YaManSmevz Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 First of all, huge props on the Aristocats reference? Excellent work! I damn near feel like I played these games myself. Making me think even more about copping the recent trilogy, what with how often they're on sale. It's been a great ride, man! As far as this trilogy, from my perspective, I'm most intrigued by Anniversary, if only for it essentially being a remake of the original! Again, you've done a great job with all three games, highlighting the good and bad and framing the narrative they took you on. I bought a ps3 after that ridiculous scare a while back, so I just might find myself lookin these up.. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjkclarke Posted August 9, 2021 Author Share Posted August 9, 2021 (edited) Final Fantasy IX Update!! Strap in for a long post (what's new right? ?)Alright then... Let's try this again. This is a redo, as the forum decided to erase my draft of this when I accidentally refreshed a tab, that's an hour I'll never get back! ? - It wasn't just Final Fantasy stuff, it was replies and some other things too. Anyway... I'm making some pretty good progress on Final Fantasy IX, one of my closest friends has informed me that in PS1 terms, I'm on the third disc now. My trophy progress itself would probably tell you a different story, it's sat at around 28%. He tells me that, most of the trophies mainly come on either the last disc, or at the very least in the final dungeon, so like a lot of JRPG's you'll end up getting lots of them in short succession. I hopefully, have a decent amount of spare time this week, so at the very least I think I'll be able to get the story finished and hopefully Bloodlust (the 10,000 kills trophy) done. I might play something like Hue after getting that done, before doing my run through for the Excalibur II on another playthrough. A cool little side note, is I think my tumultuous time with the jump rope trophy, actually spurred my friend on to get the platinum himself. Which he's now done, he beat me to it about a week ago, so props to him for that one. There's is a part of me that's starting to get quite sad that I think Final Fantasy VIII is probably going to be dethroned as my favourite PS1 era Final Fantasy (that isn't a typo I did mean to say VIII ?). I'm just enjoying playing this game so much right now, which I hope Kopite understands is why it's taken me a little while to reply, my bad. I'm pretty gutted that it's taken me so long to finally get around to playing this too. It appeals to me on so many levels. I don't quite know what I was expecting from this game to be honest, but I didn't expect to love it quite as much as I am. The Music, the characters, especially the characters, the interesting skill system, it's all just been so much to enjoy. I think I've laughed way more than I should have at Quina's dialogue whilst I've been playing it. A strange side thing, but it is relevant, what's the deal with most dwarves in so many forms of media being Scottish? In this game, their text bubbles are VERY Scottish, well I guess more accurately, they sound like Scottish people if you'd only ever seen them in Ken Loach films and never actually met one, because they all read like that - except they aren't constantly calling Zidane a dirty wee Monkey tailed C*NT, like perhaps they would be. Is it insane that I'm doing voices under my breath as I'm reading the dialogue? I'm reading all of Kuja's lines in Kelsey Grammar's voice... Or at the very least my best impression of it. I'm really looking forward to playing some more of it this week. Some probably boring? Admin about the Original Post on Page1, and some other idea's I've updated the first post quite a bit now. Tidied it up a bit, I wasn't happy with how ugly I think bits of it looked. I kept the Platinum Vault and Home of the 100%s the same. I quite like what that looked like anyway. I've gotten rid of the high/ low priority section when it comes to my backlog and just put Started and Unstarted, because in the almost four months since starting this thread, I've not touched a single one of the games I'd actually given priority too, OOPS ? I've also pretty much added all of the games I think I'm likely to play going forward. So if anyone was interested in seeing what is likely to appear in this thread in the future, that's where you should look. I'm open to suggestions obviously so nothing in there is strictly concrete. I'm always going to listen if someone recommends me a game they think I'd like. On @DrunkenEngineer's recommendation a while ago I've bought myself a copy of Hellblade, so I'll try and get to that at some point in the near future, as it looks like a really interesting time. I'll do my best to keep that updated, as I do tend to get very interested in games and impulse buy things. Too tempting not to right? This one is another experiment kind of thing I was thinking of. I was thinking of adding a kind of "stats for nerds" section about the trophies either at the start or the end of reviews. I thought it wouldn't be the worst idea, as I don't tend to put THAT much focus on trophies, so I thought it might be nice to experiment with, see what it looks like and see if I like it. I can always change it in future if I feel it detracts too much from what I want to write about it. So right now it's a thing I might try and see how it ends up looking. @The_Kopite - It's a bit of a nightmare to quote from page to page, either that or I'm just doing it very wrong. So I'll reply like those Q&A type things, where one is in Bold and the other is a response. "Nemesis in the original RE3 was awesome though, scary and that but really added to the tension and the panic. Sorry it petrified you though." It sure did... I probably still should have gone back to it when I was a bit older though. That whole STAAAAARRRS thing with that modulated voice absolutely scared me witless haha. I did persevere with the original Metal Gear Solid, which also petrified me. I'm not exaggerating either, I used to be frightened to go upstairs in the dark in my own house when I was about 9 because Psycho Mantis terrified me so much. It's the Mantis Hymn piece of music that REALLY does it, but then that's a brilliantly scored piece of music, which is designed specifically to get in your head, so as an adult I can really appreciate it. " Funny you should mention Lost Odyssey, I watched a youtube channel called Resonant Arc and his retrospective vids on the FF series and other games I'd never heard of before like Terranigma (sp) are really in depth, insightful and very interesting. Really appreciate the way he presents it all. The next vid I have to watch is his 40-odd minute review of Lost Odyssey. I'm not sure if that was a well reviewed game? Did it sell well? If it came to Playstation one day (highly doubt it would) I'd be interested if it was a game I could get into. " Resonant Arc... That sounds interesting, I'll have to check that channel out. I'm not certain if Lost Odyssey was a well reviewed game, I think it got halfway decent reviews. I don't know that it sold all too well though. But to me the only thing stopping Lost Odyssey from being a Final Fantasy is the name. I mean it's made by Final Fantasy's creator, and some of the music for the best sections (the flashbacks) are provided by Uematsu. So it definitely feels like one, even down to the gameplay. It's turn based, but in a way that keeps the action quite fast paced and frenetic. The Skill and ability system if just like FFIX's, in that you learn them from items - except there is a genius in universe reason for why other characters learn skills and others don't. This isn't a spoiler because it's on the games back case, but four of your characters are amnesiac immortals, so they essentially have to relearn skills that they'd forgotten. It's actually a really organic gameplay mechanic, that makes the characters feel stronger, as they start to mentally become stronger as their memories return as the story progresses. If NieR didn't exist, then the top spot of any hypothetical list of the best game from the PS3/Xbox 360/Wii era I might make, might be a little in jeopardy as there'd be 3 games vying for that top spot. Losy Odyssey would probably be one of them. So... Yes... I like it and I'd recommend it to any Final Fantasy fan, or just RPG fan really. ? You're right about the Galdin Quay music too, I'd kind of just forgotten about that, I loved going there purely because of how relaxing it is. If I'm being honest, I just haven't re-listened to that OST very much, outside of listening to Florence Welch's version of Stand by Me a fair few times. I really ought to go back and play the game again now they've made the "improvements" that *cough* should have been there to begin with *cough*. Where did you meet Uematsu and Nolan North by the way? That sounds like a really awesome story. " Maybe I'll play Anniversary at least given it's a remake of the first Tomb Raider with the infamous Croft Manor, but backlog backlog sigh lol O yes the butler hahaha hopefully someone let him out eventually.......Bet loads of people have got that same story of the Driver tutorial lol man that was a real bugger. " I mean if you could only play one... Yeah pick either, Legend or Anniversary. Then Underworld if you, decided you really wanted to haha. I bet loads of people have the same horror story from Drivers tutorial too. In fact, if purgatory exists - then I expect it isn't anything like the way Dante Alighieri described it in Purgatorio. In reality, it's probably just the car park from Driver on PS1 ? " I think you've got a kind of support group going on already, but yeah go for it! lol " I guess I kind of have, yeah. I'd never really thought about it like that. Thanks! But I do appreciate every single person that's joined in with this thread or taken the time to read through my various witterings. Unless you mean something else, in which case someone should probably just dropkick me in the back of the head, before I start to sound like one of those mad people at awards ceremonies who have to essentially be forcibly brought off the stage by a 10ft Shepherds crook. What I originally meant with the support group thing, was somewhere to talk about peoples confused feelings about Tomb Raider Anniversary, but realistically? It would probably just be me in a small room with two chairs a mirror and me on one chair - whilst the other chair there sits a bucket with a smiling face drawn on it, because I don't think there'd be many other people jumping in ? "Haha well yeah I understand that part. Dying over and over, especially on the harder difficulties and having that same sound everytime can be jarring. The clickers and the scream from Joel in Last of the Us was worse for me lol That sound, over and over and over and over..............says a lot about my skills on that game lol Nolan North himself is a right laugh, really funny and sociable. Was great to meet him." I didn't mind the dying noise so much. Although, that could get annoying for sure. Since you wrote that, I've pin pointed what tested my patience so much. Which was having to reattempt the speedrun trophy for Uncharted 4 multiple times (more times than I'd like to admit that's for sure), so every time Drake began to fall off of something unstable slip down a ledge or fall from a great heigh, just hearing "WOAH WOAH WOAH, EASY EASY... ARGGGGGGGGH, HERE WE GO" a lot made me think " just, shut up please Drake" - That's very much a ME problem, but I think that's why. Reminded me of this awesome video that TheGamingBritShow made about characters in the 2016 version of Ratchet and Clank never shutting up, I'll leave a link here to Nobody Shuts Up in Ratchet and Clank. It's only about 3 minutes long, but his other long form content is well worth having a look at, he's got some really interesting RE video's you might like about their game design, he's called the series Road to the Rocket Launcher. I've never actually finished The Last of Us, I had it on PS3 but I never got a trophy so I deleted it a while ago, I do have the PS4 version though, so it's one I should definitely go back to in future. I was pretty much like you with the PS4 version of Uncharted 3, happy to get the platinum and get out. Hoping to hear about the Nolan North story though, that sounds interesting. "I have played Temple of Osiris (think she voiced Lara in that) and it was pretty good for what it was to be fair. Got it for free through PS Plus though which helped. Nice trilogy of reviews btw" She sure did, I've heard nothing but awesome things about those games, so I should really do myself a favour and play them. I think I got Temple of Osiris through PSPlus as well. Thanks so much by the way, glad you enjoyed the reviews. They were really enjoyable to write, for the most part. I was a little bit unhappy with how the Underworld one turned out, but ironically it's a game I have such mixed feelings about, and at least the write up does mirror that I think. 15 hours ago, YaManSmevz said: First of all, huge props on the Aristocats reference? Excellent work! I damn near feel like I played these games myself. Making me think even more about copping the recent trilogy, what with how often they're on sale. It's been a great ride, man! As far as this trilogy, from my perspective, I'm most intrigued by Anniversary, if only for it essentially being a remake of the original! Again, you've done a great job with all three games, highlighting the good and bad and framing the narrative they took you on. I bought a ps3 after that ridiculous scare a while back, so I just might find myself lookin these up.. Thanks so much man! That's really great to hear you enjoyed reading them, props to you for reading them all though. Because they're definitely long that's for sure haha ?. I'd recommend the new trilogy in a heartbeat. I'm going to try and get around to reviewing them at some point in the future. I'm a little bit Lara'd out right now, so It won't be for a little bit. I'd say in the new trilogy there's a whole lot more to discuss. I'm really fond of that newer trilogy. I had to throw that Aristocats reference in there, it seemed too good an opportunity to miss. Anniversary is probably the one you can most easily play in a vacuum to be fair. Plus just by itself, it's a very good remake so it's worth playing for that factor too. In fact ironically the best way to play that particular trilogy is probably to go Anniversary - Legend - Underworld, it probably makes the most sense going in that direction, as far as the flow of the narrative goes. I mean all 3 games are on one disc, so you could always try Anniversary, see if you like it and then decide from there. I don't think you were the only one doing things like buying a PS3 after that scare! ? I must admit I did open my wallet up and see the bat's and moths come rushing out knowing that my card was going to get a hammering buying some of those expensive PS3 era DLC's and digital exclusives. Edited August 10, 2021 by rjkclarke 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBloodmoney Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 (edited) I feel like with your Tomb Raider Keeley Hawes tribute trilogy, you have now written your magnum opus mate! great reads, and a level of detail and thought that terrifies me - I still have two of those games outstanding on my Science thread, and after reading these I feel like any review of mine would be completely redundant - and I'm going to have to wait until I've almost forgotten yours, to make sure I actually manage to write my own thoughts, and not just rehash yours ? 