Together Retro - May

[BoneSnapDeez]

I have no idea what I'm playing or when I'll have an opportunity to start.

"Free time" has been scarce for me this year; I'd like to get through at least one dungeon-crawler and in May and then start a second. I was thinking for going for one Western title and one Japanese.

[prfsnl_gmr]

"Free time" has been scarce for me this year; I'd like to get through at least one dungeon-crawler and in May and then start a second. I was thinking for going for one Western title and one Japanese.

I hear you, brother!

I am, hopefully, finishing up in the next few days a FPDC I started last year, but gave up on because it is such a grind...

43 floors down; only 17 floors to go in the Picdun!

After that, King’s Field III!

[Exhuminator]

"Free time" has been scarce for me this year; I'd like to get through at least one dungeon-crawler and in May and then start a second. I was thinking for going for one Western title and one Japanese.

My free time lately has not been what it usually is either. That's why the retro FPDC I'm currently playing is on handheld. Much easier to pick up and put down, play in shorts bursts, still making progress. There's a fair amount of FPDCs on retro handhelds (like GG, GB, DS, PSP) thankfully. (There's a LOT of FPDCs on modern handhelds {3DS and Vita}, but they're too new for TR.) Maybe check out a handheld FPDC while your time is short?

I've got five FPDCs picked out for May I'd love to play. Considering FPDCs can take quite a while to finish, the chance of me finishing all five by May's end is slim. I'm hoping to at least beat three for your TR.

After that, King’s Field III!

Excellent choice. You handled KF4 well, so you should do okay. Admittedly KF3 is the second most challenging FromSoftware FPDC after Shadow Tower. Unlike the other front-loaded difficulty KFs, KF3 stays difficult the whole way through. It's a big game too, longer than KF4. You're in a for a good time. I'm pleased at least one participant will be playing an entry from the world's greatest FPDC series in May.

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I want to reiterate if anyone is thinking of playing a retro title for FPDC month, but isn't sure what to play, let us know your platform options. Some of us are more than happy to offer recommendations to accommodate your entry points.

[Sarge]

I also started a FPDC last night, and stayed up a bit later than planned because I got sucked into it. Orcs & Elves shows the early mobile roots to some degree, but overall has been a lot of fun to this point. Basically, it feels like what you'd get if you plopped DOOM into Might & Magic or something similar instead. You play as a single dude, but have the ability to perform both short-range and distant attacks with your sword or wand/crossbow. Even the secrets feel like something right out of DOOM, finding walls that slide away when interacted with. I'm pretty sure I'll be finishing this one off.

[Ack]

Sarge, are you sure you're not playing Hexen?

[Sarge]

Yep, I'm sure. But yes, I thought about making that particular comparison. Of course, this game locks you into grid movement, and you have to do some simple equipment management as well. You actually end up bartering with a dragon for your goods, and major boss kills gets you a really nice piece of equipment. (For example, trading in the gem I got for killing a giant spider got me my crossbow.)

While I'm thinking about that, though, how do we feel about games like Strife? It's kind of a first-person shooter RPG. Probably a bit too far afield, but an interesting game nonetheless.

[Exhuminator]

it feels like what you'd get if you plopped DOOM into Might & Magic or something similar instead

Well it was a John Carmack project.

Orcs & Elves is a good bit of fun. I beat it myself back in 2015. My little review:

Orcs & Elves is a well designed lightweight turn based dungeon crawler with a retro flair. Playing very fast paced with low difficulty, Orcs & Elves is more concerned with the player having fun than merely surviving. Constant combat is kept interesting through a large variety of unique weapons and tactical potion usage. The plot is quite thin, however the ever pervasive humor goes a long way to keep things spicy. With better graphics and an actual OST, Orcs & Elves may have gained more traction. However, those with fond memories of Heretic and EotB would do well to roll this DS underdog a saving throw.

It's a quick little jaunt too, only took me about 5 hours to finish. Definitely a proper primer for May.

[Sarge]

Oh, yeah, I knew it was an id Software joint going in. Definitely one of the reasons I picked it; if I didn't have time for anything else, I knew it would be something relatively short and simple that I would like enjoy a lot. I still plan on diving into something else if time permits, though.

[prfsnl_gmr]

First, Orcs & Elves is great. I played the DS port and loved it.

Also...I am wavering between KF II and KF III. I will be traveling a lot this month; so I may go with KFII first so that I am sure to get through it before the end of the month.

[Exhuminator]

First, Orcs & Elves is great. I played the DS port and loved it.

What's cool is the DS version is an up-port. It's considered superior to the mobile original. I'm glad you guys enjoy it! The DS has a surprisingly considerable amount of FPDCs. Two of the FPDCs I plan to tackle for May are DS titles actually.

Also...I am wavering between KF II and KF III. I may go with KFII first so that I am sure to get through it before the end of the month.

I can break down the FromSoftware FPDC series for you by time to beat. Based on how long it took me to beat each entry anyway. From longest to shortest my personal HLTB records:

King's Field III (25h)
King's Field IV (23h 30m)
King's Field II (16h 45m)
Shadow Tower (14h 51m)
Eternal Ring (13h 30m)
King's Field (13h 15m)
Shadow Tower Abyss (10h 47m)
King's Field III: Pilot Style (55m)

Keep in mind my beaten times include never once using a walkthrough or strategy guide. I played through these unaided. If someone chose to utilize artificial aid, their completion times could be much shorter. No matter which KF you choose to play, you really can't go wrong. There's no such thing as a bad FromSoftware FPDC.