@AlexanderDaniels You see I have doubt about this. ... is 0 equivalent to the original EXP gain from the original versions or the default EXP from the pixel remaster versions? FF1, 2 and 3 Pixel remaster versions have a default increased 1.5 experience gain compared to the originals.
But now that you mention, I hope this EXP multiplier is based on the og values. That would be the best of both worlds.
I like these newly added options but can we get an option to get LESS experience? these pixel remasters have increased the exp gained that makes each game so much easier than their original versions. They are doing a lot of things to make them even easier which is fine, but please also add options to make the game more challenging too!
@Lady_Galadhiel Take a look at SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech. It might be exactly what you are looking for. RPGs with deckbuilding/card mechanics. It was my personal GOTY of 2019.
I also love these kind of games so I would love if you can share some with me too!
I already preordered Front Mission 2!! Lets go Glad that there is a demo for anyone who is interested in this series. If you like strategy turn based games (and with mechas who is only a + ) give it a try!!
Oh I never mentioned it but I gave the game a personal score of 8. To me it feels like a great game, it has mostly positive things and for people who like turn based RPGs its a great choice. It gets two minus points because it is not a game for everyone (which is not a bad thing per se but I consider it for the 10 score), and another minus point for the somewhat weird pacing and challenge. You are encouraged to explore a lot, but doing so will make you very powerful which can lessen the gameplay experience for me. The rest of the game (gameplay, visuals, music, story) is quality so an 8!
@Ryan_Again You might be on to something. They have added so much optional content and side missions that it feels bloated to say the least. Maybe if it helps you (a big if), you could try splitting the experience in 4 of the 8 characters. Just focusing on their quests and leaving the other half for a second playthrough. Not the best solution either but maybe it can work for you.
@Ryan_Again I share your sentiment. This is the curse of nonlinear games. In all honesty, this game shares a lot of things with SaGa games in their open pacing. However what Octopath does not do is to level enemies along your party. If that is good or not is debatable... but not doing it makes for a weird situation of getting too strong by accident when you are exploring the world. I reccommended a comment ago to go out of your way to avoid getting too much levels by running from battles.
@illmatic20xx I feel like this too. My advice is to go out of your way to avoid getting overleveled. I am currently running 2 out of 3 battles. It is annoying to do this but I prefer to have a challenge than steamroll all enemies.
@Handheld_TrifectAce I get what you say, I also hope it does not become that. However, in this particular case I think its more of a personal recommendation/opinion of this writer who is a huge fan of RPGs (of the old school type too!). I never heard about this game but I am quite interested to try it for such a low price.
@SportyMarioSonicMix You are pushing it a bit with that comment and good luck with that not being removed. I like your comments on E3 value, since it is open for debate of how important (or not) it is today. You do make good points, but sadly it will be diluted with those generalization opinions that you make about boys and girls and their relationship to games. It reads not only as rude but also sexist and you should be aware of it.
I also do not fancy the style of this particular author, not in the slighest I relate to what she wrotes but it is extreme to make a point about women and gamers based on it. Its not about the sex/gender but a personal style. Case in point, I will recommend Alana Hughes (another female writer in this site) which style of writing I do enjoy a lot, but again... I think it is important to value people's work despite their gender and avoid jumping to those quick conclusions.
@Cheez While all of this is true. Playing on a PC is not the same as playing on a handheld hybrid console. I am not saying I will do it for this game, but I have paid the switch tax several times for having a game available on the switch due to its portability access.
I praised your writing style before (for the monolith soft summary) and I will do it again. This reviewer knows what she is talking about and it really highlights in the way you write, the references you make and the historical context you provide to each sentence.
I have been super critical to other RPG reviewers of this site, but in the same way that I bash other people work when I see them lacking, I have to really congratulate you for such a good job in writing these articles. Informative, fun and brief, while also managing to be accurate. Great job Alana!