33 minutes ago, rjkclarke said: There's is a part of me that's starting to get quite sad that I think Final Fantasy VIII is probably going to be dethroned as my favourite PS1 era Final Fantasy (that isn't a typo I did mean to say VIII ?). I'm just enjoying playing this game so much right now, which I hope Kopite understands is why it's taken me a little while to reply, my bad. I'm pretty gutted that it's taken me so long to finally get around to playing this too. It appeals to me on so many levels. I don't quite know what I was expecting from this game to be honest, but I didn't expect to love it quite as much as I am. Great to hear a FF fan come around to IX so late, yet love it the way you are - it's funny, for all that it is the more 'cartoony' of the PS1 trilogy (and it certainly is) there are a number of sections (and particularly kind of nightmarish images) that really do stick in my mind from that one in a way that really the others lack. The part where the forrest turns to stone, taking your npc buddy with it, the image of the big Mage at the farm and the windmill - for some reason they just have a lasting impression in a way nothing in VIII did for me - and I love VIII. Edited August 9, 2021 by DrBloodmoney 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjkclarke Posted August 9, 2021 Author Share Posted August 9, 2021 (edited) 4 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said: I feel like with your Tomb Raider Keeley Hawes tribute trilogy, you have now written your magnum opus mate! great reads, and a level of detail and thought that terrifies me - I still have two of those games outstanding on my Science thread, and after reading these I feel like any review of mine would be completely redundant - and I'm going to have to wait until I've almost forgotten yours, to make sure I actually manage to write my own thoughts, and not just rehash yours Wow, magnum opus huh, I'll take it. High praise indeed. Thank you so much, I appreciate that man, I really do. I hope I've still got some more left in the tank for the other 290 + games I still need to get to haha ?. I can only try I suppose. That bit I put in bold is precisely why I left it a while before actually doing the write ups of this trilogy, it was just Kopite talking about it a week or so back that reminded me. That's REALLY spooky actually. I had the exact same high praise for your Legend write up - and I thought, I can't write mine for a while now, or people will think I'm stealing the good Doctor's thoughts. I'm sure that's going to happen on more than one occasion in the future too. That's something I'm perfectly fine with, your reviews are are always a joy to read anyway, even if they are about a game I'd probably rather spend the day with sellotape - taped from my nose to my forehead and then spend that time pretending I'm a pig, than play, say - Sniper: Ghost Warrior, they still always remain an engaging and interesting read. Looking forward to your latest one, that I'm planning to read later, when I've got some time to sit down and take it all in. 4 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said: Great to hear a FF fan come around to IX so late, yet love it the way you are - it's funny, for all that it is the more 'cartoony' of the PS1 trilogy (and it certainly is) there are a number of sections (and particularly kind of nightmarish images) that really do stick in my mind from that one in a way that really the others lack. The part where the forrest turns to stone, taking your npc buddy with it, the image of the big Mage at the farm and the windmill - for some reason they just have a lasting impression in a way nothing in VIII did for me - and I love VIII. That is a very astute point, there is a lot of contrast and contradictions there, visually. I like that though, it has definitely been one of those games where you see the visuals from a distance, and expect something very specific. Yet get something completely different to what you expect, I certainly didn't expect themes of perpetual war and even an implied war economy, in a game that, like you say looks very cartoony for the PS1 trilogy. Some of those images and visuals are what's selling me on it over VIII. I love VIII too. But it's visually impressive in a different way, in the fact it pushed the hardware limits of the time, and is for the most part a bit more bombastic. it's something I think I'll probably elaborate on quite a bit when I review it in full. But the quality of some of those images in IX, really illustrates so perfectly, how silent cinema can be so effective. That's one of the things I keep thinking as I'm playing it. It really forces you to pay attention, too. I've taken so many screenshots during the game, so far. Being able to tell a story with just visuals and music, without text bubbles or voice acting, is done so superbly - some of the cutscenes in this game are a testament of true quality I think. I love how expressive they managed to make Vivi, purely just by the way he moves and a few inflections they put into his text box dialogue.. It's just, yeah, an absolute joy so far. Edited August 10, 2021 by rjkclarke 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grotz99 Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 (edited) Glad to see another person enjoy my favorite FF game. I need to give it another go on PS4 again, I don't know why, but having to follow a guide for getting the trophies really kept me from getting into it. I played it 3+ times on PS1, so I figured I might as well use the guide to get the trophies, as I remember most of what happened. I think if I go back, I'll do a blind regular playthrough then a guide during the speedrun. 3 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said: Great to hear a FF fan come around to IX so late, yet love it the way you are - it's funny, for all that it is the more 'cartoony' of the PS1 trilogy (and it certainly is) there are a number of sections (and particularly kind of nightmarish images) that really do stick in my mind from that one in a way that really the others lack. The part where the forrest turns to stone, taking your npc buddy with it, the image of the big Mage at the farm and the windmill - for some reason they just have a lasting impression in a way nothing in VIII did for me - and I love VIII. One of the most shocking parts for me came early on in the game when they are on the airship fighting the black mage after the farm village. I don't want to spoil it too much, but that scene really pulled me in. Edited August 9, 2021 by Grotz99 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaManSmevz Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 4 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said: Great to hear a FF fan come around to IX so late, yet love it the way you are - it's funny, for all that it is the more 'cartoony' of the PS1 trilogy (and it certainly is) there are a number of sections (and particularly kind of nightmarish images) that really do stick in my mind from that one in a way that really the others lack. The part where the forrest turns to stone, taking your npc buddy with it, the image of the big Mage at the farm and the windmill - for some reason they just have a lasting impression in a way nothing in VIII did for me - and I love VIII. I've been putting off revisiting IX for quite a while. Haven't played it since back when it came out, but you took me right back! That black mage business and the personal crisis that followed for that poor lil guy... that shit HIT me. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBloodmoney Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 (edited) 9 hours ago, rjkclarke said: I certainly didn't expect themes of perpetual war and even an implied war economy, in a game that, like you say looks very cartoony for the PS1 trilogy. That's an interesting point - in particular when you consider that it came out in 2000. There are quite a few games that touch on these theme from around that era - but they are almost all from around 2003/2004 - post September 11th and the Patriot act and the war in Iraq. It is interesting that FFIX was dealing with some of the same issues from a less politically apropos point of view even before they were. Thinking about it, that might actually be why, more than any other Final Fantasy, I get the timeline of when it released mixed up - for some reason, even though I know it makes no sense, in my head FFIX feels more recent than FFX - and I suspect there might be something to the idea that, thematically, it feels much more 'at home' among games from a slightly later period! Quote Some of those images and visuals are what's selling me on it over VIII. I love VIII too. But it's visually impressive in a different way, in the fact it pushed the hardware limits of the time, and is for the most part a bit more bombastic. it's something I think I'll probably elaborate on quite a bit when I review it in full. But the quality of some of those images in IX, really illustrates so perfectly, how silent cinema can be so effective. That is such a good point! I totally know what you mean - somehow, by deliberately have less verisimilitude than FFVIII (or FFX after it,) IX manages to tap a more universal level of engagement emotionally - and the fact that those more cartoonish visuals are actually disguising a pretty grown-up set of thematic content, it lingers in the way silent movie images do - they burn themselves into the brain far more brightly, since there isn't anything besides the visual and the emotion to distract! 7 hours ago, Grotz99 said: One of the most shocking parts for me came early on in the game when they are on the airship fighting the black mage after the farm village. I don't want to spoil it too much, but that scene really pulled me in. 5 hours ago, YaManSmevz said: That black mage business and the personal crisis that followed for that poor lil guy... that shit HIT me. Theres an interesting psychological trauma I remember reading about once - that (apparently) we all face around the age of 2 or 3 - we suddenly become aware that we are the same species as our parents and all the adults, but they are so much bigger than us, and it instills our first true fears about our place in the world, and how we are vulnerable. It's not something we carry consciously, but we always remember it in a vestigial way - and I bet there is a psychological reasoning that could be made, that Vivi's relationship with seeing the big mages is tapping into that base fear and trauma! Edited August 10, 2021 by DrBloodmoney 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjkclarke Posted August 10, 2021 Author Share Posted August 10, 2021 4 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said: That's an interesting point - in particular when you consider that it came out in 2000. There are quite a few games that touch on these theme from around that era - but they are almost all from around 2003/2004 - post September 11th and the Patriot act and the war in Iraq. It is interesting that FFIX was dealing with some of the same issues from a less politically apropos point of view even before they were. Thinking about it, that might actually be why, more than any other Final Fantasy, I get the timeline of when it released mixed up - for some reason, even though I know it makes no sense, in my head FFIX feels more recent than FFX - and I suspect there might be something to the idea that, thematically, it feels much more 'at home' among games from a slightly later period! It is quite ahead of its time in that respect isn't it. Great point man, I think they deserve a bit of kudos for doing that, because some cynics might argue video games tackled that sort of subtext, in the pursuit of being culturally relevant. Instead of writing their story with that in mind from the outset They aren't really themes I ever expected to see in a Final Fantasy title, so it's been a pleasant surprise in that regard. I guess X in a way is a little ahead of the curve too, dealing with themes around the misuse of religion, framing the narrative about how it can be used to control people, instead of bring people comfort and peace of mind. ( I have more than one friend that is quite religious, and that seems to be something they often speak of, so I hope I'm not generalising. That wasn't my intention.) 4 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said: That is such a good point! I totally know what you mean - somehow, by deliberately have less verisimilitude than FFVIII (or FFX after it,) IX manages to tap a more universal level of engagement emotionally - and the fact that those more cartoonish visuals are actually disguising a pretty grown-up set of thematic content, it lingers in the way silent movie images do - they burn themselves into the brain far more brightly, since there isn't anything besides the visual and the emotion to distract! They do, I agree. It sounds cliche to bring it up. But I tend to put a lot of stock in the "a picture is worth a thousand words" idea. I feel like I'm much more likely to remember a brilliant piece of imagery than I am to remember some voiced dialogue. Although, strictly speaking some well written prose can do just as good a job as any image can. That's essentially painting a picture with words, so the same idea would apply. Which is not to pooh-pooh the worth of the dialogue in FFIX, I think that's really impressive actually. But visually, I'm really astonished by how much I like it. It isn't just the FMV's either, it's the subtle way they frame certain characters in particular scenes that really stay with you. Like the scene with the big mage you mentioned. I guess I just didn't expect this much of a level of detail from a PS1 era Final Fantasy. 