Which game to play next?
Doug Jacobs
Now that I've finally finished FFIX for the PS1, I'm looking for the next
RPG to play. I've decided it's going to be on the DC, but I don't which
one would be the best to try. Here's my list:
Evolution 1
Evolution 2 (probably should play E1 first, eh?)
Elemental Gimmick Gear
Time Stalkers
Record Of Loddoss Wars
Grandia2
Skies of Arcadia
What would be a good order for these? (not that I'm going to play them all
straight through...I've still got a backlog on the PS1/2 as well.)
The Mak
<tkn1rnq...@corp.supernews.com> on Tue, 10 Jul 2001 22:53:43 GMT:
Your top 2 are Skies......then Grandia 2.
Haven't played Skies yet, but it's the 'nets general opinion that Skies is
the best RPG on the DC.
Grandia 2, though it's story is a little predictable, has an awesome battle
system that keeps me coming back for more.
Charles Perry
2) Evolution 1
3) Evolution 2
4) Time Stalkers
X) Haven't played the others so I can't help you there.
SoA and G2 are both great games and E1+E2 are pretty good as well, Time
Stalkers is decent too. Enjoy :)
Happy gaming :)
-steven perry
Doug Jacobs wrote in message ...
Dave Oldridge
news:tkn1rnq...@corp.supernews.com...
>
> Now that I've finally finished FFIX for the PS1, I'm looking for the next
> RPG to play. I've decided it's going to be on the DC, but I don't which
> one would be the best to try. Here's my list:
>
> Evolution 1
> Evolution 2 (probably should play E1 first, eh?)
> Elemental Gimmick Gear
> Time Stalkers
Scratch all of these, at least until you've played and gotten bored with
many other RPGs.
> Record Of Loddoss Wars
Diablo, with no online battle, but excellent longevity with its weapon
upgrading/customization and anime tie-in.
> Grandia2
Good game, great battle system, predictable story. Probably comparable
to the average Working Designs action RPG, but with a slightly better game
and localization.
> Skies of Arcadia
If you play in small doses (I had no choice), the constant battles don't
get on your nerves, and you still see great character development, excellent
environments, and some inventive and well done twists to the ARPG genre. It
also smokes the others in graphics if you play on a VGA screen.
> What would be a good order for these? (not that I'm going to play them all
> straight through...I've still got a backlog on the PS1/2 as well.)
Skies, Record, and Grandia 2 for first-third if you're an anime nut.
Otherwise, place Record at #3, and choose between a more detailed battle
system or an engaging story for #1 and 2.
(e)magius
>
> Now that I've finally finished FFIX for the PS1, I'm looking for the next
> RPG to play. I've decided it's going to be on the DC, but I don't which
> one would be the best to try. Here's my list:
>
> Evolution 1
Boring and basic.
> Evolution 2 (probably should play E1 first, eh?)
Boring and basic.
> Elemental Gimmick Gear
Hard but mediocre.
> Time Stalkers
Moderately interesting but very frustrating/stupid (thanks to the game
system that sends your character back to wimpyhood every dungeon)
> Record Of Loddoss Wars
A lot like Diablo, but tailored for consoles. I didn't care much for
this, as I hate Diablo and its ilk, but it's generally regarded as an
above-average game.
> Grandia2
Very good RPG.
> Skies of Arcadia
Superb RPG
>
> What would be a good order for these? (not that I'm going to play them all
> straight through...I've still got a backlog on the PS1/2 as well.)
Skies (long battle intro times hinder an excellent game)
Grandia 2 (very solid RPG with a neat battle system)
Lodoss (if you like Diablo)
The other games aren't worth playing in the least.
Best,
--Imad "(e)magius" Hussain
_____________________________________________________________________
"I have put on the mask of the sorcerer to hide my true self, but I am
revealed, for the mask has become my own face." -- Darrell Schweitzer,
_The Mask of the Sorcerer_
_____________________________________________________________________
Joshua Kaufman
Play Grandia 2, then forget the rest.
-Joshua
--
AOL-IM: TerraEpon ICQ: 5404138
Terrence Briggs
> "Doug Jacobs" <dja...@rawbw.com> wrote in message
> news:tkn1rnq...@corp.supernews.com...
> >
> > Now that I've finally finished FFIX for the PS1, I'm looking for the next
> > RPG to play. I've decided it's going to be on the DC, but I don't which
> > one would be the best to try. Here's my list:
> >
> > Evolution 1
> > Evolution 2 (probably should play E1 first, eh?)
> > Elemental Gimmick Gear
> > Time Stalkers
>
> Scratch all of these, at least until you've played and gotten bored with
> many other RPGs.
Or they're REALLY cheap (5 bucks, say).
> > Record Of Loddoss Wars
>
> Diablo, with no online battle, but excellent longevity with its weapon
> upgrading/customization and anime tie-in.
Dunno about the longevity, but the game's pretty rote early on. I
rented the game from Hollywood, got some basic weapon customization,
and it doesn't seem to be making the game very interesting.
> > Grandia2
>
> Good game, great battle system, predictable story. Probably comparable
> to the average Working Designs action RPG, but with a slightly better game
> and localization.
Add great dialogue, short exploration times, and visible enemy
enocunters to the positives. Add poorly concieved characters and low
replay value to the negatives.
> > Skies of Arcadia
>
> If you play in small doses (I had no choice), the constant battles don't
> get on your nerves, and you still see great character development, excellent
> environments, and some inventive and well done twists to the ARPG genre. It
> also smokes the others in graphics if you play on a VGA screen.
The constant barrage of blind encounters started to grate on me early.
The plot and gameplay elements hold absolutely NO surprises for anyone
who's played more than two Square titles. The characters are blandly
amusing if you're into archetypical anime pre-teens with a naive sense
of adventure and honor.
The visuals consist of generic character models and building textures
running at 60fps in hi-rez. The ability to explore in 3-D is moot
since the areas are so featureless. The music has its moments, but
it's pretty much the same combination of uninspired progressive and
wannabe symphonic snyth that the PSX Final Fantasys feature. The
sound effects and voices wouldn't wow a 16-bit RPGer.
> > What would be a good order for these? (not that I'm going to play them all
> > straight through...I've still got a backlog on the PS1/2 as well.)
>
> Skies, Record, and Grandia 2 for first-third if you're an anime nut.
> Otherwise, place Record at #3, and choose between a more detailed battle
> system or an engaging story for #1 and 2.
