like an ensemble and makes it all feel more real. The characters themselves were really strong and I liked them all except Alvin and Milla, although I still appreciated their writing and development. Also, other then Milla, they all have pretty excellent footwear.
Favourite character: Elize Attachment 63272
Honourable mentions: Leia, Jude Attachment 63273Attachment 63274
Elize was my favourite because she's such a sweet girl. Even after being mistreated by the apple villagers, she still waves goodbye and doesn't hold it against them. I thought I Leia would get on my nerves, but once we I got to see beyond her loud and energetic exterior, I saw a kind young woman with some insecurities who always does her best for others. Jude grew on me as the game went on and I found him overall a rational and caring guy with some touching and funny moments.
Overall great story, great characters, fun gameplay. Hard to go wrong with this one, especially if you've never played a Tales game before. It's one of the best the series has to offer.
I still need to borrow Xillia from my friend who got me into Tales! Looks fantastic though.
I'm not feeling too great so I'm going to post this up now and go lay down
Speaking of which, we have now reached the top 10, yay!! :plumcheer::cake::peachdance::kaocheer::cat::joker::joker::party::pinkelephant:
Are you excited? You should be! Only a few days left!
Tales of Xillia 2 is the sequel to Tales of Xillia, and I would not at all recommend playing it before completing the first one, unless you want everything spoiled for you. It's been a little while since the conclusion of the first game, and now we have our new her, Ludger, going to do some job related stuff. But things go kind of wonky for him and before you know it the whole gang is reunited and investigating the strange occurrences happening all around.
This game is played similar to the first Tales of Xillia and most of the Tales series. You attack with X and use arts with O, attacking and ending battles will replenish some TP for arts. Two characters can be linked together to give support skills to each other. You can also do combo attacks between characters that are linked together. Our hero Ludger also has a special skill that allows him to switch between several different weapon types and has a sort of rage mode as well. This game also has side chapters for your characters, relationship values, dialogue choices, and a kitty finding sidequest. Oh and tons and tons of debt to pay off. There are 9-10ish playable characters (can't explain without spoiling) and 4 usable in battle at a time. You can choose which character you control in battle.
General impressions:
This was one of my only first day purchases! This game is ranked barely above Xillia and it's hard to say how much it owes to the first game setting the ground work. But I do think there were some great improvements, such as relationship values (although I wish it could be between all characters) and dialogue choices. And finding kitties. But my favourite part was how they added character chapters since characters are my favourite parts and this way you get some extra special time with them. The story is great, the characters are still awesome (and there's more to use now too!), the gameplay is still really fun. Biggest complaints would be how much they push Ludger on you. Like for certain battles it's pretty clear you're supposed to use him instead of a character of your choosing and your stuck having him as your main running around character a lot which is boo. But other than that it's a great game!
Story:
Quite interesting, although the main story wasn't as good as Xillia. But I loved the way it was told and that there was more involvement from the player this time, so you felt more like you were in it rather than just being an observer. I also liked the more character centric plots as I mentioned. It also had some interesting moral dilemma's and there were quite a few moments that shocked me and left me wanting to know what would happen next.
Gameplay:
Just as fun as the last one so see most of my review on that. This game was still fast paced and exciting without being overly complicated. I liked that there were even more playable characters this time around and the weapon switching part was pretty neat. There was one absurdly difficult boss fight but other than that the game was easy, which I liked because I had it set on easy. And the kitty finding was adorable and fun and I loved it. Oh and the little end battle skits were cute as ever.
World:
So I still hate (SPOILER)Elymios although it was somewhat improved. Just so brown everywhere. But Rieze Maxia was as awesome as ever and there were still many beautiful areas to explore. The world was a bit expanded from the last game but overall it was largely the same.
Characters:
Still an incredibly strong cast, still had awesome interactions with each other, and I really don't have any complaints. It was great to see them after everything that happened and finding out what they were up to.
Favourite character: Elize Attachment 63282
Honourable mentions: Leia, Jude Attachment 63283Attachment 63284
No surprises here. It was nice to see Elize gain a bit more confidence in herself and have her school life going on. Leia's new outfit bugged the crap out of me at first but it's grown on me I have to admit. She's still a really sweet woman and I can't help but feel for her. Jude comes back better than ever (with worse hair) becoming more confident and secure and still being an overall good dude.
Overall this was an awesome game and it really did the first game justice. There were some improvements, the characters were still super awesome (now featuring their own chapters!) and you got to find kitties everywhere. Kitties everywhere! A lot of fun to play.
Chrono Trigger is hard to tell you about without spoiling anything. You have this dude named Crono who goes to like a fair to see his friend Lucca, and he meets this young lady. Eventually he and the young lady, Marle, go see Lucca who is showing off one of her new inventions, when suddenly Marle disappears and Lucca and Crono have to go after her and wind up in a strange place. One thing leads to another and then they have to save the world.
This is an RPG. You get in to fights and once your bar fills up for a character, you'll be able to select a command like attack or item. Each character has individual skills called techs as well that are largely dictated by their element. This game also allows for combo attacks between two to three party members. There are 7 playable characters, one of whom is missable, and 3 usable in battle at a time. This game also has multiple potential endings.
General impressions:
I played this game just last year I believe for the first time. I'd always heard good things about it, although I was fortunate enough to never have had anything spoiled for me. Well I'm pleased to say that I can tell why this game gets so much praise! It's a lot of fun and pretty much what someone like me is looking for in an RPG. Good story, good characters, fun gameplay. The game was a bit too much on the difficult side but not impossible and it was pretty short, but I guess it is meant to be replayed. Other than that it was great.
Story:
The story was excellent. Exactly the kind of fantastical adventure I want when I play this type of game. It had some wonderfully touching moments, it was well paced and well-told, it had some great moments of suspense. I loved traveling through time and how certain things would have consequences later on in the game. There were some tears during some scenes, not gonna lie. The game really does make you feel invested in what's going on. It could be a bit campy at times but I'd say overall it was pretty epic.
Gameplay:
It was pretty good fun. It was easy to get in to, intuitive, and straightforward. It was a little bit on the hard side and there could sometimes be a bit too many encounters for my taste. But I did really like the combo attacks, I thought that was great and it rewarded you for using different parties. I also really liked how characters had different elements, I'm always a fan of that type of thing.
World:
Overall excellent. There's a lot of diversity, which is to be expected when you're traveling through time. There were so many areas that I loved exploring. The one place I hated was the future because it was so brown and grey and drab and ugly, but I guess it was supposed to be. I really liked Zeal because pretty and I also really liked the snowy area beneath it as well. Great world.
Characters:
Pretty strong cast. I didn't really like a lot of the more popular characters but I could appreciate what they did and their development. The only one I didn't really like was Marle because I felt like they were trying to tell me she was a certain way when her actions made her seem another way and she just didn't really connect for me. But I'd say it's a strong cast with interesting stories and fun to use.
Favourite character: Robo Attachment 63315
Honourable mention: Ayla Attachment 63316
I wasn't expecting to like these characters because well Robo isn't that cute and I'm not super in to robots and I was expecting Ayla to be a miss fanservice. She's a cave woman and she's somehow perfectly waxed and coiffed are you kidding me? But Robo was just precious and I love love love when he's doing the farming with the bandana on his head. And he was pretty cute in the game and had such touching and sweet and sad moments. Ayla turned out to just be this awesome, fun, confident and intelligent (in her own way) woman and it was just like a party having her around. She always gave me a mood boost.
Overall this is a great game with an epic story, a great world to explore, and some awesome characters that really make you care about them. I can see why it became such a classic.
Also, Frog is in it.
No mention of the kitties?
Attachment 63321
:omgomg: After your Let's Play, I still think of this smiley as the "shion kitty" smiley.
Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog Frog
best song in this game
best song in any game
Now that is one classy song but I don't think you can say it's the best even in this game because
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aanqnyJy-JU
Chrono Cross was good too, but imo didn't live up to its predecessor. Chrono Trigger was ahead of its time in many aspects too imo.
305 years ahead of its time in some parts.
Attachment 63322
Final Fantasy X-2 is the story of former summoner Yuna as she became a sphere hunter to find a certain someone from Final Fantasy X. While doing so she learns that things are not all well and good in Spira despite the eternal calm and once again goes on a journey to save the world. If you haven't played X and don't like spoilers, I wouldn't recommend you play this one first.
Final Fantasy X-2 has brought back the job classes in the form of Dresspheres, which can be switched freely during and in between battles. It has the classic ATB battle system, but this time it's paced faster. The game is separated in chapters, with each area having it's own episodes per chapter. Each episode has its own tasks ranging from defeating an enemy to playing Monkey matchmaker. Most areas are accessible at any time via airship, except for a few exceptions here and there. There are three playable characters.
