Recently I completed Mass Effect, a Western RPG with BioWare’s signature style. I started Fallout 3, a Western RPG with an entirely different style, several days ago and while it has a frustratingly high learning curve, I think I might be getting a grip on it enough that I want to continue.
The untouched realm would be the JRPGs.
Final Fantasy VII is the only JRPG I’ve ever completed. Personally, while I enjoyed the characters and plot, I didn’t feel it was a very good game and the dialogue was beyond childish. It took me well over a year of off-and-on playing to finish it. I suspect that was just falling for the world-wide fanboyism over the game and wanting to be part of the FFVII crowd more than anything else. I skipped VIII and IX altogether, though I was interested in them. I thought FFX was far and above a superior game to VII but I could never bring myself to actually complete it. I wondered if the JRPG fan in me had died somewhere, or if it was ever there to begin with?
I’ve been curious to at least give one a shot recently. Openedge was playing Infinite Undiscovery awhile back and I seriously considered getting the game on his recommendation. Then he turns around and blogs that he quit the game because it sucked. I have a few XBL/MMOG friends playing through Lost Odyssey so I picked it up used for $25. Surprise of surprises, I’m enjoying the hell out of it! I think I have 11 hours in-game over the past few days so far and I suspect I’ve nearly completed Disc 1 (of 4).
I’m still not sure how I feel about turn-based combat though. It sucks when I decide on a character’s action then before it’s that character’s turn, something happens that makes his action completely irrelevant and useless but there’s no way to change your mind.
Graphics and audio are superb, the only exception being the victory music which makes me double-check that it’s in fact 2009 and I’m playing an Xbox 360 not a SNES or Saturn.
As usual with JRPGs the dialogue is often dodgy, sometimes teetering on the edge of childish melodrama, but it’s tolerable.
If nothing else, it’s made me a little more open to trying other JRPGs. I’ve been very curious about The Last Remnant — despite all the technical problems with the Unreal Engine — and the new Star Ocean coming soon.
If you have a PS2, it’s definitely worth your time to check out the SMT: Persona series.
Personally, I’d really recommend finding a place that some of the older JRPG fans hang out. Just like any genre, JRPGs have their share of crap, and their share of true gems. Unfortunately, since they don’t have too great of marketing, about the only source for which is which are the people who actually bothered to play most them.
Yea…Infinite Undiscovery was on the right path, then it just let the bottom drop out, and become rote and actually too easy. You got to the point that you really did not need to do anything.
Lost Odyssey though is VERY good. But, myself and the wife just have lost interest in Turn Based combat (too spoiled by games like GW, AoC, and the Horror Survivals)
You made the right choice in LO, now I hope you can finish it…hehe
Later
Lost Odyssey is a really great RPG. The stories are even good. I never thought I’d actually enjoy just reading an RPG. No fancy graphics, nothing unusual to the sound, just short stories that are actually surprisingly good, and often emotion wrenching. Like most JRPGs, its pretty linear, but I really had fun with it.
If you have a PS2, I’d recommend FF 12. I think that reinvents JRPGs; it plays like an MMO, except it’s single player. That’s my favorite in the series.
Mmm… Star Ocean. The second one was my favorite, but 3 was good, too. I thoroughly enjoyed the Valkyrie Profile games, too. They have a distinct flavor and unique combat.
Or you could play Sonny over on Kongregate.
I had Lost Odyssey, played it, thought it was pretty good, but I decided to trade it in for something else. I’m not sure what I ended up getting lol, but since I had let LO sit for such a long time I figured I’d try something else to get my interest. I am glad your liking it. I found the dream stuff to be pretty great, but they ended up being pretty long at times, but the music was classic.
Oh and if your ever looking for info on great games to play on the Xbox or any other platform, try these guys:
http://www.playeronepodcast.com/forum/
Their podcast and forum boards are pretty top notch. I’ve posted several questions about what games to pick up and so far the responses are always great and very informative. It’s always great to have another site to get your gaming fix.