#final fantasy xii hd remaster

[jmkitsune]

I hate how the "bad guys" in almost every story have the prettiest cities (architecturally and aesthetically) Archades is a gorgeous place and I wish we got to see more of it in the plot BUT OF COURSE ITS WHERE THE EMPIRE IS HOMED...grumble grumble grumble my moral outrage that Empires are all evil and I wish the good guys had places like Archades lol

Wednesdays are for FF12 over on youtube with each episode being the full streamed episode (minus breaks) so they'll be a couple hours per week

The playlist to watch all public episodes will be found here

Social Media Links- https://beacons.ai/jmkitsune/

--Reminder--

if you enjoy the stuff i post on the youtubes: subscribe to the channel as well as interact with the video (likes/comments/shares blah blah) I wanna monetize my youtube as well so that I don't have to worry as much but for that the youtube needs 3000 hours of watch days (1/3 of that is achieved) as well as 500 (we're bout half way to that goal) held subscribers so ye

plez and thanks <3

[satsuha]

guide to team asano games!

this is a spoiler-free quick look at all* games produced by tomoya asano from 2012 onwards. all games on this list have voice acting in both japanese and english.

*not including mobile games, which includes various daylife despite it now being on consoles because i don't have enough experience with the game to speak on it.

genre: fantasy, adventure gameplay: turn-based rpg platforms: 3DS (original) and switch 2 (HD remaster) on june 5

the one that started it all! bravely default: flying fairy is a turn-based rpg with a rich story that uses unique battle mechanics: "brave" and "default" which allow you to use or accumulate BP to do multiple actions in one turn. it also features 24 "asterisks" or jobs that any of your characters can use for a huge mix of potential strategies

in terms of story, you follow the 4 main characters - tiz, agnes, edea and ringabel - throughout their journey around luxendarc to free the four crystals that will return light to the world.

with character designs by akihiko yoshida (final fantasy xii, xiv, nier series) and soundtrack by revo (sound/linked horizon of attack on titan opening fame), the game combines 3d sprites with beautiful 2d painted backgrounds, with an incredible soundtrack to accompany it.

why you should play it: if you're a fan of the classic turn-based rpg style, i highly recommend BDFF! it's an engaging story and the interactions between the main team is a lot of fun. the asterisk system and being able to adjust difficulty/encounter rates makes for a highly tailorable experience. why you might not like it: it's quite a long and difficult game, and can feel grueling at times. some story/character moments did not age very well and the series has famously had some parts censored overseas.

genre: fantasy, adventure gameplay: turn-based rpg platforms: 3DS

bravely second: end layer is the direct sequel to BDFF, with returning characters and the same region of luxendarc with new regions to explore. the gameplay is also the same with 30 asterisks in total, many of them returning from BDFF but with 12 new asterisks included. BSEL also adds chained battles, which are consecutive encounters that grant you boosted exp and rewards.

the story takes place 3 years after the end of BDFF, with new protagonists yew and magnolia joined by tiz and edea from the previous game. yew journeys to rescue agnes from the clutches of the glanz empire, a mysterious new force with a floating stronghold.

akihiko yoshida returns as character designer but the soundtrack this time is handled by ryo (supercell, composer of the one and only "world is mine" ft. hatsune miku).

why you should play it: it's more of BDFF, both in terms of gameplay and story! the new asterisks are a lot of fun and if you care about story continuity, you'd definitely want to play this one after BDFF. seeing returning characters in their new roles is really fun to see! why you might not like it: BSEL is more divisive in the community largely because of the story, which is somehow both goofier and darker at different parts. if you're a gameplay-first type of person this might not bother you, but note that the writing and music are often seen to be inferior to BDFF's.

genre: fantasy, adventure gameplay: turn-based rpg platforms: switch, steam, xbox one, PS4/5

octopath traveler is team asano's new take on the turn-based rpg genre, with BP returning as a similar but revamped mechanic compared to the bravely series. battles are focused around exploiting your enemy's weakness and "breaking" them to do massive damage. with 8 protagonists and 12 jobs in total, OT follows its predecessor in strategic possibilities with job combinations. each character also has unique "path actions", special ways to interact with every npc in the game.

