General Role-Playing Game Thread

[willardhaven]

I think the new ending points to that being a yes.

[Chairman_LMAO]

Is Magus & Guile the same person?

Yes.

[ChibiJosh]

I'm currently playing some Shining Force 2 and Super Robot Wars OG Saga.

I forgot how corny the dialog in SF2 was. I was actually playing it awhile ago, but I quit after getting the the Red Baron battle because I had such bad memories from my childhood.

I started SF2 back up again because I needed a little break from SRWOGS. It was really fun in the beginning but the battles got tedious. You can't just mindlessly hit buttons.

I have SRWK coming in the mail soon. Anyone play that?

[Furashu]

Yes.

i dont remember the dude with the name that starts with G, he was in cross?

[MootPoon817]

Oblivion or Fable 2?

[Magus8472]

One thing I've always wondered about Trigger & Cross.Is Magus & Guile the same person?

No.

[Chairman_LMAO]

No.

It's heavily implied that he is in the new CT ending. Guile's in the game officially because Magus was supposed to be in CC, but he was hard to fit into the game, so they turned him into Guile. The new CT ending kind of retcons it so Magus could be Guile, and it's the conclusion that makes the most sense to me, so that's what I'm going with.

[Magus8472]

It's heavily implied that he is in the new CT ending.

No, it's not. And regardless, within the context of CC it seems rather silly to turn into a minor optional character in a game which revolves around the fate of his sister. The way Radical Dreamers handles it makes more sense.

[KingBroly]

Oblivion or Fable 2?

You can get the GOTY edition of Oblivion new for $30. You can get Fable 2, without DLC for $30. So...Oblivion.

I have a question about Lost Odyssey, specifically for the auction houses. If I lose an auction for an item, will that item eventually come back up or am I out of luck?

[Chairman_LMAO]

No, it's not. And regardless, within the context of CC it seems rather silly to turn into a minor optional character in a game which revolves around the fate of his sister. The way Radical Dreamers handles it makes more sense.

I know. Originally, he wasn't. Originally Magus had nothing to do with Guile, and nothing to do with CC. He was supposed to be in Radical Dreamers from the start, and that's why it makes more sense. But the new ending in CT makes it entirely possible for Magus to be in CC, with no memory of the events of CT. That's why it makes sense to me that Magus and Guile are the same.

[Hovercraft]

Crono cross is so amazing. every RPG fan should play it.

Help me pick my next RPG
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=233572

[willardhaven]

In an interview it was stated that he was supposed to be Magus but they couldn't figure out the appropriate way to do things. I guess the new Chrono Trigger ending is supposed to fix that problem for them? It's silly to just say "no" as if you are the authority on the matter. Is everyone with the name Magus on this site irritating?

[kainzero]

I'm sure this question has been asked before , but since I've been thinking about it , and wanted to spur some conversation , what RPG (single game or series) would everyone like to see get a sequel or a revival?
destiny of an emperor for NES!
i'm just saying that because i got into the RTK period again.

PS: Chrono Cross sucks. I don't consider that game to be related to Chrono Trigger

[DarkSageRK]

Cross was fun. Therefore, I too don't consider it to be related to Chrono Trigger.

Oh, and could someone please tell me why Jade Cocoon 2 is so fun? I didn't want to like that game, but it's really pleased me so far.

[willardhaven]

PS: Chrono Cross sucks. I don't consider that game to be related to Chrono Trigger

Why do you think it sucks?

[depascal22]

I'll take a sequel of Knights of the Old Republic. Hopefully, Bioware can revisit the franchise after they finish Mass Effect 2.

[kainzero]

Why do you think it sucks?
because it wasn't fun?
i didn't like the battles
didn't like the story
didn't like the characters.

i mean, that about sums it up.

i liked CT for its relatively simple but with deep themes. the dream team of horii, sakaguchi, and toriyama was just too good. i know the main writer for CT and CC was the same but i just don't know; maybe the horii influence was why it was so much better in CT.

[Magus8472]

In an interview it was stated that he was supposed to be Magus but they couldn't figure out the appropriate way to do things.

Exactly, which is why I said no in the first place.

I guess the new Chrono Trigger ending is supposed to fix that problem for them?

Amnesiac alternate Magus wandering through a forest is a bit of circumstantial evidence that the character is possibly intended to be Guile, but it's not like it presents a singular logical conclusion. And it does nothing to solve the problem that Guile was never intended to be Magus within the context of CC in the first place.

It's silly to just say "no" as if you are the authority on the matter.

Yet you have no problem with an unsubstantiated "Yes," it seems?

I know. Originally, he wasn't. Originally Magus had nothing to do with Guile, and nothing to do with CC. He was supposed to be in Radical Dreamers from the start, and that's why it makes more sense. But the new ending in CT makes it entirely possible for Magus to be in CC, with no memory of the events of CT. That's why it makes sense to me that Magus and Guile are the same.

You're right; it's certainly possible, especially if you want it to be the case. I was just saying it's not as definitive as you were suggesting.

Basically, "No" is an equally plausible response.

[willardhaven]

Yet you have no problem with an unsubstantiated "Yes," it seems?





I do, which is why I said it points to yes.

[Magus8472]

I do, which is why I said it points to yes.

Then why only call me out on it? :)

[willardhaven]

Because the ending might mean they've changed their mind. It's not really important anyway I guess.

[Chairman_LMAO]

You're right; it's certainly possible, especially if you want it to be the case. I was just saying it's not as definitive as you were suggesting.

This is true, it's not as absolute as "yes" implies. I originally didn't feel like typing out why Guile was probably, possibly, most likely Magus, so I just said "yes". I stand by my answer.

[DQT]

I've said this before and I'll say it again, Chrono Cross is the game that got me into RPGs. BTW, I just read Vagrant Story is came out for PSN in Japan. I'd really like it if they brought it here since I've never played it.

[Rodimus]

Or does the ending mean Magus is Magil from Radical Dreamers?

I'll be beating Wild Arms 5 tonight. I really enjoyed this game and wanted to thank any/everyone who recomended it. I pretty much did everything with the exception of a couple hidden bosses (this game has a ton of them) & 2 sidequests. Rei are you still playing this?

Anyways I plan on moving onto Tales of the Abyss. For the people who played it how would you compare it to the rest of the series? From what I've played I would say: Vesperia > Sympohonia > Destiny II > Phantasia

[pete5883]

Or does the ending mean Magus is Magil from Radical Dreamers?
I thought that was just understood to be true.

[Chairman_LMAO]

Or does the ending mean Magus is Magil from Radical Dreamers?

This is an absolute yes.

[Rodimus]

I thought that was just understood to be true.

Sorry if this was already covered. I may have missed it in a previous post.

[Moxio]

Or does the ending mean Magus is Magil from Radical Dreamers?

I'll be beating Wild Arms 5 tonight. I really enjoyed this game and wanted to thank any/everyone who recomended it. I pretty much did everything with the exception of a couple hidden bosses (this game has a ton of them) & 2 sidequests. Rei are you still playing this?

Anyways I plan on moving onto Tales of the Abyss. For the people who played it how would you compare it to the rest of the series? From what I've played I would say: Vesperia > Sympohonia > Destiny II > Phantasia

Abyss is a great game.

To be honest, I'd say Symph > Vesperia > Abyss > etc.

That's DEFINITELY not to say Abyss is average or mediocre by any means. It's a great game, has good and likeable characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only minor detraction for the game is that it came late in the PS2's life, and I don't know if it's too good for the PS2 hardware-wise, but the load times on Abyss are a little long.

[LostRoad]

Rod you silly bastard I have been telling you to play Abyss for at least two months now. About time you are getting around to it. Vesperia took a lot from Abyss, though I kinda like the overall cast of Abyss better, you will enjoy it. Now go beat Wild poo 5

[Rodimus]

Unlike Rei I can't divide my time and play 7 RPGs at once. Besides I want too keep bringing up the fact that I'll play it so you guys can keep giving me hype. :D But it better be good or it's going on the self of shame next to Suikoden IV & Transformers Tetrakai.

[62t]

Almost done with Tales of Hearts. Just got the airship and I am near the end.

[DarkSageRK]

Is it good or what?

[Rodimus]

Think I had enough of KOF XII, I'll consider it beatin. Finished it with everyone and did a bunch of online ranked. The core gameplay was good, too bare-bones. Not enough to keep me hooked.

- Why the fuck did I write this here. Tought I was in the GGT.

[Zmonkay]

Playin Abyss now actually! I'd started it over winter, but Luke bein such a complete bitch made me stop. I decided to give it another shot, and am glad I did! Such a fun game. Not quite as good as Symphonia imho, but damned good alltogether. Will prolly play Legandia before I play Vesperia though, simply because I'm afraid if I play all the best Tales games, then Legandia, which I hear is only decent, will seem even worse.

Also, anyone recomend Symph 2? How much does it tie into Symph 1? I played the first one shortly after it came out, and don't remember it well. I'm considering a second playthrough before I try out 2.

[Chibi_Kaji]

Also, anyone recomend Symph 2?
No... just no.

[Rodimus]

Stay away from Symphonia 2. I got it a few months back, played for about 5 hours and quickly got rid of it. It does tie directly into the first but don't expect to re-inlist any of your favorite characters. There are parts of the story were they tag along but that's it. Infact you really don't get a traditional RPG party at all. Instead the game focuses on monster hunting ala Pokemon. The graphics suck even for Wii. All the colors are bland and up close the textures look almost N64ish. To top it off Emil is probably the worst main character for an RPG ever.

