By this point in time, JRPGs have come quite a long way since their humble beginnings, and it seems like every new release is trying to find a way to reinvent the wheel once more with a flashy new battle system or premise. Even so, there’s a certain kind of charm to the relative simplicity of early JRPGs, and that’s what Tokyo RPG Factory endeavors to capture in its releases. I Am Setsuna was a game that doubled down on playing it straight; a 90’s RPG in spirit that divided opinion over how backwards it seemed to some. Now, the developer is at it again with a spiritual sequel, Lost Sphear, which carries on many of the ideals of its predecessor while trying to make improvements where they're needed. It largely succeeds in this effort, and though Lost Sphear may be reliant on tried and true tropes and formulas that won’t be surprising to veterans of the genre, it nonetheless proves to be an enjoyable, quality RPG.
The story of Lost Sphear stars Kanata, a kind orphan boy living in Elgarthe village, and his band of friends. It doesn’t take long for things to get interesting when the 'Lost' concept is introduced, wherein objects, people, and places can disappear and leave a white void in their wake. After discovering that he possesses the unique ability to restore Lost things to their original form by utilizing the power of memories, Kanata and his crew set off on a journey to reshape the world and get to the bottom of what’s causing the Lost phenomenon.
Though the plot is riddled with tired JRPG clichés, it nonetheless remains well-paced and engaging. There may not be many points for originality here, but it’s a well-constructed narrative with a diverse cast of interesting characters, and some of the plot twists are genuinely surprising. There’s a balanced mix of adventure, sorrow, humor, and passion, and we felt a connection to the main cast of heroes after not too long.
Battle takes the shape of a more polished version of the system present in I Am Setsuna, and the changes made are quite welcome. All players’ actions are governed by an ATB gauge, but a notable change here is that you can move character around a la Xenoblade Chronicles 2 to get an edge on enemies in combat. Clever positioning of party members can give you advantages like striking multiple enemies with the same attack or having some party members evade a wide area of effect attack. It still feels more turn based than it does live action, but the additional nuance offered by character positioning is a welcome change.
Building on the focus on player agency in the flow of battle, each character has a separate gauge that slowly fills up, giving them a Momentum Point once full. This allows characters certain enhancements, like higher damage or a life steal effect, if the Y button is pressed when a light flashes the moment before an attack is made. It’s a simple inclusion that’s not too hard to pull off, but it can add an additional layer of strategy and tension to a fast-paced fight.
Another notable inclusion is the Vulcosuits, special mechs obtained a few hours into the campaign that greatly help out in boss fights. These essentially function as an overclock mode, boosting a character’s stats significantly so they can deal and take much higher amounts of damage. Usage of the suits is governed by a VP pool which depletes when any Vulcosuit makes an action, and this is where there’s a bit of a bottleneck in the combat design. The VP pool is small enough as is, and until much later in the game, your options are greatly limited for replenishing your points. This unfortunately has the effect of sidelining the Vulcosuits in most battles, as it isn’t worth it to use up the precious resources that they cost. It’s a bit of a shame, but the flipside is that the typical enemy battle seldom demands that you use them; Vulcosuits would be overkill in most uses.
Character customization is simple enough to pick up, but has a pleasing amount of depth for those that are willing to put in the time. Aside from the typical weapons and armor, characters can be equipped with Spritnites - basically Materia - that allow them to pull off special attacks and cast spells. Though most of these are straightforward, some Spritnites can be equipped that enable passive enhancements—like a team-wide buff against certain damage types—once a character stores enough Momentum points in a battle. As if that wasn’t enough, Spritnites can also be equipped on others to give them an even greater effect if a Momentum point is spent when performing the action. All of this comes together to form a system that gives you lots of options and favors lots of different playstyles, yet it’s presented in a straightforward and easy to understand fashion.
