RPG Thread XV Will Hunt and Kill His Brothers and Absorb Their Essence

Status
Not open for further replies.
[quote name='panzerfaust']You need a podcast[/QUOTE]
The ability to listen to myself talk about bullshit whenever I wanted would do horrible things to my productivity.
 
[quote name='whoknows']I agree

What was the plot twist? I've never played it
[/QUOTE]
In the game you don't play as the main character technically. You play as a spirit that inhabits his body. Late in the game you learn that the main character is a traitor and he has been lying to you the entire game. Very unexpected.
[quote name='voltanis99']Looks like Tales of Xillia is coming to NA and EU woot

http://www.gametrailers.com/side-mission/2012/03/27/tales-of-xillia-gets-u-s-trademark/[/QUOTE]
Chrono Break... :(
[quote name='The Crotch']Jesus fucking fuck did he ever go with a dumb scene for "It's so emotional, guys!".
The kid was stupid and his repeated appearances god damn irritating. Unless you're unfortunate enough to have a kid that resembles that little bastard, I have no idea how anyone could give anything resembling a shit about him.
[/QUOTE]

[quote name='Rodimus']I don't like seeing or hearing stories about children getting hurt either.... in real life. I'll admit the scene was sad, but I wasn't anywhere close to shedding a tear.
And yeah, those dream sequenaces were annoying and out of place.
[/QUOTE]

[quote name='The Crotch']My specific problems were two:

First, this is the only child model in the game. It is alien. It is an other. It arouses our suspicion. You see it and you think, "Okay, something is off right now." And perhaps someone could manipulate this suspicion to do something really cool. But they didn't try to manipulate your suspicion, they tried to smash through it. I said to them, "Okay, this is the one and only time a child has been depicted in 70+ hours of gameplay, and I probably won't see another one in the next ~35. You're probably going to use him to hammer home some point or another, but that doesn't work if I'm expecting it." And they said, "fuck you The Crotch, fuck you personally, here's a hammer."

Second, yeah, the fucking dream sequences. Like, losing your entire family in a slaver raid? Being the sole survivor of a thresher maw attack? Ordering soldiers to their deaths? Watching helpless - but very much awake and aware - prisoners (which may or may not be your crew) get their flesh and bones slowly melted? Dying?

No big thang.

A kid dying (though you don't actually see him or his body; you merely know that he died)?

Recurring nightmares everywhere in this bitch.

The indoctrination hypothesis accounts for it fairly well, at least. Though it has some other problems...

EDIT: Oh, and fuck running in slow-mo. I was expecting someone to start yelling, "Max? Max!"[/QUOTE]
As has been mentioned, the indoctrination theory kind of answers all the questions about the kid. The fact that no one else sees him, you seem him run into a locked door, when Anderson calls to Shepard distracting her from trying to help the kid you hear a Reaper "scream", no one helps the kid into the shuttle right before he dies. There's just way too much evidence for it to be anything except indoctrination.
 
[quote name='Rei no Otaku']
As has been mentioned, the indoctrination theory kind of answers all the questions about the kid. The fact that no one else sees him, you seem him run into a locked door, when Anderson calls to Shepard distracting her from trying to help the kid you hear a Reaper "scream", no one helps the kid into the shuttle right before he dies. There's just way too much evidence for it to be anything except indoctrination.
[/QUOTE]
It's a strong hypothesis, though there are definitely parts of the game that contradict it. However, its truth creates fewer plot holes and inconsistencies than its falsehood, which is a major point in its favour. It's a net positive for the writing overall, if it really is true.

But it also means that we're probably on the shit end of a horrible fucking business decision, where the ending was specifically cut with the intention of selling it later as DLC.

Not like the game didn't end with a "Buy the DLC!" hook already.
 
Finally beat the future arc boss. What a FPITA. Got it to the final 6% hp 3 times, and 50% 2 other times.

By end game, apparently you're barely high enough to really beat it...
 
[quote name='whoknows']I agree

What was the plot twist? I've never played it
[/QUOTE]

Agreed. Interesting "card" battle system too.