[Rei no Otaku]

ToS2 was fucking terrible.

[Poor2More]

I got a Wii a little bit of go and looking to take advantage of the Gamecube compatibility (never owned a GameCube before) so what RPG's would you guys suggest?

I just bought Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door, any other gems?

[DarkSageRK]

Tales of Symphonia and Skies of Arcadia. That's about it. Baten Kaitos is a maybe.

[icebeast]

For the Gamecube I would suggest Paper Mario: The Thousand Years Door (which you already have), Tales of Symphonia, and Baten Kaitos.

If I had to pick just one I would highly recommend Baten Kaitos, the plot is just alright but it has a totally unique and fun combat system. I personally wouldn't recommend Baten Kaitos Origins though (a prequel), that game was kind of a let down for me because it just changed too much from the first game.

[Rodimus]

Not too many great RPGs for the cube, but I can recomend Skies of Arcadia Legends & Tales of Symphonia. Lots of people enjoyed Baiten Kaitos but I never got into it.

[Poor2More]

I read up on Baiten Kaitos, might look into that one down the road.

I will most def pick up Tales of Sym (Heard too much praise about this one) and then Skied of Arcadia (I truly enjoyed it on Sega Dreamcast, never beat it though, had high encounter rate, did they fix that for the GC port?)

[icebeast]

Ya the encounter rate was lowered in the GC version of Skies of Arcadia. I would have recommended that one too but I haven't beaten the game yet, but I liked what I played of it.

[Rodimus]

For Arcadia Legends the encounter rate was lowered (but it still felt a little high) and the EXP amount gained is higher for each battle.

[Poor2More]

Alright thanks for the info IceBeast & Rodimus

[Rei no Otaku]

Baten Kaitos is good. Just turn off the voice acting.

I LOVE Skies of Arcadia. Definitely recommended.

[Moxio]

The voice acting for Baten Kaitos was weird. It apparently (IIRC) starts out with really stratchy, unclear acting, then as your progress gets better.

But yeah, BK is fantastic.

[Rei no Otaku]

It stays distorted the entire game. That was done on purpose though since you technically don't play as a character, but as yourself possessing the main character (it makes sense in the game, and actually leads to a cool plot twist).

[The Crotch]

Skies of Arcadia is the last JRPG I ever truly loved (discounting SRPGs and Paper Mario games, of course). Tales of Symphonia was a little disappointing. If you're into SRPGs, definitely get Fire Emblem 9.

[Poor2More]

Skies of Arcadia is the last JRPG I ever truly loved (discounting SRPGs and Paper Mario games, of course). Tales of Symphonia was a little disappointing. If you're into SRPGs, definitely get Fire Emblem 9.

Fire Emblem 9? is that Radiant or the one for the Wii?

[Rei no Otaku]

Fire Emblem 9? is that Radiant or the one for the Wii?
It's the GC one. Path of Radiance.

[The Crotch]

Sorry, should've been clearer. Rei's right - the ninth game, the GC one, is Path of Radiance. The tenth, the Wii game, is Radiant Dawn.

PoR has better balance, better characters, and a better ending, but Radiant Dawn is a lot prettier and I prefer its overall plot. It can also be hard as all fuck.

[Zmonkay]

thanks for the warnings against ToS 2. That's really disappointing to hear. I'll prolly still replay ToS 1 though, just too much fun not to :)

[depascal22]

For some reason I just can't finish Nocturne. I've even started on Blue Dragon which pretty much guarantees that I won't be finishing SMT.

I'm at the last save point but I looked ahead in the guide and it basically says I need curse resistance or don't even bother trying to beat the Baal Avatar. I looked through my squad and two of my faves are weak to curse and the only guy that nulls curse attacks is the Pisaca that I bought from the Shady Broker in the 1st or 2nd Kalpa.

I did get the Masakados Megatama but what's the point of finishing the game with just the Protagonist? All that fusing and I'm left with a squad that's worth bupkis? Now I'm at the point where I just want to leave it be or start all over.

[Rodimus]

Well depascal, it looks like it's time for fancy fusion time. Save the Pisaca in the demonic compenduim then fuse it with another demon to make a stronger one while retaining the null curse skill. If that one isn't strong enough then keep fusing up till you find one acceptable. Once you're done buy the Pisaca back from the demonic compenduim and proceed to make a different demon. You'll probably need a good amount of money to pull this off since you may have to buy powerful demons soley for fusion purposes. Just grab a six-pack of your favorite beer, and go to work buddy.

I actually found demon fusions in Nocturne/Persona relaxing. I could sit there for a good 45 minutes perfecting my team and love every minute of it.

[pete5883]

Yeah, you can't get too attached to "faves" in SMT games.

[depascal22]

I know it was stupid to get attached but several hours of grinding can make you favor a certain group.

I'll go back to it after I finish Blue Dragon or I'll just fuse on the side while I take BD breaks.

[willardhaven]

Did the Japanese 360 version of Vesperia have an English setting for text and subtitles? With PS3 at $299, I want to get it but I don't want to be left without Vesperia. I figure if it doesn't come out in America I can just import it since the PS3 is region free.

[chibamm]

Do any imports have settings for English?

[willardhaven]

Some do yes, just not for the voice acting (obviously).

[Rei no Otaku]

Did the Japanese 360 version of Vesperia have an English setting for text and subtitles? With PS3 at $299, I want to get it but I don't want to be left without Vesperia. I figure if it doesn't come out in America I can just import it since the PS3 is region free.
Why would you be left without Vesperia if you got a PS3? You still have it on 360.

[62t]

The Japanese version of Vesperia is Japanese only. There is an Asian English version but that wasn't out until after the USA version was released.

[willardhaven]

Why would you be left without Vesperia if you got a PS3? You still have it on 360.

I would want to sell it to pay for some of the PS3, since I don't care too much for the Tri-Ace exclusives I wanted. I'll wait it out, if Vesperia comes out here for PS3 I won't have any reason not to switch.

Not RPG-related but the 360 controller kills my left hand playing Call of Duty 4 online. Clicking the offset left stick is a lot easier on a Playstation controller.

[chibamm]

Some do yes, just not for the voice acting (obviously).


Are there any for the PS3? Being region-free it would be the easier games to get, I'm assuming.

I tried looking on play-asia for games like you described but couldn't find anything.

[willardhaven]

I might have been thinking of the "Asian" versions. I thought I remembered someone saying that JPN Tales had English subs but I guess I was wrong. Sorry about that.

[StarKnightX]

In preparation for the release of KH : 385/2 Days , I've finally started working through the original Kingdom Hearts. I had started the game once before over a year or more ago , but ended up getting side tracked with other things (I only got through Alice in Wonderland the first time). I'm finally a little more dedicated to finishing it this time though. I've made it up to Agrabah so far.

[willardhaven]

Great game, the second one is fun too but the first is better.

[icebeast]

Personally I liked KH2 better than KH1; mainly because I thought the story was much more interesting. KH1 was much more challenging though (in comparison to KH2's hardest "proud" difficulty which was still fairly easy). Oh and I hate Chain of Memories, just couldn't make it through that game because the gameplay just wasn't very good.

[StarKnightX]

My brother preferred the original over the second as well. He liked the story better (thought the second one got too convoluted) , thought it was too easy , thought that the game put too much emphasis on reaction commands , and didn't like most of the worlds/missions as much.

Out of what I've played so far , I was a little annoyed at how much tougher Cerberus was compared to Clayton/Chameleon , considering that the Coliseum was a 2 star world , while Deep Jungle was 3 stars.

[pete5883]

The 2nd disappointed me, I just wanted them to skip the Disney stuff and get back to the Square stuff.

[ChibiJosh]

It just took me like 2-3 hours to finally kill the final enemy in SRW OG2. I felt like crying at many points in it.

[Rei no Otaku]

2-3 hours? Damn. It didn't take me anywhere near that long.

[Chibi_Kaji]

I kind of liked KH2 better... except for the Coliseum in it.

I'm pretty much at the endgame of P4. I have one miniboss and the last 2 bosses to deal with. I'll probably try and finish the miniboss within a few days and spend the rest of my in game time(It's Dec 8th now and I have till the 22nd-24th to beat the final boss) grinding and then see what stuff I should sell off so I have some money to spend in a newgame+.

[ChibiJosh]

2-3 hours? Damn. It didn't take me anywhere near that long.

Well, it had like 300K-400K HP and regen'ed 50K every turn. The first couple turns, I was able to knock it down about 80K-100K, but everyone started to run out of EN and ammo so by the end I was slowly knocking it down by 60K-70K.

The only reason I was able to beat it at all was I had someone with one of those refill EN/ammo things next to SRX and R Gun and I had Lefina with Rouse to increase their will, so I was able to hit it with at least 1 HTB cannon a turn.

[Rei no Otaku]

Oh I know his stats, and it is a long fight. Took me about 45 minutes.

[JEKKI]

saw this, donno what it is but I can dig it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M0RmJOHoP8

new PSP game! a musical game!

[ChibiJosh]

saw this, donno what it is but I can dig it.

new PSP game! a musical game!

Is that related to the Marl Kingdom series? It looks almost exactly like Rhapsody with the look of the world map and the camera angles.

[62t]

Finally completed Tales of Hearts. 41 hours and 51 minutes. I did a lot of the side quests too

[Draekon]

Is that related to the Marl Kingdom series? It looks almost exactly like Rhapsody with the look of the world map and the camera angles.

