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| Nekros 473th Post
  
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|  "Re(2):Capcom to announce new game at Tougeki" , posted Tue 31 Jul 22:02  
quote:
To elaborate on Iggy's post, this year's Tougeki/SBO is going to be a part of Arcadia's new Game Summer Festival 2012 event. The announcement by Capcom will be made at the event's extra stage on Day 2 (August 5), 3:40PM JST.
Naturally, people are wondering if it'll be Darkstalkers.
Now the scary thing is, this whole event is being held OUTDOORS in a park, meaning if it rains too much it can get canceled. Considering that people from abroad will be coming to compete, that's a pretty nasty thought.
Hope it will not rain, then! How's the weather forecast? Will try to see it on my Wii because I find it pretty accurate most of the times (here, at least).
Better be something interesting this time, I'm afraid is something Monster Hunter related. Remember the last time Capcom teased a "new arcade game" and people expected SFIV? We got War Of The Grail instead...
If Darkstalkers (interesting how Prof. didn't call it Vampire...it's getting the Akumajo treatment!) I pray every God I know to not have the same art direction as SFxT and SFIV. I wonder, due to Ono's recent issues, if this will be a joint project with someone else*, maybe Arc System Works. Basara X was not a good game, but I think a 2D Darkstalkers with a strict Capcom supervision MAY BE something to look at. The best case scenario is a Darkstalkers made by Crafts&Meister, wich probabily won't occur.
Maybe it's the new Rumble Fish, published by Capcom.
* Keep in mind that SFIV and SFxT were co-developed with DIMPS and TvC and MvC3 with Eighting.
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| Nekros 476th Post
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| "Re(4):Capcom to announce new game at Tougeki" , posted Wed 1 Aug 01:58:
quote:
I would love a new DarkStalkers, but why do you think Crafts&Meister would be a good developer for the game?
Because Funamizu is in. He's the very soul of 90s' Capcom and was behind their best fighting games (Super Turbo, Third Strike and Savior), not counting the various gem where credited as general producer (BOF III and IV, all CPS3 games, MVC series, Tech Romancer, Power Stone, Rival Schools, CVS 2, even Dino Crisis and Code Veronica).
He's a good choice to revamp Darkstalkers in a proper way, leading a team as Dimps he could make a better work than Ono. He even had projects on an early SFIV concept, he probabily had something for Vampire series as well that will come handy.
Also, CC2 may be a reasoning choice for their graphic engine (forget Asura, check Naruto games), but the gameplay must be done by someone else.
[this message was edited by Nekros on Wed 1 Aug 02:03] |
| Spoon 2352th Post
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| "Re(5):Capcom to announce new game at Tougeki" , posted Wed 1 Aug 07:08
quote:
I would love a new DarkStalkers, but why do you think Crafts&Meister would be a good developer for the game?
Because Funamizu is in. He's the very soul of 90s' Capcom and was behind their best fighting games (Super Turbo, Third Strike and Savior), not counting the various gem where credited as general producer (BOF III and IV, all CPS3 games, MVC series, Tech Romancer, Power Stone, Rival Schools, CVS 2, even Dino Crisis and Code Veronica).
He's a good choice to revamp Darkstalkers in a proper way, leading a team as Dimps he could make a better work than Ono. He even had projects on an early SFIV concept, he probabily had something for Vampire series as well that will come handy.
Also, CC2 may be a reasoning choice for their graphic engine (forget Asura, check Naruto games), but the gameplay must be done by someone else.
Crafts and Meister hasn't done anything that would make me want them to make a new Darkstalkers. Their only fighting game, Super DBZ, was made in a collaboration with Arika. While I do have plenty of sentimental attachment to the games Funamizu was a planner on, Crafts and Meister isn't just Funamizu any more than Capcom of the 90s was just Funamizu.
Very few companies made the breadth of fighting games that Capcom did in the 90s, ranging from traditional SF to Cyberbots to Vs. series to Tech Romancer. But quite a bunch of the planners from that time are actually still working at Capcom! However, Bengus no longer works at Capcom, and it would be very interesting to see his take on the Darkstalkers characters after so many years.
But really the question is what a new Darkstalkers game should be, and that answer is different for everybody. Some would be more than happy to have a game that plays exactly like the old ones, looks exactly like the old ones, but has more stuff... and considering how good the old ones are, yeah, that's a pretty reasonable thing to want. I frankly don't know what I would want in a new one, because the style of the old one stands out so strongly in my mind, but I feel like it would be a wasted opportunity to treat the old stuff so reverently that all we'd wind up with is a watered-down retread.
You know what, I'd like to get a Spanish team to make it. Spain has done a great job of surprising me over the past year.
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| Pollyanna 3267th Post
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| "Re(5):Legend of Meshiuma Su Perro" , posted Thu 9 Aug 04:58
quote:
I doubt that anyone here cares, but the next SRW has finally gotten a release date, slated for October. The game is here after years of being rumored to be in development (without confirmation) and after a "healthy" 1 year delay since it's first announced release date.
I just recently finished Z2-2 on PSP. It had WAY too much Code Geass, but I would consider the Z-2 games to be among the best (if not THE best) SRPGs I've played. Still, I can't get into OG. It's like "let's make a game that combines all your favorite robots, then take all of them out!" It would be different if I liked the OG designs, but they're almost always too tacky for my tastes. I did like the villain designs in Z-2, though that was a different artist.
Speaking of Z-2, since I doubt this would come up again, I really enjoyed Basara in that game. Since he could only sing, he couldn't attack most of the enemies in the game. Fortunately, one of the few enemies he COULD attack was the last boss, so I was quite delighted to win the game with the power of rock and roll.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| chazumaru 909th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member++
| "Re(1):The world Ends With You iOS Ending" , posted Sun 2 Sep 00:29
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And man, what's up with that new FF13 spinoff.
There had been hints for more than eight months, but at least this one seems quite different from the first two, so even if it is bad, we will have fresh reasons to complain. Also, with this and MGS, people finally have another reason to come visit TGS, instead of making it yet another "Tokyo Ryu Ga Gotoku + Monster Hunter show".
The more impressive thing is that it will most likely come out before Final Fantasy Versus XIII. In fact, it is quite possible that FF15 will come out before FFv13 as well. (I am not kidding.)
At least, we know SQEX was serious when they said "the Fabula Nova Crystallis project might last ten years".
マジカル学習と言ったら勉強♪勉強と言ったら学園♪学園と言ったらジャスティス♪ジャスティスと言ったら裁判♪裁判と言ったら逆転♪逆転と言ったらさよなら！♪さよならと言ったら淋しい♪淋しいと言ったらなみだ♪なみだと言ったらティッシュペーパー♪ティッシュペーパーと言ったらエロ漫画♪
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| Pollyanna 3285th Post
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| "Bravely Default Demo" , posted Fri 14 Sep 13:04:
The new Bravely Default Demo is out and holy crap am I crazy about it. It's wonderfully devious. It lets you loose with plenty of jobs, an overhead map and several dungeons/areas full of enemies that are too difficult for you. The urge to play, discover and grow stronger bit by bit (as in any good RPG) is overwhelming, despite it being a demo. I expect Square to impress and dazzle me with presentation, but I'm surprised that I've been filled with a desire to just PLAY so quickly.
There's nothing revolutionary about it, but it does have that old Dragon Quest magic that makes you keep piddling your hours away for the next tiny bite of adventure.
I am extremely fond of the game's use of 3D. Rather than making it look more "rounded" it has a sort of "pop-up book" look. The character's renders look more like illustrations and are "flat" as well. Thanks to the 3DS' tiny screen, they can get away with a lot more and they're quite clever with it. It makes me think of something like Ghost Trick, which played with the strengths and weaknesses of the DS to make a strong presentation. Bravely Default, when played in 3D looks "perfect", whether it's a technological achievement or not.
Also the soundtrack is PUNCH TO THE FACE INCREDIBLE. I hope the story is good, but it's preordered either way.
EDIT: Crappy quality, but here's the battle theme.
ALSO
I was interested but unimpressed when I first saw Harmoknight , but that's before I realized that it was an (already released) affordable downloadable title. Unfortunately, I haven't tried the demo yet because I'm "stuck" on Bravely Default.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
[this message was edited by Pollyanna on Fri 14 Sep 15:41] |
| karasu99 993th Post
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| "Re(1):Bravely Default Demo" , posted Sat 15 Sep 00:59:
quote:
The new Bravely Default Demo is out and holy crap am I crazy about it. It's wonderfully devious. It lets you loose with plenty of jobs, an overhead map and several dungeons/areas full of enemies that are too difficult for you. The urge to play, discover and grow stronger bit by bit (as in any good RPG) is overwhelming, despite it being a demo. I expect Square to impress and dazzle me with presentation, but I'm surprised that I've been filled with a desire to just PLAY so quickly.
