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The X Button - Tales to Admonish


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belvadeer





PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 12:27 pm Reply with quote
If I had to choose someone to fill the empty space, I would like a powered up version of Blanka. He'd look more like a real oni than Akuma/Gouki anyway.

Pokken Tournament: Are you kidding me with this? I want to say it was bound to happen, but I'd rather not acknowledge that it's going to exist.

Mistwalker: I think Mistwalker games are nice on their own merit, but sadly all I've ever played was Blue Dragon. I would like to try Last Story, but I wonder if it might be too late to really get into it at this point.

Tales of Xillia 2: The game has been a great experience for me so far. One week into it, and I'm having loads of fun with the new artes, weapon switching and Allium Orb systems. I can't wait to get Gaius and Muzét on the team too.
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doctordoom85



Joined: 12 Jun 2008
Posts: 2091
PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 12:35 pm Reply with quote
In terms of Xillia 2, I'm near the end of Chapter 6, and while I do prefer it slightly over Xillia 1 (which was good, but had issues) the game does have legit issues. Part of a JRPG's appeal to me is exploring new worlds, and while it does take place in the same world there's still tons of room on the map they could have made more locations to make this feel like more of a proper sequel rather than a 1.5 type of deal. It doesn't help that most of Xillia's areas were bland beyond belief. People criticize FF XIII's corridors but at least SE put effort into making those hallways look impressive. Xillia 1 & 2's areas are mostly bland to look at (save a few like the nighttime town and the beach areas) and while they may be bigger and more roomy they lack the creative design found in the earlier titles.

Silent-protagonists don't bother me, but there should have been more dialogue choices in this game to make you feel like you are Ludger (Persona 3 & 4 and the Mass Effect games have way more dialogue choices). And the option to have him voiced should have been available from the start.

And finally, while the debt barrier is quick to get past anytime it shows up due to the wealth of jobs available, Nova CONSTANTLY calling me because my gald reached the peak is irritating. It adds to the annoyance even more with her attitude. She's all hyper and cheerful, expects you to be upbeat as well, and begs you not to be mad at her because she's "doing her job". Nova, spoiler[your boss is a CROOK by any moral definition of the word who is essentially robbing me of millions through questionably "legal" means (what if some stranger mowed my lawn without my permission while I was asleep and demanded $100,000 as payment? Pretty sure any normal legal system would recognize I don't owe him that much). No sane person would be upbeat after being shoved into such a predicament, and I really hope there's a dialogue option later in the game where I can tell her and/or her boss off.]

To reiterate, it's still overall a really good game, but I wish the franchise would return to the greatness of Abyss/Symphonia/Vesperia, which I feel it's been down from since Graces F. Though I will say the characterization of the cast is better in this one than Xillia 1, and at least neither game has a party member I absolutely hate (Cheria managed to be the first and so far only Tales party member I despise. I don't want to go into a rant, but she's poorly written and often whiny and hypocritical. Can't stand her. Bizarrely enough, Graces F also has my favorite female character of the series: Pascal).

Oh well, once I finish Xillia 2, I have some older ones I still need to play. I've had Tales of Legendia in my backlog for years, and I actually managed to snag a copy of Tales of Destiny 2 at a con last month.
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Primus



Joined: 01 Mar 2006
Posts: 2758
Location: Toronto
PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 1:37 pm Reply with quote
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gridsleep





PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 2:08 pm Reply with quote
Those satirists at the end have so much talent, and so much twisted evil hatred in their minds, I am surprised that they can stay alive without becoming serial killers and having their heads exploding at least once a day. I pity them their vision.
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kanechin



Joined: 21 Jan 2012
Posts: 447
PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 6:22 pm Reply with quote
I want Q from Street Fighter 3rd Strike. His taunt still needs to boost his defense in USF4.
Da boot!
Xbox live version desired.
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meiam



Joined: 23 Jun 2013
Posts: 3442
PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 6:24 pm Reply with quote
Really at this point the biggest advantage that tales game have over other JRPG is they still make one for console every 2-3 years. I like playing console JRPG but there's only like 1-2 per year that come out now. Just look at square soft release(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Square_games), there's like 2-3 per year during the SNES playstation era, and that's just square soft! Look at 99, FF8, legend of mana, front mission 3, dew prism, chrono cross and parasite eve 2, for just one year from one company!

So, even thought I didn't particularly like xillia (not a bad game, but one of the worse tale of) I might pick up the second one, just to play a console JRPG.
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Stuart Smith



Joined: 13 Jan 2013
Posts: 1298
PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 8:16 pm Reply with quote
That's because back then the DS and 3DS didn't exist, so all their stuff went to consoles. If you look at the 3DS, SquareEnix still makes a lot. A few Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy games came out/will come out this year on the 3DS, in addition to their console stuff.

-Stuart Smith
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doctordoom85



Joined: 12 Jun 2008
Posts: 2091
PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 9:28 pm Reply with quote
NIS America still releases a decent amount of JPRGs each year, I've got Fairy Fencer F and Ar nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star pre-ordered and they come out next month. Still, the output of JRPGs is definitely down from the PS1/PS2 era.

