alienjesus wrote:So you're saying I should buy it?
Sounds like I picked well
Yeah, I'd give it a go! I enjoyed my time with it, and if you're into the collectathon stuff, there's a bit of that in there.
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ElkinFencer10 - Next-Gen
- Posts: 7634
- Joined: Fri Aug 13, 2010 8:34 pm
- Location: Henderson, North Carolina
Re: Games Beaten 2018
Yeah, I'd give it a go! I enjoyed my time with it, and if you're into the collectathon stuff, there's a bit of that in there.
Exhuminator wrote:Ecchi lords must unite for great justice.
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BoneSnapDeez - Next-Gen
- Posts: 19608
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2011 1:08 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Games Beaten 2018
Ha, Poi is one of the two Switch games I own. The other is Soldam. Goin' the nontraditional route, apparently. 
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BoneSnapDeez - Next-Gen
- Posts: 19608
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2011 1:08 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Games Beaten 2018
@null
Yes we have an Ys thread in the RPG section!
@President
Maps are similar in this version compared to others, though I think the ruins have been tweaked just a bit.
Oh and I love Famicom Ys III, better than the SNES version.
Yes we have an Ys thread in the RPG section!
@President
Maps are similar in this version compared to others, though I think the ruins have been tweaked just a bit.
Oh and I love Famicom Ys III, better than the SNES version.
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Segata - Next-Gen
- Posts: 2451
- Joined: Tue Apr 18, 2017 8:19 pm
Re: Games Beaten 2018
Lost Sphear-Nintendo Switch.
Not a whole lot I can say. It's a decent game and enjoyable. It's a 16-bit era RPG on modern systems. If you played I am Setsuna you basically know what to expect. I do like that this game you have mechs. Music is decent but nothing that memorable. It's a nice length of around 30 hours. Yes, that is twice as long as something like Chrono Trigger which these games are often compared to. You don't have to grind so that's a plus. Battles are not random and there are none on the overworld, just dungeons. No sidequests. It's not a 50 dollar game despite what it demands. it's a 20 dollar game. I don't regret my purchase at full price as I got a physical copy out of it. I think this game means more if you need a new RPG on Switch released recently while PS4 just had Hackers Memory and World release. I liked it but don't expect a whole lot from this game.
Not a whole lot I can say. It's a decent game and enjoyable. It's a 16-bit era RPG on modern systems. If you played I am Setsuna you basically know what to expect. I do like that this game you have mechs. Music is decent but nothing that memorable. It's a nice length of around 30 hours. Yes, that is twice as long as something like Chrono Trigger which these games are often compared to. You don't have to grind so that's a plus. Battles are not random and there are none on the overworld, just dungeons. No sidequests. It's not a 50 dollar game despite what it demands. it's a 20 dollar game. I don't regret my purchase at full price as I got a physical copy out of it. I think this game means more if you need a new RPG on Switch released recently while PS4 just had Hackers Memory and World release. I liked it but don't expect a whole lot from this game.
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Sarge - Next-Gen
- Posts: 7273
- Joined: Thu Mar 14, 2013 12:08 pm
Re: Games Beaten 2018
Thanks for the confirmation that I need to wait on Lost Sphear. I wasn't very impressed by the demo.
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Ack - Moderator
- Posts: 21517
- Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:26 pm
- Location: Atlanta, GA
Re: Games Beaten 2018
1. Jungle Book (SNES)(Platformer)
2. Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge (SNES)(Light Gun Shooter)
3. Might and Magic VI (PC)(RPG)
Well, that is another Might and Magic down. Might and Magic VI changes up the formula considerably from the 3-5 era, introducing a new 3D game engine, limiting the party size and restricting the player to only humans, and introducing new means of engaging in combat, casting spells, and building up skills. To say it's radically different is an understatement. That said, it still features many of the hallmarks of the series, such as fusing fantasy with science fiction elements. M&M6 may also change how combat works, but it's a game that can still be abused just as easily for an advantage as the previous entries in the series, so while I feel some things deserve to be criticized, it also doesn't feel like it's as much of a massive departure as it appears to be.
