A Game Journal Reborn

[Rook]

Unfortunately, I was 7 when it came out and I had to throw a shitfit to even get my parents to buy me a SNES.  Then by the time I was old enough to afford a Sega CD it was already too expensive.

I'm sure my experience is not unique.

My Sega CD broke in 9 months. Which is I think about the median life of the 1st gen Sega CDs.

[Rook]

And yet still we have WARGARBLLLLL WHERE MAH CHRONO TRIGGER and FF6?!?! crowd. News flash: they even remade your CT and FF6 like-games you always wanted. Its called I am Sestuna and Bravely Default. Oh and both those games are trash grindfests but I'm sure they'd be incredible where they belonged, in 1994. You are even getting your Secret of Mana. Oh and here comes a new Dragon Quest, whose archaic battle system and barebones story will probably bore you to tears by hr. 30.  RETRO JRPG MASTER RACE R U NOT ENTERTAINED?

Calling you out on this. Bravely Default was a poor substitution (even before getting into the second half, or the original JP version) and I am Gundam! was pretty much a publisher funded College Student's Grad Project (littered with plagiarism, completely tonedeaf, had only one moderate hook to run into the ground, horribly unbalanced, and just shabby all around). Hence why Bravely Second is a game that most people only consider to have existed at one time, but isn't talked about much, and nobody listed Lost Spheda (I could be wrong, its been a while since I checked) in their Anticipated Games of 2018 Thread posts.

Besides, for every CT/FFVI fanboi still griping about the lack of sequels, you still have plenty of Suikoden fandom clamoring for a true Suki VI, or Level 5 fans wishing for lightning to strike the same place twice for Dark Cloud 3, or Shadow Hearts fans waiting for the IP to fall into someone else's hands.

wait wut? I am Sestuna was plagarized? The only dialogue I remember is go here and get that. How the hell do you plagarize that?

I mean I wouldn't mind a Suikoden sequel either (though I didn't like 4-5). I also wouldn't mind a Phantasy star 5 (assuming Sega could make a good PS5). Its just that I feel people are making games similar to the 90s games (the DS has a few) only they aren't that good because its not the early 90s anymore and that kind of gameplay just doesn't fly. Also I kind of feel like people have kind of taken this gen for granted because much of the games coming out are pretty damn good. Maybe I'm having a hard time explaining myself or maybe I'm babbling nonsense becuase my head is full of medicine as I've been in bed for 2 days with the flu. dunno.   

[Der Jermeister]

Dragon Age: Inquisition - I'm at the formal ball or whatever where approval of the nobles matters, and need to find out how to advance.

Etrian Odyssey V - On Level 3 of the labyrinth, working on the mission to find the Sunstone at day and the Moonstone at night.

Kingdom Hearts Union X - Still working on the Proud Mode missions, and am past 400.

Resonance of Fate - Still in Chapter 2. I think I'm getting a good hang on the battle system, and have managed to fight well without using the action point-draining run-and-gun mechanic. I've been gaining supplemental levels by swapping weapons among my characters.

Salt and Sanctuary - My character can one-hand a spear now, so I can somewhat safely poke at enemies. I got a katana that's more powerful, so I'll get the skill to one-hand it as well.

Super Mario Odyssey - In the freezing desert, after beating another of the Broodals. Definitely a fun game.

[ironmage]

I replayed Ni no Kuni, partly to refresh my memory before the release of the sequel, partly because "platinum cleanup".

I love the artwork, world design, and the music (even if the battle theme doesn't loop properly).

The story and characters are charming, if not particularly inspired.  However, although the localization has high production quality, I have "artistic issues" with the mismatch between the English text and Japanese audio.  The pointless renaming of several characters is bad enough (e.g., Mark->Phillip, Sherry->Myrtle).  But I really get irritated when a translator introduces their own sense of humour.  If the source material has puns?  Sure, go nuts.  You're haven't got a chance of anything near a literal translation at that point, so pretty much anything goes.  But if the source material has a serious tone, and you drop in an unnecessary pun?  I'll hate you forever.  I'm hardly a zealot about exact translations (sometimes a translation even improves on the original), but don't screw with the tone of the material.

The gameplay was passable right up to the third stage of the final boss.  Then its weaknesses became obvious.  Issuing commands to a character only to have them cancelled a few seconds later by an enemy attack, getting stuck waiting to regain control before I can switch to another character...I spent more time fighting the battle system than the boss.  As far as real-time/turn-based hybrid systems go, this isn't a very good one.  I'd rather play FF12 without gambits.

