Semjaza

I think you and I are included in only a handful of people here who have the game. I wonder where Charles went? lol I've really not gotten to play this much. I have little gaming time lately... what I do have is divided between SMT:N and Shadow Hearts: Covenant. Last I remember, I am only in Chapter 2 or something... I just recently broke into that tree lol. I'm not far at all, it seems.

[quote name='satan665']What type of build are you making for your main character?[/quote] I've been trying to keep him well balanced. A lot of the demons I bring with me tend to be the same. You just don't know what you'll run into, so I've been trying to keep it so no monster has any real specific advantage over me. I have Mana Drain, which, aside from Life Drain (HP and MP, but I don't know if the main character can even learn it) is the best thing ever. I've kept Media, which is very useful as he gains levels. Ice and Fire Breath, which are great because it attacks random enemies onscreen and can attack a single one two to three times resulting in some nice damage. I've also kept anti-death because 1.) I am using a magatama that voids expel but is very weak to death spells and 2.) I am freaking tired of randomly dying.

[quote name='satan665']I found the last Oni, he was in the subway tunnel near the end. I never did come across any of the horsemen fiends, even though I think I am farther than you were when you mentioned them.[/quote] You actually have to finish the Second Kapla completely for them to start appearing... did you do that? The first one I ran into is basically right at the entrance of Asakusa. [quote]So far I'm level 47, and I'm now starting to run into demons who won't join me because of my alignment. One said something like "I of the Vile clan would not side with the likes of you" which was pretty interesting. I don't really like the evil looking demons too much anyway, I've been trying to fuse more diety, holy and femme sorts.[/QUOTE] I've been sticking with the more malevolent types... I find that I choose my demons based on their appearance quite a bit. There's some that just look too cool to pass up. I really like the random female looking designs, such as that Kibuko Himi (or whatever her name is, I'm nowhere near my place to find out - red dress with a black mask). Either way, you can still attempt to get those through fusions if need be...

I picked this up the other day. One nice thing about Midway publishing it is that it's easy to find in stores lol. Graphically, it just murders the other game. I'm glad the prerendered backgrounds have been replaced with 3D areas. It just fits the game better. The FMV is also very improved... I wouldn't say it rivals Square, but it's definitely good and well done. I'm happy with the story thus far. One thing I liked about these games is that the rely on actual locations. Fighting in Germany and having characters talk about other places you actually recognize gives it something a lot of fake locations lack... even if these places are overrun with demons and monsters lol. I'm happy that they kept the battle system intact, yet still improved upon it substantially. It makes you feel like you actually have some role in their attack patterns, and the combo system and attack types (aerial, ground, etc) really help mix it up. My only gripe so far is the voice acting. It's not horrible, but it's not really all that great either. Perhaps it improves as the game goes on (seems to happen a lot in RPGS, I guess the actors get comfortable), but I find a lot of it sounds too forced. I kind of like the stereotypical old-man-voice Geopetto has though. I was also surprised this thing is 2 DVDs lol.

[quote name='satan665][Spoiler'] You kinda want to side with the main characters human friends, but they get increasingly weird as the game goes on. So far the journalist guy seems the most "normal"...and there's always the white light and the voice from above but who knows who is behind that.[/Spoiler][/quote] Hah, that voice freaked me out at first because it seemed like such a major, major decision to make. I chose to go against the plan of whoever that was... My second time through, I figure I'll go along with him. The Second Kapla introduces the ideas of the Messians and Gaeans, which is one of the first things that really points to any Christianity type ideals in the game. I'm wondering what will become of them. The game has alluded to a rather major idea a few times involving your main character, but we'll see what happens. As for the Oni in that cave, I honestly cannot remember offhand. Perhaps its the one you come across directly after falling through that hole? Zidargh - I don't know if any big Atlus RPGs make it to PAL countries. Might be an import game. I've heard nothing of this title coming out elsewhere.

[quote name='James][color=#707875']The fact that XII will apparently not include some ridiculous forced love story is music to my ears, that much I can tell you.[/color][/quote] Tell me about it. I don't mind love stories, but I don't think that Final Fantasy has historically dealt with them very well. They usually seem really awkward to me if they try to make it obvious... and if they don't try and make it obvious, people try to force this relationship through assumptions and the game's own vague ideas lol. In FFXII, the main character already has a steady girlfriend. I think that's great, especially since I've been given the impression that they have dorky arguments. It reminds me of FFIV right away in that sense. What's really interested me is the involvement of Matsuno, who some might recognize as the guy responsible for Vagrant Story. Good news, in my opinion. I can't say I'm very into a few of the main character designs... but luckily their wimpyness seems to be made up for by some of the tougher looking characters lol.