The 3D world is of course the first thing that fans will notice; instead of dedicated towns and a large grid-like world to explore, you're now exploring subsections of the map with towns openly accessible to wander. Of course, your foes can do this too, so you'll need to stay on your toes in the beginning so a goblin or something doesn't come mess you up when you aren't expecting it. Random NPCs wander around, which the game generates on each load screen. Houses can also be entered, with preset characters who offer advice, dispense quests, buy specific items, and in some cases offer training in skills or improvement in them.
Players also have access to far more information, including bonuses to dice rolls and general damage calculations, something that makes a welcome addition to the series. Archery also returns, and those stats are separate from melee. Want to get better in combat? Find ways to boost stats and also raise skills by unlocking them and then putting skill points into them. While each new level of a skill requires one more point than the last, leveling your character will earn them the points necessary. Get beyond level 50, and you earn more skill points to help with the higher levels too. For added benefit, skills can be raised to Expert and Mastery levels, which are vital for magic abilities and useful for just about anything else. Add to this a general inventory and a paper doll for equipping items, and Might and Magic VI tackles old problems quite well.
At least until you get to combat. This is where the quirks of the engine lie, and combat will likely make or break people's experience with the game. M&M6 offers up a real time and a turn-based approach. Real time lets you fire off volleys of arrows like they were nothing and move around, but turn-based lets you take time and slows down the enemies, which can often save your butt and keep foes from getting to the party, especially in the early game. This is a key point, because the game starts by throwing you up against groups, some of which toss around status effects like nobody's business. Utility spells take some time to gain access to, so to begin this way feels like a dick move at times. Use turn-based mode, and fewer enemies will get to you. This is, until you get to casters, who are more than happy to use that time to blast you into oblivion. Since turn-based means everyone gets a turn, fighting a group of casters like this means you're going to become toast very quickly. Instead, I would charge single casters, flip into turn-based, slaughter would I could with three of my four characters, and then flip back to real time and run off to avoid spells. This was the only tactic that seemed to work against legions of warlocks, archers, and whatever other nasty critters that used range offensively and with regularity.
Now manipulating the combat system this way seems like it may be wrong, but it's no worse than previous games, where you could avoid enemy spells simply by backing up into opponents; if you never saw them, they never saw you, so doing this meant you cut down on having to protect against ranged spells. M&M6's 3D geometry also imposes limits on range, so I'd often find ways to get enemies stuck on objects where they couldn't fight back while I unloaded arrow after arrow into them. It may be cheap, but it was effective. This abuse of the engine isn't limited to combat either; you could actually wallhack your way down pits and off ledges by pushing yourself into them as you fell. I used this technique to get into open windows or safely traverse holes and elevator shafts I had to travel through, allowing me to occasionally avoid tough sections of dungeon or access areas from new angles that gave me a combat advantage. That said, the 3D can also screw you, as aerial enemies are more than happy to get right over you where you can't attack them. Swapping to real time allowed me to reposition and avoid this, but there were a couple of times where I'd take clear a room only to find one jerk was sitting on top of my head.
There are some pacing issues with M&M6 too, particularly with the western portion of the world, which I never felt like I spent much time with. Enemies are ridiculously difficult out there, and they're in numbers far greater than I ever wanted to deal with, but more importantly, few quests ever bother to send you in that direction. Yes, there are a couple of reasons to go on massive world tours, particularly to find the obelisks, but I still don't feel like I got to see those areas anywhere near as much as the areas around New Sorpigal, Mist, or Free Haven. Mobility spells helped ease the burden, but I was surprised at the restrictions placed on Town Portal until I reached Mastery level in the required magic skill, and even then, its limited in use to a handful of towns that only make up roughly half the map squares. Lloyd's Beacon has also been changed so one character can now set multiple points, but again, it's not worth using unless you master the required magic skill, because there is no way to set a permanent beacon unlike in previous games. Lloyd's Beacon was a lifesaver in previous Might and Magics. Here, it's merely useful.