Building somewhat off of all these customization options, a new 'Artifact' concept factors into the world map, granting a different kind of enhancement to your characters. Certain points on the map allow Kanata to restore a Lost structure, which will then cast a passive benefit that follows you into your battles at various places on the map. This allows you greater control over things like how fast gauges charge or how high critical hit rates can be in certain situations, and the broad amount of Artifacts gives you plenty of choice over how you want to sway the battle in your favor. Do you build artifacts that favor filling the Momentum Gauge as fast as possible, or do you swap out the magic-focused party member and build one that cripples the effectiveness of magic attacks? Artifacts are a great way to provide indirect character customization and new ones are introduced at a fairly steady clip.
One complaint levied against I Am Setsuna is that the environments lack proper variety, choosing instead to go for a mostly uniform snowscape. Lost Sphear addresses this by offering a diverse array of locales that are visually distinctive. One moment may find you searching for treasure in a graveyard of ships, while in another you'll find yourself in a Victorian-esque metropolis. Though the narrative can be a bit padded at times with fetch-quests, it’s alleviated by how you never know quite where you’ll end up next, and the overworld map feels suitably epic.
Even so, there’s little here that will blow you away from a graphical perspective. The minimalist art direction is welcome, but feels a little cheap in some places. Reused assets and simplistic models are a common sight, making this feel like a mobile game in many ways. Though that isn’t too much of an issue when playing in portable mode - which we’d recommend for this game - it still feels like more could’ve been done from an artistic perspective to leave a greater impression on the player. As it stands, there’s not much here that you’ll likely be remembering a few years after playing, and it’s a bit of a shame given the underlying quality of the rest of the game.
Now, at the time of writing, Lost Sphear is listed on the eShop for $50, which is frankly a ridiculous asking price for what’s being offered, and will likely be the point that makes or breaks the game for many a potential buyer. Though there’s lots of content on offer, it pales next to the near limitless depth of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, which is available for just ten dollars more, and that makes this a much tougher sell to those who aren’t diehard fans of the genre. Make no mistake, Lost Sphear is a quality game that is certainly worth your time if you’re looking for a traditional JRPG, but whether it justifies the premium price will be up to you.
Conclusion
There’s little in Lost Sphear that you haven’t seen before in JRPGs, but that doesn’t mean it’s a title to be dismissed out of hand. If you can look past the clichés, Lost Sphear presents an engaging world, deep battle system, and plenty of replayability which will likely delight many an RPG fan. Tokyo RPG Factory has proven with this release that it’s capable of learning from past mistakes, and though Lost Sphear still might not be the game to surpass Chrono Trigger, it proves itself to be worthy of that legacy. We’d recommend Lost Sphear to anybody who loves a focused, traditional RPG; it may be priced a little high, but this is an enjoyable experience that fans won’t want to miss out on.
Comments 108
I'll pick it up later I think. Right now, my time is devoted to Dragon ball fighters Z
50$ sounds like too much.
Ordered this one online so I should have it within the next couple of weeks. No idea if/when I'll actually find time to play it though as it's probably not high on my list of priorities.
I really can’t get into most RPGs. Shame, too, because there are so many good ones.
The last column pretty much sums it all up:
50bucks for a approx. 30h game when you can get one on the same system that offers an average 65h story content and an average of 241h for completionists for a 10er more...
So yeah, as good as the game might be, the price will be its big hurdle, especially with competition like that.
A sure purchase in a sale, but not for full price.
@thesilverbrick I feel the same way, I’m not really a fan of fighting something every time I walk 2 feet. It gets repetitive.
@tamantayoshi 50 for around 40hrs isn’t to bad
the very first screen perfectly impersonates emptiness of the game ....
Square Enix forgot what made classic JRPGs classic JRPGs and that is the fact that those games hadnt been made to be classic JRPGs to begin with, they were made because the devs loved games
...I Am Setsuna and this Lost Sphear are great examples of trying too hard to develop new classics of the genre and that is very bad since you cannot create an unique game when the only thing you have in your head is "we must create a masterpiece at all costs!"
Will probably buy it pvv a sale in the future. I wanted I am setsuna at some point but had to make a choice about which games to play at that moment.
Goes to show that if the crowd grows, so does the bar for excellence, I guess.
@Einherjar Super Mario Odysseys story takes like 10-15 hours to finish and I didn't see anyone complain about that? I think you have to look at more then just the playtime.