4 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said: Theres an interesting psychological trauma I remember reading about once - that (apparently) we all face around the age of 2 or 3 - we suddenly become aware that we are the same species as our parents and all the adults, but they are so much bigger than us, and it instills our first true fears about our place in the world, and how we are vulnerable. It's not something we carry consciously, but we always remember it in a vestigial way - and I bet there is a psychological reasoning that could be made, that Vivi's relationship with seeing the big mages is tapping into that base fear and trauma! That is an amazing point. Thanks for bringing that up. You see, this is the thing I love the most about this whole checklist/thread process, is getting to have discussions like this. I'm going to read up on that psychological trauma later (that sounded weirder and sinister than it meant to ?) - I had heard about that in animals, but I'd never really thought about it being applied to humans. It's probably especially terrifying for poor Vivi, as the only thing he's seen that looks like him, is as you say, much bigger than him and either absent mindedly ignores him, or shout KILL at him as if he doesn't exist. It broke my heart a little bit, when I got to the Black Mage village, and that one big mage at the cemetery, that seemed far more aware than the others - lays it out to Vivi that - he does know what it means to live and to die. @Grotz99 and @YaManSmevz The easiest response to this, is to just say, fire it up and play it - both of you. Get playing it!! You both know you love it already. Don't let the pain in the backside trophies stop you. I mean if I can do the jump rope trophy you guys definitely can. I was absolutely rubbish at it, so you guys will probably get it done much quicker. It seems like a distant memory now haha! I've been enjoying it so much. It'd be great to see it start popping up in another checklist or two on here. It looks like FFIX is a game with a whole lot to discuss. Good for me, probably not for you, As once I've started, I struggle to stop writing things, I've become passionate about. I guess I'll just have to settle for having stump fingers right? ? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Kopite Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 On 8/9/2021 at 8:30 PM, rjkclarke said: He tells me that, most of the trophies mainly come on either the last disc, or at the very least in the final dungeon, so like a lot of JRPG's you'll end up getting lots of them in short succession. I hopefully, have a decent amount of spare time this week, so at the very least I think I'll be able to get the story finished and hopefully Bloodlust (the 10,000 kills trophy) done. I might play something like Hue after getting that done, before doing my run through for the Excalibur II on another playthrough. A cool little side note, is I think my tumultuous time with the jump rope trophy, actually spurred my friend on to get the platinum himself. Which he's now done, he beat me to it about a week ago, so props to him for that one. Yeah I guessed that from the trophy guide and the nature of the trophies themselves. It's really cool that your progress spurred your friend on to get the platinum himself, nice by product of playing the game there ? On 8/9/2021 at 8:30 PM, rjkclarke said: There's is a part of me that's starting to get quite sad that I think Final Fantasy VIII is probably going to be dethroned as my favourite PS1 era Final Fantasy (that isn't a typo I did mean to say VIII ). I'm just enjoying playing this game so much right now, which I hope Kopite understands is why it's taken me a little while to reply, my bad. I'm pretty gutted that it's taken me so long to finally get around to playing this too. It appeals to me on so many levels. I don't quite know what I was expecting from this game to be honest, but I didn't expect to love it quite as much as I am. I knew it! Haha in all seriousness, I'm really glad you are enjoying it so much and I know you found FFVIII to be fantastic so for IX to be potentially dethroning it is pretty massive. It's my 3rd favourite FF for good reason. BTW as I think I've said before but I'm definitely saying now, there is no rush to replying. It's all good, life and stuff happens and it's no worries. ? Triple Triad is still the best FF minigame though imho. Tetra Master in IX just didn't do it for me in the same way. On 8/9/2021 at 8:30 PM, rjkclarke said: The Music, the characters, especially the characters, the interesting skill system, it's all just been so much to enjoy. I think I've laughed way more than I should have at Quina's dialogue whilst I've been playing it. A strange side thing, but it is relevant, what's the deal with most dwarves in so many forms of media being Scottish? In this game, their text bubbles are VERY Scottish, well I guess more accurately, they sound like Scottish people if you'd only ever seen them in Ken Loach films and never actually met one, because they all read like that - except they aren't constantly calling Zidane a dirty wee Monkey tailed C*NT, like perhaps they would be. Is it insane that I'm doing voices under my breath as I'm reading the dialogue? I'm reading all of Kuja's lines in Kelsey Grammar's voice... Or at the very least my best impression of it. I'm really looking forward to playing some more of it this week Yep, yep, yep lol All fantastic facets of a fantastic game definitely. You know, I'd never thought about the dwarf Scottish thing. Certainly seeing Zidane being called that would have made the game a bit different lol I think personally for the old school FF's (without any voice acting), you had to kind of make up some impression of what you thought their voices might have sounded like, think it's a human nature type thing lol On 8/9/2021 at 8:30 PM, rjkclarke said: It sure did... I probably still should have gone back to it when I was a bit older though. That whole STAAAAARRRS thing with that modulated voice absolutely scared me witless haha. I did persevere with the original Metal Gear Solid, which also petrified me. I'm not exaggerating either, I used to be frightened to go upstairs in the dark in my own house when I was about 9 because Psycho Mantis terrified me so much. It's the Mantis Hymn piece of music that REALLY does it, but then that's a brilliantly scored piece of music, which is designed specifically to get in your head, so as an adult I can really appreciate it. I would definitely recommend going back to RE3: Nemesis. It's my 3rd favourite RE game and I think as an adult you would be able to appreciate it a lot more. Obviously you have no problems with tank controls so it wouldn't be jarring for you nowadays like for some others who aren't used to that control scheme. The original MGS was certainly a unique experience. So many clever things in there. I really enjoyed it, I have to say. Very out of the box. On 8/9/2021 at 8:30 PM, rjkclarke said: Resonant Arc... That sounds interesting, I'll have to check that channel out. Check out at least one of his Final Fantasy retrospective reviews, honestly you won't be disappointed. On 8/9/2021 at 8:30 PM, rjkclarke said: But to me the only thing stopping Lost Odyssey from being a Final Fantasy is the name. I mean it's made by Final Fantasy's creator, and some of the music for the best sections (the flashbacks) are provided by Uematsu. So it definitely feels like one, even down to the gameplay. It's turn based, but in a way that keeps the action quite fast paced and frenetic. Everything you have said there about Lost Odyssey sounds really good I've got to say. Even the explanation of the characters. Think I would probably really enjoy it. Love turn based battle RPG's. so any game that has that as the battle system instantly gets me interested lol I remember it being Sakaguchi's first game after leaving Square I think. If it's possible, I'll check it out, thanks. Very least I'll watch that retrospective review when I get around to it. It'll probably make me want to play it more lol On 8/9/2021 at 8:30 PM, rjkclarke said: You're right about the Galdin Quay music too, I'd kind of just forgotten about that, I loved going there purely because of how relaxing it is. Same. Isn't there always that one play in a FF game that you go to and it's a nice, calm place and the music just matches up perfectly with it and you just end up staying there for an inordinate amount of time listening to it and de-stressing almost lol Kind of like a version of RE's famous save room musics lol On 8/9/2021 at 8:30 PM, rjkclarke said: I really ought to go back and play the game again now they've made the "improvements" that *cough* should have been there to begin with *cough*. Where did you meet Uematsu and Nolan North by the way? That sounds like a really awesome story. I'll be getting around to it when I eventually have a PS5 and can have a digital version of the game plus all the DLC episodes (except Ardyn) from PS Plus collection. Me and my wife met Nolan North (and Troy Baker) at a comic con, they were a blast. Super fun guys who were more than happy to chat and interact with fans, sign collectibles you'd bring along and put extra bits on stuff like quotes from the games. Uematsu I've met twice, both at FF concerts but different types. First one was promoting the new (at the time) FF Piano Opera album, where me and my wife got to meet Uematsu and the pianist as well (I forget his name) Will never forget the performance from him though, man he was incredible! The arrangements on those songs are really interesting (The album covered FF I-IX) and he worked on one of the tracks from FFIII DS, which was very cool. 2nd time I met Uematsu was at a Distant Worlds concert, where he worked with long time friend Arnie Roth. Hearing live versions of Zanarkand and Somnus (performed by Roth), wow I mean FF music is incredible but hearing it live is something else entirely. Hearing an orchestra and live singing as well with video of scenes from the various games, it married up really well and it was a great experience in it's own right. Obviously I got autographs from them all as well so yeah, wonderful experiences. On 8/9/2021 at 8:30 PM, rjkclarke said: I mean if you could only play one... Yeah pick either, Legend or Anniversary. Then Underworld if you, decided you really wanted to haha. I bet loads of people have the same horror story from Drivers tutorial too. In fact, if purgatory exists - then I expect it isn't anything like the way Dante Alighieri described it in Purgatorio. In reality, it's probably just the car park from Driver on PS1 Haha now that's an image lol Yeah think it'd be Anniversary. We will see, maybe one day. On 8/9/2021 at 8:30 PM, rjkclarke said: What I originally meant with the support group thing, was somewhere to talk about peoples confused feelings about Tomb Raider Anniversary, but realistically? It would probably just be me in a small room with two chairs a mirror and me on one chair - whilst the other chair there sits a bucket with a smiling face drawn on it, because I don't think there'd be many other people jumping in I reckon you should do that and put it on Youtube, think you'll be seen as creative and out of the box lol It goes viral and then you have to review every Tomb Raider game in existence lol On 8/9/2021 at 8:30 PM, rjkclarke said: Which was having to reattempt the speedrun trophy for Uncharted 4 multiple times (more times than I'd like to admit that's for sure), so every time Drake began to fall off of something unstable slip down a ledge or fall from a great heigh, just hearing "WOAH WOAH WOAH, EASY EASY... ARGGGGGGGGH, HERE WE GO" a lot made me think " just, shut up please Drake" - That's very much a ME problem, but I think that's why. Reminded me of this awesome video that TheGamingBritShow made about characters in the 2016 version of Ratchet and Clank never shutting up, I'll leave a link here to Nobody Shuts Up in Ratchet and Clank. It's only about 3 minutes long, but his other long form content is well worth having a look at, he's got some really interesting RE video's you might like about their game design, he's called the series Road to the Rocket Launcher. I've never actually finished The Last of Us, I had it on PS3 but I never got a trophy so I deleted it a while ago, I do have the PS4 version though, so it's one I should definitely go back to in future Ah yes, speedrunning. That is not my forte, that's for sure. Will be interesting having to do it on FFIX in the future for the platinum. I'm definitely going to check out that link, sounds funny thanks. Yes Last of Us in terms of trophies was dreadful, got like 3 percent I think lol and that's with finishing it lol Definitely worth a playthrough, really good game with a good story and good performances. I've got part 2, will be interesting to see which side of the argument I end up being on with that one. It's a real marmite game from the sounds of it. On 8/9/2021 at 8:30 PM, rjkclarke said: She sure did, I've heard nothing but awesome things about those games, so I should really do myself a favour and play them. I think I got Temple of Osiris through PSPlus as well. Thanks so much by the way, glad you enjoyed the reviews. They were really enjoyable to write, for the most part. I was a little bit unhappy with how the Underworld one turned out, but ironically it's a game I have such mixed feelings about, and at least the write up does mirror that I think. I thought so! Well yes you should play it, I enjoyed it so why wouldn't a mega Tomb Raider fan like yourself? Anytime, think you did a great job with all 3 reviews. On 8/9/2021 at 9:04 PM, DrBloodmoney said: The part where the forrest turns to stone, taking your npc buddy with it, the image of the big Mage at the farm and the windmill - for some reason they just have a lasting impression in a way nothing in VIII did for me - and I love VIII. Can't argue with that. 22 hours ago, rjkclarke said: I guess X in a way is a little ahead of the curve too, dealing with themes around the misuse of religion, framing the narrative about how it can be used to control people, instead of bring people comfort and peace of mind. Agree 100% with this. There is some goofiness to X's presentation and story (part of the times, first FF with voiced dialogue etc) but the story is one of the strongest in the whole franchise imho. Great commentary piece. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaManSmevz Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 9 hours ago, The_Kopite said: Triple Triad is still the best FF minigame though imho. Tetra Master in IX just didn't do it for me in the same way. Facts. 9 hours ago, The_Kopite said: Same. Isn't there always that one play in a FF game that you go to and it's a nice, calm place and the music just matches up perfectly with it and you just end up staying there for an inordinate amount of time listening to it and de-stressing almost lol Kind of like a version of RE's famous save room musics lol I'll be getting around to it when I eventually have a PS5 and can have a digital version of the game plus all the DLC episodes (except Ardyn) from PS Plus collection. Me and my wife met Nolan North (and Troy Baker) at a comic con, they were a blast. Super fun guys who were more than happy to chat and interact with fans, sign collectibles you'd bring along and put extra bits on stuff like quotes from the games. Uematsu I've met twice, both at FF concerts but different types. First one was promoting the new (at the time) FF Piano Opera album, where me and my wife got to meet Uematsu and the pianist as well (I forget his name) Will never forget the performance from him though, man he was incredible! The arrangements on those songs are really interesting (The album covered FF I-IX) and he worked on one of the tracks from FFIII DS, which was very cool. 2nd time I met Uematsu was at a Distant Worlds concert, where he worked with long time friend Arnie Roth. Hearing live versions of Zanarkand and Somnus (performed by Roth), wow I mean FF music is incredible but hearing it live is something else entirely. Hearing an orchestra and live singing as well with video of scenes from the various games, it married up really well and it was a great experience in it's own right. Obviously I got autographs from them all as well so yeah, wonderful experiences. 100% agreed! I remember playing MGS way back when and the music when you run through the office after you beat Psycho Mantis was so arresting, I stopped what I was doing and just sat there for a moment. That one comes to mind first because you expect that stuff from certain games (like any given Final Fantasy for instance) but having it hit me in Metal Gear Solid really caught me off guard. The idea of an Uematsu concert sounds like such a treat, and I envy you. I remember driving around blasting One Winged Angel with my windows down, feeling like the biggest dork ever, and loving it? I could only imagine how wonderful that experience would be! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Kopite Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 14 hours ago, YaManSmevz said: 100% agreed! I remember playing MGS way back when and the music when you run through the office after you beat Psycho Mantis was so arresting, I stopped what I was doing and just sat there for a moment. That one comes to mind first because you expect that stuff from certain games (like any given Final Fantasy for instance) but having it hit me in Metal Gear Solid really caught me off guard. Yeah you're absolutely right. Kojima knew how to orchestrate that game at every point and the score (I forget who did it) was really good for that type of game. Not my favourite franchise, but I do like it and think the first MGS was probably my favourite. Kojima was great at subverting everyone's expectations. 14 hours ago, YaManSmevz said: The idea of an Uematsu concert sounds like such a treat, and I envy you. I remember driving around blasting One Winged Angel with my windows down, feeling like the biggest dork ever, and loving it I could only imagine how wonderful that experience would be! Please don't envy me, it's not why I mentioned it. I was hoping I would just be able to provide a small insight into the experience of going to one. There are videos on Youtube of performances from some of them, but yeah trying to describe that feeling and experience of being there in a written format is incredibly hard. If you do ever get the opportunity to go to a concert with Uematsu there (especially FF), then I highly recommend it. Any Final Fantasy fan has to drive around with the windows down in the car, rocking out to One Winged Angel, or any number of classic Uematsu tunes! The Black Mages versions of some of those take them to the next level for a car journey lol 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaManSmevz Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 3 minutes ago, The_Kopite said: Please don't envy me, it's not why I mentioned it. I was hoping I would just be able to provide a small insight into the experience of going to one. There are videos on Youtube of performances from some of them, but yeah trying to describe that feeling and experience of being there in a written format is incredibly hard. If you do ever get the opportunity to go to a concert with Uematsu there (especially FF), then I highly recommend it. Any Final Fantasy fan has to drive around with the windows down in the car, rocking out to One Winged Angel, or any number of classic Uematsu tunes! The Black Mages versions of some of those take them to the next level for a car journey lol Envy retracted? That's just something I never even considered, and I don't know why. I had the Final Fantasy Anthology on PS1 and it included a soundtrack disc, which I played to an embarrassing extent. I remember hunting down mp3s for everybody's theme on piano from Terra to Yuna back in the day, too. The idea of seeing it all live sounds absolutely amazing! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjkclarke Posted August 12, 2021 Author Share Posted August 12, 2021 (edited) On 11/08/2021 at 10:24 AM, The_Kopite said: Yeah I guessed that from the trophy guide and the nature of the trophies themselves. It's really cool that your progress spurred your friend on to get the platinum himself, nice by product of playing the game there I thought so too. I was really pleased with that. He's starting to catch me up a bit on Final Fantasy platinum's now. He'd probably never call himself a trophy hunter or anything like that, but I'm noticing more and more lately he seems to be way more inclined to seek out a platinum than he used to be. So that's always nice to see others getting more enjoyment out of it. On 11/08/2021 at 10:24 AM, The_Kopite said: I knew it! Haha in all seriousness, I'm really glad you are enjoying it so much and I know you found FFVIII to be fantastic so for IX to be potentially dethroning it is pretty massive. It's my 3rd favourite FF for good reason. BTW as I think I've said before but I'm definitely saying now, there is no rush to replying. It's all good, life and stuff happens and it's no worries. Triple Triad is still the best FF minigame though imho. Tetra Master in IX just didn't do it for me in the same way. Yep, IX is turning out to be one of my favourites too. It's an absolute treasure trove of quality. I'm not sure it would ever knock Final Fantasy X off my personal Final Fantasy top spot, but it might make it into third like it has done on yours, possibly second. I've never thought too much about ranking them, but I've always known what number one would be. Triple Triad is the best!! You'll get no arguments from me on that one. Tetra Master is fine, but to be honest outside of getting the various trophies attached to it in IX I don't think I'd play it for fun, like I absolutely would for triple triad. On 11/08/2021 at 10:24 AM, The_Kopite said: Same. Isn't there always that one play in a FF game that you go to and it's a nice, calm place and the music just matches up perfectly with it and you just end up staying there for an inordinate amount of time listening to it and de-stressing almost lol Kind of like a version of RE's famous save room musics lol That's so true... I'd fight people on that too. We'll fight them on the beaches of Besaid.... And in the woods of Macalania! We will never surrender!!! Although one of mine isn't one you'd expect. There are very few pieces of video game music that I find as uplifting as the New Bodhum theme from FFXIII-2, there are others of course. I n fact screw it, I'll post it here. I genuinely got emotional when I stumbled past this busker singing it in Lightning Returns. It's a perfect utilisation of great sound design. The voice is so unrefined, yet so genuine, it feels like the kind of busker you'd walk past in the real world and think "Hey, that guy deserves a bit of gil" - and you can't help but stand around and listen. why not I'll post that too. On 11/08/2021 at 10:24 AM, The_Kopite said: I reckon you should do that and put it on Youtube, think you'll be seen as creative and out of the box lol It goes viral and then you have to review every Tomb Raider game in existence lol That's a funny idea!! ? - I think I said to @YaManSmevz, that I'd review the recent Tomb Raider trilogy at some point in the future. Once I feel a little less Lara'd out. So perhaps I could make that Youtube video before writing them.. Might make my reviews of them seem sane by comparison ?. On 11/08/2021 at 10:24 AM, The_Kopite said: Uematsu I've met twice, both at FF concerts but different types. First one was promoting the new (at the time) FF Piano Opera album, where me and my wife got to meet Uematsu and the pianist as well (I forget his name) Will never forget the performance from him though, man he was incredible! The arrangements on those songs are really interesting (The album covered FF I-IX) and he worked on one of the tracks from FFIII DS, which was very cool. 2nd time I met Uematsu was at a Distant Worlds concert, where he worked with long time friend Arnie Roth. Hearing live versions of Zanarkand and Somnus (performed by Roth), wow I mean FF music is incredible but hearing it live is something else entirely. Hearing an orchestra and live singing as well with video of scenes from the various games, it married up really well and it was a great experience in it's own right. Obviously I got autographs from them all as well so yeah, wonderful experiences. That's very cool!! That sounds like an absolute blast! Thanks for sharing that experience. Sounds like one of those unforgettable experiences you'll remember for years to come. I'd quite like to go see some video game music being performed live. I think the majority of any status updates I've posted on here have been related to people performing bits of Monkey Island music. So ideally I'd love to see something like that. I'd love to see a performance of the NieR music where Emi Evans is in performing too. Or go see Donna Burke perform some of the more memorable Metal Gear Solid songs. It's more of a case of not having someone to enjoy the experience with. That's one of my favourite things about going to see live music is sharing the experience with others, I'm not sure I know that many people that would actually like to go and see a live performance of video game music, despite having plenty of gamer friends. On 11/08/2021 at 10:24 AM, The_Kopite said: Everything you have said there about Lost Odyssey sounds really good I've got to say. Even the explanation of the characters. Think I would probably really enjoy it. Love turn based battle RPG's. so any game that has that as the battle system instantly gets me interested lol I remember it being Sakaguchi's first game after leaving Square I think. If it's possible, I'll check it out, thanks. Very least I'll watch that retrospective review when I get around to it. It'll probably make me want to play it more lol I suspect you'd love it too. I'd be buying it day one if a remaster was announced for PlayStation consoles. Or getting a job in GAME so I could potentially get it before day one. Yes, I like it that much haha ? On 11/08/2021 at 10:24 AM, The_Kopite said: Yep, yep, yep lol All fantastic facets of a fantastic game definitely. You know, I'd never thought about the dwarf Scottish thing. Certainly seeing Zidane being called that would have made the game a bit different lol I think personally for the old school FF's (without any voice acting), you had to kind of make up some impression of what you thought their voices might have sounded like, think it's a human nature type thing lol I'd never put that much thought into it either.... But you've got Scottish ones in Lord of the Rings, Tales of' series, the Witcher, possibly Kingdoms of Amalur too. Plenty of other examples I expect. The Tales of' dwarves are also the "Ken Loach Scottish" kind - I mean he face punches his own son for talking back to him... So I expect he got a bit bevvied up and got sick of him being a dafty. On 11/08/2021 at 10:24 AM, The_Kopite said: Ah yes, speedrunning. That is not my forte, that's for sure. Will be interesting having to do it on FFIX in the future for the platinum. I'm definitely going to check out that link, sounds funny thanks. Yes Last of Us in terms of trophies was dreadful, got like 3 percent I think lol and that's with finishing it lol Definitely worth a playthrough, really good game with a good story and good performances. I've got part 2, will be interesting to see which side of the argument I end up being on with that one. It's a real marmite game from the sounds of it. I can't say I'm the greatest speedrunner either. Nor do I want to be, I have too much fun just wandering around getting lost in the environment (or taking in the scenery, so that sounds better than getting lost haha), taking in the music and the atmosphere. I kind of owe it to one of my friends to play Last of Us anyway. I remember saying to him if he ever went back and played Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the new World I'd have to go back and play