@Elbitryq Give it a chance if you can! I went blindly my first time and was so confused but at the same time it kinda clicked me for how original was the concept of the whole game. Having said that, dont feel bad for asking guides on particular things and do not worry that missing elements is part of the SaGa experience (they really wanted the player to keep learning of the game after consecutive playthoughs).
PS: I share your sentiment with fixed cameras (Resident evil 1 anyone??). The review makes it sound like a huge issue which was not that big at all imo.
Oh and one thing that I forgot in my previous comment but the forte of SaGa games imo is the boss battles. They are super challenging and you cant force your way into it (again.. do not grind or you will regret it). The franchise really shines in their gameplay rather than the story or graphical qualities.
SaGa Games are all about experimental RPG gaming. If you are tired about the conventional JRPGs tropes and trends, then this game might interest you. The no handholding is not a disadvantage per se since modern games have way too much direction leaving little exploration to the player. I will recommend this game but only if you got the patience and joy of exploring a world filled with unwritten rules. There is a reason why SaGa franchise has kept a fanbase 20 years after its initial release.
I wont be too mean to this review, since I think the last piece of this reviewer (Frontmission 1st remaster), went a tad too crazy on the comment section (myself included). But I will kindly disagree with the aspect that he mentions that the game forces grinding..... this is actually the opposite! Please do not grind in this game, you will miss a lot of events and gameplay elements if you grind! Even worse, normal enemies level alongside you! My recommendation (for all SaGa games) is if you cant beat something, try doing something else. Its a non linear experience and there is a reason why you can run from enemies at any time.
@nessisonett This was really interesting to read. This topic is always a sensitive one but I feel like there is a lot of psychology and social issues that mix together and make it confusing (and media uses this confusion to their advantage). I will take a look at your suggestions, and I would recommend Pop Culture Detective channel on youtube for a similar in depth view of male fantasies and trends in movies.
@BlueKnight07 This is a great advice and I agree. It is part of the progression and hardships of starting weak but getting optimized with better techs and equipment. You are supposed to be inexperienced and erratic at the beggining of the game imo. It works in favor of the narrative.
@dartmonkey We will agree to disagree then. I think a big ongoing internet discussion on whether the reviewer is up to the task or not to be able to review a game its out of the question (since he already did), but the fact remains that his work shown here does not provide a good example of the background he possess. And there is nothing wrong for asking professionals qualifications. People do it everytime at any job and it should not be considered an offense.
But all of this is meaningless into the discussion of this game, again I would encourage people that are somehow interested in this game to get a second opinion. You do not need to be an uberfan of this genre to enjoy it.
@Poco_Lypso I definitely agree with you. I am in fact quite excited for the difficulty and the RNG (as opposed to this review), however the price is so steep for a remake of a remake! I will probably keep this in the wishlist until it gets a bit cheaper.
@dartmonkey I understand and it was not my intention to attack him or make this a personal comment on how he does his job. However I think when you write your piece of work in a public site like this, you are exposed to being criticized. And I believe what I wrote is professional criticism. His review opinion dislikes elements that are consistent with the tactical strategy genre, which inevitably brings the question if this is more of a review of the game or the genre itself. Moreover the reviewer included some very personal hot-takes like lowering the difficulty (and this was done twice) that are easy to disagree with if you are the kind of player who enjoys tactical games. Professional opinions need to be carefully written so that you provide enough insight into games for both newcomers and veterans of the series.
@GuyProsciutto I think they have adopted a philosophy in this site that the reviews should be done by people that play any game since any gamers could be interested in this one. Its a nice idea in theory but I feel some particular cases like a remake of a niche strategy game are more aimed to small group of fans who want to see if its similar to the original version.. or to similar strategy games.
You suggest lowering the difficulty to enjoy the story? Lowering the difficulty in a tactical RPG? This particular genre of games thrive on their gameplay to deliver their experience. Its why they get the tactical or strategy name to it. If you remove the difficulty in gameplay, you are bound to get a very bland experience which might be no different that seeing a movie (but you are supposed to play boring bits of it). Where do you get these reviewers and what is their background with the games they are playing.....
