#and the gameplay was amazing. i really like fates style of gameplay its so awesome

[beananium]

i finished the job 12 year old me was unable to do and beat all three paths of fire emblem fates. it was ok

[theultimateegghead-blog]

Modest Media Game Reviews 50 post special!                                    Dark Souls

Game – Dark Souls Year of Release – 2011 Developer – FromSoftware Publisher - Namco Bandai Rated - Mature Platforms - PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch For all sakes and purposes, I have played the PAL region version of the PS3 prepare to die edition. Which in turn means I played the DLC.

Dark Souls, an epic dark fantasy action rpg legendary for its harsh and punishing game play. Dark Souls is tied with Metal Gear Solid 3 and The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess as my favorite games of all time. I adore this game and have achieved every trophy/achievement there is in this game. However, as a reviewer I will do my best not to nerd out over this title. With that being said, be warned, Im likely to praise this game like how Solaire praises the sun. Are you ready to go on this adventure with me?

Gameplay – Dark Souls is a very challenging and punishing game with a steep learning curve. Even the simplest enemies can kill the chosen undead if they are not careful. The main character has stats that can be leveled up by the player, certain equipment is locked behind stat requirements, which will in turn cause players to adopt certain playstyles. Players who invest in strength, endurance and vitality can become heavy hitting tanks. Players who invest in intelligence, faith and attunement can become powerful mages. The character style, skills and weapon choice are up to the player. The game has bonfires which act as checkpoints, when the player dies they respawn at the bonfire they last rested at. While the distance between bonfires can be large, shortcuts can be opened to make subsequent run throughs easier. Upon defeating enemies and bosses, players acquire souls. Souls serve as both currency and experience, so in some situations you might choose to upgrade a weapon as opposed to leveling up. Most enemies respawn upon the players death or resting at a bonfire, so there will be no shortage in soul fodder. Players may use items discovered over the game via a hot bar. Some items include the estus flask which can restore health, firebombs and throwing knives and special mosses that can cure status effects. This game has a fair share of bosses to challenge you. Some bosses are big and slow while others are small and fast. This game pulls no punches with its bosses so don’t be afraid to look up guides or summon help. Summoning, ah yes, the player has the ability to summon npc’s or even other players to help them fight a boss. To do so, the player must be in human state, which means that they will not appeared zombified and will be granted access to multiplayer. However, some players can invade you and will attempt to kill you. Nobody likes a red phantom coming along to ruin their day. The games level design is generally fantastic, though some areas are frustrating. This is because the game was rushed towards the end of development, leading to a dip in quality at late game areas. In the end though the game quality does not disappoint. It is versatile, challenging and a rewarding experience. It may be frustrating at times but persevere and you will taste victory. Score – 18/20

Graphics – The graphics are ok, but I would not say they are perfect. While the world is beautiful and diverse, some areas have frame rate issues and clipping or low-quality textures. This sadly can impact gameplay, especially in blightown where the frame rate can chug at points. Character models are well designed, but most models lack a talking animation. This is easily ignored however given the fact that you aren’t meant to see the npc’s faces up close. Some later areas have visual stigmas about them that impact the game, such as lost Izalith’s harshly glowing lava. Because of the fact that these issues can impact gameplay I cannot give a perfect score, but I would say that it is a pretty game and overall looks very nice. Score – 8/10

Story – The game shines here with a unique way to tell the story. The majority of what is needed to know is presented in the opening cutscene and presented over the course of the game as well. At face value the story is this… You are a special undead warrior that has been chosen to succeed the lord of Sunlight Gwyn. In order to do so you must travel all over the land defeating bosses in an attempt to prove yourself worthy of entering the final area of the game. At that point you will determine the fate of the world. Simple enough, but then there comes the item lore. Every drop, every piece of armor, every boss soul has lore attached to it. This lore is hidden and must be sought out by the players through reading descriptions or talking to npcs. Various npcs have their own personal stories that you can play a part in. Each location is rich in backstory. With the DLC mounted even more is explored and some of the most massive plot points of the souls trilogy, such as the abyss, is discussed. The notion of right and wrong is subjective and a majority of the story is up to the player to piece together. While some might say it’s a shoddy way to tell a story, I disagree and think it fits the theme of the game nicely. The lore is for you, the player, to discover. Because of this the game has very few cutscenes, allowing for a more smooth immersive experience. Score – 10/10

Replay Value – Subjectively high. In order to obtain everything, all boss weapons and all trophies, the game must be beaten at least 2 and a half times. While for a huge fan such as myself this is no problem, to the casual player, one playthrough might just be enough. So, it really comes down to this, are you willing to go on another long adventure to see the second ending? Or to get a boss weapon you missed? Is it worth the effort to beat the game twice for the platinum? If you answered yes then you will have a good time, if no then you will probably be satisfied after beating the game once. While your stats and most items carry over to new game plus, there is no content locked behind NG+ other than boss weapons or potential secrets that you skipped or missed. However, it might be worth the time anyway, as this game still has a good challenge to offer. Score – 4/5

Music – Wonderful. One of my favorite osts. In this game the majority of music is of the bosses. The only area with background music is the hub, firelink shrine. The music can be haunting and atmospheric, such as Sif’s theme. It can be bombastic and intense, such as Ornstein and Smough’s theme, or it can be beautiful and somber such as Gwyn’s theme. The music tells part of the story and sets the mood for each event that accompanies the song.  When music is not playing, the levels have ambiance to fill in the void, or it can just be hauntingly silent. Sometimes a crow will caw or a monster will moan in the distance. The world plays a role in the sound design almost as much as the music. I would totally recommend a listen. Score – 5/5

Overall – A truly fantastic game that has brought me many hours of joy. From awesome boss fights to amazing lore and world building. It has great music, a great atmosphere and a well-designed game world that gives a unique open world experience. This game is not for everyone, it is challenging, and can be downright cruel to novice players. This is all part of the experience, to say this game is hard would be true. However, I would not say this game is as insanely unbeatable as many make it out to be. Do not let your guard down though, this game tends to punish those who do… Score – 9/10 - Amazing

One thing this game could improve on – Magic rebalance. Magic can be ridiculously overpowered in this game and can quickly render a melee-oriented build obsolete. If you desire the true dark souls experience, then avoid abusing magic attacks.