It should be since it looks like Little Princess 1 & 2 in just about every way. However the name looks to be "Antiphon Choir Princess - Score of Angels: Opus A"

Antiphon though...? Well, I guess the game will have heavy religion aspects. For a Marl Kingdom game type anyways.

EDIT: Looks like the official translated name may be "Princess Antiphona’s Hymn: Angel’s Score Opus A". Translation is pretty much the same, but in the video they never said Antiphona (The princess' name) when speaking the title. Nor does the text translate to that either.

[depascal22]

Picked up Persona 3 FES and Persona 4 in a trade on GameTZ. Anyone have the guides for trade?

[ChibiJosh]

It should be since it looks like Little Princess 1 & 2 in just about every way. However the name looks to be "Antiphon Choir Princess - Score of Angels: Opus A"

Antiphon though...? Well, I guess the game will have heavy religion aspects. For a Marl Kingdom game type anyways.

EDIT: Looks like the official translated name may be "Princess Antiphona’s Hymn: Angel’s Score Opus A". Translation is pretty much the same, but in the video they never said Antiphona (The princess' name) when speaking the title. Nor does the text translate to that either.

The name is definitely written Antiphona. Princess is in a weird place though, I would think that it should come directly after the name.

[chibamm]

I FINALLY finished Persona 3 FES the other night. I was trying to finish it all summer long, but then I picked up CoD 4 and got more than a little distracted. I thought I put in alot of hours for just one playthrough, 120 some hours. I must say that then ending was good. After the final battle, the game took a different feel which was cool, because sometimes P3 could get very repetitive. Overall, I enjoyed it. And everyone keeps saying that Persona 4 is even better :)

[chibamm]

Picked up Persona 3 FES and Persona 4 in a trade on GameTZ. Anyone have the guides for trade?


I picked up the guide for Persona 3, but if you have FES (like I did) you really don't need it. Whenever I really needed it the guide didn't cover it or there was some kind of error on DJ's part. If you need help just look online.

Plus, Persona 3 FES is one of those games that is just SO much more rewarding when you do NOT use a guide.

[Chibi_Kaji]

Plus, Persona 3 FES is one of those games that is just SO much more rewarding when you do NOT use a guide.
Eh? I don't see why using the guide takes any fun out of it. I used it mostly for the tests and to find where the Slinks were.

[Rodimus]

I'm about 10 hours into Tales of the Abyss and I like it. Pretty much what I expected, but I can't help and wish this was Vesperia. The battle system is solid and I'm warming up to the characters little by little (except Anise, I hate kids) The story is compeling enough to keep me interseted.


I do have some complaints: I know it's a PS2 game but the graphics are bland, I was expecting it to be more colorful. Everything has a washed-out look especially the world map. And speaking about the map it gets choppy and the camera pan is slow as hell. It makes navigating tedious. I also noticed loading in & out of battles from the world map is longer than battles from dungeons. And yeah, I hope Luke stops acting like a little bitch soon.

[chibamm]

Eh? I don't see why using the guide takes any fun out of it. I used it mostly for the tests and to find where the Slinks were.

I agree with you in that aspect. The guide comes in handy when you wanna know the days to meet up with people or where they are at. And I do agree, the test questions were ridiculous.

Sometimes though, I think it becomes a crutch, like for developing the Slinks. If you just go by the guide and go through the Slinks with all the right questions, then the end of the game would be meaningless to you.

[62t]

the persona 3 guides doesnt work well with FES since the S Link changed

[Chibi_Kaji]

the persona 3 guides doesnt work well with FES since the S Link changed
t works just fine with the S.Links in FES. The only change I can remember is the location(and time of day) for person with the Devil Slink changed. And of course the Aeon S.link isn't listed since it's new to FES.

[DQT]

I agree guides can be a crutch, but can't you miss some really cool stuff if you're caught unprepared in P3? At least that's what I heard.

[Zmonkay]

the map it gets choppy and the camera pan is slow as hell. It makes navigating tedious. I also noticed loading in & out of battles from the world map is longer than battles from dungeons.

Out of curiosity, are you playin on PS2 or PS3 with BC? Either way the load times on the world map take forever (which is weird, cuz there are like zero details on the world map) but it seems a little better on PS3. If you are on PS3, it plays fine (so far, and I'm about 45 hours in) EXCEPT when you go to Coral Castle, where the controller will not respond. I had to transfer my save over to my PS2, finish the dungeon, then go back to PS3. Looks nicer with the PS3 smoothing too.

and fuck that slow ass camera. I love this game, except when I'm on the world map.

And yeah, I hope Luke stops acting like a little bitch soon.
idk if I'd consider it a spoiler but he does eventually stop acting like such a complete douchebag, and imho gets much more likable

[Rodimus]

Either way the load times on the world map take forever (which is weird, cuz there are like zero details on the world map) but it seems a little better on PS3.

That's what I tought. There really isn't much to the world map so I wonder why it has a difficult time loading. I'm playing on a PS2. Is the camera pan normally so slow or is it just me? The rest of the game plays just fine.

[icebeast]

where the controller will not respond. I had to transfer my save over to my PS2, finish the dungeon, then go back to PS3.

Ya I hate how the Playstation Compatibility site says "Description: No major problems for this title." for the 80GB PS3 but it has a part of the game where the game freezes 100% guaranteed and you are required to go there to continue the story.

I actually haven't gotten back to this game in a while and would probably need to restart it at this point; luckily this time I will not be as confused as the first time I hit that freeze and couldn't figure out what was going on and then discovered that I needed to use my PS2 to get past it, so the next time I play it I will not get hung up at that part (though I did make it much further than that last time... but I lost that save so I'd have to start from my PS2 save anyways and that really isn't that far into the game and I could use the story refresher anyways). Chances are though once I'm done with Tales of Vesperia which I'm currently working on I'm not going to want to play another Tales game for a little while because they are just too similar for me to play back to back.

[willardhaven]

Abyss has lag and load issues, it is what it is. It's a great game despite its flaws and it's every bit as good as Vesperia (aside from graphics/tech issues).

[kainzero]

Sometimes though, I think it becomes a crutch, like for developing the Slinks. If you just go by the guide and go through the Slinks with all the right questions, then the end of the game would be meaningless to you.
on the other hand
the questions are so stupid. like this:

"hey, that guy took my purse!"
-trip him.
-punch him.

"trip him."
"you asshole! you hurt his leg! i'm not talking to you anymore!"

[Chibi_Kaji]

Yeah, it's pretty easy to mess up an S.links because you thought you picked a good answer. Also I would have missed the True End(I'm in the bonus dungeon now) without a guide. It's not hard to get or anything but it's just easy to miss.

[Rei no Otaku]

on the other hand
the questions are so stupid. like this:

"hey, that guy took my purse!"
-trip him.
-punch him.

"trip him."
"you asshole! you hurt his leg! i'm not talking to you anymore!"
It's really not that complicated if you follow a person's personality. You're not supposed to pick the right answer. You're supposed to pick the one that person would want to hear.

[kainzero]

It's really not that complicated if you follow a person's personality. You're not supposed to pick the right answer. You're supposed to pick the one that person would want to hear.
Oh really?

From Persona 4:
Dojima: So… What have you been doing after school?
Hanging with friends
Club meetings
Working (+3)
Nothing…
Yeah.

I just think it's a really stupid mechanic and totally unrewarding.
This isn't the first time I've brought it up in this thread.

[Chibi_Kaji]

The only thing I hate about P4 is that I'm low on cash so it's a pain to fuse personas. I was rolling in Money during the last few hours of P3. I guess you just get less cash when you play on normal.

[Rei no Otaku]

Oh really?

From Persona 4:

Yeah.

I just think it's a really stupid mechanic and totally unrewarding.
This isn't the first time I've brought it up in this thread.
You don't think that answer fits Dojima? Honestly?

[kainzero]

Maybe I thought that club meetings would have you develop skills?

I don't know.
This is also the first question he ever asks you.

[pete5883]

Isn't Dojima introduced as "the guy who's working all the time?"

[Rodimus]

The story in Abyss just got good. Hopefully it maintains for the rest of the game. I just wish the other chaarcters were more fun to use besides Luke & Guy (and they both play pretty much the same) I loved Judith in Vesperia, I liked using her more the Yuri.

[Mr. Anderson]

I started up Grandia 2 for the DC again recently, and I'm glad I did. The battle system is just fantastic! If it wasn't, there would be no reason to play this, as the story is kinda meh and the voice acting is flat out terrible.

But the magic/skill/battle system is one of the best I've ever seen in an RPG.

[Chairman_LMAO]

I'm absolutely loving Rogue Galaxy. The battles get a little repetitive, but the story is so good that I can't put it down.

[pete5883]

RG's dungeons are so brutally long though. Probably about as long as Dark Cloud 2's, but there they were split up into pieces, with rewards in each. Not sure why they took a step back for RG.

[Chibi_Kaji]

I gave up on RG after a few hours. I just couldn't deal with how little control I had over party members in RG.

[Zmonkay]

I really gotta get back into RG. I LOVE DC2, but the combination of lack of control of party members, insane lengths between save/recovery areas, and brutally hard difficulty (mebbe I was doing something wrong, but I was getting slaughtered every time I reached a new area) just turned me off. The story/graphics are so good though I'll def pick it up again. Too bad there are no Action Replay cheats, hehe.

[willardhaven]

I liked Dark Cloud 2 in theory but I hated playing it. For some reason I stopped playing Tales of Vesperia in favor of binging on Call of Duty 4. I've already put over 75 hours into the multiplayer in Modern Warfare.

