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Post by toei on Feb 8, 2021 12:52:52 GMT -5
Yeah, PS4 is overflowing with references to past games, as it was always intended as a conclusion to the series. I have a lot of respect for that, actually - it seems completely contrary to how video games are thought of now, where everything is expected to be part of a never-ending franchise. And sure, Sega brought the name back, but PSO was always something else entirely.
I put PS4 on the same level as Chrono. IMO they're the two perfect 16-bit RPGs. I like DQ6 almost as much, though, and there are other greats, but these two are something else.
I finished the game with every character. I wish they'd given my boy Gryz a powerful attack technique or two, as he could have been more useful. One thing I like about PS4, after having played the rest of the series, is that it finally has Motavians and Dezolisians/Dezorians as playable characters. They appeared in the first and second games, but only as NPCs. Motavians were basically Wookies at first, but became more interesting in later installments.
Also, it's Demi.
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Post by Xeogred on Feb 8, 2021 13:04:44 GMT -5
toei: Yeah, I could tell there was probably some nods to the first three games. It's cool that as a new player it never felt like too much was lost on me though, but I could tell old returning fans probably got even more out of PSIV. I could definitely consider venturing through this one again someday after I play the rest.
Also... Diem was a Rune Skill, so easy mix up.  Xeogred It always makes me do a double take to see how quickly you beat games. 17 hours versus HLTB's average of 23 hours for "Main + Extra" which is what you did here. You are a blitz gamer! Anyway, I'm very glad to see how much you enjoyed PS4. Now you know why I say it's the best 16-bit JRPG, or at least can see my reasoning. BTW if you ever beat PS1, that statue in the end game screenshot will have more meaning. I hope you go back and beat the rest of this series. In the Top 5's Per System thread I just bumped, I think you put PSII above PSIV even. Is that still how you'd rank them? |
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Post by Ex on Feb 8, 2021 13:56:31 GMT -5
Sega brought the name back, but PSO was always something else entirely. At this point I've played two different PSO games, and I 100% agree. They feel nothing like the original PS games. SEGA should have called the Online series something else entirely. I really need to go back and replay Chrono Trigger. When I last played/beat it, that was in 1998. I remember thinking it was decent, but it didn't blow me away. That may have been due to some considerable depression I was going through at the time, rather than the quality of the game itself. I think you put PSII above PSIV even. Is that still how you'd rank them? From a pure nostalgia-bias, yes I'd put PS2 above PS4. In cold hard reality, I'm sure PS4 is the better game. I was exactly the right age (11), and it was exactly the right time (1990), when I played through PS2. Even though that was over 30 years ago, I still recall a lot of fond memories and moments with the game. I'd wager although it may be rougher around the edges and grindier than PS4, that even today PS2 is a unique and special experience. I'll forever love its OST. |
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Post by Xeogred on Feb 8, 2021 14:15:52 GMT -5
It's rare to hear more "elegant" sounding tunes on the Genesis/MD in a way like that. Yet that extra FM crunch still helps give off a fittingly sci-fi vibe. I'm kind of tempted to jump right into the Switch version of PS1 right now haha. Since it's a first person dungeon crawler, I'm guessing it'll feel pretty different in ways so it might not be too much to run through right after PSIV. Hmmm...
EDIT: HLTB shows the Switch version hovering at 13h50m too for the Main Story. Not bad at all. Tempting! Though I was kind of thinking of giving Suikoden Tactics a look for the February Club Retro.
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Post by Ex on Feb 8, 2021 14:40:45 GMT -5
13h50m too for the Main Story So about 9 hours for you then!  If you were to play PS1 right now, it would feel different enough from PS4, to not feel like more of the same. But as we all agreed with the CR this year, if you're gonna be a 2021 curator, you have to play something for everybody else's theme. So yeah, Suikoden Tactics sounds good. I remember that one being well received in its day, even though it flew under most radars. |
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Post by toei on Feb 8, 2021 15:48:16 GMT -5
Xeogred I also played PSIV first. What's cool about all the references is that if you have no prior knowledge of the series, they just become lore instead, so it doesn't feel like you're "missing" anything.
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Post by Sarge on Feb 8, 2021 15:53:56 GMT -5
I actually played PSIII before any other, but I didn't get much time with it. It was a friend's Genesis console. Glad you had a blast with it! While I don't put it above Chrono Trigger (yeah, I know, broken record), it's close enough along with FFVI/Lufia II that it resides in that tier. Absolutely S-tier gaming, and perhaps the perfect distillation of a "sci-fi Dragon Quest". The thing it gets right is the same thing Chrono Trigger gets right - it isn't loaded with grinding, and the pacing never lets up. toei: Yeah, DQVI is another game that is very close to PSIV in quality. One of the best in the series for sure. |
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Post by Ex on Feb 8, 2021 16:15:46 GMT -5
DQVI is another game that is very close to PSIV in quality. One of the best in the series for sure. I remember you beating the DS version of DQ6 right when it released. How do you think the DS version compares to the SFC version? |
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Post by Sarge on Feb 8, 2021 16:28:19 GMT -5
I think the DS version is excellent, especially since it sports a more polished translation. However, it doesn't look quite as good on the graphical front, since it's using that PSX-style engine that distorts sprites. The SNES version is gorgeous throughout since it's all sprites. But the fan translation doesn't have quite the polish because of some of the untranslated lines (mostly just when revisiting some towns).
Honestly, I don't know which way I'd recommend. But I went through both, the SNES back when the NoPrgress patch first dropped, and the DS version when it came out over here (day one purchase, natch). It was enough of a time gap that I enjoyed both runs. (Actually, it was probably 2003 when I finally finished DQVI on SNES. So eight years.)
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Post by Xeogred on Feb 8, 2021 16:34:59 GMT -5
Playing and beating DQ3 SNES (same engine as DQ6 I believe) is pretty much what made me decide I want to play the SFC version first. DQ3 SNES looked and felt glorious.
PSIV sets the bar high, but I'm with toei and Sarge on this and suspect I'll really love DQ6 a lot too. Still planning on that sometime this year!
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