I don't know who saw the news yet, but RE4 is no longer GameCube exclusive. It will be coming out soon for GCN, but a PS2 port is set to follow near the end of 2005. So, more or less, it's a timed exclusive. Yet again, Capcom has removed an exclusive title from the GameCube's line-up. Viewtiful Joe is another main one, as is the upcoming Killer 7. Mikami swore up and down that the game would hit nothing other than GCN this generation, but apparently the decision was made above him on the executive level. From a financial standpoint, I understand the reasoning. I figure it'll sell to all the GCN owners at first and when that dries up, it can be opened up to the PS2 fans. At the same time, I have to question Capcom's reasoning behind announcing the PS2 version so soon before the GCN version's release. Seems self defeating. Who knows what'll change between the versions, if anything. I figure the PS2 version won't be quite as impressive graphically because 1.) it was built from scratch for GCN and 2.) it really isn't quite as powerful overall. We'll see though. Capcom will probably add new crap to the PS2 version, as they usually do with ports lol.

Well, I think in that case, it's mostly two things: 1.) stuff on messageboards can go so many ways without a voice to hear or the chance to react to others' points instantly like you could in an AIM environment and 2.) I know I tend to sensationalize things in order to make a point. Usually when I'm in "rant" mode like that, I tend to exaggerate my dislikes because that's just my style of writing. I find it humorous, but that's me lol. It's not really to be taken at complete face value, at least not to the extremity that one might be able to take it. I realize I've put myself into the "Local FF Hater" position, lol... I don't really think Final Fantasy is mass market trash. I would call a lot of the changes to it over the past decade a mean to make it more marketable, but that's not necessarily a bad thing... because in many ways, it has stayed true to several of its roots. I respect that much about it. And really, before Square's changes to the series, RPGs themselves were just non-marketable niche titles in many ways. They have broken that stereotype. It's double-edged, really. In any case, I must once again, say how interested I am in FFXII. It seems like a fundamental change to the series, much like the series was fundamentally changed around the advent of FFVI (I think VI started that, not VII personally) towards its current movie-like form. I think that XII will actually bridge the gap between what I want in a FF game and what the current fans want in FF games. I hope so, anyway.

[quote name='OtakuSennen][color=navy']At least Nocturne lasts longer than five hours. :p [/color][/quote] Yeah, I'm at like 19 right now... not including all the time I spent going places only to die lol. Have either of you (or anyone else that might have this) gotten to meet any of the horsemen Fiends? I think I have pictures of them on the first page. [spoiler]After finishing the Second Kapla in the Amala Labyrinth, they ask you if you if you're willing to fight against them... at which point they are apparently available for combat all over the Vortex Word. I wound up running into one in Asakusa.[/spoiler] The first one is just way beyond any other battle I've dealt with thus far. The other Fiends were pushovers by comparison. I'm at Level 39 with some level 37 to 39 demons and I still can't manage to get past the guy. Eventually lol. I've been having a lot of fun with fusion, though. It's the same reason I loved those Demi-Kids games so much. I really like playing with combinations and seeing what results. [spoiler]I have a few deathstones now, which allow you to summon fiends to your side. Which fiend results depends on the moon cycle at the time of the fusion. I still haven't gotten to do Mitama fusions though... I can't find any Jade so far, which seems to be required for each of them.[/spoiler] I've wound up with a lot of different demons, though. Right now, my party consists of a Succubus, Baphomet and one of the Fiends (the one with the weird hat that holds a bell, I forget his name). It's great having that Demon Compendium now, as I can just summon them instantly for a fee without having to catch demons in the process. Yay. Also, a little trick: [spoiler] If you keep your Pixie from the start of the game (or one of its descendants) you'll be able to access an area later on that you'd not be able to otherwise. I'd hold on to her.[/spoiler] I'm really enjoying the storyline in this game. I suppose the way it is paced might be a turn-off for some. I know a lot of RPGs nowadays tend to present it more in a book-like format where something is always happening... whereas, in this game, you may be stuck in some weird area only to really find out what is happening once you finally make it out. I guess that's a matter of preference. But what is there is very interesting. As I work on Digital Devil Database, I write down a lot of things and keep notes so I can work on the various sections. Even the Lexicon, where I stick definitons of terms in the series, is constantly updated... Something as seemingly simply as Kagutsuchi (the silver moon mentioned earlier) has a far greater importance as the game goes on. And since I'm stuck really writing these things down, I think I'm running them through my mind more than if I was just playing it and that was that. There's a lot to consider in the game. When you have several groups that want to be in charge of the creation of the new world after The Conception, obviously their views contrast. Seeing them fight for power and reason as to why their method is best has been very interesting. While there are some idealogies followed in this game that I don't agree with, you can see why they would attract certain people and why other main characters go along with it. I guess my point is that the game is far deeper than it might let on at first. Things are told to you as you progress (I've learned a lot of stuff just by finishing Kaplas), but there's a lot to still piece together yourself, some scenes that you may just miss completely if you're not in the right place at the right time and things to just consider. And is it just me, or is the overall look of this game just amazing? I've always liked it, but there are aspects of it that really just work so well. The texturework in a lot of the areas is surprisingly crisp, despite repitition in the larger dungeon areas. There's also some really awesome cutscenes that make amazing use of color and shadow... for example, the opening scene where your character first appears after The Conception in the hospital (with the black and white)... or the scene with Chiaki in the red and white classroom. Just beautiful stuff, I think.