[chibamm]

I liked Dark Cloud 2 in theory but I hated playing it. For some reason I stopped playing Tales of Vesperia in favor of binging on Call of Duty 4. I've already put over 75 hours into the multiplayer in Modern Warfare.

Ugh..tell me about it. I had planned and knocking a few RPG's out of my backlog over the summer then *wham* I grabbed COD4 about midsummer. It's so addicting. BTW I played Halo 3 multiplayer a bit after playing COD4.....COD4 wins easily.

[Chairman_LMAO]

RG's dungeons are so brutally long though. Probably about as long as Dark Cloud 2's, but there they were split up into pieces, with rewards in each. Not sure why they took a step back for RG.

The only one I found to be too long was the Gladius Towers on Zerard. I hated that I had to get to the top of one tower, beat the boss, then go to the top of the second, identical tower and beat another boss. It took me somewhere around two and a half hours to get to finish that part. I don't find the rest of the dungeons too long, and I'm impressed that they load so seamlessly.

I gave up on RG after a few hours. I just couldn't deal with how little control I had over party members in RG.

I love that feature. The AI in the game is quite good, and I like how it will defer to me if it wants to use a spell or ability. I have it set on "go all out" mode so I don't have to keep track of my party's health that often.

[Chibi_Kaji]

I love that feature. The AI in the game is quite good, and I like how it will defer to me if it wants to use a spell or ability. I have it set on "go all out" mode so I don't have to keep track of my party's health that often.
I hated that feature. When I'm in the middle of a battle I shouldn't have to be asked by a party member if they can do something. I should just be able to customize my party's AI like in the Tales game.

[pete5883]

I don't find the rest of the dungeons too long, and I'm impressed that they load so seamlessly.
Is this a joke? They replaced load screens with long hallways that you have to walk down in place of just waiting for the load to happen. I didn't find this to be an improvement, as I'd rather hit nothing instead of up for 10 seconds.

[Mr. Anderson]

Ok, I'm convinced Grandia II has one of the best battle systems EVER in an RPG.

It's quite a feat to have the player (me) jonesin' to fight caterpillars and hell-hounds. :lol:

[willardhaven]

The battles in Grandia II are pretty good, but the game is just kind of average to me.

[Mr. Anderson]

I completely agree with you. I'm torn between saying "fuck this medicore crap" and continuing the game, but the battle system keeps drawing me back. Any inkling as to whether parts I or III are any better?

[Rodimus]

Grandia has one of the best turn based battle systems. It was the only thing that got me through Grandia III. I'm torn whether I like that or SMT/Persona's press-turn system.

[willardhaven]

I think Nocturne has a better system than Persona...

[Zmonkay]

Grandia II's story is average as hell, but the battle system was so good, I played through twice (once on Dreamcast, once on PS2). III... I gave up halfway through. I HATED the characters, and the story was boring as fuck. I still haven't dusted off the copy of GI I tracked down a few years ago...

[willardhaven]

Yeah my problem with Grandia II is that I have no motivation to play. I like the battles, but everything else is a chore.

[dr_illingsworth]

Who remembers that scene in Grandia 3 where Yoat yells, or bleats, or whatever. Probably the funniest scene in any RPG.

If someone could put it on Youtube, then I would think that you're cool.

[Rodimus]

I think Grandia 1 is probably my favorite of the series. It really feels like a big adventure. Unlike most RPGs you can not visit previous locations, you just keep going farther and farther across the world. And like in G2 there are characters that leave your party permanently but depending on how you leveled them up you get items to help boost the stats of their replacements. The main character "Justin" is a little annoying at first but as you progress you see him go from a boy to a man. The battle system is just like G2 & G3 but in 2D form, I kinda perfer it. When talking to NPC there's a lot of dialogue to read, sometimes it gets tedious. Too bad I sold off my copy a few years ago, I'm kinda in the mood to play it.

[Mr. Anderson]

Wait wait, you lose characters in GII? FUCK.

[Rei no Otaku]

I think Grandia 1 is probably my favorite of the series. It really feels like a big adventure. Unlike most RPGs you can not visit previous locations, you just keep going farther and farther across the world. And like in G2 there are characters that leave your party permanently but depending on how you leveled them up you get items to help boost the stats of their replacements. The main character "Justin" is a little annoying at first but as you progress you see him go from a boy to a man. The battle system is just like G2 & G3 but in 2D form, I kinda perfer it. When talking to NPC there's a lot of dialogue to read, sometimes it gets tedious. Too bad I sold off my copy a few years ago, I'm kinda in the mood to play it.
Well said. Completely agree.

[Rodimus]

Wait wait, you lose characters in GII? FUCK.

Shit, I'm sorry dude. Maybe should've spoiler tagged that.

[Zmonkay]

:whee: Just beat Tales of the Abyss!!! :whee:
Total Time: 57:06

Best thing imho of the Tales games is they are long as hell... but you are constantly moving forward. It's not like a lot of other RPGs where a large portion of your time is simply grinding (ugh).

Now, a decision:
Finish FFX replay (stopped ~ 30 hours)
Finish FFIX replay (stopped... Disk 3, I think?)
Finish DQ8 (stopped in the middle lookin for Sir Leopold)
Put some more time into BlazBlue (haven't played much after the first week it came out. Got into RPG mode. This one is the most likely)

[willardhaven]

FF IX is so good, definitely my favorite Final Fantasy.

[chibamm]

Alright, I'm about 20-25 hours into FFXII, right after the whole "Shard" incident. And, I honestly have to say, this is the very first FF I've played where I really have no idea what is going on, for the simple reason that I don't care. The only cool characters are the two pirates, Fran and....whatever the other guy's name is. The rest are just *ugh* to me. I mean, Basch...? Really? Plus I'm not really liking all the medieval dialect and voice acting. I don't know why, but why is it when males in movies, games, etc. do a kind of medieval tone, they sound like they are holding a crap in....

The sad part is, I REALLY want to like this game, but it's not doing it for me. The battle system/levelling up deal is alright, a cross between a MMORPG and FFX. But I don't think it's enough. I think I'm going to have to can this piece of shit.

[willardhaven]

XII has a crappy story and the game pretty much plays itself. Its graphics are really good despite Vaan's abs and the lack of progressive scan or wide screen.

[icebeast]

I have to say that I basically hate FFXII. I think I made it maybe 12-15 hours into that game and then I decided I was just done with it because I couldn't stand it anymore. I guess my major gripes in order:

1). All the chests in the game are random therefore making exploration not feel as worthwhile, I like it much better searching a dungeon in a standard RPG and finding the sweet items that were placed and hidden in it rather than searching every chest in a dungeon to get rewarded with 5 Gil every time I open one.

2). The story focuses more on politics and an overall war than the characters in the story; which just isn't how I like my plots. I'm all about character-centric plots. And lets be honest most of the FFXII characters aren't very important and hardly ever get any screen time.

3). There isn't a love plot. I mean sure stories don't need a love plot to be good; but most of the FF games have one and it usually adds a layer of character interaction among party members that is sorely lacking in FFXII.

4). The major side quest, the hunts, weren't very fun in my opinion. My major problem is it didn't really give you a very good gauge of how hard one would be before you were fighting the monster; so far to many times I would go backtrack to a dungeon to go kill a hunt monster only to get totally raped and then I was like, screw it I'll just come back later when I'm more powerful and feel like I wasted time.

5). Also, it either felt like I had to micro-manage my team too much or like I wasn't even really doing anything depending on how my gambits were set up.

I guess that can end my rant. Basically I tried to give the game a chance but after spending a considerable amount of time with the game I just couldn't get into it, and it's the only FF game I've ever really felt that way about. I just hope that FFXIII is a lot different than XII and they decide to pull more ideas from the older FF games, particularly in the treasure chest and plot department.

[willardhaven]

I'm pretty much with you. It's the only main FF game that felt lacking and unpolished.

[chibamm]

I agree with every point you made there Icebeast, and it's sad to say, but I'm not going to continue to play it. I have SO many games in my backlog, Persona 2, Persona 4, DDS 1 & 2, Ar Tonelico...yada yada yada. I should be giving those games a chance rather than really trying hard to like a mediocre, at best, game.

[chibamm]

Alright, I need some recommendations for the next RPG to play. Chaos Wars, Ar Tonelico, or Atelier Iris..?

[62t]

Alright, I need some recommendations for the next RPG to play. Chaos Wars, Ar Tonelico, or Atelier Iris..?

anything but Chaos War

[chibamm]

Is it really that bad?

[willardhaven]

Man I hate Gust games.

[Rodimus]

:whee: Just beat Tales of the Abyss!!! :whee:
Total Time: 57:06

Best thing imho of the Tales games is they are long as hell... but you are constantly moving forward. It's not like a lot of other RPGs where a large portion of your time is simply grinding (ugh).

Now, a decision:
Finish FFX replay (stopped ~ 30 hours)
Finish FFIX replay (stopped... Disk 3, I think?)
Finish DQ8 (stopped in the middle lookin for Sir Leopold)
Put some more time into BlazBlue (haven't played much after the first week it came out. Got into RPG mode. This one is the most likely)

Congrats. I agree with the fact that I haven't had to grind one bit, I just keep truckin' along in the story without any slowdown. I'm a little bit after the point were Luke gets a hair cut were I finally just got all the members of my team back. About how far would you say I have to go?

Out of all the games you listed it's a tough choice, I enjoyed them all. Maybe FFIX more than the rest, but really I don't think you could go wrong with any of them.

[icebeast]

Alright, I need some recommendations for the next RPG to play. Chaos Wars, Ar Tonelico, or Atelier Iris..?

