What are you playing?

[magus]

i only played the ys with the elf chick (i think it was 7?) and the remake of the original
they were okay
the rest of the series is japan only right?

[demi]

No...

[ManaByte]

Seems like a pretty big design flaw to let PVP into the n00b areas, but isn't level 15 significantly higher-than-n00b?

Levels 1-20 is the newbie island, and PVP is EVE/UO FFA chaos. So idiots just cool young dude out level 19/20 characters and park them on the island to steamroll people in the dungeon and leveling areas.

[tiesto]

i only played the ys with the elf chick (i think it was 7?) and the remake of the original
they were okay
the rest of the series is japan only right?

Nope... these are the official US releases:
-Ys Book 1 and 2 (Turbo CD, Virtual Console)
-Ys 1 (MS DOS)
-Ys 1 (SMS)
-Ys 3: Wanderers from Ys (Turbo CD, SNES, Genesis)
-Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim (PS2, PSP)
-Ys 1 and 2 (DS)

And the fan translations:
-Ys 1 (Famicom)
-Ys 2 (Famicom)
-Ys IV: Mask of the Sun (SFC)
-Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys (PC Engine CD)
-Ys: Oath in Felghana (PC)
-Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim (PC)
-Ys 1 and 2 Eternal (PC)

Still waiting on:
-Ys Origin (PC)
-Ys 5/Ys 5 Hardtype (SFC)
-some other random/redundant ports of Ys 1, 2 and 3 (including 3 for Famicom, X68000, etc, plus that weird Korean Ys 2 remake where you have an attack button
-Ys 3, 4 and 5 PS2 remakes, though these are universally considered bad

Official PSP translations coming:
-Ys: Oath in Felghana (PSP)
-Ys VII (PSP)
-Ys 1 and 2 (PSP)

[Bebpo]

Story is good, gameplay is good.

Sounds like what FF12 should have been

Exactly.  It's FFXII but 1.25x bigger and without all the production problems that fucked FFXII up in the end.

So gimme the short end of it. Should I be excited for Xenoblade?

Yeah, if you like FFXII style rpgs.

[tiesto]

Are the battles entertaining in Xenoblade? The only thing that worries me about the game (apart from time sensitive quests  ) is the battle system, not sure if it's too 'automatic' i.e. FFXII, or if it requires strategy and input.

[Bebpo]

It's a better battle system than FFXII or .Hack (the only similar MMO type jrpgs).  You always have to be giving it input.  It doesn't play on its own. 

As for strategy, certain tough unique mobs or story bosses require good strategy.  Taking on enemies above your level requires full attention.  But fighting grunts around your level or lower is generally easy like most rpgs.  I'd put the difficulty around FFXII level.

There's like 200 optional boss fights in the game though, and depending on when you take them on they can be a challenge or easy.

[etiolate]

I finally got to play some Red Dead Redemption. Really enjoyed it. I found the random ambient events more enjoyable than anything I came across in GTA.

One thing I hated was the frickin icon displays. There would be a "Push *this* to..." but almost all the icons were blurry gray squares. I could not decipher what the hell it was asking me to push.

[Bebpo]

Xenoblade pics.  Sorta spoilery

spoiler (click to show/hide)

[close]

[Bebpo]

Also I'm giving up on normal Ketsui.  For someone who is only middle-level in shmup skill, attempting to keep playing one of the most difficult shmups ever made is just frustrating.  Half the time my 1cc run ends in the 1st stage.  Instead I'm getting my enjoyment of Ketsui out of the arrange X mode.  Bullet cancels + simple scoring (KEEP SHOOTING THINGS TO KEEP COMBO GOING) make it a hell of a lot easier and pleasing.  Made it to the stage 4 mid-boss on my first 1cc attempt.  Game is totally fun and manageable in X mode until stage 4 and then it's just as insane as standard Ketsui.  Also between way more bullets, bullet cancels, and giant score chips flooding the screen X mode basically turns Ketsui into a modern Cave shmup and I like modern Cave shmups!  So it's more my style and what I'll stick with and work on improving my score.

[cool breeze]

Bebpo is so mean talking about how awesome Xenoblade is knowing it won't be translated  :'(

anyway, Dark Void Zero was really fun but too short.  Under 2 hours on medium.  I like that the game takes clips of all the times you died and plays them back for you at the end.  It actually makes me want to play Dark Avoid.

there is an achievement for beating it under 34 minutes, so I guess it is possible to if you're really good.  This on on the 360 too, right? the game has that weird 360 controller only thing for the PC version and I had to use a 360 controller emulator to use my wii classic controller pro with it.