And then there is the end of game rush, for which you are given blasters and rifles. While these weapons are required to beat the game, they also fire fast enough that the final dungeon basically consists of clicking a whole bunch. It's...not fun. Ridiculous in its own way, but suddenly I felt like I was rushing, and the game was encouraging me to do so too. Yet there were also a couple of dungeons I never took the time to really explore because the game never sent me there for any official reason, I only saw them while I was passing through. I like this aspect, as it makes the world feel larger than what I saw. There were also rumors and talk of other game elements I never found, like the Fountain of Youth. I don't know if this is actually in the game anywhere, but some folks mentioned it, so maybe it was. I appreciate how this made things feel alive, even as I then turned around and blast away fireball-shooting demons with my blaster rifles.
Overall, Might and Magic 6 is hard to compare to the high point that was 3, 4, and 5. They're not quite the same animal. I think 6 stands out on its own merits, and while it is flawed, I found myself enjoying it just as much as I had the previous entries. It's certainly better than Swords of Xeen, which is now my favorite whipping boy of the series and will probably remain that way until I get up through the likes of 8 and 9. I'm planning to step away from the series for a bit now, but hopefully not for too long. These games are fun, and the worlds I discover in each are why I keep coming back for more.
2. Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge (SNES)(Light Gun Shooter)
3. Might and Magic VI (PC)(RPG)
Well, that is another Might and Magic down. Might and Magic VI changes up the formula considerably from the 3-5 era, introducing a new 3D game engine, limiting the party size and restricting the player to only humans, and introducing new means of engaging in combat, casting spells, and building up skills. To say it's radically different is an understatement. That said, it still features many of the hallmarks of the series, such as fusing fantasy with science fiction elements. M&M6 may also change how combat works, but it's a game that can still be abused just as easily for an advantage as the previous entries in the series, so while I feel some things deserve to be criticized, it also doesn't feel like it's as much of a massive departure as it appears to be.
The 3D world is of course the first thing that fans will notice; instead of dedicated towns and a large grid-like world to explore, you're now exploring subsections of the map with towns openly accessible to wander. Of course, your foes can do this too, so you'll need to stay on your toes in the beginning so a goblin or something doesn't come mess you up when you aren't expecting it. Random NPCs wander around, which the game generates on each load screen. Houses can also be entered, with preset characters who offer advice, dispense quests, buy specific items, and in some cases offer training in skills or improvement in them.
Players also have access to far more information, including bonuses to dice rolls and general damage calculations, something that makes a welcome addition to the series. Archery also returns, and those stats are separate from melee. Want to get better in combat? Find ways to boost stats and also raise skills by unlocking them and then putting skill points into them. While each new level of a skill requires one more point than the last, leveling your character will earn them the points necessary. Get beyond level 50, and you earn more skill points to help with the higher levels too. For added benefit, skills can be raised to Expert and Mastery levels, which are vital for magic abilities and useful for just about anything else. Add to this a general inventory and a paper doll for equipping items, and Might and Magic VI tackles old problems quite well.
At least until you get to combat. This is where the quirks of the engine lie, and combat will likely make or break people's experience with the game. M&M6 offers up a real time and a turn-based approach. Real time lets you fire off volleys of arrows like they were nothing and move around, but turn-based lets you take time and slows down the enemies, which can often save your butt and keep foes from getting to the party, especially in the early game. This is a key point, because the game starts by throwing you up against groups, some of which toss around status effects like nobody's business. Utility spells take some time to gain access to, so to begin this way feels like a dick move at times. Use turn-based mode, and fewer enemies will get to you. This is, until you get to casters, who are more than happy to use that time to blast you into oblivion. Since turn-based means everyone gets a turn, fighting a group of casters like this means you're going to become toast very quickly. Instead, I would charge single casters, flip into turn-based, slaughter would I could with three of my four characters, and then flip back to real time and run off to avoid spells. This was the only tactic that seemed to work against legions of warlocks, archers, and whatever other nasty critters that used range offensively and with regularity.
