THE BORE
General => Video Game Bored => Topic started by: TVC15 on August 30, 2007, 02:51:49 AM
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Definitely not for folks looking for a progressive RPG. Or even an RPG that would have passed for progressive last gen. Or the gen before that.
This is basically a 16-bit, old school RPG dressed up with superficial next gen trappings, like very clean (but not particularly impressive) visuals and a decent quality soundtrack.
Charming is a good word to describe it. The designs are nice (though DQ8's cel shading rendered Toriyama's designs with more visual style), the combat is snappy (even if the system definitely feels like something you've visited a dozen or more times before), and to give it a bit of not-completely-old-school spicing, there are no random encounters. But grinding is still rewarded.
The rudimentary class system feels right out of FFV. The game lets you switch up classes really early, within the first few hours. It's a nice touch, even if there are only 9 (I think) classes.
There's some slowdown during battles. Kind of inexplicable slowdown, too, happening at weird times when there's really not much going on (the constant slowdown during post-battle flourishes comes to mind). It never bugged me that much. It's not like the game slows down to a Two Worlds-esque crawl or anything, and I have yet to encounter slowdown during real gameplay.
I've only put 3 hours in, but unless things take a terrible downturn, this is a solid "good" game for fans of the genre. And by fans of the genre, I mean those that know they are going to be knee deep in something that appears to have been designed in like 1995. For some of us, that sounds like a good damned time.
EDIT: Also, let's you play with the voices in either Japafaganese, English, or French. I picked Japafaganese because I had heard no indication on how the dub was, and I figured better safe than sorry. You can also skip cutscenes.
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About the job system, does the appearance of your characters change when they change jobs?
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About the job system, does the appearance of your characters change when they change jobs?
I don't think so. I haven't actually switched classes yet (though I've had the option to for a bit now), but none of the default classes currently equipped have visual styles affiliated with them, so I'd assume none of them do.
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its cool
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Yeah, I picked this up yesterday but haven't had a chance to play it yet... this weekend I'll be breaking it out. Thanks for the impressions, once again it reaffirms that I'm gonna love this game.
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I cant understand the battle slowdown, youd think that would be some kind of priority fix too
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Good stuff
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Told you all that it was good a while ago.
Have you seen the GameSpot review? The reviewer complains that the battle/experience/job system turns every character into a generic mess.
What an ignorant twit. It's Final Fantasy V in 3D! For fans of this game this is heaven. Hell, even FFV had a passable, Dragon Ball sort of plot just like Blue Dragon has.
But Blue Dragon has a cute sentimental plot too, so it's a step above FFV. It gives you some Skies of Arcadia vibes at times.
So ridiculous to see so many reviewers bash Blue Dragon. Everyone LOVED it in Japan. American people for the most part don't want to see turn-based games on next-gen consoles, pure and simple.
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Console action rpgs suck ass. Turn based for life. >:(
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Old school turn-based goodness? Yes, please!!
Seriously, I don't understand why reviewers have been slamming this game, it looks awesome.
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I bet they're the xbots who were clamoring for more jrpgs on the xbox console and when they finally get one they realize they don't like jrpgs.
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Blue Dragon would be better if it was set int the streetwise ghettos of WWII
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I'm fuckin buying this today, screw waiting for it in the mail. I will just take the review copy back to EB if I get it
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Old school turn-based goodness? Yes, please!!
Seriously, I don't understand why reviewers have been slamming this game, it looks awesome.
It's ridiculous that contrastingly, they're all hyped for Eternal Sonata which ended up being an extremely mediocre console RPG, only with a mindless button-mashing battle system and cel-shaded graphics. So damn transparent.
It's not every one of us who want every game to measure our ability to mash a button as fast as possible, and pull a joystick to move some character to the other side of the screen as quick as it can be done.
Also, action RPGs aren't epic, combats simply feel mundane and mindless. It also feels weird whenever some epic battle music starts when a monster gets near, only to end abruptly when it's slayed down (like in say, Oblivion). On the other hand, turn-based fights are really epic and the songs accompany the fights perfectly.
Reviewers want all turn-based games to fail on next-gen consoles. Many of them shamelessly allude to it. Expect a similar level of dissing around Lost Odyssey's release at the end of the year even if the game itself ends up being a masterpiece.
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eternal sonata looks like shit
lol action rpgs
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At this point Eternal Sonata only really looks interesting because of its soundtrack.
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Isnt mondain the guy who said battles didnt have chop in blue dragon and that dirt ps3 is smooth as silk and better than 360. Omg fuk moran total.
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Old school turn-based goodness? Yes, please!!
Seriously, I don't understand why reviewers have been slamming this game, it looks awesome.
It's ridiculous that contrastingly, they're all hyped for Eternal Sonata which ended up being an extremely mediocre console RPG, only with a mindless button-mashing battle system and cel-shaded graphics. So damn transparent.