OT has 8 protagonists with separate stories, which you are able to pick and choose when to progress as you wish. all of the travelers journey in pursuit of a goal - ranging from an adventure to find treasure to a lifelong pursuit of revenge throughout the land of orsterra.

character design and artwork is by naoki ikushima and soundtrack by yasunori nishiki, with both being most prominently known for their work on team asano's games. OT was also the first game to feature HD-2D graphics, a combination of classic pixel sprites and modern technologies to create an immersive experience.

why you should play it: again, i think fans of the turn-based genre would enjoy trying this game out! the boost and break system makes for exciting battles with an amazing soundtrack to accompany it. the different stories make for a varied experience, with the format allowing for a wider pool of character archetypes to have a story to call their own. why you might not like it: OT is sometimes criticized for lacking the character interactions between the protagonists that often form the heart of many other rpgs - while the travelers do interact, these are uncommon and have no bearing on the story. if you're someone who really values that kind of character interaction, you may find yourself underwhelmed by OT.

genre: fantasy, adventure gameplay: turn-based rpg platforms: switch and steam

bravely default II is the next installment in the bravely series, with an all-new cast and region and a familiar battle system. BDII's gameplay also focuses on the "brave" and "default" mechanics and 24 asterisks in total, with chained battles also making a comeback from BSEL. the protagonists all have the same base stats this time, allowing for even more flexibility. while the game is still turn-based, it now features an active time battle (ATB)-like gauge that determines when characters make their move.

taking place in the new land of excillant, gloria, a princess from the now-destroyed kingdom of musa, must journey with her companions seth, adelle and elvis to recover the four crystals of light that were stolen from her homeland.

naoki ikushima (octopath traveler) takes over the character designs while revo (bravely default) returns to do the soundtrack, with the new battle arrangements being a real standout. the graphics follow in BDFF's footsteps with 3d models in a 2d painted world - BDII also features an interactable overworld where you can encounter monsters and find items.

why you should play it: if you enjoy the battle system of BDFF and BSEL, this is a newly refined and polished version of it! battles are challenging but lots of fun and revo absolutely outdid himself with the ost. it features a touching story with similar twists and turns that made BDFF so memorable. if you've never played the 3DS bravely games, i think this is a great way to try out the series since this one is standalone! why you might not like it: bravely fans might not be happy with the fact that this is an entirely new entry with no connection to the existing world and lore. other than the lack of continuity the same drawbacks from BDFF apply, with the game sometimes feeling grueling at times - this is heightened by many the new counter ability that many new bosses have.

genre: fantasy, political gameplay: tactical rpg platforms: switch and steam

triangle strategy is team asano's first take on a tactical rpg, with HD-2D graphics returning in isometric form for an entirely different strategic gameplay. the game has you take charge of an army of 8 characters with 22 additional recruitable ones, and the gameplay has an emphasis on height and terrain conditions to spice up battles.

TRST follows serenoa of house wolffort in his quest to bring peace back to norzelia amongst the three warring nations. he is joined by his friend and the crown prince of glenbrook, roland, his fiancee frederica and the house wolffort strategist benedict. the player's choices can greatly impact the story as you test your sense of morality, liberty and utility to see the war through.

naoki ikushima returns to do the character designs (with in-game illustrations by tatsuaki urushihara) while the ost is composed by akira senju (fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood) for a more moody, dark overtone in the game.

why you should play it: fans of the tactical genre will find this a fun challenge! there are plenty of difficulty options to suit your preferences (even a "very easy" mode). the story structure made it one of the most immersive games i've played, with each choice feeling heavier as the game continues. why you might not like it: if you're someone who cares primarily about gameplay in srpgs, you might be put off by the amount of dialogue and cutscenes in the game between battles. each chapter has one battle and each route has up to 21 chapters, with story segments before and after every battle and additional optional stories focused on certain characters.

genre: fantasy (individual chapter genres include sci-fi, historical, western, martial arts and modern) gameplay: turn-based rpg platforms: super famicom (original) and switch, steam, PS4/5 (remake)

live a live is team asano's first remake in the HD-2D style, starting with takashi tokita's classic 1994 rpg! the game features a unique battle system with turn-based battles taking place on a 7x7 grid. each part of the game also features a couple of unique mechanics, depending on which character you control.

LAL's story is split into 8 parts, each taking place across different time periods and regions. each character has a unique goal and gameplay style, ranging from more battle-heavy chapters to one that is clearable entirely through stealth alone.

LAL's characters were originally designed by 7 different manga artists, the most prominent being gosho aoyama (detective conan) who designed the "twilight of edo japan" characters. composed by the legendary yoko shimomura (kingdom hearts, xenoblade, mario & luigi) who also returned for the remake, the new illustrations are done by naoki ikushima.

why you should play it: it's a fun twist on the turn-based rpg format, and the various chapters with different protagonists and vibes keeps the game new and exciting. it also features a story with some very interesting ideas, which all comes together at the end. why you might not like it: similarly to OT, both the gameplay and story can feel disjointed since each chapter is kept short and simple. being a classic game, it's also fairly short, with even a completionist run being shorter than any other game on this list.

genre: fantasy, adventure gameplay: turn-based rpg platforms: switch, steam, xbox one/series, PS4/5

the second installment in the octopath series, octopath traveler II is a new take on the original formula, with new characters and stories. the same battle system from OT returns with revamped jobs and 4 new "advanced" jobs in addition to the main 8. protagonists also have unique "latent power" abilities and an extra path action that can only be used during the nighttime to add extra flexibility and teambuilding possibilities.