For Final Fantasy fans:
1) SOA
2) Grandia 2
3) Record
For narrative nuts:
1) Grandia 2
2) SOA
3) Record
For graphics tarts:
1) SOA
2) Record
3) Grandia 2
For music mavens:
1) SOA
2) Grandia 2
3) Record
For battle beasts:
1) Grandia 2
2) Record
3) SOA
For 20 bucks:
1) Grandia 2
2) Record
3) SOA
Terrence Briggs
Peace to you...
Spike Spiegel
IMHO SOA and Grandia 2 should be the next two games you play, hands down.
--
Spike Spiegel
Joshua Kaufman <kauf...@email.uc.edu> wrote in message
news:3B4BAC24...@email.uc.edu...
Doug Jacobs
>> >
>> > Evolution 1
>> > Evolution 2 (probably should play E1 first, eh?)
>> > Elemental Gimmick Gear
>> > Time Stalkers
>>
>> Scratch all of these, at least until you've played and gotten bored with
>> many other RPGs.
> Or they're REALLY cheap (5 bucks, say).
$10, actually... :)
>> > Record Of Loddoss Wars
>>
>> Diablo, with no online battle, but excellent longevity with its weapon
>> upgrading/customization and anime tie-in.
> Dunno about the longevity, but the game's pretty rote early on. I
> rented the game from Hollywood, got some basic weapon customization,
> and it doesn't seem to be making the game very interesting.
Diablo gets rather monotonous as well. *click*click*click*click*click*click*
*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*
*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*
Level Up!
*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*
*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*
*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*
!*%@)% boss!
(etc.)
Despite this, I've been sort of wanting to go back to Diablo2 lately...
maybe Loddoss is what I'm looking for...
> The constant barrage of blind encounters started to grate on me early.
Better or worse than FFIX?
> The plot and gameplay elements hold absolutely NO surprises for anyone
> who's played more than two Square titles. The characters are blandly
> amusing if you're into archetypical anime pre-teens with a naive sense
> of adventure and honor.
Hm...sounds like most RPGs, actually. I played through Grandia 1, and
didn't have a problem with Justin's "always on" super exhuberance...
> The visuals consist of generic character models and building textures
> running at 60fps in hi-rez. The ability to explore in 3-D is moot
> since the areas are so featureless. The music has its moments, but
> it's pretty much the same combination of uninspired progressive and
> wannabe symphonic snyth that the PSX Final Fantasys feature. The
> sound effects and voices wouldn't wow a 16-bit RPGer.
Voice...ooh... Did they at least get believable voices? Most game voices
I've heard sound like they were read by the company's accountant, or by
an adult who's trying to talk 3 octaves too high.
> For Final Fantasy fans:
> 1) SOA
> 2) Grandia 2
> 3) Record
> For narrative nuts:
> 1) Grandia 2
> 2) SOA
> 3) Record
> For graphics tarts:
> 1) SOA
> 2) Record
> 3) Grandia 2
> For music mavens:
> 1) SOA
> 2) Grandia 2
> 3) Record
> For battle beasts:
> 1) Grandia 2
> 2) Record
> 3) SOA
> For 20 bucks:
> 1) Grandia 2
> 2) Record
> 3) SOA
LOL.
This still doesn't help me figure out which to play first :) Basically
looks like it comes down to either Grandia2 or SOA. I like music, battles,
story and Final Fantasy (not in that order...) So that splits it 2 to 2
for Grandia2 and SOA.
I know...I'll play Loddoss first. At least that way I'll avoid the
problem. :)
Doug Jacobs
> What are you, blind? SOA is on there. Forget the rest? OMG!!
> IMHO SOA and Grandia 2 should be the next two games you play, hands down.
That was the general theory... But WHICH one? I don't want to do both
at the same time. :)
Guts
>running at 60fps in hi-rez. The ability to explore in 3-D is moot
>since the areas are so featureless. The music has its moments, but
>it's pretty much the same combination of uninspired progressive and
>wannabe symphonic snyth that the PSX Final Fantasys feature. The
>sound effects and voices wouldn't wow a 16-bit RPGer.
That's pretty much the dumbest critique I've ever heard about Skies.
The environments are VERY detailed, filled with tons of stuff to look
at and explore, not to mention they are HUGE. Plus the music is
excellent, why else would people pay $80 for the soundtrack on ebay?
Hyun Lim
I ended up playing SOA first, then Grandia 2. Looking back, I bet I
would've enjoyed Grandia 2 more if I played that game first because SOA is
the better of the two and I ended up comparing it to SOA all the time.
Only real strike that SOA has is the frequency of the random battles in the
overhead(oversky?) map. It happens so much that you forget where you were
heading towards.
Grandia 2 has no real overhead world to explore.
Have you tried Suikoden 2 or Front Mission 3 yet? FM3 isn't a RPG but it's
quite good and thought I mention it.
Hyun Lim
Nick Zitzmann
Doug Jacobs <dja...@rawbw.com> wrote:
I'd say Grandia II, then Skies of Arcadia, then Record of Loddoss War.
Play the rest if and only if you get bored out of your mind.
While I liked Grandia II, I didn't like its length (the first game was
twice as long) and I thought the story could have been better (it's your
basic Game Arts "power to humanity" storyline, has a clevar plot twist
in it but if you've already played the first Grandia, the storyline is
very similar).
Skies of Arcadia is a great game, but it has zero replay value, and the
random encounters can get annoying at times.
I've heard that Record of Loddoss War is a decent real-time Rogue-like
game, but I haven't played it.
Nick Zitzmann
ICQ: 22305512
"WHY DID U MAKE THIS NEW PATCH PLZ EXPALIN...U SHOULD OF ATLEAST GIVEN A WARNING MY LVL 76 LANCE BARB THAT ONLY USE WHIRLWIND NOW SUX!!!! U KNOW HOW HARD I WORKED FOR THAT CHAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...AND ALSO MY ICE SORC NOW IS REALLY REALLY BAD!!!" - Anonymous Battle.net user, on the release of Diablo II 1.08, which intentionally lowers the power of the once-mighty (and unbalancing) Whirlwind technique
Doug Jacobs
> Only real strike that SOA has is the frequency of the random battles in the
> overhead(oversky?) map. It happens so much that you forget where you were
> heading towards.
Yeah, I've heard that...
> Grandia 2 has no real overhead world to explore.
Grandia 1 was the same way. You just "jumped" from place to place.
> Have you tried Suikoden 2 or Front Mission 3 yet? FM3 isn't a RPG but it's
> quite good and thought I mention it.
