Videogame Discussion Thread

Discussion in 'Geek Cave: Computers, Tablets, HT, Phones, Games' started by sphinxvc, Oct 9, 2015.

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  1. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    All the sweet tropes and zany characters common to them bring JRPGs close to my heart, haha. Among my all-time fave games is Tales of the Abyss, which was my first ever Tales game; the amount of love I had for it ensured it wasn't my last either. I bring this game up because in my mind it's the epitome of a JRPG: It's objectively lackluster but having grown up a weeb watching Ranma/Yaiba/DBZ/Card Captor Sakura from preschool onwards the anime-ness of the game appealed to me, and I grew genuinely fond of the characters and of their respective stories; loads of crap is given to JRPGs for the "tossing everything in and the kitchen sink" approach, often rightfully so compared to tightly woven narratives in western RPGs (painting with a broad brush here), but that's part of what I love about em I think. I finished the game 5 or 6 times and in the latter two playthroughs I spent just over 100hrs each making sure I got everything done. I was absolutely obsessed with that game.

    One small thing I pride myself on is having discovered a whole new side quest tree before it was even in walkthroughs over on GameFAQs, haha. It was immensely gratifying to kid-me, running through stories that I didn't even know existed.

    I remember playing an open-world game called MS Saga: A New Dawn, which is... basically a run-of-the-mill, boring-ass JRPG except you had Gundams that you were free to customise, haha. Not quite the same integrated combat-world balance as the like of Sekiro/NieR/Bloodborne/God of War have, but it was normal for the time. I would drop everything I could afford to drop if someone released an open-world mech-based JRPG, that's all the buzzwords teenage-me could have ever hoped to see in a video game!
     
  2. Craigo

    Craigo MOT: Mage Audio

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    Tales of the Abyss is a great game. I did not dive into it like you did, though- for me Radiata Stories was the “objectively lackluster” game I fell in love with. Between the bubbly, watercolor art direction, the Suikoden-esque friend gathering and the two completely different branching stories, I spent a year playing it multiple times. The last game that sucked me in like that was Chrono Trigger, and I don’t even need to talk about that one. Radiata Stories was the perfect rpg for me on the PS2, though Rogue Galaxy, Dragon Quest VIII, TotA and Suikoden III are close behind.

    I was just about to start the English translated Shining Force III trilogy, but now I think I’m going to have to go back and start a TotA playthrough. Dang, there’s just not enough time.
     
  3. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    Agh, never got to finish Rogue Galaxy now that I think about it. PS2 died before I got more than 10 hours in and we didn't have the cash for a repair exactly. After a while I found some books I fancied and just plain forgot!

    I do recall enjoying the battle system a lot, though oddly I can't remember much about the characters. Might be due for a replay some time soon. I don't recall Radiata Stories, I've either never gotten to play it or have just buried it under a mountain of cruddy games :p

    Throwaway mention, Wild Arms 4 and Alter Code: F likewise sucked hours upon hours of my weekends away, haha. WA4 was ridiculously on the nose about its messages which was a massive turn off even for me, but again, the characters were fun. HEX grid was also pretty novel at the time.
     
  4. Craigo

    Craigo MOT: Mage Audio

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    Rogue Galaxy had the most annoying and disproportionately difficult boss/true boss/true-true boss in rpg history. It is easy to get swept up in the characters and the story and forget to grind. If you do pick it up just remember that.
     
  5. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    I remember nothing about the story or characters, and it could just be you saying that planting a false memory, but I distinctly remember that the reason I took ages playing RG was that I'd gotten stuck in a certain stage because I was under-levelled! Some place that looked like a sandy western town with a giant monster?

    Same thing happened with Star Ocean 2, cons of getting genuinely involved in a story I suppose.
     
  6. Jerry

    Jerry Friend

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    Damn i miss RPGs. Wont be able to play anymore.
     
  7. Craigo

    Craigo MOT: Mage Audio

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    What the wuh? Why not?
     
  8. Jerry

    Jerry Friend

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    Wifey comolained haha. Gave my PS4 away.

    RPG has always been my passion since very young. Too many fond memories. Seeimg you guys talk about it make me miss it a lot.