OT2 follows the same story structure as the first game, with 8 individual stories but now features additional stories with certain travelers paired together as well as a dedicated epilogue. the range of stories is similar to OT, but characters are no longer stuck in a 4-chapter structure to better suit their journeys.

naoki ikushima (character design) and yasunori nishiki (composer) return for OT2, with the soundtrack now boasting additional nighttime versions of all overworld and town themes. the HD-2D style has also been improved to allow for more camera angles and animations.

why you should play it: whether you loved OT or found it a bit underwhelming, you will likely enjoy OT2's refreshing improvement on everything that OT laid the groundwork for, be it gameplay, story or graphics. since OT and OT2 are not connected, this is also a great way to get into the series as it offers a more polished octopath experience. why you might not like it: many of OT's original criticisms still apply to OT2, so if you're someone who's looking for a very close team relationship amongst the main cast then the octopath series isn't exactly the rpg for you. OT2 also has a grander scale than OT, so i have seen people prefer the first game for its more grounded protagonists.

genre: fantasy, adventure gameplay: turn-based rpg platforms: famicom, NES (original) super famicom, GBC, iOS/android, wii, PS4, 3DS, switch (remake) switch, PS5, steam, xbox series (HD-2D remake)

dragon quest III is the latest rpg to be remade in the HD-2D style, with DQ1&2 to follow later in 2025. this game is chronologically the first in the erdrick trilogy, and features classic turn-based gameplay with a few additions in the remake like battle autoplay and a new class.

the story follows the hero, child of the legendary warrior ortega, on their journey to defeat baramos after their father's disappearance and return peace to the world.

DQ3 features work from series veterans yuji horii (creator, designer), akira toriyama (character design) and koichi sugiyama (composer), who have been with the series since its inception. the HD-2D remake had its cover illustrated by naoki ikushima.

why you should play it: dragon quest is a series that has solidified many jrpg staples throughout the years, and the HD-2D remake is a great way to experience it yourself, with or without previous experience with the franchise. the world is charming and has plenty of content to keep you interested. why you might not like it: many of its aspects naturally feel a bit outdated if you're not someone who's used to older games, with its simpler story structure and UI/system that can sometimes feel clunky. while the story is a highlight of the game, characters in your team don't have personalities or interactions like many other rpgs, so that may be off-putting if you are a character-first type of gamer.

that's all for now! i tried to keep it brief but i don't think that worked very well (lol) i may add to this list as more games are released!

also this may be fairly obvious but most of the criticisms i mentioned are not my own, i just wanted to mention them since many of them do have a very vocal minority who have issues with the games.

i'm not a very gameplay-first type of gamer so i can't help too much on that front but feel free to ask me about any questions you have about these games!

[dynamite-derek]

Dragon Quest III: HD-2D should be the blueprint for pixel-JRPG remakes

Note: The following is from my personal website https://vidyathoughts.com/.

Time for a bit of an embarrassing confession. I don’t have a lot of experience with Dragon Quest. Despite having this website dedicated mostly to old-school turn-based Japanese RPGs, I had only beaten two titles from the old-school turn-based Japanese RPG franchise. Those two games are DQ VIII and XI. I���m an outsider, a tourist in an unfamiliar land.

When it was announced several years ago that Dragon Quest 3 would be receiving the HD-2D treatment, I was pretty excited for an excuse to play a certified classic. DQ3 has quite a reputation, it’s almost like a Final Fantasy VI where people from all walks of life who are into all sorts of different game genres have an affinity for it. It’s a special title. And it was time to try it for myself.

As a first-time player in 2024, my takeaways are probably pretty common. “This game has a pretty barebones story, the battle system is pretty simplistic, the difficulty can be a little unfair at times and there is an expectation for grinding.” In short, it feels old. It feels like a game from a bygone era. I wouldn’t expect to pick up Dragon Quest XII and have it feel like this game.

Does that sound negative? Because it’s not. That is exactly what they should have done with this title. By keeping all of the dated elements, this feels like a title true to its roots. It feels like I got to play Dragon Quest III like people back in 1989 got to play Dragon Quest III. The sense of discovery, the difficulty, all of that stuff is still there. It just depends on how the player wants to interact with it.

I spent a lot of time looking at the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters on this site. In the very first one, I made a note about how it’s imperative that players at least try out the original NES version of the game. The ‘aged’ mechanics are what gives that game an identity. Final Fantasy I wasn’t a game you beat for the story, it was a whole adventure about item conservation and discovery.

The Pixel Remasters sanded off a lot of edges to the old school experience. There was a lot less grinding and it felt like a lot of battles that I remember being slightly unfair, uh, weren’t. It felt like they were altering things so people who were into later entries of the franchise could boast ‘I have finished all the Final Fantasy games.’ And that’s fine, I think those are solid ways to experience the classics for people that just want an idea of what they were like.