I've not put down the players of this game purposely, other than to say that I don't think many of them look beyond the series... I don't even consider that a put down. For example, I like NBA Street, but I don't look beyond it to other basketball games. That's my own interest and if some sports fan thinks I'm missing out by not playing some sim basketball title, then oh well. That's just how it is and I have little interest in looking past it. Maybe I am missing out? Maybe there is better? Maybe Street is the best thing and all other titles are just not fun for me? Who knows. That doesn't mean the guy who doesn't like NBA Street but loves ESPN-whatever thinks I'm an idiot and is insulting me. Its an attempt to broaden my horizons into other things. Whether it'll win me over or not is up to me. Perhaps much of this can be attributed to some people out there who enjoy the series and really don't have the money to go and buy stuff they don't have experience with. I know if I only had $50 for the month and I liked FF23, I'd be more likely to buy FF24 than some other random RPG. Does that make this kid stupid or someone I'm insulting? No, of course not. It's the same reason people blindly buy Pokemon, Madden, Mario and whatever else without thinking twice and ignore the competing titles. I do it, everyone does it. But, they are still included in the group of people that aren't able or willing to look past the series. These are the types of people I am talking about and I don't see how pointing out their actions, despite putting them in the groups I have been referring to, means I'm calling them stupid in some way. I'm in that very group with other games and I don't think I am stupid lol. I've been going here long enough that I realize there are intelligent people who like this series. Making an implication that only "stupid" people play this series would be insulting myself, considering I've bought FF1 through FFXI... that includes all the PSX RPGs that I didn't really think were up to snuff compared to their previous games. But hell, I don't even like FFV or FFII much at all either. There's several in this very thread who have always given good reasons as to why they like the series and I respect them and their reasons. I've not argued directly against any of them, nor have I included them into the group of people that I have contact with that I know really don't look beyond this stuff for whatever reason. I think Desbreko and Sage would agree with that, as I don't remember ever just telling them they were wrong to like something I don't... which is how I feel I am being portrayed in some ways here. Hell, just knowing that, for example, Sage has looked into other games but didn't like them as much for whatever reason is fine by me. It doesn't mean that I think Sage is dumb and doesn't realize how good those games really are... because I think the opposite. I don't think many people even try, quite honestly. Yet, at the same time, many do. Some may use FF as a barometer that measures how a RPG should be and not give another game a fair chance. Others may play for hours hoping to enjoy it and just never really do. Whatever, at least there was an attempt. I think many people do try, but I think many people simply just do not. There is a mix, and I don't think anything I've said before goes against that. FF is obviously the most popular RPG series on this board. Second place is probably Kingdom Hearts followed by some other Square-based game. RPG-wise, this is a rather Square-oriented board in many ways, which I don't think is a bad thing. I say this only because it leads me to this: if this board had a huge Vandal Hearts fanbase or Beyond the Beyond fanbase or Arc the Lad or even Growlanser, I'd be doing the same thing. None of which are even remotely related to Square-Enix or Final Fantasy. There are many, many, many RPGs out there I do not like, but why talk about them when only a handful of people here really know much about them at all? As such, I'm stuck venting any real frustrations towards one series because that's really all there is to talk about. Thus, I don't have any real balance here. The only games I can really profess any dislike about are games that actually get more than a few posts in their threads... Generally they're not talked about here. I can't really look like I dislike anything else when there's nothing here about it and so this really just becomes me against the varying FF fans, which is not something I want in the first place. I'd rather be in a thread talking about a game I'm really enjoying, like I've done with SMT:N... but even that is only with the same few people. Even in there, however, I am open to admitting it's not for everyone and it doesn't do a lot of things people may enjoy. I've not been making as broad of generalizations over Final Fantasy and its players as it seems people think I am. I don't know how to make it any more clear lol... so here is a summary of my main point all along that I don't think has anything mean or implicative in it: "Many people do not look past FF games for whatever reason and I feel they may be missing out on the other, lesser known RPGs that I personally enjoy more." I edited this to be far shorter because most of it just wasn't needed. I think my point is made, but who knows.