Actually, in terms of Tales the PS3 had the most of any console: Vesperia, Graces F, Xillia, Xillia 2, and Zestiria (also Symphonia Chronicles if we want to count that one). It just both Graces F and Xillia 1 & 2 feel a step down from the previous titles. So quanity does not always equate to quality. Hopefully Zestiria will get things back in gear. And of course, there's Persona 5.....
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Fedora-san



Joined: 12 Aug 2014
Posts: 464
PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 11:10 pm Reply with quote
I don't really get the hate for Graces-F, I loved it. It's up there as one of my favorite Tales games along with Destiny, Eternia, and Vesperia.

Haven't play Xillia 2 yet, though.
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DKL



Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 1933
Location: California, USA
PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 1:15 am Reply with quote
Fedora-san wrote:
I don't really get the hate for Graces-F, I loved it.


This game has the most amazing battle system... it was essentially a fighting game engine and I really wish they kept it.

As for everything else, I honestly can't remember outside of really liking Pascal.
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Graceful Nanami



Joined: 24 Aug 2011
Posts: 303
Location: United States
PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 3:34 am Reply with quote
I wish the Tales series would go back to the glory days of Rebirth and before. But that won't happen. And I love how many Cheria haters exist and no one ever mentions the worst female character in the series: Refill/Raine. Oh well.

There is lots wrong with Xillia and in turn, Xillia 2 (empty environments, forced party members for 90% of the game, forced Ludger at all times, too many dull fetch quests that older Tales had little of) but they are still amazing games especially in this modern day where JRPGs are almost dead or changing way too much.

Long live Tales. Can't wait for Hearts R and Zestiria...
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CrownKlown



Joined: 05 May 2011
Posts: 1762
PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 4:25 am Reply with quote
I think Mistwalker and the fate of Sakaguichi is borderline criminal. He is probably one of it not the single most important individual involved with JPRGs, and he is relegated to a free to play IOS game.

Good God. I thought both Last Story and Lost Odyssey were great, better than anything to come out Square Enix during that period. And even Blue Dragon was a fun little rpg.

I mean the one mistake he really made was the first FF movie, which wasn't even that bad, take away the people looking for well known FF characters, and it was a nice fantasy sci fi film.

I will just put it out there, a lot worse and less talented people have been given a lot more chances than this guy.
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Henry Jones



Joined: 20 Dec 2004
Posts: 97
Location: Nebraska
PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 6:48 am Reply with quote
CrownKlown wrote:
I think Mistwalker and the fate of Sakaguichi is borderline criminal. He is probably one of it not the single most important individual involved with JPRGs, and he is relegated to a free to play IOS game.

Good God. I thought both Last Story and Lost Odyssey were great, better than anything to come out Square Enix during that period. And even Blue Dragon was a fun little rpg.

I mean the one mistake he really made was the first FF movie, which wasn't even that bad, take away the people looking for well known FF characters, and it was a nice fantasy sci fi film.

I will just put it out there, a lot worse and less talented people have been given a lot more chances than this guy.


I will say the thing people never like to hear: If you want people to stay in the business of something expensive like making AAA game titles, then people on a large scale have to support them. Lost Odyssey was a really good game... that didn't even crack a million in sales even though they spent Final Fantasy money on it. People go on and on about how the much the recent Final Fantasies are crap and how much better things like The Last Story are (I was lukewarm on TLS because for something that's the REAL last gasp of Sakaguchi's company, that story is pretty damn weak and cliché), but Final Fantasy XIII-3-the lowest selling FF game in quite some time and the one everyone points at and says, "This is proof we're done with this!"- most likely sold better than TLS.

They didn't get the money back on their investment, so Mistwalker is making iOS games. Doesn't matter how much people hate Final Fantasy now if they still get in line for the next one, and it doesn't matter how much they like Mistwalker's game if they find every single, "But.... but... it's on the Wii!" excuse to not buy it.
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meiam



Joined: 23 Jun 2013
Posts: 3442
PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 7:45 am Reply with quote
Henry Jones wrote:
They didn't get the money back on their investment, so Mistwalker is making iOS games. Doesn't matter how much people hate Final Fantasy now if they still get in line for the next one, and it doesn't matter how much they like Mistwalker's game if they find every single, "But.... but... it's on the Wii!" excuse to not buy it.


Don't underestimate console exclusivity, it's a huge deal, mist walker in there quest to get financed really knock on the worst door they could have (or accepted offer from the wrong party). Making there early game X360 was terrible move, no matter how much people respect him, buying an entire new console just for his game is not something many people will do. Then continuing on wii was also pretty bad, especially so late in the development cycle were it was still SD console in an HD era, because of it's low attachment rate.

I think chasing FF level budget was a big mistake they should have tried to make multiple lower budget game. No need to get all cinematic, it doesn't really sell game anymore, they needed to get there game out there and show off good story and gameplay (which imo all there game were a bit on the weak side there, not terrible, just not "career launching good").
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Looneygamemaster



Joined: 21 Jan 2012
Posts: 192
PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 8:47 am Reply with quote
Quote:
I don't really get the hate for Graces-F


Well, I've only seen my brother play it...

But the story is poorly written, the world is dull, and the characters have no genuine humanity that I can discern (something that is not true of Symphonia and Abyss's cast, despite them being archetypes). And the English dub is lifeless.

It does seem to have a cool battle system though.
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