But playing those games in 2024, it didn’t feel like I was teleported into the past. All of the changes to how the game feels are shoehorned into the game itself. I had never cleared any version of Final Fantasy III prior to writing my recap of the Pixel Remaster version and even then, something about it felt modern to me. I could see the soul of the original in what I was playing, but it would feel too ‘advanced’ if I were to somehow port it back in time.

DQIII HD2D doesn’t feel like this to me. Everything that I associate with old-school JRPGs is still there. That’s not to say they just prettied up the graphics and shipped it out, there’s definitely some QoL features implemented. You have difficulty modes, waypoints and autosaves for instance. If you don’t WANT that grindy experience, just turn on easy and go for more of a ‘point A to point B’ thing like you’d get out of a grindy JRPG.

Want to be lost for ages and rely solely on NPCs to figure out where to go? Want to experience the frustration of walking through a dungeon only to get blasted by the final boss and lose all your progress? You can do that because the game gives you multiple options on how you can play. You can turn off waypoints, you can go for an immediate rematch after losing, you can reload an autosave, you can respawn at a church and lose half of your money or you can just reload the last save you made. It’s a more customized experience, but you can basically fine-tune your immersion. How much do you WANT this to feel like an old ass game?

This feeling extends over to the boss battles. While the combat system feels very simple, the bosses are an endurance test that really make the player think about each and every action. Should I take a turn off of my offense to buff everyone up? I think I have maybe one or two turns left alive, if I go all-out on offense now, can I win? Every major boss encounter after a certain point feels like a major trial of what you’ve learned to that point. It never feels like ‘well here’s a boss because there’s supposed to be a boss at the end of a dungeon.’ That’s impressive.

And I will be straight up with you, some of these bosses are unfair. King Hydra, one of the final bosses in the game, is straight up bullshit. It has three actions per turn in combat and can often disable your party (via sleep or fear), which prevents them from acting or healing for prolonged periods of time. You can equip accessories to ward off things like sleep, but it’s not like a modern game where you’d equip an accessory and it just always does what it says, sometimes your rousing ring won’t prevent you from falling asleep.

And when I say sometimes, I mean damn near 50% of the time. In this fight I had a strategy – the main character and my warrior would attack for as much as they could while my healer and other magic would focus on buffs and keeping the party alive. Seems basic, right? The inability to prevent sleep 100% of the time resulted in healers falling asleep when I needed heals, which required my combat units to shift into healing roles.

The boss would also heal up after every round of combat, so the player needs to constantly cause damage in order to make any progress. So I had to constantly change tactics in battle based on what felt like random status effects. And to make matters worse, the boss had an ability to just completely shut off magic after a certain point. So when this happened, it was important that I had items that could heal the whole party AND items that could damage the boss just so I could tread water until I could use magic again.

It felt completely unfair at times. It’s one of the most tedious bosses in the game, but you know what? Every single attempt at it was exciting. As my HP and MP trickled down, I could see the boss slowly weakening and each turn I was asking myself ‘how much more does this mother fucker have left?’ I was both enraged and enthralled. And when I finally won, it felt like I had overcome a major obstacle. It was a cause for celebration.

This isn’t the only boss in the game I felt like this about either. There were several encounters where I had no idea how to continue, but through looking at the mechanics of the game and just experimenting in fights, I was able to come up with strategies and persevere over what felt impossible. In a lot of re-releases of classic games, they tone this stuff down. But here, it feels like they celebrate it.

If I wanted to just get on with things and finish the game, I could have turned the difficulty down to easy mode. I think having options like that in games like this is important, because in a modern sense people expect to finish their games. It’s less about ‘overcoming a challenge’ and more about ‘seeing everything there is to offer.’ And there’s nothing wrong about that approach. But that’s not what I’m looking for, so I’m glad this game gives you options instead of making the ‘casualized’ experience the main way to play.

They even added things for experienced players. There’s voice acting for specific important scenes and there’s a harder difficulty mode that lessens gold and exp earned from battle and there are also additional little story elements placed into the narrative. It’s not anything game changing, but it’s a little bit extra for people who have played this game for 30+ years.

I think the picking-and-choosing when to use voice work is an exceptionally good call because it makes ‘larger’ moments in the game feel that much larger. Since most of the rest of the game is just text, you get a bit of a mix of old and new with that. The authentic text-experience most of the way with a little touch of something new. Do you know how cool that would be in a game like Final Fantasy IV?

I’m inexperienced with the original Dragon Quest 3. I played a little bit of it on Gameboy way back in the day but I bounced right off. After playing this version of the game, I feel no need to go back and play the original version of it to see what’s different, what edges were sanded off. It feels like they took the original game, made it absolutely beautiful, and embraced what made it work in the first place.

