What RPG are you playing right now?

[PartridgeSenpai]

I hope you two played with Japanese audio? The English dub sounded atrocious, wouldn't help anybody's experience.

I actually really didn't mind the English dub at the time. I also really don't like playing games in English with a Japanese dub if that game has non-voiced lines. How am I supposed to have a voice for that character in my head to read their English non-voiced lines in when all of their voiced lines are in Japanese?

[Exhuminator]

I hope you two played with Japanese audio?

I've got the official USA release... I don't know if it has Japanese audio as an option, haven't looked. It does get old hearing characters yell the same stupid things over and over during battles. But as a rule of thumb, I always find that annoying in any action-JRPG.

the combat was more interesting in FFXII along with the Gambit system

Yes, FFXII's battle system completely decimates XC's in comparison. I loved having the ability to customize the AI of each party member to the Nth degree. In contrast, XC's friendly AI is abhorrently annoying in its ineptitude. Not being able to switch player controlled characters during battle is completely ridiculous.

I've seen XC referred to as an "open world" game many times, but it's really not. It's a bunch of large contained areas - stages almost - that link together vaguely. There's no organic flow between them, let alone a dynamic transition. I think XCX is true open world as you said.

IMO FFXII is strongly better than XC. But I recognize that's an unpopular opinion.

[Segata]

Only XCX is open world and XCX refined the battle system but XC2 it's a huge improvement in the battle system and way better than FFXII but also wildly different. XCX lacks a lot in a story but is so fun to explore esp when you get your skills and flight module. XC2 is more like the first game with large sections to explore but not open world. A cast of characters and Rex is way better than Shulk as Rex has a lot of personality in fact there just is more personality in general in XC2. XC2 is a sequel to the first but for the majority of the game, it won't matter if you have not finished the first. XC2 OST is on par if not better. XC2 does have some downsides like the RNG for rare blades sucks. I never got KOS-MOS and some people got it early and it pisses me off. People can choose a favorite but XC2 is pretty similar to the first but much more refined with a new battle system and Personas essentially. I will say Chapter 4 is balls. But many even great RPGs have some shit sections like The Fade in Dragon Age Origins...ugh still have PTSD from that.

[Xeogred]

Xenoblade 2's cast is one of the most jolly loveable group of characters I've seen from a JRPG in forever. Rex's pants scared me but I didn't care after jumping into the game, I'm glad they ditched the awful broken up armor parts swapping thing from Xenoblade 1 that just looks atrocious. And I loved Pyra and Mythra, if their aesthetic bothers anyone... sorry not sorry, incredible characters. The antagonists weren't the best in Xenoblade 2 compared to past Xeno's and the game did lack a good Alvis-type which usually pops up somewhere in these games, but it felt like the focus was obviously more on Rex and their journey which is cool with me. What an amazing game, will be one of my favorite highlights of this year by far. I don't know if I like the OST more than Xenoblade 1's, but yeah that's basically comparing two 10/10's music wise.

I'll try to get to X this year. I definitely don't think I'll hate it, but yeah I'm prepared for it to be a big departure from what I like about Xeno's.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Final Fantasy -- as in, the original NES one.

I haven't touched this in years, and my concept of what the game is has been all jumbled in my head due to all the remakes I've played. The NES game is really, really good. I dig the graphics quite a bit; I enjoy the quaint little touches like the small amount of "scenery" displayed during battles. The big static enemy sprites are awesome. The soundtrack is really strong. One of the best overworld themes from this era. Overall it's just lots of fun to play. It is kinda grindy, in an uneven fashion, though. Like, that third town has a ton of useful stuff that needs to be purchased and it takes forever to procure the cash.

Playing this "with" my daughter (she watches), slowly, hope to be done by May.

[noiseredux]

So Monster Hunter: World seems quite good so far. I've only had a chance to play through the sort of tutorial single player stuff, but I feel like the flow of the game is sort of reminiscent to PSO to me.

[BogusMeatFactory]

So Monster Hunter: World seems quite good so far. I've only had a chance to play through the sort of tutorial single player stuff, but I feel like the flow of the game is sort of reminiscent to PSO to me.

I was playing monster Hunter tri ultimate on Wii u and had huge pso vibes and never understood why people didn't get into it.

[PartridgeSenpai]

So Monster Hunter: World seems quite good so far. I've only had a chance to play through the sort of tutorial single player stuff, but I feel like the flow of the game is sort of reminiscent to PSO to me.

I was playing monster Hunter tri ultimate on Wii u and had huge pso vibes and never understood why people didn't get into it.

I think the all of the entries being on platforms like PSP, Wii, and 3DS have really limited the discoverability for it in the West. The portable entries seem to have been direct efforts to cater to a Japanese audience. I don't think Capcom has ever really cared about MH that much outside of Japan. It does seem like MHW has made a big enough splash that the next entry, even if it is portable again, will likely get a lot more attention than the series usually does around here.

[Segata]

Didn't one of the 3DS ones sell over 1 million in the US and same with the Wii version? I know it's not MHW success but I do think a couple of them sold pretty well over here.

[Kuruwin]

I don't really consider Monster Hunter World as an RPG myself but i did beat it today and it was alright. It still has some of the things i dislike about these type of games but it was easier to get into than the ones i tried previously. By the time i failed at the previous attempt of finish one of these (4 on the 3DS) the online was dying out already so i kinda got stuck on it but making through the ranks is lot easier in World and the online is very active.