It's not like I actively dislike the game, but I'm not exactly brimming with adulation, either.  I'm not going to pick up the sequel at release.  I'll wait for the reviews.

And now back to farming for the platinum.  (It won't be worth it).

Resonance of Fate - Still in Chapter 2. I think I'm getting a good hang on the battle system, and have managed to fight well without using the action point-draining run-and-gun mechanic.

Resonance of Fate dumps all the game mechanics in your lap right at the start, but it isn't until you're a bit further along that you really need to start exploiting them (or have enough bezels to do so).

[Aeolus]

And yet still we have WARGARBLLLLL WHERE MAH CHRONO TRIGGER and FF6?!?! crowd. News flash: they even remade your CT and FF6 like-games you always wanted. Its called I am Sestuna and Bravely Default. Oh and both those games are trash grindfests but I'm sure they'd be incredible where they belonged, in 1994. You are even getting your Secret of Mana. Oh and here comes a new Dragon Quest, whose archaic battle system and barebones story will probably bore you to tears by hr. 30.  RETRO JRPG MASTER RACE R U NOT ENTERTAINED?

Calling you out on this. Bravely Default was a poor substitution (even before getting into the second half, or the original JP version) and I am Gundam! was pretty much a publisher funded College Student's Grad Project (littered with plagiarism, completely tonedeaf, had only one moderate hook to run into the ground, horribly unbalanced, and just shabby all around). Hence why Bravely Second is a game that most people only consider to have existed at one time, but isn't talked about much, and nobody listed Lost Spheda (I could be wrong, its been a while since I checked) in their Anticipated Games of 2018 Thread posts.

Besides, for every CT/FFVI fanboi still griping about the lack of sequels, you still have plenty of Suikoden fandom clamoring for a true Suki VI, or Level 5 fans wishing for lightning to strike the same place twice for Dark Cloud 3, or Shadow Hearts fans waiting for the IP to fall into someone else's hands.

wait wut? I am Sestuna was plagarized? The only dialogue I remember is go here and get that. How the hell do you plagarize that?

Name the game I'm describing: Your character ends up on the shores of a distant island where he meets a girl who's about to go on a world saving pilgrimage that'll end with her life. Along the way you'll meet 4 other random jobbers who'll assist in keeping this chick safe on this journey. You'll be antagonized along the way by some random broody asshat for bullshit reasons. I should note that the previous journey involved the parents of the girl who Pilgrimaging now. Can you name me?

I mean I wouldn't mind a Suikoden sequel either (though I didn't like 4-5). I also wouldn't mind a Phantasy star 5 (assuming Sega could make a good PS5). Its just that I feel people are making games similar to the 90s games (the DS has a few) only they aren't that good because its not the early 90s anymore and that kind of gameplay just doesn't fly. Also I kind of feel like people have kind of taken this gen for granted because much of the games coming out are pretty damn good. Maybe I'm having a hard time explaining myself or maybe I'm babbling nonsense becuase my head is full of medicine as I've been in bed for 2 days with the flu. dunno.

You may be thinking of games like Black Sigil which thought it was being clever with its retro homage, but instead made everything Bigger, Longer and Uncut and then implemented a gameplay system that does not work on that scale at all. Or that one Genesis game that came out a few years back that was basically an indie devs' Deviant Art OC adventures through Godwin's notes and was sexually predatory enough to sound like it came from a big time Hollywood movie exec (and also littered with mismatched assets stolen from wherever the devs could nick them from).

That said, I wont argue with you on the matter of this gen's quality. Compared to the PSWii60's gen where the highlights were Nier 1, XBC1, Deadly Premonition, TWEWY, and maybe Valkyria Chronicles, and the FFXIII Trilogy; 2017 alone blows that entire era out of the water. Hell, the PS2/Gamecube/Xblock era was actually kinda weak in terms of quality JRPG experiences (there were a number of worthwhile titles, but most of that era was littered with crap like Magna Carta, Odin's Slowdown, the original .//Hack quadlogy, Kingdom Hearts 2, among others). Hell, it says a lot of that era where the Ar Tonelico games were held in higher esteem then the usual dreck when they were little more than glorified VNs armed with a somewhat okayish gameplay system and stuffed with more innuendo than a Bond film. And for handhelds, even the DS was a goddamn wasteland for JRPGs (the best there was Radiant Historia, a game made on a shoestring budget and ran a combat system that can be summed up as 'Step 1: Lay Trap, Step 2: Push Enemies onto Trap, Step 3: Success') and that was the one that buried the PSP (although most, if not all, of the credit belongs to Sony on that one).

