The NEW Game Journal

[MeshGearFox]

Outrun 2006 - Wanted to get the stuff that you have to unlock via a PSP so I tried some cheat code, which unlocked the stuff, but it also maxes out your score in mission mode which is... not what I wanted to have happen :T

Dark Souls - Back to The Depths.

[CluelessWonder]

I've been playing TSW and I am finally getting the hang of it.  I still die, but it is a lot less frequent now.  I even joined a cabal! I didn't know what that was when I joined.  I just thought it would be rude to turn down an invite.  I am glad I did since the person was nice and if I do need to do a group thing, I'll ask the cabal.  Of course I'm not sure how many members there will be.  I was the 2nd member.  In the mean time, I will still solo it.  I'm not confident enough in my skills to run in a group.

[Dincrest]

Still working out my top 10 favorite songs in Hatsune Miku

1) Hm? Ah, yes
2) World's End Dance Hall
3) Kagamine HachiHachi Flower Fight
4) Tokyo Teddy Bear
5) Time Machine
6) Senbonzakura
7) Remote Controller
8) MMORPG Addicts Anthem
9) Unhappy Refrain
10) TBD (So many good ones: Cat Food, Tengaku, Melancholic...)

[Klutz64]

The lack of "What do you mean?" On that list is unforgivable :P

[Klyde Chroma]

Gee golly guys, you were not lying about Tales of Vesperia being awesome.

I just got to the city that was wrecked by the earthquake after reaching Capua Port Town.

This Tales title is sort of unique in tone for me... reminds me something of Wild Arms crossed with Lunar while other Tales games just remind me of Tales.

Points I love thus far:

- Yuri

- Great dialogue and writing.

- Yuri...

- Not my favorite Tales battle system but I love how dramatically this particular one evolves from clunky to addictive and involving. This is always an element in the Tales games I like but the difference in combat from the beginning of the game to just 10 hours in (where I am now) is very dramatic. I can't wait to see how the gameplay evolves a bit more each time I play.

-Yuri.....

- Though I'm just kicking off my journey, I already love the towns, dungeons and environments a great deal more than my most recent Tales experience (Xillia). I also am a sucker for a world map. Goooooood stuff.

While none of the Tales games are terribly different, I can easily see how the differences that exist in Vesperia result in it being some peoples favorite. Time will tell, but I may prove one of those folks.

Once again thanks for the advice folks. This really was the best way to start my relationship with the Xbox off right--LoL

[Dice]

Gee golly guys, you were not lying about Tales of Vesperia being awesome.
- Yuri

I've never been attracted to a VG character, and I don't get that "waifu" stuff. 
But I'd husband Yuri if I could. 

I particularly love how, unlike just about ALL other Tales (and MANY JPRG heroes), he doesn't really develop his character.  Coincidentally, he's also the oldest Tales protagonist.  And I like that: I think they were trying to illustrate that Yuri is a grown man who knows who he is, what he wants, and knows how to he wants to live.  In fact, he spend a lot of time chatting with the rest of the party when they're on unsure about something.  And whether or not he and Estelle are a couple, or a "brother and sister" type, they're my favourite "pairing"; or at least, it's the least forced relationship in the series, IMO, built on mutual trust and seeing each other on a neutral ground (since they completely disregard each other's societal class in life).

And yeah, I find the tone and graphics for Vesperia so far the best in the series.  The colours are bright and the cel-shading was able to "cover up" some of the other flaws that we see later on in the series (ie; poor texturing and generally 'meh' models).

The battle system could be better, but like you said, the writing really works well (the characters are brilliant).

Dragon's Crown

Man, hard mode was wrecking me at first.  I like how Normal mode caps you at level 35 and all the bosses START at 40. :P
It's not that hard, but some of the bosses are giving one helluva time (fuck you Warlock, you dick).
I've also had a shit time finding good equipment for the Sorceress.  Boo.

I'm loving the sorceress, I want to try the Amazon, and I heard the Elf was nerfed a lot with the recent updates...aw..

Ocarina of Time

Eugh.  Forgot how boring the first 3 dungeons are (which is a shame because it's REALLY is uphill in the adult portion of the game).
Well, the Deku Tree definitely sucks.  It's got the worst case of "tutorial dungeon".  But then I think to the time the game came out, and a "new" 3D Zelda adventure might have worked well to have it start simple (I remember having trouble adjusting to Mario 64's new 3D-ness as a kid).
Dodongo's Cavern is alright...but plain.
And Jabu Jabu is an escort mission gone wrong: It's not hard, but it's a bitch to navigate, and it's just kind of awkward to play in.