This review marks my 50th post. I am proud of my work so far and plan to continue doing so for those of you who enjoy it. See you next time.

[lady-of-rohan]

My sincere and honest thoughts regarding The Evil Within 2:

So, I'm finally sitting down and writing out ALL my thoughts on TEW2... at first, I was kind of nervous. After all, I mean so many people are going to love it, right? Well, to put things into perspective, @detective-joseph-oda and I literally returned the game. I've never taken back a game in my life.

It's been a difficult rollercoaster for me. TEW fandom is my everything... so, it's not like I'm leaving, or going to stop being mama or shipping or cosplaying or anything like that. I love this community and I want to contribute and continue to support my kids. I also would never want people to not play a game, or not get enjoyment out of it by voicing my opinions. A lot of people have asked me what I thought ... so here's my honest write-up, as someone who picked up TEW1 on its release date back in 2014 and has been in the fandom ever since.

MAJOR SPOILERS naturally.

Let's start out positive with things we actually liked:

Stefano! He was a super cool character, a total flamboyant psycho, and I adored all of the artsy, musical-inclined deaths with the slow-mo blood. That was really aesthetic, and really gorgeously done. Like, I couldn’t get enough of it.

Obscura is also amazing, though her moaning noises were a bit odd.

Anima (the singing enemy) was nicely done.And probably the scariest thing in the game.

The graphics are beautiful.

Gameplay controls are good.

Music is also nice.

Save kitty and Tatiana are back, which was a brief treat, but awesome ones.

Green gel and syringes are back (eyyy~).

Getting to walk around KCPD in Seb's old office.

The beginning fire sequence with Seb entering the house. GORGEOUSLY and amazingly done... it really built it up and started out strong... but then... well...

General things I sincerely disliked:

Firstly, the OPEN WORLD SEGMENTS. Ugh... this was the worst part of the game. Hands down. It was unnecessary, and not remotely horror at all. It was easy to see where this game drew influence from other games recently, and quite honestly , it didn't work for me. It was wicked distracting and out of place. This does not belong in this genre, making the game feel like it was torn in several different gameplay directions. It couldn't decide whether it wanted to be linear or open world. The tracker was annoying, and straight out of Silent Hill Shattered Memories which is certainly nothing new.

The game also sometimes flipped from third to first person. Very distracting. To be fair, I think a lot of this game mechanic confusion happened due to the following reason:

It's American horror transformation from Japanese horror. I won't lie, I'm a Shinji Mikami fangirl. I find him to be brilliant.  Always have... and I stopped liking Resident Evil as soon as 5 came out, and he left as director. TEW was supposed to be his love story to horror fans. Something he could leave us, as he described in one interview, that didn't suffer from "sequelitis." So you can imagine my true horror when I heard that Johanas was the new director.

The jump from American horror from Japanese is stark, and shattering if you're a big horror gamer like I am. Japanese horror isn't afraid to leave things up in the air or neatly explain everything. They often leave you confused, and often in high anxiety or suspense. They don't give straight answers.  In TEW2, though, nothing is really scary any more. It also relies HEAVILY upon mechanics, plot devices, and gameplay from other games... most notably The Last of Us but also Uncharted, Resident Evil 7, The Division, Outlast, SIlent Hill and SH Shattered Memories, Layers of Fear. Of which TEW was nothing like ANY of these. And yes, I know the new director, Johanas, is the same as the DLCs... but at least the DLCs provided some sincerely terrifying moments.

(side note: I was the most peeved that the ending of both TLOU and TEW2 is literally carrying your daughter or daughter figure in your arms... and that the emotional moments between them take place in a vehicle as they gaze at one another. Influenced much?).

Which brings me to... the main thing a survival-horror game should have. Horror.

This game is not scary. Nor was it difficult in any sense of the word. Unless you count... actually getting through it, which was very painful at times.

We honestly didn't die once during our 12-hour stream. This was absolutely disappointing. And confusing. Why wasn't this game more difficult? Sometimes I still die in the beginning sequence of TEW1. It's still terrifying as the Sadist comes at Seb, he injures his leg, and Seb limps for his life.

Furthermore, the utter sense of isolation, confusion, and abandonment is gone. In TEW1, you literally have no idea what the hell is going on, left in the dark figuratively and at times, literally. That's what makes it scary, aside from the hideous creatures out for blood. With so many Mobius NPCs, you always know a safe house, or a safe room, is well within running distance. It's so easy to use avoidant tactics and not fight much, rather than fighting for your life every few minutes.

Which leads us into...

The NPCs. I'm sorry, everyone was so cardboard and generic. Also boring in my opinion. Their interactions with Seb felt awkward and forced. I didn't give a damn about any of them ( @detective-joseph-oda, liked Sykes, which is fair because he had the most personality out of all of them). Again, the isolation and terror is gone. You have friends... and not just Kidman in your ear telling you what to do. Unlike the first game, where you were absolutely alone 90% of the time, with increased anxiety every time Joseph left your side and you were left to your own devices again.

On that note, this game provides way too much information as you work with Mobius. TEW1 left theories in the online community for months. No one knew what truly went on behind Beacon. It was fascinating to theorize about the character's fates. Mobius was just a terror in the distance, vaguely mentioned and yet their symbols were emblazoned on doors every so often leaving a sense of intrigue and mystery.  What was real and what wasn’t? Not something to worry about any more, as everyone directly explains everything to you, every step of the way. Even the DLCs added more information than answered questions, and the fandom was, well, for lack of a better word, shook.

The DLCs suddenly made Mobius, and Kidman,  Administrator, etc... the main focus. Suddenly, Beacon wasn't so spooky any more because they were tugging the strings. Which brings us to our next point...

