Can't do an open world? I'm not buying it

[Wolf Kanno]

Playing games 15 years later has nothing to do with it. I played 1/3-1/2 of the way through Dragon Quest V on an SNES emulator and I was almost more blown away by it than I was when I later got my DS copy.

You are also forgetting the hype factor though, I seriously doubt anyone kept telling you to play the first six DQ games cause they were "the greatest games of all time" and revolutionized the industry" so I'm betting you didn't go into any of them with any real expectations, like you would have with Chrono Trigger, FFVI, and Xenogears, of which all three you've known for years and listen to fanboys drone on and on about. Throw in your bias for the PSX generation which you've stated time and time again is when you felt "RPGs came into their own" and I find it hard to swallow you could enjoy those games for what they really were without some bias and chip on your shoulder.

So far for me, I felt the game started off strong but once you fix up Harry's issue in his kingdom, I kind of feel like I've just been dropped from any plot and now I am meandering around until something happens like most DQ games. Its bringing back what I felt was the weaker aspects of DQIV (which is tied with DQII as my least favorite), where anything exciting in the game kind of dies when you get to the Hero's chapter.

And I wouldn't say the "story gets good," I just think it's at a certain part that you realize that all along they were showing you all the different aspects of war. And it may sound like putting the cart before the horse, but when you get attached to the characters, it makes everything so awesome and heart felt. The game trickles it down slowly but you really get into these characters lives and see what makes them tick what they regret, what they hope for. They're really well defined. The villains are also really awesome in their own ways, even the ones that you don't love to hate, you just hate.

So far I feel like I'm playing Gundam set in a fictional WWII setting with tanks instead of mobile suits, and its not even some of the better Gundams, its the overrated UC Timeline stuff. As I said, its just overusing all the "war is hell" nonsense you see in any anime based in war. It's hard to get into it all when you've got this huge wave of deja vu coming over you every new story bit.

I just got past the point where the main guy made a bet with his two lackeys about winning a battle so they will accept his "sister" with her ethnic background. I'm already guessing at some point either her or the other main chick is going to be used in an experiment to make a weapon that will turn the tide of battle and its going to all be connected to that McGuffan resource everyone is fighting for. The higher ups seem like those types of assholes and I'm still waiting for the blue haired chick to show up with all her superpowers, so I'm guessing she's probably when the super soldier element is kicking in.

But what makes it incredible, as with other games, is the presentation. The visual style was commendably executed and Sakimoto gave a great score. He's one of my favorite composers anyway, so maybe I'm biased.

This is actually one of the reasons why I'm disappointed with the story and cast so far cause I do like the music and visuals of the game, and I just don't feel like they are being done justice. Though I am sad how much the game likes to use head shots for dialogue. You make a gorgeous art style and 70% of the dialogue is spoken through a simple head shot, you might as well had just used artwork stills like Nippon Ichi titles.

Not sure what to say on Magitec factory. FFVI actually has some of my favorite dungeons in the series, so the fact that I don't rate it particularly highly must mean something. I seem to remember it was something I just wish would end. Wasn't that the one that ended with the railway cart (not train) first person thing? That was awkward. Definitely one of the risks they took in that game that just didn't pay off.

I disagree about it not paying off, was it awkward? Yeah I can agree and age certainly hasn't done it any favors but I felt the same way about the motorcycle chase in VII, which is my least favorite part of the Midgard section. I feel it was something new and exciting for its time, RPGs really never tried to pull stuff like that before (it is the only game) and even if it was cheesy I felt it worked well to build up tension and excitement with the story. I find it odd, that for someone who has spent the last couple of posts debating about the "groundbreaking effects" of changing a camera a little to add more cinematic touch into a RPG that something similar attempted in a 16-bit game gets an "it was awful and never should have been done". It just seems kind of hypocritical to me.

I can't tell you what chapter I'm in, either 4 or maybe chapter 6. Its been that long since I've mustered the stomach to play through it's awful story campaign. Personally, I feel if any story or game has to wait until its halfway through to finally get to the "good part of the story" that's more of a detriment to its design than some kind of incentive to keep going.

You mean almost like Xenogears?!

I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS!!! THANK YOU MIRAGE!

You both have pretty much destroyed any credibility on taste in gaming for me.