[demi]

Its not on 360

[chronovore]

I finally got to play some Red Dead Redemption. Really enjoyed it. I found the random ambient events more enjoyable than anything I came across in GTA.

One thing I hated was the frickin icon displays. There would be a "Push *this* to..." but almost all the icons were blurry gray squares. I could not decipher what the hell it was asking me to push.

Yeah, the whole world really feels alive in RDR single-player. Ironically, it makes wandering around the multiplayer, even a fully populated Free Roam, feel less vibrant.

What icon displays are you talking about? Are you playing on a hdtv?

[Eric P]

i'm grinding through ME1.  god get me off this fucking citadel

[Smooth Groove]

i'm grinding through ME1.  god get me off this fucking citadel

1st time?

[Eric P]

last time i played it for like 6 hours and said "fuck this planet bullshit" but since then i've gotten a new OS install, so i'm playing through it again for the second time.  we'll see how long i last.  i'm just trying to get through to ME2 which everyone was praising.

[demi]

ME2 still has "that planet bullshit" except the planets are more varied than UE3 mountains

[Positive Touch]

don't do ANY sidequests eric.  they all suck and you're better off just flying through the main quest and moving on.

[demi]

I just started Strange Journey... or at least decided to pop it in. Holy moly this game is amazing. A real persona game in the palm of my hands.

[archie4208]

I just started Strange Journey... or at least decided to pop it in. Holy moly this game is amazing. A real persona game in the palm of my hands.

There is no weeaboo dating sim in SJ (thank goodness).    It's all about grindan and crawlan.

[demi]

Yes, it is like a real Persona game like 1 & 2...

[archie4208]

Gotcha.  When I think Persona I think P3 and 4. 

[demi]

It's so insane how much they lost the plot with 3 & 4. I lose a little respect for those who enjoy them

[Bebpo]

I don't think the gameplay is like Persona 1 and I haven't played 2 but I don't think its like that either.

SMT SJ gameplay is like...SMT1-3

[Smooth Groove]

I just started Strange Journey... or at least decided to pop it in. Holy moly this game is amazing. A real persona game in the palm of my hands.

Graphics look crap.  Imma wait for PSP Persona 3. 

[demi]

I don't think the gameplay is like Persona 1 and I haven't played 2 but I don't think its like that either.

SMT SJ gameplay is like...SMT1-3

Hm... nah, Nocturne sucks so I dont see the relation

[iconoclast]

I don't think the gameplay is like Persona 1 and I haven't played 2 but I don't think its like that either.

SMT SJ gameplay is like...SMT1-3

Yeah. SJ is like Nocturne except worse in every way. Still a good game though.

[Vizzys]

wrong

[Bebpo]

yeah, Nocturne is of course better than a spinoff budget title like SJ, but SJ (and Raidou 2 for that matter) make some real notable improvements to the SMT formula that will hopefully be incorporated into SMT4.

[naff]

Have a few weeks break between semesters so been playing an assortment of games. Alan Wake and Red Dead quite a bit, finished CoD4 for the first time, as well as Halo 3, tried giving gears a shot but was really sick of shooters after the last two so moved on to ToV and will hopefully find the time and will to finish FFXIII in the next few days (partway through chap 12).

Also checked out Sonys new 3D tv at Sony Style too, played their PS3 for a while, Motorstorm: PR, which suffered from a sharp drop in res but looked ok and SSHD which looked awesome (No wipeout HD 3D, it required a necessary patch and issues with online connection and their custom firmware didn't allow it to be updated  :'( ) Watched an American Football game and a real Football game on it too along with the standard 3D tech demos. Store rep reckons the glasses are going to ~250 per pair though. Gonna be a while before I can think of investing in this tech, but I was actually quite impressed with the effect. Will upgrade in a few years most likely.

[archie4208]

The Ghostbusters game is really boring.  Stupid Steam sales. :'(

[pilonv1]

At least you only paid $4 for it. At least they got the real voices.

[OptimoPeach]

I just started Strange Journey... or at least decided to pop it in. Holy moly this game is amazing. A real persona game in the palm of my hands.

Graphics look crap.  Imma wait for PSP Persona 3. 

smh

[chronovore]

Have a few weeks break between semesters so been playing an assortment of games. Alan Wake and Red Dead quite a bit, finished CoD4 for the first time, as well as Halo 3, tried giving gears a shot but was really sick of shooters after the last two so moved on to ToV and will hopefully find the time and will to finish FFXIII in the next few days (partway through chap 12).