Here is hoping there’s something to those HD 2D Final Fantasy VI rumors.

[jessjustplay]

Ranking the 15 Video Games I Finished in 2023

December 20, 2023

I had a good gaming year! I played a lot of good games, new games, and replayed some old favorites. I'm going to include them in all in this list. However, I am not ranking the Nancy Drew games because they don't have any RPG elements so it does not seem logical to rate them against other RPGs. Still, I love the Nancy Drew games very much and am excited to play more of them in 2024! (God Willing.)

Click on the titles to read related blog posts.

#15 Not Ranked - Nancy Drew: Danger on Deception Island

#14 Not Ranked - Nancy Drew: The Haunted Carousel

#13 - The Legend of Dragoon

#12 - Trinity Trigger

#11 - Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

#10 - Final Fantasy III (3D)

#9 - Rune Factory 5

#8 - Final Fantasy X HD Remaster

#7 - Chrono Trigger

#6 - I am Setsuna

#5 - Kena: Bridge of Spirits

#4 - Tales of Zestiria

#3 - Final Fantasy XIII-2

#2 - Star Ocean First Departure R

#1 - Ara Fell: Enhanced Edition

[majinsawdust64]

I’m deceased

[gaymer-hag-stan]

Favourite Characters from each FF game I've played

featuring the FFRK sprites because I love consistency

[nintendocafe]

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age | $29.99 Buy-Now!

Final Fantasy X-X2 HD Remaster | $29.99 Buy-Now!

[robixergamer]

(YouTube) RobixerGamer (mina projekt, serier)

”””””””””””” allt uppdaterat sedan 2023-1 februari

Aktiva serier

””””””””””””

final fantasy XIII (Facecam) PS3 - 2023

”””””””””””””””””””””

Pausade serier

”””””””””””””””””””””

Wii

Sonic and the Secret Rings (Facecam) Wii - 2023

Super Paper Mario (Facecam) Wii - 2023

Wii U

New Super Mario Bros U - 2 Player och inkluderad Jonte (Facecam) (2023) Wii U

PS3

PS4

spyro reignited trilogy (Facecam) PS4 - 2023

final fantasy xii the zodiac age (Facecam) PS4 - 2023

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy - (facecam) (2023) PS4

””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

inaktiva Serier (för nu iallafall)

””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

Wii

Super Mario Galaxy Wii - 2022

Wii U

PS1

Rayman - PS1 - 2022 (Facecam)

PS3

Tales of Graces f - PS3 - 2022 (Facecam)

PS4

Xbox One

Final Fantasy X HD Remaster Xbox One - 2022

””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

Mina avklarade serier

””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

Bucky O Hare (Facecam) NES - 2023 (återupplivning på gammal serie)

”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

Framtida planerade (Serier, LP)

”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

Wii

Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Facecam) Wii - 2023

Mad World

No More Heroes

Mario Party 10 U (3P co-op eller 2P)

Wii U

New Super luigi U (3P co-op eller 2P)

PS3

Ratchet & Clank Tools of destruction - PS3 - 2023 (Facecam)

Ratchet & Clank 2 - PS3 - 2023 (Facecam) HD

Ratchet & Clank 3 - PS3 - 2023 (Facecam) HD

PS4

Xbox 360

Phantasy Star Universe (Singleplayer-Story)

[finalfantasyix]

5 Final Fantasy Games Coming to PlayStation Now Starting This Month - Including Final Fantasy IX!

Relive the excitement from the worlds of Final Fantasy in some of the franchise’s most iconic adventures. Starting next week, PlayStation be adding a chapter of this beloved RPG series to PlayStation Now each month, beginning with Final Fantasy VII on September 7. Every month until January 2022, they’ll add another chapter of the Final Fantasy series to PlayStation Now, so you can download or stream these titles on your PS4 or PS5 console, or stream on PC. Take a look at the full lineup below:

Final Fantasy VII | September 7

Final Fantasy VIII Remastered | October 5

Final Fantasy IX | November 2

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster | December 7

Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age | January 4, 2022

[phantomarchive]

Final Fantasy XII caps

Available for anyone who wants to use them, no credit needed but super appreciated. All these caps are 1920x1080 and taken from the HD remaster of the Zodiac Age. You should be able to download the full folders using the three dots at the top, but if there’s any issues, please feel free to let me know!

