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| Pollyanna 1916th Post
 
Gold Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Executive
   
    
    
    
    
|  "Re(4):I'm random, I'm hot, I'm new" , posted Thu 20 Jul 14:04
quote:
Care to elaborate a bit more / make a review about it? I've been waiting for years to play a Valkyrie Profile game (I missed my opportunity when the first was released) so any details would be appreciated
It's very hard to talk about VP2 without talking about the first game, because it's a direct sequel/prequel. So, when I talk about it, I want to talk about what it's like in reference to the first game...but since you haven't played it, none of those comparisons are relevant. I'll just explain what it's like in terms of good and bad.
(keep in mind that I'm only part way through the game, and these opinions could change later)
***Good***
Detailed models and beautiful backgrounds. The backgrounds in the FMV are probably the best I've ever seen, even if I the characters don't look as good. I'm not crazy about the faces, but the character's costumes are well designed and look great.
The music and locations create a strong, haunting environment. The soundtrack is tremendously good and very atmospheric.
The battle system is one of the most fun, if not THE most fun I've seen. It expands on the original system in a lot of good ways. Each character is controlled by a button and has a certain number of attacks, based on what weapon they have. Each attack takes AP, and you chain attacks together in a (hopefully) continuous combo until you run out of AP. You have a "super gauge" that fills up with combos and allows you to do a "soul break" "super move" at the end of the combo. Unlike the first game, you can skip the animations on these, and the fights move quite quickly.
The fights on the whole have been dramatically expanded from the first game. Rather than going straight into attacking, you now have a large map with multiple enemies on it, much like an SRPG fight. You can move around freely, but when you move, the enemies do as well. You can see their attack radius, so the idea is to get in on them and start a combo without getting in their attack range.
Moving around regenerates AP, as does getting hit, or killing enemies. When you move, the enemies move, but when you stand still, they do, too. You can use items and cast spells for an AP cost (there is no MP), but you can't do it twice in a row. There's a timer that prevents you from accessing the menu after using an item/spell.
Mazes are (still) in "2D", where you run along lines left and right, and can move onto a different line by moving towards or away from the screen at a door/path. You can jump and slash (to get the advantage on enemies) and freeze enemies with an ice projectile. Once frozen, then can be used as platforms. If you shoot them again, they'll switch positions with you. This is used in a lot of puzzles.
With freezing the enemies, most battles are optional. Unlike most RPGs, they can be quite long and involved, which is a nice approach. I prefer fewer, more challenging battles than a series of short, boring ones that wear you down.
***BAD***
The story, thus far, has either been dragging or relying on the first game too much. While people who didn't play the first game can still enjoy it, it seems to be built just to reference VP, so they'll certainly be missing out. By "average RPG" standards, it's not bad, though.
Despite the awesome soundtrack, the battle theme gets VERY OLD. You spend 2/3 of the game in battle and as you progress, those battles become longer and longer. I just finished Mother 3, which is quite short and has, like...12 battle themes. VP2 could use that many.
Equipment/buying equipment is BOTHERSOME. There are too many factors to consider when choosing a weapon. Strength, elemental affiliation, number of attacks and if it allows soul break or not.
Also, all the "good weapons" are acquired by selling monster parts/older weapons to shops and opening up the option to buy them. You get monster parts by "breaking them" in battle. Repeated blows to one part of a monster (you can't actually choose, since there's no menu, you just have to hit them right) causes it to break. Sometimes, that gives you an item. While you can see which items you need to open up new equipment, just knowing the name doesn't really help. There are SO many parts that it's impossible to keep up with. In the beginning of the game, it's easy enough to open up equipment, but later in the game, you may go to a shop, and not have even one item of 5 you need to make a weapon (which may not even be that good). Beyond that, you won't have any good tips as to where to GET the parts you need.
As a result, you're always carrying a LOT of crap around and crowding up your equipment menu with old swords/monster parts (which can be used as accessories). Combining certain pieces of equipment can teach you skills (which isn't a bad system and a very important one), but managing those pieces becomes increasingly bothersome.
I am also not especially fond of the voice acting. The world feels sort of haunting and ephemeral, but the characters have typical "anime voices" that subtract from the atmosphere. Their performances need to be more stylized or subdued.
There is a LOT of talking in the battles, which is quite nice. The characters not only say a lot, they have a wide variety of things to say.
Also, like the first one, the game CAN get quite challenging. That can be seen as a good or bad thing, In my case, I like it, but with the equipment frustrations (I'm underpowered, and I don't know how to get better equipment), it can be a bit disheartening.
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| Pollyanna 1918th Post
Gold Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Executive
| "Re(4):I'm random, I'm hot, I'm new" , posted Thu 20 Jul 19:17
quote:
Thanks for your VP2 infos Polly. Just some little question more...
Did the Chapter system is still here with peoples than need to be sended?
Did the EXP system is the same as the 1st one with the orb-EXp that you can use as you wish?
Is Brahams stil here and playable?
thanks!
There are no Einherjar like before. It's "Einferia" this time. You have main plot characters (unlike before), then Einferia, which are unlocked when you find glowing weapons in dungeons. After you level them up 5 (I think) levels, then you can reincarnate them (which is like the opposite of sending up, I suppose). When you do that, you get stat increasing items, and you can go see them somewhere in the world for another bonus.
There are tons of them, and while it doesn't recreate the drama of VP, it's fun to have lots of characters to choose from, from a gameplay perspective. They have a tendency to give you too many archers, though...
But you don't "send" anyone, because the game/plot is totally different. Think of it as a "normal" RPG with a normal, permenant cast.
The EXP system is like any other RPG. The more you air juggle an enemy, the more EXP you get. You also get a bonus for finishing a battle quickly. There is a "leader" enemy in each battle that will end the battle if you defeat it.
As for Brahms...I don't want to spoil you! I'll just say he's in the game, and he plays a significant role.
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| Iggy 7819th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
 