There's nothing revolutionary about it, but it does have that old Dragon Quest magic that makes you keep piddling your hours away for the next tiny bite of adventure.
I am extremely fond of the game's use of 3D. Rather than making it look more "rounded" it has a sort of "pop-up book" look. The character's renders look more like illustrations and are "flat" as well. Thanks to the 3DS' tiny screen, they can get away with a lot more and they're quite clever with it. It makes me think of something like Ghost Trick, which played with the strengths and weaknesses of the DS to make a strong presentation. Bravely Default, when played in 3D looks "perfect", whether it's a technological achievement or not.
Very cool! I had actually been looking into Bravely Default because it had been compared to FFV, one of my favorite RPGs from the old days, but with this additional info you've pretty much cemented my buying it. I'm especially excited to see the 3D now that you've described it! There's been so much blasé use of 3D on the 3DS so far that I had been getting bored with it. Thanks for the info! We seem to have similar taste so I know your suggestions will often result in me playing a game that I'll enjoy.
EDIT: Speaking of the 3DS (and since we're also talking about Nishimura in that other thread), I don't recall seeing anyone post that they had tried Code of Princess so far. The US release isn't until next month, but I thought some enterprising person with a Japan version 3DS might have checked it out already.
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[this message was edited by karasu99 on Sat 15 Sep 01:08] |
| Pollyanna 3286th Post
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| "Re(2):Bravely Default Demo" , posted Sat 15 Sep 07:39:
quote:
Very cool! I had actually been looking into Bravely Default because it had been compared to FFV, one of my favorite RPGs from the old days, but with this additional info you've pretty much cemented my buying it.
Yes, it's like FFV or FFIII, I guess. Visually, it's like FFIX, not just in terms of the cartoony characters, but the rick environments, too. It seems to be fairly challenging, so you're certainly encouraged to take advantage of the huge amount of job/skill tinkering you can do. Status ailments are quite a problem. Unlike most games, they don't go away on their own. If your black mage is silenced and you don't have anything to fix that, you're totally screwed.
Also, for the record, the demo seems to be a (fairly small) overhead map, 3 dungeons and I think 4 boss fights? Each boss you defeat gives you another set of items to use in the final game. It reminds me of the Type-0 demo, which was also quite meaty and gave you a list of challenges to pass to get costumes for the final game.
EDIT: Actual info
The class system is really versatile. Any class can use any weapon, but they have different proficiencies with them (so you wouldn't give your white mage a katana). Some "mage" weapons even have higher attack stats, depending on the particular weapon.
Each class has their own command (black magic for black mage, for example), but can also equip one other class' command. So if you have a ninja and also equip a red mage's command (Black/White magic), you can use low level black and white spells. In addition to that, you have 4 passive skill slots that can use any class skills you've unlocked. You don't have skill points to choose which skills you unlock, however. You just have a job level that unlocks something new at each level up. Spells are purchased and can be used by anyone who meets the class level requirements. (cure is whm level 1, raise is whm level 3).
There's also the "brave" and "default" battle options that either pass for a turn or let you use two actions. If you "brave" you can attack/cast twice, but lose your next turn. "Default" makes you defend for the turn, but lets you go twice the next turn. In a pinch, a Whm can heal two people with a brave. If there's no one to heal, they can store up "turns" by defaulting until an emergency. Different passive skills give you "brave points" in different circumstances (such as after a dodge) and enemies can brave and default as well. When a boss defaults, you can guess something bad is coming in the next turn.
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That AR demo turned me off, glad to hear that it's an actual fun game.
It came with several of these, but I haven't watched them yet. It's just a sort of novelty promotion thing, isn't it?
quote:
Speaking of the 3DS (and since we're also talking about Nishimura in that other thread), I don't recall seeing anyone post that they had tried Code of Princess so far. The US release isn't until next month, but I thought some enterprising person with a Japan version 3DS might have checked it out already.
This is a tough one for me. The game looks strange. I really can't tell if it's good or not, so I can't justify the import price. Worse, I have a grudge against Atlus dubs, so that makes the US release undesirable to me as well. I had enough interest to buy the artbook, so I'm sure I'll play it eventually...
EDIT:
quote:
There's been so much blasé use of 3D on the 3DS so far that I had been getting bored with it.
This is the first instance of 3D in a game that I ABSOLUTELY have to have on. In most cases it seems to either hurt the clarity of the graphics or do nothing in particular. The exception (that I've seen) is Kid Icarus, which looks neat and makes it easier to tell when something's going to hit you. Unfortunately, I find it a bit headache inducing and it's difficult for me to maintain the "sweet spot" with all the frantic action.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
[this message was edited by Pollyanna on Sat 15 Sep 10:11] |
| Pollyanna 3290th Post
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| "Re(2):Project X Zone again" , posted Tue 18 Sep 16:06
Stupidly long Project X Zone trailer
I actually stopped watching after a few minutes, because I don't want everything spoiled before I get the game.
In other 3DS news...
Not much to say about SMT4. SMT has a good history on numbered titles, so it carries a heavy weight of expectation. I think if I don't focus on what it ISN'T, I'll probably love it.
I finally finished the Bravely Default demo, which can easily last 8 hours or more. I could not possibly be more excited about this game.
Played the Harmoknight demo, which is exactly what it looks like in the trailers. I appreciated the challenge, but the "children's style" music isn't really for me. It did bring back some nice memories from the heyday of music games, though.
I also tried the demo for the new Sangoku Musou update. I love the way you switch characters to "solve problems" for each other. This should be in every game. Other than that, I found it way too choppy and sluggish to be even vaguely fun. I'm very guarded about when people recommend Musou games to me and this only cements that. And yet at the same time, I'm so glad I listened to the recommendations for DW7, which was really excellent. I can see where people who suffered through mediocre Musou games might find the 3DS version a suitable "portable alternative," but DW7 is my new standard. I'll wait for another one in that class before I visit the series again.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| Loona 627th Post
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| "Re(4):Project X Zone again" , posted Tue 18 Sep 20:26
That was nice, though it could have been shorter if they'd cut out attacks that were already in previous videos - still, that multiple assault compilation at the end was nice.
I'd forgotten both Demitri and Dante had alternate demonic looks to them, which the trailer reminded of early on (sort of creating a theme for their team), then actually making use of that in their multiple assault attack by the end wrapped it all neatly.
'Twas also nice that there was a glimpse of a Batsu/Bahn scene.
As for Reiji and Xiaomu, I think they're too strongly associated with NxC, which Sega might take issue with if they were the protagonists.
I haven't warmed up to the new ones yet, but maybe it'll take more story context to appreciate them - when I think about it, in NxC there was this theme, intentionally or not, of Reiji hanging out with this mythical being (centuries old fox in the process of turning human) from a foreign country (China) who acted all child-like, Xiaomu, while having personal issues to work out with a Japanese counterpart to the kind of being Xiaomu is, that acted a lot more adult in every possible way.
Kind of like an appeal to grow up while being surrounded by all sorts of fantasy throughout his story. It's maybe a thin theme to interpret, but still something of a theme.
I'm curious to see if there'll be more to the new guys than a modern Journey to the West aesthetic, but I'll be quite glad if the actual game gets localized in the West for a start.
"Beat the machine that works in your head!" - Guano Apes "Open Your Eyes"
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| Spoon 2358th Post
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| "Re(5):Project X Zone again" , posted Wed 19 Sep 04:04
Of all the things to be in Project X Zone... DYNAMITE DEKA!
Can't even be mad at anything now.
Interesting that of all the series featured in the game, so many Darkstalkers characters were featured (Demitri, Zabel, Jedah, Leilei, Morrigan). I don't think any series had 5 characters featured, not even Tekken (Jin, Heihachi, Xiaoyu, Alisa).
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| Iggy 9383th Post
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| "Re(6):Project X Zone again" , posted Wed 19 Sep 06:44
quote:
Interesting that of all the series featured in the game, so many Darkstalkers characters were featured (Demitri, Zabel, Jedah, Leilei, Morrigan). I don't think any series had 5 characters featured, not even Tekken (Jin, Heihachi, Xiaoyu, Alisa).