The importance is suddenly almost entirely placed upon Kidman as a side character (she's the only other one you play as, after all).  I get it. People love Kidman. She’s a familiar face. This was obviously shifting this way in the DLCs. Not only was this Seb's story arc (unless you count the DLCs) but it felt out of place seeing as you only get to be her a few brief segments.  It seemed to me like the game wanted to neatly tie up BOTH of their character arcs in one game, rather than provide another Kidman DLC to see how things went down on her end again. It felt like a bit much going on.. not to mention Joseph was Seb’s actual partner and his focus in TEW1. More on that later. On that note, The Administrator was such a wasted opportunity. Instead of being a creepy monster influence like he once was inside of STEM, he just sits in his chair like a typical Bond Villain and has agents do his evil bidding. He sits back and "MWAHAHAS" rather than actively playing a part in the events around him.

And now we get into the nitty gritty, and the things I am most passionately outspoken about with this game.

Stefano is HARDLY in it, and the game has far too many antagonists. I was so disappointed to see Stefano ended by chapter 9 because he was the best part of the game. That's only halfway through that he makes it, and he is the character they used on all of their promotional material, and even their art contest. Super disappointing.

New Seb... isn't our Seb. He's down on his luck, sure, but he's almost at peace with it given his other behavior. We only really see that Seb is downtrodden because he's written in a bar at the beginning of the game and he has a beard of sorrow. Everything else leads to Seb seeming pretty high functioning and generally in better spirits. It almost feels like invasion of the body snatchers. His facial features are different (rendered to be more classically handsome, perhaps). He's suddenly more sassy, and infinitely more talkative, making him far from the near-silent protagonist he once was. Instead of playing his cards close to the vest, he wears his heart on the sleeve, often openly emotional. Which, given the contrast between he and Joseph in the first game, is not his usual style. Joseph was the "emotional" of the two. He also hardly swears or even says his token trade-marked 'FUCK.' You can't get through five minutes of the game without him making some kind of snappy, cheesy one-liner or talking to himself. It’s hard to take the game seriously as horror this time around.The obviously new voice actor for him, compared to Anson's experience, is also a rough transition.

Is it because he's after his child, who he thought was dead that he's so different? I dunno... I don't buy it. And speaking of, Lily's crying was some of the worst voice acting I've heard in a game in a very long time. I won't say much on her, other than I was severely disappointed by the overly-happy ending, neatly tied up in a package with a bow. TEW isn't The Last of Us. It was never a "father saves his daughter" game. It was horror. Lily and Myra were there for backstory only.This seemed like a money-making gimmick to me, given the popularity of such series that have gone the familial route, rather than sticking to their original genres (Uncharted for example). Family sells. Saving your family sells. Although I'm happy for Seb, I truly am... it's absolutely jarring to see the end of this game compared to the first.It’s almost alien.

The characterization, and dialogue writing... overall was bad. Especially between Seb and Myra (O'Neal, too).

Myra... well, again, I won't say much. I was very disappointed that she had a redemption arc, and that she wasn't out against Sebastian from the start as the DLCs perhaps hinted at. She was a good wife. A good person. Very clean for a horror game. It was an easy out. And her design was a direct rip off Ruvik and honestly really reaching. Shoutout to the fact that she looks like literal cum.

Finally, and here we go... the original story arc was about Ruvik. His pain, his motivations, his invention of STEM to bring Laura back. As far as we know, he's still out there inhabiting Leslie as a vessel. This... was just dropped in favor of a retconned Seb saves Lily story. Ruvik was so much more interesting. They could have at least given him a little bit of screen time. I really feel like they dropped the actual horror ball, shifting the focus from the mind of a madman, as the original game called it.. to a very Umbrella-esque organization. Seeing Seb face Leslie/Ruvik in the real world was a HUGE missed opportunity.

And last but certainly not least.. the fandom's beloved Joseph Oda. Going back to Kidman who was the Junior Detective, and not Sebastian's actual partner of 9 years like Joseph was, it just hurts to see him discarded. Yes, we got our confirmation that he's alive which is something the fandom has theorized for years. Johanas himself had left Joseph with a heartbeat in the DLCs, hinting at his state of life. But you also have to work for it. HARD. To even see this happy information flashed on your projection screen, you need every single photo slide and side quest finished. It isn't even remotely satisfying, and again, it's another tease. Kidman gives you an excuse and dodges questions about his whereabouts, or how he is, or if he's just a brain in a jar...

The ending hints that someone is now running STEM again as the Core. Is it Joseph? Who knows... DLC perhaps? If so I'm not sure I'm interested. Joseph may not be who he once was if he gets the same treatment of the other characters.

Going back to Seb's characterization, (I think @debussyj will agree with me on this) his partner for most of his detective career has been supposedly "dead" in his eyes for three years.  He was willing to believe Lily was alive again, but why not Joseph? The care that they showed for each other in the first game was so apparent. All shipping aside. They cared for each other so much and yes, Lily is his blood, but Joseph was part of his life far longer. And now Joseph is just a footnote in Seb's life, because he got his daughter back. Blood is thicker than water I guess, but boy Seb, that's no way to treat the man who helped you through your personal tragedy, as the DLCs went out of their way to mention, and the partner you came to work beside, admire and respect. This more than anything felt the most disappointing and OOC for me. It felt downright disrespectful, especially since Ruvik pointedly mocks Sebastian by using Joseph in the first game ("poor little Joseph") and Seb's motivations throughout the first game are first and foremost, helping his partner get through it, too. It's like the two almost never existed as partners.

The TLDR version; this game is not an actual horror game, is a far cry from its original genre, theme, and atmosphere... it uses a heavy reliance upon other popular games, the writing isn't good or consistent, the characters feel entirely different, and no, Joseph is not in it.

[virginieboesus]

Yet Another 7 PSX RPGs Everyone Should Play

I think I should start making a list of all of these PSX RPG articles, just so that everyone can easily jump between them. But either way, today we are going to be continuing a series of articles that started at some point last year. However, today is also the point where I change things up a bit; I’ve been trying to sort professional and stiff with my posts, but honestly, it’s a bit tiring… It’s also not me.

