Ni no Kuni

[Rusty Shackleford]

Just out of curiosity, what made you guys decide on a PS3? I got the 360 ostensibly to play MW3 online with family and Star Ocean 4 (don't hate me), but  looking back I think I should have probably bought a PS3 instead.

[Mr. Gundam]

Just out of curiosity, what made you guys decide on a PS3? I got the 360 ostensibly to play MW3 online with family and Star Ocean 4 (don't hate me), but  looking back I think I should have probably bought a PS3 instead.

I don't own a 360. Last gen I had every single system and bought way more games than I could actually play. This generation I figured I should probably buy just one system, so in early 2007 I chose the PS3 because 1.) it had Final Fantasy coming, 2.) it was region free and could play Japanese games and 3.) Gundam Musou was just announced.

So now, I just have a PS3 and still buy way more games than I can actually play.

[Rusty Shackleford]

I did that too last generation! Ended up dumping everything but the GameCube (still a great party machine for the nieces and nephews). Getting older, I think I definitely underestimated how much time I'd have to game.

[tiesto]

I bought a PS3 because I used to have a ton of disposable income, already owned a 360 (which I got for BD, LO, and Gears* )... and wanted a PS3 for MGS4 and FFXIII which at the time was still exclusive.

As for me, I am up to the final dungeon and am absolutely in love with Ni No Kuni.. yeah it can be a bit fetch-questy in parts, and have some filler stuff like the alchemy system and monster feeding (kinda getting sick of alchemy and harvesting in RPGs, it was cool when the Star Ocean games did it and it was novel, but now it seems like every RPG has some variant on it), but it's very expansive with lush graphics, a lot of charm, great localization... it has a casino, arena, sidequests galore, world map with lots of little secret areas... all that shit you have missed in RPGs over the last 2 gens is now back in beautiful luscious HD graphics. It may be my second favorite RPG of the gen behind Xenoblade.

*I LOVE Unreal Tournament and have been a fan of Epic since the days of ZZT, but Gears I felt was so slow, ugly and hated its characters.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Looks like I'll have to trade the 360 then. Sounds like you and I have similar tastes in RPGs.

I loved that alchemy/item creation part of Star Ocean too...I remember I obsessed over getting all the combinations in SO2...way too much time wasted.

[demi]

Just out of curiosity, what made you guys decide on a PS3? I got the 360 ostensibly to play MW3 online with family and Star Ocean 4 (don't hate me), but  looking back I think I should have probably bought a PS3 instead.

Exclusives

All my games are on Xbox. The only multiplat I own on PS3 is Star Ocean.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Exclusives, huh? Tales of Vesperia was the third reason why I got the 360...never got around to playing it. Did the PS3 version ever make it over here?

[Mr. Gundam]

Exclusives, huh? Tales of Vesperia was the third reason why I got the 360...never got around to playing it. Did the PS3 version ever make it over here?

Nope. I've played through and own the Japanese version, though.

[SantaC]

This is the best jrpg i played this generation. It is dethroning Xenoblade and Vesperia.

[Mr. Gundam]

I think it really is the most fun I've had with a JRPG this generation. Vesperia was awesome, but something about this is better.

[demi]

Disagree wholeheartedly, I've played much better. It's an ok game, though, with a lot of issues.

[SantaC]

and what games are much better?

[demi]

Graces, Vesperia, Xenoblade, Arc Rise, Last Remnant

[Mr. Gundam]

They might be better, just saying that I'm having more fun with NnK than I did with other JRPGs I've played this generation.

[Rahxephon91]

Better then Xenoblade? That just seems kind of crazy. Then again I don't get the Vesperia love.

[SantaC]

Graces, Vesperia, Xenoblade, Arc Rise, Last Remnant

Last Remnant, lol.

[Snuflupagulus]

Graces, Vesperia, Xenoblade, Arc Rise, Last Remnant, Heavy Rain

lol.

[Mr. Gundam]

So I guess I should start this now after beating Resonance of Fate.

How long is this game (Ni No Kuni) to 100% (1000'd)?

Some guy on GAF said it took 98 hours to get the Platinum.

[demi]

I got one of the Mornstar orbs, after taking a brief break. Tiesto said this is a tad past half way so I'm getting into it now.

[Mr. Gundam]

I'm working on the third orb right now, doesn't really seem to be a specific order to getting them. In the snowy area.

[tiesto]

So I guess I should start this now after beating Resonance of Fate.

How long is this game (Ni No Kuni) to 100% (1000'd)?

Some guy on GAF said it took 98 hours to get the Platinum.

I could see that, there are 2 trophies (recruit 250 familiars, make 120 alchemy recipes) that seem like they'd require a ton of grinding and persistence. I'm at 60 hours in at the final savepoint, my party is at level 91 after grinding tokotokos (just so I can breeze through the postgame hunts)... so I can see getting all but those aforementioned trophies in about 65. Or a bit less, since I'm slow with RPGs.