I know people bitch about the long introduction segment in Twilight Princess, but at least the first dungeon FELT like a "dungeon-dungeon" and not at all like a "tutorial dungeon".

I also really hate Kakariko Village in this game.  It's similarly "awkwardly" planned out, the NPCs aren't very welcoming or kind, and someone just needs to NUKE the whole township given the Shadow Dungeon lies right beside it.... and the shit going on with the Windmill (and that bit in the water well).  Also, what the fuck is up with the homeless dude that sits under the tree at night?!  He's weird and creepy and ew.
Fuck. That.

On the other hand, I'd live in Zora's Domain.  ...That song....

[Annubis]

Vesperia's cast is just powerful. It's just too bad that Rita is a walking tsundere trope and Karol for the longest time is just comedic relief.

I've never been attracted to a VG character, and I don't get that "waifu" stuff.  
But I'd husband Yuri if I could.  

I'd waifu Estelle.

EDIT: and it's husbando

[Ranadiel]

Beat Skyward Sword a few days ago. I don't think I mentioned that yet. Overall thoughts are that the controls suck and the Water Dragon can choke on a fish.

Also beat Disgaea 4 last night. Whole game can be summed up as unnecessary. Didn't mind the addition of Sicily and the explanation for her worked fine (actually sort of called it chapter or so before it was revealed, missed some important details though, Artina's backstory helped). Also I am getting really sick and tired of the Disgaea/standard NISA battle system. The fights just drag on so long and I just don't care.

Not sure what game I'm going to play through next. Options I'm considering are Guided Fate Paradox, Persona 2, or maybe getting started on my 3DS backlog.

[Holykael1]

Beat Metal Gear Rising Revengeance on normal.
Absolutely awesome game, loved the battle system, the sountrack and the characterizations of Raiden and the final boss. Excellent game.

Im almost done with Tomb Raider too.

[Dice]

Vesperia's cast is just powerful. It's just too bad that Rita is a walking tsundere trope and Karol for the longest time is just comedic relief.

I've never been attracted to a VG character, and I don't get that "waifu" stuff.  
But I'd husband Yuri if I could.  

I'd waifu Estelle.

EDIT: and it's husbando

I love Estelle.  She is also the first time that I found the amount of pink she wears more relaxing than eye-straining.

And sorry, Yuri is my husbando.  But I'd also "husband" Christopher Pratt (English speak appropriate?  Or should I stick with the  colloquial Japanese honourific there too?)

Beat Skyward Sword a few days ago. I don't think I mentioned that yet. Overall thoughts are that the controls suck and the Water Dragon can choke on a fish.

Haha I'm surprised that's all you can add after beating a game (then again, I say TOO MUCH after beating one...).
I found the controls were pretty 1:1; but I definitely had issues with the way the WiiMote could catch what direction you're trying to swipe at (especially an issue when trying to pull off a skyward strike or the bosses/enemies that requires cuts in a certain direction).

[Klutz64]

Magical Girl Estelle is best Estelle.

[Aeolus]

Ocarina of Time

Eugh.  Forgot how boring the first 3 dungeons are (which is a shame because it's REALLY is uphill in the adult portion of the game).
Well, the Deku Tree definitely sucks.  It's got the worst case of "tutorial dungeon".  But then I think to the time the game came out, and a "new" 3D Zelda adventure might have worked well to have it start simple (I remember having trouble adjusting to Mario 64's new 3D-ness as a kid).
Dodongo's Cavern is alright...but plain.
And Jabu Jabu is an escort mission gone wrong: It's not hard, but it's a bitch to navigate, and it's just kind of awkward to play in.

I know people bitch about the long introduction segment in Twilight Princess, but at least the first dungeon FELT like a "dungeon-dungeon" and not at all like a "tutorial dungeon".

I also really hate Kakariko Village in this game.  It's similarly "awkwardly" planned out, the NPCs aren't very welcoming or kind, and someone just needs to NUKE the whole township given the Shadow Dungeon lies right beside it.... and the shit going on with the Windmill (and that bit in the water well).  Also, what the fuck is up with the homeless dude that sits under the tree at night?!  He's weird and creepy and ew.
Fuck. That.

