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Post by Super Orbus on Feb 2, 2012 10:45:10 GMT -5
This game is some kind of anti-fun. I played for about 50 minutes, and by that point I couldn't wait to get to the savepoint so I could quit playing.
I'll try to keep slogging forward, but...
For a game that's all about chaining attacks, managing the risk gauge, and constructing weapons, it takes way too long to introduce those elements. The combat system is super boring when you keep having to open the menu to attack once.
From what I remember, this game was sort of Square's answer to Metal Gear Solid. It kind of shows in the atmosphere of the game, though obviously not in the gameplay.
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Post by Snarboo on Feb 2, 2012 13:26:37 GMT -5
I'm still trying to figure out what goes up and what goes down when you try to powerlevel a weapon or just use it - the manual doesn't really explain it well. There's an option to show weapon stats as you level them. Open the main menu with triangle, go under the options submenu, then look for something like "show weapon stats" and turn it on. The manual also explains more about which stats are leveled when attacking enemies. It can be very counter-intuitive, however. For example, if you're fighting a beast enemy, your beast affinity will go up and you will do more damage to beast type enemies. However, if the enemy is fire based, the weapon becomes less effective as you fight it. :/ I've just gotten past the minotaur and finally learned the most basic chain arts. I'm really digging the artstyle in this game. It's very stylish, and it even reminds me of Quake at times. I can already tell that this will be a game about stat tracking, stat management and min-maxing, but so far I'm enjoying myself. I'm going to do my best to avoid powerleveling and play this "naturally", but knowing Square-Enix and 32-bit RPGs in general, that's likely how they want you to play.
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Post by Feynman on Feb 2, 2012 14:22:30 GMT -5
Played for about two hours and defeated the golem boss. Man I love this game. The combat is amazing, being a real time version of the great system used in Parasite Eve. Then they added the ability to target specific parts of an enemy, which is amazing, particularly when fighting enemies that require two-handed/ranged weapons to reach weak points, or require you to move around to find the best attack angle.
Being able to disassemble and reforge weapons? Check! Being allowed to rename weapons? Check! Enemy affinity is perhaps a bit more complex than necessary, but I like it anyway.
Even just exploring the ruins is a blast thanks to the amazing visuals. This game often makes you wonder just how the hell they managed to pull off such amazing art on the PSX.
Things that are amusing: This game has a smaller file size than the PSX FFVI port. Obviously that's due to the video used in FFVI, but it still made me laugh.
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Post by 9inchsamurai on Feb 2, 2012 15:08:48 GMT -5
I'm not participating because I already beat this game a couple years ago, but I will throw out some advice: use the Analyze spell ALL THE TIME. Even on regular enemies it helps a lot. It's worth having to go through the process for every (new) encounter rather than sit there doing single-digit damage because you don't know what attack types the enemy is weak to.
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Post by megatronbison on Feb 2, 2012 15:35:12 GMT -5
Okay so I am not long started here. I'm trying to follow advice and sticking to using one weapon for a specific enemy type. Does this mean every time I get a more powerful weapon I need to grind it up for a certain enemy type? :\ Speaking of weapons- can they be repaired? I've noticed a stat getting lower the more it is used...
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Post by Snarboo on Feb 2, 2012 15:40:30 GMT -5
Yes, weapons can be repaired at workstations, which I haven't encountered yet. You can also assemble new weapons there, but you can disassemble a weapon at any time if you need to.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2012 22:58:24 GMT -5
Well, that was a long intro! Too bad I can't comment on anything else because my damn computer froze. At least I got to the very first savepoint... like, in the second room in the wine cellar. From what little I can glance, I don't think I hate the combat, but it is... weird. It's stuck in a bizarre gap between Secret of Mana (due to the semi-action in combat and not being able to attack too fast) and Fallout 3 (allowing the target of specific body parts long before VATS). I'll probably dislike it if and when I meet much stronger enemies than bats and low-level soldiers, but we shall see if my laptop doesn't get any more poobrain than it already has.
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Post by xerxes on Feb 2, 2012 23:50:24 GMT -5
I don't think I hate the combat, but it is... weird. It's stuck in a bizarre gap between Secret of Mana (due to the semi-action in combat and not being able to attack too fast) and Fallout 3 (allowing the target of specific body parts long before VATS). It reminds me of Hybrid Heaven, actually.