I wasn't meaning things like helping out old ladies and selling girl scout cookies... lol. More like perhaps going along with some cartel and selling the information to the police. Or being undercover in some situations. The thing you put up just now fits more into the idea I was looking for.

I have not played any GTA3 based titles since the original... so my question might have already been addressed by the following titles. I realize the game is called "Grand Theft Auto" and obviously implies the nature of what you will be doing. However, with all these discussions on the vast amounts of "freedom" this game gives you, is there really any way to make progress in this game without doing bad things? It all seemed to consist of drive-bys and picking up prostitutes. For something that is portrayed as open ended in that sense, it sure seems to stuff you down one direct path. This isn't a bad thing, I'm just curious as to whether or not they've addressed that in this title. By the way, doing missions in a police car doesn't count lol.

I'm not basing my thoughts on Final Fantasy on anyone else's interests really, other than my own. To me, lacking dungeons of any value is a problem. FFX, for example, had areas that basically just amounted to long tunnels. The Sphere Trials could be considered "dungeons" due to their nature, but they were incredibly poor in design. I doubt anyone would contest that. Now, would this be a problem if I didn't buy the original Final Fantasy on the NES at launch and grow up with this series? I doubt it. I've sat by and watched it change arbitrarily until I just decided I didn't want to buy the things anymore. The fact of the matter is that FF used to have dungeons. Interesting, well thought-out dungeons at that. They've been completely thrown to the wayside and the series has gone on to attract a totally different type of RPG gamer. Is this a bad thing? Of course not. However, as someone who has been pretty much just forced out of this series due to its changes since the PSX days, I can't help but feel neglected in some way. To me, this is an issue and a reason to not be into the current incarnations of the series. It's like taking Zelda or Mario or really anything else and removing things that I personally (and many others) consider the meat of the franchise. Would everyone here react to that well? I doubt it. People are still arguing about the [i]look[/i] of The Wind Waker despite the gameplay being mostly the same as OoT. The things that interested me at the start no longer remain and what is left is a shell with lots of flash, really. What is there now just isn't what got me into the series to begin with. There's a reason I'm interested in FF1&2 on the GBA more than the past five Final Fantasy titles and it certainly isn't "nostalgia". There's also a reason I'm interested in FFXII - a new battle system, a REAL world map, the possiblity of some halfway decent dungeon segments and new designers such as Matsuno. I think when people read "dungeon" they think of a 15 level cave. I don't even care about that much, just something more than three screens with one way to go. I'm not looking for the next Wizardry title with a 105 story castle. I'm looking for something that is actually remotely challenging to get through and doesn't involve pushing blocks into holes. This doesn't mean I want to spend hours leveling up my characters. A want for dungeons [i]does not equal[/i] a want for dungeon crawlers. I think that's an important thing to say and it seems to be something people misunderstand quite regularly. Dungeon crawlers are the type of thing James is citing in his above post and that is not what I am expecting out of RPGs, especially ones such as FF. They are not what I'm talking about. For example, Shin Megami Tensei, Grandia, Lunar and so forth have the ability to customize characters, contain heavy story sections and anything else something like FF would contain. However, the areas you must transverse are "dungeons" in the sense that there is more to them than three doorways and four screens that all lead to the same linear location. Some time has to be invested and some mental power has to be used. I don't think this is much to ask, especially when FF used to pride itself on these very things. FFTactics doesn't have dungeons. It has areas where you battle and the entire thing is visible from the get go. Spending an hour and a half in a battle is not something I'm looking for either... but really, fight after fight in that game with some actual mental ability being used can be far more entertaining than a more simple battle system at times. Despite its awful translation, FFTactics has a more compelling storyline than most normal FF games anyway, in my opinion. FFTactics and FFTactics Advance sold very well, really. That's only one issue I have with the series, personally. It goes on from there to many other things. Would people necessarily consider the things I think are problems as problems? Who knows. All I know is that I raise my own $50 for these videogames and Final Fantasy rarely gets it anymore.