To the reader who is interested in this game, if you like tactical/strategy RPGs and you fancy the mecha setting, this is a safe bet for you. The RNG mechanics that this reviewer clearly dislikes are nothing that you cant beat by proper planning and calculating your position, equipment and attacks. If battles take long... so yeah that is probably what many fans of this genre like (this doesn't have to be a quick fast paced action or fighting game). In general quite a bad take on the review but I cant blame it since it feels to me the reviewer had little interest in the genre from the start.
Haha this is some interesting evolution of a character! I get why some people are a bit skeptical of how many of these muscle bound female characters are appearing now but remember guys... trends do work like that. Just how many damsel in distress we got during the early NES days? Its just a matter of perspective after all! I think its nice that they mix it up and we get some new ways to play our retro games
Can't wait to get this game. I had a blast with the first game and I like to think this is the revival of the old-school retro games. I am perfectly fine to get more of the same in this case, since I was quite satisfied with the first entry! I hope we get lots of optional challenges and bosses. Those are my favs things to tackle in JRPGs
As for people asking how to balance the levels with Octopath Traveler 1. What I did was to do all lvl 1 quest first (of all 8 characters) but then pick 3 (since you cant swap your starting character) and proceed to do their lvl 2 quests... and then their lvl 3 and so on... You will always be on level with that. Once you finish all the quests for those 4 characters, you then swap to the missing 4 and do their quests in order. TLDR: Pick a party and keep with it until you finish all their quests (dont spread the EXP)
@Mrkittyhead They do say that even in the highest difficulty the game did not provide enough challenge. It is kind of a letdown since I loved the difficulty in the first one. It was what caught me by surprise (in a good way) about that game.
@AlanaHagues I very rarely comment on this site (more of a passive reader), but I had to recover my old password and urge to log in to leave a comment.
Please do more retrospective articles like these! This is amazingly well done and you can easily tell the writer is an avid fan of the genre and knows what she is talking about. Huge props for delivering all this in a friendly manner (not easy for non-japanese with all those names) that give both a quick recap but a also a deep exploration into jRPG companies besides the usual Square Enix, Atlus or Bandai-Namco. NintendoLife raise the salary of this writer. Thank you
@sixrings Man haha. While I agree with you that fps are overrated (when did we start counting them?), you really should use a different set of words for your comment! You are asking to get into a fight with those
Wow... this is probably what a developer on an acid trip thought it would be good to make haha. This is so bizarre that I can only imagine how many shrooms (like those found in stage 1 there!) were used for this.
@twztid13 Oh definitely! I am just using the expression to imply that in between all issues of the gaming world, this is one that looks like one of those problems. Basically an issue where you being offered too much is seen as a problem (whereas you would think the opposite AKA the lack of- would be the most common problem).
I get where this complain comes from. We have all been there when a game has too much content to digest in one single playthrough. However on the other hand, this is not nothing that you can't learn by experiencing the game itself and reading a bit about it. Hopefully this does not come as offensive but it feels like a first world problem dilemma to me haha. Its free content, its made for players (old and new) to get more of their game and it allows for devs to push out things that would have never seen the light of the day otherwise.Taking all of that in consideration, I think we as players should be able to just accept that we need to spend some of our focus into learning the mechanics of some games. Just my two cents!
SaGa games are unique but definitely not for everyone. They are charming but obscure, nonlinear in their story and gameplay but with a crazy addictive loop for those who enjoy turn based strategy elements pushed to their maximum. It is really a tough one to recommend to mainstream gaming but if anyone is ever curious about trying a new RPG (just keep an open mind), Saga games are one of the most interesting games to try.
Personally I could not care less about the title name. It has never ocurred to me that it is important at all for the success of a game? I guess that in these days where every little detail is analyzed to the max, things like these come more often than before, but in all honesty this game is already tailored for a specific audience that enjoys SRPG. I doubt a "cooler" name would ever change that.