It's not every one of us who want every game to measure our ability to mash a button as fast as possible, and pull a joystick to move some character to the other side of the screen as quick as it can be done.
Also, action RPGs aren't epic, combats simply feel mundane and mindless. It also feels weird whenever some epic battle music starts when a monster gets near, only to end abruptly when it's slayed down (like in say, Oblivion). On the other hand, turn-based fights are really epic and the songs accompany the fights perfectly.
Reviewers want all turn-based games to fail on next-gen consoles. Many of them shamelessly allude to it. Expect a similar level of dissing around Lost Odyssey's release at the end of the year even if the game itself ends up being a masterpiece.
For once I agree with Mondain. I'm tempted to buy this game since I'm at my Gamefly limit and have nothing to send back yet. I gotta check out the demo on my new HD TV.
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Isnt mondain the guy who said battles didnt have chop in blue dragon and that dirt ps3 is smooth as silk and better than 360. Omg fuk moran total.
uh, when making the Evilbore thread I said that UP TO NOW there seemed to be somewhat less slowdown in certain Blue Dragon cutscenes when compared to what I remembered seeing in the japanese build of the game
when completing the game further I saw that as cutscenes and areas got more ambitious and shadow attacks more spectacular, there were a whole bunch of instances of unfortunate slowdown, but fortunately nothing that was too dramatic
the thread wasn't updated to add these precisions but only because I strictly posted on OA for a few consecutive days
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MORAN GET TEH FUK OUT
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I might skip on MP3 to put in another Brue Dragon session today, actually. I keep thinking about it. Haven't even opened WA5, and I'm kind of wary about starting another JRPG while I'm already doing another.
Oh, also, the game gets started relatively quickly. The first 2 hours or so are peppered with cut scenes, but you never go very long without getting to play or at least move around.
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God when will work end today??? I wanna play this game so bad. :(
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I might skip on MP3 to put in another Brue Dragon session today, actually. I keep thinking about it. Haven't even opened WA5, and I'm kind of wary about starting another JRPG while I'm already doing another.
Oh, also, the game gets started relatively quickly. The first 2 hours or so are peppered with cut scenes, but you never go very long without getting to play or at least move around.
Nice, I always hate the first 2-3 hours of JRPGs because there's so little gameplay. Good to hear the early pacing isn't too bad.
I'm one of the biggest opponents of shallow, traditional, turn based JRPGs but something about Blue Dragon just tickles the 12 year old in me who loved that shit to death.
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Yeah, dont straddle RPGs TVC. TRUST me.
Im actually not sure what to do. I have 8 hours at least of .Hack GU 2 left, I have WA5, Persona 3, soon to have Blue Dragon, Jean Darc, 3 hours of Luminous Arc left...at least :(
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I GOT IT cummm
Cant wait to jump in
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it's a pretty awesome game. but omg, the battle slowdown is ridiculous.
tbh, i'm way more excited about eternal sonata. that demo was orgasmic and i LOVE the battle system.
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another nice thing about this game is that it constantly offers you new sorts of mini-games, that's pretty cool
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20 min left of work to go... then meeting a girl for coffee in Hempstead, then FINALLY I will be playing this game! One of two reasons I bought my 360...
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still in the end it didn't leave a marking impression on me... a very good game, but somewhat unmemorable and generic... a plus value to owning a 360, but when all's said and done, not one of the marking reasons to buy a 360
Lost Odyssey will be the real deal, the premise is incredible and Uematsu seems to have never been any more inspired in all of his career based on the few songs that have been released so far in the various trailers... the only thing that I'm a little wary of is that the game mostly unfolds in a steampunk world
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oh man mistwalker
our new high production jrpg overlords have arrived
rip square enix
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great impressions TVC. can't wait till i get my copy, which should be another week. my backlog is getting ridiculous with all these new releases.
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I will probably pick up a copy soon if I can nab it for dirt cheap.
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Wow, this game is amazing.
No need to play last-generation tripe like WA5, this is next-gen
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Just a reminder - this game is still amazing. Looks so gorrrgeous.
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Just a reminder - this game is still amazing. Looks so gorrrgeous.
But is it better than Two Worlds? That's the important question.
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Yep, better than Two Worlds
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Played for about 7 hours today, this game is awesome!!! I love the field effects system, makes fighting a bit more pleasurable. Definite GOTY contender for me, or at least RPGOTY.
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It's got a very Dragon Quest vibe going for it.
Lots of "epic" sounding music, and the story is about Dragon Quest quality (cause we know DQ was never known for its amazing stories)
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Blue Dragon would be better if it was set int the streetwise ghettos of South Central
Fixed.
DEMI, WHY DO YOU NOT ANSWER YOUR PMS ANYMORE? :'(
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For you, I will, love.
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The end of disc 1 = fucking win.
Holy shit. The pacing may be a little slow and Grandia-esque during the beginning of the game (though I still had fun with it), it really ramps up during the last 1/4 of the first disc. Fucking epic.
I'm loving this game.