The demo confused the hell out of me at first lol, does it just drop you in somewhere randomly or is that actually how the game starts?
Seems pretty mediocre, from what I played of the demo.
@Meei Super Mario Odyssey is a platformer and 10-20 hours for a platformer is enough not for RPG unfortunately
It's improved from I Am Setsuna, that's for sure. Anyone who enjoyed that game will enjoy Lost Sphear.
Also, curious how RPG Factory is going to improve on their next game. I feel like they may become pretty popular with this styled RPG if they hit the right improvements.
Surprised at such a high score, definitely going to give the demo a try now.
God, this looks boring.
I really regret importing the physical version of I Am Setsuna. I suppose I can sell it, but unfortunately the case arrived damaged.
@Meei No way you went to the darker side of the moon
@Meei You're comparing apples and oranges here.
An RPG rarely offers as much replay value as a platformer does.
Its like (Point&Click)Adventure games: Once you know the solution and story, there isn't much to come back to.
A second playthrough of an RPG often boils down to mere number crunching. You know the story, you know where to go, where to find stuff etc. All that's left is numbers.
A platformer never truly loses its skill requirement. Sure, at one point, you become good enough to play it blind. No game will last an eternity. But the experience is mostly the same.
This is why people look for playtime in PRGs and why "New Game+" is still such a sought after feature, especially if it changes stuff in subsequent playthroughs.
might get this some point. back to randomize TTYD, for now.
First we had I Am Satsuma, now we have Lost Pear.
I'm glad this comes with a demo that I can try eventually, but I already have plenty of backlogged RPGs waiting in the wings (plus, no Switch as of yet). If I do end up getting this, it'll likely be later down the line when it's come down in price a little or is on sale.
Doesn't seem right to compare it to XC2 or SMO on price, different games, but there are a bunch of the old original JRPG on the PSN for $10 or $20 so I imagine it will have a hard time competing over there. Less competition on Switch, but it still looks like a $19.99 game to me.
My guess is they figured there are 2 kinds of gamers in the world, those who will buy a JRPG at any price, and those who won't buy a JRPG at any price, so price doesn't matter as much with a JRPG.
Switch eShop has ARMS and Mario+Rabbids each on sale for $42 this week. Even Nintendo has sales now, might as well wait a bit, not the like the price is going to go up from here.
I am getting this and I can't wait for project octopath!
After playing the demo, I can say I'm not really into it. The visuals break the deal for me and the battle system is a little slow for my taste (probably was the fault of the demo). Bravely Default looks (and plays) better and that's a 3DS game (IMO).
I'll pick this up eventually but probably when it's on sale. I prefer the simpler battle systems of JRPGs back in the 8 bit and 16 bit era so games like Xenoblade are fun for a while but I usually get turned off by the battle system.
€50? That seems high, I thought this was going to be €20, maybe €30 at most. This looks more like an Indie game than a major Square-Enix Final Fantasy or a Kingdom Hearts game.
I loved Setsuna, but this doesn’t appeal to me at all. The demo didn’t help.
I was thinking I might try this until the $50 price was mentioned. This sounds more like a $20 game...at least for me. I'll watch for this one to go on sale.
Unfortunately the demo did nothing for me. I could write that off, if I hadn't got utterly hooked on the Ocotpath Traveler demo previously. I think I'll have to pass, even though the review makes it sound somewhat intriguing.
@Einherjar I disagree, you can replay an RPG just as much as a plattformer. You can replay to try different class or party combinations or just to enjoy the story again etc.
I dunno the demo was absolutely awful.
As Ralek said Octopath demo was superior in absolutely every way and that is a game I am very much looking forward to.
@Meei You're in no way wrong, but i still disagree.
No RPG will ever offer the same replay value as a platformer / action game.
And even beyond that, we're still talking about a cliche story and 30h of gameplay Vs. a slightly less cliche story and 200h of gameplay with a 10 bucks difference.
At this pricepoint, its simply stuff for RPG purists i fear.