Also checked out Sonys new 3D tv at Sony Style too, played their PS3 for a while, Motorstorm: PR, which suffered from a sharp drop in res but looked ok and SSHD which looked awesome (No wipeout HD 3D, it required a necessary patch and issues with online connection and their custom firmware didn't allow it to be updated  :'( ) Watched an American Football game and a real Football game on it too along with the standard 3D tech demos. Store rep reckons the glasses are going to ~250 per pair though. Gonna be a while before I can think of investing in this tech, but I was actually quite impressed with the effect. Will upgrade in a few years most likely.

3DTV is pretty questionable, but you're going to be best served by waiting unless you really, really must play James Cameron's Avatar: The Game. There's not a lot of 3D content out, the prices are at a premium, and the effect will only become more refined as the technology is explored.

What is SSHD? TSoG does not provide an answer.

[etiolate]

I finally got to play some Red Dead Redemption. Really enjoyed it. I found the random ambient events more enjoyable than anything I came across in GTA.

One thing I hated was the frickin icon displays. There would be a "Push *this* to..." but almost all the icons were blurry gray squares. I could not decipher what the hell it was asking me to push.

Yeah, the whole world really feels alive in RDR single-player. Ironically, it makes wandering around the multiplayer, even a fully populated Free Roam, feel less vibrant.

What icon displays are you talking about? Are you playing on a hdtv?

I am not sure if it was a hdtv or not, but the 360 was hooked up just through the r/y/w RCA jack.

One of the sequences I am bitching about is the last mission I played, which was helping the snake oil salesman push his product by shooting a guy's hat out of the air. It tells you to use dead eye, but I had not used it yet and whatever button was suppose to activate it was undecipherable on screen.

[OptimoPeach]

What icon displays are you talking about? Are you playing on a hdtv?

I am not sure if it was a hdtv or not, but the 360 was hooked up just through the r/y/w RCA jack.

That would be why. I had the same problem with The Last Remnant when I was playing on a friend's SDTV

[Mr. Gundam]

No More Heroes (PS3) -- Hey awesome, I just killed Bad Girl and the game froze up on me. GREAT.

[Smooth Groove]

Power of the Cell can't even handle a Wii game. 

[Mr. Gundam]

Power of the Cell can't even handle a Wii game. 

The 360 version is also prone to freezing up.

Shitty porters (Feel Plus) can't handle a Wii game.

[Smooth Groove]

You dare to fight my Xfud with sfud? 

[bork]

Power of the Cell can't even handle a Wii game. 

The 360 version is also prone to freezing up.

Shitty porters (Feel Plus) can't handle a Wii game.

360 got patched.  Did the PS3 version?

[Smooth Groove]

Power of the Cell can't even handle a Wii game. 

The 360 version is also prone to freezing up.

Shitty porters (Feel Plus) can't handle a Wii game.

360 got patched.  Did the PS3 version?

Only for Playstation Plus subscribers.  :hehe

[Mr. Gundam]

Power of the Cell can't even handle a Wii game. 

The 360 version is also prone to freezing up.

Shitty porters (Feel Plus) can't handle a Wii game.

360 got patched.  Did the PS3 version?

Yeah, it got patched. I never played it w/o the patch so I don't know what it did.

[archie4208]

The Ghostbusters game actually started getting pretty fun when I hit the library.

[Mr. Gundam]

Beat No More Heroes (PS3) today; absolutely loved it.

[naff]

Have a few weeks break between semesters so been playing an assortment of games. Alan Wake and Red Dead quite a bit, finished CoD4 for the first time, as well as Halo 3, tried giving gears a shot but was really sick of shooters after the last two so moved on to ToV and will hopefully find the time and will to finish FFXIII in the next few days (partway through chap 12).

Also checked out Sonys new 3D tv at Sony Style too, played their PS3 for a while, Motorstorm: PR, which suffered from a sharp drop in res but looked ok and SSHD which looked awesome (No wipeout HD 3D, it required a necessary patch and issues with online connection and their custom firmware didn't allow it to be updated  :'( ) Watched an American Football game and a real Football game on it too along with the standard 3D tech demos. Store rep reckons the glasses are going to ~250 per pair though. Gonna be a while before I can think of investing in this tech, but I was actually quite impressed with the effect. Will upgrade in a few years most likely.

3DTV is pretty questionable, but you're going to be best served by waiting unless you really, really must play James Cameron's Avatar: The Game. There's not a lot of 3D content out, the prices are at a premium, and the effect will only become more refined as the technology is explored.

What is SSHD? TSoG does not provide an answer.