SF also have 5, if not more, I believe: Ryu, Ken, Chunli, Juri, Seth. I'm sure Dictator must be somewhere too.
As the main selling point of the title, when even Leilei's boobs can be taken as the main focus of her animation, you have to admire the staff's dedication. I'm just not sure I want to go there, though.
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| Loona 628th Post
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| "Re(6):Project X Zone again" , posted Wed 19 Sep 09:44
quote:
Interesting that of all the series featured in the game, so many Darkstalkers characters were featured (Demitri, Zabel, Jedah, Leilei, Morrigan). I don't think any series had 5 characters featured, not even Tekken (Jin, Heihachi, Xiaoyu, Alisa).
Sakura Taisen has 6 if you count the villains - I don't know if they're all in the same continuity, but it's still a big number for this game.
And funnier if you take into account the expectations that Sakura Taisen would never be in a Super Robot Wars, yet has lots of characters sharing a game with other characters from that series (Sanger and the Endless Frontier characters count).
"Beat the machine that works in your head!" - Guano Apes "Open Your Eyes"
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| Nekros 508th Post
New Red Carpet Member
| "Re(1):Magician Lord NGPC alpha version" , posted Sun 30 Sep 04:17
quote:
I must admit I never heard of that.
Looks nice, too bad!
We always got schooled by reading NeoGAF :P
Magician Lord could've been a good addition to NGPC library.
Speaking of addition to game libraries...anyone got Tokyo Jungle? As an amateur zoologist it surprised me: not expecting an arcade game so fast-paced! Also, some animals choices I don't get (dinosaurs? Tosa dog over Shiba, Akita or Ainu breeds? Why not Orca Whales, Agapornis parrots, Galapagos Tortoises, Bigfoot, Chupacabras...) and a creepy equipment option made this game one of the weirdest thing I played this year. The pacing and the music are also very strange to me, yet somewhat entertaining. Oh, and it has cats...cats are really something, everyone of you deserve to have one.
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| badoor 284th Post
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| "Re(3):Magician Lord NGPC alpha version" , posted Sun 30 Sep 09:41:
It's been the thing I've been playing lately. I like the survival mode's roguelike structure. As a fan of Shiren the Wanderer, it's a nice compensation for the desolation the out-of-japan populace is living in. But Tokyo Jungle is great on its own terms. And really it's probably the weirdest, most distinct, least comparable-to-other-titles game in like forever (maybe since Katamari Damacy, which I bet Tokyo Jungle would replace as the next weird out-there "Japanese" game that games media likes to use as an example).
The music is kinda out-of-context dance music but really can there even be music that's in-context with it? It's also kinda muted and barely noticeable, which means that I can listen to other things on my own while playing it and I'm ok with that.
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I had heard rumors of it long ago, but assumed it was nonsense. It's interesting to see screens, but I'm confused as to why it still has the ADK logo... I thought ADK was defunct at that point. They certainly weren't doing much, at least!
While they stopped making Neo Geo MVS/AES after Twinkle Star Sprites in 96, they continued developing NGP/NGPC titles (or it could be that ADK was merely a brand by that point to license titles from, owned by SNK). One of their NGPC games, a remake of one of their earliest arcade title, Crush Roller, seems to still have their logo attached, so they could've been making Magician Lord NGPC.
EDIT: I got mixed up with Crush Roller on who made the original, who developed/published the arcade ver. and who did the NGPC ver..
[this message was edited by badoor on Sun 30 Sep 10:04] |
| karasu99 1002th Post
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| "Re(2):Resident Evil 6 alpha version" , posted Wed 3 Oct 02:15
quote:
At least columnists are being creative again.
That isn't a review, that's ad hominem kvetching. At some point I would like to read a reasoned, detailed review that explains what is wrong with RE6 in comparison to the other games in the series. As it is I have yet to come across something that will convince me that the vitriol aimed at this game is anything more than the internet herd mentality deciding that RE6 was going to be the game everyone hates on now.
Oddly enough I feel like there's a correlation between the Resident Evil series struggling to remain relevant amidst a sea of cover shooters starring enormous pectoral muscle sporting dudes and articles written about said series struggling to remain original despite saying just about the same thing they always say about recent games in the Resident Evil series: that there's just about nothing more to be said about the premise of shooting a bunch of zombies/mutants/genetic abnormalities/virus victims, but that it's unlikely to stop Capcom from making more games in the series as long as they sell like crazy, as 4 and 5 seem to have done. Amusingly enough, this whole thing interestingly parallels the horror movie/critic relationship pretty well too!
As for me, my critical mind can't stop spinning when it comes to Resident Evil games, which years ago I used to eagerly anticipate. The series has continually drifted away from what I enjoyed in the earlier series (scares, puzzles, backtracking, exploration, ammo conservation, cramped environs with a few well placed frightening enemies) toward what I don't care for in games (first/third person shooting, cover systems, sniping, wide open environs with hordes of enemies), but that's okay since I've got a lot of games to play otherwise. Capcom's unlikely to miss my money among the thousands that will eagerly play the game.
quote:
[edit]
Special gift for the inclined gentlemen of the Café.
For the first time a RE controls the way I want it to control.
Ohohohoho, I do like that little touches like that can make it into games. It reminds me on some level of the toilet joke that developed over the course of the first few Silent Hill games. Although... and here's that critical brain kicking in again... how is it that with the kind of graphical capabilities of game systems today the guy in the foreground looks as though he's made from wax? I suppose he's supposed to be sweaty and Youtube is doing him no favors.
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| Pollyanna 3300th Post
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| "Re(5):Resident Evil 6 alpha version" , posted Wed 3 Oct 16:15
I'm along for the ride on Biohazard 6. Look at all that crap they rendered! Check out all that stuff blowing up! What's with the weird way that Leon opens doors? Punching zombies is awesome! How many ways can their heads explode? Oh my god, this dialogue is hilarious! Face-paced QTEs for mundane events!
The big thing with me is that the game is really stop-and-go. It's poorly suited for a 2 player experience. The "play as the enemy" mode feels like it has to suffer considerably under this constraint as well. The game tries to be an action game, but locks you too tightly in a narrative. This hurts replayability as well, in my opinion.
Hoping Mercenaries Mode is good, though.
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I am honestly wondering if there is a divide between what the majority of consumers are looking into with this series and what the media think they want. Reviews seem to echo the general sentiment online but not the vox populi in stores.
Most of the "old" players who like the earlier games still buy the new ones anyway. So many people complain about "the good old days" and there's no pleasing them. Like Sonic Fans who still weren't satisfied with Generations. They just want to be 12 again.
I suppose it's possible to make a fresh-feeling Biohazard that's full of new ideas but also somehow like the old ones, but that's a tall order.
A lot of people seem to remember BH2 as the best in the series, which is completely confounding to me. I can't think of a single nice thing that game had that the modern games are lacking.
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That isn't a review, that's ad hominem kvetching. At some point I would like to read a reasoned, detailed review that explains what is wrong with RE6 in comparison to the other games in the series.
Bolded for emphasis. I can agree with a lot of people's assessments of the game's shortcomings, but I don't understand the huge reaction. What were these people expecting? Complaining about the dialogue is especially silly. I was so thrilled to hear Leon say "What's the matter? Not a fan of the sewers?" With no Wesker around, everyone else has to step up.
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But your comment is interesting because a French journalist, who was also extremely critical of the game, told me during TGS that he expected Bio6 to be attacked by American media as an "acceptable target". It is a modern Japanese game made by non-stars (no Platinum/Suda/Kojima behind) and follow-up up to an over-hyped episode.
He expected Bio 6 would serve as a convenient scapegoat for American journalists to have at hand the next time they are (quite fairly) accused of overhyping games, drinking the kool-aid of major publishers and indulging in what is often described at critical "corruption". i.e. Free pass to give the next GTA a perfect score again.
This is scarier than anything in any Biohazard because it's probably true.
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Demon's/Dark Souls practically are survival horror games.
I had the same thought when I was playing Dark Souls. The feeling of trepidation is fantastic.
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Dead Space interestingly is also in a tenuous position with respect to the survival aspect of survival horror.
What do you mean by this? I didn't play the first Dead Space, but the second game felt like a cheap haunted house where you always know loud things are going to jump out at you. The only difference is in Dead Space you have all the powers of every superhero at your disposal to completely waste anything that startles you.