| "Re(5):I'm random, I'm hot, I'm new" , posted Fri 21 Jul 06:37
quote:
There are no Einherjar like before. It's "Einferia" this time.
It's the same word actually. Some weird derivative from "inferior" I used to think.
As for VP2, the scenario is the worst thing that could have happened to the first game. This is even worse than Star Ocean 3, which retroactively fucked up the series : VP2 does it WHILE BEING A PREQUEL.
Awesome.
So, yeah, the "game" part is good. Problem is VP1 was popular for a lot more than just the gameplay.
I wonder if someday the RPG makers will follow the same path as the fighting games developpers and create "dream match" RPG, with good system, balance and all, but no scenario because that's not what interests the gamers anymore.
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| Pollyanna 1919th Post
Gold Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Executive
| "Re(6):I'm random, I'm hot, I'm new" , posted Fri 21 Jul 14:39
quote:
It's the same word actually. Some weird derivative from "inferior" I used to think.
As for VP2, the scenario is the worst thing that could have happened to the first game. This is even worse than Star Ocean 3, which retroactively fucked up the series : VP2 does it WHILE BEING A PREQUEL.
Awesome.
So, yeah, the "game" part is good. Problem is VP1 was popular for a lot more than just the gameplay.
I wonder if someday the RPG makers will follow the same path as the fighting games developpers and create "dream match" RPG, with good system, balance and all, but no scenario because that's not what interests the gamers anymore.
After winning VP (and crying because the ending was so bad) I decided that there was no way they could make a sequel and have it be "right." VP2 manages to both succeed and reinforce that notion at the same time.
It doesn't have the style and originality of the first game, and the scenario is indeed quite ridiculous, but at the same time, it manages to to remedy many of the first game's problems. When I'm going through dungeons I can forget almost everything that's wrong with the game.
But yeah...the scenario does get a little ridiculous. SO3 is a pretty good comparison. For VP3, maybe they can have someone go back in time and make it like VP2 never happened.
In terms of "dream matches" I wish NamcoXCapcom would have been more of a "dream match" since the characters had so much to say and almost none of it was worth reading.
PS: VP2 cheats as a prequel, anyway. It's a trick prequel.
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| NARUTO 3465th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(5):I'm random, I'm hot, I'm new" , posted Fri 21 Jul 17:57
quote:
There are no Einherjar like before. It's "Einferia" this time. You have main plot characters (unlike before), then Einferia, which are unlocked when you find glowing weapons in dungeons. After you level them up 5 (I think) levels, then you can reincarnate them (which is like the opposite of sending up, I suppose). When you do that, you get stat increasing items, and you can go see them somewhere in the world for another bonus.
There are tons of them, and while it doesn't recreate the drama of VP, it's fun to have lots of characters to choose from, from a gameplay perspective. They have a tendency to give you too many archers, though...
But you don't "send" anyone, because the game/plot is totally different. Think of it as a "normal" RPG with a normal, permenant cast.
The EXP system is like any other RPG. The more you air juggle an enemy, the more EXP you get. You also get a bonus for finishing a battle quickly. There is a "leader" enemy in each battle that will end the battle if you defeat it.
As for Brahms...I don't want to spoil you! I'll just say he's in the game, and he plays a significant role.
Ok thanks for those details... The games sound fun. After all I like the 1st with all his bad points so...
Fortes fortuna juvat...
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| Abster 282th Post
Copper Customer
| "New Portrait of Ruin info" , posted Sat 22 Jul 13:29
www.gamevideos.com/video/id/4703
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Equip system
For BOTH characters it's SOTN style, mostly.
Primary Weapon (one arm only) and Subweapon,
Armor, headgear, BOOTS (first for CV series)
2 accessories, and combination attack used by both. (UP + X by default)