Haven't tried FM3...but roommate has it and liked it. Do you get more from
Suikoden2 if you played 1 first?
In my PSX RPG pile I still have (from memory):
Final Fantasy VII (replay)
Final Fantasy Anthology (replay of 6, play 5 for the first time)
Legend Of Mana
Saga Frontier2
Xenogears (replay)
Arc Of Lad Collection (when it comes out)
Final Fantasy Collection (I haven't found this yet)
Then there's my PS2 pile (no RPGs there yet)... and my PC pile (1 RPG,
a few adventure games, some strategy sims.) Oh, and look, another DVD
trickled in...
Terrence Huey
> I ended up playing SOA first, then Grandia 2. Looking back, I bet I
> would've enjoyed Grandia 2 more if I played that game first because SOA is
> the better of the two and I ended up comparing it to SOA all the time.
And on the flipside, I played Grandia II the day it came out on Jp release
and then played Arcadia (US version) almost a half-year later, and although
I think Arcadia is a pretty good game, I kept comparing it to LunarSSS,
Lunar EB, Grandia and Grandia II... that is to say, I'm sick of these random
battle RPGs.
Yes in many ways Arcadia is the better game. But Grandia II smokes it in
the gameplay department. Grandia II is actually fun and that was enough to
play it whereas Arcadia, you'll be pretty darn frustrated because of the
constant stream of random battles... but play on only because it's a well
designed game and you want to see the rest of it... but goshdarnit, the
random battles ruin it!
> Only real strike that SOA has is the frequency of the random battles in
the
> overhead(oversky?) map. It happens so much that you forget where you were
> heading towards.
Yeah, it's the only flaw but it just so happens to be a very big one...
Grandia II will always be the funner game because of that goofup.
> Grandia 2 has no real overhead world to explore.
Nope, but I don't consider that a flaw when they have "above ground
dungeons" as a substitute. There isn't really an overworld, but the areas
you go through to get to towns and dungeons, be it on hills, through
forests, fields, etc are overworld'ish "dungeons".
> Have you tried Suikoden 2 or Front Mission 3 yet? FM3 isn't a RPG but
it's
> quite good and thought I mention it.
I dunno... I'm pretty reluctant to talk about SRPGs in the same realm as
RPGs because they're so totally different in gameplay. RPGs gameplay is
battles + exploration + fetchquests whereas SRPGs is just technical
battles... but that's all there is... Some people love SRPG gameplay and
I say more power to them. But I personally prefer the variety that
traditional console RPGs offer over SRPGs. I've played quite a few SRPGs
yet Black/Matrix is the only one I've ever finished.
-T
Alex Mendes
> Now that I've finally finished FFIX for the PS1, I'm looking for the next
> RPG to play. I've decided it's going to be on the DC, but I don't which
> one would be the best to try. Here's my list:
>
> Evolution 1
As a roguelike, it's weak. As an RPG, it's worse. Skip this one.
> Evolution 2 (probably should play E1 first, eh?)
IIRC, this one tosses out the random dungeons of the first, and keeps
the RPG aspects. I never picked this one up, because the idea sounds
terrible.
> Elemental Gimmick Gear
THis one is a bit like Alundra or the older Zelda games, except that
it's terribly clumsy. Avoid.
> Time Stalkers
Hmmm...on one hand, it's about the best roguelike you'll get on the DC.
On the other hand, that's not really saying anything. It's okay, I
guess, but I'd skip it, since there are more than enough other good
roguelikes out there, even if you only count console games.
> Record Of Loddoss Wars
A good Diablo-esque title, from what I've heard. I've been playing
PSX/PS2 RPGs, though, so I just never picked this one up. I have played
a small portion of it however, and while IIRC the controls were a bit
clunky, they wouldn't be very hard to get used to. Personally, I'll end
up picking it up eventually, but not just yet.
One minor gripe-what's with the FMV? It really doesn't look close to
the Loddoss OAV or TV series. They could've at least tried...
> Grandia2
I finally bought this one cheap...and I'm still not certain what it is
about this series that people like so much. Of course you should try it
if you liked the Grandia 1, but IMO it's a minor improvement over an
incredibly boring prequel.
> Skies of Arcadia
IMO this is an easy first pick. It's a pretty traditional RPG, but very
well done. The batle systems are fairly interesting, although the
element system the game uses can be a bit clumsy. The game manages to
really capture the sense of exploration as well, by throwing various
"discoveries" for you to find on the world map (an improved version of
whow you discovered town and dungeons in Wild Arms 2). The only real
problem I had was the encounter rate when travelling by ship-it's really
far too high, so if you don't like that kind of thing, you may want to
stay away.
SO I guess, in the end, I'd suggest Skies first, Loddoss second if you
liked Diablo, and Grandia 2 after if you liked Grandia.
-Alex Mendes
Terrence Briggs
> >The visuals consist of generic character models and building textures
> >running at 60fps in hi-rez. The ability to explore in 3-D is moot
> >since the areas are so featureless. The music has its moments, but
> >it's pretty much the same combination of uninspired progressive and
> >wannabe symphonic snyth that the PSX Final Fantasys feature. The
> >sound effects and voices wouldn't wow a 16-bit RPGer.
>
> That's pretty much the dumbest critique I've ever heard about Skies.
> The environments are VERY detailed, filled with tons of stuff to look
> at and explore, not to mention they are HUGE.
My rental exposed me to featureless castles, sewers, and overworld
areas, where enemies cannot be seen and structures consisting of your
basic concrete and wood designs, with the occassional crack or pipe in
the wall. The houses and towns were pretty simple, too, though that
cave port in the first town was kind of intriguing.
Really, nothing here wowed me any more than Zelda 64's okey-doke
architecture. For what it's worth, the PSX Final Fantasys featured
some impressive CGI artwork for the towns.
> Plus the music is excellent, why else would people pay $80 for the soundtrack on ebay? <
For the same reason gamers pay $100 bucks for Ace Combat 2 on said
auction site: They overvalue their entertainment.
I recorded about four SOA tunes I thought were worth keeping. All the
same, nothing about my music comments suggests that it was BAD so much
as uninspired, unoriginal, and lacking in engineering effort. I said
much of that about Sakuraba Motoi's work in Valkyrie Profile (compared
to Star Ocean 2), and still loved it. I had to admit that the
brother's work in those games at least felt like a next-generation
effort. SOA and the PSX Final Fantasys rarely felt very advanced on
the technical end, especially when compared to the likes of Final
Fantasy Tactics and Xenogears.