So, I’m throwing that all out of the window and from now on, I’m just going to write the way I would talk. Thus, welcome to the new, more relaxed and (hopefully) more entertaining 16-Bit Dad, as we take a look at yet another 7 PSX RPGs that everyone should play!

7. Grandia

Let’s start of this list with a game that I’ve seen mentioned a few times in YouTube videos, but one that I don’t see spoken about much at all on the likes of Twitter; Grandia. Developed by Game Arts, who I have to say are absolute geniuses when it comes to amazing RPGs (they made the Lunar series, after all), Grandia was released on the PlayStation in 1999, 2 years after it’s Sega Saturn release. At the time, I was a budding little anime lover who could easily be drawn into something as long as it had hints of anime style. That was how I picked up Grandia; the cover art.

The mixture of fantasy and so-called “emerging technology” really hit it off with me, harkening back to my love of Wild ARMS and Final Fantasy. However, when I actually started playing the game, I was pleased to see that Grandia offered more than a slight nostalgia-trip brought on by the world design. The combat, especially, was something very different to what I was used to at the time. The sliding bar at the bottom right with the turn order meant that I could plan out my strategies better, but also that I needed to pay more attention that in other RPGs. Also, whilst it’s a minor thing, the camera’s movement during a battle made it feel far more intense.

Oh, and the soundtrack manages to switch between amazing and downright weird all the time, which makes it incredibly amusing. Overall, Grandia is a great alternative RPG compared to the big names out there, and I’m planning to go back to it very soon, too.

6. Breath of Fire 3

Now, I could have included both Breath of Fire 3 and 4 in this list, but I wanted to keep it to just one game per franchise, per list. So, for this list, I have decided to go with Breath of Fire 3. Even though the fourth game is (arguably) the more well-rounded game, Breath of Fire 3 tops it for me as one of the key PS1 RPGs out there. The 2D sprites on a 3D world are all beautifully animated and still look great today. Oh, and the music is just outstanding. The composer, Akari Kaida, did a truly awesome job at putting together a memorable and emotive soundtrack that I can still listen to today!

The story and characters, whilst better in Breath of Fire 4, are all well fleshed out with personalities, which only adds to the immersion of the game. Set over two different periods of time, you get to see how the characters grow and develop as the game progresses, which I’m surprised to say isn’t actually that common in RPGs for the time… Strange, don’t you think?

5. Shin Megami Tensei if…

Well, I mean, we’ve already had Persona 2 on the other lists, so it was only a matter of time before another Shin Megami Tensei game appeared. Shin Megami Tensei if… is a PSX RPG that was only released in Japan, unfortunately. That meant that, as a kid, I didn’t actually get a chance to play the game. However, as I grew up and became able to play imported games through a variety of methods, I finally gave Shin Megami Tensei if… a try. Retaining the creepy nature of the Shin Megami Tensei games, as well as the first person dungeon crawling aspects, this entry in the franchise continued to live up to the previous entries.

I won’t lie, though. It will take some getting used to if you’ve only really played more traditional PSX RPGs. The combat and movement are all very different from what many people would expect. However, don’t let that put you off. Once you’ve nailed the gameplay ideas and mechanics, you’ll be in for one hell of a treat!

4. Mega Man Legends

Next up, we have a game that, in its franchise, was one of the lower selling entries. However, Mega Man Legends is actually a surprisingly fun game. When I first played it, I went in expecting to dislike the game. The idea of Mega Man in an RPG-style game was a bit off-putting. Yet, here I am, including it on this list! Why?

Well, the game hasn’t aged brilliantly in terms of graphics, but the gameplay still holds up as it did at the time. Overall, Mega Man Legends is a relatively wholesome affair compared to most of the games I play, meaning that it is also very easy to get into. This action RPG is light-hearted, entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable, which are all of the criteria that Mega Man Legends needs. If you’re looking for an RPG that doesn’t need incredibly political plots or demons destroying all life on the planet in order to be fun, then you really should try Mega Man Legends.

3. Legend of Mana

Moving on to the next entry in this ever-growing list of PSX RPGs, that has now gotten so long over 4 posts that I largely forget what I’ve already included, we have Legend of Mana. The more commonly known entry in the “Mana” series (called Seiken Densetsu in Japan) is Secret of Mana, which was the second entry in the series. Legend of Mana is actually the fourth game to be released in the series (the third was only released in Japan).

This game came out during the time when seeing Squaresoft on the front cover of a game meant that you were in for one hell of a great ride. Legend of Mana lived up to that mentality completely, having me hooked from start to finish. I wasn’t a big fan of action RPGs at the time, preferring more traditional turn-based ones. However, there was just something about Legend of Mana that buried its claws into me and wouldn’t let go.

What was really interesting about Legend of Mana at the time, especially for someone like me who was used to RPGs with massive yet focused plots, was the lack of an overarching storyline. Rather than featuring one massive quest for the characters to undertake, Legend of Mana features a bunch of smaller questlines and story arcs for you to follow. These all eventually lead into the final story arc, creating a very unique way of telling an RPG story.

2. Threads of Fates

Earlier on, I said that 1999 was the year in which I could be captured purely by a nice piece of anime style cover art. Well, that’s what first caught my attention when my mother’s boyfriend gave me an imported copy of Threads of Fate. The cover art looked so good that I just had to try it out. However, because it was an action RPG and I was still not really accustomed to them, I didn’t play it for long and it was soon lost to time. I have no idea what happened to that copy of the game.

I’ve since matured (a bit) and tried the game again, and I was pleasantly surprised. It certainly isn’t the best action RPG out there and does has a number of flaws. However, Threads of Fate is most certainly enjoyable, and that’s kind of the point of a game, really.

The fact that, once again, it was made by the geniuses at Squaresoft meant that it was almost certainly a good game. That’s why I had to try it again. The different skills that the two main characters have also means that you get a variation in gameplay depending on who you are controlling!