    Final Fantasy 7 remake, anyone? Damn I wish I can play that one.
     
  9. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    Agh, sorry to hear man. Maybe you guys can work out a compromise? Just giving up gaming when you still quite obviously enjoy it kinda bites (unless it was ruining your life in which case... yay? :p)

    I do not have a PS4, but might skip straight to PS5 if the FF7 remake is going to be next-gen. Or maybe not, I've yet to play Persona 5 and if nothing else I'm even more of a SMT fanboy than I am a Final Fantasy one, haha. I actually unironically love the music in Persona games, they're fun.

    I loved FF5 through X-2, not so much the stuff that followed (have yet to play 14, skipped over 11 because online). I hope the remake follows in the vein of the Resident Evil 2 remake, staying true to the roots of the original while taking the better elements from more modern installments.
     
  10. Bloom

    Bloom MOT: Bloom Audio

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    Frig, these photos are making me thirsty. Great collections, guys!
     
  11. Craigo

    Craigo MOT: Mage Audio

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    @Jerry
    That’s rough. I have a couple of friends in the same boat. Is something like a PSP or Henkaku modded PS Vita out of the question? It’s amazing how many rpgs you can get through in only 15-30 min sittings (work lunch, commode, etc.) Hang in there, maybe you can work something out down the road.

    @Lyer25
    Yeah no PS4 for me yet either, but so think Sekiro is going to be the thing that does it for me. I already had Demon’s Souls/Dark Souls series on PS3 so I didn’t feel the upgrade was justified. Now it seems inevitable.

    I always liked From’s games. AC, Tenchu and King’s Field/Shadow Tower were my favorites from the PS1. Throw in Konami with Suikoden and Vandal Hearts and Psygnosis with G-Police/Colony Wars/Wipeout and you have a desert island machine IMO.

    I liked FF up until X. They pretty much lost me with that one, though I still played Tactics on GBA and DS. XI is still on my list of games to play because of gameplay and art direction (not Final Sci-Fantasy) and servers are still up but it becomes a fight for time, so I don’t know if I’ll get around to it. A man’s got to know his limitations.
     
  12. Craigo

    Craigo MOT: Mage Audio

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    @Bloom
    Whatcha playing on your Mega SG?
     
  13. Forza AudioWorks

    Forza AudioWorks MOT: Forza AudioWorks

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    That's crazy man!
     
  14. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    I promise I’ll love them more than your sons. I have two DS lites modded as GB Macros, an AGS 101 modded original, an AGS 101 SP, a revo K101 and a famicom anniversary micro. I am a GBA nut.
     
  15. neogeosnk

    neogeosnk Friend

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    So am I, just pre-ordered this:
     
  16. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    I am in the first batch as well :)
     
  17. iFi audio

    iFi audio MOT iFi Audio

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    Look, this is really cool. One legit vintage aficionado you are. Old platforms and games need love too and at your place they've found loads of it for sure!
     
  18. Craigo

    Craigo MOT: Mage Audio

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    Okay you convinced me!

    I have a Fire Red SP, Pearl Blue AGS-101 SP, 2 DS Lites and the GC adapter. Gave away my launch OG Gameboy to an ex fiance and regretted it immediately (losing the GB, not her). I literally play GBA everyday.

    Wow that’s considerably cheaper than component cables for the GC. Pretty sweet!

    Right now I have reserves set aside for when Professor Abrasive releases the Saturn Satiator, and then Capcom is releasing Home Arcade Console in October. Overpriced and fugly but it delivers Progear and Alien vs Predator in HDMI so I don’t care.
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2019
  19. Bloom

    Bloom MOT: Bloom Audio

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    Thunder Force III!
     
  20. Skyline

    Skyline Double-blindly done with this hobby

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    Got the Platinum trophy in Sekiro tonight.

    I've never even considered doing that in any other game. I think 68% is the closest I've ever gotten which is funny since I played though Bloodborne 4-5 times.

    It took about 3 hours of grinding there at the end for the final bit of XP, but every other trophy comes pretty easily though normal play-through which is nice.
     

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