Well if I had to pick a Gust game I would suggest Mana Khemia which I thought was awesome. But as far as the games you've listed I've only played Ar Tonelico and it was alright though on the easy side. I've heard Atelier Iris is a fairly fun game though with a solid item crafting system. Haven't really heard anything good about Chaos Wars though.

So I guess from personal experience I would suggest Ar Tonelico from that list.

[depascal22]

I liked Final Fantasy XII but I knew what it was going into it. I actually liked that it didn't force a love plot into the story line. Love is great but it's not like every single moment of every single adventure that's ever happened had two people that either hated each other or one secretly crushed hard on the other until about halfway through the game/story when interest blossomed into love.

[DarkSageRK]

For Atelier Iris, the first one is absolute shit. Don't bother with it. Mana Khemia is really good, though.

[Mr. Anderson]

The problem I had with FFXII was that it's basically the same damn thing the whole way through.

....

And the story sucks.

[depascal22]

Nocturne is the same thing all the way through also.....

Hell, every RPG is the same thing all the way through.

[Chibi_Kaji]

And the story sucks.
Whats your point? Most JRPG stories suck.

[willardhaven]

Well I don't go to a game looking for a book or a movie, I got to it for the experience. I think Nocturne has a good "story" in that the experience is unique and interesting to me.

I think Mario Bros. 3 has a good "story" even though it does not have good writing or cinematography.

[Zmonkay]

Congrats. I agree with the fact that I haven't had to grind one bit, I just keep truckin' along in the story without any slowdown. I'm a little bit after the point were Luke gets a hair cut were I finally just got all the members of my team back. About how far would you say I have to go?

Out of all the games you listed it's a tough choice, I enjoyed them all. Maybe FFIX more than the rest, but really I don't think you could go wrong with any of them.

heh, you're at about the 1/3 point my friend, haha. I'm pretty sure I was at about 16-18 hours at that point. And the best part is, the ability to just keep truckin with the story and still be at the right level continues for the rest of the game! Such amazing design.

And yeah, I think I will go back and finish IX, then X, then DQ, prolly with non-RPGs sprinkled in between or concurrently. This is my third, second, and first playthrough of them, respectively.

Once I get those cleared, I'm gonna start a new RPG, prolly a SMT game, as I have DDS1 and 2, Nocturne, and Persona 1-4... and have played none of them other than DDS1 for a short while.

For Atelier Iris, the first one is absolute shit. Don't bother with it.
QFT! Ugh, I just couldn't stand playing it. soooo boring. Anyone actually recommend 2 or 3? I picked them all up at the same time (a b2g1 sale) and regretted it after playing 1.

[dr_illingsworth]

I thought Atelier Iris 1 was solid, 2 was good, and 3 was terrible. But if you couldn't stand 1, I wouldn't recommend any of them. They're all cut from the same cloth.

It was Atelier Iris 3, then Ar Tonelico, which really turned me off to Gust. All their games are so similar, and it seems like they're not even trying anymore. I haven't played Mana Khemia yet, but it looks like another rehash of the same game. Maybe I'll try it out someday.

[Rei no Otaku]

Ar Tonelico is awesome.

[becuzimbrown]

nice.

[chibamm]

I put a few hours into Atelier Iris, so far so good. It's holding my interest. I think the true test is around that 15-20 hour mark for RPG's. If something doesn't happen, either with story, plot, music, gameplay, battle system, then I think most of us lose interest. My only goal is to finish one of these games by the 22nd.....Persona PSP baby!!!

I have a pretty sizable backlog to play through, so the PS2 and some RPG's with me. I left the 360 at the house...XBox Live + College= Less than Stellar Grades. I just realized that I only grabbed FFXII and Gust games to play...ugh.

I still have all the SMT games to play, but I don't want to dig into P4 yet for some reason. I need a break after finishing FES.

[Chairman_LMAO]

Is this a joke? They replaced load screens with long hallways that you have to walk down in place of just waiting for the load to happen. I didn't find this to be an improvement, as I'd rather hit nothing instead of up for 10 seconds.

No, it's not a joke. I don't think that the dungeons are too long, and in fact, aren't much longer than most RPGs with massive load times.

[KingBroly]

I'm about 13 hours into FF6a, and I have a 3 character party of 24-26, and I'm right before some cave before the floating island part (I'm using the table of contents of a guide to point me in the right direction). I'm wondering how much longer I have to go from here if I don't go for any sidequests? I'd imagine another 13-15 hours, but I'm just not sure.

Also, just watched the Gametrailers interview about FFXIII. No dual audio makes me a bit ticked.

[Magus8472]

I'm about 13 hours into FF6a, and I have a 3 character party of 24-26, and I'm right before some cave before the floating island part (I'm using the table of contents of a guide to point me in the right direction). I'm wondering how much longer I have to go from here if I don't go for any sidequests? I'd imagine another 13-15 hours, but I'm just not sure.

Not to spoil anything, but with the way FF6 progresses you're pretty much going to have to do sidequests as they comprise most of the second half of the game. However, if you barrel right to the end from where you are you'll be done in 3-4 hours or so.

[KingBroly]

So...if I do the sidequests, how long do those take? And...what level should I be at for the final boss?

[Magus8472]

Doing everything will put it in the 15-20 hour range if not longer. And mid-40's should be fine for the endgame. You'll want to level as many characters as possible, however.

[StarKnightX]

Your only required to get 3 characters to be able to go to the final dungeon and fight the last boss. Doing so is pretty challenging and suicidal though.

As mentioned , since the second half of the game is basically all sidequests revolving each of the characters , if you can figure out who is where , you could just skip around to the quests involving characters you like and use to save some time. Alternatively you could only do the quests that net you the best/strongest rewards as well.

It's not really necessary to do all the sidequests unless you want to see the "full" ending (or go for full completion of course) , since the game tends to get really easy near the end , and the more quests you do , the easier it'll become (this should go without saying).

Can't really give you a good estimate of time though , but I will say regarding levels , that between 40-60 should be enough to beat the game , with some challenge near the end. 60+ will make it fairly easy though.

[Flak]

So I heard Kefka's character gets changed a little bit in FFVI Advance as opposed to the SNES translation. Any truth to that?

[kilm]

Maybe a little bit of translation differences from SNES to GBA version, but nothing really significant. It's not as if Kefka goes from being a bad guy to ambiguously gay. Maybe something like "I hate you!" from the SNES to "I'll kill you!" to the GBA when's he's mad or something.

Otherwise, still a bad guy.

[62t]

I would say it is a bigger change in Dissidia as Kefka sounds like a Joker wannabe

[willardhaven]

Kefka was always like that... remember the famous laugh?

[StarKnightX]

My brother just started playing Dissidia and I overheard him play a portion with Kefka. Thought his voice reminded me a lot of Alfred Ashford from RE : CV. Personally I think it makes him sound too goofy , not quite evil or crazy enough. I would've loved it if they kept his trademark laugh from the original in there though.

[kilm]

Kefka was always like that... remember the famous laugh?

You mean that 16 bit sound that was recycled in Chrono Trigger? Classic.

[Poor2More]

Hey I just picked up a PS2 and went ahead and picked up some RPG's, whats the best one out the bunch so I know which to start first and Wild Arms 5 any good?

-Ar Tonelico 2
-Mana Khemia
-Persona 4

[Rei no Otaku]

Persona 4 is the best. As much as I liked the first one, Ar Tonelico 2 was disappointing.

[Rodimus]

They're all good games in their own right, but Persona 4 gets my vote. Probably my favorite RPG of recent years.

I loved Wild Arms 5. If you care to read I wrote a review here. I'd also like some feedback since it's my first review.

http://www.specialtygamer.com/features/modern-post2000/wild-arms-5-ps2-review/

[blueshinra]

I found Wild Arms 5 to be pretty average. My favorite part was the battle system, which has a neat tactical RPG element to it.

Haven't played any of the others, though Persona 4's in my to-play stack as well. Everyone I know who's played it raves about it.

[Poor2More]

Been playing Persona 4, for about 2 hours, damn this is really good so far, im digging the story so far

[StarKnightX]

Question for Tales series fans , given that it was the first game in the series (although a remake/rerelease) would it be advised or recommended to play Tales of Phantasia for the GBA before any of the other games , or does it not really matter?

[Rei no Otaku]

It doesn't matter.

[willardhaven]

Just play Abyss and/or Vesperia... they are the awesome.

[StarKnightX]

Just play Abyss and/or Vesperia... they are the awesome.

I don't doubt that , but I don't have Abyss (yet) and my 360 is dead so Vesperia is out too (Although I do have Symphonia that I've been meaning to start). Besides I was looking for a GBA game to play (that I haven't already) and that seemed to fit the bill.

Similar question , Fire Emblem : Shadow Dragon , my brother said he didn't like the game because he felt it was a step down from previous FE games. Seeing as I haven't played/finished any of them yet either , should I play Shadow Dragon first?

[LostRoad]

Question for Tales series fans , given that it was the first game in the series (although a remake/rerelease) would it be advised or recommended to play Tales of Phantasia for the GBA before any of the other games , or does it not really matter?


You should still play Phantasia when you get a chance its a pretty fun game. Rod when your in jpn could you pick me up a cute little asian chick, I'll pay shipping of course.;)

I will check out your review tomorrow at work.

[spoo]

My RPG back log has gotten out of control. I have a few days free what RPG should I take a stab at?