General impressions:
This game is the reason I got in to the series. I saw a game with an all female cast and I was like “Um, yes!” Sadly this game was not out yet. But I did get Final Fantasy VII, VIII, IX, and X to try. When this one finally came out I was all over it, and I was not disappointed. It's more lighthearted but I think its just so fun. I like the way it's segmented so I never get bored having to do the same thing over and over again. There's obviously some events I like more than others (that awful massage one) but overall I enjoyed most of it and I found the game very fun from beginning to end. I was never short on something to do.
Story:
The story is the weak point of this game. Unlike most people, I don't think its bad, but it certainly isn't the best the series has to offer. It feels almost like its just there for the sake of having a story, as opposed to being important to the game. Although I did like seeing Spira after the calm and how things had changed. I like that it wasn't suddenly a utopia, but a place with new struggles and problems.
Gameplay:
The highlight of this game. It is my ideal RPG gameplay in terms of battles. Job classes, ATB, quick, fun, investing. I actually liked the battle quotes and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Like I mentioned above, the game is setup so I was never bored and things didn't get repetitive. There were mini games to play and things to do like digging if you just wanted to focus on something like that. Just so much fun this game was.
World:
Same as in my review of Final Fantasy X, with a few minor differences. This game is MUCH less linear and you're almost always free to do things in whatever order you want. They changed up a few areas and I don't like what they did with Mt. Gagazet and the Calm lands overall, but I don't think they ruined them either.
Characters:
I still adore Yuna, I liked Rikku just fine, but Paine didn't interest me much. I did like how many non-playable characters were important to the story, which isn't something you see as often. I'm a huge Gippal fan, mostly because I love his voice. Black Mage was my favourite dressphere because... well Black Mage.
Overall it might not be for those who want a more serious RPG experience, but I thought it was amazingly fun and I always look forward to playing it.
This is why you are the coolest
LOVE LOVE LOVE Chrono Trigger and X-2, both will be in my top ten.
Suikoden II is a story about two young friends during a time of war. Just when they think a treaty is signed and they can go home, they find that they're own people have betrayed them. While escaping, our young hero, Riou, is found by some strange men and brought to their fort to work for them. Before too long, his friend Jowy finds him and the two learn much more about what's going on in their country than they could have realized.
This game plays similar to other Suikoden games. You need to try to recruit as many of the 108 stars of destiny as you can, and you receive a headquarters where you can participate in mini-games depending on the characters you have recruited. Magic is in the form of Runes that you can purchase and equip on your characters. There are also duels and army battles that are kind of like rock-paper-scissors and the army battles have you move units on a map to engage the enemy. There are 81 total playable characters including guests and non-stars of destiny, with 6 usable in battle at a time.
General impressions:
As a Suikoden fan, this is the game I'd always heard of. This is largely considered the best game in the series, and a lot of events referenced on forums, in discussions, or even in other Suikoden games were things that took place in this game. It cost a lot of money, but one day I did finally manage to get a hold of the copy. And I don't regret how much I spent at all. The story is great and engaging, there's a large cast of characters and a lot of them are very well written, it has one of the most epic video game antagonists ever, and there's some incredibly touching and well-told moments.
Story:
Best part of the game and one of the reasons this game is such a classic. The story is deep and well told, and it really makes you care and get invested in what's going on. The endings are touching as are a lot of the moments in between, and you can really feel the pressure and desperation of the world considering what's happening to it. It's just so involving. The betrayal in this game is somewhat predictable, but it still manages to be incredibly well written and heartbreaking. I don't really have any complaints about the story, it's quite excellent.
Gameplay:
Pretty similar to most Suikoden games. An improvement from the first game, but nothing amazing or that stands out from the rest of the series. Some of the recruiting is pretty difficult. The cooking contest though is one of the best mini-games ever and I'm sad it couldn't be initiated whenever and however many times. That's the only thing that could have made it so much better. It was a lot of fun.
World:
The world is actually pretty strong because there's a lot of areas with a deep history to them that you're exposed to, so it really makes you invested in what's happening to them. I will say that unfortunately I found this to be one of the weaker headquarters, personally, but the world overall was really great and the towns felt alive and real.
Characters:
The game does a great job of having a lot of variety, which is to be expected for such a large cast, but to also have a lot of them be well written and memorable. The main cast in particular sticks out among the series as one of the strongest, and even the antagonist is interesting, and leads to an epic boss battle unique from most others. It was also interesting to see Flik again and how he'd changed since the first game.
Favourite character: Millie Attachment 63373
Honourable mentions: Hix, Viktor, Freed Y Attachment 63374Attachment 63375Attachment 63376
I like Millie and Bonaparte because they're both adorable and sweet. I'm not sure what Bonaparte is exactly, but their dynamic is pretty cute. Hix is still a loveable kind hearted oaf, Viktor is still a bear man with a heart of gold. I liked Freed I think because he reminds me of my boyfriend, who even kind of looks like him.
Overall this is an incredibly strong game with a wonderfully told, deep, investing story, a really strong cast of characters, and fun gameplay. Highly recommend for Suikoden fans, especially since it's now available much cheaper on the PSN.
FFX-2 is awesome. Sure, the story is terrible. Sure, the game can have way too much fanservice sometimes. But the sidequests are just so much fun that you don't care.
Have you tried the HD remake yet, Pumpkin?
I have not
Suikoden is fairly heavy politics-wise, and you have commented about how you don't really like games like that? How do you get past this prominent feature of these games if it's something you tend not to enjoy?
I can just follow Suikoden games better for some reason :shrug:
It's not that I dislike political stories, I just can't seem to follow most of them. Could be because Suikoden games you're more hands on in the middle of the politics instead of being on the side while you hear about political figures A,B, and C? So it makes it easier to follow?
Couldn't say exactly, I just seem to be able to understand them better :lol:
Holy crap, it's Suikoden II. This just became one of my favorite threads of all time in the history of ever.
You should. Extra dresspheres and some bonus content.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pumpkin
While it's heavily political, you can follow the story just by following the individual stories of the main characters. Their friendship and clashes mirror the political drama, which makes it easier to follow than the interaction of major power blocks. A personal story, told on a grand scale.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shauna
X-2 was pretty cringe worthy for me story and dialogue wise, but the game play was fantastic!
I get that. I only ask because she had previously commented on how Tales of Vesperia was too political, while I would consider Suikoden II way more political than that game ever was. Even with the buffer of dealing with individuals... I guess it is probably just different perception between the two of us - causes me massive disconnect, is all. xDQuote:
Originally Posted by SkybladeWhile it's heavily political, you can follow the story just by following the individual stories of the main characters. Their friendship and clashes mirror the political drama, which makes it easier to follow than the interaction of major power blocks. A personal story, told on a grand scale.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shauna
Final Fantasy X-2 is a fantastic game! I don't think I've spent more time on any other FF game, much less have beaten ANY other game nearly as much times as I did FFX-2. It's just that much fun.
And while I didn't care for the main story at all, the side stories in all the different places in Spira were pretty neat. Plus, Creature Create is addictive as all hell and had some good stories among the different Fiend Tales, too.
Don't know what to tell you Shauna. I had a hard time remembering who was who in Tales of Vesperia that wasn't the main cast. Like the guy who had the um.. dungeon thing going on, I could never remember who he was or where he was position wise, or even what his name was vs other political figures, so it got really confusing when they were talking about like "such and such did this" and I didn't know who they were talking about or what impact it would have. Don't really know what else to say
Suikoden V follows the Prince of Falena and his family and knights. A large part of the game is the Sacred Games event, in which people compete against each other in a gladiator style competition to find out who will marry our hero's little sister and become King and leader of the Knights. Unfortunately two of the favoured winners is pretty skeezy opposing political factions, and pretty soon the Prince and his family have some pretty intense things to deal with.
This game is played similar to most Suikoden games. You have to try to recruit the 108 Stars of Destiny and you get your own headquarters, where you can participate in mini games and such depending on who is recruited, as well as shop and do other things. Magic takes the form of Runes which can be equipped on characters. There are also duel and war battles that kind of operate like rock-paper-scissors. This game has 75 characters usable in battle including non-stars of destiny and guests, with parties consisting of 6 members at a time.
General impressions:
It was really hard deciding between this one and Suikoden II. They're pretty close to even for me, but this one beat it out by a tiny bit. I love the story, I love the characters, the headquarters was beautiful, it was well told, and the game was a lot of fun to play. It had some very intense moments to it that left me on the edge of my seat and the world was absolutely beautiful. My main complaints would be that the pacing near the beginning is very slow and it takes a while to really get going (although that does help set the stage pretty well) and it's not the best for beginners because it's one of the harder ones (if not the hardest) as far as character recruitment goes.
Story:
Excellent story. It's quite long but because of that you can really feel things building and changing as you go. This game did a better job of keeping me guessing as to what was going on and where I was storywise than the others. In the others I always knew when the betrayal would happen and when I would get my headquarters, but this one changed things up quite a bit as far as pacing. The story itself had some amazingly touching moments, a lot of suspense, and it did a great job of setting the tone for how things were doing. Amazing story.