The plot twist was
The main character (you) betray the party mid-way through the game. The MC does some forth wall breaking too. It works better if you named your "spirit guide" after yourself
 
[quote name='Draekon']No stupid Vesperia side quest bullshit to put up with (game has side quests, but it's far easier to manage). Can miss stuff of course, but everything is logged far better and you have time to complete most things.
[/QUOTE]

Thank God for this. Vesperia was sooooo fucking annoying in this aspect. I literally played with gamefaqs open on my laptop, cuz who the hell knows when you may need to go back to the 2nd town in the game and talk to a random person that happens to be there for the next 5 minutes, and then disappears forever... fuck that game's sidequest system.
 
[quote name='elessar123']Finally beat the future arc boss. What a FPITA. Got it to the final 6% hp 3 times, and 50% 2 other times.

By end game, apparently you're barely high enough to really beat it...[/QUOTE]

Yeah, the boss was at very low health for like 5 minutes before I said fuck it and chained like 3 hourglass back to back to finish the boss off at the end.

Now for you to load that post-game save (the future arc post-game save) and try out the optional dungeon! :lol:
 
[quote name='pete5883']How come no one is talking about Ys: Oath in Felghana??? So good.[/QUOTE]

Probably because most of us already played, raged about it and beat it when it released on the PSP. I bought the PC version on Steam when it came out to help support XSeed, however I won't be touching it for some time since I beat it already.
 
[quote name='pete5883']How come no one is talking about Ys: Oath in Felghana??? So good.[/QUOTE]
I plan to get it at some point, since I love me some Ys, just not right now.
 
I started playing FFIV again.

I like that they tell me good night when I rest at the INN. I do that every night before I go to sleep so someone tells me good night.
 
[quote name='Draekon']Now for you to load that post-game save (the future arc post-game save) and try out the optional dungeon! :lol:[/QUOTE]

Lol I tried the optional dungeon. Died after warping, but I was tired and wasn't really into it.

Might do dungeons 1 and 4, get the 999 grade, and call it good for now. Then clear some DVR space, try Gal Gun, before doing NG+.
 
Started Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja today. It's good! However, it's somewhat on the easy side for a roguelike/mystery dungeon game, as whenever you die, you keep your levels. I can live with that, though.

Anyway, after the letdown of Baroque, it's nice to playing an real enjoyable roguelike again.
 
[quote name='pete5883']How come no one is talking about Ys: Oath in Felghana??? So good.[/QUOTE]
i played it when it was called Ys 3!

(i didn't beat oath though. i forgot which boss i stopped at. i think it was the snow boss.)

[quote name='Dr Mario Kart']What was wrong with Baroque?[/quote]
it's Baroquen!

*rimshot*
 
What do you all think of White Knight Chronicles II? I am thinking of picking it up when it hits $20 and wanted to hear some opinions from here since I like similar games to you guys.
 
[quote name='momouchi']What do you all think of White Knight Chronicles II? I am thinking of picking it up when it hits $20 and wanted to hear some opinions from here since I like similar games to you guys.[/QUOTE]

It's so-so. I played the first one (which is on the disc of 2) and it's decent fun, though the battle interface is pretty hit or miss and the combat is somewhat simplistic. The menu and progression system are also both pretty cumbersome. I only got 4 or 5 hours into the second game, but it's a direct sequel so you might be pretty lost if you don't play the original first.

Objectively it's not that great, but something about it was charming enough for me to finish the first one before kind of petering out on the second.
 
[quote name='kainzero']it's Baroquen!

*rimshot*[/QUOTE]
Damn, wish I'd thought of that :lol:

One thing I forgot to mention about Izuna last night: you not only keep your levels, but you don't have to eat-- there's a bar that depletes for special attacks, but there isn't one for hunger. So yeah, on the easy side.
 
[quote name='bvharris']It's so-so. I played the first one (which is on the disc of 2) and it's decent fun, though the battle interface is pretty hit or miss and the combat is somewhat simplistic. The menu and progression system are also both pretty cumbersome. I only got 4 or 5 hours into the second game, but it's a direct sequel so you might be pretty lost if you don't play the original first.

Objectively it's not that great, but something about it was charming enough for me to finish the first one before kind of petering out on the second.[/QUOTE]

My understanding is that the WKC2 includes the first game on disk, so it being a followup shouldn't disuade you from buying it.

Personally, I'm debating it myself, but my backlog of RPGs is huge and not sure that putting another OK RPG on the stack is all that smart.
 