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Yeah, the Raccoon City spinoff was made by a studio in Vancouver that has some people I know in it, and I think in general everybody was surprised by how successful the game has been. The line for success evidently wasn't that high, but they've beaten it by a quite a margin.
Yeah, their sales expectations for the game were shockingly low! It must've been inexpensive to produce for them to aim so low. Kind of a shame, as it seemed like the game had the right idea, but was too rough around the edges to be a lasting hit.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| karasu99 1003th Post
PSN: robotchris
XBL: robotchris
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Premium Member
|  "Re(6):Resident Evil 6 alpha version" , posted Thu 4 Oct 00:58
quote:
I'm along for the ride on Biohazard 6. Look at all that crap they rendered! Check out all that stuff blowing up! What's with the weird way that Leon opens doors? Punching zombies is awesome! How many ways can their heads explode? Oh my god, this dialogue is hilarious! Face-paced QTEs for mundane events!
It's comments like these (and those of a few other friends who are playing the game) that make me want to try it. I had heard that the exploration/strategy/scare stuff was played up pretty well in Leon's scenario, but I've also heard that Chris's is pretty much 100% shooting and that what's scary is all the explosions, not the enemies.
quote:
Most of the "old" players who like the earlier games still buy the new ones anyway. So many people complain about "the good old days" and there's no pleasing them. Like Sonic Fans who still weren't satisfied with Generations. They just want to be 12 again.
I suppose it's possible to make a fresh-feeling Biohazard that's full of new ideas but also somehow like the old ones, but that's a tall order.
I'll admit to being a big fan of the 'old' series, but that doesn't really relate to my feelings on 5 and (maybe) 6. My problem is that I suck at shooting games, which translates well to the old-style enclosed environs, but makes the new games frustrating for (to me) all the wrong reasons. It's not that I don't want the series to evolve (I do), it's that it's evolved in a way that makes playing not as fun.
I'll undoubtedly pick up the game at some point, but for now I'm holding off since I already have a bunch of games queued up to play (as always) and I'm trying to train myself not to just buy everything right when it comes out. Especially a game like this that will have no shortage of copies around anytime soon.
quote:
A lot of people seem to remember BH2 as the best in the series, which is completely confounding to me. I can't think of a single nice thing that game had that the modern games are lacking.
This is mystifying to me too. I always felt like Code Veronica did things really well-- from the locales to the enemy designs to the difficulty. The enemy design in particular was extremely memorable! BH2 I always thought was a good expansion of the original, but the destroyed city location never really felt right to me and there was something about the game's difficulty that always felt off.
quote:
Bolded for emphasis. I can agree with a lot of people's assessments of the game's shortcomings, but I don't understand the huge reaction. What were these people expecting? Complaining about the dialogue is especially silly. I was so thrilled to hear Leon say "What's the matter? Not a fan of the sewers?" With no Wesker around, everyone else has to step up.
Yes, it's hard to think of what any of the critics even wanted from the game. I've been reading a lot of reviews purely for the fun of seeing the complaints that they contain-- one I read last night complained about how the story isn't cohesive at all. And this for a series that has been goofily written for its entire history! It's like watching Dawn of the Dead and complaining that you can't understand the characters' motivations or something.
I'm curious in a lot of ways about BH6. SEVEN leads? It's interesting to think about what kinds of inventory concerns and gameplay adjustment that a decision like that entails.
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| Pollyanna 3301th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
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Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(7):Resident Evil 6 alpha version" , posted Thu 4 Oct 09:19
quote:
It's comments like these (and those of a few other friends who are playing the game) that make me want to try it. I had heard that the exploration/strategy/scare stuff was played up pretty well in Leon's scenario, but I've also heard that Chris's is pretty much 100% shooting and that what's scary is all the explosions, not the enemies.
I'm killing more zombies with taekwondo kicks than anything else in Leon's scenario, so it's hard to consider it "horror".
However, the atmosphere is excellent. The lighting in the game is really extraordinary and a lot of the locations look spooky as a result. This carries over to all scenarios, though Leon's seems to do it best(?).
quote:
I'll admit to being a big fan of the 'old' series, but that doesn't really relate to my feelings on 5 and (maybe) 6. My problem is that I suck at shooting games, which translates well to the old-style enclosed environs, but makes the new games frustrating for (to me) all the wrong reasons. It's not that I don't want the series to evolve (I do), it's that it's evolved in a way that makes playing not as fun.
I didn't mean to belittle your opinion, it's just that most people who complain about the direction the series has gone in play the new games anyway, so from a sales perspective, there's no reason for Capcom to make any changes...especially when those changes would be difficult to achieve.
Personally, my favorite is still the original (the remake is excellent, too) followed by Code Veronica. The difficulty is figuring out how the ideas that I liked in those games would transfer to a modern game without feeling clunky.
My favorite part of the original was making mental maps in my head, like "I can go down this hallway, or this hallway, I have 6 bullets to spare and I can avoid this zombie and this one, but not this one. If I get hit here, it's worth it vs wasting ammo" etc. etc. I would love to see this kind of thinking applied to a modern game with an increased focus on cinematics. The Last of Us seems to be the closest thing. I mean, it's hard to say, since I haven't actually played the game, but from what I've seen, it has a very harsh sense of survival, frightening violence and a strong emphasis on "how do I get out of this situation?". If the game turns out the way it looks, I think it'll be a perfect model for future survival horror games. If they applied those ideas to a Biohazard with a similar setup to the original, it would probably turn into an all-time favorite for me.
Even playing Uncharted, I thought "Capcom should learn from this" in terms of how it takes you through a scene without taking you out of it and gives you lots of contextual actions with both enemies and the environment. Bio6 totally misses the mark on this one with its QTEs and while you do have contextual actions, they're mostly reserved for "badass ways to kill enemies" (head to the wall=exploding head).
I actually love the QTEs in Bio6 because they're hilarious, and often have you doing really silly things (looking for keys, pressing a button), but they don't do anything for the game...they just make me laugh.
quote:
I've also realized that I will never be able to call the game by it's proper Biohazard name just because I enjoy hearing the announcer say "Resident Eeevil" at the start screen too much.
I feel the same way with "Biohazard" because this was my first exposure to the game (it was on the SFZ disk) Dear God, if you never watch another video I link to, watch this one. It's the greatest trailer ever made
I sang this song and recreated scenes from this trailer so much when I was a kid. I mean, it went on for years. Almost every single scene gives you something to laugh at. I don't even need to pick it apart.
quote:
Capcom lately has been held up as the poster child for everything that is wrong with the Japanese game industry
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| Gojira 2880th Post
PSN: Gojira_X
XBL: Gojiraaa
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Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(10):Resident Evil 6 alpha version" , posted Fri 5 Oct 07:25
quote:
Unfortunately, I feel that it also inherited the clunkiness of the earlier games. It was excusable at the time, because everything about the game felt fresh and exciting, but not so much anymore. That's what I mean when I say it's a tall order to have a new game feel fresh and still be like the earlier games.
I hate to say that because I was just complaining about fans who don't actually want the same thing, they just want to be kids again, but the early games were always clumsy to play...you just didn't care because the presentation/total package was good and fresh. Some games just don't age as well as others.
Maybe it's just because I grew up accepting any kind of control scheme and running with it, but I directly correlate a feeling of unease and tension with clunky controls. As a fairly recent example, in Demon's Souls the controls are IMHO very clunky. They work insofar that up goes up and you can hit a button and something happens, but if you're looking to do something amazing with them you're probably out of luck. So when you're outnumbered or facing a very strong or annoying enemy, it's tense as hell because you know this jalopy you're driving is only JUST good enough to do the job. And then you reach the swamps or something that raises the stakes higher, and you're almost too paralyzed with caution to do anything.
I feel like old RE games had this philosophy down, and even RE4 did to some extent. But Capcom kind of lost themselves in the knee-jerk reactions past that, and as a result turned the series into action kitsch. It's fun in a different way now, but it's not even close to tense anymore. Between this and Tomb Raider it just shows that there's a thin line between evolving and changing into something else entirely.
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| karasu99 1005th Post
PSN: robotchris
XBL: robotchris
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Premium Member
| "Re(2):Re(10):Resident Evil 6 alpha version" , posted Fri 5 Oct 07:49
quote:
I feel like old RE games had this philosophy down, and even RE4 did to some extent. But Capcom kind of lost themselves in the knee-jerk reactions past that, and as a result turned the series into action kitsch. It's fun in a different way now, but it's not even close to tense anymore. Between this and Tomb Raider it just shows that there's a thin line between evolving and changing into something else entirely.
