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Post by toei on Mar 5, 2022 13:14:25 GMT -5
I'm #NativeTechGang, I don't need texture packs and upres anything.
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Post by toei on Mar 13, 2022 19:53:43 GMT -5
Ever since I bought a PSP, I'd been curious about the Valhalla Knights games. They both got bad reviews, but they looked and sounded like serviceable action RPGs/dungeon crawlers. Anyway, I gave them a shot, and now I understand. The first thing I noticed is how bad simply walking around feels. This is something I've talked about with Sarge a few times; how important it is that basic movement feels right in a game. When it comes to something as fundamental and basic as just walking in a 3D space, I'm not picky. I really can't think of many games that got it wrong. But this game absolutely does. It feels awful. When you push the joystick in a direction, there's a near one-second delay before you start walking, and then you keep walking for about a second after you release it. It's hard to turn around, and often causes you to slow down from a run to a slow walk for no reason. It's like trying to pilot an incredibly clumsy robot. I don't think my description does it justice. If you're wondering what "bad walking" even feels like, fire up Valhalla Knights on PPSSPP. It makes you not want to explore the dungeons, in a game where all you have to do is explore a dungeon and fight. They sort of half-fixed it for the sequel. It's not quite as much of a struggle, but it's still unnecessarily awkward and unpleasant. Other than that, this is a dungeon crawler. It's only sort of half-action. Enemies are visible on the map, but approaching them takes you to a separate battle screen. I hate that an action RPG has to have a transition for every battle. The fighting is real-time, but it isn't really skill-based. You sort of have to take damage to deal it, like in a turn-based RPG; you hit a couple times, you get hit, and so on. Plus you have up to 5 other people with you that you don't control, so it doesn't feel like you're doing much. Those games seem pretty bad to me. It's a mystery how they got to make 4.
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Post by Sarge on Mar 13, 2022 22:20:29 GMT -5
What is it most similar to? I feel like maybe it came out in that era of portable RPG gaming where they're this sort of quest-based, generic mission structure that was considered "ideal" for on-the-go gaming since it was bite-sized, but it really just meant in the end they were shallow and boring. I also have to wonder how well it sold in Japan - I know they were wild about the DS and PSP, and maybe this was one of the titles that found some success.
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Post by toei on Mar 13, 2022 22:48:56 GMT -5
I don't know what it's most similar to. I see Monster Hunter comparisons, and I know that series is huge in Japan. Except MH seems to take place mostly outdoors, while this is mostly generic dungeons.
The first one was one of the very first PSP RPG releases, I believe, so I understand it might have done well. 2 had the exact same setup, and the Wii-exclusive 3rd game looks like a forgotten PC RPG from 1999, so I'm guessing they made their money back just because they cost very little to make.
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Post by Sarge on Mar 13, 2022 23:15:44 GMT -5
Yeah, I was wondering, as Monster Hunter was pinging around in my head. I might have even tried it for a bit, but it clearly didn't stick for me. Tempted to try it again just to witness the pain you speak of.
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Post by Ex on Mar 13, 2022 23:36:42 GMT -5
I actually own a legit copy of this: Who knows, by the third entry maybe they actually got moving right at least. Years back I spent a fair amount of time with the original Monster Hunter on PS2. I didn't have any issues with its character movement or momentum, I quit playing because it was extraordinarily grindy, and had unrewarding offline single player. I've also played Monster Hunter Freedom Unite on PSP via local co-op. It was funner via co-op, but still incredibly grindy. I hope the latter MH entries reduce the grind, and maybe even have rewarding single player.
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Post by Xeogred on Mar 13, 2022 23:46:56 GMT -5
I think Monster Hunter is still Monster Hunter in those regards. World just had enough quality of life improvements and good controls/impact to the combat for new players (including myself). The earlier games looked pretty wacky to me, but I have a friend who's been into them for a long while. Maybe the spinoffs actually have legit single player campaigns. I beat World... couldn't tell you a thing about the story.
It still amuses me that Peace Walker had a few nods and cameos of Monster Hunter stuff, lol.
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Post by toei on Jul 5, 2023 8:27:49 GMT -5
So I've been looking into the post-numeral Phantasy Stars and playing a little Phantasy Star Online, except, you know, offline. Looks like the consensus among fans is that the best single-player experience, and maybe the pinnacle of the series overall, is Phantasy Star Portable 2 on the PSP. The games in the Phantasy Star Universe timeline were all meant to work as both online RPGs and full-fledged offline RPGs with a proper story, characters, etc. PSU itself had a larger world with multiple cities, though I don't think Portable does (it's just a hub). PSU was generally poorly-received, though. Everyone seems to agree that the story, characters and much of the gameplay are terrible. PS Portable worked as a sequel to it story-wise while also bringing the series back towards PSO's style, and is much better-liked, while PSP2 is flat-out beloved in some quarters. So I might give it a shot at some point. There's also PSP2 Infinity, which is both an improved version of the original and a sequel (kind of like PSO Episodes 1 & 2 on the Gamecube), which was fan-translated a couple years ago.
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Post by Ex on Jul 5, 2023 10:09:38 GMT -5
toei I've only played two games in the "post-numeral Phantasy Stars" series.
The first was Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II on GameCube. With that one, I got a couple hours into it, and was bored out of mind and dropped it. I liked the futuristic aesthetics, but the game design was too simple (for my tastes), ludicrously repetitive, and too focused on grinding loot for me to care. I understand how that formula would have excelled as an online game back in 2000, but as a single player experience I wasn't into it. The second was Phantasy Star Ø on DS. It wasn't much better, but it was decent enough that I bothered to beat it (rated 6/10).
So my experience with the "post-numeral Phantasy Stars" has not been impressive. That said, I've never played the PSP entries, perhaps they are less banal and tedious. I would be willing to give Phantasy Star Nova a try, but Sega didn't bother localizing the most recent entry in English. All of this is not meant to dissuade you, though. By all means give the series a chance. I know bonesnapdeez is a big fan, and so was dunpeal2064 (wherefore art thou?).
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Post by Xeogred on Jul 5, 2023 11:24:11 GMT -5
I got 90 hours offline out of PSO 1+2 on the GC. Half of that was probably solo and the other with a friend. It's a Diablo loot game and the main driving force was repeatedly beating levels/bosses to get better gear. Had a blast with it 20 years ago since it was kind of new to me at the time, but yeah I don't know about playing it in 2023 for very long. I don't recall any story whatsoever. Very cool aesthetic and OST though.
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