Now manipulating the combat system this way seems like it may be wrong, but it's no worse than previous games, where you could avoid enemy spells simply by backing up into opponents; if you never saw them, they never saw you, so doing this meant you cut down on having to protect against ranged spells. M&M6's 3D geometry also imposes limits on range, so I'd often find ways to get enemies stuck on objects where they couldn't fight back while I unloaded arrow after arrow into them. It may be cheap, but it was effective. This abuse of the engine isn't limited to combat either; you could actually wallhack your way down pits and off ledges by pushing yourself into them as you fell. I used this technique to get into open windows or safely traverse holes and elevator shafts I had to travel through, allowing me to occasionally avoid tough sections of dungeon or access areas from new angles that gave me a combat advantage. That said, the 3D can also screw you, as aerial enemies are more than happy to get right over you where you can't attack them. Swapping to real time allowed me to reposition and avoid this, but there were a couple of times where I'd take clear a room only to find one jerk was sitting on top of my head.
There are some pacing issues with M&M6 too, particularly with the western portion of the world, which I never felt like I spent much time with. Enemies are ridiculously difficult out there, and they're in numbers far greater than I ever wanted to deal with, but more importantly, few quests ever bother to send you in that direction. Yes, there are a couple of reasons to go on massive world tours, particularly to find the obelisks, but I still don't feel like I got to see those areas anywhere near as much as the areas around New Sorpigal, Mist, or Free Haven. Mobility spells helped ease the burden, but I was surprised at the restrictions placed on Town Portal until I reached Mastery level in the required magic skill, and even then, its limited in use to a handful of towns that only make up roughly half the map squares. Lloyd's Beacon has also been changed so one character can now set multiple points, but again, it's not worth using unless you master the required magic skill, because there is no way to set a permanent beacon unlike in previous games. Lloyd's Beacon was a lifesaver in previous Might and Magics. Here, it's merely useful.
And then there is the end of game rush, for which you are given blasters and rifles. While these weapons are required to beat the game, they also fire fast enough that the final dungeon basically consists of clicking a whole bunch. It's...not fun. Ridiculous in its own way, but suddenly I felt like I was rushing, and the game was encouraging me to do so too. Yet there were also a couple of dungeons I never took the time to really explore because the game never sent me there for any official reason, I only saw them while I was passing through. I like this aspect, as it makes the world feel larger than what I saw. There were also rumors and talk of other game elements I never found, like the Fountain of Youth. I don't know if this is actually in the game anywhere, but some folks mentioned it, so maybe it was. I appreciate how this made things feel alive, even as I then turned around and blast away fireball-shooting demons with my blaster rifles.
Overall, Might and Magic 6 is hard to compare to the high point that was 3, 4, and 5. They're not quite the same animal. I think 6 stands out on its own merits, and while it is flawed, I found myself enjoying it just as much as I had the previous entries. It's certainly better than Swords of Xeen, which is now my favorite whipping boy of the series and will probably remain that way until I get up through the likes of 8 and 9. I'm planning to step away from the series for a bit now, but hopefully not for too long. These games are fun, and the worlds I discover in each are why I keep coming back for more.
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MrPopo - Moderator
- Posts: 23112
- Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 1:01 pm
- Location: Orange County, CA
Re: Games Beaten 2018
You were clicking to use the blasters? You could just hold down A and go bzzzzzzzzzt til things were dead. As long as you kept haste up, of course.
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Ack - Moderator
- Posts: 21517
- Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:26 pm
- Location: Atlanta, GA
Re: Games Beaten 2018
I could, but I didn't want to just hold down a single button. At least with the clicks I felt like I was somehow involved.