Well, yeah, this is a really good point. RE 1-3 and CV were almost like an interactive horror movie, full of lots of things that stopped the tension because, well, things needed to load. Like the infamous door opening scene. The camera was fixed and the backgrounds were pre rendered, again for performance and system capabilities. Honestly if Capcom tried to pull that kind of stuff today, I'd be shocked. Plus the old tank controls were the subject of complaints even back in the 90's. Those in particular I'm amazed stuck around for as long as they did. Speaking of controls, ironically that's what still frustrates me in the newer games. I find it hard to keep my cool in the face of a huge number of enemies rushing me when I don't know for sure I can aim in time. But I also don't ever play FPS games, so I haven't been trained at all for that kind of play.
I think what I mean is that the series had to change from its roots in one way or another. But I agree, I loved the series for its scares and for its sense of dread and tension, and with some exceptions they almost completely disappeared in 5. I feel like 4 still had a lot of honest scares, but the direction had already changed toward what it is today. Part of it in 5 was honestly even the setting-- brightly lit and RE don't mix for me, nor do huge, wide open spaces.
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| Grave 1474th Post
PSN: Drakee
XBL: eccothedolphin
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Executive Member
| "Style Savvy Trendsetters demo in US eShop" , posted Fri 5 Oct 14:20
IT'S PERFECT. I have zero reservations about the sequel being every bit as brilliant as the original. GOTY material. GET READY FOR FASHION!
Yeah, so I don't know shit about RE6 but I'll throw this in: Operation Raccoon City is such a confusing thing for me. It's such a fun idea wasted on a bottom rung developer like Slant Six. I haven't played it post-patch but I was thinking about snagging another copy from work to give it a spin to see if they did improve anything. I have stories for days about the braindead AI, the moronic physics and weapon behavior, connection problems... a good coat of polish could have led to something fun but still horribly flawed. What they shipped was a mess. A mess that evidently got decent returns on their investment they signed another shithouse no-talent bottom of the barrel developer immediately to ruin Lost Planet 3 as well! Capcom...
Some other thoughts:
One Piece Pirate Warriors
OK, OK, I know! Guy who whines about games not having discs and digital downloads being too expensive shouldn't be dropping $50 on one. That's just wrong, right? Right? Well... I'll say the same thing I say about every licensed Musou game. If you're a huge fan of this property and like Musou games, GET IT NOW! OP fans who can tolerate repetition should probably get it too. Folks looking for a regular Musou game should steer clear.
Enjoying how this game captures key moments in the series, but I'm baffled how anyone can use QTE-type controls so poorly! This game's "platforming" is such a horrifying joke and yet the place where QTEs might have worked would have been in combat - and the major duels aren't anywhere near as impressive as they could have been. Still, I'm very happy that it got localized in some form.
Tokyo Jungle
Tokyo Jungle is poetry and every playthrough is an emotional rollercoaster. As brilliant as survival mode is single player, I recommend trying co-op. It's local only, but you can draw so many things from it. Usually when I ask my girlfriend if she wants to try a game I'm playing I get shut right down, but this was different. We dove right in and trying to explain the concept and controls of the game as it's happening, while fending off attacks and keeping hunger at bay, feels almost like raising young in this game's savage, unforgiving world... I was so proud when she got her first clean kill 
NiGHTS into dreams
Hey, it's really here! It's on PSN! AGAINST ALL ODDS EVERYTHING SEEMS PERFECT AND IT'S KILLLINNNNNGGG MEEEEE! I almost threw up when I heard the Sonic Team whisper and the ring sound! The videos are as cleaned up as they could be from that time, I guess. "Saturn Mode" preserves the low poly look but is still cleaner than I'd like for an original presentation, but WOW! The cleanup job they did as far as I've seen (first Claris and Elliot levels only) is gorgeous! It's an absolute joy to play this game again and I really hope a new audience can come to appreciate it. Word has it that they included Christmas Nights, and I guess we'll know soon enough! The US Xmas Nights disc has been one of my prized possessions for so long- maybe I can finally part with it? Pfft get out of here.
Between this and the Daytona USA port we got earler, I know someone at Sega still loves us and cares about us. I want to kiss them.
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| Pollyanna 3304th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
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Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(1):Style Savvy Trendsetters demo in US eSh" , posted Fri 5 Oct 16:58
quote:
Polly has demonstrated piercing insight and a keen sense of interior design.
Another favorite in Leon's game is this party tray full of...uhm...either very tiny burritos or SUPER HUGE sushi. It really looks like sushi, but that would be some fucked up sushi, yo.
quote:
Maybe it's just because I grew up accepting any kind of control scheme and running with it, but I directly correlate a feeling of unease and tension with clunky controls. As a fairly recent example, in Demon's Souls the controls are IMHO very clunky. They work insofar that up goes up and you can hit a button and something happens, but if you're looking to do something amazing with them you're probably out of luck.
I agree with the "if you're looking to do something amazing you're probably out of luck", but I don't consider the controls in DS clunky at all...just that you're a (mostly) human put into a situation that could probably use a superhuman. Kind of like Monster Hunter.
Bio1-3 made me feel like my character was less competent than me. I don't need crazy taekwondo kicks like in Bio6, but I like to feel like simple things are easy to do. There are so many basic human functions that would've helped the early Biohazard heroes.
I think Bio 4 was closer, where you have some definite limitations, but at the very least you can shoot your gun and bat things off effectively.
Personally, I'd like some contextual tools to use against zombies that don't involve wrestling moves that make their heads blow up.
quote:
I find it hard to keep my cool in the face of a huge number of enemies rushing me when I don't know for sure I can aim in time.
I love this aspect of 4 and 5 where you have to think very carefully where you're going to aim, which zombies to aim at and when you have the time to stomp. It might not be horror, but it's good tension. I feel like your response is probably what they were aiming for, whether it's a positive thing for you or not.
I'm not going to go into detail about everything that's wrong with Bio 6. The game just steamrolls over everything-including the player. When the game works, it's great, but you literally can't go 5 minutes without being hit with some BS. I'm rolling with the punches, so I'm having a great time, but the game is still a disaster in many ways.
quote:
One Piece Pirate Warriors
I'm sad you're a bit disappointed with the boss fights. I thought they were extraordinary for a Musou game and didn't overuse QTEs. As for the platforming segments...well, I wouldn't play a game that just consisted of that, but again, I'm pleased at how far they stretched the system compared to a normal Musou game. I thought the last battle with Magellan was really inventive.
The straight up musou mode is pretty sparse, though, and it's a nightmare to play 2 on one screen. I love how dynamic the character animations are, but you really need a full screen to see what the hell you're doing. It's a shame that you spend 90% of story mode as Luffy when the other characters turned out well too, but I have a feeling we'll soon see a sequel with a more robust beat 'em up mode.
Did they ever publish a complete soundtrack? The one that came with the LE was less than half of the music. Though at least it had the Baratie theme...
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| karasu99 1006th Post
PSN: robotchris
XBL: robotchris
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Premium Member
| "Re(2):Style Savvy Trendsetters demo in US eSh" , posted Sat 6 Oct 06:12
quote:
Another favorite in Leon's game is this party tray full of...uhm...either very tiny burritos or SUPER HUGE sushi. It really looks like sushi, but that would be some fucked up sushi, yo.
I played some of the demo last night (figuring that was safer than dropping the whole 60 in case I didn't care for it) and I found the Leon bit to be pretty well done. I don't know if it's just that it's the demo, but it seemed like the inventory system was overhauled to be much more confusing. I've also been looking for all those touches that Polly mentioned, which has made the game a lot more fun in one respect at least, but so far I'm just amazed at how many hallways there are, and how fast the college campus seems to have gone to shit. Again, maybe there's more explanation in the actual game, but I didn't know that quite so many cardboard boxes got stored in stairwells.
All told though it was pretty fun. Leon's campaign does have that sense of 'you can't see anything' given that it takes place at night, which brings back a considerable amount of tension. I've still got a surprisingly huge amount to play through given that it's just a demo. Maybe I'll go for the whole game after all! Thanks everybody for detailing your opinions!
www.secret-arts.com
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| Pollyanna 3309th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(1):Ys Celceta" , posted Wed 10 Oct 18:32
quote:
I need to spend a bit more time with Ys Celceta but so far I am very disappointed. None of the progressive ideas from Nayuta no Kiseki made it into the game; I assume this is because the two are made by different teams. The looting is annoying, the talking is annoying, the crafting is annoying, the exploring is not as rewarding, the world is less inspireding, the music is not bad but nothing like Felghana for example... Buh.