[quote name='TheLongshot']My understanding is that the WKC2 includes the first game on disk, so it being a followup shouldn't disuade you from buying it.
[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I mentioned that. The first one is also better in my opinion (based on what I've heard and also what I've played of 2 so far).

Bottom line is that it's not a terrible game by any means (Level-5 is a great dev after all), but I certainly wouldn't give it a full recommendation over other RPGs.
 
[quote name='panzerfaust']you guys got backlogs and consider getting games like WKC? c'mon, we can do better than this.[/QUOTE]

It is the CAG disease, combined with GS gift cards burning a hole in my pocket.

In any case, I'm picking up my copy of Xenoblade Chronicles next week. That might solve some of that.
 
[quote name='TheLongshot']
In any case, I'm picking up my copy of Xenoblade Chronicles next week. That might solve some of that.[/QUOTE]

It should. Xenoblade is an infinitely better game.
 
[quote name='TheLongshot']In any case, I'm picking up my copy of Xenoblade Chronicles next week. That might solve some of that.[/QUOTE]

Forgot about that... Guess I won't do a NG+ on Graces f for awhile.
 
[quote name='momouchi']What do you all think of White Knight Chronicles II? I am thinking of picking it up when it hits $20 and wanted to hear some opinions from here since I like similar games to you guys.[/QUOTE]

if you are interested I will happily sell you my copy for 20 (with unused online pass). It had some neat ideas, but wasn't my cup of tea. Which is too bad, really, because I generally love Level 5's stuff.
 
[quote name='kainzero']i played it when it was called Ys 3!

(i didn't beat oath though. i forgot which boss i stopped at. i think it was the snow boss.)

[/QUOTE]

Ys 3> Oath, unless of course you enjoy poorly done character development then reverse.
 
[quote name='Draekon']

Collector/crafting/side stuff shit is good. No stupid Vesperia side quest bullshit to put up with (game has side quests, but it's far easier to manage). Can miss stuff of course, but everything is logged far better and you have time to complete most things.
[/QUOTE]

I must have spent about 5 hours last night dicking around and doing side quests and other stuff before heading to the final dungeon/boss. I have all the unique armors for each character and I got a bunch of the costumes. So much easier.

So, for the future part, is there something specific you have to do, or does it just automatically open up after you finish the main quest?
 
[quote name='jello44']So, for the future part, is there something specific you have to do, or does it just automatically open up after you finish the main quest?[/QUOTE]

You save to a new slot, and you go to the new menu item. After you beat future arc, you save, abcs you're back to right before the last boss of main quest.

I have 2054 grade for NG+. Debating on whether I need more.

Played around with Hard, and it actually wasn't very.
 
[quote name='momouchi']What do you all think of White Knight Chronicles II? I am thinking of picking it up when it hits $20 and wanted to hear some opinions from here since I like similar games to you guys.[/QUOTE]

As bvharris said it was okay. The plot was mostly decent, though kinda cartoony if you ask me. The battle system was actually kinda fun, but it is easy to be turned off to it considering the sheer amount of menus and submenus there were. Also online is probably dead, so, if the story interests you go for it. You will need it to get through the slog of learning the menus.
 
Can one of you fine gents give me an estimate on how many hours of main story I've got left in Tales of Graces F:
I just finished the humanoid research facility on Fodra, about to head to the military base.
 
[quote name='bvharris']Can one of you fine gents give me an estimate on how many hours of main story I've got left in Tales of Graces F:
I just finished the humanoid research facility on Fodra, about to head to the military base.
[/QUOTE]

15 hours, I think.
 
[quote name='The Crotch']Blueshinra, you should check out the new LP of Koudelka. It's... surprisingly awesome.[/QUOTE]
Hmm, not big on video LPs, but I'll check this one out. Thanks for the rec!

I want to start reading the LP for A Blurred Line. Tried the Skies of Arcadia one that went up not too long ago, but that one's pretty bog-standard (well put-together from what I've seen, though).
 
To clarify, the LP is pretty standard. Goes a bit in to mechanics, but with such a short game, there's not much that you can do. But the cutscenes themselves were way better than I expected from a PS1 game with full voicework. I was aware of its sequels before, and they certainly looked interesting, but I genuinely want to play them now. The non-From the New World ones, at least.
 
Ahh, okay. I'll still check it out.

