JRPG general discussion

Retr0gamer

Speaking of much better games to play than Ni No Kuni, Grandia HD is coming to steam October 15th

sniper_samurai

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Speaking of much better games to play than Ni No Kuni, Grandia HD is coming to steam October 15th

Yeah, it has been delayed to wait for the patch to be completed. The patch will be available for the Switch version in November.

megaten

Retr0gamer wrote: »

The fact you can miss out on some content and abilities annoyed me at the time but if you play it with the right mindset it's fantastically inventive. I'm planning to give it another shot soon and try out the post game rogue like dungeon.

Yeah, I'd love to go and play it as an adult again now that I don't care about missing things.

PostWoke

Retr0gamer wrote: »

As I said, it's one of the most grossly over rated games of the last few years. A lot of the reviews talk about how it's the savior of the JRPG genre, ignoring the amazing games on handheld and lesser know home console games at the time.

These aggregators also take user reviews into account...

Steam reviews are also very positive https://store.steampowered.com/app/798460/Ni_no_Kuni_Wrath_of_the_White_Witch_Remastered/

It might just be you. What else don't you like? FFVIII? FFVII? :pac:

megaten

PostWoke wrote: »

These aggregators also take user reviews into account...

Steam reviews are also very positive https://store.steampowered.com/app/798460/Ni_no_Kuni_Wrath_of_the_White_Witch_Remastered/

It might just be you. What else don't you like? FFVIII? FFVII? :pac:

It came out when there was very little in the way in terms of console RPG's which probably enamoured people to it. I only played it a little but I've never heard anything good said about it. Despite making one of my favourite games I think most Level-5 rpgs are very mediocre.

Retr0gamer

I don't think FFVIII and FFVII are the greatest JRPGs ever made but they are excellent games and well worth your time.

Ni No Kuni on the other hand is just bad and is a bland Level-5 JRPG as they have made. Their work on Dragon Quest has been stellar but outside of that everything they make is Ni No Kuni levels of bland with the exception of Dark Cloud 2.

As Megaten said, it came out at a time when there were very few notable JRPGs released and it had the studio Ghibli name attached. Most people also don't realise how little Ghibli had to do with the game, it's very much a Level 5 production.

Outside of notable JRPGs you had at the same time some amazing games in the genre like Resonance of Fate, the Atelier Dusk trilogy, Etrian Odyssey, the Shin Megami Tensei games, FF13-3. But nobody was playing them. Ni No Kuni only got notice and press because of Ghibli and if their name wasn't attached it would have gotten very mediocre reviews. Anyone that actually knows their RPGs knows its a total stinker. Retronauts had a rant about how awful it was and how insane it was that it was getting good reviews and RPGamer giving it the biggest let down of 2013 award.

PostWoke

Retr0gamer wrote: »

As Megaten said, it came out at a time when there were very few notable JRPGs released and it had the studio Ghibli name attached. Most people also don't realise how little Ghibli had to do with the game, it's very much a Level 5 production.

Outside of notable JRPGs you had at the same time some amazing games in the genre like Resonance of Fate, the Atelier Dusk trilogy, Etrian Odyssey, the Shin Megami Tensei games, FF13-3. But nobody was playing them. Ni No Kuni only got notice and press because of Ghibli and if their name wasn't attached it would have gotten very mediocre reviews.

So which is it, there were no JRPG releases at the time, or several? Both paragraphs literally contradict themselves here. The word 'notable' doesn't mean anything far as I can see. Does 'outside of notable' mean 'less good'? In that case why even mention them.

Steam's 'very positive' user reviews for Ni No Kuni come at a time when there's arguably too much to be playing, the steam version is only out 4 days...

sniper_samurai

PostWoke wrote: »

So which is it, there were no JRPG releases at the time, or several? Both paragraphs literally contradict themselves here. The word 'notable' doesn't mean anything far as I can see. Does 'outside of notable' mean 'less good'? In that case why even mention them.

Steam's 'very positive' user reviews for Ni No Kuni come at a time when there's arguably too much to be playing, the steam version is only out 4 days...

Less recognised by main stream games media, ie rpgs not made or published by Bandai Namco or Square Enix.