In these folders, you will find caps for: Al-Cid, Ashe, Balthier, Basch, Cid, Fran, Gramis Solidor, Gran Kiltias Anastasis, Ondore, Jote, Judges Bergen - Drace - Gabranth - Ghis - Hausen - Zargabaath, Larsa, Migelo, Mjrn, Penelo, Raminas, Rassler, Reddas, Reks, Vaan, Vayne, Venat, Vossler

The folder can be found [ here ] Buy me a kofi if you’d like! [ Kofi! ]

[hirokin]

2021年に遊んだやつ

Mafia II: Definitive Edition (Xbox One)

1より自由度上がったと思うけど、ストーリーは1の方が好き。一応難易度ハードで最後���で遊んだ。

FINAL FANTASY XV (Xbox One)

Stand by Me 聞くまで遊んでみようと思ったらめちゃめちゃ最初で流れて満足してしまった。最初しか遊んでない。

Destiny2 光の超越 (Xbox One)

遊び始めると止まらなくなるのは相変わらず。レイドまでやる根気は無いのでにわかプレイしかしてないけど面白かった。でも正直どこまで遊んだか覚えてない。。Bungie 30周年イベントの方は遊んでない。

FINAL FANTASY XII THE ZODIAC AGE (Xbox One)

PS2時代にも少し遊んだけどクリアしてなかった。ガンビット組んで基本オート戦闘で最後まで遊んだ。倍速モードあるので快適。スキルリセットもあるので気楽に遊べるので良い。ゲームシステムが結構好きで、いつかクリアしたいと思っていたので達成できてよかった。やり込んではないのでヤズマットは倒してない。

Narita Boy (Xbox One)

独特の世界観とビジュアルに引き込まれた。コンピュータオタクなら絶対楽しい。冒頭のテクノソードを引っこ抜くシーンでやられる。歌ありのテーマソングも良い。

Mass Effect Legendary Edition (Xbox One)

何気に大好きな Mass Effect シリーズのリマスター版。Xbox360版に比べるとかなり綺麗だし快適に遊べる。調子にのって最高難易度（インセイン）で始めたけど、3作品とも通してクリアできてよかった。やっぱりリージョンが一番好きだな。今回もクラスはヴァンガードでバイオティック チャージ & ショットガン で遊んでた。新作も作ってるみたいなので期待。

The Last of Us Remastered (PS4)

ずっと気になってて、セールになるのを待ってた。冒頭の演出が良くてストーリーがめちゃめちゃ気になるんだけど、映画的な楽しみ方を求めすぎてゲーム部分が邪魔に感じでしまった。。ゲーム部分はやっぱり新鮮味が無くて退屈だったので結局積んだ。実写ドラマ撮ってるみたいなのでそっちに期待。

モンスターハンターライズ (Switch)

なんだかんだ面白いモンハン。ワールドよりも遊びや��くて、今まで遊んだモンハンの中で一番気軽に遊べた。痒いところに手が届きすぎてる。翔蟲を初めてみたときは、また余計なシステム追加しちゃって。。と思ってたけど、ピョンピョンするのめちゃめちゃ楽しい。今回も武器はハンマー。新しいモンスター追加されたらまた遊ぶかも。それまでに壊れたジョイコンをどうにかしないと。。

Hades (Xbox One)

ローグライク2Dアクションアドベンチャー。中毒性が高くて寝るのが遅くなってしまう日もあったけど、難しくてまだクリアできてない。

マイティ・グース (Xbox One)

ほぼメタルスラッグだった。クリアはしていない。結構難しい。

The Outer Worlds (Xbox One)

以前遊んで積んでたので最初から遊び直した。お手軽に遊べる Fallout のような、仲間とのやりとりが Mass Effect のようにも感じた。難易度ハードで遊んだけど結構簡単だった。スーパーノバでの制約も大して影響なさそうだったので、最初から遊び始めたけどまだクリアしてない。コツを忘れないうちにクリアしたいところ。

ELDEN RING Network Test Ver. (Xbox One)

たまたま見つけた抽選に応募したら当たったので遊んだ。デモンズソウルもダークソウルも少ししか遊んだことなくて、シリーズのファンというわけでもないけど、製品版出たら買おうかな〜〜ぐらいには面白かった。オープンワールドになってたけど、基本は変わってなさそう。テストは安定してて、特にバグに遭遇することもなかった。

ロックマンX アニバーサリー コレクション (Xbox One)

実績解除するのに久々に遊んだ。ロックマンXの象のボス、バーニン・ナウマンダーの鼻をブーメランカッターで切れるの初めて知った。

ロックマン クラシックス コレクション 2 (Xbox One)

実績解除するのに久々に遊んだ。ロックマン7 のワイリー戦をアイテム無しで初めてクリアした。

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Xbox One)

積んでたので久々に遊んだ。面白いのは面白いんだけど、ベースキャンプで走れなかったり、棚の開閉だったり細かいところが変にリアルで逆にストレスを感じてしまうのは変わらなかった。でも映画的な演出だったりグラフィックは改めて見ても素晴らしい。キャンペーンより Red Dead Online の方が面白いじゃないかと気づいたけど、やっぱり積んだ。馬で走ってるとやっぱりスティール・ボール・ランを思い出す。

Forza Horizon 5 (Xbox One)