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Post by Snarboo on Feb 3, 2012 0:54:04 GMT -5
I've made it past the Dullahan, and have now stopped and saved in the first workshop. Any suggestions for weapons I should make, or should I experiment?
Due to unforeseen technical problems, I had to restart the game twice, both times after I defeated the Dullahan. The first time was due to the virtual memory card corrupting the save I was using, the second time was the emulator crashing in the same spot. I finally decided to switch over to ePSXe and start the game over. It's run without a hitch so far, although it sounds hideous. I'll need to tweak the audio plugin a bit more.
I think it's safe to say that I like this game, especially given I was willing to restart it twice without taking any breaks. Once you get the chain and defense arts down, you can do some really cool stuff. My only major complaint is the need to keep switching between weapons for the appropriate enemy type. Given the way the affinity system works, it's much easier to have six separate weapons for each enemy type rather than try and dual class a weapon. This leads to frustrating moments where you need to switch weapons mid battle. I only see this getting worse as the game progresses, but it's a minor annoyance given most 16 and 32-bit RPGs suffered from similar inventory management problems.
I'm not sure how long the honeymoon will last, but hopefully I'll grow to love the game rather than hate it as it progresses.
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Post by Catalyst on Feb 3, 2012 1:08:37 GMT -5
This game really is quite beautiful. And I'm curious as to how this old english speak would sound like if it was recorded. I kinda wanna hear it MGS style. I love this battle system so far. 'Far' being somewhere in the wine cellar. It's cool being able to aim for certain body parts ala Hybrid Heaven which this so graciously reminded me I have to hunt down. I'm just hoping I don't drown in this games complexities.
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Post by Feynman on Feb 3, 2012 1:11:57 GMT -5
My only major complaint is the need to keep switching between weapons for the appropriate enemy type. Given the way the affinity system works, it's much easier to have six separate weapons for each enemy type rather than try and dual class a weapon. This leads to frustrating moments where you need to switch weapons mid battle. I only see this getting worse as the game progresses, but it's a minor annoyance given most 16 and 32-bit RPGs suffered from similar inventory management problems. This is definitely one of the most irritating aspects of the game. Vagrant Story would have benefited tremendously if they had added a button to quickly cycle through your available weapons without having to access the equipment menu.
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Post by Weasel on Feb 3, 2012 1:31:08 GMT -5
I wonder if anybody would want to do a "fan dub" project on this game. The dialogue is very, very well made, honestly, and I love the "faux-shakespeare" style that Square later applied to FF12 and the PSP FF Tactics remake. Makes the dialogue seem less cliche and more meaningful.
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Post by Sketcz-1000 on Feb 3, 2012 2:47:20 GMT -5
Man, it shows how long I've been away from PS1/PS2 games. I had to manage a memory card so I could have more than 1 save file.
Also, THREE BLOCKS?! Crikey. It's as bad as Harvest Moon.
Got a full free card now. Does everyone recommend keeping multiple saves? Is it possible to screw up and save in an impossible situation?
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Post by Weasel on Feb 3, 2012 3:09:18 GMT -5
Having previously played as far as the Abandoned Mines back when I actually owned the disc, I don't recall any unwinnable situations that had save points - the worst that happened to me (and the reason I stopped playing before) was that I'd gotten lost and couldn't remember what I was supposed to be doing.
I've started over on this one myself today, and just defeated the Dullahan boss and saved in the room full of coffins next to him. I'm actually surprised to see people having trouble with Dullahan, myself...I don't recall having even used Degenerate on him the first time playing, but then again I am pretty handy on those Chain Abilities...
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Post by megatronbison on Feb 3, 2012 5:57:18 GMT -5
I managed to play up to the second boss last night and after dying to him the first time (I forgot there was an item to reduce risk- d'oh!) I managed to beat him on my second attempt. He was quite tough until I started to repeatedly chain attacks on his torso- even then it took a while for that to do significant damage... I don't know if switching to a brand new weapon to take him on was a sensible approach but so far I have a man slaying sword, a beast smashing hammer and an undead slaying rapier...in theory anyway. I imagine it's only going to get more complex from hereon out!
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