Heck, as annoying as Iwadare Noruyuki's J-muzak tunes were in most of
the Grandia 2 soundtrack, they were at least up to the technical
quality I would expect from a 128-bit system like the DC.
Feel free to correct any of my technical inaccuracies, however.
Terrence Briggs, who's heard dumber critiques of the game, including
but not limited to Game Informer's "original" claim
Peace to you...
Terrence Briggs
> Terrence Briggs <mrm...@my-deja.com> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > Evolution 1
> >> > Evolution 2 (probably should play E1 first, eh?)
> >> > Elemental Gimmick Gear
> >> > Time Stalkers
> >>
> >> Scratch all of these, at least until you've played and gotten bored with
> >> many other RPGs.
>
> > Or they're REALLY cheap (5 bucks, say).
>
> $10, actually... :)
Still wouldn't.
> >> > Record Of Loddoss Wars
> >>
> >> Diablo, with no online battle, but excellent longevity with its weapon
> >> upgrading/customization and anime tie-in.
>
> > Dunno about the longevity, but the game's pretty rote early on. I
> > rented the game from Hollywood, got some basic weapon customization,
> > and it doesn't seem to be making the game very interesting.
>
> Diablo gets rather monotonous as well. *click*click*click*click*click*click*
> *click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*
> *click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*
> Level Up!
> *click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*
> *click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*
> *click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*click*
> !*%@)% boss!
> (etc.)
>
> Despite this, I've been sort of wanting to go back to Diablo2 lately...
> maybe Loddoss is what I'm looking for...
Not for 40 bucks.
> > The constant barrage of blind encounters started to grate on me early.
>
> Better or worse than FFIX?
Worse than FF9 in the voerworld areas.
FF9 didn't seem that bad, especially when compared to FF7.
> > The plot and gameplay elements hold absolutely NO surprises for anyone
> > who's played more than two Square titles. The characters are blandly
> > amusing if you're into archetypical anime pre-teens with a naive sense
> > of adventure and honor.
>
> Hm...sounds like most RPGs, actually. I played through Grandia 1, and
> didn't have a problem with Justin's "always on" super exhuberance...
Then they're officially "blandly amusing" :)
> > The visuals consist of generic character models and building textures
> > running at 60fps in hi-rez. The ability to explore in 3-D is moot
> > since the areas are so featureless. The music has its moments, but
> > it's pretty much the same combination of uninspired progressive and
> > wannabe symphonic snyth that the PSX Final Fantasys feature. The
> > sound effects and voices wouldn't wow a 16-bit RPGer.
>
> Voice...ooh... Did they at least get believable voices? Most game voices
> I've heard sound like they were read by the company's accountant, or by
> an adult who's trying to talk 3 octaves too high.
You complaints are true. My main beef was how infererior the quantity
of samples was to even 16-bit titles. Tales of Phantasia, for
instance, featured an increbile number of voice samples. SOA, as a
128-bit GD-ROM succeeding ToP by what, 6 years, can't improve upon
that?!
Sorry. I was feeling conversational.
> Basically looks like it comes down to either Grandia2 or SOA. I like music, battles, story and Final Fantasy (not in that order...) So that splits it 2 to 2 for Grandia2 and SOA. <
If you liked Justin's chivalrous personality in Grandia 1, you won't
like Grandia 2's lead. Play SOA then.
Grandia 2's 20 bucks at Wal-mart, and 24 bucks at some Funcoland's by
the way. SOA's still in the 40s I believe, so I'd put it off for that
reason.
> I know...I'll play Loddoss first. At least that way I'll avoid the
> problem. :)
It's your money :)
Terrence Briggs, who's blown enough of it on Square games, thank you
very much :)
Peace to you...
Todd Jones
Save Skies of Arcadia for last. It's a hard act to follow.
Todd Jones
How old are you?
Todd Jones
>music, battles, story and Final Fantasy (not in that order...) So that
>splits it 2 to 2 for Grandia2 and SOA. <
>
>If you liked Justin's chivalrous personality in Grandia 1, you won't
>like Grandia 2's lead. Play SOA then.
I wouldn't want to meet anyone who liked Grandia 2's lead. Every time that
gratingly immature little sociopath said a word, I wanted to pitch the game
out the window.
Joe Ottoson
Todd Jones <todd...@nethere.net> wrote in message
news:tkr1bsr...@corp.supernews.com...
He was about as sociopathic as Ramna from Ranma1/2.
Guts
>areas, where enemies cannot be seen and structures consisting of your
>basic concrete and wood designs, with the occassional crack or pipe in
>the wall. The houses and towns were pretty simple, too, though that
>cave port in the first town was kind of intriguing.
Did you get to the arabian looking town, the jungle town, or the
upside down ice palace? Those are a few that blew me away. Pretty
much most of the places you visit after the first 7 hours of so of the
game are incredible looking. I especially like your island once you
get it all built up, it's kick ass being able to look down on it from
your office. The only parts I didn't like were the in-ship
exploration, seemed like there was a lot of slowdown.
>> Plus the music is excellent, why else would people pay $80 for the soundtrack on ebay? <
>
>For the same reason gamers pay $100 bucks for Ace Combat 2 on said
>auction site: They overvalue their entertainment.
I thought that was re-released? But I get your point.
>I recorded about four SOA tunes I thought were worth keeping. All the
>same, nothing about my music comments suggests that it was BAD so much
>as uninspired, unoriginal, and lacking in engineering effort. I said
>much of that about Sakuraba Motoi's work in Valkyrie Profile (compared
>to Star Ocean 2), and still loved it. I had to admit that the
>brother's work in those games at least felt like a next-generation
>effort. SOA and the PSX Final Fantasys rarely felt very advanced on
>the technical end, especially when compared to the likes of Final
>Fantasy Tactics and Xenogears.
>
>Heck, as annoying as Iwadare Noruyuki's J-muzak tunes were in most of
>the Grandia 2 soundtrack, they were at least up to the technical
>quality I would expect from a 128-bit system like the DC.
>
>Feel free to correct any of my technical inaccuracies, however.
You spelled Sakuraba's name wrong. Just kidding. Anyway,
personally I thought the music was great, especially the jungle town
and ice palace. Something that stood out was the use of different
instruments, you don't usually hear accoustic guitar and such in video
games. No matter how well written, I get tired of the same old
orcehstra/synthesizer stuff we always get in RPGs.