オープンワールド・ドライブゲームとしてはTest Drive Unlimited（ロスルE）、Forza Horizon 2 と過去に遊んで、これで3作品目かなと思ってたんだけど、小学生ぐらいの頃に Midtown Madness も遊んでたの思い出した。しかも開発元の Angel Studios は Rockstar Games に買収されて Rockstar San Diego に改名して、前に挙げた Red Dead シリーズを作ってるらしい（参考）。話がそれた。ドライブゲームってクリアしたことが無かったけど、FH5については名誉殿堂入りを果たしたので、クリアしたと言っていいはず。ラジオも良くて、お気に入りの曲もいくつか発見した。ネイティブに Spotify と連携してラジオとして流せるようになってほしい。

Halo Infinite (Xbox One)

ついにオープンワールドになった。グラップリングフックもあって、かなり自由に動けるのが良い。ビークル運転するより、フックでぴょんぴょん移動する方が楽しい。敵を倒すのが気持ちよくて、実は上手いんじゃ？と錯覚させてくれる。楽しい。マルチは殆ど遊んでないけど、キャンペーンは難易度ヒーローでクリアした。楽しかった。グラビティハンマー担いで飛びかかってくるバニッシュトが一番苦手。日本語の音声と字幕が一致してなかったり、AIの声がちょっと遅れて（ゆったり？）聞こえるのが少し不自然だった。今作は登場人物も少なく、魅力的な敵もいなかったのでストーリーはなんとも言えない。チーフが孤軍奮闘している姿は良かった。

ドラゴンクエストXI 過ぎ去りし時を求めて S (Xbox One)

無印版はトロフィーコンプしたけど、2D版で遊びたくて始めた。まだまだ序盤。SFC版ドラクエ３のグラフィックを拡張したような感じで良い。さすがに文字はとても滑らか。スーファミの気分でやってると操作に違和感がある。キーコンフィグさせてほしい。3D版に比べるとフィールドがとても狭いので移動が楽に感じる。その代わりモンスターはシンボルエンカウントではなく、急に出てくる。馬に乗ってるとエンカウントしない？Game Pass に入っている間にクリアしたいところ。

Serious Sam 4 (Xbox Series S)

いよいよ Xbox One で遊べないタイトルが出てきてしまった。Cloud Gaming 使えばストリーミングで遊べなくはないんだけど、自分の環境だと画面の遅延が酷くて遊べたもんじゃなかった。運良く Series S を購入できたので早速遊んでみたら、思いのほか面白い。過去作をどこかで遊んだような記憶はあるので、雰囲気は知っていたけどしっかり遊ぶのは初めて。スピード感と撃ちまくりの爽快感とガバガバなエイムでも大丈夫なシステムのおかげで気楽に遊べる。

Xbox 20周年

今年は Xbox 20周年の年でした。自分は2006年の12月にブルードラゴンが遊びたくて Xbox360 ユーザーになったけど、それから15年も経ったらしい。当時はHDってだけで珍しくて、これが次世代かー！って感動してた。Xbox360 の人気は相変わらずイマイチだけど、RRoD 含めて今では懐かしく感じる。今でも一番好きなハードなのは間違いない。少しずつ溜まっていったゲーマースコアもついに10万を突破した。次は15万を目指したいところ。

[anitokio]

Square Enix ha lanzado un nuevo tráiler de Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD Remaster en sus versiones para Xbox One y Nintendo Switch. Square Enix ha lanzado un nuevo tráiler de Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD Remaster en sus versiones para Xbox One y Nintendo Switch.

[niche-gamer]

Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster and Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age for Switch and Xbox One Release Dates Set for April https://nichegamer.com/2019/01/10/final-fantasy-x-x-2-hd-remaster-and-final-fantasy-xii-the-zodiac-age-for-switch-and-xbox-one-release-dates-set-for-april/

[siverwrites]

Game Log 2020

It’s that time. Every year now I start the year with a list of games to theoretically finish with more higher priority games added as the year goes on while keeping track of what I actually finish. Then we see how it went at the end of the year.

This year’s list:

Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (3DS) (started)

Shovel Knight: King of Cards (3DS)

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past (3DS) (need to restart)

Dragon Quest VIII 3DS (3DS) (need to restart)

Ys: Memories of Celceta (PC, Steam) (started)

Octopath Traveler (Switch) (started)

Ys: The Oath in Felghana (PC, Steam) (started)

Ys Seven (PC, Steam)

Zwei: The Arges Adventure (PC, Steam)

Valkyria Chronicles 4 (Switch)

Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete (PS, emulated)

Lufia II (SNES, emulated)

Tokyo Xanadu eX+ (PC, Steam) (started)

Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age (Switch) (started)

Hollow Knight (PC, GOG) (started)

Pokemon Sword (Switch)

Okami HD (PC, Steam) (started)