Xenji

Shin Megami Tensei IV, Trails of Cold Steel, Etrian Odyssey IV and The Millennium Girl, Persona 4 Golden and Dragons Crown were all better examples of 2013 releases.

Retr0gamer

Well if you've made your mind up go ahead and buy it. It's a game that makes a good impression in the first few hours until you head to yet another Kingdom and have to complete yet another stupid task to meet the king and realise it's utter ****e. Just trying to warn you it ain't good and people see ghibli and fawn over a polished turd.

Just warning people about a stinker. MGS4 got praise but it was thrash. But if you have convinced yourself to buy it go ahead.

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy

Xenji wrote: »

Shin Megami Tensei IV, Trails of Cold Steel, Etrian Odyssey IV and The Millennium Girl, Persona 4 Golden and Dragons Crown were all better examples of 2013 releases.

I never heard of The Millennium Girl, what was that like?

I loved SMTIV and Dragons Crown (need to finish it). Might play Golden soon, I miss P4s ost but liked it the least between 3/4/5 maybe its enough time now since I finished it, have Trials bought its in the backlog. Wasn't a bad year tbf?

PostWoke

Xenji wrote: »

Shin Megami Tensei IV, Trails of Cold Steel, Etrian Odyssey IV and The Millennium Girl, Persona 4 Golden and Dragons Crown were all better examples of 2013 releases.

A lot of this is too weeby though, lots of people won't touch that stuff, and for good reason. In this way the Ghibli involvement certainly helped, made the title more accessible and a better proposition, with less eye-rolling nose bleeding panty shot nonsense.

Same argument would apply to the Phoenix Wright series, and why it's bigger than its' competition. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danganronpa#Reception https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Attorney#Reception

Another example. Dunkey perfectly encapsulates why I will never touch Xenosaga 2 here;

But I will probably be picking up the Xenoblade 1 Switch remaster.

People have rightfully begun to associate very 'anime' art styles with very 'anime' storytelling, i.e., tropey trash.

Yet another example; Fire Emblem. Just finished Awakening, really liked it. Bouncing hard off Fates, and I haven't even gotten to the story split yet.

However, reviews are generally not written on sight of a game's visual style. Even the steam reviews, of a release four days old, cite a number of hours played, and many mention thinking it was one of the best games on PS3 when they first played it (I doubt that tbh, but I'll check it out eventually). Most reviews are written with at least one playthrough done I would say and they are very positive across the board.

Perhaps the story is a bit simple, I'm completely open to that being the reality. But is that not better than, for example, the impenetrable nonsense of the Kingdom Hearts series?

Xenji

Honestly stopped reading after the first sentence.

PostWoke

Xenji wrote: »

Honestly stopped reading after the first sentence.

Stick your fingers in your ears all you want, sales figures and amount of positive reviews speak for themselves.

Xenji

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy wrote: »

I never heard of The Millennium Girl, what was that like?

I loved SMTIV and Dragons Crown (need to finish it). Might play Golden soon, I miss P4s ost but liked it the least between 3/4/5 maybe its enough time now since I finished it, have Trials bought its in the backlog. Wasn't a bad year tbf?

It is an Etrian Odyssey game, well technically an expanded remake of the first game in the series, but if you have not played any games in the series before it is a good entry point as it is quite newcomer friendly by design.

skerry

PostWoke wrote: »

Another example. Dunkey perfectly encapsulates why I will never touch Xenosaga 2 here;

But I will probably be picking up the Xenoblade 1 Switch remaster.

Your loss, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is an awesome game. If you were to use Dunky's opinion as your basis of playing a game or not then you wouldn't be playing very many games, apart from maybe Mario Odyssey

PostWoke

skerry wrote: »

Your loss, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is an awesome game. If you were to use Dunky's opinion as your basis of playing a game or not then you wouldn't be playing very many games, apart from maybe Mario Odyssey

Well, that's true. And don't forget Mario Maker. But, what he displayed (rather than expressed as an opinion) is everything cringeworthy about 'that side' of Japanese media. I don't see anything good in that video that I can't get elsewhere, and without the cartoon DDD's, annoying voice acting, and being interrupted by tutorials 20+ hours in because the systems are so ridiculous.