Whoever composed SOA's soundtrack in my opinion is very talented,
it's honestly the only soundtrack I've thought about purchasing in
years, although Valkyrie Profile was pretty dope.
>Terrence Briggs, who's heard dumber critiques of the game, including
>but not limited to Game Informer's "original" claim
>Peace to you...
Don't remember what they said, although knowing the mag I wouldn't be
surprised by anything.
Doug Jacobs
> Not for 40 bucks.
Eh, that's what I spent on Diablo2. I never finished (got bored on the
3rd stage when I realized I'd made some silly decisions with my character)
but had fun until then. Darn near killed myself (in RL) by forgetting to
eat or drink for 20 hours though...
> Worse than FF9 in the voerworld areas.
> FF9 didn't seem that bad, especially when compared to FF7.
I guess I don't remember FF7 that well.
>> Basically looks like it comes down to either Grandia2 or SOA. I like music, battles, story and Final Fantasy (not in that order...) So that splits it 2 to 2 for Grandia2 and SOA. <
> If you liked Justin's chivalrous personality in Grandia 1, you won't
> like Grandia 2's lead. Play SOA then.
> Grandia 2's 20 bucks at Wal-mart, and 24 bucks at some Funcoland's by
> the way. SOA's still in the 40s I believe, so I'd put it off for that
> reason.
Well, I already picked up Grandia2, Loddoss, and SOA for $35 each. I
wasn't sure how much longer they'd be on the shelves, so...better safe
than sorry.
Doug Jacobs
> He was about as sociopathic as Ramna from Ranma1/2.
You mean when you splash him with water (would that be the "A" or "B" button?)
he turns into a cute red-haired girl?? :)
Doug Jacobs
> I wouldn't want to meet anyone who liked Grandia 2's lead. Every time that
> gratingly immature little sociopath said a word, I wanted to pitch the game
> out the window.
Better or worse than Squall from FF8? Squall was pretty much a withdrawn
asshole for most of the game. What was worse was that the other characters
in the game really weren't very fleshed out, so you ended up with your
main character the asshole, his girlfriend, and 4 other bodies that
ocassionally did useful things when used in combat.
Doug Jacobs
>> Evolution 1
> As a roguelike, it's weak. As an RPG, it's worse. Skip this one.
Eh, I dunno, I played through the intro a bit, and thought it was
intriguing. (of course, I might go back, play 5 minutes further in and
toss the disc across the room... :)
>> Evolution 2 (probably should play E1 first, eh?)
> IIRC, this one tosses out the random dungeons of the first, and keeps
> the RPG aspects. I never picked this one up, because the idea sounds
> terrible.
>> Elemental Gimmick Gear
> THis one is a bit like Alundra or the older Zelda games, except that
> it's terribly clumsy. Avoid.
Hrm... I couldn't finish Alundra (stupid hoppy-hoppy-jump puzzle!)
Still, I'll give it a spin.
>> Time Stalkers
> Hmmm...on one hand, it's about the best roguelike you'll get on the DC.
> On the other hand, that's not really saying anything. It's okay, I
> guess, but I'd skip it, since there are more than enough other good
> roguelikes out there, even if you only count console games.
A better roguelike than Loddoss? (Diablo is very Rogue-like, despite it
taking place outside and such.)
>> Record Of Loddoss Wars
> One minor gripe-what's with the FMV? It really doesn't look close to
> the Loddoss OAV or TV series. They could've at least tried...
Probably couldn't afford to get the original animation house to do the
FMVs. Too bad, that's sort of key for anime tie-in games.
>> Grandia2
> I finally bought this one cheap...and I'm still not certain what it is
> about this series that people like so much. Of course you should try it
> if you liked the Grandia 1, but IMO it's a minor improvement over an
> incredibly boring prequel.
Well, I played the first Grandia after FF8 (which I hated...damn Squall...)
My housemate played through it first, so the graphics and battle system
intrigued me. (that and some of Sue's spells were pretty silly :) After
dealing with Squall for so long, it was nice to play Justin who was very
much the anti-Squall. Hey...he's HAPPY! He knows what he wants to do!
Yeah, yeah, he's happy all the time, and some of the later story elements
were a bit strange (eg. the romance.) But overall, it was a fun game.
I know Grandia2 has different characters and all that. Still, it sounds
like the battle system is still there (improved? I'll have to see.)
>> Skies of Arcadia
> IMO this is an easy first pick. It's a pretty traditional RPG, but very
> well done. The batle systems are fairly interesting, although the
> element system the game uses can be a bit clumsy. The game manages to
> really capture the sense of exploration as well, by throwing various
> "discoveries" for you to find on the world map (an improved version of
> whow you discovered town and dungeons in Wild Arms 2). The only real
> problem I had was the encounter rate when travelling by ship-it's really
> far too high, so if you don't like that kind of thing, you may want to
> stay away.
> SO I guess, in the end, I'd suggest Skies first, Loddoss second if you
> liked Diablo, and Grandia 2 after if you liked Grandia.
Does it make sense to play the best game first?
When your parents made you eat your vegetables, did you eat the icky stuff
first so that the rest of the meal was unburdend, or did you leave the icky
stuff until last and savor the good stuff first? (not that the other
games are icky or anything... :)
Jeremy Williamson
Doug Jacobs wrote:
>
> Alex Mendes <ame...@nospam.net> wrote:
> >> Evolution 1
>
> >> Time Stalkers
>
> > Hmmm...on one hand, it's about the best roguelike you'll get on the DC.
> > On the other hand, that's not really saying anything. It's okay, I
> > guess, but I'd skip it, since there are more than enough other good
> > roguelikes out there, even if you only count console games.
>
> A better roguelike than Loddoss? (Diablo is very Rogue-like, despite it
> taking place outside and such.)
Well.. Lodoss isn't really "Rogue-like" in that it you retain
status rather than lose it once you emerge from an era. Haven't
played Time Stalkers (nor do I have any intention to ;) but
Azure Dreams for the PSX is what I would give as an example of
"Rogue-like"
I actually liked Lodoss quite a bit despite the basic hack 'n
slash nature of it. It was a lotta fun for me. The weapons
system is very cool... once you figure it out that is. There is
some really vicious slowdown later in the game when you've
got everybody and their mother on-screen tryin' ta kill ya,
but... ya know... ya deal.
> I know Grandia2 has different characters and all that. Still, it sounds
> like the battle system is still there (improved? I'll have to see.)
Battle system is simply... awesome! Definitely the best
aspect of the game.