If you are interested in Lost Kingdoms, then I will totally recommend the sequel (Also on gamecube), Lost Kingdoms 2. Odd that the article did not even mentioned it, but it an improvement in every way and is way more polished than its predecessor. Give it a try and you won't be dissapointed!
I think I understand both sides of the discussion. I personally think accessibility is a welcome addition in any form of entertainment and small things like adding bigger font sizes, mappable controls, minimaps and so on.. could make a big impact by not affecting the game at all! Also having players with different abilities and mindset can only contribute to the industry.
However where I do disagree with a lot of people here is adding different difficulty modes as a way to make games more accessible and this is why. In my experience, most of the games I played that had started adding an easy mode in addition to its default mode, got significantly easier as time went on. Moreover, they sneakily make the easy mode as the default mode for all consecutive ports and versions of the game!
Just to make a specific example, Retro Final Fantasy games started adding easy mode in the PS1/GBA ports but the problem is that afterwards every consecutive port/version made the easy mode the default one! and completely erased the normal "hard" mode (which was the original difficulty mode, mind you). This is extremely evident in the FF pixel remasters versions which have an absurdly easier difficulty when compared to their original versions and you have no way to increase the difficulty at all. Pokemon albeit in a somewhat different manner has done the same (once again you can compare the overall easier difficulty found in the recent diamond/pearl remakes with their original versions).
I do not like dark souls at all, but I can understand their fears when people start asking for an easy mode to it.... there is a real concern that once they do it, there is a chance that they make consecutive games easier and easier and by doing so you are actually pushing out your original fanbase.
I do think some games are easier to adapt to different difficulty options but in my humble opinion, not all of them should be exposed to the same degree of accessibility demands.
@xelha I have been constantly visiting this site for almost 3 years now. Never had the intention or commenting (or creating a profile for that matter. But I just did to mention that Lagoon on SNES, developed by Kemco is a hidden gem among the console huge library. Worth to check it out. It might be the exception of the company though....
Comments 189
Re: Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Series Launches On Switch Later This Month
@AlexanderDaniels You see I have doubt about this. ... is 0 equivalent to the original EXP gain from the original versions or the default EXP from the pixel remaster versions? FF1, 2 and 3 Pixel remaster versions have a default increased 1.5 experience gain compared to the originals.
But now that you mention, I hope this EXP multiplier is based on the og values. That would be the best of both worlds.
Re: Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Series Launches On Switch Later This Month
I like these newly added options but can we get an option to get LESS experience? these pixel remasters have increased the exp gained that makes each game so much easier than their original versions. They are doing a lot of things to make them even easier which is fine, but please also add options to make the game more challenging too!
Re: Poll: When Will You Be Watching The Super Mario Bros. Movie?
Not really interested in watching since I am not big into movies. But hey for those who are hyped for it, have fun!
Re: Square Enix's 'Voice Of Cards Trilogy' Bundle Available On Switch eShop
@Lady_Galadhiel Take a look at SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech. It might be exactly what you are looking for. RPGs with deckbuilding/card mechanics. It was my personal GOTY of 2019.
I also love these kind of games so I would love if you can share some with me too!
Re: You Can Now Check Out Front Mission 1st: Remake With A Free Demo
I already preordered Front Mission 2!! Lets go
Glad that there is a demo for anyone who is interested in this series. If you like strategy turn based games (and with mechas who is only a + ) give it a try!!
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Octopath Traveler II?
Oh I never mentioned it but I gave the game a personal score of 8. To me it feels like a great game, it has mostly positive things and for people who like turn based RPGs its a great choice. It gets two minus points because it is not a game for everyone (which is not a bad thing per se but I consider it for the 10 score), and another minus point for the somewhat weird pacing and challenge. You are encouraged to explore a lot, but doing so will make you very powerful which can lessen the gameplay experience for me. The rest of the game (gameplay, visuals, music, story) is quality so an 8!
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Octopath Traveler II?