I am open to the prequel for it, if it isn't bogged down by that stuff.

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy

Xenji wrote: »

It is an Etrian Odyssey game, well technically an expanded remake of the first game in the series, but if you have not played any games in the series before it is a good entry point as it is quite newcomer friendly by design.

That's great to know, PQ Is EO based? So maybe I should give it a go before PQ. I loved EO4s music but that's as much as I know about the series other than a vague idea of gameplay

Retr0gamer

PostWoke wrote: »

A lot of this is too weeby though, lots of people won't touch that stuff, and for good reason. In this way the Ghibli involvement certainly helped, made the title more accessible and a better proposition, with less eye-rolling nose bleeding panty shot nonsense.

None of those games have any 'weeby' stuff in it. But you wouldn't know that as you've not played them.

Ni no kuni is a way worse offender than any of those games and the story isn't a bit simple. It's gash. Just like kingdom hearts.

megaten

I wouldn't actually recommend Xenoblade 2 to many, its only enjoyable when your travelling the world. The cutscenes are constant cringe.

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy wrote: »

That's great to know, PQ Is EO based? So maybe I should give it a go before PQ. I loved EO4s music but that's as much as I know about the series other than a vague idea of gameplay

PQ is EO gameplay except a good bit easier since you team makeup is much more dynamic. The whole sub-persona system makes it very easy to change up your party for new challenges.

PostWoke

megaten wrote: »

I wouldn't actually recommend Xenoblade 2 to many, its only enjoyable when your travelling the world. The cutscenes are constant cringe.

Yup, this my issue with 'that side' of Japanese media.

RobbingBandit

Any more talk about Ni No Kuni and I'm gonna start posting about Legend of Dragoon and it's secret endings.

All honesty if this was another poster I'd report still now you've got alternate dead horses to flog round these parts

megaten

PostWoke wrote: »

Yup, this my issue with 'that side' of Japanese media.

Nah its too much like old fashioned shoenen to corresponded to current late night anime if thats what you mean. The cutscenses are just poorly done with god awful sound editing and voice direction.

skerry

megaten wrote: »

Nah its too much like old fashioned shoenen to corresponded to current late night anime if thats what you mean. The cutscenses are just poorly done with god awful sound editing and voice direction.

Didn't bother me to be honest. Couldn't tolerate the Welsh accents so I used Japanese audio. Games not without its flaws but I got a very enjoyable 80+ hours out of it. Combat system is very satisfying once you get the whole break system down, stacking orbs and piling on the damage once queued up never got old for me.

megaten

skerry wrote: »

Didn't bother me to be honest. Couldn't tolerate the Welsh accents so I used Japanese audio. Games not without its flaws but I got a very enjoyable 80+ hours out of it. Combat system is very satisfying once you get the whole break system down, stacking orbs and piling on the damage once queued up never got old for me.

Actually the welsh accents were the ones I liked the most! Whoever decided on Welsh Catgirl deserves a medal. I meant more the voice acting as opposed to the accents. It wasn't very emotional for the kind of melodrama that kind of story needs. Especially Rex which is unfortunate since he's the main character.

Retr0gamer

RobbingBandit wrote: »

Any more talk about Ni No Kuni and I'm gonna start posting about Legend of Dragoon and it's secret endings.

All honesty if this was another poster I'd report still now you've got alternate dead horses to flog round these parts

I'm sorry if I offended your awful taste in bad JRPGs

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy

RobbingBandit wrote: »

Any more talk about Ni No Kuni and I'm gonna start posting about Legend of Dragoon and it's secret endings.

All honesty if this was another poster I'd report still now you've got alternate dead horses to flog round these parts

RobbingBandit

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I'm sorry if I offended your awful taste in bad JRPGs

In my best John Herbert impression

Ohhhh we got a fighter

RobbingBandit

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy wrote: »

I'm gonna lose but I love me a nonsensical comparison contest I surely do.

PostWoke

A friend of mine swore by Legend of Dragoon. Never grabbed me. More likely to try Baten Kaitos if I'm in the mood for a B/C Tier JRPG. Both strike me as visually unappealing JRPGs though.