> >> Skies of Arcadia
>
> > IMO this is an easy first pick. It's a pretty traditional RPG, but very
> > well done. The batle systems are fairly interesting, although the
> > element system the game uses can be a bit clumsy. The game manages to
> > really capture the sense of exploration as well, by throwing various
> > "discoveries" for you to find on the world map (an improved version of
> > whow you discovered town and dungeons in Wild Arms 2). The only real
> > problem I had was the encounter rate when travelling by ship-it's really
> > far too high, so if you don't like that kind of thing, you may want to
> > stay away.
>
> > SO I guess, in the end, I'd suggest Skies first, Loddoss second if you
> > liked Diablo, and Grandia 2 after if you liked Grandia.
>
> Does it make sense to play the best game first?
>
> When your parents made you eat your vegetables, did you eat the icky stuff
> first so that the rest of the meal was unburdend, or did you leave the icky
> stuff until last and savor the good stuff first? (not that the other
> games are icky or anything... :)
Well, just ta jump in here, "best" or not... these three are different
enough
in their execution that I don't think it really matters.
Jeremy
Terrence Briggs
> >My rental exposed me to featureless castles, sewers, and overworld
> >areas, where enemies cannot be seen and structures consisting of your
> >basic concrete and wood designs, with the occassional crack or pipe in
> >the wall. The houses and towns were pretty simple, too, though that
> >cave port in the first town was kind of intriguing.
>
> Did you get to the arabian looking town, the jungle town, or the
> upside down ice palace? Those are a few that blew me away. Pretty
> much most of the places you visit after the first 7 hours of so of the
> game are incredible looking. I especially like your island once you
> get it all built up, it's kick ass being able to look down on it from
> your office.
I rentruned the game after reaching that temple on the sand island,
courtesy of a vessel an exotic dancer let you borrow. So no, I didn't
make it to the "good stuff"
> The only parts I didn't like were the in-ship exploration, seemed like there was a lot of slowdown. <
That was definitely true. Antoher slight against what should be a
128-bit advancement over the first 3-D RPGs.
> >> Plus the music is excellent, why else would people pay $80 for the soundtrack on ebay? <
> >
> >For the same reason gamers pay $100 bucks for Ace Combat 2 on said
> >auction site: They overvalue their entertainment.
>
> I thought that was re-released? But I get your point.
Funny you should mention that. I found three copies of AC2 at Circuit
City here in Houston yesterday for 20 bucks a pop. This after the
game being mighty hard to find for the last few years. Wasn't
officially a "Greatest Hits" re-release, though.
> >I recorded about four SOA tunes I thought were worth keeping. All the
> >same, nothing about my music comments suggests that it was BAD so much
> >as uninspired, unoriginal, and lacking in engineering effort. I said
> >much of that about Sakuraba Motoi's work in Valkyrie Profile (compared
> >to Star Ocean 2), and still loved it. I had to admit that the
> >brother's work in those games at least felt like a next-generation
> >effort. SOA and the PSX Final Fantasys rarely felt very advanced on
> >the technical end, especially when compared to the likes of Final
> >Fantasy Tactics and Xenogears.
> >
> >Heck, as annoying as Iwadare Noruyuki's J-muzak tunes were in most of
> >the Grandia 2 soundtrack, they were at least up to the technical
> >quality I would expect from a 128-bit system like the DC.
> >
> >Feel free to correct any of my technical inaccuracies, however.
>
> You spelled Sakuraba's name wrong. Just kidding.
Hu-rumph!
> Anyway,
> personally I thought the music was great, especially the jungle town
> and ice palace. Something that stood out was the use of different
> instruments, you don't usually hear accoustic guitar and such in video
> games.
Sure ya do; just not in many popular games. Though even Chrono
Trigger featured a sort of acoustic guitar.
> No matter how well written, I get tired of the same old
> orcehstra/synthesizer stuff we always get in RPGs.
And there was a great deal of it in SOA!
> Whoever composed SOA's soundtrack in my opinion is very talented,
> it's honestly the only soundtrack I've thought about purchasing in
> years, although Valkyrie Profile was pretty dope.
I like you even more now!
> >Terrence Briggs, who's heard dumber critiques of the game, including
> >but not limited to Game Informer's "original" claim
> >Peace to you...
>
> Don't remember what they said, although knowing the mag I wouldn't be
> surprised by anything.
Heh. That's MY cheap shot.
Terrence Briggs, who considers the GI subscription to be a gift for
his Fun Club membership.
Todd Jones
>> >music, battles, story and Final Fantasy (not in that order...) So that
>> >splits it 2 to 2 for Grandia2 and SOA. <
>> >
>> >If you liked Justin's chivalrous personality in Grandia 1, you won't
>> >like Grandia 2's lead. Play SOA then.
>>
>> I wouldn't want to meet anyone who liked Grandia 2's lead. Every time that
>> gratingly immature little sociopath said a word, I wanted to pitch the
>game
>> out the window.
>
>He was about as sociopathic as Ramna from Ranma1/2.
The name rings a bell, but I never watched/played it.
Todd Jones
>>areas, where enemies cannot be seen and structures consisting of your
>>basic concrete and wood designs, with the occassional crack or pipe in
>>the wall. The houses and towns were pretty simple, too, though that
>>cave port in the first town was kind of intriguing.
>
> Did you get to the arabian looking town, the jungle town, or the
>upside down ice palace? Those are a few that blew me away. Pretty
>much most of the places you visit after the first 7 hours of so of the
>game are incredible looking.
The dungeon where your party is seperated (Rubik'sCube-like dungeon on a
small island) is some of the best level design I've ever seen.
Todd Jones
Don't know. I avoided FF8 because I heard the main character was an ass.
Noone warned me about Grandia 2.
Joe Ottoson
Here's the comparison in a nutshell...
Squall: Asshole
Ryudo: Apathetic
Ryudo's not as extreme as Squall is. He's more just cynical about religion
and about what direction his life has taken as a geo hound. Unlike Squall,
Ryudo softens up a lot more and interacts with the other party members in a
much friendlier fashion through the entire game.
Doug Jacobs
> Don't know. I avoided FF8 because I heard the main character was an ass.
> Noone warned me about Grandia 2.
Well, I made up my mind and started Grandia2.
About 2 hours in (just escaped the tower.)
Compared to Squall, Ryudo is a nice guy. Really.
Ryudo's situation is different from Squall's. Squall starts out in
school, surrounded by a supportive teacher and friends. Yet, he
continually tells them to leave him alone, and that friends are a nuisance.
(yes, he has a reason for this, but still...)