However I was not a fan of the direction taken by Ys Seven so maybe those inclined will enjoy it more than I do.
Ooh! This is good feedback! What did you like about Nayuta? I was really fond of how every scene was set up...the environments were well designed and the action played out like a storybook. Unfortunately, there was a massive amount of unnecessary dialogue spoken by bland characters which kind of smeared mud on the whole thing. Also, the action seemed a bit slow after the last few Ys games?
And what didn't you like about Ys7? I thought the action was fairly good and the boss battles were typically nice. The party system was fine as well (though I would've liked better characters), but the whole thing was weighed down by too much unneeded running around (especially in town) and pointless dialogue. Also, the soundtrack, minus the boss themes was pretty meh.
Also, did you play Zero no Kiseki? I was considering getting the Vita one when it comes out, but when I watched people play the PSP one, I felt like I was coming in too late in the story and it was a bit confusing, especially without much voice acting.
I watched pieces of a live stream of Bravely Default today and I was very surprised! I didn't expect the game to be so plot-intensive with full voice acting! The trailers didn't have much talking in them and the demo I played was all action, so I wasn't sure. The acting itself was kind of hit or miss, but whatever!
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| chazumaru 929th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member++
| "Re(2):Ys Celceta" , posted Thu 11 Oct 06:32
quote:
Ooh! This is good feedback! What did you like about Nayuta?
Sorry, I feel too lazy to translate my full impressions but, to make it short, I enjoyed Nayuta no Kiseki tremendously.
The script and characters are rather bland and forgettable but the setting/pitch itself is pretty cool in an oldschool way; it feels like the kind of story RPG makers and anime studios produced by the truckloads following Laputa. What I liked about Nayuta is how it mixes this 80's feel (the whole structure of the game is extremely simplistic as where all Falcom games back then) with many modern ideas: the missions are short and concise with clearly defined primary and secondary objectives, the levels are 3 to 5 minutes long to accomodate the nomad nature of the console (although I played it on Vita and mostly at home), each stage has a kind of achievement that takes advantage of the level's specific structure, the equipment is handled fairly simply and straightforwardly while the crafting feature (recipes) is never cumbersome and documents all you need to know if you want to bother with going deeper in that aspect of the game, the loot is automatically collected (no need to run over all the tiny items individually like in Celceta), the challenge is just right (I only died twice or thrice near the end but I almost died numerous times), the Boss fights are not as insane as advertised ("each fight will feel like a last Boss!" OK let's settle down guys) but still quite inventive, the platform sequences are pretty fun and the overall level design quite resourceful, the power upgrades feel like Zelda upgrades (although two of them are a bit too similar to each other), the village works pretty well as a general hub while still presenting some cool evolutions, the BGM is good, the protagonist's world reeks of the smell that "there is more to see in that world" that makes your mind wander about other adventures you could have in future sequels and, last but not least, there are tons of icons to keep you informed and preventing you from either going back to the village for no good reason or from missing some stupid upgrade or subquest because you got too lazy to check. In short, it is never tiresome.
The whole season change gimmick is also integrated differently and - as it turns out - better than what I expected. I thought you could change the weather at any point in the levels in order to complete puzzles and platform segments. Instead, their decision to make it different stages depending on the weather selected beforehand is not only a much more clever way to handle existing resources created for the game, as well as a nice way to offer a NG+ (you only see two seasons of each world in the first run); it also highlights some creative ideas going beyond the obvious "big leaves will fall in Autumn" and "lakes will freeze in Winter". For example, I really appreciated that some monsters you see in Spring turn out to be baby versions of grown-up monsters you fight in Summer.
So far, I find none of that cleverness in Ys Celceta.
quote:
And what didn't you like about Ys7?
I dropped Ys Seven too early on to hold an impressive stand against it but I remember complaining a lot about the pace of the game. This was probably linked to the issues you mentioned.
quote:
Also, did you play Zero no Kiseki? I was considering getting the Vita one when it comes out, but when I watched people play the PSP one, I felt like I was coming in too late in the story and it was a bit confusing, especially without much voice acting.
Well, if voice acting was an issue, the Vita version will obviously fix that. By the way, I would not be surprised if that game (and Ys Celceta) also came to PS3 sometime soon.
I have never played Zero no Kiseki; it really seems that you need to have played the previous trilogy to enjoy it without feeling that you are missing on half the fun. But so far, I have kept delaying my venture into the Sora no Kiseki games. I began the first one on PC years ago but Idid not go far (also my Japanese was way worse back then). I have the three games on PC but once they got released on PSP, I stopped considering the PC version and planned to go through the PSP version. So I bought the trilogy pack on PSP, but then, the game was announced for the US. So I waited for that, but by the time I retrieved the US (and Euro!) version, I had other games to play. I need to find the time to get into them someday.
One of the reasons I was interested in Nayuta was their promise that you did not need to know the five previous Kiseki games to enjoy it. Which is completely true, but also betrays that Zero no Kiseki might have this problem.
quote:
I watched pieces of a live stream of Bravely Default today and I was very surprised!
What surprises me much more is that people have already found not one but two or three homebrew solutions to capture 3DS games on PC and stream them online. Unfortunately, one won't benefit from the excellent stereoscopic effect of Bravely Default's scenery with those streams.
78… 78… 絵札はさすらい ♪ 78… 78… 秩序は廻る ♪ 78… 78… 絵札はさすらい ♪ 78… 78… 未来を示す
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| Pollyanna 3311th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(3):Ys Celceta" , posted Thu 11 Oct 09:24:
quote:
I didn't realize that the new Ys was out, so I took a look at what the soundtrack was available on Youtube and was pleased to find a new arrangement for the Iris Tower from Mask of the Sun. That one's never been arranged before.
I haven't taken the time to listen to it, since I was still on the line about the game. What's your impression of the soundtrack as a whole? I've kind of given up on Falcom ever putting together a truly excellent OST again, but I expect the opening and boss themes to be good at least.
This keeps turning into me thinking "Well, I can always just play/listen to Felghana again."
quote:
Nayuta
Thank you for all your impressions, even though you've only deepened my regret for not being more tolerant of the game. I thought it had a very simple sort of magic to it, but I just could NOT stand the dialogue. They would set up these wonderful little scenes, then ruin them by going on and on about obvious things. I am sick to death of this trend in JRPGs where they seem to add dialogue just to add dialogue.
Also, thank you for helping cement my decision to wait on Ys and probably pass on Zero. Having no voice acting just added to my feeling of "I think I understand this, but maybe I'm missing something." I've only watched the game, though. Either way, I don't have time to play the whole series.
RANT WARNING
Right now I'm really enjoying Sol Trigger. The renders are so good! Really, the best I've seen on PSP, or as good as Type-0 at least. They're quite clever about how they manage them, too. The battles look like Dragon Quest until you do a special move, then it shows your character and ONLY your character, preventing them from having too many great-looking, extremely animated renders on the screen at once. It's a nice tradeoff, since the characters not only look nice, but are very expressive (think Kingdom Hearts) and have lots of neat battle animations. It's very rare for an RPG to have completely new (and good!) animations for every skill, so I'm hugely enjoying them. The battles also have a fast-forward button, so you don't have to enjoy the animations every time.
The game is kind of "confined" though, with no sense of exploration and essentially no character customization, but on the upside, it also seems very focused. I'm reminded pleasantly of Xenoblade, where every time there's a cutscene, the something happens. The plot moves forward. (Oh, and the soundtrack is good. Not like Bravely Default good, but what is?)
EDIT:
I forgot to mention something kind of fun about the game. You get skills from equipment, but you still have "activation conditions" for the skill. So you end up actually learning the skills in battle and it shows a cute little cinematic for it. Then you have support skills, which activate (somewhat) randomly under certain conditions. Together, the two systems really remind of the way you learn skills in SaGa games. Although you can't rack up tons of new skills under high-stress conditions, the support skills do tend to activate when you're in trouble and the learning of a new skill has the same sense of gratification as in SaGa games. I always thought that was a fun system that was hard to implement in other games, so I'm glad to see another company pick up on the idea in a way that makes sense.