[Mickeymac92]

Or that one Genesis game that came out a few years back that was basically an indie devs' Deviant Art OC adventures through Godwin's notes and was sexually predatory enough to sound like it came from a big time Hollywood movie exec (and also littered with mismatched assets stolen from wherever the devs could nick them from).

Are you talking about Pier Solar and the Great Architects? Because that...doesn't sound like it, but it's the only recent Genesis RPG I know of...

[Klyde Chroma]

@Mickeymac92 -- All I gotta say is Tekken 7 is awesome. Although I am not gonna defend the bowling. I mean, I can't even bowl as my mondo-awesome klyde-lee kustimization.. What the hell is that about? Oh and I wish I didn't suck so bad at fighting games.... there is that too.

@Rook -- I share in your sentiments. The thing about FF/Chrono remakes and ol' JRPG's of yesteryear is quite simply I've been spoiled by modern convention. Games have just gotten TOO good for me to find appreciation for much beyond the art and music of older titles. The charm may still be there but it isn't enough for me to ignore what I COULD be playing nowadays.

Or that one Genesis game that came out a few years back that was basically an indie devs' Deviant Art OC adventures through Godwin's notes and was sexually predatory enough to sound like it came from a big time Hollywood movie exec (and also littered with mismatched assets stolen from wherever the devs could nick them from).

That made me "Lol"... Thank you Aeolus.

[Arvis]

Resonance of Fate - managed to fight well without using the action point-draining run-and-gun mechanic.

What?  I didn't even know that was possible.

[Mickeymac92]

@Mickeymac92 -- All I gotta say is Tekken 7 is awesome. Although I am not gonna defend the bowling. I mean, I can't even bowl as my mondo-awesome klyde-lee kustimization.. What the hell is that about? Oh and I wish I didn't suck so bad at fighting games.... there is that too.

I actually haven't gotten any of the DLC for Tekken 7 yet. I might, if only because it's currently sounding more worthwhile than paying $30 for a "season 3 pass" in Street Fighter V, since at least I get a unique game mode from that Bowling DLC...and I'm a sucker for SNK, so of course I'm excited about Geese Howard's inclusion.

But I'm in no rush with it. The game seems pretty meaty as-is. Still floors me how much I used to take this level of content in a fighting game for granted...

[Frostillicus]

I almost bought Tekken 7 during Steam's Christmas sale, but I opted for Tales of Berseria instead. Ended up being a tough decision. Didn't want to spend the money on both....

Unfortunately, I was 7 when it came out and I had to throw a shitfit to even get my parents to buy me a SNES.  Then by the time I was old enough to afford a Sega CD it was already too expensive.

I'm sure my experience is not unique.

My Sega CD broke in 9 months. Which is I think about the median life of the 1st gen Sega CDs.

I had a 1st gen that worked for years... Although sometimes it would randomly stop spinning, and thus my game would freeze at the next load. Happened almost every time I fought Ghaleon the first time at the end of Lunar (because the battle song was like 10 seconds long). Sometimes opening and closing it again before the next load would help.
...Yeah, it wasn't very well made.
*EDIT: I was wrong. Turns out I had the 2nd model, which I guess explains how long it lasted.


As for my own journaling, I've been re-playing through Red Faction: Guerilla (just liberated the Badlands, starting in Oasis area), as part of the games I've been playing after resurrecting my 360 for Vesperia. ...I'm gonna sell the ol 'Box and all of the games after I'm done with this one... It's time someone else enjoys them.
Anyway, RF:G is a decent open world game, but being "open world", it suffers from too much sameness. However, battling enemies and destroying things (the main selling point of the game) is fun as heck, though.

[Klyde Chroma]

I had a 1st gen that worked for years... Although sometimes it would randomly stop spinning, and thus my game would freeze at the next load.

Cripes I remember my Sega CD doing the SAME thing!!!! I also remember having terrible connectivity issues with my 32x upon release and driving my parents crazy to try and fix it so I could play Doom.

Horizon Zero Dawn: Must be the week for me to beat games cause this one is fin-ee-to. In and of itself that is silly-weird considering how slow I play through titles.