@Ryan_Again You might be on to something. They have added so much optional content and side missions that it feels bloated to say the least. Maybe if it helps you (a big if), you could try splitting the experience in 4 of the 8 characters. Just focusing on their quests and leaving the other half for a second playthrough. Not the best solution either but maybe it can work for you.
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Octopath Traveler II?
@Ryan_Again I share your sentiment. This is the curse of nonlinear games. In all honesty, this game shares a lot of things with SaGa games in their open pacing. However what Octopath does not do is to level enemies along your party. If that is good or not is debatable... but not doing it makes for a weird situation of getting too strong by accident when you are exploring the world. I reccommended a comment ago to go out of your way to avoid getting too much levels by running from battles.
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Octopath Traveler II?
@illmatic20xx I feel like this too. My advice is to go out of your way to avoid getting overleveled. I am currently running 2 out of 3 battles. It is annoying to do this but I prefer to have a challenge than steamroll all enemies.
Re: Countdown: 3DS eShop Spotlight - Crimson Shroud
@Handheld_TrifectAce I get what you say, I also hope it does not become that. However, in this particular case I think its more of a personal recommendation/opinion of this writer who is a huge fan of RPGs (of the old school type too!). I never heard about this game but I am quite interested to try it for such a low price.
Re: Ex-Nintendo Host Kit Ellis Says We May Find Out Why Nintendo's Skipping E3 "Sooner Rather Than Later"
@SportyMarioSonicMix You are pushing it a bit with that comment and good luck with that not being removed. I like your comments on E3 value, since it is open for debate of how important (or not) it is today. You do make good points, but sadly it will be diluted with those generalization opinions that you make about boys and girls and their relationship to games. It reads not only as rude but also sexist and you should be aware of it.
I also do not fancy the style of this particular author, not in the slighest I relate to what she wrotes but it is extreme to make a point about women and gamers based on it. Its not about the sex/gender but a personal style. Case in point, I will recommend Alana Hughes (another female writer in this site) which style of writing I do enjoy a lot, but again... I think it is important to value people's work despite their gender and avoid jumping to those quick conclusions.
Re: Lara Croft's Tomb Raider Switch Spin-Offs Have Been Delayed To 2023
@Cheez While all of this is true. Playing on a PC is not the same as playing on a handheld hybrid console. I am not saying I will do it for this game, but I have paid the switch tax several times for having a game available on the switch due to its portability access.
Re: Feature: Final Fantasy's 35-Year Legacy Of Innovation - How Square Evolved A Genre On The NES & SNES
I praised your writing style before (for the monolith soft summary) and I will do it again. This reviewer knows what she is talking about and it really highlights in the way you write, the references you make and the historical context you provide to each sentence.
I have been super critical to other RPG reviewers of this site, but in the same way that I bash other people work when I see them lacking, I have to really congratulate you for such a good job in writing these articles. Informative, fun and brief, while also managing to be accurate. Great job Alana!
Re: Review: Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered - A Classic JRPG Full Of Innovation And Frustration
@Elbitryq Give it a chance if you can! I went blindly my first time and was so confused but at the same time it kinda clicked me for how original was the concept of the whole game. Having said that, dont feel bad for asking guides on particular things and do not worry that missing elements is part of the SaGa experience (they really wanted the player to keep learning of the game after consecutive playthoughs).
PS: I share your sentiment with fixed cameras (Resident evil 1 anyone??). The review makes it sound like a huge issue which was not that big at all imo.
Re: Review: Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered - A Classic JRPG Full Of Innovation And Frustration
Oh and one thing that I forgot in my previous comment but the forte of SaGa games imo is the boss battles. They are super challenging and you cant force your way into it (again.. do not grind or you will regret it). The franchise really shines in their gameplay rather than the story or graphical qualities.
Re: Review: Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered - A Classic JRPG Full Of Innovation And Frustration
SaGa Games are all about experimental RPG gaming. If you are tired about the conventional JRPGs tropes and trends, then this game might interest you. The no handholding is not a disadvantage per se since modern games have way too much direction leaving little exploration to the player. I will recommend this game but only if you got the patience and joy of exploring a world filled with unwritten rules. There is a reason why SaGa franchise has kept a fanbase 20 years after its initial release.
