Should I give this game/game series a look?

[KingofNothing]

My biggest concern with starting with 0 is that I might get spoiled from its mechanics that going back to the original game immediately after will make it less engaging. I'm the kind of nerd that likes to see how game mechanics evolve over time, which is also why I'm generally iffy on starting with Kiwami since even after that I'd still have to play OG 3 and 4.

I don't think you would be that spoiled on the fighting mechanics if you went to 3 or 4 from Kiwami. His basic fighting style hasn't changed that much, but it has been tightened up over the years. That said, 1 doesn't have a lock-on feature and you don't know how much you miss that one feature until it's gone. So if you play the original, expect to beat up on the air a little bit. Not a huge issue, but can get annoying at points. Another thing is that 0 has a more indepth leveling system compared to its predecessors because you have way more moves to use

 

[ProfDongs]

I really enjoyed X-Com UFO Defense and XCOM Enemy Unknown/Within, how is XCOM 2 compared? I heard some pretty mixed things about it but I'm considering it and am pretty on the fence.

 

[Jeanne d'Arc]

I really enjoyed X-Com UFO Defense and XCOM Enemy Unknown/Within, how is XCOM 2 compared? I heard some pretty mixed things about it but I'm considering it and am pretty on the fence.

If you enjoyed XCOM Enemy Unknown you should really get XCOM 2, preferably with War of The Chosen. The base game is good on it's own, but War of The Chosen adds so much shit. It's basically another game, even.

 

[Ineedahero]

Did any of you play this old game boiling point? It was a really early entry in the open world fps genre, and it was buggy as fuck but a lot of fun. Anyway I was browsing the new games on steam today and some new open world fps came out, and one of the reviews compared it to boiling point, and more importantly, its sequel. I had no idea there was a sequel! It is apparently called xenus 2: white gold for some reason, and it's not available on steam in Australia, although it is elsewhere in the world and there are other places I can get it (and if it comes to it I'm sure I can find a torrent) but my question is, should I bother hunting it down? I don't care if it's buggy, as long as it is interesting and not frustrating.

 

[Overcast]

Anyone here recommend Warcraft 3? I really enjoyed Starcraft 1 and Brood War, and I kinda dig the style of Warcraft 3.

 

[Stasi]

Anyone here recommend Warcraft 3? I really enjoyed Starcraft 1 and Brood War, and I kinda dig the style of Warcraft 3.

It's a a great RTS and a classic in the genre, the original campaign and expansion are both really good. If you are looking for a solid RTS experience then check it out. Can't really say anything about multiplayer, not played it in about a decade and don't know if people still play it online much.

If you are looking for something similar to Brood War then not sure, completely different style of RTS with the hero units, mechanics and even art style. Think there are still loads of VODs on youtube from when it was popular as a competitive game so maybe have a look at those and some LPs of the campaigne to get a feel for the flow of the gameplay.

 

[Psyduck]

I've been intending to check out Valkyrie Chronicles and Xenogears thanks to some crossovers on a mobile game i play. Has anyone played them? Which one should i start with?

Also, opinion on the Lunar series? There's something about the colors of the box art from the second one that makes me wanna try it.

 

[Overcast]

I've been intending to check out Valkyrie Chronicles and Xenogears thanks to some crossovers on a mobile game i play. Has anyone played them? Which one should i start with?

Also, opinion on the Lunar series? There's something about the colors of the box art from the second one that makes me wanna try it.

Despite some issues with gameplay balancing, Valkyria Chronicles 1 has a solid cast of characters and a very good story. Would definitely recommend playing through at least once.

 

[Stasi]

I've been intending to check out Valkyrie Chronicles and Xenogears thanks to some crossovers on a mobile game i play. Has anyone played them? Which one should i start with?

Despite some issues with gameplay balancing, Valkyria Chronicles 1 has a solid cast of characters and a very good story. Would definitely recommend playing through at least once.

Original Valkyria Chronicles is fantastic, would highly recommend. Avoid 2 like the plague though. It's absolute shit. Basic gameplay is the same but setting is basically the most annoying high school anime you can imagine and they introduced grinding for no reason to progress the story.

Can't speak for the other games because I gave up on the franchise after VC 2.

 

[Gravityqueen4life]

Original Valkyria Chronicles is fantastic, would highly recommend. Avoid 2 like the plague though. It's absolute shit. Basic gameplay is the same but setting is basically the most annoying high school anime you can imagine and they introduced grinding for no reason to progress the story.

Can't speak for the other games because I gave up on the franchise after VC 2.

i played the other games. three is better version of two with a pretty messed up story. its about a guy falsely accused and send to lead a sucide squad thats not part of the official army and do most of its dangerous missions (may come of as edge at times but such is war). its also the first game you get to use a valkyria in battle so thats cool.

four is a better version of one the fans as been asking for. if you liked one, you will like four.

 

[Poe-Shen Zcela]

I've been intending to check out Valkyrie Chronicles and Xenogears thanks to some crossovers on a mobile game i play. Has anyone played them? Which one should i start with?