Gameplay:
The gameplay is pretty good. It's very Suikoden so if you like that style of gameplay, you'll like this one too. I liked how the big war battles took place on both sea and land and I enjoyed managing those more than in most of the other games. The game overall was quite easy, but the recruiting as I mentioned is one of the harder ones and some of the characters can be downright frustrating to get if you missed some simple little step at some point. The mini-games weren't as fun, but overall this game was really good.
World:
Beautiful. My favourite Suikoden world and one of my favourite video game world overall. It might help that so many places were near water. I can't really think of one area I disliked, even the grey stone wall places still had beautiful surroundings. There was even a town made up of like joined little boats. The whole world was absolutely gorgeous, ranging from beautiful city to mountain town. Loved it. I can't even think of a favourite spot there were just so many good ones.
Characters:
This game had a very strong core cast that really made me feel for them and what they were going through. Some of the background characters didn't stick out as much and could be pretty forgettable, but overall a really strong cast and fun to use.
Favourite character: Miakis Attachment 63385
Honourable mentions: Luserina, Haswar, Lyon Attachment 63386Attachment 63387Attachment 63388
Miakis was just an adorable badass who was awesome at her job of being a body guard, while also remaining bright and upbeat. Which made her sad moments that much more touching. Luserina was a sweetheart who wasn't afraid to stand up for herself. Haswar was a sweet lady and kind of like the family member I wish I had but never did. Lyon was loyal and strong and courageous, so it was hard not to like her.
Overall an awesome game and a great example of the series. Fun to play, strong story, great central cast of characters, and absolutely stunning world to explore. Beware the recruitment though, they didn't make it easy this time around.
No need to defend yourself. I was just curious.
Time for the top 5 :kaocheer::kaocheer::kaocheer: Only two days left
Tales of Symphonia follows a young girl named Colette on her quest to regenerate the world as per an age old ritual that allows their world to prosper. Before she leaves though, her friends Lloyd and Genis get in to some trouble at the local human ranch and are in some serious trouble.
This game plays similar to other Tales games. You attack with a button and use techs with another. Attack restores your TP, as does ending the fight. You can also perform combo moves of sorts. You can cook by using recipes you've found if you have the right ingredients and you gain control of a number of different vehicles throughout the game. There are a total of 9 playable characters with 4 usable in battle at a time.
General impressions:
By the time I'd started playing this game I had played a few other Tales games and was pretty excited to see what this one was like. Especially since it's one of the more popular and well-liked ones. Sure enough, this game exceeded my hopes and it quickly made it's way in to one of my top spots. This game managed to give me the same butterfly in the stomach excitement as my top game on this list, something that very few other games have ever accomplished. The game had me hooked almost instantly and I loved every minute. I suppose my biggest complaint would be the pacing could be a bit off at times and some of the dungeons were frustrating.
Story:
Excellent story. First thing it made me think of was how similar it was to Final Fantasy X, but, to me, it was much better told. It could be because it was actually a deconstruction of the “chosen one” type of story that is present in X, but it was much more involving and interesting to me. The actual pilgrimage part actually ends pretty quickly before they get in to the more deep moral implications of having a “chosen one” and what that would mean. (SPOILER)One of them is constantly plagued with doubt, worry, and inadequacy issues while trying hard to put on a brave front, despite the incredible toll the whole thing is taking on her body, and the other one acts tough but is actually deeply unhappy and suicidal. I was also terrified and interested in the human ranches and what those meant, (SPOILER)and I found the tie in to a second world and them competing for resources really interesting. The story was very deep and had many layers to it, which I really liked.
Gameplay:
It's still fun because it's a Tales game, but it is a bit clunkier and less polished than the later entries on the list. I did once again enjoy being able to select a character to use in battle and having another one on the map. I had more fun doing the cooking in this game than the other, and overall I would say it was easier. Some of the dungeons were long and annoying, but the game in general was not too difficult and it didn't take much level grinding.
World:
Some absolutely gorgeous locations and some I didn't like as much, but there was good variety and some really unique areas, especially some of the dungeons. But overall it doesn't make the strongest impression.
Character:
This is a Tales game, so a very strong point. The characters all interact with each other and there are relationship values. What I liked is that every character had a depth to them and a strong backstory. None of them were cliches although some seemed to start out that way. They were all well-written and I liked almost all of the characters.
Favourite character: Colette Attachment 63398
Honourable mentions: Sheena, Lloyd Attachment 63399Attachment 63400
I like Colette because she was just the sweetest and most selfless person. She tried to stay strong for everyone despite what was happening, (SPOILER)which made the stuff happening quite heartbreaking. Sheena I liked in personality because she had a sweet heart, but I did hate using her in battle sadly. Lloyd seemed a bit dumb and naive but over time he shows he's quite intelligent and resourceful and he sticks up for what he believes in and his friends. There were a lot of good characters so it was hard to narrow down the list.
Overall great game with an amazingly told story, a good world, fun gameplay, and an awesome cast of characters. The game had a lot of depth to it and it got me excited to play in a way very few others have. Great example of the genre and the series.
Oh god oh god Suikoden II and V yesssss both all-time classic video games that everyone should play!
Amateurs...
/struts off
I enjoyed Symphonia a ton, but it was kind of draggy at times and felt sort of like it lasted forever even though it really only lasted about 50 hours. Very deep story and gameplay though. Still liked Graces f a bit better.
ToS was really good, but I felt like it was just a shorter, lesser version of ToD2. I didn't like Zelos either (SPOILER)and always made sure to kill him
Dark Cloud 2 follows our heroes Max, a young inventor, and Monica, a girl from the future, travel through time to stop the evil Emperor Griffin from being evil and stuff.
Both of your heroes have two types of weapons, long and short range. Short range weapons can be used by pressing X and long ranged can be used by pressing L1+X. The characters don't level up, but you can find treasures to increase their health and defense. Weapons can be improved and also evolve in to new weapons if certain requirements are fulfilled. Weapons also have WHP, and unlike in the previous Dark Cloud, they will not break if they reach zero, but they will be unusable. Monica can also transform in to monster, which will allow her to talk to other monsters of the same type. Max can control the Ridepod, which can be used for stronger monsters, although it has fuel that needs to be replenished. Dungeon floors also have medals for completing certain tasks which can be redeemed for items. A guest character can accompany the party for added benefits. Like the previous Dark Cloud game, world building is a big part of the game. You'll obtain geostones which contain things like houses and buildings and you can move people in to them, although some are picky about what type of house they'll live in. Most towns are made this way, making them very customizable, although certain conditions will need to be fulfilled.
General impressions:
Dark Cloud 2 is a big step up from Dark Cloud. It improved things like the thirst bar, the weapons breaking, and the characterization. There are far less characters now, which I don't like, but the two heroes are likeable and have good development. Even the guest characters are sometimes well fleshed out. The world building is much more flexible and fun, although the actual areas are less interesting to me. I like the time travel aspect, but they didn't do much with the future, which was a shame. The story is campy but interesting and it has some very touching and engaging moments. It has a ton of fun stuff to do, like photography and inventing and Spheda in the levels that don't make you want to break stuff. When I was younger I used to take pictures and pretend I was writing an in game newspaper with it. It was just a lot of fun.
Story:
The story as I mentioned is pretty campy and it has enough plot holes to look like Swiss cheese, but it was still interesting to me. I always enjoy seeing what happens next, and even if its not the strongest story, I find it's beautifully told. Later in the game it gets even better when we find out (SPOILER)the almighty Emperor Griffin is one of the cute little moon bunnies. But somehow it comes off as even creepier and scarier. There were some genuinely touching moments, like Shingala and Max and his mother.
Gameplay:
The gameplay is a lot of fun and there's always something to do if you want a break from the main story. Build up your weapons, take pictures, invent, go fishing, see what funny things the monsters have to say, customize your ridepod, spheda, collecting medals, customizing your towns, recruiting new people, and so on. There's just so much fun stuff to do. And the main game is fun, the battles are easy to get in to. The monster badges are painful to grow but fun if you just use them to talk to monsters. There's a lot more freedom to the world building which I thought was a huge improvement too.
World:
The world is very pretty and has some great areas and dungeons. Palm Brinks is lively and beautiful, and there's enough diversity in how the areas look to make them all feel fresh and new. The future was kind of a wasted opportunity and I didn't enjoy those areas nearly as much as the regular world. My favourite place was Veniccio because of its gorgeous spot on the beach, and its future version, Luna Lab, has some of the best music in the game.
Characters:
Although I'm not a fan of so few playable characters, I found them very well written and likeable. Both main characters were fun to use and I liked both of their personalities and what they brought to the table. There were so many interesting guest characters that it made me actually care about finding and making the right home for them. So while it wasn't the strong point of the game for me, it was still a positive.