1. Brave Fencer Musashi

And so we come to the end of yet another list of PSX RPGs, and we are ending with both another Squaresoft game and another action RPG. Considering how I’ve been saying that I didn’t really get action RPGs as a kid, it is funny how many of them I now really enjoy playing. It almost feels like I wasted my time as a kid… Especially when it comes to Brave Fencer Musashi. You see, whilst I loved anime covers, Brave Fencer Musashi’s cover just looked too childish for the young me. I wanted to play adult games, to prove that I wasn’t a kid anymore. It’s funny how I regret that now; I missed out on some amazing games.

Brave Fencer Musashi is an action RPG which a very interesting art-style and gameplay that, honestly, does remind me of the Legend of Zelda quite a bit. It’s not a Zelda clone, per se, but definitely has similar vibes in terms of base gameplay. What makes it stand out, however, is the twin sword combat system of the game. One sword is simply a sword, whilst the other can be imbued with magic.

This creates a novelty to combat, which makes the constant killing of enemies a lot more fun than it sounds.

And That’s All Folks

There goes yet another list of PSX RPGs that everyone should play. If you are a fan of RPGs and haven’t tried any of these out (or the others listed here, here and here) then you really ought to go and do yourself a favour; play these games!

Are you an RPG fan? Are there any games you want for yourself? Let me know in the comments below.

from More Design Curation https://www.16bitdad.com/blog/yet-another-7-psx-rpgs-everyone-should-play/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=yet-another-7-psx-rpgs-everyone-should-play source https://smartstartblogging.tumblr.com/post/184050056285

[smartstartblogging]

Yet Another 7 PSX RPGs Everyone Should Play

I think I should start making a list of all of these PSX RPG articles, just so that everyone can easily jump between them. But either way, today we are going to be continuing a series of articles that started at some point last year. However, today is also the point where I change things up a bit; I’ve been trying to sort professional and stiff with my posts, but honestly, it’s a bit tiring… It’s also not me.

So, I’m throwing that all out of the window and from now on, I’m just going to write the way I would talk. Thus, welcome to the new, more relaxed and (hopefully) more entertaining 16-Bit Dad, as we take a look at yet another 7 PSX RPGs that everyone should play!

7. Grandia

Let’s start of this list with a game that I’ve seen mentioned a few times in YouTube videos, but one that I don’t see spoken about much at all on the likes of Twitter; Grandia. Developed by Game Arts, who I have to say are absolute geniuses when it comes to amazing RPGs (they made the Lunar series, after all), Grandia was released on the PlayStation in 1999, 2 years after it’s Sega Saturn release. At the time, I was a budding little anime lover who could easily be drawn into something as long as it had hints of anime style. That was how I picked up Grandia; the cover art.

The mixture of fantasy and so-called “emerging technology” really hit it off with me, harkening back to my love of Wild ARMS and Final Fantasy. However, when I actually started playing the game, I was pleased to see that Grandia offered more than a slight nostalgia-trip brought on by the world design. The combat, especially, was something very different to what I was used to at the time. The sliding bar at the bottom right with the turn order meant that I could plan out my strategies better, but also that I needed to pay more attention that in other RPGs. Also, whilst it’s a minor thing, the camera’s movement during a battle made it feel far more intense.

Oh, and the soundtrack manages to switch between amazing and downright weird all the time, which makes it incredibly amusing. Overall, Grandia is a great alternative RPG compared to the big names out there, and I’m planning to go back to it very soon, too.

6. Breath of Fire 3

Now, I could have included both Breath of Fire 3 and 4 in this list, but I wanted to keep it to just one game per franchise, per list. So, for this list, I have decided to go with Breath of Fire 3. Even though the fourth game is (arguably) the more well-rounded game, Breath of Fire 3 tops it for me as one of the key PS1 RPGs out there. The 2D sprites on a 3D world are all beautifully animated and still look great today. Oh, and the music is just outstanding. The composer, Akari Kaida, did a truly awesome job at putting together a memorable and emotive soundtrack that I can still listen to today!

The story and characters, whilst better in Breath of Fire 4, are all well fleshed out with personalities, which only adds to the immersion of the game. Set over two different periods of time, you get to see how the characters grow and develop as the game progresses, which I’m surprised to say isn’t actually that common in RPGs for the time… Strange, don’t you think?

5. Shin Megami Tensei if…

Well, I mean, we’ve already had Persona 2 on the other lists, so it was only a matter of time before another Shin Megami Tensei game appeared. Shin Megami Tensei if… is a PSX RPG that was only released in Japan, unfortunately. That meant that, as a kid, I didn’t actually get a chance to play the game. However, as I grew up and became able to play imported games through a variety of methods, I finally gave Shin Megami Tensei if… a try. Retaining the creepy nature of the Shin Megami Tensei games, as well as the first person dungeon crawling aspects, this entry in the franchise continued to live up to the previous entries.

I won’t lie, though. It will take some getting used to if you’ve only really played more traditional PSX RPGs. The combat and movement are all very different from what many people would expect. However, don’t let that put you off. Once you’ve nailed the gameplay ideas and mechanics, you’ll be in for one hell of a treat!

4. Mega Man Legends

Next up, we have a game that, in its franchise, was one of the lower selling entries. However, Mega Man Legends is actually a surprisingly fun game. When I first played it, I went in expecting to dislike the game. The idea of Mega Man in an RPG-style game was a bit off-putting. Yet, here I am, including it on this list! Why?

Well, the game hasn’t aged brilliantly in terms of graphics, but the gameplay still holds up as it did at the time. Overall, Mega Man Legends is a relatively wholesome affair compared to most of the games I play, meaning that it is also very easy to get into. This action RPG is light-hearted, entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable, which are all of the criteria that Mega Man Legends needs. If you’re looking for an RPG that doesn’t need incredibly political plots or demons destroying all life on the planet in order to be fun, then you really should try Mega Man Legends.

3. Legend of Mana

Moving on to the next entry in this ever-growing list of PSX RPGs, that has now gotten so long over 4 posts that I largely forget what I’ve already included, we have Legend of Mana. The more commonly known entry in the “Mana” series (called Seiken Densetsu in Japan) is Secret of Mana, which was the second entry in the series. Legend of Mana is actually the fourth game to be released in the series (the third was only released in Japan).