I wont be too mean to this review, since I think the last piece of this reviewer (Frontmission 1st remaster), went a tad too crazy on the comment section (myself included). But I will kindly disagree with the aspect that he mentions that the game forces grinding..... this is actually the opposite! Please do not grind in this game, you will miss a lot of events and gameplay elements if you grind! Even worse, normal enemies level alongside you! My recommendation (for all SaGa games) is if you cant beat something, try doing something else. Its a non linear experience and there is a reason why you can run from enemies at any time.
Re: Random: Peach's Mario Movie VA Anya Taylor-Joy Says She's A Gamer Now
@nessisonett This was really interesting to read. This topic is always a sensitive one but I feel like there is a lot of psychology and social issues that mix together and make it confusing (and media uses this confusion to their advantage). I will take a look at your suggestions, and I would recommend Pop Culture Detective channel on youtube for a similar in depth view of male fantasies and trends in movies.
Re: Review: Front Mission 1st: Remake - Impressive Visuals, But A Slog On The Battlefield
@BlueKnight07 This is a great advice and I agree. It is part of the progression and hardships of starting weak but getting optimized with better techs and equipment. You are supposed to be inexperienced and erratic at the beggining of the game imo. It works in favor of the narrative.
Re: Review: Front Mission 1st: Remake - Impressive Visuals, But A Slog On The Battlefield
@dartmonkey We will agree to disagree then. I think a big ongoing internet discussion on whether the reviewer is up to the task or not to be able to review a game its out of the question (since he already did), but the fact remains that his work shown here does not provide a good example of the background he possess. And there is nothing wrong for asking professionals qualifications. People do it everytime at any job and it should not be considered an offense.
But all of this is meaningless into the discussion of this game, again I would encourage people that are somehow interested in this game to get a second opinion. You do not need to be an uberfan of this genre to enjoy it.
Re: Review: Front Mission 1st: Remake - Impressive Visuals, But A Slog On The Battlefield
@Poco_Lypso I definitely agree with you. I am in fact quite excited for the difficulty and the RNG (as opposed to this review), however the price is so steep for a remake of a remake! I will probably keep this in the wishlist until it gets a bit cheaper.
Re: Review: Front Mission 1st: Remake - Impressive Visuals, But A Slog On The Battlefield
@dartmonkey I understand and it was not my intention to attack him or make this a personal comment on how he does his job. However I think when you write your piece of work in a public site like this, you are exposed to being criticized. And I believe what I wrote is professional criticism. His review opinion dislikes elements that are consistent with the tactical strategy genre, which inevitably brings the question if this is more of a review of the game or the genre itself. Moreover the reviewer included some very personal hot-takes like lowering the difficulty (and this was done twice) that are easy to disagree with if you are the kind of player who enjoys tactical games. Professional opinions need to be carefully written so that you provide enough insight into games for both newcomers and veterans of the series.
Re: Review: Front Mission 1st: Remake - Impressive Visuals, But A Slog On The Battlefield
@GuyProsciutto I think they have adopted a philosophy in this site that the reviews should be done by people that play any game since any gamers could be interested in this one. Its a nice idea in theory but I feel some particular cases like a remake of a niche strategy game are more aimed to small group of fans who want to see if its similar to the original version.. or to similar strategy games.
Re: Review: Front Mission 1st: Remake - Impressive Visuals, But A Slog On The Battlefield
You suggest lowering the difficulty to enjoy the story? Lowering the difficulty in a tactical RPG? This particular genre of games thrive on their gameplay to deliver their experience. Its why they get the tactical or strategy name to it. If you remove the difficulty in gameplay, you are bound to get a very bland experience which might be no different that seeing a movie (but you are supposed to play boring bits of it). Where do you get these reviewers and what is their background with the games they are playing.....