[demi]

Some of the battle quirks just make me frustrated.

My creature will be chasing after one, when Esther will cast a spell that gives us a buff. Whatever.

Except that it makes  - everyone stop in their tracks for the duration of the spell -

WTF?

[SantaC]

So I guess I should start this now after beating Resonance of Fate.

How long is this game (Ni No Kuni) to 100% (1000'd)?

did you get my psn message!

[demi]

Other bullshit:

- Casting a spell, only to get interrupted by the enemy's spell, which still takes your MP away but doesnt give you the effect

- Casting a spell and still being subjected to damage while the effect hasnt applied yet (especially the longer healing spells)

- Golden orbs only allowing you to cast that one miracle move

- All Out Defense doing nothing but defending (as in, the familiars wont defend - wtf??)

- AI using shitty Familiars and not ones that would be hugely beneficial to a fight (what determines this?)

[SantaC]

despite the shortcomings of the AI; the battle system is still more fun then say etc FF13 and FF13-2.

[Rahxephon91]

Nah, I had way more fun with XIII's battle system.  So far outside of boss battles, there hasn't been anything really interesting in terms of battles. The ability of being able to move around and avoid attacks hasn't really been needed in normal battles and even then it kind of like an afterthought.

[demi]

I'm kind of sad this got a bunch of 9s across the board. The only saving grace is the trimmings. I'd probably put a solid 6 on this.

[SantaC]

Nah, I had way more fun with XIII's battle system.  So far outside of boss battles, there hasn't been anything really interesting in terms of battles. The ability of being able to move around and avoid attacks hasn't really been needed in normal battles and even then it kind of like an afterthought.

uh what. You cant be far into the game

[Rahxephon91]

Nah, I had way more fun with XIII's battle system.  So far outside of boss battles, there hasn't been anything really interesting in terms of battles. The ability of being able to move around and avoid attacks hasn't really been needed in normal battles and even then it kind of like an afterthought.

uh what. You cant be far into the game

I'm 21 hours into the game and I'm in the grave yard thingy dungeon after the incredibly stupid "we are randomly back in time" thing. And it's basically been let "Supes"(Oliver's first familiar) attack and whatever for pretty much every battle thats not a boss battle. I'm not sure how long the game is, I hear the Swap area before Shaddar's castle ramps up, but so far the battle system hasn't been as fun as it was in the beginning when it was just Oliver, where I was actually paying attention to enemies and what they were doing.

I've been doing pretty much all the side quests up until now because I want the merit rewards, so of of course I have the "extra drop orbs thing". You get enough orbs thanks to that I guess so that pretty much uncareful playing can be ignored. I've hardly even touched my party members outside of giving and evolving their familiars. They are kind of just there and it sucks when they take the super charge. They are kind of stupid and really all they have done is make the normal battle's kind of chaotic and messy.

Again, maybe it gets better and it's not like I'm turned off from playing. The boss battles are fun, but the when it comes to normal battles so far they are just kind of whatever. I wouldn't say that about XIII at all.

[SantaC]

Nah, I had way more fun with XIII's battle system.  So far outside of boss battles, there hasn't been anything really interesting in terms of battles. The ability of being able to move around and avoid attacks hasn't really been needed in normal battles and even then it kind of like an afterthought.

uh what. You cant be far into the game

I'm 21 hours into the game and I'm in the grave yard thingy dungeon after the incredibly stupid "we are randomly back in time" thing. And it's basically been let "Supes"(Oliver's first familiar) attack and whatever for pretty much every battle thats not a boss battle. I'm not sure how long the game is, I hear the Swap area before Shaddar's castle ramps up, but so far the battle system hasn't been as fun as it was in the beginning when it was just Oliver, where I was actually paying attention to enemies and what they were doing.

I've been doing pretty much all the side quests up until now because I want the merit rewards, so of of course I have the "extra drop orbs thing". You get enough orbs thanks to that I guess so that pretty much uncareful playing can be ignored. I've hardly even touched my party members outside of giving and evolving their familiars. They are kind of just there and it sucks when they take the super charge. They are kind of stupid and really all they have done is make the normal battle's kind of chaotic and messy.

Again, maybe it gets better and it's not like I'm turned off from playing. The boss battles are fun, but the when it comes to normal battles so far they are just kind of whatever. I wouldn't say that about XIII at all.

if you sail around the islands you are going to meet some tough monsters and be strategic how you place your familiars and its moves.

[demi]

I beat Shadar and I disagree. The AI is still terrible. I have more control playing just as Oliver. They even emphasize this once you get the Mornstar spell. That's all you have to do to win.

[Mr. Gundam]

So Oliver's mom and that British accent.

Yeah.

Also, did they seriously use up their voice acting budget during the first half of the game?