On the other hand, I'd live in Zora's Domain.  ...That song....

To be fair to the Deku Tree. Its a goddamn tree. There really wasn't a lot they could do to it aside from making the underground part more interesting.

Dodongo's Cavern though was in desperate need for some kind of BGM. Ambient noises alone does not, an ambient atmosphere make.

And yes, Jabu Jabu's Belly sucked the big, hairy, wet, one. At least the escort quest part dies down in the latter half when you just need Ruto to hold down a switch while you get a Boomerang and then eventually toss her onto a platform so that she can become the dungeon's boss's problem. Its also amazing how much better ALBW handled it's escort quest dungeon. I suspect that a lot of it had to do with the escortee not being a Tsun Princess, or the fact that you didn't have to carry her around like a crate, or the fact that you had shortcuts to mitigate the backtracking when rerunning the lower half of the dungeon any time you lost track of her (or picked the wrong hole to dump her into, not that you should ever have to dump her into a hole).

Also, the guy sitting under the tree at night is the carpenter's son who gets turned into a Stalfos in the future after his part of the trading quest expires. His deal is that he is a deadbeat who eventually messes with something he really shouldn't have. Also, the Shadow Dungeon was apparently the ruins of some kind of deathtrap dungeon used during the unification war that was mentioned a couple of times to have happened only a generation ago. Not a lot of time to pick up and roll on out of there, especially after Ganondorf comes along and takes out the other major population centre. Plus, where else are they going to bury their dead?

[MeshGearFox]

@Dice - I thought ALBW was kind of lame at first and that it didn't open up until after the Eastern Palace. Also LA has that annoying part a the beginning where you don't have a sword.

I think lame intros is just a Zelda thing now.

... Although the stealth bit at the start of Wind Waker annoyed me the most because it was unusually difficult.

Layer Section - Got up to level 4. Woohoo. Can't tell if I'm getting better or if I just earned more continues by sucking.

Dark Souls - Bought the iron skin spell and upgraded my saber to +5. Gonna take on dragonse.cx next I guess???

I kind of... want to play something 32-bit. Not sure what though. Thinking Syphon Filter or Vanark or Shining Force 3 maybe. Oldschool 3rd person action sounds desirable though -- that or survival horror. I don't think I have anything on the Saturn that would work, although I guess Gunvalkyrie is basically Burning Rangers 2. Want something with that... oldschool, 32-bit grittiness though.

Also found out that someone translated Shadow Tower Abyss so I went ahead and ordered a copy because I'm a goddamn nerd.

... Also one of my PSX games has a store sticker on it, and I like, stuck it in my laptop to run some disc analyzers on it and I can hear the sticker flapping around because it was up a little :SSS

[Aeolus]

Also LA has that annoying part a the beginning where you don't have a sword.

That part lasts for like three minutes at most (okay, five; that damn owl, at least that was one of his shorter tirades).

[mecharobot]

I've been playing some Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, but it seems that the game refuses to get beat. Man this is so not fun and to think I had higher expectations to this than Rising? Turned out the other way around. Once I'm done with this remarkably unfun MGS game, I'm going to dedicate some time to RPGs again. Though techically I guess Peace Walker has some RPG elements, as well as RPGs in it, but enough of that. I joined here to talk about RPGs after all and get some fresh ideas on the genre.

This year I've kicked off by finishing Half-Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax Ultimate Boy (Steam). A fun game, glad they kept retro mode too. The non-hero modes were kind of bad though, but thankfully they don't take more like an hour or two to finish each so you can get the real ending without too much pain. The only issue was that I was thinking this has the hidden level akin to PSP version and I was grinding evil lords like a jackass, until I realized it branches out differently. Oh well, you live and you learn.

Anyway, what to play next? I have Hyperdimension Neptunia, Skyrim and Chrono Cross kind of unfinished and feel bad for leaving them that way. I think I'm going to try and finish/progress at least one, but I'm going to pick a new game as well. I'm thinking either Mass Effect, since I have access to it on steam after all (as well as ME 2) or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Though what I really want is something lighter, preferably a slice of life type RPG (not a sim), but since they're not very existant, I got to go with what I can. I'm also thinking of giving another shot to playing SRW games. I was playing a but of SRW J once, but I just get so bored with learning systems especially when I have to manage stat gains. The OCD freak in me isn't as strong as it was in the past, but it still gets in the way sometimes.