To the reader who is interested in this game, if you like tactical/strategy RPGs and you fancy the mecha setting, this is a safe bet for you. The RNG mechanics that this reviewer clearly dislikes are nothing that you cant beat by proper planning and calculating your position, equipment and attacks. If battles take long... so yeah that is probably what many fans of this genre like (this doesn't have to be a quick fast paced action or fighting game). In general quite a bad take on the review but I cant blame it since it feels to me the reviewer had little interest in the genre from the start.
Re: River City Girls 2 Gives Marian From 'Double Dragon' A Big Buff In New Trailer
Haha this is some interesting evolution of a character! I get why some people are a bit skeptical of how many of these muscle bound female characters are appearing now but remember guys... trends do work like that. Just how many damsel in distress we got during the early NES days? Its just a matter of perspective after all! I think its nice that they mix it up and we get some new ways to play our retro games
Re: Octopath Traveler 2 Characters - Hero Jobs And Abilities
Can't wait to get this game. I had a blast with the first game and I like to think this is the revival of the old-school retro games. I am perfectly fine to get more of the same in this case, since I was quite satisfied with the first entry! I hope we get lots of optional challenges and bosses. Those are my favs things to tackle in JRPGs
As for people asking how to balance the levels with Octopath Traveler 1. What I did was to do all lvl 1 quest first (of all 8 characters) but then pick 3 (since you cant swap your starting character) and proceed to do their lvl 2 quests... and then their lvl 3 and so on... You will always be on level with that. Once you finish all the quests for those 4 characters, you then swap to the missing 4 and do their quests in order. TLDR: Pick a party and keep with it until you finish all their quests (dont spread the EXP)
Re: Review: Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope - Creativity Trumps Challenge In This Delightful, Divergent Sequel
@Mrkittyhead They do say that even in the highest difficulty the game did not provide enough challenge. It is kind of a letdown since I loved the difficulty in the first one. It was what caught me by surprise (in a good way) about that game.
Re: Talking Point: What's Your Favourite Music Track From A Nintendo Game?
Only one?! Dang.. I could change my opinion later, but I will go with Dragon Roost Island from the legend of Zelda: The windwaker.
Re: Feature: The History Of Monolith Soft - From Baten Kaitos To Xenoblade And Zelda
@AlanaHagues I very rarely comment on this site (more of a passive reader), but I had to recover my old password and urge to log in to leave a comment.
Please do more retrospective articles like these! This is amazingly well done and you can easily tell the writer is an avid fan of the genre and knows what she is talking about. Huge props for delivering all this in a friendly manner (not easy for non-japanese with all those names) that give both a quick recap but a also a deep exploration into jRPG companies besides the usual Square Enix, Atlus or Bandai-Namco. NintendoLife raise the salary of this writer. Thank you
Re: Pac-Man World: Re-Pac Frame Rate, Resolution, And File Size For Switch Seemingly Revealed
@sixrings Man haha. While I agree with you that fps are overrated (when did we start counting them?), you really should use a different set of words for your comment! You are asking to get into a fight with those
Re: Yu Suzuki Is Launching A Spiritual Successor To Space Harrier
Wow... this is probably what a developer on an acid trip thought it would be good to make haha. This is so bizarre that I can only imagine how many shrooms (like those found in stage 1 there!) were used for this.
Re: Soapbox: Free Game Updates Are Fantastic For Everyone, Except New Players
@twztid13 Oh definitely! I am just using the expression to imply that in between all issues of the gaming world, this is one that looks like one of those problems. Basically an issue where you being offered too much is seen as a problem (whereas you would think the opposite AKA the lack of- would be the most common problem).
Re: Soapbox: Free Game Updates Are Fantastic For Everyone, Except New Players
I get where this complain comes from. We have all been there when a game has too much content to digest in one single playthrough. However on the other hand, this is not nothing that you can't learn by experiencing the game itself and reading a bit about it. Hopefully this does not come as offensive but it feels like a first world problem dilemma to me haha. Its free content, its made for players (old and new) to get more of their game and it allows for devs to push out things that would have never seen the light of the day otherwise.Taking all of that in consideration, I think we as players should be able to just accept that we need to spend some of our focus into learning the mechanics of some games. Just my two cents!