Hard to find much to complain about. Game was brilliant aside from the terribly awkward facial features. I can't believe people bitched about Mass Effect Andromeda faces and let this one slide. Seriously not one attractive looking human being throughout it's entirety. I'm gonna chalk it up to everyone gets ass-ugly post doomsday thanks to getting dealt a lousy hand in the new gene pool.

Bonus points for incorporating 1 token gay NPC and 1 lesbian for good measure.

However the title loses points for having 3 or 4 cut-scenes where outfits change to suit the FMV that could have easily been "in game" sequences like the other 98% of everything. Stupid gripe but that is seriously immersion breaking for me and could have been avoided here.

Great combat, great world, excitingly original concept, an MC that is tough to not really feel for and fantastic pacing seal the deal for me. I think what truly propelled the title into being a cut-above though was the fact that it respected my time and didn't over-stay it's welcome which is a scarcity in the realm of sandbox titles. Games like this intimidate me more often than coax me into wanting to explore every corner of the map.

[Rook]

 littered with crap like the original .//Hack quadlogy,

Over on the .hack PS4 MBs a ton of people who never played the original .hack are clamoring for it and saying its the one that should been remastered. "ITS THE ORIGINAL STORY, IT MUST BE BETTER! WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN US BANCO?!" Oh honey no, I try to tell them. You'll have more enjoyment just imagining that somewhere there is this mythical masterpiece of videogaming out there that you can't afford, instead of actually you know playing the game. The original .hack is dated out of existance and no "HD remaster" is saving it. Its actually a pretty terrible game(s), and this is coming from someone who liked the original .hack.

I am Sestuna just seemed like every bad RPG story ever, so yea I see what you are getting at.

[Mickeymac92]

Horizon Zero Dawn....

...Hard to find much to complain about. Game was brilliant aside from the terribly awkward facial features. I can't believe people bitched about Mass Effect Andromeda faces and let this one slide. Seriously not one attractive looking human being throughout it's entirety. I'm gonna chalk it up to everyone gets ass-ugly post doomsday thanks to getting dealt a lousy hand in the new gene pool.

I'll admit, that's something I see people bring up a lot. In Mass Effect's case, it's probably because it's part of a series, and the facial animations were a step down from the previous games, IIRC. Mind you, they were already trying to fix stuff when I last played it, so I might've missed the worst of it. At least, I didn't see anything in Andromeda that took away from the story experience...the bad writing and annoying characters did plenty of that already. =P

[Aeolus]

Or that one Genesis game that came out a few years back that was basically an indie devs' Deviant Art OC adventures through Godwin's notes and was sexually predatory enough to sound like it came from a big time Hollywood movie exec (and also littered with mismatched assets stolen from wherever the devs could nick them from).

Are you talking about Pier Solar and the Great Architects? Because that...doesn't sound like it, but it's the only recent Genesis RPG I know of...

I don't have the screenshot of the sequence, but there was definitely a house full of NPCs that were endorsing the virtues of parental relationships with their own children (of the sex having variety), and another set of screenshots showing the HD uprezzing done on the later versions (said screenshots shows a house with like 4 or 5 different generations of graphical clarity mashed together).

But yeah, that's the game.


One of my problems with indie game devs is stuff like this and Black Sigil where they really want to (re)make an early 90s era videogame but completely miss the point and end up with this bloated mess instead. The other side of this coin being devs who want to make a modern day game but don't have the budget/manpower to do so, and end up falling back on Pixel graphics to do the work for them while billing it as 'retro' (admittedly, there's quite a number of devs who actually have the skills and dedication to making a full fledge game under these conditions, but these have a tendency to end up as very avant-grade experiences). And hell, sometimes you end up with both like Zeboyd Games and their catalog.

[Frostillicus]

Wild Arms 2  - Defeated Grauswein. Went to the volcano, and got the dragon Gundam ship. Cleared one of the Ray points (the fire one), but decided to go exploring and hit up all the green blips on the map/radar. Stumbled upon Crimson Castle and got the eccentric vampire girl in the party. I have yet to see her value in battle, but she did help me find the black market when I went to go change her name again. I then bought 99 big berries, and promptly kicked Tim out of the battle party.
I'm too stupid to figure out the deal with the werewolf's Den...
Currently checking out (what I assume are) other optional places.

EDIT: Came to find out that Vampire girl learns enemy skills. Neat.