Lost Odyssey
Star Ocean 4
Mass Effect
Enchanted Arms
Star Wars KotOR
Fable 1
Eternal Sonata
Infinite Undiscovery

[Magus8472]

LO and KOTOR are the best of those. Depends on whether you want a JRPG or a western one.

[spoo]

LO and KOTOR are the best of those. Depends on whether you want a JRPG or a western one.

Thanks for the feedback, I was leaning towards LO especially since I absolutely loved Blue Dragon.

[willardhaven]

I think Eternal Sonata is fun, Infinite Discovery is not a very polished game, but it is kind of fun despite that.

[LostRoad]

Not a bad review at all Rod. I think the story section could be flushed out a little more, but after that everything flowed really well.

Will you be doing more reviews in the future?

[Rei no Otaku]

My RPG back log has gotten out of control. I have a few days free what RPG should I take a stab at?

Lost Odyssey
Star Ocean 4
Mass Effect
Enchanted Arms
Star Wars KotOR
Fable 1
Eternal Sonata
Infinite Undiscovery
KOTOR, now!

[Rodimus]

Not a bad review at all Rod. I think the story section could be flushed out a little more, but after that everything flowed really well.

Will you be doing more reviews in the future?

Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it. I didn't want to reveal too much about the story for spoilers sake. But I'll go back and re-read it while taking your critiques into consideration.

As for more reviews I have a couple in mind. I was thinking Rocket Knight Adventures for the Genesis would be my next one. I just beat it for the first time a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it.

BTW the site belongs to Brian Moy, a fellow CAG. He's a really cool guy so I'm trying to help him out by contributing to his site. I might not be much of a writer but I had fun doing it :)

[62t]

Also, fireguardiancoty shared with us some very interesting information regarding Tales of Vesperia PS3. fireguardiancoty went to the recent Anime Fest in Dallas, Texas (Sept. 4-7), where Troy Baker, Yuri's English voice actor, was confirmed present as a guest. He was able to have a short word with Troy Baker regarding a localization for Tales of Vesperia PS3. Though he did not give an outright answer, he did mention that he and the other voice actors "were sent back to do recordings of new moves/artes".

http://www.abyssalchronicles.com/?fn_mode=comments&fn_id=355

Tales of Vesperia PS3? Tales of VS? Hopefully both

[blueshinra]

My RPG back log has gotten out of control. I have a few days free what RPG should I take a stab at?

Lost Odyssey
Star Ocean 4
Mass Effect
Enchanted Arms
Star Wars KotOR
Fable 1
Eternal Sonata
Infinite Undiscovery
If that's your entire "out of control" RPG backlog, then you don't want to see mine.

And sorry, I haven't played any of those (yet, at least in the case of Eternal Sonata) :/

[Poor2More]

Lost Odyssey is a very solid RPG, very good story to boot also

[Mr. Anderson]

Lost Oddyssey has some great graphics, voice acting, and a decent story, but it is very traditional. Just know that going in.

[Zmonkay]

I absolutely loved Lost Odyssey. It is indeed very traditional, but is an exceptional game. While I could go on about how amazing the graphics are, how fine tuned the gameplay is, etc, it was the flashback sequences that really sold it for me. The backstory "memories" you unlock throughout are some of the most beautiful and touching bits of storytelling I have ever seen. The combination of the minimalistic, but thematic backgrounds, haunting music, and superb writing make these sections alone worth the playthrough imho.

Actually, I feel this style of storytelling could be great for digital novels as well. Almost like how some graphic novels were recently "redone". The minor animations/thematic backgrounds and the music and sound effects while you read really helped set the mood for them.

I remember reading a while ago that the author of those flashbacks wrote some more and published them as a book. I wonder if that was translated.

[Rodimus]

Lost Odessy was great. There were a couple things I disliked but overall it was a great JRPG. I like that it was fairly traditional at its core yet wasn't riddled with cliche's like most JRPGs.

[willardhaven]

I thought Lost Odyssey was generic and outdated, but to each his own.

[Rodimus]

If I were to play a Phantasy Star game (from the original 1-4) which one would you guys recommend? Since I have the Sonic Genesis Collection (which has them all) I'd like to try one out just for kicks.

[heavyd853]

If I were to play a Phantasy Star game (from the original 1-4) which one would you guys recommend? Since I have the Sonic Genesis Collection (which has them all) I'd like to try one out just for kicks.

I've played through most of 2 and 3, and they were pretty fun. This was a couple of years ago too.


I've heard good things about IV too, so I'd say any of them would be worth your time.

[ChibiJosh]

Phantasy Star 4

[Rodimus]

Thanks guys. And after checking some reviews most people seem to agree that IV is the best one. Guess it couldn't hurt to spend a couple hours testing the waters.

Out of curiosity is the main Phantasy Star series a continuous story, or is each game it's own seperate story?

[LostRoad]

If I were to play a Phantasy Star game (from the original 1-4) which one would you guys recommend? Since I have the Sonic Genesis Collection (which has them all) I'd like to try one out just for kicks.


Wait... you have never played any of them? Wtf ...

Phantasy Star 1 is short. It has a very simple game play and very classic plot. It did come out on the master system so a lot of the things it does, it was all very new at the time. This will be the shortest of the bunch but it start my life long love affair.

Phantasy Star 2 is the holy grail. I shit you not, it is some of the best shit you will every play RPG wise. The plot is very well flushed out, toons ( while not to much is told about them in the US versions ) are fun and still stand out to me. Oh and it started a trend with one of its main toons that still is done time and time again today with Nei. You also get a more in depth look on who and what Fals is from PSO/PSU which I know you played.Play this asap.

Phantasy Star 3 added a new twist to the series where you choose family lines and play though them each leading to a fight for the world, but how they get there and what happens is different for each path, making multiple plays a must.

Phantasy Star 4 goes back to the same set up that 2 had. This is really the game that leads into PSO. Very good cast, more flushed out than 2s, leading a stronger feel for each of them. With out giving away to any of the plot, shit is going to hell real fast. You have played PSO so you know the basics of what happened to lead up to that, this is the full story. Its a wonderful game it will suck you in and leave you wanting more.

Now yes I am a Phantasy Star fan boy, but once you play them you can see why without a doubt. People toss around classic way to much for games, but this is a series that laid down RPG elements that are still going strong today.

How the hell have you not played these Rod you poor poor man.

[willardhaven]

Didn't dig Phantasy Star on the Sega Collection for PS2.

[LostRoad]

Out of curiosity is the main Phantasy Star series a continuous story, or is each game it's own seperate story?


The first four games take place in the system Algol. It has four planets in the system ( Palma, Dezolis , Motavia , and Rykros ) Though out the first four you will go to each planet on your quest.

PSO is in a new solar system ( Ragol ) for reason you will find out. It is loosly based on the plot set up in the first four games and starts it own story arc.

PSU is in the solar system Gurhal. Once again following its own story arc.

There are a few spin offs that the US never got, and I have no idea if their are roms in English, but I know their are guides for English players.

Phantasy Star Gaiden was a game gear spin off of Phantasy Star 1 that has Alis in it with two new toons, this one leads up to the events in Phantasy Star two.

Phantasy Star Adventure is another game gear game that takes place the same time Phantasy Star two does, and really is its own stand alone quest.

Phantasy Star two Text Adventure was something that was put out on Segas Meganet, but also came out later on the Sega CD( the Sega CD version is the only way to play it now. ) This gives the back story to all the toons in Phantasy Star two, and tells you more about their past, traits, ticks and why they are where they are once you get to them in Phantasy Star two.

There is also the Phantasy Star Compendium that goes into a lot of little plot details from the first four games. You might be able to find this for a decent price if you wanted while in jpn, think I paid around $120 for mine in 96. There is also Phantasy Star Memorial Drama which I have never hunted down a copy. Has music and spoken part talking about more plots and its own little story at the end about the plot of Phantst Star two.

[kainzero]

PS needs a facelift. I kept trying to play PS2 but it's slooooooow and grindy (coming from a Dragon Quest fan!) and the dialogue was just awful because of translation.

I wanna check out the remakes but they're Japan only =(

[Zmonkay]

Anyone recommend Star Ocean: First Departure? I played through most of SO2 on PS1 a few years back, and enjoyed it, but don't remember much about it. I was thinking of picking it up on PSP, but am wondering if I should play First Departure first. Are the stories of the four games related, or are they more standalone ala FF series?

[Poor2More]

I just beat the first dungeon in Persona 4 (yukio shadow), damn it was pretty challenging boss fight with out Red Wall (Fire repelant) due to a fire weakness in Chie(sp?) but I heard its gets easier after the 1st dungeon..

[chibamm]

Anyone recommend Star Ocean: First Departure? I played through most of SO2 on PS1 a few years back, and enjoyed it, but don't remember much about it. I was thinking of picking it up on PSP, but am wondering if I should play First Departure first. Are the stories of the four games related, or are they more standalone ala FF series?


I had Star Ocean for PS but only played it very briefly. However, this week I finally dug into First Departure on the PSP after having it for 2-3 months. I'm about 3 hours into it, and I really like it. I'm not a huge fan of the actual battle system, but the skill system stuff is pretty neat. Plus, the story and dialogue seem to flow really well so far.

[spoo]

I was thinking of picking it up on PSP, but am wondering if I should play First Departure first. Are the stories of the four games related, or are they more standalone ala FF series?
The stories have nothing to do with each other.

[Chibi_Kaji]

I should play SO: First Departure sometime but my Portable RPG backlog has been building up(I have FF3-4, Chrono Trigger, Devil Survivor and a few random PSP RPGs) and I'm having trouble deciding what to play. I could probably play it along with SRW: OG Saga... But I might wait until after Persona.