Also, opinion on the Lunar series? There's something about the colors of the box art from the second one that makes me wanna try it.

Xenogears was basically the Star Wars ANH of the Xeno games, except they never got to make Episodes 5 and 6. Like ANH, I'd also consider it the best, but that might be my bias since I grew up with it and only played half of Xenosaga 1--the TPM of the Xeno games.

If you like the idea of turn-based kung-fu combos and switching between fighting in a gaint mechsuit during battle, then I highly recommend it. The story is kind of like Evangelion Lite meets G Gundam played straight. At one point, you get to fight in your Gear in a 3D brawler arena, which is pretty dope and a nice break from the traditional RPG gameplay. If you're okay with grinding each character now and then, the game rewards you with a plethora of new magic kung-fu combos you can use later on in the game, with one of your characters' moveset being replaced by one that utilizes a sword. The game progression is pretty cool throughout, as there's always something interesting happening and big towns to explore with at least one Square easter egg in the first town. The music I'd rate slightly below that of Chrono Cross, but a big part of what makes this game exciting and memorable, with one boss theme in particular making me think of Gundam Wing.

I'd rate Xenogears a Playstation JRPG classic and a must-play, but unfortunately they dropped the ball with Disc 2 due to time/budget constraints. They cut out a lot of the in-betweens for key events with just a main character sitting in a chair in front of a 70 inch TV and a text recap of what happened up to that point.

 

[Psyduck]

Xenogears was basically the Star Wars ANH of the Xeno games, except they never got to make Episodes 5 and 6. Like ANH, I'd also consider it the best, but that might be my bias since I grew up with it and only played half of Xenosaga 1--the TPM of the Xeno games.

If you like the idea of turn-based kung-fu combos and switching between fighting in a gaint mechsuit during battle, then I highly recommend it. The story is kind of like Evangelion Lite meets G Gundam played straight. At one point, you get to fight in your Gear in a 3D brawler arena, which is pretty dope and a nice break from the traditional RPG gameplay. If you're okay with grinding each character now and then, the game rewards you with a plethora of new magic kung-fu combos you can use later on in the game, with one of your characters' moveset being replaced by one that utilizes a sword. The game progression is pretty cool throughout, as there's always something interesting happening and big towns to explore with at least one Square easter egg in the first town. The music I'd rate slightly below that of Chrono Cross, but a big part of what makes this game exciting and memorable, with one boss theme in particular making me think of Gundam Wing.

I'd rate Xenogears a Playstation JRPG classic and a must-play, but unfortunately they dropped the ball with Disc 2 due to time/budget constraints. They cut out a lot of the in-betweens for key events with just a main character sitting in a chair in front of a 70 inch TV and a text recap of what happened up to that point.

Sold. Getting it as soon as i can!

 

[Gravityqueen4life]

started playing fire emblem POR. its my second FE next to awakening. got any advice for me?

 

[Vapewizard]

So with all the hype lately surrounding Dragon Quest IX, between Smash and the definitive version coming to Switch, which Dragon Quest games are worth checking out? Still have my 3DS, so that won't be a problem.

I'm new to this series myself but I've been playing Dragon quest 8 as my first DQ game for a while and it's been really fun. The original was on the PS2 but it has a 3DS port that introduced various QoL improvements and extra features, including two new party members. The only downside I can think of right now is that the english version has censorship of the same type that bravely default has (Titty bad!!) but otherwise it's excellent.

 

[TheImportantFart]

I’m toying with giving Final Fantasy XII on the Switch a go. The only Final Fantasy games I’ve played previously are III on the DS and VI on the GBA and I didn’t get very far with either as I wasn’t a fan of the combat system. I’ve seen that XII has a combat system somewhat akin to KOTOR’s which is more my cup of tea, but I’ve also heard longtime fans don’t really like it. Is it worth a shot?

 

[Tanner Glass]

I’m toying with giving Final Fantasy XII on the Switch a go. The only Final Fantasy games I’ve played previously are III on the DS and VI on the GBA and I didn’t get very far with either as I wasn’t a fan of the combat system. I’ve seen that XII has a combat system somewhat akin to KOTOR’s which is more my cup of tea, but I’ve also heard longtime fans don’t really like it. Is it worth a shot?

It isn't a bad game but I wouldn't compare it to KOTOR, they're very different games. I would more directly compare it to an MMO (aka Final Fantasy 11) and the combat is realtime and turn based. The AI (for party members) is much more customizable that KOTOR's and you'll be spending a lot more time dealing with builds/party members in FF12.

Key differences from KOTOR
- Combat is (typically) much slower
- A lot more RPG elements (for the switch version, each character can have 2 classes which is two full unique skilltrees) which can be good or bad depending on your preference
- A longer story, and much more JRPG story
- A lot of missable items, rare drops, and hard to find equipment. This includes the infamous "forbidden chests" and "rare spawn invisible chest".