Last of Us - He has, I haven't.. Guess he win this round haha ?. On 11/08/2021 at 10:24 AM, The_Kopite said: Agree 100% with this. There is some goofiness to X's presentation and story (part of the times, first FF with voiced dialogue etc) but the story is one of the strongest in the whole franchise imho. Great commentary piece. Absolutely - I think I've got the perfect song lyric to go along with my eventual review of Final Fantasy X. As I occasionally like to link in a quote from a song I think is particularly relevant. Like a pretentious tit haha ?.. Considering it's the first Final Fantasy with voiced dialogue. That aspect of it is actually really strong. It does have a fantastic story I agree. It deals with a lot of themes - much like IX does, that you wouldn't necessarily expect to find in a game like that. It absolutely deserves to be commended for doing it too. I know sometimes they get unfairly criticized for some of the characters cadences being a bit "off" - the thing is there's a practical reason for that, just so the lips look a bit more in sync with the voices. I've got another review I'm going to get out in about an hour or two. Which is going to be on ICO, I wrote it months ago, but I haven't posted it in here yet. Some of it will have aged like Milk left out in a desert though. I think I mention quite heavily a few times the imminent PS3 store closure. But I'm quite happy with how it reads, so as long as I put a date on when I was written. I think it's probably alright to just post it like that. Edited August 13, 2021 by rjkclarke 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post rjkclarke Posted August 12, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 12, 2021 (edited) ICO Review Platinum #309 ICO (PS3) Enlightenment Acquire all trophies A Few Trophy Stats Platinum Earned - 8 March 2021: 12:22:10 AM Time Taken to Platinum : 4 days, 7 hours, 30 minutes Platinum Rarity - 6.11% Trophy Number - #15,013 Originally written- March 8 2021 Expanded upon - August 13 2021 I'll say this now, everybody that has a PS3 or has ever felt the want or need to play this game they should absolutely go out of their way to do so if they haven't already, it isn't that expensive to find a copy either. Put it this way I paid probably three times more for the special editions of both games in the Team Ico collection for the PS2 years ago compared to what I paid for this PS3 version, I don't feel ripped off either!! I've been meaning to play this again for such a long time. I'm so glad that I did as well. I feel like this is probably one of the better HD remasters too, I've played quite a few HD remasters now and certainly in the last few years I think the actual effort put into them is starting to dwindle. Tempting as it is though I won't ride the "haha look at Mafia II remaster isn't it terrible" train, I just think a lot more love and care went into remastering ICO and Shadow of the Colossus than perhaps some others have had, I personally think the Shenmue collection could have been remastered a little better than it was. I'm hoping the same amount of love went into Shadow of the Colossus in this collection I'll have to get around to playing through that soon as well, as it has been an equally long time since I've played that. To say that ICO looks stunning - would really just be doing it a disservice, it's so much more than that. It's beautiful, even for a game that's twenty years old. The character designs are so inventively unique too - I think the presence of just a bare minimum amount of humanoid characters really help to make them feel memorable. This one seems a little too obvious not to mention, but I'm immensely fond of the way that the two different aspects of the Queen and Yorda juxtapose against one another. I know it sounds like analysis 101, but it's the perfect mix of light and dark. You could argue that all they had to do was keep the colours as they are and leave it at that, yet it's the fact that both characters radiate their respective colours that really adds another layer to them visually and tonally. The way the queen just seems to radiate darkness like a dark luminescent lightbulb just reminds you "she's not one to trifle with... Runnn" - or at least something along those lines. I won't really mention anything about the story because everyone should absolutely experience it for themselves if they haven't already. Outside of maybe an allusion to a character here or there. it is one of the finest examples of something quite simple executed incredibly well. It will stay with you too. I first played ICO probably close to fifteen years ago at least - yet even before revisiting this game with the remasters, I still thought about it on a regular basis. That's proof of an incredibly worthwhile narrative, of course I can only speak from personal experience, it might not be the same for anyone else. Different things appeal to different people of course. This might seem like a strange comparison to some, but the way ICO utilises it's visual construct at times reminds me of Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life. Not so much in the actual narrative itself, but more how it utilises powerful and beautiful imagery to help enrich the overall atmosphere - leading to (in my case at least) a stronger connection to the narrative itself. ICO's OST is incredible too and some of the emotive pieces of music really resonate, especially the song played over the credits. That really is just scratching the surface though. Within ICO there exists an almost ethereal or at the very least other-wordly quality to the soundtrack. Tonally it's incredibly pertinent too, it sounds like very few things you would have heard before. This is so well realised when you consider that Ico (the horned protagonist) is in a place, so unfamiliar and probably frightening to him. Bearing that in mind, it should all sound like something you don't quite understand - it's another subtle thing that helps you to empathise with Ico a little bit more I think, as at times you can feel just as disturbed or unsettled as he probably does. Especially so, with some of the more synthesised pieces of music, which often times sounds like they've been created by trapping a lost whale in a cage and just changing the modulation and pitch ever so slightly of it's frightened whale song. That sounds a little odd, but I feel like that's not too far off of being accurate. It's unique and it's definitely interesting. The save bench music is very relaxing actually, so it contrasts nicely with how foreboding the soundtrack becomes when you are surrounded by shadow's at all angles trying to drag Yorda away - it reminds me of that calm and serene sound that the save rooms from Resident Evil offer as a welcome, safe space away from the horrors outside. Sound design itself is used very effectively in some of the later sections of the game. I think the sparse use of sound effects really helps elevate the heightened sense of the situation as a whole near the end, probably even more than I realised when I played this the first time, about fifteen years ago, I didn't tend to pay attention to things like that so much when I was younger. Of particular note - is the use of language in the way it utilises it's story. Yorda doesn't understand you, and you don't understand her. It's the simplistic bond of holding hands or gesturing to one another that helps build the organic relationship between the two characters. It's something that without the inspired use of having two different languages used in the voice acting for the characters that strengthens it. That's also relevant when it comes to sound design, because the Queen always communicates with Yorda in a language which isn't given subtitles, yet whenever she speaks to you, you understand what's being said as the subtitles are written in English instead of hieroglyphs - because that's specifically what she wanted you to hear. It's such a clever utilisation of sound design, because The Queen herself is quite intimidating, so when she essentially ignores your presence and speaks directly to Yorda, at often times you're left wondering - what is she really saying? Considering that ICO, at the time of writing this review is nearing twenty years old. The level design found within the castle is fantastic. I really appreciate in games where you see something that architecturally looks interesting in the background, that ends up being a location you can actually visit within the game itself. From Software, seem to have become the masters of utilising that effectively. Elements like this really help to enrich the games world. Ironically, it's attempting the Speedrun multiple times in this game, that has given me a deeper appreciation for the puzzle designs themselves. It's that quickening of the pace - yet also having to remember to do specific things in a specific way that really highlight how well designed they are. The water wheel puzzle is a really good example of this - as a younger person I had a nightmare playing this specific part as I always seemed to forget to do one of the required things. I wouldn't say any of the puzzles themselves are particularly difficult, but they are all quite interesting - especially the ones that end up manipulating the environment substantially. The manipulation of the environment itself leads to the castle feeling like an altogether more "connected" place - it's something worth noting, as often video games don't quite manage to evoke the feeling that the areas are all part of the same place. I'd say in ICO it does it masterfully. Gameplay and trophy wise ICO is a bit of a mixed bag, not in a bad way just that it is all a bit varied. On paper the trophies are all fairly simple, there aren't any collectables (unless you count hidden weapons which you have to go about 5 minutes out of your way for) which is always a nice bonus. The gameplay itself though, is actually I think one of the many shining points here, the game is essentially one giant escort mission, something that you would expect would be terrible but it really isn't. I don't think the game ever really feels unfair, but the controls and physics certainly do take a bit of getting used to, I watched a bit of a speedrun of ICO and one of the commentators cracked me up by saying - and I'm paraphrasing here, that gameplay in this game is "like a bag of potatoes, dragging round a big sack of cottage cheese." Speaking of speedrun's this was probably the only trophy that I really had that much trouble with, because the time that is given is fairly tight (2 hours), but I managed to get through without too much trouble by just treating it like a segmented speedrun and reloading sections if I didn't feel like they were fast enough, If I was to give advice here I'd pair this with the trophy for beating the game without using a continue because you'll essentially be doing that anyway to keep within the time limit. I also got my 15,000th trophy whilst getting the platinum in ICO,I almost had a terrible laugh out loud milestone that just read "Failure" because I hadn't really noticed I was creeping up on one, but thankfully it was my 14999th instead! Haha I had such a great time with this though, I think if somebody was to compile a list of "X number of game's to play before you die/quit gaming" ICO should absolutely be on the list. It is worth playing even if you never intend to go for the platinum on it. One blind play-through would probably only take about six hours anyway so it is well worth peoples time. I should probably play something a little more recent next though haha, because the last three games I've played have been between ten and twenty years old!! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My mistake.. I think I said in the previous post, that I mentioned the PS3 store closure in this review. When in fact I actually didn't at all. I know I did in the Shadow of the Colossus (PS3) write up that I did around the same time. So I must have got my wires crossed. Anyway I just wanted to get that review up in this thread. As I've mentioned on a few previous occasions I'd like to have one place where they all are, there's still a few that I haven't added. I might go back to this one in particular in future and expand on it a bit, because it feels a little bare- bones. Especially as I don't think it really comes across in that review how high quality I truly think ICO is. I think this needs a revisit soon, because I'd love to talk a bit more in depth about the visuals as well as the puzzle designs themselves. ICO definitely deserves a little bit of a deeper dive I think. This one I'm posting was back when I used to prioritise talking about gameplay and trophies, because I assumed being on a trophy tracking site, that was probably what I had to do, and what most people if any would have been interested in reading.? What an indecisive numpty I am, I say in my previous post I'm happy about it, then instantly change my mind. Annoyingly I'd love to amend it right now. Unfortunately the moment I decide I want to do that, is when I have to go to work. So unfortunately I won't be able to do it for at least a little bit. If it takes a while I'll put a little update up somewhere, in case anyone wants to read the REDUX version. Edited February 2, 2022 by rjkclarke 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realm722 Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 13 hours ago, rjkclarke said: -snip- Well done on the ICO platinum! I've gotta say... I really wanna hear your thoughts on The Last Guardian if you have any desire to play it, and I imagine you do based on your enjoyment of ICO and Shadow of the Colossus. I haven't managed to platinum TlG (it's a... long story, one that will make for a great post if I ever conquer the nightmare) but I am very much not positive about it. So much so, despite the fact I've had SotC in my collection due to PS+, I haven't even once considered touching the game until I first beat TlG. I don't believe one game should sour my experience from playing an entire game studio's library but that's honestly where The Last Guardian has pushed me. Still, I think I'd let to try ICO out if it ever finds it's way to the PS4/PS5 collection since even if I don't love, it's so short I should be able to stomach whatever control frustrations / aging it has at this point. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Kopite Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 23 hours ago, YaManSmevz said: Envy retracted That's just something I never even considered, and I don't know why. I had the Final Fantasy Anthology on PS1 and it included a soundtrack disc, which I played to an embarrassing extent. I remember hunting down mp3s for everybody's theme on piano from Terra to Yuna back in the day, too. The idea of seeing it all live sounds absolutely amazing! ? We didn't have that soundtrack disc in the UK version, so that's a cool bonus! Honestly I can't say enough how awesome and amazing both the experiences were! Hearing Final Fantasy music live at an official concert is completely worth it! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Kopite Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 22 hours ago, rjkclarke said: I thought so too. I was really pleased with that. He's starting to catch me up a bit on Final Fantasy platinum's now. He'd probably never call himself a trophy hunter or anything like that, but I'm noticing more and more lately he seems to be way more inclined to seek out a platinum than he used to be. So that's always nice to see others getting more enjoyment out of it. Yeah defo ? 22 hours ago, rjkclarke said: Yep, !X is turning out to be one of my favourites too. It's an absolute treasure trove of quality. I'm not sure it would ever knock Final Fantasy X off my personal Final Fantasy top spot, but it might make it into third like it has done on yours, possibly second. I've never thought too much about ranking them, but I've always known what number one would be. Triple Triad is the best!! You'll get no arguments from me on that one. Tetra Master is fine, but to be honest outside of getting the various trophies attached to it in IX I don't think I'd play it for fun, like I absolutely would for triple triad. Well hey you know what your number 1 is so that's always a start lol I'm not trying to get you or anyone to rank them, it's just a thing I do personally. Knew it'd be a favourite of yours though. My thoughts exactly on Tetra Master, which is a real shame. They are supposed to be fun..... 22 hours ago, rjkclarke said: Although one of mine isn't one you'd expect. There are very few pieces of video game music that I find as uplifting as the New Bodhum theme from FFXIII-2, there are others of course. I n fact screw it, I'll post it here. Got to say it's not one that springs to mind for me personally, but hearing it in Lightning Returns with the busker was definitely a nice little touch. You definitely had to stop and listen in that game. Appreciate you sharing that ? 22 hours ago, rjkclarke said: That's a funny idea!! - I think I said to @YaManSmevz, that I'd review the recent Tomb Raider trilogy at some point in the future. Once I feel a little less Lara'd out. So perhaps I could make that Youtube video before writing them.. Might make my reviews of them seem sane by comparison . Haha, you better post a link here if you do! 22 hours ago, rjkclarke said: That's very cool!! That sounds like an absolute blast! Thanks for sharing that experience. Sounds like one of those unforgettable experiences you'll remember for years to come. I'd quite like to go see some video game music being performed live. I think the majority of any status updates I've posted on here have been related to people performing bits of Monkey Island music. So ideally I'd love to see something like that. I'd love to see a performance of the NieR music where Emi Evans is in performing too. Or go see Donna Burke perform some of the more memorable Metal Gear Solid songs. It's more of a case of not having someone to enjoy the experience with. That's one of my favourite things about going to see live music is sharing the experience with others, I'm not sure I know that many people that would actually like to go and see a live performance of video game music, despite having plenty of gamer friends. You're very welcome! Well Square Enix at least definitely do a lot of concerts for Final Fantasy but also other franchises like Kingdom Hearts, so tbh I wouldn't be suprised if there was a NieR one in the near future, considering the popularity of that franchise. I'm sure MGS songs have been done before in more general video game music concerts. Yeah totally, that's a massive part of the experience is being able to share it with others. Both times I had my wife with me, who does like Final Fantasy but hasn't played many of them but can appreciate the music and seeing top quality professional musicians at work. 22 hours ago, rjkclarke said: I suspect you'd love it too. I'd be buying it day one if a remaster was announced for PlayStation consoles. Or getting a job in GAME so I could potentially get it before day one. Yes, I like it that much haha You must to want a job in GAME haha jokes 22 hours ago, rjkclarke said: I'd never put that much thought into it either.... But you've got Scottish ones in Lord of the Rings, Tales of' series, the Witcher, possibly Kingdoms of Amalur too. Plenty of other examples I expect. The Tales of' dwarves are also the "Ken Loach Scottish" kind - I mean he face punches his own son for talking back to him... So I expect he got a bit bevvied up and got sick of him being a dafty. Me thinks there is an interesting video to be made about this topic haha 22 hours ago, rjkclarke said: I can't say I'm the greatest speedrunner either. Nor do I want to be, I have too much fun just wandering around getting lost in the environment (or taking in the scenery, so that sounds better than getting lost haha), taking in the music and the atmosphere. I kind of owe it to one of my friends to play Last of Us anyway. I remember saying to him if he ever went back and played Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the new World I'd have to go back and play Last of Us - He has, I haven't.. Guess he win this round haha . I always appreciate the work that game developers have gone into making a game, especially certain franchises so soaking in the atmosphere, the world/location, the music etc is definitely something I do. Speedrunning is just the opposite. Yes you should play The Last of Us, get it in the mix lol 22 hours ago, rjkclarke said: Absolutely - I think I've got the perfect song lyric to go along with my eventual review of Final Fantasy X. As I occasionally like to link in a quote from a song I think is particularly relevant. Like a pretentious tit haha .. Considering it's the first Final Fantasy with voiced dialogue. That aspect of it is actually really strong. It foes have a fantastic story I agree. It deals with a lot of themes - much like IX does, that you wouldn't necessarily expect to find in a game like that. It absolutely deserves to be commended for doing it too. I know sometimes they get unfairly criticized for some of the characters cadences being a bit "off" - the thing is there's a practical reason for that, just so the lips look a bit more in sync with the voices. Yeah they did. I've met two of the people who voiced main characters in that game, awesome people. Was fab to meet them. (Not naming names unless requested as I'm worried I'm starting to come across as bragging that I've met all these gaming people lol really not my intention) Suffice to say as you know FFX is my 2nd fave FF ever, so it did a hell of a lot right. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBloodmoney Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 quick question for you @rjkclarke... If a person were, hypothetically, a long time FF fan, but had never checked out a Tales of game, and was considering dipping their toe.... what would be the best one to look at as a first step? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjkclarke Posted August 13, 2021 Author Share Posted August 13, 2021 (edited) A Slight Update to the ICO Review I swear this draft post bit of the replies is out to wind me up... I'm having to redo another really long post because it just wiped it. I didn't think I'd need to prep every one of these inside of a word document. Stupid crashed tabs. Oh well.... Here we go again. I've updated the ICO review, so I'm a little happier with it now. I really love the game so I thought it deserved a little more introspection than I think I initially gave it. It's not essential to read it (obviously) but it's there if you wanted to. I mainly updated it a bit for my own peace of mind, as it was starting to bug me a little bit. I've just expanded upon a few area's like visuals, sound design, music and puzzle design. I feel happier about it now though. So that's good at least. The fact this is another do-over might read like a stream of consciousness - more than usual anyway ?, as I'm vaguely trying to recollect what I had written about forty minutes before it dissipated into thin air. 21 hours ago, realm722 said: Well done on the ICO platinum! I've gotta say... I really wanna hear your thoughts on The Last Guardian if you have any desire to play it, and I imagine you do based on your enjoyment of ICO and Shadow of the Colossus. I haven't managed to platinum TlG (it's a... long story, one that will make for a great post if I ever conquer the nightmare) but I am very much not positive about it. So much so, despite the fact I've had SotC in my collection due to PS+, I haven't even once considered touching the game until I first beat TlG. I don't believe one game should sour my experience from playing an entire game studio's library but that's honestly where The Last Guardian has pushed me. Still, I think I'd let to try ICO out if it ever finds it's way to the PS4/PS5 collection since even if I don't love, it's so short I should be able to stomach whatever control frustrations / aging it has at this point. Thank You!! I appreciate that... I will be getting to Last Guardian. I'm not actually sure why I never have, I've always wanted to. But playing Shadow of the Colossus and ICO again this year has definitely cemented that I NEED to. I'm sorry to hear you had such a nightmarish time with The Last Guardian though. Although, I suspect your long story will make for a fascinating read if you ever get back to it - which I hope you do, if you've imposed that rule on yourself that you can't think about Colossus until you finish Guardian. I'd 100% suggest giving Colossus a go at the very least. It's absolutely majestic. Bluepoint are the King/Queen of remasters and remakes. The version you have (I'm assuming the PS4 version) is the absolute best way to experience that game. Realistically I can't see myself going back to the PS2/PS3 version it's such a huge leap. I think our resident Doctor would probably back me up on that one too. I enjoyed playing the PS3 version - but there are some elements to it that you just can't ignore. It has some horrendous frame-rate issues. Wander, for the most part feels like he's made of tissue paper, so it's a little bit annoying the way he can just tip sideways in that version. He feels so weightless at times I genuinely wonder if Agro sneezing near him might send him flying into space like Team Rocket from the Pokemon series. 13 hours ago, The_Kopite said: Well hey you know what your number 1 is so that's always a start lol I'm not trying to get you or anyone to rank them, it's just a thing I do personally. Knew it'd be a favourite of yours though. My thoughts exactly on Tetra Master, which is a real shame. They are supposed to be fun.... I have considered doing rankings at some point... It wouldn't be of everything I've ever played (what sort of lunatic would do that ?... You're nailing it though Doc) I think I'd be more likely to rank games within a specific series. Like if I ended up reviewing all of or most of them - I wouldn't mind doing like a little retrospective post about them and why I like specific ones more than others. I was thinking of splitting into a list of what I think are objectively the best and ones I personally like the most. I don't know if that's really got any legs as an idea though. Tetra Master I guess it was always going to suffer the comparison to Triple Triad, but I just don't find it that fun. I think the RNG element to it, that you might not actually win the card battles even though you should, ends up making it a little bit more tiresome - because more often than not I find it feels quite unfair. 13 hours ago, The_Kopite said: Got to say it's not one that springs to mind for me personally, but hearing it in Lightning Returns with the busker was definitely a nice little touch. You definitely had to stop and listen in that game. Appreciate you sharing that I can't really define why I like it so much either to be honest. It's not anything remotely like my music taste (I'm listening to Babymetal as I write this haha) - as eclectic as that is. It's probably a slight hold-over from how much I've studied that entire soundtrack. To the point where I think the soundtrack for that game is in my head, more than the actual story itself. It was great seeing that in Lightning Returns I agree. There are a lot of very small yet subtle things like that in Lightning Returns that really add to it in a positive way I think - there exists such an attention to detail in how that game presents "the world is ending" trope, yet manages to do it in a way that I think feels quite organic and fresh to that particular trilogy. Especially some of the more sombre aspects. 