JRPGs that Aren't Final Fantasy Catch-All 2.0

CptDomano wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

Thanks for the write up! Based on that description, would I be off base to compare it to the Zero Escape games with RTS battles in place of puzzles?

I'm not sure that completely fits, because there isn't a direct relation of the tower defense bits with the visual novel bits. They're completely separate modes in the game. So, you can do a few chapters of a story with one (or more) characters, then hop in and do a few tower defense waves. In essence, you can do around six battles without ever doing any of the visual novel bits. Eventually progress in either the battles or the story can be blocked that will require certain milestones to be reached (whether a particular battle is completed, a certain chapter in a character story is unlocked, etc.)

So when beeporama says you can't really call it "linear", this is more what I'm thinking about it not being linear. It's kind of an....exploration visual novel? You've given a bunch of things to do, and you can sort of do them in whatever order you want to do them in.

Based on the one Zero Escape game I played (the first), I think it's a good analogy in terms of game time balance (you're spending WAY more time on visual novel versus "gameplay")... and maybe also in terms of "holy crap is this a crazy convoluted story that never met a plot twist it didn't like."

But as CptDomano points out, you do have a bit more choice in when you decide to switch between modes. And if I didn't make it clear, yes, although you might not be able to change the story much, you have some freedom to jump between different protagonists' stories.

The second Zero Escape game might be an alright starting comparison then? I haven't played Aegis Rim, but the second title allowed more freedom in exploring the different timelines.

Atelier Ryza 2 is coming out in Europe and North America in January. The first Atelier Ryza game came out in late 2019.

I realize I've hit a point with the Atelier series where they come out so quickly but fall so slowly in price that I'm perpetually in a state of watching for the newest one to go on sale. Atelier Ryza 1 has dropped down to $40 on PSN, and I'd probably get it if it managed to get just a smidge lower, but now Ryza 2 is coming out and so I should probably just wait for that one.

I believe Ryza 2 is a direct continuation of Ryza 1, which is not the norm for the series and is basically because Ryza 1 was super popular (and good, I'm told ).

But otherwise Atelier is an annual franchise. You, like me, probably didn't pay it much mind because they were only on Sony for a long time, but now they're released across multiple formats with re-releases and the like. You'd think there'd be over saturation, but Ryza 1 is talked about as the best in the series.

Ryza is a good rpg, it also doesn't hurt that they went more heavily into fanservice and I'm positive it helped their sales.

And I already thought they were fairly fan service, so yikes, saved me from wasting money.

I'm about 15-20 hours into Shin Megami Tensei IV and have some thoughts on it. My previous experience with the franchise has been Persona 3-5 and SMT: Strange Journey Redux, which I rate as one of my favourite games.

It's good, I really like it, but I think I was expecting a little bit more. While I love the setting and atmosphere, the story feels pretty slim (especially compared to Strange Journey). The 3 protagonists are boring as hell, and the overall plot so far is just riding off of the reveal after beating the minatour. The moment-to-moment dialogue with demons and NPCs is really interesting though. Little lines here and there add a lot to the world-building. I'm hoping the plot picks up a bit later on, but I've heard it's not this games strong point.

Then there's the demon fusion. I do like the QoL tweaks in general, but you can transfer over so many skills when you fuse. I'm just moving over all of my best moves and keeping good coverage on each fusion. I don't mind how this lowers the difficulty, but I don't like how it makes every demon feel the same. They just don't feel unique like they did in Strange Journey which is a damn shame.

But it's still fascinating. It's grueling, but nowhere near as grueling as Strange Journey. I love the 3D graphics, the slick battle system and the music! It's a tidy little package that I'm having a lot of fun with. I think I expected it to be the absolute best in the series from all the hype it gets, but I think I overall prefer the approach of Strange Journey.

That being said, I finally understand why there's such a divide between SMT and Persona fans. I love both series, but the atmosphere in SMT games is just so bleak and oppressive, I love it a lot. I can't think of any other games that feel the same. Despite my complaints, I'm itching to play more - and even dig into SMTIV:A if I get time before SMTV!

Nice! I loved SMT IV when we played it with the JRPG Club. Quick word of advice, if you've just finished with the minotaur: soon, you'll get to a point where you have access to an overworld map. The map sucks, though explaining why would be a bit of a spoiler. Don't hesitate to look stuff up if you're confused.

SMT IV: Apocalypse, the pseudo sequel, has some QoL improvements that are missing from SMT IV vanilla. It makes for a nicer experience, especially if you’re coming off a more modern game like P5. Overall I like it better than IV but the final boss always kicks my ass. I’d recommend checking it out if IV leaves you wanting more.

