05-09-2015, 09:56 AM
Haven't posted about games in a while, so I thought it might be worth sharing some stuff. Firstly, as per usual I have an update regarding Final Fantasy XV, as the developers have effectively used the demo they released as a beta test and have commented in their latest report about what will be changed/adjusted following feedback. See the top 15 things (in order) to be addressed:
http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2015/04/28/squar...fantasy-xv
It's nice that they've really put in the effort to engage the market and get feedback, rather than essentially telling people what they want (looking at you FFXIII!!).
I'm also going through a classic JRPG phase right now. I'm probably about 2/3 of the way through Persona 4 Golden and holy crap it's a good game. It's got dungeon crawling as a large portion of the game and I don't like dungeon crawling in general, but I'm ok with it as the rest of the game, with the character interaction, relationship building and general depth in story and character is outstanding.
It's testament to the game that I've managed to get a little under 65 hours into it so far, despite juggling work, home, family and so much other stuff in general. Also, for those wondering if I'm 2/3 into the game and have already played 60+ hours, does that mean it's over 90 hours long, the answer is yes, it's a behemoth of a game and that 90 hours is mostly just the main story, with sidequests etc you're looking at 150 hours probably.
Next up is Final Fantasy Tactics, which I dug out my old PSP for as I failed to get into it in the past. This time, I've put more time into it and am currently around 3/4 of the way through and like P4G, this game is sublime. Really good story and characters, while the gameplay (which is basically all battles), as amazing. It's basically like chess, being a strategy RPG, with your characters developing skills and thus having unique abilities which can turn the battle in an instance. It's a game with a steep learning curve and requires some patience, particularly early on, but a little perseverance is rewarded with a deep and engaging game and a story that is genuinely worth playing out, something I didn't think would be possible given the general design of the game.
Last of the JRPGs is Suikoden 2. I've not started this one, having just bought it last weekend and not wanting to get into it until I've finished P4G or FFTactics, but it's largely considered one of the greatest JRPGs ever by those who have played it. It originally came out on the PSOne, but was overlooked by pretty much everyone as it came out a few weeks after FF8 (I think). It's apparently got an incredible story that's drawn comparisons with Game of Thrones, set during a war where you can build groups and have up to 108 characters in your party, each one apparently fleshed out with a detailed back story and valued as an important character.
Also, I played PT on the PS4 a few weeks back and it's amazing. It's a teaser demo made by Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid creator) and Guillermo Del Toro (the film director). It's a horror game that's incredibly well made and probably the best representation of horror in a game I've played. After coming out, it was announced it was going to be the next Silent Hill game, Silent Hills, and was going to star Norman Reedus (Daryll from Walking Dead). The catch? Kojima seems to have had a falling out with Konami and is set to leave when MGS5 is out, meaning Silent Hills has now been cancelled. PT has also been removed from the PS Store and is not available to download anymore (even if you have "purchased" it before). So, that means unless you have this downloaded on your PS4 and ready to play, you can't play PT (thankfully, I do!). It's a real shame, because this was a special experience.
http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2015/04/28/squar...fantasy-xv
It's nice that they've really put in the effort to engage the market and get feedback, rather than essentially telling people what they want (looking at you FFXIII!!).
I'm also going through a classic JRPG phase right now. I'm probably about 2/3 of the way through Persona 4 Golden and holy crap it's a good game. It's got dungeon crawling as a large portion of the game and I don't like dungeon crawling in general, but I'm ok with it as the rest of the game, with the character interaction, relationship building and general depth in story and character is outstanding.
It's testament to the game that I've managed to get a little under 65 hours into it so far, despite juggling work, home, family and so much other stuff in general. Also, for those wondering if I'm 2/3 into the game and have already played 60+ hours, does that mean it's over 90 hours long, the answer is yes, it's a behemoth of a game and that 90 hours is mostly just the main story, with sidequests etc you're looking at 150 hours probably.
Next up is Final Fantasy Tactics, which I dug out my old PSP for as I failed to get into it in the past. This time, I've put more time into it and am currently around 3/4 of the way through and like P4G, this game is sublime. Really good story and characters, while the gameplay (which is basically all battles), as amazing. It's basically like chess, being a strategy RPG, with your characters developing skills and thus having unique abilities which can turn the battle in an instance. It's a game with a steep learning curve and requires some patience, particularly early on, but a little perseverance is rewarded with a deep and engaging game and a story that is genuinely worth playing out, something I didn't think would be possible given the general design of the game.
Last of the JRPGs is Suikoden 2. I've not started this one, having just bought it last weekend and not wanting to get into it until I've finished P4G or FFTactics, but it's largely considered one of the greatest JRPGs ever by those who have played it. It originally came out on the PSOne, but was overlooked by pretty much everyone as it came out a few weeks after FF8 (I think). It's apparently got an incredible story that's drawn comparisons with Game of Thrones, set during a war where you can build groups and have up to 108 characters in your party, each one apparently fleshed out with a detailed back story and valued as an important character.
Also, I played PT on the PS4 a few weeks back and it's amazing. It's a teaser demo made by Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid creator) and Guillermo Del Toro (the film director). It's a horror game that's incredibly well made and probably the best representation of horror in a game I've played. After coming out, it was announced it was going to be the next Silent Hill game, Silent Hills, and was going to star Norman Reedus (Daryll from Walking Dead). The catch? Kojima seems to have had a falling out with Konami and is set to leave when MGS5 is out, meaning Silent Hills has now been cancelled. PT has also been removed from the PS Store and is not available to download anymore (even if you have "purchased" it before). So, that means unless you have this downloaded on your PS4 and ready to play, you can't play PT (thankfully, I do!). It's a real shame, because this was a special experience.