I love me some classic JRPG, but this is a bit expensive. Plus my Switch is currently on pause while Monster Hunter World takes center stage.
I think the Switch is genuinely missing out on the best game of 2018, and it's January.
This is the game that I am Setsuna should had been. It was a disappointment that I am Setsuna never had a worldwide physical release.
Weird, I could have sworn it is spelled
'Sphere'
Given how uninspired I found the demo to be I'll give this a miss at that price point.
PSA: NO game will ever surpass Chrono Trigger.
@Steelhead My thoughts exactly. The demo turned me off completely. I'm nearly ready to give up on JRPGs altogether. They just don't make them like they used to in the SNES/PS1 era.
I’ve been wanting to give this game a try, but even if I love the demo, I can’t fathom spending $50 on this game. I can wait until the price comes down.
@SimplyCinnamon53 agree as well. Maybe I should give one of them another run sometime, right now, plenty more stuff to catch up on. I sill haven’t got splatoon 2 yet for crying out loud...
@HappyMaskedGuy I've read that the story will explain the spelling.
I ordered the physical game.
I played the demo and was totally unimpressed, it felt like an old PS1 RPG to me, and not in a good way.
I really want RPGs for Switch, but this just looks so... bland. They always feel like they are going for traditional RPG tropes but forget to create something with its own character. There’s no sense of interesting world building, or surprising mixes of ideas.
Really can’t wait for Shin Megami Tensei, but that’s going to be ages. The only turn based RPGs I’ve enjoyed recently are Persona 4 & 5 and Tokyo Mirage Sessions, which were all SMT spinoffs.
Hoping TMS gets a Switch port, or even Golden Sun released on Virtual Console.
@thesilverbrick this one isnt good though... ))
I know how this sounds, but the only thing that would've sealed the deal for me would've been it being 60fps, but they couldn't make that happen. I don't think I've ever had an RPG that ran at 60fps and I was looking forward to this one, since I Am Setsuna couldn't hit it either. I swear I don't care about frame rate with other games, but this was different for me for some reason. At 30fps it looks like a bland mediocre 3DS game. I got pretty far in I Am Setsuna before deleting it. Now if they'll stop pussyfooting around and bring out bigger guns I'll take it. Gimme a Final Fantasy, (actual) Chrono Trigger or Bravely Default over this style of RPG any day. I'm also looking forward to Octopath. How about a game with some fully grown characters ffs! Stop with the chibis!
On a sale yes, right now lol no. Plus that octo whatever rpg demo is better in every way.
This game looks like a snooze fest. Maybe I'm biased because I thought I am Setsuna was dull and boring. I picked up the demo and I found it was a lot of the same. I do not think this deserves an 8. I know I'm not supposed to base this on a demo but please and spare me. I love a good JRPG and this is not.
8/10 much higher than anyone else's reviews. This site is trying too hard to prop up average games and it really shows.
@River3636 Couldn't agree more, setsuna was a total snooze fest. This is definitely more of the same. For somethign that claimed to be inspired by chrono trigger (Setsuna and by extension lost sphear)... it comes across uninspired in general.
@bolt05 I know it is. I would not waste my hard earned money on a game that just checks boxes on how a good JRPG should be. This game just tries too hard and that is a shame. The Switch needs more RPGs and I usually snatch this type of game up.
@audiobrainiac Not judging, I swear, but why on Earth would you care about 60 FPS in a game like this? To me that sounds like shopping for an all-terrain car based purely on thebqualiy of its stereo system.
@bolt05 At GameRankings there are twelve reviews for the PS4 version. Three are 8/10, three are above 8/10, and the average is more than 76%. That means this score is literally as close to average as their scale gets, making it the exact opposite of an outlier.
@JasmineDragon Good question. It probably is silly of me, but I just haven’t played any rpgs in 60fps and was hoping it would be, for a new experience. I think it would’ve made this style of rpg really pop visually, because it’s gameplay nature is so low key. Seems like it would’ve been easily achieved.
@invictus4000 have you tried the project Octopath Traveller demo? It's well worth a look.