This game came out during the time when seeing Squaresoft on the front cover of a game meant that you were in for one hell of a great ride. Legend of Mana lived up to that mentality completely, having me hooked from start to finish. I wasn’t a big fan of action RPGs at the time, preferring more traditional turn-based ones. However, there was just something about Legend of Mana that buried its claws into me and wouldn’t let go.

What was really interesting about Legend of Mana at the time, especially for someone like me who was used to RPGs with massive yet focused plots, was the lack of an overarching storyline. Rather than featuring one massive quest for the characters to undertake, Legend of Mana features a bunch of smaller questlines and story arcs for you to follow. These all eventually lead into the final story arc, creating a very unique way of telling an RPG story.

2. Threads of Fates

Earlier on, I said that 1999 was the year in which I could be captured purely by a nice piece of anime style cover art. Well, that’s what first caught my attention when my mother’s boyfriend gave me an imported copy of Threads of Fate. The cover art looked so good that I just had to try it out. However, because it was an action RPG and I was still not really accustomed to them, I didn’t play it for long and it was soon lost to time. I have no idea what happened to that copy of the game.

I’ve since matured (a bit) and tried the game again, and I was pleasantly surprised. It certainly isn’t the best action RPG out there and does has a number of flaws. However, Threads of Fate is most certainly enjoyable, and that’s kind of the point of a game, really.

The fact that, once again, it was made by the geniuses at Squaresoft meant that it was almost certainly a good game. That’s why I had to try it again. The different skills that the two main characters have also means that you get a variation in gameplay depending on who you are controlling!

1. Brave Fencer Musashi

And so we come to the end of yet another list of PSX RPGs, and we are ending with both another Squaresoft game and another action RPG. Considering how I’ve been saying that I didn’t really get action RPGs as a kid, it is funny how many of them I now really enjoy playing. It almost feels like I wasted my time as a kid… Especially when it comes to Brave Fencer Musashi. You see, whilst I loved anime covers, Brave Fencer Musashi’s cover just looked too childish for the young me. I wanted to play adult games, to prove that I wasn’t a kid anymore. It’s funny how I regret that now; I missed out on some amazing games.

Brave Fencer Musashi is an action RPG which a very interesting art-style and gameplay that, honestly, does remind me of the Legend of Zelda quite a bit. It’s not a Zelda clone, per se, but definitely has similar vibes in terms of base gameplay. What makes it stand out, however, is the twin sword combat system of the game. One sword is simply a sword, whilst the other can be imbued with magic.

This creates a novelty to combat, which makes the constant killing of enemies a lot more fun than it sounds.

And That’s All Folks

There goes yet another list of PSX RPGs that everyone should play. If you are a fan of RPGs and haven’t tried any of these out (or the others listed here, here and here) then you really ought to go and do yourself a favour; play these games!

Are you an RPG fan? Are there any games you want for yourself? Let me know in the comments below.

from More Design Curation https://www.16bitdad.com/blog/yet-another-7-psx-rpgs-everyone-should-play/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=yet-another-7-psx-rpgs-everyone-should-play

[thatpainting]

2016 Games in Review

Welp, the worst year in recent memory has wrapped up. I don’t know if that rubbed off on me or not, but personally this was a very bittersweet year in gaming. Lots of disappointing sequels highlighted by great original games.

13.) Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright

I feel sad for the Fire Emblem franchise. Awakening had its problems, but it was still a decent game that recognized the fundamentals of the franchise. This game, on the other hand, decided “Eff that, lets get rid of weapon durability”. By doing this, they “solved” the problem of making the more powerful weapons, that you could now use as much as you want, have detrimental effects. It doesn’t make the game feel more strategic, but instead makes it feel like you are being penalized for using these stronger weapons, where in other games these were a reward to be used when your character had the stats to wield them properly, or when you had the money to burn. The protagonist also falls into the character trope that I hate the most: the useless idealist, who has no strategic insight or reason to be a leader other than “These guys are wrong, we have to stop them!”. Finally, the game still hasn’t balanced the stats formula, with only a couple units in the army being survivable. I should not have a character who focuses on speed be in the endgame and have a 50% chance of being one-shot by a character with a weapon triangle disadvantage. I could go on for many more paragraphs about subtle things that make this a bad game, but I’ll stop myself here. The game still does some interesting things, such as the myriad of stat changing weapons and skills as well as some of the classes, but it is unfortunate that they exist in a game that I don’t want to play.

12.) Undertale

Now, I didn’t get too far into Undertale, so I know I’m selling it short considering some of the stuff I’ve heard about in the later parts of the game. However, the start of this game is bad enough that I didn’t want to continue. The puzzles are not interesting, and while the random encounters are engaging, they are very one-note, making every subsequent encounter with the same enemy group nothing more than an annoyance considering you get basically nothing from battles. Speaking of which, the bullet-hell “combat” is inventive, but not something that I personally liked. Finally, and I know this is the most minor of nitpicks, the part at the beginning where you are told to not leave a room for a while has no payoff if you do so. I stayed in there for an hour and nothing happened, which is pretty surprising for a game that is supposedly as subversive as this one is.

11.) XCOM 2

More like XCOM 2-buggy-and-unoptimized-to-run-properly, amiright? This game solidly improves upon the base mechanics of it’s prequel, and introduces the genius character pool mechanic, however it suffers from the same problems that the first one did: Not enough customization, not enough steps in the gear upgrade path and a host of bugs (technical ones, not the Crysallids). Also, no controller support at launch was a bummer considering how natural that felt in the previous one. This is a textbook example of a game feeling like it was rushed to market.

10.) Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest

Take everything I said about Birthright, but add some actually very interesting map designs. The protagonist was far better in this version, they come off as cunning and overcome far more hardships than the Birthright counterpart. Still, the core gameplay is not compelling, and frustrated me enough that I did not want to play Revelations. I really, REALLY hope that the series can get on track, 6 through 10 are great strategy games, but I remain convinced that Intelligent Systems will continue to be satisfied putting more effort into writing wacky, trope-filled characters than actually making a strategy game that involves strategy.