Overall, fun gameplay, a ton of stuff to do, likeable characters, customizable world, and some wonderfully touching moments. One of my favourite games to play. And different outfits are always a plus.
So tomorrow we end this list with my top 3 favourite games of all time ever. I have my number 3 review written up already, but my top 2 are special to me so I'm going to write the reviews as I post them up for a change. That means they will be long and less coherent than usual, but I hope you'll all still enjoy it. I'm a bit sad and happy that this list is ending, it's been much fun.
See you tomorrow for our big finale! :peachdance:
Heck yeah DC2!!!!! Spheda was the best thing ever. There was so much cool stuff in the Dark Cloud games. It would be sweet if they came out with another one b/c I'd buy it instantly. Confirmations for DC3 come and go so I wish it'd be official already.
I really like the stories and characters in the Tales games. But in both the ones I've played so far (Abyss and Symphonia), I just get to a point where I go "why the hell are the mechanics so annoyingly complicated", and I give up.
I still have yet to find anyone who has played that game who actually does anything with the Cooking mechanics.
Ugh I wish they'd just come out with it already :G I'd be so happy if they did, it's an awesome seriesQuote:
Originally Posted by Kyros
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyblade
:DQuote:
Originally Posted by my review
You enjoyed the cooking, yes. But did you figure out who specialized in what? What dishes people liked, who crafted what well, what bonuses they all gave?Quote:
Originally Posted by PumpkinUgh I wish they'd just come out with it already :G I'd be so happy if they did, it's an awesome seriesQuote:
Originally Posted by Kyros
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyblade
:DQuote:
I had more fun doing the cooking in this game
I did that and cooked everything in the game I'm pretty sure. Didn't the food come out better if you used the person who made them better? I don't remember b/c it's been a long time since I played ToS.
I didn't *master* the cooking, but I rarely master anything in a game. I did get petty good at it and I had everyone with their maximum amount of stars for the dishes (like Raine usually only got up to 2 stars because she wasn't a very good chef) but yeah I did a ton of cooking in that game. I did some in Vesperia, but not much, and I tried in Abyss but I was always so broke I couldn't afford to do much :argh:
I don't think Xillia had the cooking
I tried with the cooking in both games. Then, half an hour later, I realized I had spreadsheets opened, trying to determine who I needed to fix what to give the maximum benefits, and I just went "to heck with this", and stuck to generic items ever since. I never understood why the heck the mechanics were so complicated. Most of the players I talked to had a similar reaction. "Oh, I just chose recipe X and stuck with it, because no one really hates it and it works for most situations". The mechanics are stupidly overcomplicated, especially with no good in-game tracking system for some of the stats.
The combat gives me a similar problem. I don't specifically remember how it worked in Symphonia, it's been too long since I've played it. But in Abyss, I remember sitting through hours of tutorials on Fields of Fonons, only to wind up completely ignoring the system in favor of basic attacks and basic artes. Because it's stupidly overcomplicated.
"You have to have two of the same element ability cast on the same location to create a FoF. Oh, and you can't actually aim them, they cast on whatever your current target is, so hope it doesn't move. Then, abilities used in the FoF get additional effects. So, again, hope the enemy doesn't just move away or sidestep, or that field will be useless. Finally, don't forget that your main character can't actually set up ANY FoFs, just in case you thought the system was too easy to set up."
So they give us a system requiring three or more turns to set up and take advantage of, that you have almost no control over due to the fluid nature of combat and the whims of the AI, and that only marginally improve your skills. I wound up getting so frustrated by the completely inaccessible depth in the combat that I quit the game and never went back. I keep thinking "y'know, I liked the story, I should go see what happened", but then I get in, play a battle or two, and shut the game off again. I didn't have the same desire to go back to Symphonia because I realized how similar it was to FFX, and I figured I knew most of what I needed to about the story.
I didn't like the FoF in Abyss either and I agree that the combat mechanics in the series are generally overcomplicated. But I've never been the person who needs to maximize everything or do everything perfectly and I managed fine on what knowledge I had. Like I didn't care in Symphonia about the best recipes because I was doing it for fun and it worked just fine. In Abyss I never needed to use the FoF to win battles, the game was overall pretty easy and what wasn't could be fixed with a bit of evel grinding, so I never needed to learn the FoF stuff
Not fussing at you, you like what you like, just saying for me it was generally a non-issue
I don't feel like I HAVE to get the most out of mechanics, I feel as though I have to be ABLE to get the most out of a mechanic.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pumpkin
In Abyss, for example, several things bugged me. First, the game tracked which transformed Artes you had unlocked/used, and the completionist in me wanted to fill that page up.
Second, and more important, I was afraid I'd get into a fight where basic attacks and the three Artes that had been all I had used since the first area of the game would eventually wind up useless, and I would have no clue how to progress or fight anything because I had no further strategy developed.
Third, it did get a little boring using the same exact attacks every single battle. I wanted some more depth to the battle, but the complexity required to get to it was just ridiculous.
I need to go back and try controlling another character. Maybe Tear will be more fun.
I didn't ever get cooking in Symphonia at all :shrug: I did it every now and then with Lloyd after a battle to restore some TP, but that's it.
Also, if Dark Cloud 2 is that high on your list, I definitely need to play it.
I'm waiting with :omgomg: levels of anticipation for your top 3!
The Field of Fonon mechanic may be the worst general mechanic I've encountered in the series thus far. It is extraordinarily difficult to make use of until you unlock sunlight chambers, which allow you to make use of incomplete fields, but then you can constantly use them and the effects are so powerful it trivializes the rest of the game. First it's useless because you can't use it, then it's useless because battles are pointless.
Yeah, will be interesting to see what #3 and #2 are...I think we all know what Pumpkin's #1 is.Quote:
Originally Posted by metagloria
IT IS TIME
DUN DUN DUNNN
Final Fantasy VIII is the story of a mercenary group called SeeD. We meet Squall, a SeeD completing his training, and a few others who accompany him. Along the way he meets a woman and falls in love, comes to terms with his feelings, and also there's some evil sorceress because of course there's an evil sorceress.
Final Fantasy VIII is a bit different from most other games in the series. GFs, Guardian Forces, essentially the summons of this game, play a huge roll. Each character needs to equip one to be able to do more than attack. With it they can then customize the battle commands, such as adding the use of magic or items. Junctioning a GF will also allow the player to improve certain character stats by Junctioning magic spells that the player draws from the enemy during battle. The maximum amount one character can hold of each spell is 100. This means that with each spell the character casts, it will deplete that spell, and the player will need to draw more to go back to 100. If a spell is Juntioned and the player uses it, that stat will decrease. There are a total of 6 main playable characters and 5 temporary.
General impressions:
Technically speaking, VIII is the first FF game I played. I don't count it because I couldn't make it past the Fire Cavern and Ifrit scared me. I was quite young. I couldn't remember anything about it other than the scary demon thing. Something I do remember was that it was a struggle to even get to play it at all because I wanted to only play Disc 3 because it had the girl (Rinoa) on it and I wanted to be the girl. My small brain took a while to understand that she was on ALL of the discs, not just the one with her face on it. Again, I was quite young. I played it again a few years later, it was my second one. This time I had a better understanding of how the game worked and I absolutely loved it. The characters, the story, the world. I've replayed it so many times since and every time is just as exciting.
Story:
A lot of people think its weird but I actually really like it. And I like it more starting when things get weird. It's a fantasy. I would have been more bummed if it stayed “teen mercenaries get hired to do stuff”. I liked the Moombas, and I liked how fantastical it had all become. The sorceresses, (SPOILER)the traveling to the past (kind of), the weird places like Esthar. It just felt... well like a fantasy. I don't know how else to describe it. It had me hooked the whole way. It also had kind of a more serious tone to me than other games in the series, but that could be because of Squall and how he felt and how I interpreted it based on similar feelings. I don't really like the space part, the whole thing just gave me question marks over my head. But I did love most of it and it also has one of my favourite video game romances ever.
Gameplay:
The gameplay I'm kind of torn on. I don't like how you magic works because I'm weird about having 100 of everything, so I could essentially not use magic in this game unless I drew it and cast it from the enemy directly. But I did like being able to customize the characters however I wanted, and it has my favourite summon system of any Final Fantasy game. I liked how Boost actually gave you something to do during the long summon animations, and overall it had my favourite summon designs. Overall it certainly isn't the best gameplay in the series, but it wasn't bad either.
World:
This game has one of my favourite Final Fantasy worlds, and video game worlds in general. There are so many beautiful locations, from Fisherman's Horizon to Balamb to Esthar to Winhill. Almost every new location had me going “wow” and they easily stay in my mind when I think back on the game. My favourite has to be Balamb Garden. It's so pretty and some of the most exciting moments happen there. It has great music, it's bigger than a lot of towns, and it has a lot of things you need. Would live there.
Characters:
I really like the characters in this game. Well, except for Irvine, but I don't hate him either. I think the characters are solid, the group is overall well written together, and it has some really strong relationships, even between the protagonists and the antagonists. I just wish some of the heroes had interacted more between each other than they did.