13 hours ago, The_Kopite said: You're very welcome! Well Square Enix at least definitely do a lot of concerts for Final Fantasy but also other franchises like Kingdom Hearts, so tbh I wouldn't be suprised if there was a NieR one in the near future, considering the popularity of that franchise. I'm sure MGS songs have been done before in more general video game music concerts. Yeah totally, that's a massive part of the experience is being able to share it with others. Both times I had my wife with me, who does like Final Fantasy but hasn't played many of them but can appreciate the music and seeing top quality professional musicians at work. That's true... I always forget how many of those concerts you see pop up all over YouTube.. You're probably at one of them. Fingers crossed that a NieR one comes to London at some point in the future. I'd love to go to that if I could - I have at least two friends that would go to that one as well. Donna Burke lives in Japan I think - so I'd have to go all the way there to see her perform some of her Metal Gear Solid music, but I think she's an excellent musician her own right. So I still think that would end up as a worthwhile experience. I expect the Kingdom Hearts ones get a lot of attendees, that's quite the rabid fanbase, more so than Final Fantasy maybe - I like Kingdom Hearts quite a bit. More accurately, I should probably say I love the first Kingdom Hearts and I enjoy the gameplay of the others. The story is quite frankly a little bit of a mess - they seemed to make the silly assumption that every single person owns every handheld console and also by that token will play every single - even the mobile titles which seem like, completely inconsequential entries, until it turns out they are actually a lot more relevant than you'd think. Bet I hacked off a lot of KH fans with that statement, but it's a little tough to ignore. I think the fact you got to experience those with your wife, is probably one of the things that will make it eternally memorable for you. Which is awesome, that's really special that you got to experience that together. Especially considering how much the series clearly means to you. 13 hours ago, The_Kopite said: You must to want a job in GAME haha jokes I've heard the horror stories too... Haha ? - I do love that game though - so sacrifices must be made as they say. If it got me to experience those beautifully written flashback passages as you learn about the immortals in so much more intricate detail, faster - then I'd consider it. Problem is, this is me we're talking about so the most realistic thing is, I'd get the job, get the game - then never play it for about ten years and would be stuck on the perpetual hamster wheel that I've heard a few people working in GAME describe it as. 13 hours ago, The_Kopite said: I always appreciate the work that game developers have gone into making a game, especially certain franchises so soaking in the atmosphere, the world/location, the music etc is definitely something I do. Speedrunning is just the opposite. Yes you should play The Last of Us, get it in the mix lol I do like watching speedruns on occasion - but you and I are on the same wavelength on that one, that I find it much more enjoyable to drink in the atmosphere that the developers have lovingly created for us to explore. It's why I'll always champion when games do that really effectively. Or in ones, where they've made a conscious effort to try and do that to the best of their ability. I guess I should add Last of Us to the list too. I've just always struggled to get myself motivated to want to play it again. Something might spur me on to want to do it though, I very rarely hear anything that bad about it - I just really struggled to get into it. 13 hours ago, The_Kopite said: Yeah they did. I've met two of the people who voiced main characters in that game, awesome people. Was fab to meet them. (Not naming names unless requested as I'm worried I'm starting to come across as bragging that I've met all these gaming people lol really not my intention) Suffice to say as you know FFX is my 2nd fave FF ever, so it did a hell of a lot right. If I had to guess I'd say it was probably James Arnold Taylor and John DiMaggio, or perhaps Tara Strong. They seem like very cool people from various interviews I've seen. James Arnold Taylor particularly so. I've seen him appear on a lot of podcasts and he seems like an absolutely fascinating person. He's such a talented man. Tara Strong, seems very cool herself - she's a really talented voice actress herself, she's shown a lot of versatility and range over the years. Don't feel like you are name dropping, it's nice to read about things like that - I think anyway. I know for sure, when I eventually write my review for Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock, that I'm going to end up mentioning the story about the day I met Paul McGann - and ended up later in the day having a photo taken with a Spiderman cosplayer that we later noticed had a *ahem..... massive package* - We suspect a little bit of spidey sock stuffing might have gone on there.. ? I'd be tempted to mention if I was reviewing a Star Wars game, the time I did some sound design work for a short film with a guy who was an extra in one of the Star Wars films. We suspect the first one, as he was an older gent. I never met the guy, I was working in post production in the edit. My friend was the director though and the guy didn't seem to know which part of Star Wars he'd been in, he told him " I was the man, standing not straight behind, but a bit further back, behind a man that was behind the main character" - he's probably done absolutely loads of extra work over the years so you can't expect him to remember every single detail. Still I've always thought that was a funny story. So there's two of mine haha. ? I recommend this James Arnold Taylor video for anyone who hasn't seen it - it's really impressive, it's quite an interesting insight into how some voice artists construct their specific impressions too. I've watched this clip quite a few times. @DrBloodmoney Sorry that you've got to scroll down so far for this ?... That's an interesting question... That you might regret asking.. You know how overly enthusiastic I can get!! It's hard to say though. I already know you aren't exactly a fan of certain aspects of anime storytelling (something we both share), so I think I'd have to recommend one that's probably the least like that. Unfortunately the actual anime aesthetic is pretty much unavoidable. You at least don't have to worry about a continuing story in the games as they are all fairly self contained apart from a few references here and there. So pretty much any game can be a decent jumping point. I know you're very fond of Final Fantasy IX - I think Tales of Vesperia shares quite a lot of similarities with Final Fantasy IX. Not in a derivative way either, they are both their own independent thing. They just have some similarities. It also has quite a few interesting plot points to ponder on a subtextual level. So that's an option. I'm specifically singling this one out, because it's available on PS4. I know you have or had a PS3 so I'm trying to avoid you having to dust off your PS3 if it isn't exactly near by. Vesperia is also a tremendously good remaster. Cel shaded titles always tend to age quite well anyway - but Vesperia looks incredible. One of the characters does look a little bit like the upside down faced kid from Family Guy though - just don't look directly at him or you might turn to stone. I'm struggling to recommend playing Zestiria or Berseria - because those aren't really that representative of some of the series as a whole. Zestiria has got a very anime story, yet quite interesting gameplay (fairly unique to that game), and Berseria has an altogether atypical story for that franchise. Berseria's a little unique though, as you essentially take control of a band of misfits, so it adds an interesting dimension to the story, instead of it being a band of whiter than white good willed hero types. But Berseria is also a prequel (set 1000 years apart I believe) to Zestiria so certain elements of that game would get spoiled from playing Berseria. I'd always recommend people play Symphonia but it's only on PS3 currently - it's got some absolutely masterful storytelling and characters. It works on so many levels, not just on the surface. It's my personal favourite in the series. It's got a cast of characters that you can't help but fall in love with. Much like the best entries in the Final Fantasy series have. A very memorable soundtrack, that has remained memorable to me for a very long time. The only really appropriate word seems to be epic. Discussing it a bit in @Mesopithecus' own thread has reminded me how much I truly love that title. The problem is it's tough to recommend it, because the gameplay is very archaic. Add to that the trophies will mean you'll be spending upwards of 200 hours. Which might be off-putting for some. Tales of Xillia might be a good place to start too. Despite being on PS3. Personally I think Xillia is one of the best entries in the series. It's got a really good cast of characters. it's also got a direct sequel too, so if you enjoyed the first one, then the sequel just expands upon that and takes some of the characters in some very left-field but fascinating directions. I think to date the best gameplay in the entire series can be found within Xillia 1 and 2 (It's only improved upon further here) so that's one of the things it does really well. There is so much depth to that combat, it's really fun just experimenting with other characters playstyles quite often. It's also fairly unique as a story as it's kept fairly fresh - it contains two protagonists, each with their own unique parts of the story independent to them, plus they play very differently, so that's another layer of variety. So whilst the game requires two playthroughs, both of those help flesh out the world and understand the characters in more depth as you see it from two very different perspectives instead of just one. Tales of Xillia has probably got the shortest platinum title of any of the games too - I think it's around 60 hours, which for a JRPG is mercifully short. So it might be one to dip your toes in with the franchise and see if you like it, without getting overwhelmed by how expansive some of the games are. If you want me to expand further I probably can.... I'm sorry for the massive wall of text... You surely must have expected something similar when you asked the question ? haha! It'd be great to see a Tales of' game appear in one of your rankings in future though.... Probably just above Space Overlords with the subtitle - " I hate anime storytelling.... rjkclarke lied to me... BYEEEEEEE." Seriously though, I've had some of the most fun I've had on my PS3 and PS4 playing through some of those titles. Now I need to go put my fingers in a bucket of ice ?. Edited August 13, 2021 by rjkclarke 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBloodmoney Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 (edited) @rjkclarke - Haha - I had a feeling I was about to open a serious can of worms on that one - and you didn’t disappoint! i’ll need to read this a good few times to get the nuance, but I more than appreciate it! I should clarify - I have zero issue with anime visuals (actually like them a lot - the only part that I find a bit skeezy is the over-sexualisation of very young girls, or the converse over-infantilisation of ‘adult’ female characters - you know the stuff I mean) In terms of ‘anime narrative’ I’m actually pretty on board for too - when that is what it is trying to be. What irks me with stuff like MGS, is when it is clearly an anime narrative, but it is trying to disguise what it is under a facade, and sell itself as something else. It feels like it want to be taken more seriously than it should be, and treats itself more seriously than the narrative can support, if that makes sense? It’s not just an aversion to all anime - I love Persona, was super into Nier Automata, NiNo Kuni etc. and still watch Ninja Scroll and Ghost in the Machine about once a year. I must admit, when I had a brief look at the tales stuff on youtube, the one that kept rearing it’s head and catching my attention was Zesteria - though the main thing I realised was that visuals were all I had to go on - I was lost as hell otherwise ? The one thing I will say - and I have no idea how this game figures into the series, or if it even is part of the series at all - there was a game on vita I tried years ago called, I think, Tales of Heart? And that one… …I had to stop. It wasn’t for me - I couldn’t take the soap opera/ slightly creepy seeming stuff with a female character in that one, and felt skeezy playing it in public on the vita. I know I didn’t get far in it - but the tone was very much not my bag. I’m going to do some research into Xillia though now - I don’t know if that one even popped up in my quick search before, but it sounds very interesting! Edited August 13, 2021 by DrBloodmoney 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjkclarke Posted August 13, 2021 Author Share Posted August 13, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said: I had a feeling I was about to open a serious can of worms on that one - and you didn’t disappoint! i’ll need to read this a good few times to get the nuance, but I more than appreciate it! You're welcome mate! I think as I was about halfway through writing that, I was starting to think "he must have known this was coming, surely....." ? Like a moth to a flame, I was.. Yeah I can't exactly say that's structured particularly well. I'd already written a lot by that point so I think I was starting to lose concentration. So, sorry that's a bit all over the place to have to pick through to find any relevant or interesting information. 3 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said: I should clarify - I have zero issue with anime visuals (actually like them a lot - the only part that I find a bit skeezy is the over-sexualisation of very young girls, or the converse over-infantilisation of ‘adult’ female characters - you know the stuff I mean) In terms of ‘anime narrative’ I’m actually pretty on board for too - when that is what it is trying to be. What irks me with stuff like MGS, is when it is clearly an anime narrative, but it is trying to disguise what it is under a facade, and sell itself as something else. It feels like it want to be taken more seriously than it should be, and treats itself more seriously than the narrative can support, if that makes sense? It’s not just an aversion to all anime - I love Persona, was super into Nier Automata, NiNo Kuni etc. and still watch Ninja Scroll and Ghost in the Machine about once a year. Yeah, well I think we both can agree there, that some aspects of anime visuals could stand to be - and this is going to sound far too British, much less noncey. I don't get it, I don't want to get it, parts of that whole thing make me very uncomfortable. That was probably a little over presumptuous of me to assume you weren't keen on anime storytelling as a whole. Which is of course, my bad. Apologies on that one.You aren't wrong with that MGS comparison - I can happily agree with that as a fan of the series too. It takes itself far too seriously, as do some of the fans themselves. You could probably at times level that same criticism at the Yakuza series, except in terms of quality storytelling, that at least does match up a little more with some of the cinematic outings it's often paying homage too. I also like some anime inspired things too - so I probably didn't get that across well either. I also enjoyed Nier and Ni no Kuni and plenty of other games with anime inspired visuals and stories. I'd just never call myself an avid watcher of it, certainly not to the point where that's 90% of what I watch. I'll never be dismissive of it. There are certain things in a few bits of Anime that have moved me just as much, if not sometimes more than any live action film has done or any other type of media. Good quality tends to shine through regardless of the genre or the subject matter. 