I wasn't sure about it at first. The first character, the knight, seemed a bit generic but later great on me. The second character, the dancer, was far more interesting and the final game will have 8 characters, all with their own story.
If Lost Sphear was a) closer to $30 or b) this was still Wii U times, I’d buy Lost Sphear. Unfortunately it’s neither, so I won’t.
@Yorumi At least Xenoblade's cliches were presented with epic set pieces and flashy cutscenes, while Lost Sphear on the other hand has nothing of the sort to make up for its stereotypes.
lost sphear?
find the sphear.
put it in yer ******* pocket and go home.
Is this digital only?
@16bitdave You can buy it physical from Square Enix directly.
OK, I'm saying it: Chrono Trigger is also an 8/10 game, at least for a modern gamer coming to it fresh, so Lost Sphear has hit its mark pretty well. Brush off the nostalgia, and CT is merely in the Hall of Very Good. Of course, in the Nineties, it was a revelation, no argument.
@TheLobster Thanks! I'm on the waiting list now.
@GraveLordXD I was joking at the end. I just thought it would’ve looked nicer is all, and that might’ve made up for the seemingly mediocre gameplay a little. I know it’s hardly the type of game anyone cares about frame rate for. I’m weird and quirky I guess lol. I know there are certain sacrifices for portability but the game is not graphically demanding, so I thought for sure it’d be 60fps. I know they had trouble with Unity though.
@Yorumi Kinda funny how we play RPGs for opposite reasons. Personally, I play JRPGs for the gameplay, and I just accept that there's going to be anime/RPG stereotypes abundant in the story. That way I'm pleasantly surprised when original ideas do show up, if at all. And if the expected cliches are presented in a unique or interesting way, that's great too.
Eh, okay...
The game was rated E10+ / CERO B / PEGI 7 = The storyline was not really too complicated and not too mature.
Is it really good enough for me, guys ?
When i watched the demo gameplay, it was look okay for me, not really Wow but there was something there.
And what is the story basically tell about ?
@TheLobster
Psst...
Playasia has Lost Sphear for sale.
@16bitdave
No.
It released both on Physical and Digital release.
Can you see the cover on Top ?
That's official cover in Physical.
Btw, try order from Playasia.com
I'll get it way down the line at some point - all about MH:W right now.
I picked up a physical copy figuring if I don't like the game there is a shot the physical becomes hard to get a hold of at some point that it'll have a good resell value.
For some reason gamerankings is putting down nintendolifes review of the switch version of lost sphear as a ps4 game lol.
I usually really like RPGs, especially JRPGs, but I am Setsuna left a sour taste in my mouth as being basic, forgettable and overpriced. This review suggests they have done only a little to improve upon that with this game.
I might give it a chance on sale, but despite an 8/10, this review makes the game sound very stale and basic.
I don't play RPGs just because they are RPGs. I want an excited adventure with memorable characters, cool music, exotic landscapes and an engrossing story. Games like Xenoblade 2 and FF XV did that superbly and are only a tiny bit more expensive.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was one of the finest JRPG's I've ever played. Compared to such a timeless classic, this one seems a bit dull.
That said, I did buy it, and it's been decent thus far. But the big JRPG's in the pipeline will be Valkyria Chronicles 4, Fire Emblem 16, SMTV, Project Octopath Traveller, The World Ends With You, Dragon Quest XI and Y's VIII.
@rjejr
there are 2 kinds of gamers in the world, those who will buy a JRPG at any price, and those who won't buy a JRPG at any price, so price doesn't matter as much with a JRPG
Touché
Except for rjejr. He defies all expectations and categorization.
I played the demo and, honestly, didn’t like it much. You can find the game in Japan in some stores for about $25. But even that cheap I couldn’t convince myself to buy it when there are plenty other games I’d get before.
Now, I can’t wait for Octopath Traveller Project.
@JaxonH Have the frame rate and low resolution issues of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 been fixed yet?
I want to play this game, but something about it just doesn't hook me, and I don't mind a traditional RPG. The demo didn't sway me and left me wanting to seek out other Switch experiences in my backlog. I think it's good, but I really have to be selective about my RPGs with my gaming time being limited. A massive sale will definitely be in play before I buy it.