Ni no Kuni Wrath of the White Witch (Switch)

Hades (PC, Steam)(started)

Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling (PC, Steam)

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES, Switch) (started)

Mutazione (PC, Epic)

Chrono Cross (PS, emulated) (started)

Kentucky Route Zero (Switch)

Bastion (Switch) (replay)

Last Word (PC, Steam)

Final Fantasy XIII (PC, Steam) (started)

Super Mario RPG (SNES (classic mini))

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA,emulated)

Röki (PC, Steam)

Spiritfarer (Switch)

Dragon Quest I (Switch)

Dragon Quest II (Switch)

Dragon Quest III (Switch)

The list originally stopped at Hades. You can see I did just swimmingly with the original list.

And now the games I finished this year:

Pokemon Sword (Switch)

Trails of Cold Steel II (3rd time) (PC, Steam)

Chrono Trigger (unknown number of times. lots) (SNES)

Ghost Trick (4th time) (DS)

Bastion (2nd time) (Switch)

Kentucky Route Zero (Switch)

Mutazione (PC, Epic)

The Legend of Heroes Zero no Kiseki (2nd time) (PC)

Shrug Island (PC, itch.io)

Jam and the Mystery of the Mysteriously Spooky Mansion (PC, itch.io)

Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling (PC, Steam)

Last Word (PC, Steam)

Mega Man X (finally!) (Switch, Legacy Collection)

Un pas Fragile (PC, itch.io)

Yi and the Thousand Moons (PC, itch.io)

ISLANDS: Non-places (PC, itch.io)

Ace Attorney Remastered (Switch)

Super Mario RPG (SNES)

Milkmaid of the Milkyway (PC, itch.io)

The Legend of Heroes Ao no Kiseki (2nd time) (PC)

Röki (PC, Steam)

Oxenfree (PC, itch.io)

Gris (3rd time) (PC, Steam)

Dragon Quest XI S (Switch)

Untitled Goose Game (Switch) (Co-op x2)

Spiritfarer (Switch)

Dragon Quest I (Switch)

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA)

Dragon Quest II (Switch)

I am Dead (Switch)

Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)

Nelly Cootalot: Spoonbeaks Ahoy! (PC, itch.io)

The Curse of Monkey Island (PC) (umpteenth time)

The Haunted Island, a Frog Detective Game (PC, Steam)

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III (2nd time) (PC, Steam)

Dragon Quest III (Switch)

Got some great indies in and some games I’ve been meaning to play for some years but hadn’t gotten around to: Mega Man X, Mario RPG, Superstar Saga, to a lesser degree Mario Odyssey.

I also replayed Dragon Quest XI to play the Definitive Edition and due to that decided to go back and start playing the series from the start because while I had played parts of some of the previous games before I had only finished VIII, IX and XI. I managed to get the Switch ports of the first three games finished and now the DS ports await me for IV-VI. 

And onward to the 2021 Game Log

[nintendocafe]

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age | $29.99 Buy-Now!

Final Fantasy X-X2 HD Remaster | $29.99 Buy-Now!

[runicmagitek]

Ashe/Basch; “I heard you talking in your sleep.”

((yes, there somehow turned out to be a sleeping theme with all of these. I don’t even remember if these prompts were sleep related but WHATEVER THEY’RE CUTE I HOPE YOU LIKE THEM))

Traveling back to Dalmasca from the Westersand by foot was a sound plan until a sandstorm in the distance foiled the group’s travel. With no way of outrunning the storm, they sought out sanctuary in a nearby cavern. The onslaught of wind carrying relentless sand whipped by the opening, remnants sweeping in to dance in the air. As it continued to endlessly rage on, the group made camp and prayed come morning brought clear skies.

That wish came true at midnight. Basch stood at the mouth of the cave, eyes up to the starry night. Only an occasional breeze came and went, bringing a chill to his bones. The fire back by the camp kept away the cold, but it wasn’t enough to lull him to sleep. Thus he offered first watch. Ashe was quick to volunteer for second, but instead of waking her, Basch continued to stand guard.

Besides, not as much as a Giza Rabbit passed by and a certain princess deserved some rest.

Basch peered back to the group. Amidst the piles of sleeping bodies was Ashe. She nestled herself into several blankets, the fire illuminating her soft features. Several locks of hair fell across her face, yet she continued to sleep.

He admired her resilience throughout their travels. Ashe would sooner die than lay her blade to rest, or so Basch imagined. Even with the five of them offering to support her, she fought as if she stood alone. Though if there ever came a day when her sword fell from her grasp, Basch wouldn’t hesitate to put himself between Ashe and whatever opposed them.

It had always been the case since he met her—an obligated duty as a soldier to His Royal Majesty. If only he possessed the words to explain it was more than an allegiance.

[read more on AO3] [read more on FFN]