9.) Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma

Disappointing is the best word for this game. I loved the first two entries into the Zero Escape series, and this does not deliver. The gameplay is very similar to VLR, but because we’ve seen it before it comes off as repetitive and uninspired, where in VLR it felt fresh and innovative, though I suppose this is only natural for a game that relies on twists and subversion as much as this one. The characters aren’t particularly well realized, especially the returning ones (And seriously Japan, do you have to put a character with gigantic, revealed breasts in every game? C’mon). The twists in this game range from jaw-dropping, to pretty stupid, to completely illogical and cheap. The plot also relied too much on a “get out of jail free” lore thing, and tries to make everything fit together by force more than by naturally introducing thoughtful concepts. Not a fitting end to an amazing series, and while I am glad that it was able to be made, it makes the series hard to recommend.

8.) Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice

This just felt like the series is spinning its wheels. The game focuses on the two aspects of the Ace Attorney series that I like the least: the spiritual aspect and Apollo Justice. As opposed to the previous game in the series, which had a good amount of focus on the three different attorneys, there is barely any Athena in this game. Also, for how much they advertised that Maya returned in this game, she is also barely in the game. Finally, the new prosecutor is completely unlikable with a super predictable story arc. Sure, the gameplay is fine and the story takes some interesting turns, but I play these games for the characters, and they disappointed in this iteration.

7.) The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

When I first heard that this game was being made, I was furious. A Link to the Past is my favourite Zelda game, and a game that just aimed to recapture nostalgia and not innovate sounded like a terrible move. However, the game hearkens back to the original LoZ by being somewhat non-linear, and this works in its favour to create a fresh experience despite using basically the same map, and some similar dungeons, to A Link to the Past. Also, even though the nostalgia grab was obvious from the outset, I still fell for it, hard. Running around the similar areas, hearing the updated versions of the music just put a smile on my face. The biggest problem with this game is that it is way too easy. I understand this to some extent, it is a Nintendo game after all, but the puzzles and combat are not engaging enough to offset this.

6.) Pokémon Sun

The biggest knock against this game is the longer-than-an-Alola-Exeggutor tutorial. At this point in the series, there should just be an option to streamline the beginning of the game for veterans of the series. Also, the heavier focus on story made the game feel more railroad-y, and the Rotom dex sucks (I could go the rest of my life without having a quipy sidekick in games). Still, at the end of the day, it is a solid Pokémon game that adds interesting new Pokémon, and the Alola forms are a much better spin on older Pokémon than goddamn Mega evolutions. I wouldn’t mind playing through the game again with a different team, but unfortunately there is still ONLY ONE SAVE SLOT GODDAMNIT.

5.) Rocket League

I got to this game early in the year, and thought that it would probably top the list. Crazy how this year went, yeah? The only problem I had with this game is that it is so much better playing with people that you know, so I never wanted to play with random people. This made the game unsustainable for me, as I rarely had the time to get people together to play. The core gameplay is just so solid, and it does what many great games do in that when you mess up, you know what it is that you did wrong, as well as the inverse. The developers are also doing great work, pioneering cross-platform play and continuing to improve the game with free content. This game led to the most hype moments of the year, and remains one that I would love to go back to.

4.) Overwatch

This is the game that I spent the most time on this year, and for good reason. Overwatch bleeds colour and personality, with every character feeling unique and fun to play (Except McCree. Fuck McCree). The game does a great job of making each game feel very team-focused, with the expected pros and cons. Playing with friends is great, while randoms can be assholes. While I am not a fan of some of their business decisions, especially regarding the Summer Games event, they seem to be listening to the community enough to feel good about the game’s future. I would also like to see more content out of Blizzard more quickly for the game: more maps, more characters, and more cosmetics not tied to seasonal events.

3.) Jackbox Party Pack 3

A true achievement in gaming, the Jackbox Party Pack continues to impress. This pack doesn’t have any duds in it like the first two; every game is worth playing more than once. Murder Trivia Party has style, Guesspionage is a great concept, Fakin’ It is great provided you have 5 or more people, Quiplash 2 remains awesome, and Tee-KO may be the best game they have ever made. There wasn’t a game that I had more fun with this year, and the only complaint that I have is that it would be nice if the games supported more than 8 people.

2.) Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Holy crap, this was a breath of fresh air after Phoenix Wright 6. The art and animation are superb, something that is quite noteworthy for a DS game. The puzzles aren’t that deep, but are inventive and fun to solve. The story is a great example of trickling out information to the player in a way that makes them want to keep playing, and the twists and payoffs in this game are some of the most mindblowing that I’ve ever seen. It is an exceptional self-contained experience, and while I don’t necessarily want a sequel, I would love to see this team try to tackle more original ideas.

1.) The Witness

This is the best designed game that I’ve played in a very long time. Everything feels so purposeful, and for a game with no written text it conveys the puzzle elements perfectly. The game is also beautiful visually, and while the island is relatively small, it is packed to the brim with puzzles and stunning visual areas. The shading deserves special mention, as it makes everything look awesome. While at times the game was frustrating, overcoming puzzles that I was stuck on for days was incredibly satisfying. I’ve heard some disdain for the philosophy stuff that is scattered around the game, but for me it worked, as it wasn’t necessarily laid out in an argumentative fashion, but instead was just there to make you think. I finished every panel in the game (except for one), and even though I could probably play hundreds more puzzles, I still feel satisfied with the experience.

That wraps up the games that I played in 2016. 2017 is going to be a huge transitional year for me, as I am wrapping up school and plan on getting into the games industry. This will surely change how I play games and how frequently I am able to play them, but it is a change that I am anxious to experience.

[virginieboesus]

My Top 7 Retro Games That I Want To Get Remade or Remastered

With the absolutely stunning Resident Evil 2 Remake on the horizon, as well as Final Fantasy VII’s remake someone in the development aether, I’ve been thinking about the various games throughout the years that I would love to see get a remake or remaster. Some of them could do with the full “remake” trilogy like the aforementioned Resident Evil 2 and FFVII, whilst others could work very well by just having the graphics updated.