Characters generally move much faster now.
Right now, probably for demo purposes, abilities and weapons are dropped at a large rate, much more so than DoS. Most abilities have names, but their "icons" haven't been determined yet, like the call cube and stone of flight, which use the exact SAME icon for now. The final game intends to make you collect a certain number of the same items before you learn the ability.
Voices are much different than at E3. Much more Japanese in feel like the pair of Sorrow games.
In addition, general sound effects are much different, and sound much better than DoS.
You're notified which attributes increase each time you level up.
Miniboss sequences
The one shown has you trying to outrun a behemoth from Rondo.
Both characters share the same HP, but if your on screen partner takes damage, it's subtracted from MP instead of HP.
Charlotte has a slightly different palette now.
Quick save available
There's a new option called "TALKING" I guess this allows the 2 characters to talk between one another perhaps to give hints or stuff on where to go next.
RELICS system returns!
GUIDE, probably the same as it was in DoS.
The top DS screen has the map, but just for one area. The MAP option on the status screen probably gives you the option to look at the map for ALL the game's areas.
Kill counter, returning for the first time since SOTN.
Contrary to earlier interviews the touch screen does have a use here. It can be used to direct your partner when they're on screen to different locations.
2 player Co Op mode that can be played online or locally, played with brand new areas exclusive to this mode.
Use Wi-Fi to buy, sell, and give out items online.
New castle graphics look hellish, and really damn cool.
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| Maese Spt 284th Post
Copper Customer
| "Re(1):This other thread is quite long as well" , posted Sat 29 Jul 04:11
quote:
Uho ! ii Nagato
I myself prefer the version of Abe Takakazu on the 2chan mugen. His Shungokusatsu is terrific and delicious at the same time, on a very disturbing way.
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/ ヽ. / ト-` ､ノ- | l l ヽ.
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マツケン サンバ!!!!
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| Sensenic 1531th Post
Red Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Member
| "(Not) Tomomi Kobayashi & Sangokushi Taisen" , posted Tue 1 Aug 05:35:
Ooops, whole post edit, as I posted just the quote by accident /(;u_u)
quote:
Hmmm I am not sure I want more of this show. This is perfectly ended as it is.
That's EXACTLY the feeling I got after finishing the first novel. It was really well closed, I believe, a very nice single story per se, and it kind of bothered me that they would go on for 7 more volumes (and still going if I'm not mistaken?)
And, indeed, how things had returned too much to normality at the beginning of the second bothered me. It is interesting so far, yes (I'm reading from baka-tsuki's translation, and they're at the 2nd volume still), but kind of anti-climatic. Hope it gets better in the next ones.
Time for some long due Samus Aran love...
"It's you know like when you die and you can't quite believe it"
An undead friend.
[this message was edited by Sensenic on Tue 1 Aug 05:44] |
| Shapermc
128th Post
Regular Customer
| "Re(9):No Topic Eclectique makes Chaz a dull b" , posted Thu 3 Aug 14:24
quote:
NOA is organizing a survey about Tingle on their website, to check if their fans are favorable to the US release of the Tingle game on DS. You can participate too!
Speaking of NOA and surveys, I got a call tonight (yes, on the phone... randomly) and was asked to participate in answering a few questions. It started off with smoking, and then moved onto wood polish, then my opinion of politics, and then I got asked about the Wii. They did this whole speech about how the controller is like a remote and how it will have simple functionality and also bring people back to gaming that once played but no longer do, as well as introduce it to a whole new group of people who were not interested in gaming previously.
Nintendo now knows that I know what the Wii is, that I plan on purchasing it, and that I know about the 360 and PS3 but still want to purchase it. It is probably better that they know this than my opinions on Tingle.
*swoon*
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