The game even came out in a rather terrible Atari 2600 version. I almost bought it back when it was new... lol

[quote name='Sword Breaker']Frankly, I'm a bit concerned about the games. The games themselves seem great, the only problem I have is that... well, for me at least, it was the sheer simplicity of the games that made them truely enjoyable. If all we get are just simplified, smaller N64-graphic style games, then I dont think it'll be able to compete with the newer GBA, whenever that comes out. I'm hoping it wont be so, but it may very well be, which will make me sad.[/quote] Well, if you go by Nintendo's quotes, they say this is a "third pillar" meaning it's completely independant from the Game Boy line. Now, even if the GBA2 (or whatever) comes out relatively soon, the DS still has its own quirks that make it viable in some way. Obviously any idea requiring two screens or a stylus would be impractical (more like impossible) on any normal gaming unit. We'll see what happens. Talks of the next GBA always put it in PSP power territory, which isn't a bad thing.

[quote name='Morpheus']I Thoroughly enjoy turn based RPGs such as Dragon Warrior, Dragon warrior monsters, Super mario RPG series, Pokemon, and the like. I just thought that in final fantasy there were too many menial tasks, find him, talk to her, use this, It felt like I was doing something for no reward at all. The combat system is solid, but nothing sticks out or feels right.[/quote] Then I really don't get your reasoning... Because really, the reasons you seem to dislike FF for describe almost any turn based RPG I've ever played. I mean, Dragon Warrior is one of my top few series ever, but even it fits under that description. How many people in that game do you have to speak to in order to progress with the right information that unlocks some sort of event? How many times must you find several things to unlock some new area? How many times must you search out one single item deep in some dungeon to keep going? While I agree that Final Fantasy as a series is very overrated (mainly because many people seem to think it's the only RPG series that exists at all) and I do agree that little really [i]stands out[/i], the argument presented isn't very compelling. Now, I have lots of problems with the series, personally. Ranging from the different magic systems, to the experience divisons, the almost complete obliteration of serious dungeons since FF7, to the stories and characters themselves, the overuse of incredibly worn out plot mechanics in nearly every game since FF6... but citing things that pretty much make a console RPG what it is in its current form doesn't really seem like a good way to make the case, in my opinion. I do feel like I worked for something a lot more in DW and other RPGs than FF, if that's what you mean. It does make the act of acquiring such things a bit more meaningful (a reward, I would guess?) in some ways. The fights are generally more difficult in general and many require more than really just being at the right level. Perhaps that's what you mean?