After Arc Rise and Last Ranker, I've been an avid Imageepoch "follower." They haven't quite "hit the nail on the head" with most of their releases, but I want to root for their success. Still, after watching a stream, I don't think I can commit to Toki to Towa. It looks better than the trailers indicated, but it's still awkward and I don't know...kind of "gross". The game has such adorable character designs, totally ruined by the cheap, awkward animation. It's a tough sell after the cute and sexy Sol Trigger designs, which look so delightful in motion.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
[this message was edited by Pollyanna on Thu 11 Oct 12:05] |
| Pollyanna 3311th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
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Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(2):Ys Celceta" , posted Thu 11 Oct 16:54
quote:
I hadn't realized it was already released either! As usual I'm way late to the party and only really got into the Ys series over the past year. I'm currently stuck on the last boss in Felghana (and instead of grinding to fight it, bullshitting around in Ark and Origin). I still haven't played any version of Ys 4, and once Celceta was announced I've been wondering if I still should, or just wait and get the remake. I know there are 2 different versions (3 if you count the PS2 remake, but apparently everybody hates it?), does Celceta lean more towards Mask of the Sun or Dawn of Ys? Or is it an entirely new take on that chapter of Adol's adventure?
Keep in mind that I haven't played Celceta, but as I understand it, it's supposed to be the "true" version of Ys IV, as I don't think Falcom actually made either of the previous versions. As such, I don't think you need to play either of the previous versions unless you are especially inclined to do so. I haven't played either in quite a few years, so I don't know if I can give a reliable opinion on them, but I don't think you're really missing out. Which Ys games have you played?
As for the PS remake of IV, I was iffy about it myself and didn't pick it up. I've heard mixed reviews, but again, it's been so long since I've played the originals that it would be hard to judge how well the remake stood up. At any rate, any version of 4 is probably going to be kind of meh after Felghana.
In my case, I imagine Celceta will be roughly as good as Ys7, which makes it not worth importing, but worth trying out eventually.
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| Pollyanna 3319th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
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| "Re(5):Princess" , posted Wed 17 Oct 17:41
quote:
I'm surprised that no one has had much to say about Code of Princess. The sprite work is pretty damned attractive, even if the gameplay isn't the very best. Or at least it's reminded me that Guardian Heroes, while a great game, still really feels like it came out in '97.
I'll get the game sooner or later, but my plate is too full right now to make it a priority.
But let me get something straight, because I'm getting mixed messages here. You're saying the game is roughly as good as Guardian Heroes, but that Guardian Heroes has not aged tremendously well? I haven't played the original in a while, but in my opinion, the tweaked 360 version was completely incredible. I had feared that I had built the game up in my mind, but the re-release very much dispelled that notion.
However, I might be more partial to GH than you, so I'm trying to gauge, when you say it's just like GH, if you mean JUST LIKE GH, or kind of like it but not that great.
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Also, HILARIOUS how Atlus went to so much trouble to censor Solange's outfit (but not her Shiranui-esque bounciness)! I was literally dumbfounded to see the 'bar of light' in some of the official videos!
You say "official videos", but is the game itself censored? If so, just the opening or something?
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| karasu99 1012th Post
PSN: robotchris
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Red Carpet Premium Member
| "Re(6):Princess" , posted Thu 18 Oct 01:41
quote:
Some former Treasure staff worked on the game so I'm not surprised. But doesn't it use pre-rendered sprites? At least that's the impression I got from the tiny-screen trailer; maybe it looks different in person.
Gojira, now that you say that, I'm wondering what the actual method used is (perhaps Nobi can be summoned to clarify?). Like with most of my post, I either misspoke or wasn't clear. The animations at the very least are well done and have a lot of character to them-- Nishimura's art definitely comes through. I'll leave it to someone more expert than me to say if the game assets are sprites or prerendered models though.
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But let me get something straight, because I'm getting mixed messages here. You're saying the game is roughly as good as Guardian Heroes, but that Guardian Heroes has not aged tremendously well? I haven't played the original in a while, but in my opinion, the tweaked 360 version was completely incredible. I had feared that I had built the game up in my mind, but the re-release very much dispelled that notion.
Okay, didn't intend to send mixed messages, but I'm realizing my post was pretty poorly written. First of all, Chazumaru is right, GH is still the better game, and personally I think GH has aged incredibly well. I was more just surprised that we ended up with a game like CoP all these years later, given the age of the source material. That said, CoP is very evocative of GH. If you love one, I'm guessing you'll love the other.
A few areas in which it disappoints by comparison: I haven't seen any branching paths or complexity in the storyline (although they could be there I suppose, and I'm just too early in the game to know). Characters improve via experience and items may be equipped, but compared to GH you don't gain much except becoming stronger and harder to damage. Your moveset doesn't change at all (that I've found at least).
Not in comparison to GH, but I would have loved the option to play (or attempt) free mode with the entire playable cast. As it is, I don't usually play online, and it looks like the only way to play as some of the unlockable folks is to play online. If anyone here knows differently, I'd love to hear about it.
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However, I might be more partial to GH than you, so I'm trying to gauge, when you say it's just like GH, if you mean JUST LIKE GH, or kind of like it but not that great.
No no, I really REALLY love GH. In fact, I dug my ancient copy out and played some last night to try and make a comparison, and it's amazing to me that it still feels as fresh as it does. At that point some of the issues with CoP I mentioned above began to be apparent. To be clear, CoP is extremely reminiscent of GH. As in, it could have been a more proper sequel to GH that the pretty mediocre GBA sequel was. It gets some stuff wrong I think, but it's obvious that the folks making this game were involved in GH. Just don't expect that it 'feels as right' as GH and I think you'll enjoy it.
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You say "official videos", but is the game itself censored? If so, just the opening or something?
Ugh, I was really unclear in my post! I blame the bottle of Williamine that I was in the midst of while writing it! 
Anyway, here's the scoop: I mean in the advertising for the game-- the game itself doesn't censor at all that I've seen. I watched the character trailer posted by Atlus USA while waiting for the game to arrive, and I noticed that when showing the official Nishimura art for Solange, a bar of light had been placed over her chest. Then, when the game arrived, I saw that on the box, the name of the game was placed in the same location, which started me in on looking to see where else the art had been adjusted. It's pretty mixed in the game's materials, but most of the instances involve the Nishimura cover portrait of Solange. I'm sure it's just that Atlus USA felt she was showing a bit too much in public-facing art.
Ah, I should also mention that the pack-in art booklet and CD are pretty nice, actually.
www.secret-arts.com
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| nobinobita 1102th Post
Red Carpet Premium Member+
| "Re(7):Princess" , posted Thu 18 Oct 02:49
quote:
Some former Treasure staff worked on the game so I'm not surprised. But doesn't it use pre-rendered sprites? At least that's the impression I got from the tiny-screen trailer; maybe it looks different in person.
Gojira, now that you say that, I'm wondering what the actual method used is (perhaps Nobi can be summoned to clarify?). Like with most of my post, I either misspoke or wasn't clear. The animations at the very least are well done and have a lot of character to them-- Nishimura's art definitely comes through. I'll leave it to someone more expert than me to say if the game assets are sprites or prerendered models though.
But let me get something straight, because I'm getting mixed messages here. You're saying the game is roughly as good as Guardian Heroes, but that Guardian Heroes has not aged tremendously well? I haven't played the original in a while, but in my opinion, the tweaked 360 version was completely incredible. I had feared that I had built the game up in my mind, but the re-release very much dispelled that notion.
Okay, didn't intend to send mixed messages, but I'm realizing my post was pretty poorly written. First of all, Chazumaru is right, GH is still the better game, and personally I think GH has aged incredibly well. I was more just surprised that we ended up with a game like CoP all these years later, given the age of the source material. That said, CoP is very evocative of GH. If you love one, I'm guessing you'll love
-- Message too long, Autoquote has been Snipped --
Got this game in the mail last week. I'm really enjoying it! I think it's a safe bet that if you liked Guardian Heroes, you'll like Code of Princess. GH is certainly the inspiration, but CoP has a personality of its own.
The graphics in the game are definitely prerendered (maybe with some cel type shading) and then cleaned up by hand. I actually didn't like how the game was looking in still screens, but it looks great in motion. The animation is very nice.
Every move has a nice sense of weight, and the timing for everything feels right. It's got some of the tightest, best feeling controls of any new game I've played recently.
The best thing about the game is the characters. They're all really fun. Somehow the game makes me feel like I'm back in High School playing D&D with my buddies and watching Slayers.
The game has a light hearted feel. The script is surprisingly funny and the characters are great, and WEIRD. It's easy to assume that the heroine is meant to pander to gamer dude virginz, but I feel like it's quite the opposite. The game feels super feminine to me.