3 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said: I must admit, when I had a brief look at the tales stuff on youtube, the one that kept rearing it’s head and catching my attention was Zesteria - though the main thing I realised was that visuals were all I had to go on - I was lost as hell otherwise There's nothing offensively wrong with Zestiria at all. I wasn't trying to put you off it. I happen to like it quite a lot - I just wouldn't ever recommend it as a jumping in point, because it might give someone a false sense of what to expect from the series. It's also got a very slow burn story, so I'd be worried you'd get bored before it actually gets interesting. I almost gave up with it in a few places. It was only the belief in one of my friends opinions that it was worth actually persevering through it. It took until the third human character Rose gets introduced into that, to actually start to become really interesting. Which is quite late in. You might be entirely different though, so it's hard to say on that one. That's one of the longer platinum's in the series too, so if that's another factor then I guess that's also worth thinking about. 3 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said: The one thing I will say - and I have no idea how this game figures into the series, or if it even is part of the series at all - there was a game on vita I tried years ago called, I think, Tales of Heart? And that one… …I had to stop. It wasn’t for me - I couldn’t take the soap opera/ slightly creepy seeming stuff with a female character in that one, and felt skeezy playing it in public on the vita. I know I didn’t get far in it - but the tone was very much not my bag. I'll be honest, I haven't heard overly positive things about that one either. In fact I'd heard very little good things about that one at all. I haven't played it myself. Going by that description I don't think I'd probably have a fun time with it either. There's only one game in the series that gets close to that soap opera/ creepy vibe, which is in Symphonia's sequel. As the female character kind of comes off a bit like a sex pest with the male protagonist, it's not overtly distracting but it does diminish her a character a tiny bit, and it does cool off as the game progresses. 3 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said: I’m going to do some research into Xillia though now - I don’t know if that one even popped up in my quick search before, but it sounds very interesting! Awesome!! That's probably the one I'd find easiest to recommend - it's the shortest, it's an anniversary title, so the characters kind of end up being a bit "greatest hits" of previous characters (which might give you an inkling as to what to expect from other entries); yet still being individuals in their own right. The platinum is very enjoyable and not really long enough to be grindy, and the story is also very well told. Edited August 13, 2021 by rjkclarke 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mesopithecus Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 2 hours ago, rjkclarke said: I'd always recommend people play Symphonia but it's only on PS3 currently - it's got some absolutely masterful storytelling and characters. It works on so many levels, not just on the surface. It's my personal favourite in the series. It's got a cast of characters that you can't help but fall in love with. Much like the best entries in the Final Fantasy series have. A very memorable soundtrack, that has remained memorable to me for a very long time. The only really appropriate word seems to be epic. Discussing it a bit in @Mesopithecus' own thread has reminded me how much I truly love that title. The problem is it's tough to recommend it, because the gameplay is very archaic. Add to that the trophies will mean you'll be spending upwards of 200 hours. Which might be off-putting for some. I will definitely agree with you there about the gameplay for Symphonia; it took me a while to get into a good flow with it (especially playing it straight after Final Fantasy X) I think not being able to skip cutscenes is possibly it's only other real downside, especially with the number of playthroughs required. That being said the story is so good and once you get to grips with the battle system it flows pretty well. Just like you said though, it's tough to recommend 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBloodmoney Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 (edited) 22 minutes ago, rjkclarke said: That was probably a little over presumptuous of me to assume you weren't keen on anime storytelling as a whole. Which is of course, my bad. Apologies on that one.You aren't wrong with that MGS comparison - I can happily agree with that as a fan of the series too. It takes itself far too seriously, as do some of the fans themselves. You could probably at times level that same criticism at the Yakuza series, except in terms of quality storytelling, that at least does match up a little more with some of the cinematic outings it's often paying homage too. No - that’s absolutely on me - there was a time when I (wrongly) assumed all anime was basically some version of that skeezy stuff ( just a byproduct of the limited stuff I had experienced). While I know that isn’t remotely true, the holdover from that time is I do tend to casually use the term ‘anime’ as a shorthand to mean that kind of stuff - and end up just not calling all the other anime that I actually like ‘anime’ ? - I’ve caught myself with that before, and it tends to get me in trouble with true anime fans! Quote Awesome!! That's probably the one I'd find easiest to recommend - it's the shortest, it's an anniversary title, so the characters kind of end up being a bit "greatest hits" of previous characters (which might give you an inkling as to what to expect from other entries); yet still being individuals in their own right. The platinum is very enjoyable and not really long enough to be grindy, and the story is also very well told. Much appreciated mate - knew I was coming to the right place for Tales:101! Edited August 13, 2021 by DrBloodmoney 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjkclarke Posted August 13, 2021 Author Share Posted August 13, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Mesopithecus said: I will definitely agree with you there about the gameplay for Symphonia; it took me a while to get into a good flow with it (especially playing it straight after Final Fantasy X) I think not being able to skip cutscenes is possibly it's only other real downside, especially with the number of playthroughs required. That being said the story is so good and once you get to grips with the battle system it flows pretty well. Just like you said though, it's tough to recommend Well said... That's sort of the problem too - we might love it, but to someone who hasn't played it you can't just say Gameplay 10/10 - super fast paced, feels like a game made in 2021, because it just doesn't. You do kind of need to bring up all it's elements. Actually, I'm very glad you brought up the fact cutscenes are unskippable, because I completely forgot. I'm not entirely sure it even feels like a game from when it was released. I know what you mean about having to find the right flow with it, that's a good description. That bit I put in bold is so apt... It's exactly what keeps you playing I think. Something just kind of clicks doesn't it and then on the subsequent playthroughs it all just comes together and it really does flow together nicely. You don't feel lost, or out of your depth just able to plough on through and enjoy yourself. Well for me it was like that... I can't speak for the experiences of a long extinct monkey lady (I mean that in a nice way ?).. So you'd have to elaborate on that yourself if you wanted to - might be very different. This will probably sound quite odd.. But my brain associates green tea with the Tales of' series.. I think as a result of Symphonia, when I was going for the platinum I got really into drinking green tea and ginger and now whenever I drink green tea it makes me feel like playing those games... Super strange I'm sure, but it does. 1 hour ago, DrBloodmoney said: No - that’s absolutely on me - there was a time when I (wrongly) assumed all anime was basically some version of that skeezy stuff ( just a byproduct of the limited stuff I had experienced). While I know that isn’t remotely true, the holdover from that time is I do tend to casually use the term ‘anime’ as a shorthand to mean that kind of stuff - and end up just not calling all the other anime that I actually like ‘anime’ - I’ve caught myself with that before, and it tends to fet me in trouble with true anime fans! I don't think you are the only one to have made those anime assumptions...... I think I've inadvertently ticked off plenty of people in the past with what my opinion on anime certainly used to be... Until one of my friends enlightened me on some of it and showed me that it wasn't all - what I had assumed it was. I remember him looking at me once as if I'd just used his cat as a tennis ball (coincidentally I did once colour his cat's foot in with highlighter pen by accident, recently too, within the last few years. Not as children like you might expect from a story like that - it's something which I felt terrible for, the cat moved when I had one near it) , alright so he was confused. Why couldn't I have just said confused... Anyway, I remember saying to him how I thought all Anime amounted to, was little girls running towards one another in a huge expansive field with their arms wide open... Or they are 11 year old immortal 4ft vampires with giant breasts. That or every anime was a 13 year old girl in a mech suit, or some variation on that theme. I was wrong OBVIOUSLY. I guess there are some that are like that, I'm sure - but obviously not ALL. As the late great Douglas Adams wrote in Hitchhikers guide "I'd rather be happy than right" which is something I often think of, my friend has since recommended me plenty of anime that isn't anything like what I had assumed it would be. I've pretty much enjoyed all the ones he's recommended to me. So yeah I definitely understand where you're coming from on that one. I'd never call myself a big anime guy, but I can definitely appreciate good quality when I see it. I've fallen into the trap far too often myself of generalising anime - so it's clearly very easily done. I suspect I'll do it in this thread, on a few occasions accidentally in the future. when referring to a few games. 1 hour ago, DrBloodmoney said: Much appreciated mate - knew I was coming to the right place for Tales:101! Haha thanks!! It's definitely a series I've got a lot of time for, so I'm always happy to give pointers or recommendations where I can. It's actually nice to be the one recommending you something for once, instead of you offering up amazing suggestions for puzzle games and the like - to sink my teeth into. Edited August 13, 2021 by rjkclarke 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grotz99 Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 32 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said: @rjkclarke - Haha - I had a feeling I was about to open a serious can of worms on that one - and you didn’t disappoint! i’ll need to read this a good few times to get the nuance, but I more than appreciate it! I should clarify - I have zero issue with anime visuals (actually like them a lot - the only part that I find a bit skeezy is the over-sexualisation of very young girls, or the converse over-infantilisation of ‘adult’ female characters - you know the stuff I mean) In terms of ‘anime narrative’ I’m actually pretty on board for too - when that is what it is trying to be. What irks me with stuff like MGS, is when it is clearly an anime narrative, but it is trying to disguise what it is under a facade, and sell itself as something else. It feels like it want to be taken more seriously than it should be, and treats itself more seriously than the narrative can support, if that makes sense? It’s not just an aversion to all anime - I love Persona, was super into Nier Automata, NiNo Kuni etc. and still watch Ninja Scroll and Ghost in the Machine about once a year. I must admit, when I had a brief look at the tales stuff on youtube, the one that kept rearing it’s head and catching my attention was Zesteria - though the main thing I realised was that visuals were all I had to go on - I was lost as hell otherwise The one thing I will say - and I have no idea how this game figures into the series, or if it even is part of the series at all - there was a game on vita I tried years ago called, I think, Tales of Heart? And that one… …I had to stop. It wasn’t for me - I couldn’t take the soap opera/ slightly creepy seeming stuff with a female character in that one, and felt skeezy playing it in public on the vita. I know I didn’t get far in it - but the tone was very much not my bag. I’m going to do some research into Xillia though now - I don’t know if that one even popped up in my quick search before, but it sounds very interesting! I just finished my first playthrough of Tales of Vesperia on the PS4 (usually on sale for $10 btw) and had a great time with the gameplay and the story. I don't feel like they oversexualized too much. As a normal JRPG, I would totally recommend it. Voice acting was also great, which made it so you didn't have to read too many pesky subtitles ?. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now