@NinNin
Don't think so, no.
But I played 200 hours and never had serious framerate issues. A little slow down when I got to towns once in a while, nothing major enough to hinder my enjoyment. Certainly nothing to keep me from playing the game.
Resolution can drop super low at spots in handheld mode, and it's definitely not the highest res game on the system but, it looks incredible on the TV and even on the handheld, I had no issues. But by and large, it holds to be around the same as Rocket League or DOOM. After spending six or seven years with 240-480p games on 3DS and Vita, it looked good to me. I wouldn't even consider that to be an actual issue unless someone plans to play 100% in handheld mode, and even then it's still a better experience than any previous handheld has ever provided.
They did fix the map though, and added a new zoom level so that the map is actually usable, and when you open the world map it opens to your current location now. A small thing, but I can't tell you how aggravating it was before the fix was implemented
@JaxonH Thanks for the information. It's a shame that those issues haven't been fixed yet.
@NinNin
It is, but sometimes you gotta tolerate imperfections to enjoy an otherwise immaculate game.
But the good news is, The game is receiving patches and updates because of the season pass content. And they have been addressing issues so, it's possible some of these things are addressed in a future patch although I don't really think there's anything that can be done about the resolution- it's just a really demanding game and only runs in 720p on the TV, just like Xenoblade X did. So I don't really foresee them being able to increase the res beyond what it's running at now.
Only saw a bit in a let's play, but with that alongside everything else I heard about the game, I can't convince myself this is an RPG for me.
I rather have a game that brings back the same feelings I had when playing the older JRPGs (even the ones I didn't grow up with), not just emulate their mechanics into another cliched story. Etrian Odyssey and Legend of Heroes 6-8 does this well by blending old ideas with new, this seems to blend old ideas... with other old ideas.
I do want to actually try this, if only for analytical purposes, but that isn't worth $50 to me.
I enjoyed I Am Setsuna, but I couldn't shake the feeling I paid more than I should have. This is even more expensive. If anything, I'm going to wait for a sale.
As others have stated, the demo just feel pedestrian and does nothing to convince fence sitters like me to commit, if anything, it makes me want to avoid it more. Project Octopath's demo on the other hand, makes you want to care about the character(s) and left you wishing you could buy it right away.
Something about the bland art style of this and I Am Setsuna was a huge turnoff for me. Honestly, I’m more drawn to the pixel art mashup of Project Octopath than I am to this. I had a blast with that game’s demo!
Reviews and footage haven't been impressive. Maybe I'll check it out when there's a sale, but frankly the Switch's lineup has been so good that anything short of stellar is kind of a disappointment.
@invictus4000
You have not played Terranigma.
@TheLobster
Or Amazon UK
Or EB Games in Australia (like I did)
@SimplyCinnamon53 I wish that was something I could get over. I tried playing Final Fantasy 7 and 9 back in the day. I just could get past random battles. It was hard to get immersed in Final Fantasy 7 when I had to do so much fighting. And roaming around the world map was maddening to me. And getting suck fighting frogs that kept putting me and my party asleep. I tried to at least make it to the second disc. I really wanted to finish that game. It’s what propelled me to ask for a PSone and the game for Xmas the year it came out. Good thing I also got a Crash Bandicoot game! So Xmas was a total lose that year! Lol
Might pick it up if there's a price drop. I still play the old FF and I am Satsuna and Lost Sphear do remind me a lot of them.
For the story aspect; I can't wait to experience it myself. I loved the story from Xenoblade 2, while there are a lot of complaints out there.
I loved I am setsuna which was £30 and I managed to get nearly 60 hours play out of. £40 seems too much to me. If this goes on sale I might get then but I’m way more excited by octopath traveller
Looks too simple but we have to remember that the IDEA is expensive.
Looks good but I’m playing Final Fantasy III on my SNES mini at the moment, what a game that is!
I have tried the demo a bit but seriously, the ATB system is enough to completely destroy the game for me.
In the past there have been a few good ATB implementations (like Grandia), but in general this was really bad back then and is still bad today.