So, let’s take a look at my top 7 retro games that I would love to see a remake or remaster of!

7. Dino Crisis 2

Recently, Capcom announced (in their investor’s meeting) that they were looking at reviving older IPs and series through further remakes, similar to the Resident Evil 2 Remake. For a lot of people, this spread the excitement of a potential Resident Evil 3 or Devil May Cry remake. However, I would prefer to see Dino Crisis 2 get the remake treatment. Out of the 3 Dino Crisis games (4 if you include the Dino Stalker lightgun game), the second game in the series is definitely my favourite.

The first game was a nice change of enemy style from the Resident Evil games, but it didn’t feel like it really added anything new to the Survival Horror genre. So when Capcom changed gears and turned Dino Crisis 2 into a fast-paced action game, it actually worked really well. Thinking about it, it is strange that I enjoyed that sort of change with Dino Crisis but hated the change to action games for the Resident Evil series. Anyway, I digress – Dino Crisis 2 would be a brilliant game to bring back on modern consoles, as the gameplay was already very polished and had enough action to attract a younger audience (to an extent, based upon age ratings).

6. Rival Schools: United by Fate

Fighting games have really seen a huge boom in popularity once again in recent years. Part of that can definitely be put down to the eSports world where games like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and Tekken have seen huge resurgences. However, there was one fighting game on the original PlayStation that I enjoyed more than any of the others; Rival Schools: United by Fate.

The game featured a semi-tag team system where your partner in the fight could only be called when you fill up your Vigor, effectively making them a special move. The controls were intuitive and the characters were entertaining and weird. If we got a remake or remaster of Rival Schools, I would pre-order it within an instant (or as soon as I had some cash). But one thing that would make the game even better than its original form would be the inclusion of online multiplayer. Beating your friends whilst they sit on the sofa next to you was fun, but being able to fight against people all over the world would really help build Rival Schools up even more.

5. Wild ARMS 2

Back on the PlayStation 2, the original Wild ARMS got a remake called Wild ARMS: Alter Code F. To this day, I would consider it one of the best remakes I have ever had the joy of playing (alongside the Resident Evil Remake on Gamecube). After playing through Alter Code F and seeing what the developers managed to do to improve the original game, I instantly wanted a remake of Wild ARMS 2. Once again, it is my favourite in the series and it improved on almost everything that made the first game amazing.

Wild ARMS, as a series, has long since disappeared from the video game industry (with the exception of a potential mobile game in the future)… This is really sad as, despite the lack of commercial success, the games were awesome. Wild ARMS 2, itself, offered a great storyline, brilliant J-RPG gameplay and some really awesome music to top it all off. I wouldn’t say that we need a remake of Wild ARMS 2, but that it is a game that only needs to be remastered!

4. Shadow Hearts

It may surprise you that Koudelka isn’t on this list as it is to me what Metal Gear Solid is to Rob from PlayStation Access (in that I include it in so many lists). However, because it has such a huge place in my heart already, I wouldn’t ever want to run the risk of it being ruined by remaking it. However, the sequel to Koudelka would make a great game to remake for the PS4 and Xbox One; Shadow Hearts. This was the first in a trilogy of games that featured one of the more unique J-RPG battle systems and some of the darkest storytelling in an RPG that I have ever played.

Dealing with everything from people who can fuse with monsters, demons making contracts with humans, murder, suicide and God being an alien, it had everything including the kitchen sink. These days, it might not be one of the most acceptable games due to the subject matter, but that doesn’t take away from just how epic Shadow Hearts really is. Sadly, just like Koudelka, all three of the Shadow Hearts game largely went under the radar. A remake could bring new fans into the series who could then experience these incredible games.

3. Resident Evil: Outbreak

Out of all of the Resident Evil games, other than Resident Evil 2 (as it’s my favourite), the one I would like to see get a remake or remaster the most would be Resident Evil: Outbreak. I reviewed the game quite some time ago (here) and spoke about how it was a brilliant update to the traditional Resident Evil formula. The multiplayer also added both a challenge and sense of hilarity as you and others online tried to communicate and survive.

By remaking the game for the PS4, Xbox One and even the Switch, the sheer amount of players could be increased massively and we could have a true Resident Evil experience that we can all play together. It would also be amazing for streamers as well, especially if they put both RE: Outbreak and Outbreak File 2 together in one game!

2. Parasite Eve

The penultimate entry on my list of 7 games I want to get a remake or remaster of is Parasite Eve for the PlayStation. It blended Survival Horror and turn-based RPGs together into one game and pulled it off brilliantly. Based on a very scientific horror novel by a Japanese author and pharmacologist, Hideaki Sena, the game features the theory that mitochondria could evolve and decide to become the dominant species in the world.

It’s full of body horror and gore, but with a very deep and dark storyline as well as very relatable and realistic characters. However, it was never released in Europe, so a modern remake could be a great way to let people enjoy it that missed the game the first time.

1. The Legend of Dragoon

Finally, there is just one game left on the list and it is, by far, the game I want to see a remake (or even a sequel) of for modern consoles; The Legend of Dragoon! I record a video review of the game on YouTube (which you can watch below) because I adore the game so much! In fact, it is my second favourite game of all time!

The storyline could do with some fixes in places, but overall, it is outstanding. The combat is phenomenal, adding just enough to the traditional J-RPG formula that it feels completely different yet familiar at the same time. Everything about the game is awesome, except for the fact that it faded into obscurity and we never got a sequel. Whilst I would prefer a new The Legend of Dragoon game, a remake of this absolute classic would be just as epic!

And That’s All Folks

Those were the top 7 games that I would love to see get the remake or remaster treatment. Each one was an incredibly enjoyable game in its own right but would also work well on modern consoles. I know that, realistically, these games are probably all long dead, but I will keep dreaming forever…

What games would you most want to see get a remake or remaster? Let me know in the comments below!

from More Design Curation https://www.16bitdad.com/my-top-7-retro-games-that-i-want-to-get-remade-or-remastered/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-top-7-retro-games-that-i-want-to-get-remade-or-remastered source https://smartstartblogging.tumblr.com/post/177222924725