It's a good game (although IMO it takes a bit to get going) and has one of the more interesting Final Fantasy stories, but if you aren't into what I'll refer to as "JRPG nonsense" then you should probably skip it.

Also it's worth nothing that long time Final Fantasy series fans don't like any games in the series (with the exception of FF8's card game).

 

[Duncan Hills Coffee]

I keep hearing about Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver over the years and I've always been curious about it. People say it's one of the best games of the late 90s. Where I'm conflicted is what version to get. Right now, the game's 97 cents on GOG and apparently has the best optimization, but from what I hear the PC version has little to no controller support which quite a number of people on GOG see as a problem. Meanwhile, the game's available on the PlayStation Network for $5.99; it's the PS1 version so it won't look as nice (doubly so since it wasn't meant for an HDTV) but I can also use a controller.

Basically what I'm asking is, is the game still worth playing today, and if so which version should I go for?

 

[Overcast]

I keep hearing about Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver over the years and I've always been curious about it. People say it's one of the best games of the late 90s. Where I'm conflicted is what version to get. Right now, the game's 97 cents on GOG and apparently has the best optimization, but from what I hear the PC version has little to no controller support which quite a number of people on GOG see as a problem. Meanwhile, the game's available on the PlayStation Network for $5.99; it's the PS1 version so it won't look as nice (doubly so since it wasn't meant for an HDTV) but I can also use a controller.

Basically what I'm asking is, is the game still worth playing today, and if so which version should I go for?

It's been years since I first played the game, so I can't really say for sure without sounding a bit bias.

The game was heavily cut down during development and it shows. Originally, it was going to be its own self contained story, but the game's story had to be split over two other games and it leaves this one on a cliffhanger.

There are hidden spells you can find in the game, but the game's combat system is so bog standard and you almost never face more than two enemies at a time. So there's really no reason to use any of them. The boss fights are mostly environmental puzzles, but due to the game's combat system being so simple, they ultimately works in its favor.

From what I remember, there's a human city in-game that was originally going to be its own area you had to go to, but due to time restraints, it's completely empty and the only reason you go there is to find a few collectibles. Completely optional otherwise.

And the vast majority of the puzzles in the game involve pushing around boxes. So. Many. Goddamn. BOXES.

With all that being said though, the atmosphere is fantastic, and the general writing and voice work was pretty far ahead of its time. That's the reason why so many people still hold it in high regard. I haven't played the games after it, so I can't really say how good they are, but still, I would recommend giving the game a look. It's an interesting example of a game with great ideas that ultimately had to make do with the unfortunate reality that comes with working in the games industry.

There's also Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, which came out before and sets up the story to this one. Gameplay wise, it's like the top down Legend of Zelda games. Frankly, I hated it and would not recommend unless you like hearing Kain shout "VAE VICTIS" every five seconds.

 

[Duncan Hills Coffee]

And the vast majority of the puzzles in the game involve pushing around boxes. So. Many. Goddamn. BOXES.

I've seen the memes. What was it with 90s 3D action-adventure games and boxes? Tomb Raider had them and so did Ocarina of Time.

With all that being said though, the atmosphere is fantastic, and the general writing and voice work was pretty far ahead of its time. That's the reason why so many people still hold it in high regard. I haven't played the games after it, so I can't really say how good they are, but still, I would recommend giving the game a look. It's an interesting example of a game with great ideas that ultimately had to make do with the harsh realities of dealing with the unfortunate reality that comes with working in the games industry.

Interesting. I hadn't heard about the development issues nor the part about the cliffhanger. I have heard about the writing though and about Amy Hennig's involvement with it. I think I'll go with the PS1 version since that one at least has a controller.

There's also Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, which came out before and sets up the story to this one. Gameplay wise, it's like the top down Legend of Zelda games. Frankly, I hated it and would not recommend unless you like hearing Kain shout "VAE VICTIS" every five seconds.

I keep hearing about that one and it's strange that the series completely shifted gears after the first one, right down to the protagonist of the first game becoming the antagonist of Soul Reaver. I've heard some people liked it though.

 

[moocow]

I've seen the memes. What was it with 90s 3D action-adventure games and boxes? Tomb Raider had them and so did Ocarina of Time.

They're low-poly count and easy to texture, and they're easy to animate and subject to physics and/or player interaction. At the time, CPU and graphics resources were very limited, so boxes were the go-to element if you wanted things in your environments that players could manipulate to solve puzzles and/or destroy without having to worry about deforming your level meshes or dealing with complex animations.

Interesting. I hadn't heard about the development issues nor the part about the cliffhanger. I have heard about the writing though and about Amy Hennig's involvement with it. I think I'll go with the PS1 version since that one at least has a controller.

I've always had a fondness for the PSX version because the music seemed better than in the Dreamcast version (somehow they screwed up the "attack" and "fade" of some of the instruments in the DC version and it made the music sound weird). I haven't played the PC port but I can't imagine the game is very good without a controller.