[url]http://psp.ign.com/articles/560/560947p1.html[/url] [quote]Sony Computer Entertainment has at last put all forms of speculation (well, most of them, anyway) to rest. Today, the company announced final details on the Japanese launch of the PSP. It will take place this year, as previously promised. The system will be released to Japan on December 12, 2004. The base system, model number PSP-1000, will retail for 19,800 yen (20,790 yen with tax -- at current US exchange rates, that's approx. $185-190) and will include the system, AC adapter and battery pack. SCE also has a number of optional accessories launch with the system on 12/12: Memory Stick Duo Model: PSP-M32 Price: 2800 yen (2940 yen with tax) Specs: Magic Gate, 32 Megabytes PSP AC Adapter Model: PSP-100 Price: 3500 yen (3675 with tax) Specs: 100V - 240V, 50/60Hz PSP Battery Pack Model: PSP-110 Price: 4800 yen (5040 yen with tax) Specs: 3.6V/1800mAh PSP Headphones With Remote Control Model: PSP-140(W) Price: 2800 yen (2940 yen with tax) Color: white Specs: inner-ear headphones, functions for play, pause, FF, FR, volume, hold PSP Soft Case & Hand Strap Model: PSP-170(B) Price: 2000 yen (2100 yen with tax) Color: soft case is black, hand strap is white Case Size: 195 x 7.5 x 108 mm (width, height, depth) Strap Size: 189 x 3.3 x 9 mm (width, height, depth) In addition to the base unit, SCE will make the PSP available as part of a so-called "Value Pack." This package (PSP-1000K) will cost 24,800 yen (26,040 yen with tax) and will include the system and all the accessories listed above. Unfortunately, SCE hasn't provided details on the system's lineup of launch titles. It has stated that 21 PSP games will gradually arrive throughout the year both from first party and third party sources, but how many of these will arrive on 12/12 will have to wait for a future announcement. Sony Computer Entertainment of America has not announced its side of the plans for PSP. The system will be released in North America in early 2005 (with a European release further into the year). The current ratio for yen-dollar exchange is fairly close to 100-1 (a 'yenny' is a penny, so just move the decimal over two places and you're close), with Japanese prices typically slightly higher than American prices. The base price of 19,800 for the PSP is about $185 US, meaning the system could weigh in here somewhere between $179 and $199. The Value System costs 24,800 yen, which is about $232 in our money. Knowing typical Japanese prices, one might guess that the US system could be priced here even further below the 200 dollar mark than our estimates. However, there is one caveat to taking the PSP's US conversion on the lower end: the Nintendo DS was recently announced for a US price of $149, with a Japanese price of exactly 15,000 yen, so unless competition drives down the US price, we do not expect yet for the US PSP launch to significantly undercut the Japanese price. However, with the base system being so inexpensive in Japan, the price here is essentially guaranteed to be under $200. Included are pictures of the system and its final accessories. Also be sure and check out our other stories in today's headlines as SCE let the flood gates open on official PSP details.[/quote] Well, any worries about the price of this thing have been shattered. I'm certain Sony is taking heavy losses on this thing, but I suppose it's required if they really want to cut into the market seeing as though Nintendo has a lock on it currently. I still don't see anything directly about battery life, other than battery packs. Plus, it looks like saving requires memory sticks... Buying the base unit seems like only the first of a few things you'd need to get to really use it lol.

There's more thought to it than simply that... I'd say that and I don't even really like FF much. Sounds more like you don't like turn based RPGs in general, however, so it's rather unfair to target one single series in my opinion.

I don't know, I honestly do feel the amount of demons that have death/expel magic is a bit high... I think the main issue for me is that I do not have lots of time to dedicate to this game and getting killed in one single hit by some weak demon after spending almost two hours in a Kapla can be really, really frustrating. If I could just play again, then I'd not care... but sometimes I only have a couple hours to play within a few days time. I feel like I didn't accomplish anything in the game lol. I do get bothered that I can't save in the field though. This wasn't as much of a problem in the other SMT games because the field was so small by comparison... but if you're in a new area and have been searching through it without finding a Terminal, it's just a pain to have to go back to a previous area and save there. My lack of patience with that is probably the only real problem lol. I tend to just keep playing and in my head, I'm doing what I have to do to keep my characters healed... but then Mudo or Hama happens and that goes down the drain. I need to plan better lol. I've honestly not had a problem with any of the Fiends other than the first. That guy was just a sudden jump in difficulty compared to anything before him...

[QUOTE=James][color=#667F84]The problem with game reviews (at least, most of the ones I've read) is that they are simply too short. From the sounds of it, this is a game that requires more analysis than a simple one or two page review can provide. So, I'll probably pick it up when I can. Thanks to Tony for his lengthy impressions; that stuff is always great to see on here.[/color][/QUOTE] It's funny because I hadn't played a huge amount of the game when I wrote those. They have some issues (I spelled the name of the moon incorrectly for sure lol), but if I can write that much after what I played, I don't think the reviewers should have a problem either. Magazines of course have alloted space, but places like IGN don't. Plus, I am not sure if I mentioned this, but a few of the reviews I've read have just outright wrong information on them. One of the reviews mentioned the alignment paths and had a rather large mistake there. I don't know your current status, but I don't think Atlus has a PAL release studio at all... I could be wrong, but I have not heard of one. Are you able to play imported NTSC games? Anyway, if there's any specific questions from people who may be interested in this game, I 'm sure they could be answered here easily heh.