Favourite character: Squall Attachment 63425
Honourable mentions: Selphie, Zell Attachment 63426Attachment 63427
Squall is a character I can actually relate to really well and I found him very well written. He comes across like an emo jerk at first, but when they show you his thoughts, you can see he's put up a wall (SPOILER)because he's lost people he cares about. He's not a jerk, he's just emotionally stunted. And watching him grow and change was great and I really enjoyed it. I really loved how they would show you what he was thinking because it made it more clear that he was having emotional problems which is something I can identify with, although I deal with it differently. I like Selphie and Zell because they bring a lot of fun to an otherwise very serious game. Selphie's diary was super cute too and so was Zell and his romance.
Overall it has great characters, a beautiful world, one of my favourite main characters and romances, and an interesting story. It is one of my most replayed games ever and there's a reason it made it so high up on this list.
Also, fun fact about sharky and mine's joined game list that we lost. This is my number 3 overall and it was tied for his favourite Final Fantasy and pretty high on his individual list, so it made it to number one on our joined list :D
Great game. It gets way more flak than it deserves. It's not perfect, but it is still a fantastic game with some really great characters.
Plus, best Shiva design of the series.
Well, just one more surprise on Pumpkin's list...wonder what it is :)
Hopefully you'll still enjoy my number 1 even if you know what it is :lol:
Well, I won't spell out which game it is to not ruin the surprise for those who don't know; but that game really doesn't do it for me, I finished it once when it came out and never really felt like playing it again until recently and try as I might I just couldn't get into it this time around and stopped playing before finishing it.
But, different strokes for different folks as they say :)
I understand. Not everyone likes the same things. I just mean maybe you'll like my actual review even if you don't like the game :P
Most people know what my number 1 is, I've never been shy about it. But hopefully people still enjoy the review even if it's not really a surprise
I do think VIII is a great game, but I won't pretend I'm not a little sad seeing it higher than Suikodens! :p But I can forgive you because you recognize that Zell and Selphie are two of the best characters.
Attachment 63429Quote:
Originally Posted by Pumpkin
Did Wakka steal Zell's haircut?
Oh for sure, just as I have enjoyed this whole thread so far :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by Pumpkin
Final Fantasy VIII is a game I find myself coming back to time and time again. It has very high replay value to me, especially compared to most other games in the series. The fact that it has bar none the best minigame in any game helps that.
Squall is my favorite FF lead character. Both in story and in gameplay. In story because I relate to him in many ways and found his actions and reactions quite understandable. In gameplay because he's just so damn strong. Perfect accuracy, 150% damage per hit and a quick and simple yet still very strong Limit Break? Yes please.
I do wonder what #2 is going to be...
Mother smurfing Spheeda!!!
It's the perfect blend of a love hate minigame. See that ring 400 yards away on the other side of several chasms? You get three strokes to make it. Don't forget the ball can't be the same color as the ring, though. If you fail that it. You'll have to reclear the whole level before you can try it again.
You know what Spheeda? Don't worry. I'll save you the trouble.
http://37.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly...8t4mo1_500.gif
Plus it means I'll probably suffer less.
I'm going on an early schedule today because A) I don't have these two reviews written in advance and I don't know how long it will take and B) I has lots of stuff to do this afternoon/evening so I need to get the stuffs up earlier.
I'd also like to note that my top 3 was not hard to peg down at all. Some of the other games I had a hard time deciding between them (like Suikoden II and V, or Tales of Symphonia and Dark Cloud 2) and some of the order could change depending on my mood. But my top 3 are my top 3 and that hasn't changed at all. On top of that, my top 2 is very far ahead of the rest of the games on this list, meaning no other game even came close to knocking them off their thrones. I really love these two games and they are the reason I like games as much as I do and they're kind of the gold standard for me for gaming, the standard by which all other games are measured.
I really like them is what I'm saying.
So without further ado (and I apologize in advance for how long these next two reviews are going to be)
Majora's Mask follows our hero Link, after saving Hyrule in Ocarina of Time. He's out searching for someone when he's knocked from his horse. He awakens from this to find his horse gone and a strange skull kid wearing an even stranger mask playing with his stuff. The Skull Kid steals his Ocarina, and Link gives chase. Things go from bad to worse however when the Skull Kid turns him in to a Deku child (kind of a wood person) and he ends up in a strange world called Termina. He meets the Happy Mask Salesman who can help him become human again on the condition that he gets his Ocarina back. But he only has 3 days because after that, the world is going to end when the moon comes crashing down. The Happy Mask Salesman isn't going to heal him without asking for something back however.
Majora's Mask combat wise plays similar to most Zelda games. You go around hacking enemies with your sword, completing dungeons, and using cool gadgets like a bow and arrow. There are some differences though. In this game you can get transformation masks allowing you to transform in to some series staple races like the rock people Gorons and the fish people Zora's, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. This game puts heavy emphasis on masks, each of which will do something different for you. There are only 4 dungeons in this game but a lot of sidequests to complete. The most unique aspect of the game is the time limit. You have 3 in game days before the world ends, although once you pass the beginning section, you can rewind it and start back at the first day. Doing so allows you to keep story important items, but you lose extra stock and money (except what you put in the bank). Game time passes at about 1 second = 1 in game minute. You can get songs that allow you to slow time or to skip to the next 12 hour period. Rewinding time also serves as a way to save the game. Because of the clock, a lot of the sidequests are very dependent on what time it is in game.
General Impressions:
I'm not even sure what to write here, I could talk about this game for hours. I'd played this after Ocarina of Time with my mother, who was disgusted at it. She said it was lazy and a cheap rip off of OoT because they reused character models. I think that aside from the character models, this game is not really a rip off at all, having a whole new world and story. My favourite part of this game though is that it's something very special. This game is more than the sum of it's parts. It's deep and it's layered. This game has spawned so many theories and discussions and I've read essay after essay about what the story really means, and even if I don't agree with all of them, I think it's beautiful and magical that a game can do that. That a game can be so deep and so inspiring as to spawn all of these thoughts and ideas. It goes beyond what just in the game and that is so rare to find. I love games that can give you different interpretations and one of my favourite things to do is replay the game with the new theories in mind. What if Link is dead and he's going through the 5 stages of coping with death, for example? (Seriously look some up, there's a ton of them) It allows me to play the exact same game but get something totally different out of it. I personally find the game quite depressing, watching everyone slowly die over and over again and knowing that until you finish you can't save everyone (SPOILER)(and even after you finish, the Deku Butler's son is still dead, which horrified me when I finally realized where my Deku Mask likely came from) and the music reflects the tone pretty well. The music in this game is very beautiful but usually very sad and sombre (although it has some upbeat tracks as well). Anyways I could go on at length about this but I'll stop here. If anyone wants to discuss it with me feel free to PM me because I'm always up for a chat about this game.
Story:
The story is pretty great, even if you don't go in to the deeper meanings and symbolism. You have 3 days to save a dying world by rewinding time over and over again. The tone is excellent and it really made me feel how desperate the situation was becoming for them, especially if you spend all 3 days in Clock Town as the music changes and people get more and more worried and depressed. But what makes this story stand out is how it's told through the NPC's. In most games the NPC's are there almost as background and here they tell the story, they show you different ways people deal with what's happening and how things are changing. I'll go in to more detail in the characters section about that, but I just think it's a really great story and it always has me invested.
Gameplay:
As far as the gameplay itself, it's very similar to the Zelda series which is kind of middle of the road for me. I don't love it or hate it. Where the gameplay excels is the sidequests. This game is actually very short and nowhere near as indepth storywise if you just do the dungeons and end the game. It barely has any dungeons at all and they're all pretty easy and quick to beat (not that I'm complaining about that part, I do enjoy the easiness), but there are so many sidequests to do and so many of them are investing and touching. It adds a whole other layer to the game itself. The time limit was at first very stressful and can still be sometimes but I've gotten used to it after the 100th playthrough (exaggeration) so I'm fine with it now. I do lime being able to switch races and I especially loved using the Zora, especially for the beaver races. I loved how quickly and gracefully I could swim in the water areas.
World:
The world is pretty good but it wouldn't rank on my top video game worlds. I like how each area brings something different with Clock Town dead center and every area is clearly divided. The areas themselves were big enough for me to enjoy exploring them. But on the downside the world did feel kind of small overall and I would have loved to see more areas.
Characters:
This is an odd case. There is one playable character (if you don't include the souls or spirits of the dead people who you wear as a mask to transform (yeah it's a creepy game)) but a ton of NPC's who are important to get the full scope of the story. As I mentioned in the Story section, this game gets a lot of its depth from the NPC's, instead of them just being there in the background. You get to see people like the man at the training school who says he's not afraid of the moon and can then be found cowering, afraid of his death. People like the Postman who want to evacuate but won't until he's officially given permission. The sad part with the ranch sisters when the older one gives the younger one some of the adult milk before they die. The young man turned in to a child and his fiancee worrying about him. The frozen goron and the dead goron hero, the zora who's eggs were stolen. It all reflects on the world, on the story, and on how everyone deals with things differently. So while there's only one playable characters, there's a large cast of characters that make the game what it is.