Re: SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions Is Getting A Physical Release On Switch
SaGa games are unique but definitely not for everyone. They are charming but obscure, nonlinear in their story and gameplay but with a crazy addictive loop for those who enjoy turn based strategy elements pushed to their maximum. It is really a tough one to recommend to mainstream gaming but if anyone is ever curious about trying a new RPG (just keep an open mind), Saga games are one of the most interesting games to try.
Re: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection Pre-Orders Go Live, Box Art Also Revealed
@cozathemaster @MasterGraveheart @EVIL-C @farrgazer @Aurumonado
Skulls and Crossbones..... Gotta love those trains!
The next stage has my probably my favorite alligator villain in any videogame. Take that K.Rool!
Re: Talking Point: Triangle Strategy Is A Bad Name, Which Hopefully Won't Matter
Personally I could not care less about the title name. It has never ocurred to me that it is important at all for the success of a game? I guess that in these days where every little detail is analyzed to the max, things like these come more often than before, but in all honesty this game is already tailored for a specific audience that enjoys SRPG. I doubt a "cooler" name would ever change that.
Re: Best Of 2021: 10 Overlooked GameCube Gems You Must Play
If you are interested in Lost Kingdoms, then I will totally recommend the sequel (Also on gamecube), Lost Kingdoms 2. Odd that the article did not even mentioned it, but it an improvement in every way and is way more polished than its predecessor. Give it a try and you won't be dissapointed!
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/71/Lost_Kingdoms_II_cover.jpg/220px-Lost_Kingdoms_II_cover.jpg
Re: Best Of 2021: Steven Spohn On Strides In Accessibility For Gaming, And Nintendo's Room For Improvement
I think I understand both sides of the discussion. I personally think accessibility is a welcome addition in any form of entertainment and small things like adding bigger font sizes, mappable controls, minimaps and so on.. could make a big impact by not affecting the game at all! Also having players with different abilities and mindset can only contribute to the industry.
However where I do disagree with a lot of people here is adding different difficulty modes as a way to make games more accessible and this is why. In my experience, most of the games I played that had started adding an easy mode in addition to its default mode, got significantly easier as time went on. Moreover, they sneakily make the easy mode as the default mode for all consecutive ports and versions of the game!
Just to make a specific example, Retro Final Fantasy games started adding easy mode in the PS1/GBA ports but the problem is that afterwards every consecutive port/version made the easy mode the default one! and completely erased the normal "hard" mode (which was the original difficulty mode, mind you). This is extremely evident in the FF pixel remasters versions which have an absurdly easier difficulty when compared to their original versions and you have no way to increase the difficulty at all. Pokemon albeit in a somewhat different manner has done the same (once again you can compare the overall easier difficulty found in the recent diamond/pearl remakes with their original versions).
I do not like dark souls at all, but I can understand their fears when people start asking for an easy mode to it.... there is a real concern that once they do it, there is a chance that they make consecutive games easier and easier and by doing so you are actually pushing out your original fanbase.
I do think some games are easier to adapt to different difficulty options but in my humble opinion, not all of them should be exposed to the same degree of accessibility demands.
Re: Reminder: What's The Best Switch Game Of 2021? It's Time To Rate Your Favourites
My pick is probably Bravely Default 2. But I did spend more hours on Monster Hunter Rise. So that is a close second!
Re: RPG Illusion Of L'Phalcia Brings Turn-Based 3D Battles To Switch Next Week
@xelha I have been constantly visiting this site for almost 3 years now. Never had the intention or commenting (or creating a profile for that matter. But I just did to mention that Lagoon on SNES, developed by Kemco is a hidden gem among the console huge library. Worth to check it out. It might be the exception of the company though....