I do have a couple of gripes with this game and they're likely why some people cite the game's difficulty. First, the lack of Save points. You cannot save on the world map at all, you have to find specific Terminals to save in. Not a huge deal, but they're purposely not peppered throughout larger dungeons (I've never seen more than two, and that's in the hardest of areas) so that you are pretty much screwed. It can be annoying when you're playing two hours and haven't gone back to find a save point. The other thing that bothers me are Death and Expel spells. Examples are Hama cast by various angels and Mudo by random others. ************* instant death attacks. Many of the more difficult RPG series have these spells. The problem here is that a lot of random creatures have these attacks. I might be wandering through some random area at Level 42. I come across Level 8 angels... They cast Hama on my main character, he dies. Now these spells often just do not work at all. They miss a lot. However, I feel like they miss far less on your main character, and in this game, if he dies, you just right out lose. There are Magatama that give you anti-death and anti-expel defensive boosts while you have them equipped. However, the one that voids death is weak to expel and the one that voids expel is weak to death. So you're stuck leveling them up in areas where the demons don't know these attacks until they (thank god!) teach you Anti-Death and Anti-Expel skills. They're a god send. I guess if you plan ahead and do these things, those attacks would do nothing to you... but it's still annoying lol.

You're not supposed to double post here... but given that we both have an interest in this title, I feel that I can safely say that no one else here had any real interest in it. No one vocal about it anyway and I've yet to purchase it. I doubt you'll find an answer here, so I'd just try gamefaqs.com

I admittedly am not a huge fan of FF7. I realize its importance in the market, however. At the same time, when any game has this amount of things surrounding it announced so closely together, it does seem like one thing: milking. Years of people writing stories and posts about how they long for a sequel to a game (one that had a proper, closing ending even, in my eyes) and nothing. Then suddenly, boom boom boom boom boom. Several things are announced within the course of a few months. If things turn out, that's cool, but I'd rather more energy was concentrated on new, exciting titles. There's too much of a reliance on name and sequels nowadays. I don't know if it's the fault of the companies or just scared, burned customers... but I don't know how it could be a good thing. The best things out of Square in the past several years have not been FF games, at least in my opinion, but rather smaller, offbeat titles such as Vagrant Story. Of course, that was largely ignored over here and many who have played it knock it off quickly because they seemingly were expecting some sort of FF-style gameplay. I don't know, that's just my guess lol. I am thinking that this PSP game could be quite cool if it is done in some sort of pseudo-Secret of Mana style though.

Labyrinth of Amala is a *****. The first level is worth going through early on... but there are no free healing points (just the expensive Dr. Dark and those bars that bring you back to the entrance, no shops, no save points, no recruiting... lol. Comparing it to Pokemon is rather uninformed, mostly because that review marks it as a negative point. The series has allowed these things since before Pokemon even existed and attacking it for what is a staple in the series is rather dumb. Ignoring its other strengths because of that quality bothers me. I read a lot of reviews of this game and sit back and wonder if the reviewer even understood it, as egotistical as that may sound on my part. Especially reviews that ***** about "not getting the right demons". There are no "right" demons. It's as if people expect these things to fall into their laps without work... predetermined parties that save them time. The whole string of comments claiming the battle system is lackluster confuse me. They are only brought up because the game isn't real time, which I'm finding is the new "cool thing" for people who do reviews in magazines, despite it being around forever (the current versions are all rather similar to SNES incarnations even, hardly new). I don't consider this a fault for Nocturne. Really, the battle system is similar to FFXs, but requires more skill and planning. People loved FFX's system apparently, so what changed? In addition to all that offers, you have recruiting, conversations and the whole press turn system that completely mixes it all up creating something new. I don't get it, lol. Oh well.

Deception was actually announced for GameCube somewhat recently. I guess they just put it on the backburner as it didn't do as well on GC as it did on other systems (although it still sold a couple hundred thousand copies, I believe... not so bad). Supposedly the best one yet, so I might check it out. I've never been into the series, but the MK-style battle chess (obviously based off of the rather violent PC game, Battle Chess it seems) looks quite cool, as does that puzzle game.