Ryudo, meanwhile, doesn't seem to be regarded very highly anyways because
he's a Geohound. He has Skye, however, and it's clear the two are good
friends - which more than what I can about Squall and his "Whatever..."
attitude towards everything and everyone. Squall didn't have any
ambition or even desire to do anything. At Ryudo has some - even if you
don't agree with it.
The only thing that sort of bothers me about Grandia2 is the combat
system. Is it just me, or is it *way* too easy to do cancel/counters?
Yeah, criticals don't do as much damage, but if you can go through combat
without taking a scratch, who cares? It didn't seem so abusable in the
first game...didn't critical blows in Grandia1 use SP, so you couldn't
do them so often?
Terrence Huey
> > Noone warned me about Grandia 2.
>
> Well, I made up my mind and started Grandia2.
Cool, well, once you play SoA, please complain about the battles so that I'm
not the only one bashing the SoA-rules-all posts ^_-
Not that I think SoA is a bad game by any means, but it is definitely not
this rule-all game and Grandia II sucks in comparison thing that most make
it out to be...
> Ryudo, meanwhile, doesn't seem to be regarded very highly anyways because
> he's a Geohound. He has Skye, however, and it's clear the two are good
> friends - which more than what I can about Squall and his "Whatever..."
> attitude towards everything and everyone. Squall didn't have any
> ambition or even desire to do anything. At Ryudo has some - even if you
> don't agree with it.
I personally loved Ryuudo's attitude. Cracked me up ^^ Onna ga kirai ze!
> The only thing that sort of bothers me about Grandia2 is the combat
> system. Is it just me, or is it *way* too easy to do cancel/counters?
This is the "enhancement" to the battle system people are talking about.
Basically, the difference between combo and critical attacks are much more
pronounced in Grandia II, which is sorta a good thing, but it also made it
easier. OTOH, I found that Grandia II was a much harder game (save special
stages) in general, as even some of the early G2 bosses gave me quite a
workout.
> It didn't seem so abusable in the
> first game...didn't critical blows in Grandia1 use SP, so you couldn't
> do them so often?
Nope... it's exactly the same system in both games in that respect. There
was just less of a chance that criticals would counter or cancel in the
first game.
-T
Terrence Huey
>
> A good Diablo-esque title, from what I've heard. I've been playing
> PSX/PS2 RPGs, though, so I just never picked this one up. I have played
> a small portion of it however, and while IIRC the controls were a bit
> clunky, they wouldn't be very hard to get used to. Personally, I'll end
> up picking it up eventually, but not just yet.
>
> One minor gripe-what's with the FMV? It really doesn't look close to
> the Loddoss OAV or TV series. They could've at least tried...
Actually the Lodoss license was slapped onto the game. This is perhaps a
bad thing if you're an anime fan, but it's a better thing IMO if you're a
game fan.
At least it's better than having a license and slapping a game to it...
> > Grandia2
>
> I finally bought this one cheap...and I'm still not certain what it is
> about this series that people like so much. Of course you should try it
> if you liked the Grandia 1, but IMO it's a minor improvement over an
> incredibly boring prequel.
I'm still not sure why not that many people liked it as much... granted,
leaving Paamu to get to New Paamu was quite a chore (and i'm sure turned off
a lot of importers) but after that, I loved every moment of it.
And I'm not exactly sure why G2 is an "improvement" either :P
> > Skies of Arcadia
>
> IMO this is an easy first pick. It's a pretty traditional RPG, but very
> well done. The batle systems are fairly interesting, although the
> element system the game uses can be a bit clumsy. The game manages to
> really capture the sense of exploration as well, by throwing various
> "discoveries" for you to find on the world map (an improved version of
> whow you discovered town and dungeons in Wild Arms 2). The only real
> problem I had was the encounter rate when travelling by ship-it's really
> far too high, so if you don't like that kind of thing, you may want to
> stay away.
Still think that last statement is what kills it from being an incredible
game.
As long as people tolerate that random battle crap, they will keep making
random battle crap.
Just my 2 cents...
-T
Todd Jones
>> Noone warned me about Grandia 2.
>
>Well, I made up my mind and started Grandia2.
>
>About 2 hours in (just escaped the tower.)
>
>Compared to Squall, Ryudo is a nice guy. Really.
OMG. FF8 must be unbearable for anyone who's not in junior high.
Todd Jones
>he's a Geohound. He has Skye, however, and it's clear the two are good
>friends
Skye's jabs at Ryudo were sweet relief.
- which more than what I can about Squall and his "Whatever..."
>attitude towards everything and everyone. Squall didn't have any
>ambition or even desire to do anything. At Ryudo has some -
It's called blind greed. Not exactly admirable.
Doug Jacobs
I dunno, lots of folks liked him. He just reminded me constantly of a more
pouty, whiney version of Leonardo Dicaprico.
Ryudo, at least, is lots more fun. While he says he doesn't care about
people or others, it becomes clear that this isn't the case.
(Besides, Ryudo's name is supposed to be a joke...since he's RUDE. This
is like naming the main character in a book "Hiro Protagonist." :)
Peter L. Ward
:>
:>Well, I made up my mind and started Grandia2.
:>
:>About 2 hours in (just escaped the tower.)
:>
:>Compared to Squall, Ryudo is a nice guy. Really.
: OMG. FF8 must be unbearable for anyone who's not in junior high.
Nope. I'm well beyond jr. high, and I found Squall to be a
jackass. Period. Ryudo's a jerk, true, but at least he also showed a
decent side now and then.
(spoiler space)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Ryudo had a reason to be a jerk. Everyone treated him like dirt due to
his chosen profession (geohound). Not only that, but the people of his
hometown tossed him out on his ass for no fault of his own. On top of
that, Melfice (a person he looked up to) killed the person who was a
sister-figure to Ryudo, right in front of him (the fact that she was
Melfice's lover didn't help matters either). Despite all this, Ryudo does
show a decent side now and then, which is more than I could say for
Squall.
What's Squall's excuse for being the jackass that he is? He doesn't want
to be betrayed or left behind by someone he cares about, so he pushes
everyone away by being a jackass. Wah, wah, wah. It's one thing to be a
loner and push people away, but this loser had to be pushed into rescuing
the person he supposedly loved (namely Rinoa) during the fight
between Balamb Garden and Galbadia Garden. If his teammates hadn't
pushed him into going to her aid, he would've let her die without anything
more than his usual "whatever".