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dsheinem - Next-Gen
- Posts: 23151
- Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:56 pm
- Location: Northeast Pennsylvania
Re: Games Beaten 2018
Games Beaten 2018
Darkwing Duck - NES (PS4)
DuckTales - NES (PS4)
DuckTales 2 - NES (PS4)
Talespin - NES (PS4)
Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers - NES (PS4)
Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers 2 - NES (PS4)
Scarecrow - PS1 (Vita)
The Heart of Dark - PS1 (Vita)
Justice - PS1 (Vita)
Caligo - PC
Tomb Raider (2013) - X1
Nephise Begins - PC *new*
Diablo III: The Darkening of Tristam - PC *new*
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams - X1 *new*
Total: 14
Previously: 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
Nephise Begins is a nice enough looking game that is, unfortunately, boring as hell with a dull story and annoying gameplay that boils down to "look around the map and find these things...and that's it." I thought it would be more of a compelling "walking simulator" style of game...but instead this was a kind of adjacent experience that gives those games a bad name amongst some gamers.
The Darkening of Tristam was fine. The low-res sprites are a cool idea and the game feels as solid as Diablo III, but it isn't quite what I had expected (a remake of D1), so I walked away quite disappointed. Oh well, at least it was short!
Maybe I am late to the party, but I can't figure out why more people aren't in love with Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams. This was my first time playing a GS game (I never played the original C64 title), and I was super impressed. It should easily be counted amongst the finest 2D platformers of the past few years (even in an era where there's a deluge of them). It had spot on controls, captivating art, a great sense of movement and timing, thoughtful and studious level design, and a generous system of progression (collect-a-thons are optional, checkpoints are perfectly placed to force you to work on the game in sections, etc.). The boss fights left something to be desired, but otherwise this was a real pleasant surprise. I plan to play the DLC sometime soon, and I truly hope that they make another! I suppose in the meantime, I should check out the DS game?
Darkwing Duck - NES (PS4)
DuckTales - NES (PS4)
DuckTales 2 - NES (PS4)
Talespin - NES (PS4)
Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers - NES (PS4)
Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers 2 - NES (PS4)
Scarecrow - PS1 (Vita)
The Heart of Dark - PS1 (Vita)
Justice - PS1 (Vita)
Caligo - PC
Tomb Raider (2013) - X1
Nephise Begins - PC *new*
Diablo III: The Darkening of Tristam - PC *new*
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams - X1 *new*
Total: 14
Previously: 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
Nephise Begins is a nice enough looking game that is, unfortunately, boring as hell with a dull story and annoying gameplay that boils down to "look around the map and find these things...and that's it." I thought it would be more of a compelling "walking simulator" style of game...but instead this was a kind of adjacent experience that gives those games a bad name amongst some gamers.
The Darkening of Tristam was fine. The low-res sprites are a cool idea and the game feels as solid as Diablo III, but it isn't quite what I had expected (a remake of D1), so I walked away quite disappointed. Oh well, at least it was short!
Maybe I am late to the party, but I can't figure out why more people aren't in love with Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams. This was my first time playing a GS game (I never played the original C64 title), and I was super impressed. It should easily be counted amongst the finest 2D platformers of the past few years (even in an era where there's a deluge of them). It had spot on controls, captivating art, a great sense of movement and timing, thoughtful and studious level design, and a generous system of progression (collect-a-thons are optional, checkpoints are perfectly placed to force you to work on the game in sections, etc.). The boss fights left something to be desired, but otherwise this was a real pleasant surprise. I plan to play the DLC sometime soon, and I truly hope that they make another! I suppose in the meantime, I should check out the DS game?
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BoneSnapDeez - Next-Gen
- Posts: 19608
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2011 1:08 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Games Beaten 2018
The DS game is based off of the original, and is pretty fun. It's really repetitive though. Like a "zone out" game I'd play with the TV on in the background and/or wife in the room.
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