LastSurprise wrote:

Nice! I loved SMT IV when we played it with the JRPG Club. Quick word of advice, if you've just finished with the minotaur: soon, you'll get to a point where you have access to an overworld map. The map sucks, though explaining why would be a bit of a spoiler. Don't hesitate to look stuff up if you're confused.

Oh I've already discovered how frustrating that map is. Trying not to look things up, but ugh. Not to keep comparing it to Strange Journey, but at least those mazes were methodical and I felt like I was making clear progress whenever I played.

SMT IV: Apocalypse, the pseudo sequel, has some QoL improvements that are missing from SMT IV vanilla. It makes for a nicer experience, especially if you’re coming off a more modern game like P5. Overall I like it better than IV but the final boss always kicks my ass. I’d recommend checking it out if IV leaves you wanting more.

I picked it up when it was on sale for 5 bucks digitally! I'll end up playing it eventually. Maybe not immediately after, but I am very keen nonetheless.

garion333 wrote:

And I already thought they were fairly fan service, so yikes, saved me from wasting money.

If you have seen all the main characters designs, you’ve seen the extent of the fan service really. Ryza herself and one other, really. And the other is more egregious than Ryza, I’d say. Otherwise, besides obviously optional swimsuit DLC, there’s not much I recall in terms of fanservice.

I do think Ryza’s design has attracted attention but I wanted to clarify that the game itself doesn’t have a lot of other fanservice.

A_Unicycle wrote:

Then there's the demon fusion. I do like the QoL tweaks in general, but you can transfer over so many skills when you fuse. I'm just moving over all of my best moves and keeping good coverage on each fusion. I don't mind how this lowers the difficulty, but I don't like how it makes every demon feel the same. They just don't feel unique like they did in Strange Journey which is a damn shame.

Strange Journey is one of the best games ever made, so not much will compare favorably against it.

But this change to demon fusion is one of my few complaints about SMTIV. Apocalypse imposes some restrictions on skill inheritance by making some abilities more or less advantageous to transfer to specific demons, but it still lends itself to copying the same skills from demon to demon.

I found that the best solution for me was to just impose limitations on myself. Specifically, I didn't buy the demon skill slot upgrades, so I was forced into making choices about what to transfer over and what to discard. That also forced me to pay closer attention to which skills complimented the stats of each demon, which also helped to give the demons more of a distinct feel.

Anybody play Radiant Historia on DS or its updated version on 3DS?

Just saw someone giving it love on Twitter and don't remember hearing much about it. A few mentions in various threads here over the years but no dedicated thread or discussion I could find.

Physical copies are way overpriced on Amazon but still digital available for 3DS. Just curious if I should put it on wishlist maybe watch for a sale

I loved Radiant Historia. Played the original, been meaning to get a 3DS or 2DS and the newer version of the game sometime soon.

Stele wrote:

Anybody play Radiant Historia on DS or its updated version on 3DS?

I played the original, but never owned a 3DS. I quite liked it, and recall being far from the only one. If the 3DS version made it even better, I'd totally revisit it if I had the chance.

I don't think it ever got the notice it deserved, so not a lot of people played it, so not a lot of people talked about it. Atlus presumably doesn't have the deep pockets for heavy promotion, and cartridge-based systems frequently had supply problems for many games.

Stele wrote:

Anybody play Radiant Historia on DS or its updated version on 3DS?

Just saw someone giving it love on Twitter and don't remember hearing much about it. A few mentions in various threads here over the years but no dedicated thread or discussion I could find.

Physical copies are way overpriced on Amazon but still digital available for 3DS. Just curious if I should put it on wishlist maybe watch for a sale

I've played both versions. The original is a great game and the 3DS version is better.

Generally the 3DS version has voice acting, full character portraits, and an adjustable difficulty (nice). The original can be merciless with combat.

I love the original. I wouldn't pay the inflated price. I know Atlus does occasional sales on the 3ds titles.

I loved the original and I snapped up the 3DS version back in January. Now to play it...

Huh Best Buy has it for $28 clearance but it's sold out. Looks like the eShop actually had it 50% off at $19.99 in Sept. So hopefully another holiday sale and I might pick it up this year.

Yeah, it's worth playing. I'd just go ahead and buy the 3DS digital version which is half off fairly regularly. Also possible it will get a Switch port some day.

I had fun with it, although I think it's a little long. If I remember right, I ended up buying the XP booster add-on just to get through the last act without having to actually grind for all the battles.