Overall this is an excellent game. It has spawned so many theories and discussions which I think is magnificent and the game really does manage to be more than the sum of its parts. There aren't many dungeons and there isn't much you need to do to complete it, but the amount of sidequests and just character watching adds a lot of depth to the game and makes it so much fun to replay. Just a magnificent game and some of the best storytelling and mood setting I've ever seen. This game is one of the reasons I feel confident when I say that yes, video games can be art.
In a few hours we will have my number one game!!
In the meantime
It's not number 1? I'm so confused. Up is down. Left is right. The brake and the accelerator have switched places. What world is this?
Great pick. My friend who likes Zelda way more than I do rates this as his favorite Zelda game too. I like it a lot, but it's probably my third favorite Zelda title. Maybe second.
Vivi: Is it your number 1?
Ninja post by metagloria there. What are your favourite Zelda's?
Yeah I am very much the same way. On my favorite games list the first 2 or 3 are easy and obvious choices but the further down I go on the list the harder it becomes to sort the games. The first games are such obvious choices for me because, like you, I see them as being quite far ahead of the others, I like them so much that I doubt any other game will be knocking them off any time soon.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pumpkin
I never played this particular Zelda (my favorite is A Link To The Past), but heard it mentioned a lot when people were comparing Lighting Returns to it due to the similar time limit/mechanic.
It wouldn't be my number 1, no. But given how much I know you love it I was expecting it to be yours.
I've only ever played the first Legend of Zelda, and I quit it after completing about half the temples due to a lack of motivation to continue. If I ever try another Zelda game, it'd be this one.
I know that feeling so well. It's exactly how I feel about my Top 2 VNs. Although I can see them being dethroned someday since I only got to know both of them about a year ago. But for now, they are the best of the best for me, and no game even remotely comes close to being what these novels are for me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pumpkin
Seems to be a common theme!
Stay tuned to my thread to find out :pQuote:
Originally Posted by Pumpkin
Majora's Mask and ALBW are two of my top three though.
I still want to try the new one but I haven't even played LttP yet!
It is on my list of 1000 things to do though so I will play it eventually
You'll appreciate ALBW a lot more if you play ALttP first.
I wasn't expecting that as your Number two but it's a great game to have as number two
I've already put most of my thoughts over in the thread we have up for the remake.
Great game, nothing at all like I was expecting.
Not as good as A Link Between Worlds in my opinion, but really good nonetheless. I'm still ranking it among the 3D Zelda games. Not sure where it will fall.
FFVIII awesome!!! I've been playing the steam version recently (first playthrough of it since ps1 days), and I have almost all of the achievements. I've decided I'm going to finish off the kill achievement(s), Blue Magic one, and finish with Squall's initial level on a 2nd playthrough. I didn't realize until after I killed Ultima Weapon in doing so also took out my best chance to farm Cursed Spikes needed for Quistis' Shockwave Pulsar.
And for the grand conclusion of my list, it is none other than
Final Fantasy IX is the story of a thief named Zidane who is trying to kidnap the Princess Garnet. Little does he suspect that she's looking to get kidnapped. There's strange things going on in her Kingdom of Alexandria and she wants to do something about her mother the Queen who has been making some weapon's deals. This game follows our heroes during a time of war as they explore new lands and learn some things about their pasts that they wouldn't have expected.
This game plays similar to a lot of Final Fantasy titles. Battles are random and your characters stand on one end of the battle screen with the enemies opposite. Once the ATB bar fills up, a command menu will allow you to choose between Attack, Item, or any individual character commands. You also have a Trance bar that fills up, which can do stuff from increasing strength to allowing special abilities to be used, depending on the character. Characters in this game have certain jobs or roles in battle, such as Black Mage and Thief and their abilities are determined by that. Abilities are learned in this game by equipping weapons or items and obtaining points in fights which go towards these abilities. Once you gain enough points you will be able to use the ability without using the equipment. There are 8 playable characters with 4 usable in battle at a time.
General impressions:
Brace yourselves because this is going to be a long one. I haven't had the best life and I got passed around a lot as a child. At one point, my mother left me with her ex boyfriend, Barry, and for a few years I lived in relative stability. She'd left me with him before but he'd dropped me off with his family or strangers. I guess this time he must have felt guilty because he kept me around for a few years. Anywho, when I was around 10 or so (not sure exact age, but around there) we watched the Final Fantasy Spirits Within movie (yep) and I loved it (yep) and Barry decided to tell me that Final Fantasy was actually a video game series. If you saw my VIII review you'd know I had played VIII by that point but I'd totally forgotten the tiny bit I played and it wasn't actually until about 4-5 years ago that I remembered. So at this point I had no idea it was a video game series and I got super excited so I went on the internets and looked it up, seeing that there were 10 main games. I looked around at all the characters and wondered why I hadn't seen the girl from the movie, and Barry explained that they're all separate. But I saw Yuna and she looked close enough so I got interested in X. That's when I saw the announcements about X-2. ALL GIRLS??!?! OUTFIT CHANGES???!?!?! Sadly for me, X-2 wasn't out yet. So anyways time passed and Barry got us a PS2 along with Dark Cloud and Jak and Daxter. Then it was Christmas or my birthday or something and I got a special surprise. Final Fantasys VII, VIII, IX, and X. "Sorry, X-2 isn't out yet, but maybe these will keep you occupied while you wait." I looked at all of the covers and all of the booklets trying to decide which to play first and I saw Vivi. Adorable Vivi. I popped the game in and my life changed forever. I loved it loved it loved it. Every moment, every scene, I just ate it all up. Because of this game I joined this forum, I met the man I love, I have this beautiful home. I have my love of RPG's and the Final Fantasy series. I have a game that makes me happy everytime I play. I have a game that let me go in to another world when I was in an abusive relationship, when I was dealing with my mother's addictions, when I felt alone. I had Final Fantasy IX.
Story:
I love this story. I absolutely love it, almost every single moment of it. It's just so fantastical and it sucks me right in. I get so engaged, so engrossed in it no matter how many times I play it. The pacing is perfect for me, starting out one way and slowly building to something deeper. Learning about the characters and their pasts. Seeing the world grow and become more accessible. So many touching and beautiful moments like Vivi standing up to the Black Waltz for the first time, (SPOILER)Queen Brahne's death, Zidane rejecting his friends and them still being there for him, Alexander vs Bahamut, the destruction of Lindblum I could go on and on. Most games have a 2-3 moments that I look forward to every time I play, but this game just has so many. So many moments I want to relive and see all over again. So many sad scenes, so many happy ones. The game is overall pretty optimistic and bright which makes the devastating scenes have that much more impact. I really have no complaints about the story, I love it to pieces.
Gameplay:
The weak point. The gameplay is actually kind of bum compared to most of the series in a lot of ways. The battles are slow, SO SLOW, the Trance is terrible and should be thrown off a cliff, characters aren't really customizable, and it's just not all that inspiring. But that's not to say it's all bad. I do love job classes and it has my favourite mini-game, Chocobo Hot & Cold. I could sink so many hours in to that, and I loved having Choco change colours and finding new treasure. So it's not the worst game in terms of gameplay but it's certainly not the best. It could have done so much better.
World:
I love the world of this game, especially since it like grows with the story. You start off on the Mist Continent, which has enough awesome areas on it as it is, and then you explore more and adventure further and see many other great areas. It had a lot of good diversity and it didn't feel like the same thing over and over again. My biggest complaint is that they could have done much more with the Lost and Forgotten Continents as they did not have much on them. My favourite areas would have to be Dali, Alexandria, Esto Gaza, and Black Mage Village, although it was super hard to narrow this down and I liked almost every single area.
Characters:
I love this cast. I like every single character, although Amarant is on the lower end because they didn't do much with him. I liked how they would switch your party around to go with the story and I loved seeing them learn more about themselves. I think it's a journey of self-discovery, something I can identify with a lot, and it was awesome seeing them all learn more about their past and coming to terms with it. Some characters sadly didn't get enough time in the spotlight and they could have interacted more amongst each other.
Favourite character: Vivi Attachment 63444
Honourable mentions: Quina, Zidane, Steiner Attachment 63445Attachment 63446Attachment 63447
Oh look, the only game that has only males as my favourite characters (well Quina is debatable, but I've always seen Quina as a he). Vivi is just the sweetest most precious thing, but he's not afraid to stand up for himself and his friends. He's also incredibly powerful. His story of (SPOILER)coming to terms with his death was very well written and he took it with such grace and maturity that I can't help but admire him. Quina is who s/he is, and is also kind of a lovable goof that brings something happy and fun to the story that I really liked. Zidane is overall just a good guy and I really liked his moment of development because it showed him on a deeper level. He was an awesome friend who was always supportive of everyone no matter what there decisions were. I hated Steiner the first time I played because he was like a buzzkill but now I love seeing him grow in to his own person and learning to think for himself. I could go on about all the other characters as well because they're all pretty great but this is getting long enough as it is!