[Rodimus]

Wait... you have never played any of them? Wtf ...

How the hell have you not played these Rod you poor poor man.

As a kid I didn't own a Genesis so there's a bunch of exclusive titles I never got around to. Not to mention as kid I disliked RPGs. It's something I feel into as I got older.

But you must've enjoyed the series since you seem to know a ton about it. Thanks for the synopsis.

[spoo]

I started playing KotOR on my 360 and it is bad. The music doesn't play most of the time, sound effects go out, frame rate issues and more. On top of that I bought the Prima guide for it some time ago for maps and side quest info and it has to be the worst RPG guide I have ever owned. The Maps don't have a legend or tell you starting/leaving points. The side quest info isn't detailed at all and doesn't tell you dark side/light side quests. I'm probably going to wait to finish KotOR when I can find a cheap Xbox1.

[kainzero]

The stories have nothing to do with each other.
Isn't Ronixis in both games?

They're not really related though.

[depascal22]

I started playing KotOR on my 360 and it is bad. The music doesn't play most of the time, sound effects go out, frame rate issues and more. On top of that I bought the Prima guide for it some time ago for maps and side quest info and it has to be the worst RPG guide I have ever owned. The Maps don't have a legend or tell you starting/leaving points. The side quest info isn't detailed at all and doesn't tell you dark side/light side quests. I'm probably going to wait to finish KotOR when I can find a cheap Xbox1.

Unfortunately, that seems to be the best we'll get when it comes to backwards compatibility.

Still playing Blue Dragon and it's not that bad. The storyline is borderline garbage but I'm liking the battle system enough to keep going.

[spoo]

Isn't Ronixis in both games?

They're not really related though.

I forgot about that, Ronyx is Claude's Father.

[Zmonkay]

thanks for all the input on SO. I think I'll hold off a bit. Scribblenauts comes out Tuesday, and Persona is coming soon too (idk release date)...

[depascal22]

Does the Special Edition of Tales of Vesperia come with a slip cover? I just got a copy on Goozex but I just got the steel book.

[LostRoad]

Does the Special Edition of Tales of Vesperia come with a slip cover? I just got a copy on Goozex but I just got the steel book.

Nope, but it should have the game disc, sound track, manual, a single peace of paper that has the soundtrack list and a download code.

[depascal22]

Nope, but it should have the game disc, sound track, manual, a single peace of paper that has the soundtrack list and a download code.

Thanks. I still think I'm returning it to the sender since the game disc is scratched and has a rather large something on it. Also, it froze the first time I played it.

[blueshinra]

A "rather large something"? I don't wanna know...

Anyway, speaking of Tales, I'd been away from Tales of Legendia for a while and finally got back to it this week (after replaying some old save files for the cutscenes/to refresh my memory). It's all right, if a little easy, but a certain couple of bosses I beat last night were surprisingly tough.

I don't know what I'll play after this one. I've been itching for some Harvest Moon and want to get Rune Factory Frontier, but my backlog needs slimming down first. Really enjoyed Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2 (which I played over the summer), so maybe some more SMT is in the immediate future...

[chibamm]

I don't know what I'll play after this one. I've been itching for some Harvest Moon and want to get Rune Factory Frontier, but my backlog needs slimming down first. Really enjoyed Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2 (which I played over the summer), so maybe some more SMT is in the immediate future...


Just start playing Persona PSP at release like the rest of us :)

[blueshinra]

Just start playing Persona PSP at release like the rest of us :)
I don't have a PSP, and like I said, shouldn't buy anything new right now due to the ol' backlog's size :-P

[DQT]

I don't know what I'll play after this one. I've been itching for some Harvest Moon and want to get Rune Factory Frontier, but my backlog needs slimming down first. Really enjoyed Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2 (which I played over the summer), so maybe some more SMT is in the immediate future...

Normally I'd say play what you want, but Harvest Moon games have that problem of not ending.

[Rodimus]

I'm trying to play Tales of the Abyss but I can't seem to play for more than 30 minutes without getting bored. I just got the flying ship (Alibos or something) and I'm losing interest in it. The battles have absolutly no challenge and I haven't level grinded at all. Plus the only two characters I enjoy using are Luke & Guy, and they both play very similar. Jade is probably the only character I find interesting story-wise. Maybe I'm getting burnt out and just need to come back to it later.

BTW, is that Mark Hamil doing the voice for Dist? It sounds very similar to the Joker.

[Zmonkay]

Yeah, I tend to get like that at about the halfway point of most RPGs, when you get an airship or what have you and can freely explore. The game seems to suddenly lose focus. IDK, mebbe I'm strange, but I actually like the RPGs that linearly push you along to keep the story rolling, but give you the option to go back to places (ala FFX) for optional sidequests.


And no, it's not Mark Hamill, it's the guy that did Loyd in Code Geass and Lezard in Valkyrie Profile 2 (LOVE THAT GAME!!!). Liam O'brien. He's done a ton of stuff according to IMDB, but these two are use practically the same voice as he did for Dist.

And second the love for Jade. Best character in the game imho.

[blueshinra]

Normally I'd say play what you want, but Harvest Moon games have that problem of not ending.
The Rune Factory games on the DS (and, I'm assuming, the one on the Wii) do have endings, as does the SNES original. Don't know about the others *shrug*

Harvest Moon 64 showing up on Virtual Console come Monday would so make my day right now...

[Chibi_Kaji]

I can never make it past the first winter in Harvest Moon games... It just gets boring since the only way I know how to make money is go into the cave all day and mine for crap.

[chibamm]

What SMT games do you have left to finish?

[blueshinra]

What SMT games do you have left to finish?
Nocturne, Persona 3 FES, and Persona 4 are the ones in my backlog I've yet to play. If I do go with a SMT game after I'm done with Legendia, it will be Nocturne (I've heard Persona 3 and 4 are really good, but I'd rather save the best for last).

[kainzero]

I haven't heard any buzz at all for FF4 After Years. I downloaded the first part and it seems pretty fun, just wish you had a better variety of people for it, good stuff for people who were raised on FF4 but if you're expecting something deep I'd look elsewhere.

I'll probably download the rest later.

[LostRoad]

I haven't heard any buzz at all for FF4 After Years. I downloaded the first part and it seems pretty fun, just wish you had a better variety of people for it, good stuff for people who were raised on FF4 but if you're expecting something deep I'd look elsewhere.

I'll probably download the rest later.

There was a little talk about it when it came out but died off pretty quick. Like you said its really fan fair for people in our age group. You will get more people in different side stories, some are pretty cool some are spoony bards.

[Flak]

Yeah, I tend to get like that at about the halfway point of most RPGs, when you get an airship or what have you and can freely explore. The game seems to suddenly lose focus. IDK, mebbe I'm strange, but I actually like the RPGs that linearly push you along to keep the story rolling, but give you the option to go back to places (ala FFX) for optional sidequests.
I'm with you on that. Either give me that freedom from the get-go, or give me it later once I've enjoyed most of the story.

[kainzero]

I can never make it past the first winter in Harvest Moon games... It just gets boring since the only way I know how to make money is go into the cave all day and mine for crap.
Actually I like Winter, because that's when I get to mess around the most and not have to work on crops.

When Spring rolls around, then I'm reminded of how much hard work I have to do, and I stop playing =)

[kainzero]

Since I finished Vesperia the other day I was thinking about playing through Symphonia again.

Holy crap that game is STILL expensive

[willardhaven]

Ever since I played Abyss and Vesperia, I've had a hard time going back to Symphonia.

[Cheska19]

Holy crap, how do you guys manage to finish all these RPG's? I'm honestly so lost in my backloggery of RPG's it's not even funny. I was a full time night student, but Im done with school now, so I'm working full time. But that still barely leaves me with a few hours each night to do stuff. These are all the RPG's I have yet to either play or finish.

:ps3:
Eternal Sonata: I started this in like June, still only in Chapter 3.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2: Got this on Friday, finally got to the part where you pick a side and I'm now 14% done with the game.

:ps2:
Persona 3 FES: I've been playing this one since December of 08, and I'm only about 30 hours into the game.
Persona 4: Haven't even started.
Nocturne: Just bought it this month for $30 new.
Tales of the Abyss: Haven't even started.
Disgaea Hour of Darkness: Haven't even started.
Rogue Galaxy: Haven't even started.
FFXII: Stopped playing years ago, but I still want to go back and finish.

:ds:
Chrono Trigger: Less than 5 hours into the game.
The World Ends with You: Still playing with Joshua.
SMT: Devil Survivor: Haven't even started.

:360:
Tales of Vesperia LE: Haven't even started.

My problem is I have a very hard time sticking with RPG's lately, I jump back and forth so often, and I impulsively buy games when I see them, knowing their rare or a good find. Not to mention I've been trying to get into fighting games, so I've been playing BlazBlue, SFIV, and MvC2 as well. PLUS, this fall is going to be major for me, with the release of some highly anticipated game. I have absolutely no idea how I'm ever going to catch up, or enjoy some of these gems I have. A big part of me also wants to go back and replay FF6-10, and all the KH games so I can introduce my boyfriend to what started my love for RPG's.

How do you guys do it? Any suggestions?

[Chibi_Kaji]

I'd like to get back to Abyss one day. I just stopped playing for now real reason one day. I can't be that far away from finishing the game...

[depascal22]

I think most of us finished alot of these RPGs when we were in high school, college, or when we were looking for a job. I took advantage of unemployment this summer and finished Nocturne.