The combat system is really fun, though, and does some novel things. It reminded me of the PS One era when every game had a unique spin on combat, something the genre has largely moved away from as it's focused more on endless franchises and action game mechanics.

The story is interesting, but be warned that it's concept of time travel and causation makes no sense whatsoever. Worth playing if you can get it at a discount. I feel like I see it pretty frequently for half off.

Mr GT Chris wrote:

Yeah, it's worth playing. I'd just go ahead and buy the 3DS digital version which is half off fairly regularly. Also possible it will get a Switch port some day.

I'm really hoping Nintendo gets with it and releases 3DS games on the Switch. I'd be down for it and it would add a lot of value to the console.

I bounced off Radiant Historia pretty hard. The start was very dialogue-heavy and it just didn't grab me. Nothing wrong with it, and I do want to give it another shot sometime. Wrong game wrong time for me, I think.

Quick update on what I've been playing

SMT IV

Still pretty cool. Accepting that I just don't like it as much as Strange Journey. The accessibility is nice, but it takes away from the uniqueness of each demon. The story is alright, but hasn't gripped me in the same way. Mostly, it's just the constant stream of battles that is wearing me down. I'm roughly 20 hours deep and I feel like I'm wading through mud trying to get anywhere.

Is there an app that reduced encounters? Even though they are not random, it's very hard to avoid them and that's a drag when the maps can be confusing. I just want to explore! Another reason I haven't been playing it more is because most of my gaming time has been during travel, and the 3DS screen is a lot harder to view in the daylight (especially dark scenes which are very common in SMTIV!).

Valkyria Chronicles

I initially played this on PC immediately after X-COM so it was another title I bounced off of pretty hard. Yet for $10 on Switch years later, I felt it was worth a gamble. Absolutely loving it this time around! The music, the story, the strategy-"lite" approach...All wonderful! It shows its age at times, but it's a wonderful experience. It's deceptively difficult given the streamlined tactics available.

Just beat the notorious Chapter 7, that massive tank was a nightmare!

Yeah, that tank battle is awful even upon replay when you know what's going to happen.

In chapter 1 of Trails From Zero:

All characters: That merchant with the purple hair is SO handsome and SO nice!
Me: That guy is totally part of Ouroboros.

I think I've played too many Trails games already.

Speaking of which, would it make sense to have a dedicated Trails catch-all?

bobbywatson wrote:

In chapter 1 of Trails From Zero:

All characters: That merchant with the purple hair is SO handsome and SO nice!
Me: That guy is totally part of Ouroboros.

I think I've played too many Trails games already.

I’ll be following your progress with great interest, since it was only a few months ago I played it.

And I 100% thought the same about that merchant. My logic was that we have a character with a portrait showing up so early in the game? We’re obviously not done with them.

bobbywatson wrote:

In chapter 1 of Trails From Zero:

All characters: That merchant with the purple hair is SO handsome and SO nice!
Me: That guy is totally part of Ouroboros.

I think I've played too many Trails games already.

Speaking of which, would it make sense to have a dedicated Trails catch-all?

Yeah, they're not too subtle sometimes, like the cat in Cold Steel 1.

When it comes to video game stories I take things at face value a lot. So if that nice person turns out to be a villain I’m pretty surprised. I dunno why.

bobbywatson wrote:

Speaking of which, would it make sense to have a dedicated Trails catch-all?

I'd be down for that. Cross post from the classic games thread:
IMAGE(https://i.ibb.co/x5cm20h/IMG-9380.jpg)

Trails in the Sky the 3rd doesn't have an English patch unfortunately so I imagine I'll just end up dabbling in that for a while.

Put quite a few hours into 7th Dragon 2020, a good time, wish they'd done more to develop the player characters though. Oh, and if you thought our 2020 wasn't great, the 2020 in this game is worse. Unless you like dragons. Lots of dragons. That kill most of humanity.

Mr GT Chris wrote:
bobbywatson wrote:

Speaking of which, would it make sense to have a dedicated Trails catch-all?

I'd be down for that. Cross post from the classic games thread:
IMAGE(https://i.ibb.co/x5cm20h/IMG-9380.jpg)

Trails in the Sky the 3rd doesn't have an English patch unfortunately so I imagine I'll just end up dabbling in that for a while.

It's available in English on Steam, though if I remember correctly you prefer to stick to portable options

You can actually patch the Vita version using files from the Steam version but I'd need a copy of the Vita game and a CFW Vita.