Overall this is a great game with a charming and engaging story, a strong cast of characters who develop and grow really well, some fun mini-games, and a beautiful world to explore. The gameplay is sadly on the lower side of passable. But more than anything, this game has influenced and changed my life and I love it to pieces. The butterflies in the stomach feeling I get when I play this game is something I've been searching for in games ever since and since the moment I played it it has always been my top game of all time ever.
YES. This is why we're friends.
Thank you so much to everyone who participated, I had a lot of fun and I'm really glad I did this! I hope you all had a lot of fun too :D! So I did some stuffs and you can treat this like the credits which means feel free to walk out now. Thanks everyone for the participation!
Games in order that they ranked:
97. Grand Theft Auto III/Vice City/San Andreas
96. Family Feud
95. Driver
94. Pokemon Leaf Green
93. don't take it personally, babe, it just ain't your story
92. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
91. Hakuouki ~Demon of the Fleeting Blossom~
90. The Promised Land
89. Pokemon Stadium
88. Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage
87. Princess Debut
86. RPG Maker 3
85. Soul Calibur II
84. Soul Calibur III
83. Final Fantasy XIII
82. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
81. Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands
80. Doki Doki Universe
79. Tekken 2
78. The Sims 3
77. Final Fantasy VII
76. Dawn of Mana
75. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
74. Ys Seven
73. Xenogears
72. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
71. Animal Crossing: New Leaf
70. Super Scribblenauts
69. Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar
68. Pokepark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure
67. Pokemon Diamond
66. Final Fantasy Theatrhythm
65. Tomodachi Life
64. Mario (Power) Tennis
63. Katamari Forever
62. Luminous Arc 2
61. Record of Agarest War 2
60. Xenosaga Episode II
59. Final Fantasy Theatrhythm: Curtain Call
58. Pokemon Snap
57. Tekken 3
56. Suikoden IV
55. Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon
54. Tekken Tag Tournament 1/2
53. Ni No Kuni
52. Tales of Legendia
51. Bravely Default
50. .hack//Infection, Mutation, Outbreak, Quarantine
49. Harvest Moon: A Tale of Two Towns
48. Tekken 6
47. Suikoden
46. Record of Agarest War Zero
45. Legend of Mana
44. Rune Factory 3
43. Atelier Escha & Logy
42. Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny
41. Atelier Meruru
40. Kingdom Hearts II
39. Girls Fashion Shoot
38. La Pucelle Tactics
37. Hyperdimesnion Neptunia Victory
36. Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
35. Xenoblade Chronicles
34. Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
33. Fairy Fencer F
32. Pokemon X
31. Ape Escape 3
30. Tales of Vesperia
29. Skies of Arcadia
28. Record of Agarest War
27. Final Fantasy IV
26. Tales of the Abyss
25. Atelier Totori
24. Eternal Sonata
23. Xenosaga Episode I
22. Final Fantasy V
21. Final Fantasy Tactics
20. Dark Cloud
19. Suikoden III
18. Star Ocean: The Last Hope
17. Final Fantasy XIV
16. Fire Emblem: Awakening
15. Final Fantasy X
14. Final Fantasy XII
13. Dragon Quest V
12. Xenosaga Episode III
11. Tales of Xillia
10. Tales of Xillia 2
9. Chrono Trigger
8. Final Fantasy X-2
7. Suikoden II
6. Suikoden V
5. Tales of Symphonia
4. Dark Cloud 2
3. Final Fantasy VIII
2. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
1. Final Fantasy IX
Games by system:
Nintendo 64 (5)
Mario (Power) Tennis (#64)
Pokemon Snap (#58)
Pokemon Stadium (#89)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (#2)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (#72)
Nintendo GameCube (3)
Skies of Arcadia Legends (#29)
Tales of Symphonia (#5)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (#34)
Nintendo Wii (5)
Family Feud (#96)
Mario (Power) Tennis (#64)
PokePark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure (#68)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (#75)
Xenoblade Chronicles (#35)
Nintendo Gameboy Advance (3)
Final Fantasy IV (#27)
Final Fantasy V (#22)
Pokemon LeafGreen (#94)
Nintendo DS (11)
Chrono Trigger (#9)
Dragon Quest V (#13)
Dragon Quest IX (#82)
Family Feud (#96)
Harvest Moon Grand Bazaar (#69)
Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands (#81)
Luminous Arc 2 (#62)
Pokemon Diamond (#67)
Princess Debut (#87)
Rune Factory 3 (#44)
Super Scribblenauts (#70)
Nintendo 3DS (7)
Animal Crossing New Leaf (#71)
Bravely Default (#51)
Final Fantasy Theatrhythm (#66)
Final Fantasy Theatrhythm: Curtain Call (#59)
Girls Fashion Shoot (#39)
Pokemon X (#32)
Tomodachi Life (#65)
PlayStation (14)
Driver (#95)
Final Fantasy V (#22)
Final Fantasy VII (#77)
Final Fantasy VIII (#3)
Final Fantasy IX (#1)
Final Fantasy Tactics (#21)
Legend of Mana (#45)
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage (#88)
Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon (#55)
Suikoden (#47)
Suikoden II (#7)
Tekken 2 (#79)
Tekken 3 (#57)
Xenogears (#73)
PlayStation 2 (24)
.hack//Infection, Mutation, Outbreak, Quarantine (#50)
Ape Escape 3 (#31)
Dark Cloud (#20)
Dark Cloud 2 (#4)
Dawn of Mana (#76)
Final Fantasy X (#15)
Final Fantasy X-2 (#8)
Final Fantasy XII (#14)
Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City, San Andreas (#97)
Jak and Daxter (#92)
Kingdom Hearts II (#40)
La Pucelle Tactics (#38)
RPG Maker 3 (#86)
Soul Calibur II (#85)
Soul Calibur III (#84)
Suikoden III (#19)
Suikoden IV (#56)
Suikoden V (#6)
Tales of Legendia (#52)
Tales of the Abyss (#26)
Tekken Tag Tournament 1/2 (#54)
Xenosaga Episode I (#23)
Xenosaga Episode II (#60)
Xenosaga Episode III (#12)
PlayStation 3 (18)
Atelier Escha & Logy (#43)
Atelier Meruru (#41)
Atelier Totori (#25)
Doki Doki Universe (#80)
Fairy Fencer F (#33)
Final Fantasy XIII (#83)
Final Fantasy XIV (#17)
Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory (#37)
Katamari Forever (#63)
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (#53)
Record of Agarest War Zero (#46)
Record of Agarest War 2 (#61)
Rune Factory Tides of Destiny (#42)
Star Ocean: The Last Hope (#18)
Tales of Xillia (#11)
Tales of Xillia 2 (#10)
Tekken 6 (#48)
The Sims 3 (#78)
PSP (5)
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years (#36)
Final Fantasy Tactics (#21)
Hakuouki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (#91)
Harvest Moon: A Tale of Two Towns (#49)
Ys Seven (#74)
PC (2)
Don't take it personally, babe, it just ain't your story (#93)
The Promised Land (#90)
Xbox 360 (3)
Eternal Sonata (#24)
Record of Agarest War (#28)
Tales of Vesperia (#30)
Games by genre (according mostly to Google):
Action Adventure (6)
Dawn of Mana (#76)
PokePark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure (#68)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (#2)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (#72)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (#34)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (#75)
Adventure (1)
Doki Doki Universe (#80)
Action RPG (8)
.hack//Infection, Mutation, Outbreak, Quarantine (#50)
Dark Cloud (#20)
Dark Cloud 2 (#4)
Kingdom Hearts II (#40)
Legend of Mana (#45)
Star Ocean: The Last Hope (#18)
Xenoblade Chronicles (#35)
Ys Seven (#74)
Driving (2)
Driver (#95)
Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City, San Andreas (#97)
Fighting (6)
Soul Calibur II (#85)
Soul Calibur III (#84)
Tekken 2 (#79)
Tekken 3 (#57)
Tekken 6 (#48)
Tekken Tag Tournament 1/2 (#54)
Game Show (1)
Family Feud (#96)
MMO (1)
Final Fantasy XIV (#17)
Platform (4)
Ape Escape 3 (#31)
Jak and Daxter (#92)
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage (#88)
Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon (#55)
Puzzle (2)
Katamari Forever (#63)
Super Scribblenauts (#70)
Rhythm (2)
Final Fantasy Theatrhythm (#66)
Final Fantasy Theatrhythm: Curtain Call (#59)
RPG (42)
Atelier Escha & Logy (#43)
Atelier Meruru (#41)
Atelier Totori (#25)
Bravely Default (#51)
Chrono Trigger (#9)
Dragon Quest V (#13)
Dragon Quest IX (#82)
Eternal Sonata (#24)
Fairy Fencer F (#33)
Final Fantasy IV (#27)
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years (#36)
Final Fantasy V (#22)
Final Fantasy VII (#77)
Final Fantasy VIII (#3)
Final Fantasy IX (#1)