I remember my husband renting one of the Shadow Hearts games awhile back and he found it neat, but not neat enough to stick with until the end. Don't have any opinions one way or the other about them, myself.
 
I need to stop with these WRPGs, they are far too time consuming. Finished playing through Skyrim twice and now I'm in the middle of my first FO:NV run. Good thing college work has been light or I would never get through these.
 
The setting for FNV was so appealing to me that it temporarily changed how I play RPGs. Usually I'm focused on the narrative, and though I like to be thorough in exploring, eventually I'll push along to find out what's next. FNV's the first time I just walked one corner of the map to the other for the hell of it.

It took me forever to finish the damn game. That's due partially to the lousy narrative shoehorning in the last half, but mostly it's the Boy and His Dog/Mad Max/old west setting. Once I upgrade the rig, I'm planning on revisiting FNV with the high filootin mods installed on full settings. I'll even install the patch I avoided, the one that supposedly nerfs sniper rifles. It's gonna hurt to see the Gobi's DPS drop off, but maybe they made energy weapons viable. I'll have to read up.
 
Wanted to update you fine folks on the assistance you provided. My buddy and I ended up going with Final FantasyXIII, like I said, he was leaning pretty hard that way anyway. And as I said, its been so long since we looked at a final fantasy that its just an rpg to us. Any differences between it and recent FFs is lost on me.

The main thing that I don't like, and its petty, is simply the character art. I knew that it would be a problem and its one of the big reasons I've moved away from JRPGs over the years. I'm not into anime or anything, and the characters are always just so over the top looking. But I'm 10 hours in and getting over it as I get more attached to their personalities.

Story is very neat, liking that. Combat was strange but its growing on me. Honestly, it still feels sort of turn based but its almost, I don't know, extreme turn based I guess. Feels kind of hectic on occassion. But I'm enjoying it. The linearity isn't a big problem so far because for whatever reason I've always associated JRPGs with being pretty linear. Its certainly a bit more boxed in here at the beginning, but that's fine for now.

I've enjoyed it enough that I'm very tempted by the Best Buy sale+coupon deal on FFXIII-2 for 15 bucks! Thanks again folks!
 
Might as well go grab it for $15 while you can.

Also you're right, RPG's are usually linear...they just trick you into thinking otherwise.
 
[quote name='whoknows']Might as well go grab it for $15 while you can.

Also you're right, RPG's are usually linear...they just trick you into thinking otherwise.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, the illusion is what really matters. I've always associated JRPGs with very strong but very linear stories. That could be complete rubbish because like I mentioned I haven't played a JRPG in a very long time. (Actually I got to thinking and I did play Suikoden on DS a few years ago, so its not been as long as I thought at first).

Then some of the western titles feel less linear. The problem is that the sandboxy ones seem to sacrifice great story for the freedom. Its largely why BioWare has been my favorite for so long. For my personal tastes, they've kind of perfected the illusion. The linearity is well disguised with the decision making but the lack of a true sandbox gives them the narrative control to construct finer stories, like the JRPGs. Masters of Illusion. Again, for my tastes of course.
 
So Arcanum is three dollars at gog.com...

EDIT: Also on sale is Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption, Bloodline's big brother. Whereas Bloodlines was a buggy, awkward mess that somehow managed to be really fun and replayable, Redemption is just a regular old mess. It's got a really interesting premise and it does a few neat things, but... bad controls, bad AI, bad camera, bad voice acting...

If you're really interested, just check out the LP.

Speaking of which. Blueshinra, since we're both LP fans, do you have any recommendations? I mean, "anything by The Dark Id" is pretty obvious, but beyond that? Can be screenshot or video, though I usually prefer screenshot.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='The Crotch']So Arcanum is three dollars at gog.com...

EDIT: Also on sale is Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption, Bloodline's big brother. Whereas Bloodlines was a buggy, awkward mess that somehow managed to be really fun and replayable, Redemption is just a regular old mess. It's got a really interesting premise and it does a few neat things, but... bad controls, bad AI, bad camera, bad voice acting...

If you're really interested, just check out the LP.

Speaking of which. Blueshinra, since we're both LP fans, do you have any recommendations? I mean, "anything by The Dark Id" is pretty obvious, but beyond that? Can be screenshot or video, though I usually prefer screenshot.[/QUOTE]
I love LPs and watch a ton of them. Any types of games you enjoy watching LPs of? I can give some recommendations.
 