For instance, the princess isn't a pouty sex doll. She comes across more as a naive but strong willed girl who only has a vague idea how hot she is. The first character you get, Ali Baba is a total tom boy, very reminiscent of the Thief from Capcom's Dungeon's and Dragons game (also designed by Nishimura, and also my favorite character in that game). The third character you get is a girl-frankenstein necromancer, who I think might be the author insert character (she's very eccentric and droll and the hot guy in the game has a crush on her). When you meet the male cast, thing's just get ever weirder. For instance, there's a muscular Kung-Fu fighter in bondage gear who's manly, but has a soft spot for all things cute. It's not the kind of cast that your average male artist would come up with.
I hope I'm not making the game sound like it's full of tired anime tropes. It's definitely got an anime sensibility to it, but it's done tastefully. For some reason, it reminds me of Princess Tutu a bit (looks very stereotypical on the surface, but full of depth and charm).
Anyway, it's a great game. Exactly the kind of game I get excited for these days.
www.art-eater.com
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| Pollyanna 3320th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
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Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(1):I'm Gonna Wreck It!" , posted Thu 18 Oct 21:27
For those of you with Playstation+ or a Vita, the Sony Smash Bros beta is up. If anyone else has tried it, I'd be interested to hear your opinions.
Dokuro is also out for Vita in the US. I haven't played much, but it seems to be a good buy for $20.
quote:
But doesn't it use pre-rendered sprites? At least that's the impression I got from the tiny-screen trailer; maybe it looks different in person.
That tiny 3DS screen does some games a lot of favors. I think I mentioned this before, but thanks to the lovely textures and tiny resolution, the renders in Bravely Default look hand drawn.
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It's easy to assume that the heroine is meant to pander to gamer dude virginz, but I feel like it's quite the opposite. The game feels super feminine to me.
Even looking at Solange's design, despite being comically unclothed, it felt more like they were trying to make a character rather than create something to masturbate to. There's an invisible factor of "intent" that makes the difference between "whee, sexy girls" and "ewww, are you kidding me?" Well, that's how I feel at least. I'm sure that perception varies from one person to the next.
quote:
Ugh, I was really unclear in my post! I blame the bottle of Williamine that I was in the midst of while writing it!
No, no! You said what you meant, I just misunderstood and wanted to make double sure on the censorship thing. Anyway, thanks for the elaboration.
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| Pollyanna 3323th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
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Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(4):I'm Gonna Freeze It!" , posted Fri 19 Oct 07:01:
quote:
The 3DS demo version of Ex Troopers was surprisingly decent! I had not bothered to try the game at TGS but now I am actually quite impatient go home and try the PS3 demo then compare the two versions.
Ooh ooh, I gotta do that too. I wish we had more TGS demos up now. It's been long enough.
quote:
It's fanservice, nothing more. Some people are trying to make a legitimate fighting game out of it but at the end of the day it's a game where most people will only want to use Kratos and Drake to murder the rest of Sony's tragic timeline of past and future failed mascots.
My problem with the game is that it seems to have sacrificed some of what made Smash so fun in order to be a "better fighting game". Like, 1 on 1 is more engaging, but the levels are so bland. I want more insanity. Also, the "only damage comes from supers" system works well to discourage turtling, but when nobody is actually hurting each other, it feels like "what's the point?"
EDIT:
My "not made for Vita" problem with the game is the use of the touchscreen. I never know when the game wants me to touch something or press a button. Actually, this is a Vita problem in general. Like the screen will say "begin" and you're not supposed to press the start button, you're supposed to touch the "begin" on the screen while rubbing the rear touch panel and whispering into the mic.
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[this message was edited by Pollyanna on Fri 19 Oct 07:38] |
| Pollyanna 3323th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
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Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(8):I'm Gonna Default It!" , posted Sat 20 Oct 09:09
quote:
A horny kind soul at SQEX kindly sent me a free copy of Bravely Default so it seems I'll be playing it after all! Polly did you start the game already?
NO! I was supposed to get the CE, but there was a mess up with the order, then when I (sadly) ordered the normal one, it was sold out everywhere, so I'm still waitingANDIHAVENEVERKNOWNSUCHPAIN.
I should have that and Project X Zone by next week, though.
 HEY OTHER PEOPLE, TOO
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quote:
The 3DS demo version of Ex Troopers was surprisingly decent! I had not bothered to try the game at TGS but now I am actually quite impatient go home and try the PS3 demo then compare the two versions.
Haven't played the PS3 one yet either, but the 3DS one was very impressive! It seems like the game was probably built for 3DS in the first place, so I'm expecting to be impressed with that version and underwhelmed with the PS3 one already. Still, I don't think I'll pick it up, because online play would be too laggy and I have too many other games. But for those who are interested CHECK IT OUT.
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It looks like Max Anarchy is finally sneaking out of Japan. What was the final verdict on this game?
I said pretty much nothing but praiseworthy things before, but I will say that the online vs could use some balance fixes, or at least it's hard to get into if you don't already know some terrifying super combo.
Still, the campaign is great, the characters are fun and the multiplayer boss battle mode is max rad. If you're interested in the game, you should definitely pick it up. If you only play one game this year, I don't know if this should be the one, but if you play more than 3, it's an obvious addition.
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| Grave 1475th Post
PSN: Drakee
XBL: eccothedolphin
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Red Carpet Executive Member
| "Re(9):I'm Gonna Default It!" , posted Sat 20 Oct 09:52
quote:
Haven't played the PS3 one yet either, but the 3DS one was very impressive! It seems like the game was probably built for 3DS in the first place, so I'm expecting to be impressed with that version and underwhelmed with the PS3 one already. Still, I don't think I'll pick it up, because online play would be too laggy and I have too many other games. But for those who are interested CHECK IT OUT
I did play the PS3 demo! And while I can't say it's exactly what I wanted, it certainly appeals to me a great deal more than Lost Planet 3 does. I haven't played the demo MP yet, but I'd be glad to if anyone's up for it.
The lock-on/autoaim action and simple yet stylish graphics are appealing, but I can't help but feel it's inferior to LP2 in almost every way. If this actually does come out in English I'd love to get it but I doubt I'll struggle through the language barrier for this.
However, I'm infinitely more likely to import EX Troopers than I am to buy any version of LP3, anywhere. Hey, it could be a lot of fun 4P but I really don't know yet.
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| Pollyanna 3324th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
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Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(10):I'm Gonna Default It!" , posted Sat 20 Oct 10:13
quote:
The lock-on/autoaim action and simple yet stylish graphics are appealing, but I can't help but feel it's inferior to LP2 in almost every way. If this actually does come out in English I'd love to get it but I doubt I'll struggle through the language barrier for this.
My fear is that the game is stuck between its snappy simplicity and the depth of LP2. Like, I wish you could do more with your grappling hook...or anything, really. More variety in the dash attacks would be neat, too. I really enjoyed the different melee attacks and "combos" you could do, but it seems like you hit the ceiling with its complexity too quickly. Also, I don't believe there's a multiplayer vs, which is a shame. I don't know...if you have a bunch of fun weapons and skill combinations it might turn into something nice.
I feel like, if they took the ideas from this game a little further, I would like it a lot...and more than LP, but as-is, I'm afraid to get into it because it just feels like a "portable spin-off" with nice presentation.
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| Pollyanna 3327th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
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Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(3):Re(10):I'm Gonna Default It!" , posted Wed 24 Oct 03:56
I finally played Mario 3D Land, which was my "game I wished I played but didn't" of 2011. I had expected it to be more like a 3D Mario game and less like a classic Mario game, but it's neat to have "the missing link" between 2D and 3D Mario. I like it a lot better than NSMB for sure.
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I'm not really familiar with Monster Hunter lore, can anyone identify those MH characters, assuming those pics are referencing anyone in particular?
No one in particular. The "characters" in MH are almost entirely townspeople, most of them with titles rather than names.
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The game is getting fairly easy so maybe I will start BDFF earlier than expected. My friends' first impressions are exceptionally positive!
I finally get the game tomorrow, so give me your friend code and add me, if you don't mind. I only know one other person playing the game and I've heard there are some novelties of having friends, outside of summoning.
I also read that you could recruit townspeople with the internet if you can use Streetpass, but I don't know how that works.
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"Re(3):Legend of Meshiuma Tougeki" , posted Sun 5 Aug 16:32
Bayoh-ha-zaaad'
so little time...