Final Fantasy X (#15)
Final Fantasy X-2 (#8)
Final Fantasy XII (#14)
Final Fantasy XIII (#83)
Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory (#37)
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (#53)
Pokemon Diamond (#67)
Pokemon LeafGreen (#94)
Pokemon X (#32)
Rune Factory 3 (#44)
Rune Factory Tides of Destiny (#42)
Skies of Arcadia Legends (#29)
Suikoden (#47)
Suikoden II (#7)
Suikoden III (#19)
Suikoden IV (#56)
Suikoden V (#6)
Tales of Legendia (#52)
Tales of Symphonia (#5)
Tales of the Abyss (#26)
Tales of Vesperia (#30)
Tales of Xillia (#11)
Tales of Xillia 2 (#10)
Xenogears (#73)
Xenosaga Episode I (#23)
Xenosaga Episode II (#60)
Xenosaga Episode III (#12)
Simulation (11)
Animal Crossing New Leaf (#71)
Girls Fashion Shoot (#39)
Harvest Moon Grand Bazaar (#69)
Harvest Moon: A Tale of Two Towns (#49)
Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands (#81)
Pokemon Snap (#58)
Princess Debut (#87)
RPG Maker 3 (#86)
The Promised Land (#90)
The Sims 3 (#78)
Tomodachi Life (#65)
Sport (1)
Mario (Power) Tennis (#64)
Strategy (1)
Pokemon Stadium (#89)
Strategy RPG (7)
Final Fantasy Tactics (#21)
Fire Emblem: Awakening (#16)
La Pucelle Tactics (#38)
Luminous Arc 2 (#62)
Record of Agarest War (#28)
Record of Agarest War Zero (#46)
Record of Agarest War 2 (#61)
Visual Novel (2)
Don't take it personally, babe, it just ain't your story (#93)
Hakuouki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (#91)
Games by series:
.hack (4)
.hack//Infection, Mutation, Outbreak, Quarantine (#50)
Agarest War (3)
Record of Agarest War (#28)
Record of Agarest War Zero (#46)
Record of Agarest War 2 (#61)
Atelier (3)
Atelier Escha & Logy (#43)
Atelier Meruru (#41)
Atelier Totori (#25)
Dark Cloud (2)
Dark Cloud (#20)
Dark Cloud 2 (#4)
Dragon Quest (2)
Dragon Quest V (#13)
Dragon Quest IX (#82)
Final Fantasy (14)
Final Fantasy IV (#27)
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years (#36)
Final Fantasy V (#22)
Final Fantasy VII (#77)
Final Fantasy VIII (#3)
Final Fantasy IX (#1)
Final Fantasy X (#15)
Final Fantasy X-2 (#8)
Final Fantasy XII (#14)
Final Fantasy XIII (#83)
Final Fantasy XIV (#17)
Final Fantasy Tactics (#21)
Final Fantasy Theatrhythm (#66)
Final Fantasy Theatrhythm: Curtain Call (#59)
Grand Theft Auto (3)
Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City, San Andreas (#97)
Harvest Moon/Rune Factory (5)
Harvest Moon Grand Bazaar (#69)
Harvest Moon: A Tale of Two Towns (#49)
Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands (#81)
Rune Factory 3 (#44)
Rune Factory Tides of Destiny (#42)
Mana (2)
Dawn of Mana (#76)
Legend of Mana (#45)
Pokemon (6)
Pokemon Diamond (#67)
Pokemon LeafGreen (#94)
Pokemon Snap (#58)
Pokemon Stadium (#89)
Pokemon X (#32)
PokePark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure (#68)
Soul Calibur (2)
Soul Calibur II (#85)
Soul Calibur III (#84)
Spyro (2)
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage (#88)
Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon (#55)
Suikoden (5)
Suikoden (#47)
Suikoden II (#7)
Suikoden III (#19)
Suikoden IV (#56)
Suikoden V (#6)
Tales (6)
Tales of Legendia (#52)
Tales of Symphonia (#5)
Tales of the Abyss (#26)
Tales of Vesperia (#30)
Tales of Xillia (#11)
Tales of Xillia 2 (#10)
Tekken (4)
Tekken 2 (#79)
Tekken 3 (#57)
Tekken 6 (#48)
Tekken Tag Tournament 1/2 (#54)
Xeno (5)
Xenoblade Chronicles (#35)
Xenogears (#73)
Xenosaga Episode I (#23)
Xenosaga Episode II (#60)
Xenosaga Episode III (#12)
Zelda (4)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (#2)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (#72)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (#34)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (#75)
Now I feel let down. I pretty much hated almost every character in FFIX, and the gameplay was way too slow. I was sorely disappointed in Zidane not dying at the end, which would have made me like the game a lot more. It also had a random, pointless last boss for no reason. How anyone likes FFIX for anything other than the music, chocobo hot/cold, and the AP system (I kinda liked it to an extent) is beyond me -_-
Re-read her post about it then and maybe it wont be so beyond you :D
Everyone has different tastes. I love IX with a passion :monster:
Haah, Final Fantasy IX. I only played you for the first time a few years back, when you were released on the European PS Store. Playing you was quite fun, but I don't have the kind of nostalgic feel I get playing VII. Naturally. I grew up with VII. Nonetheless I have utmost respect for you as a game and a story, and I'd go back to play you again any day. And I can wholeheartedly empathize with anyone who loves you for what you are.
Great list, Pumpkin. It was very enjoyable to read from start to finish, and although I skipped some games so as to not spoil them for myself, you really managed to convey your affection towards these games very well. Wonderful job.
Still, only two visual novels. Sigh. Maybe I should list my top visual novels sometime.
Got the spoiler, thank you!
I'm glad you enjoyed it :D I would love to see a top VN list, it might give me some ideas for new ones to play. I always like ones with dating sims in them but I dun like the adult scenes so it's been a bit challenging to find some for my tastes
Oh, with closing credits and all...nice work Pumpkin! ;)
Hehe, I've been trying to consolidate my own favorite games list, brining it down to 50 titles. Finding the right order for the games is harder than coming up with the games themselves :p
Yeah totally do a VN one, I'll be all up in that. I need some new ones. I've gotta have english ones though cause yeah and same as pumpkin, it's hard to find non adult scenes ones.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CimminyCricket
:colbert:
I have similar feelings about this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Freya
Time to go get her more games so she can start another grand video game adventure. :kakapo:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pumpkin
SNES (0)
Pumpkin, this is a serious problem.
I guess some of them can be played on the SNES but no I haven't played any on the SNES
I think I played the SNES once briefly. I've played the original Nintendo quite a bit though
Oh my, list invalidated ipso facto! :pQuote:
Originally Posted by metagloria
I have a few SNES games she's going to try eventually. Don't you worry!
We've got:
Illusion of Gaia
Super Metroid
Secret of Evermore
Zelda: LttP
There's some others floating around. I have an old NES and a copy of the first Zelda. I've actually never played it very much myself.
Those are some really good SNES games, two of those are among my top favorites. I think Pumpkin would enjoy playing any of these.Quote:
Originally Posted by sharkythesharkdogg
I don't have high hopes for Metroid. I'm guessing I'll last about 20 minutes
SUPER METROID IS SO GOODQuote:
Originally Posted by Pumpkin
Tip #1 for playing Metroid: the spots where little enemies pop up out of the ground continuously? Those aren't just nuisances...they're recharge spots. You can sit there and kill those trivial enemies and wait for them to drop energy/weapon recharge pods. This changed the game forever for me. (It's kind of the action game version of grinding.)
It can be a rather dark game. It has a rather oppressive and isolationist atmosphere, making you truly feel alone on an alien planet. But the gameplay is solid, and the exploration is really good. Just take your time, and don't try to speedrun it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pumpkin
I just don't think it's my type of game. Like the whole 2D map thing going on I just really don't like those games :shobon:
Dat map thoQuote:
Originally Posted by Pumpkin
:tumble:
Is it sad that even with my love of LttP I'm far more excited for you to introduce her to Illusion of Gaia? smurfing amazing game that is. The day my copies batter died was a sad day indeed. I know I could change it, I'm just so lazy.Quote:
Originally Posted by sharkythesharkdogg
My copy of Super Mario RPG, Secret of Mana, and Zelda: LttP have all been "permanently borrowed" over the years. :sigh:
I'll definitely get LttP again, and she already tried Mario RPG. I wonder if I should get Mana again.
I know I can emulate, but I just like having the games.