Super Stardust HD. Was pretty good, really wanted to play Wipeout in 3D though. I won't be jumping in anytime soon, but once I feel the need to upgrade my 32 inch HD i'll definitely be grabbing a 3D capable set, it's going to be a standard chip (making the sets 3D) in all of Sonys future models and probably a lot of the competition will adopt the same strategy. The chip sonys using is cheap as chips apparently, however the glasses required is where the money comes in, apparently it's going to be ~$250 per pair here. Think they're 150 in Amurrica 

[Bebpo]

Beat No More Heroes (PS3) today; absolutely loved it.

Yeah, the game is great.  Lots of memorable moments. 

Now do yourself a favor and don't play the sequel even if it comes to PS3.  It's baaaaaad.

[Smooth Groove]

Does PS3 3D work with non-Sony TVs?

[Mr. Gundam]

Beat No More Heroes (PS3) today; absolutely loved it.

Yeah, the game is great.  Lots of memorable moments. 

Now do yourself a favor and don't play the sequel even if it comes to PS3.  It's baaaaaad.

What's even the point of the sequel? The game seems pretty self-contained and a sequel is totally unnecessary.

[Bebpo]

There is no point.  The sequel has no plot.

[chronovore]

I finally got to play some Red Dead Redemption. Really enjoyed it. I found the random ambient events more enjoyable than anything I came across in GTA.

One thing I hated was the frickin icon displays. There would be a "Push *this* to..." but almost all the icons were blurry gray squares. I could not decipher what the hell it was asking me to push.

Yeah, the whole world really feels alive in RDR single-player. Ironically, it makes wandering around the multiplayer, even a fully populated Free Roam, feel less vibrant.

What icon displays are you talking about? Are you playing on a hdtv?

I am not sure if it was a hdtv or not, but the 360 was hooked up just through the r/y/w RCA jack.

One of the sequences I am bitching about is the last mission I played, which was helping the snake oil salesman push his product by shooting a guy's hat out of the air. It tells you to use dead eye, but I had not used it yet and whatever button was suppose to activate it was undecipherable on screen.

I had the same issue with the dueling/quick draw mechanic. The game will explain basic blackjack and poker every time, whether or not the STATS show you winning a dozen times, but the dueling mechanic is explained only on the first use, and on Stranger/Story missions where it's required.

Dead Eye is introduced early on, but I don't think there are any subsequent chances to learn it. I've a number of friends who played for hours without using it. They just thought it was a hard game.

Oh, and as you prolly already know: standard RCA jacks (Red-White-Yellow) are only good for SDTVs... and not even the best option in most cases there. You're going to get better results from an S-vid or component cable even on an SDTV, but if the TV has VGA or HDMI/DVI ports, you should use 'em!

[ManaByte]

Started re-playing the Xbox 360 Conan. Forgot how fun it was to chop off arms.

[Mr. Gundam]

Dark Void -- Only $5. The prologue/tutorial with the jetpack was cool, but now it's just a DudeBro shooter. 

[Bebpo]

Xenoblade
Done with classes for the week and last time I stopped I was 97 hours in at the final dungeon with a bunch of the final batch of endgame quests gathered.  WILL FINISH THIS WEEKEND.  Gonna try to 100% it because the game is so good, but might be impossible on 1st run (new game+ keeps lvls and most stuff).  Longest game with a game clock I've played at this point.  Past title holder was FFXII @ 92 hours.  Although SRW games are notoriously long and have no counter so some of those could be longer.

Dark Void -- Only $5. The prologue/tutorial with the jetpack was cool, but now it's just a DudeBro shooter. 

I liked the intro but got bored and gave up by ch.5 of act 2.  Level design is super repetitive and the combat is shallow.

[Bildi]

Dark Void -- Only $5. The prologue/tutorial with the jetpack was cool, but now it's just a DudeBro shooter. 

But it's VERTICAL man!

[ManaByte]

Hit lvl 20 in Age of Conan and finally got off the newbie island into the main game and holy shit the game is gorgeous. Best looking MMO on the market by far.

[cool breeze]

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Ring of Fate

I'm really liking this game to the point where I'll probably buy the sequel right after I finish this.  I think that's the one that came out on the Wii too, so I might check out that version.

[Bebpo]

Yeah, I really enjoyed the first game.  It was like Zelda-lite.

Never got around to playing the 2nd, but I heard its worse.

[Joe Molotov]

Played a bit of Puzzle Kingdom. boooring

[cool breeze]

Yeah, I really enjoyed the first game.  It was like Zelda-lite.

Never got around to playing the 2nd, but I heard its worse.

That's a shame.  I'll read up on it later, but this first DS game is great.

Yeah, I guess Zelda-lite works, but also has some Diablo-lite loot game charm.  Gurumin for the PSP was a similar surprise game for me.