But that is not the only thing, I have the feeling that this game, just as I Am Setsuna, implements everything that was bad in the past and we really don't need anymore in the modern age, while failing to to convey what was truly so great about some of the classics.
Basically they are trying to hard to make a game that is just like a classic instead of trying to make a good game.
But that is just my personal opinion.
@JimmySpades Ah, thanks for that
Looks interesting but not for the price. Won't spend £40 on anything that's not a physical release. That's probably a bit dumb but heyho.
Looks interesting but not for the price. Won't spend £40 on anything that's not a physical release. That's probably a bit dumb but heyho.
Looks interesting but not for the price. Won't spend £40 on anything that's not a physical release. That's probably a bit dumb but heyho.
@Jmh105 It has a physical release.
For anyone who didn't pre-order a physical copy, go to SE's store and join the waiting list for a shipping update instead of paying almost double (or 2.5X, in some cases) its online counterpart.
One thing we can hope for as far as the game, DLC.
Can't trust nintendolife reviews
@JaxonH FFXV so broke me. $50 for the royal edition, but I might need to pay another $20 after paying $60 for the game and whatever I paid for the DLC. Plus I'll need to buy the Ardyn DLC b/c he was my favorite character in the game.
I may buy DQXI day 1 depending on that DLC situation. Not sure what the hold up is on that one, translation shouldn't take this long. Ni No Kuni 2 has been delayed so often the game may come out after the DLC.
But really, $50 for Lost Sphear or $60 for the base game of XC2, that's not a hard decision.
I saw you talking up Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon again. I never did get to those before trading in my X2 but I'd bet both of these combined are less than $50. Lost Spear just looks like $19.99 to me. I'd rather just replay my PS1 JRPG on disc on my PS3. That's probably the only thing I have on you in gaming, a good PS1 disc collection. Though I'm guessing you could probably borrow whatever you wanted from your brother, or buy them on PSN for $10.
Don't see why you'd spend the time or money on this, there must be a few classic JRPG you haven't played yet. Skies of Arcadia, Grandia 1 or 2 (not 3 or X), Lunar Silver Star. You know the list.
The art style in these new jrpgs really suck. They need to carve out their own styke, water color, playdoh, cel,pixel...something...anything but this generic 3d from 2005
I love how active the RPG scene is getting on Switch, but I'd love to see it diversify. I say this often, but I really get excited thinking about Golden Sun 4 for Switch. It would have been an interesting 3DS RPG, but given its Nintendo 64 development roots prior to being moved to the GBA, seeing a fresh Golden Sun title on a main Nintendo console for the first time would be incredibly exciting!
Yeah, this is one I can't really afford at the moment at that price tag. That's mainly because I've got so much on my wishlist for both Switch and PS4 - if this was released back on the Wii U era, chances are I'd get it right away because there just wasn't a lot of other games fighting for my money. These days, I guess I'd rather get both Celeste and World to the West for less than Lost Sphear costs.
Either way, I remain very interested, but will wait for a sale or a price drop.
@BlackenedHalo Screenshots on Nlife are randomized. There is no way to know what Screenshot you referred to.
Can anybody here say anything about the music? Really curious how that came out
I'm surprised there are some people who think that because this game is "only" 30 hours (...?) it doesn't justify the price. Firstly, as if length is what determines a game's value... and secondly, it's a throwback to the classic RPGs (Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, Secret of Mana, Dragon Quest V, etc.) all of which were like 25-30 hours long. A good length for an RPG. Not every RPG has to be some ridiculously long Xenoblade/Persona-esque slog (thank God...)
Hmmm it's on Amazon right now for £27. Tempted. Just completed Setsuna so now have a thirst for more RPGs. Can I hold out and wait for Octo?!
@youhippy £20 at Base.com if you're still on the fence...
@gcunit thanks for the info! I got Xenoblade 2 for 27quid so I'm currently enjoying the hell out of that 👍🏻
I like how your review didn't even make it to the correct system at GameRanking.com, instead it was scored on the same system next to Push Square's review of the same game.

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