[quote name='Rei no Otaku']I love LPs and watch a ton of them. Any types of games you enjoy watching LPs of? I can give some recommendations.[/QUOTE]
It's less "type of game" and more "type of LPer" for me. A semi-complete list of stuff I've enjoyed...

Screenshot: Anything by The Dark Id (Resident Evils, Cavia games, Dirge of Cerberus... guy specializes in games that look promising but are repetitive and/or mind-boggling dumb). GuavaMoment's X-Com LPs were really good, too. I liked Mr. Swoon's Monster Rancher series. Lt. Danger did a good job of making Neverwinter Nights 2 look enjoyable, and Scorchy's KotOR 2 was great. I prefer narrative LPs whenever possible, but I'm not too picky.

Video: I don't know if I've ever made it through an entire video LP of subtitled commentary. And the only solo video LP that I watched in its entirety was Research Indicates' "Jurassic Park Trespasser", which was as much because of his enthralling voice as it was the sheer god damn lunacy of the game. Chip and Ironicus (or Chip and Void; they have really good chemistry) are pretty much the standard by which I judge all video LPs. Pokecapn and his group are great (I've got a huge soft-spot for Medibot); they made fucking Mario Party and Sonic 2006 interesting. Diabetus' voice gets on my nerves a bit, but him and Slowbeef are always solid together. Proteus and Suspicious' run through Daikatana was pretty good, though Proteus got on my nerves a few times and Suspicious' other stuff never held my interest. I'm about 70% through cKnoor and EthanSteele's Blood Bowl right now (not a big Warhammer guy, but an old roommate of mine had the Xbox version, so I've a passing familiarity with the game, and I wanted to see how it was played by someone who actually knew how to play), and it's pretty good.
 
[quote name='The Crotch']It's less "type of game" and more "type of LPer" for me. A semi-complete list of stuff I've enjoyed...

Screenshot: Anything by The Dark Id (Resident Evils, Cavia games, Dirge of Cerberus... guy specializes in games that look promising but are repetitive and/or mind-boggling dumb). GuavaMoment's X-Com LPs were really good, too. I liked Mr. Swoon's Monster Rancher series. Lt. Danger did a good job of making Neverwinter Nights 2 look enjoyable, and Scorchy's KotOR 2 was great. I prefer narrative LPs whenever possible, but I'm not too picky.

Video: I don't know if I've ever made it through an entire video LP of subtitled commentary. And the only solo video LP that I watched in its entirety was Research Indicates' "Jurassic Park Trespasser", which was as much because of his enthralling voice as it was the sheer god damn lunacy of the game. Chip and Ironicus (or Chip and Void; they have really good chemistry) are pretty much the standard by which I judge all video LPs. Pokecapn and his group are great (I've got a huge soft-spot for Medibot); they made fucking Mario Party and Sonic 2006 interesting. Diabetus' voice gets on my nerves a bit, but him and Slowbeef are always solid together. Proteus and Suspicious' run through Daikatana was pretty good, though Proteus got on my nerves a few times and Suspicious' other stuff never held my interest. I'm about 70% through cKnoor and EthanSteele's Blood Bowl right now (not a big Warhammer guy, but an old roommate of mine had the Xbox version, so I've a passing familiarity with the game, and I wanted to see how it was played by someone who actually knew how to play), and it's pretty good.[/QUOTE]
I love Dark Id's stuff.

I'll just list some of my favorites. They're going to be all video LPs:

supergreatfriend http://www.youtube.com/user/supergreatfriend
My favorite LPer. Anything of his is great, but I highly recommend his Illbleed and Deadly Premonition LPs.

Lord Vega http://www.youtube.com/user/L0rdVega
I enjoyed his Arcanum LP. I just like his dry sense of humor.

Shesellssheshells http://www.youtube.com/user/Shesellssheshells
AMAZING Silent Hill Homecoming LP. Probably the best use of Youtube annotation I've seen.

Proton Jon http://www.youtube.com/user/ProtonJonSA
Fantastic Superman 64 LP. Though he's taking his time putting it out.

helloitsdan and Lithuanian Dad http://v.lp.prinny.co.uk/mercenaries-2
By far the funniest LP I've seen.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
bread's done
Back
Top