I think we're going to have to agree to disagree.  The art is fine, it's when it's turned into a 3D model that it becomes unappealing to me.

That's what I meant, apologies for the lack of clarity.  The SMTIV designs look nice, as did the Catherine designs.  I just don't think pure non-monster Kaneko designs would look very good outside of a few specific settings.  I'll never get tired of his monsters.

I may be of the unpopular opinion here, but while like Kaneko's artwork, I'm of mind that it needs to stay exactly that: artwork.  Even in PS2 titles characters some of the characters' face models were starting to look creepy/strange (and not in a good way to fit the games and their themes, especially in the Raidou games).  I imagine a more detailed character model for current-gen or next-gen would be even worse.  I think the new artwork strikes a good balance.

That said. . .I can't see Devil Survivor's character designs working particularly well in 3D, either.

I'd like for the more adventurous theme to return.  This would be my dream, because it's handled extremely well when used in parallel with Justin's growth. I loved that I was just as surprised at seeing what was over the end of the world and, later on, across the sea, as Justin and Feena were.

I also liked the magic systems in 1 much better than 2 and 3, so I'd prefer if something with elemental experience was used again. 

True enough.  XI is also multiplatform, where DQX is restricted to Nintendo consoles.  Considering the difference in longevity between the PC release and the PS2 for XI (did SE even release Alduin for PS2 in the west? The last I heard it was only PS2 release was Japan-only), I'd consider that a limiting factor for DQX's long term success as well.

Absolutely agreed.  They need to play it safe for a time until they're in a more secure financial position.  I may not enjoy iOS games, but I can understand their decision.

That said, game development is not SE's only money-maker, they publish western games in Japan, as well as manga and anime, and create figurines, collectable card games and VNs (in the "game category, but I can't think of a single VN from SE that has a western release, so...) as well.  They also have merchandising, like soundtrack CDs and concerts.  SE as a brand is much, much larger than their games.

FFXI is also still a solid money-maker for them, even after ~12 years.  That's impressive in itself.  I think if they can get ARR out, and it's decent, they'll have more long-term financial security. After they break even from XIV's disaster, that is.

Edit:
I have no idea how DQX did though.
Wikipedia says:
 It was the tenth best selling game of 2012 in Japan, selling over 609,783 copies. In November 2012, Dragon Quest X exceeded 400,000 subscribers. In its first week on sale, the Wii U version of the game sold 33,302 copies, coming in as the number 6 best selling game of that period.

Which is probably...not too good, considering FFXI was at 500,000 subscibers 8 years after its release (I think it's at 200,000 or so now?)

It doesn't really fit fully into either of them, but it's closer to turn-based, I'd say.

Meanwhile, bad news:

. . .but it has also put a halt to the Enders’s Project which was announced last year as a Zone of the Enders sequel. The entire team behind the project has been dismantled, as Kojima would like to re-evaluate the franchise before moving forward, he says. Furthermore, he also wants to re-evaluate fans by asking once more, whether they would still like to see a Zone of the Enders sequel.

http://www.siliconera.com/2013/05/02/we-might-have-to-wait-a-little-longer-for-a-zone-of-the-enders-sequel/

I can't even imagine using auto-battle in Zero and 1.  It's so horribly, utterly inefficient, especially around the time you can use AOE every attack round (Gen 3/4 or so).  I'd make the argument that with how slow the AI is at taking care of enemies, you're actually going to be moving at a faster pace using direct control.

I do agree with Zero and 2 having a better dungeon system.  The frequent random encounters on 2's overworld were frustrating, though.

The battle system is both different and the same. I'd actually put it as more complex than Agarest 1 and Zero's, as there are more factors you must consider.  In 1 and Zero end-game battles consist of knowing how to place yourself while staying within attack/link range of each other while also staying far enough away that not everyone is wiped out by AOE attacks. In 2 you have attack heights and types, wait times, SP (which not only is used in skills, but also for group attacks), as well as 1 and Zero's character placement and AP balance.

If you've played Cross Edge, you'll find it more similar to that.  If you haven't, well. . .it uses the same AP style combos, breaks/shields, overkills, and so on, as earlier Agarest games, but rather than having a SRPG-style map, the map is instead split into two smaller grids that are used for enemy and character placement and determine AOE range.  It's a bit hard to describe in words to someone who hasn't played it, especially because map nuances don't always become clear when you first play the game. I didn't understand a lot of it until quite some time in.

I tend to prefer the more traditional SRPG style of 1 and Zero myself, but the game overall in 2 is superior.

That was optional.  If you go the "normal" way, the way you're supposed to go, there's no platforming.

Ooh, I'm glad someone bumped this.  I Platinumed it a while ago and never really got to comment on it.

The battle system has an amazing amount of depth to it, once you figure out what everything actually means and does.  It took me about 1.5 playthroughts to master everything.  

It really is a shame that this series is always advertised based off its fanservice; the lore is incredible.  It builds off of Agarest 1's and elaborates the why and how of everything.  But, to be honest, I imagine the storyline later on would be quite confusing without having played the True Ending of Agarest 1, despite this being in an alternate universe.
That said, the storyline is much more personal and the true ending feels a lot less powerful than Agarest 1's because of it.


The Second Generation hero is amazing.  I mean it.  He's such an asshole that I can't help but love him.

On the technical side, you have to actually let the game "warm up" so to speak.  Once it's been on and loaded for about 10 minutes things speed up. It's honestly quite ridiculous.  I have no idea why they didn't just add an install, considering how long it takes to load when you first start.

Oh, for fuck's sake.  This entire debacle is ridiculous.

Dice posted Odette, but I'd like to point out another Vanillaware character, Lujei Piche from GrimGrimoire, is just as bad.  He dress is not-quite see-through, given she's a ghost, and her breasts aren't as exposed but she spends all of her time straddling and caressing her staff, which has her lover's talking skull attached to it. That's a good deal more suggestive than a woman's breasts.

You should probably be saying this to Bamco, not NISA or GUST.

On the subject of the new screens, I like how down-to-earth most of the male characters are, which is in contrast to the more over-the-top females, a similar trend to Ayesha.  On the graphics: I feel like the models aren't necessarily as high of quality, just from the stills.  I don't quite think that GUST is familiar with their new engine yet as overall they've taken a graphical step down.  It's not bad, mind you, I just am feeling nitpicky.

On an entirely unrelated note: The song played in Ayesha's Atelier after you complete the main storyline has the "item creation" sound effect at 3:30.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_Lxfx7cp_E
Are there any other songs that do clever little additions like this that I've missed?

Honestly, the extra days weren't worth it. I felt that one or two of them actually harmed the experience more than helped.  The developers did add some small things that made the presentation superior to the original - and not just the voice acting - but if you've played the original, you're not going to find a ton of new content, simply an overall cleaner experience.