Pick one game and play through until completion or until you're completely bored with it. It sounds simple but like you said, it's really easy to go about halfway and then jump into another one. If a game isn't holding your interest, don't feel like you have to finish it. You don't owe it to anyone to play games you don't really like with such limited time.

[kainzero]

How do you guys do it? Any suggestions?
Take one game and play it until you beat it, don't play anything else. It's the only way.

The more time you spend away from it, the less you'll remember the story and you'll hardly be motivated to play. Don't start other RPGs either, just focus on ONE.

That's only if you want to get rid of it.
On the other hand, you could, y'know, stop buying games you don't play...

[depascal22]

I agree with kainzero. Don't buy games you're not going to play sometime in the near future, especially RPGs.

As much as it seems like games are rare, they're super easy to pick up here, on Goozex, and on GameTZ.

[willardhaven]

I agree with kainzero. Don't buy games you're not going to play sometime in the near future, especially RPGs.

As much as it seems like games are rare, they're super easy to pick up here, on Goozex, and on GameTZ.

Not in some cases. I picked up Tales of the Abyss sealed for 29.99, Nocturne for 30 and change around its time of release and Devil Summoner for around 30 sealed as well. If you care about getting a new copy, you should try to find a good deal ASAP.

[depascal22]

But you just contradicted yourself with Nocturne though. It was released in October of 2004 and you could still pick up new copies (albeit reprints without the soundtrack) earlier this year.

Also, I picked up copies of Tales of the Abyss for $20 long after it was released.

The only thing I would say pick up right away are the Limited Editions like Tales of Vesperia. Even then, they're available on Goozex and I'd have a copy right now if the guy hadn't skeeted on the disc.

[Cheska19]

I think that's my biggest issue, is Im buying more games than I can handle at the moment. And the whole losing interest thing is too true. I mean I was so involved in Persona 3, loved the game, got stuck on a boss for days, dropped it and now I have a hard time keeping my interested in it, even after I beat that boss. I think it's also the fact that I don't have hours upon hours to spend on games anymore, so I try to beat the shorter games first.

[Chibi_Kaji]

I found my copy of Abyss. SO now all I need to do is find the memory card with the save file on it.

Ever since I played Abyss and Vesperia, I've had a hard time going back to Symphonia.
Yeah, the Battle camera is what really give me a problem. It's zoomed in too much

[willardhaven]

Well Nocturne was out of print for a couple of years, nobody thought it would be reprinted. Plus I have a nice original copy with a soundtrack for the same price as a cheaper copy without one.

[depascal22]

I got ya. I thought you were saying you bought a new copy of the reprint.

[MMORGHunter]

Have u ever played Breath Of Fire III or IV?

[JEKKI]

lol. Alundra.

Okay, found it. This is the puzzle where you have to stand on Meia's head and let her carry you across a gap.

Here's the part where she's carrying you:

http://www.gaijinworks.com/hotlinked/head_rider1.jpg

And this is what she originally said when she dropped you off on the other side:

http://www.gaijinworks.com/hotlinked/head_rider2.jpg

We literally got calls from almost all the reviewers cracking up and saying "are you REALLY shipping with that in?" I was happy because I knew they actually were PLAYING the game they were reviewing to the end (becoming a rarity, even back then). We intended to leave it, but SCEA made us take it out. Only time that ever happened (besides the other exchange in this same game that was axed at the same time).

[Zmonkay]

The more time you spend away from it, the less you'll remember the story and you'll hardly be motivated to play. Don't start other RPGs either, just focus on ONE.

This. I've started played through the first 20 or so hours of more than one RPG two or three times, because I get distracted and stop playing them, and when I decide to continue, have no idea what's going on. Never finished Golden Sun 2 because I stopped shortly after getting the ship, and when I got back, I had NO fucking clue where I was supposed to go.

[Rodimus]

I'll be in Tokyo by Thursday. Gonna be there for almost a month, Got a couple DS RPGs to entertain me while on the 13 hour flight. So I picked up SMT: Devil Suvivior & Valkyrie Profile. Picked up VP pretty cheap for $15.

[depascal22]

Have fun in Tokyo, buddy. Make sure to pick up at least one crazy thing that you'd never find here in the states. I vote for bread in a can or Waku Waku 7.

[kainzero]

I think that's my biggest issue, is Im buying more games than I can handle at the moment. And the whole losing interest thing is too true. I mean I was so involved in Persona 3, loved the game, got stuck on a boss for days, dropped it and now I have a hard time keeping my interested in it, even after I beat that boss. I think it's also the fact that I don't have hours upon hours to spend on games anymore, so I try to beat the shorter games first.
If you're playing a game just to beat it and brag to your friends, then just bite your lip and get through the tough part ASAP.

If you're playing just to finish the story, go ahead and use a guide, especially for ways to make the battles easier.

But ultimately try not to stop, because it's really hard to restart and even when you do, you get confused to the point where you might as well start over.

[Rodimus]

Have fun in Tokyo, buddy. Make sure to pick up at least one crazy thing that you'd never find here in the states. I vote for bread in a can or Waku Waku 7.

Thanks, I plan on looking for a copy of Waku Waku 7. Sorry I never lived up to my promise of trying to find you a copy.

Japan is full of wierd stuff. On my last trip I bought a condom shaped like Pikachu.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c396/Zangeif123/P1000276.jpg

[blueshinra]

Have fun on your trip, Rodimus :)

Actually I like Winter, because that's when I get to mess around the most and not have to work on crops.

When Spring rolls around, then I'm reminded of how much hard work I have to do, and I stop playing =)
As there's no crops to grow, winter's the best time for maxing out wood supplies and hitting on girls in Harvest Moon games; I hardly ever do either during the other seasons.

I tend to like games with micromanagement, so Harvest Moon rarely gets boring :)

Take one game and play it until you beat it, don't play anything else. It's the only way.

The more time you spend away from it, the less you'll remember the story and you'll hardly be motivated to play. Don't start other RPGs either, just focus on ONE.
Agreed. However, having recently got back to Tales of Legendia after being away from it for weeks, I found the in-game synopsis and replaying a few old saves for the cutscenes to be quite handy; helped get me sucked right back in.

Also, sometimes I'll play two RPGs at a time, depending on how simple or complex said RPGs stories are, but that's only when I have the time to do so. It's much easier to do this with older (16-bit era) RPGs and ones that I've played before, though.

[Chibi_Kaji]

As there's no crops to grow, winter's the best time for maxing out wood supplies and hitting on girls in Harvest Moon games; I hardly ever do either during the other seasons.
The problem for me is that I'm ready to marry a girl so now I need to buy stuff for my house... So I kind of need cash.

Also, sometimes I'll play two RPGs at a time, depending on how simple or complex said RPGs stories are, but that's only when I have the time to do so. It's much easier to do this with older (16-bit era) RPGs and ones that I've played before, though.
I tend to that sometimes as well with RPGs I kind of like.

[kainzero]

As there's no crops to grow, winter's the best time for maxing out wood supplies and hitting on girls in Harvest Moon games; I hardly ever do either during the other seasons.

I tend to like games with micromanagement, so Harvest Moon rarely gets boring :)
Speaking of Harvest Moon, are any of the new versions any good?

I enjoyed the first SNES version when it came out, and I generally think the N64/PSX/GBA versions are the best. A Wonderful Life was terrible and I wasn't too big a fan of Magical Melody, I felt like I got tired way too fast and thought it was more tedious than usual to prepare sashimi every day.

I did like RF1 but never finished it, never tried RF2, and really disliked touch controls for Island of Happiness, which sucks because it seemed like an interesting game otherwise. What else is new on the Harvest Moon front?

Also, sometimes I'll play two RPGs at a time, depending on how simple or complex said RPGs stories are, but that's only when I have the time to do so. It's much easier to do this with older (16-bit era) RPGs and ones that I've played before, though.
I used to be able to do that in my HS + College days. I actually played FF X and DW7 concurrently. But nowadays, that's nearly impossible. Plus if you play a competitive game or one with long learning curve (like, say, fighting games or multiplayer FPS) it really bites into your gaming time.

[Rei no Otaku]

I'm wondering the same thing about Harvest Moon. The last one I liked was on the PS1. I tried Rune Factory, but couldn't get into that at all.

[depascal22]

Luckily, dv8mad hooked me up with a mint copy of Waku Waku 7. All it took was a couple Blu-Rays. Probably my best trade on this site.

[EXStrike]

http://i.neoseeker.com/gg/uploads/news/9-2009/news_img_25159_0.jpg

via Wii @ Everyday

[blueshinra]

kainzero: TBH, the only new Harvest Moons I'm into these days are the Rune Factory games. The second one is very good and for me was better than the first in that all of the big seasonal dungeons are accessible from the beginning (though there's still areas within them that have to be unlocked), so you don't have to wait for approval from the mayor.

I almost picked up Innocent Life, but heard it wasn't very good.

EXStrike: Damn, Squeenix loves their "International" editions. So that's the long rumored PS3 version, eh?

[Chibi_Kaji]

Apparently one of the characters in Nier Replicant is a hermaphrodite (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3176042).

[kainzero]

I'm wondering the same thing about Harvest Moon. The last one I liked was on the PS1. I tried Rune Factory, but couldn't get into that at all.
RF was really hard to get into. Then when you figure it out in the midgame it gets pretty fun, but then at the endgame it gets repetitive. Kinda funny how it all works out.

[Reichan]

WAKU WAKU 7 OMG that was way way way back, im playing it on arcade i guess its been 7 or 8+ years since i last played it, havent defeated the last boss in 1 token.