Sorry, but that's not my definition of someone who deserves to be the lead
character in any story (except in ones that point out what a loser and
jackass that person is). Ryudo is a much better lead character because he
shows better reason for being a jerk and that he does show a better side.
Is it any wonder why I stopped playing FF8 sometime during disc 3? I just
finally got sick and tired of trying to care for Squall. The interminable
guardian force sequences didn't help matters, either.
--
Peter L. Ward
fal...@best.com
ICQ# 100145303
Studio Stormfalcon: http://www.best.com/~falcon/
"I'm here, so I'll be with you forever."
- Iwakura Lain
Doug Jacobs
> Todd Jones <todd...@nethere.net> wrote:
> :>
> :>Well, I made up my mind and started Grandia2.
> :>
> :>About 2 hours in (just escaped the tower.)
> :>
> :>Compared to Squall, Ryudo is a nice guy. Really.
> : OMG. FF8 must be unbearable for anyone who's not in junior high.
> Nope. I'm well beyond jr. high, and I found Squall to be a
> jackass. Period. Ryudo's a jerk, true, but at least he also showed a
> decent side now and then.
Besides, Ryudo shows emotions. Something Squall didn't do (and even the
other characters had problems with that...)
And Ryudo (not to mention the other characters in Grandia2) have a sense
of humor.
> (spoiler space)
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> What's Squall's excuse for being the jackass that he is? He doesn't want
> to be betrayed or left behind by someone he cares about, so he pushes
> everyone away by being a jackass. Wah, wah, wah. It's one thing to be a
> loner and push people away, but this loser had to be pushed into rescuing
> the person he supposedly loved (namely Rinoa) during the fight
> between Balamb Garden and Galbadia Garden. If his teammates hadn't
> pushed him into going to her aid, he would've let her die without anything
> more than his usual "whatever".
Well, actually Squall felt he was abandoned when his "sister" left, so to
prevent from being abandoned again, he shut everyone else out and told him
self that he didn't need anyone else. One of the problems with this was that
they made it bloody obvious what Squall's problem was, and in the meantime
didn't give Squall any other personality. I'm ~20 hours into Grandia2, and
am still being surprised by Ryudo's personality. Meanwhile, I figured out
Squall's personality by the time he tells Quistis to get lost on disc1.
His reaction was such a classic one that it should have been used in
Psychology 101... And unlike other FF characters, that's ALL Squall had
as a personality.
> Is it any wonder why I stopped playing FF8 sometime during disc 3? I just
> finally got sick and tired of trying to care for Squall. The interminable
> guardian force sequences didn't help matters, either.
I actually finished FF8 just to find out what happend with Laguna. IMHO,
Laguna should have been the main character, with him "flashing forward" to
Squall and party.
Peter L. Ward
: Besides, Ryudo shows emotions. Something Squall didn't do (and even the
: other characters had problems with that...)
Good point. The most Squall could ever muster up was indifference.
: And Ryudo (not to mention the other characters in Grandia2) have a sense
: of humor.
A foreign concept to Squall, that's for sure!
:> (spoiler space)
:> .
:> .
:> .
:> .
:> .
:> .
:> .
:> .
:> .
:> .
:> .
:> .
:> .
:> .
:> .
:> .
: Well, actually Squall felt he was abandoned when his "sister" left, so to
: prevent from being abandoned again, he shut everyone else out and told him
: self that he didn't need anyone else. One of the problems with this was that
: they made it bloody obvious what Squall's problem was, and in the meantime
: didn't give Squall any other personality. I'm ~20 hours into Grandia2, and
: am still being surprised by Ryudo's personality. Meanwhile, I figured out
: Squall's personality by the time he tells Quistis to get lost on disc1.
: His reaction was such a classic one that it should have been used in
: Psychology 101... And unlike other FF characters, that's ALL Squall had
: as a personality.
Yup...Squall was pretty one-dimensional, that's for sure. Too bad the one
dimension was thoroughly unlikable.
: I actually finished FF8 just to find out what happend with Laguna. IMHO,
: Laguna should have been the main character, with him "flashing forward" to
: Squall and party.
Yes, making Laguna the main character would've greatly improved
matters! I kept on wishing there were more sequences with him involved
while I played FF8, and was disappointed that there weren't. At least
they made up the Squall fiasco with FF9 and Zidane.
Todd Jones
Didn't know that was intentional. Especially since he was called that in
Japan. I actually made a comment about it once while talking about the game.
"Ryudo? More like Rude-o."
Doug Jacobs
> Didn't know that was intentional. Especially since he was called that in
> Japan. I actually made a comment about it once while talking about the game.
> "Ryudo? More like Rude-o."
I didn't think it was intentional either until I met the circus performers
at Agear. They were all named after food items.
Not sure if the Japanese developers were just trying to be cute, or if they're
too smart for their own good. I don't mind them keeping the names the same
as the Japanese version, though.
Free
Squall rocks, the strong silent type. He digs Rinoa.. even went out in
space to rescue her.. or don't you people that are bagging him actually play
the game???
"Todd Jones" <todd...@nethere.net> wrote in message
news:tl7s5hf...@corp.supernews.com...
T.J.
IMHO, FF8 was just weird in general. The plot was bad, the characters
were bad and it annoyed me to no end how slow the garden was and not to
mention how hard it was to steer...
Good things: The card game. Um... the card game.
T.J.
--
Chameleon's Den: NES, SNES, Sega Games - http://store.dominionserver.com
Doug Jacobs
> You bunch of Squall Bashers!!!
> Squall rocks, the strong silent type. He digs Rinoa.. even went out in
> space to rescue her.. or don't you people that are bagging him actually play
> the game???
Oh, I played (and finished) the game...
Squall was a class-A jerk and asshole for most of the game.
He did get a little better...but I had to wonder if he was just doing things
because he felt it was "expected" of him. "Huh, the script says I'm
supposed to go out and resuce this Rinoa chick, save the world, and be a
hero. Whatever..." If he *did* feel anything for Rinoa, he sure didn't
show it much until close to the end of the game.
One would expect him to show some emotion (anger, desparation, etc.) but,
no. Not Squall. Actuall, this was true for most of the characters. They
only had one fixed emotional state. I kept expecting Selphie to go jump
up and down and go "Whee! This is where my classmates got blown to
smithereens!"
But as badly as I dog Squall, he was at least useful in combat (perhaps
*too* powerful, but anyways...) Irvine, on the other hand, was a complete
embearassment and waste of space. He ended up in my final party when I
fought Ultimecia and I gleefully let him die.