|
|
View previous topic :: View next topic
|
| Author |
Message |
firenze
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Location: Bonus Round
|
 Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:53 pm |
  |
|
About Doublejump guides...
I don't get what's such a big deal about them. They aren't awful, but I don't get all the fanboyish raving about them either. I own a couple - Phantom Brave and Nocturne, and I've seen the Disgaea one. Nocturne I like just because of the maps, but anyone who could print accurate maps would have satisfied me.
I just don't think they have any style! There's a ton of data crammed into the book, but it just looks like someone vomited a spreadsheet into there. It's ugly. They either waste space in the design layout - e.g. Rogue Galaxy having lots of dead space, small map sections, and large blocks of walkthrough text that just look lonely, or they cram a ton of data in 9 point font to make some chart for information.
The Rogue Galaxy one also uses HORRIBLE quality paper. It's almost newsprint quality, just utter crap. Does NOT make me want to pay $20. If I just want raw data, there's plenty of that on the internet. If I pay for a guide I want some style, some nice art, some glossy pages. The FFXII guide? Now THAT'S a nice guide (good job SuperWes!). Rogue Galaxy? Bah, I wasn't impressed by looking through it.
I know some other companies also use this shit quality paper sometimes too (Prima, IIRC), but that's no excuse.
I do like the change to the large page format for Rogue Galaxy - my eyes don't really love the squinting at the smaller page sizes, especially when there's a bunch of text tossed up there and Doublejump loves to use tiny fonts. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
 |
SplashBeats
Guest
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:05 pm |
|
|
I haven't noticed any framerate issues. Is it a streaming thing? I'm playing this off a hard drive to speed up the loads and I haven't noticed a thing. It could be a disc problem!
I like that the game is giving me this vibe that there is a ton of shit to do but I really don't have to do any of it if I don't want to. The combat is challenging and interesting enough that I feel like I can just PLAY THE GAME, not grind much, and have a good experience throughout.
Then again, I am far from the 100% type (I usually don't even finish games, sup FF12) so the abundance of STUFF TO DO really doesn't mean much to me. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
SuperWes
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:22 pm |
|
|
| firenze wrote: |
| The FFXII guide? Now THAT'S a nice guide (good job SuperWes!). |
Woo!
I agree on the DoubleJump guides too. It's kind of nice that they mimic Japanese guides (this is something I suggested at Brady for Japanesey guides like Onimusha, but they shot it down because the printing logistics just didn't work), and I like that they're often packed with charts and numbers and information, but there are just some things about them that scream unprofessional.
I have the Disgaea 2 one and I absolutely hate the fact that the front half of the book is printed right-side-up while the back half is printed upside-down. I get that the second half is "spoliers," but if you buy the guide you obviously don't care about having the game spoiled. Don't ruin the experience of actually using the guide. The comic in the back, aside from making no sense at all, is also really fanarty and obviously not something that the designers of the game created. I buy guides (I actually don't buy guides, but in theory if I were to buy a guide it would be...) to experience the most of what a game's artists and designers put into it, not to revel in fandom. Doublejump guides sometimes feel like I'm wallowing in an anime convention.
-Wes
_________________
  |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
SplashBeats
Guest
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:38 pm |
|
|
| Man, if I want help with a game, all I need is a nice, refreshing .txt file from GameFAQs. I really don't understand why people still buy strategy guides, unless they are full of excellent artwork like the FF12 one was. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
Faithless
Wendy's Hole
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: World 1-1
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:38 pm |
|
|
| Heather Campbell in Play Magazine wrote: |
When reviewing Rogue Galaxy, I came up against a very specific frustration. After hours and hours of playing through the latest Japanese RPG by Dragon Quest development gurus Level 5, it was easy to be swept away by the production values of the game. It’s clearly well-made, with an expansive, diverse world, extraordinary graphics, typically beautiful character design, a sweet battle system, charming music, and an unbelievable localization. Even at a close distance, the game seems destined for high marks.
But somewhere around the mid-point of the title, I found myself under the cloud of an unusual boredom. This game, with canyons of depth and play options – this game, which allows you to (gasp!) control battles during fights with monsters in the over world – this game which goes so far out of its way to impress you … was just not enticing anymore. I put the controller down, I paced; I went out for coffee and considered what it was about Rogue that was upsetting me so.
When I sat down again with my PS2, dropped in the disc and began again, I realized what was off-kilter about the RPG. Rogue Galaxy is slow. Not in a plot way – but by way of execution. There are plenty of reasons to Ferrari from set-piece to set-piece, but the game doesn’t let you get from point A to point B without significant lethargy. Every piece of dialogue is an island, every sentence (well-acted though it may be) is met with a few seconds of silence before another character responds. Every door-way takes a little too long to open, every menu drags like cloth under water. This isn’t loading time, at least not directly. There’s no icon that pops up in the corner and announces, “Accessing.” Instead, it’s like Level 5 thinned out the loading times, and spread them over the entire game. This is especially clear when you compare it to a game like Final Fantasy XII, which gallops along so quickly that even 100 hours of gameplay feel breakneck.
Once I came to terms with this pace, however, the game’s other strengths were less obfuscated. The unmistakable refinement of Rogue Galaxy makes it a worthy addition to any RPG library. The story is recognizable jRPG faire, sure. And the supporting characters and side quests are nothing new or groundbreaking. But sometimes a game doesn’t have to smash expectations to be good. A game can be solid, like RPG furniture. You rely on it to provide you with a good time, but it doesn’t blow your mind or reorient your outlook on life. And if you can enjoy an unhurried voyage through the galaxy, or are a fan of Level 5’s other extraordinary projects (Dragon Quest VIII, Dark Cloud), then Rogue has plenty to offer. Just don’t expect the quick-paced combat of, say, Kingdom Hearts II, or the open-ended grandeur of Oblivion. This is a fast-paced Journey of the Cursed King; it’s an action-RPG for those with few hard-core combo skills.
The story of Rogue Galaxy is the story of Jaster Rogue, a bounty hunter on the desert planet Rosa. Rosa has been commandeered by the Longadia Commonwealth, so he harbors little remaining love for his former home. After a few chance moments of mistaken identity, he is whisked away by Space Pirates to find the intergalactic source of eternal life. He’ll need to stop Walkog Drazer, president of the Dytron Corporation, before this would-be ruler of space itself ends up with the coveted fountain of youth, and enslaves the galaxy.
Rogue Galaxy features a mash-up of many familiar RPG elements in its gameplay, all streamlined to speed up the pace of the Japanese original. Weapons synthesis plays a big part in the game (a tradition of Level-5) as does item synthesis. New moves for combat are unlocked via a would-be Sphere Grid called the Revelation Flow. Combat is real-time, with character switching possible mid action. There’s a Pokemon-style mini-game, Insectron, which gives players a chance to rest from the main quest, or play PVP style using a new password feature, which isn’t an online commitment, but rather for players at the same PS2.
In fact, the laundry list of available options for Rogue is staggering. What’s more, publishing of the game in the states was held back until Level-5 could tweak the gameplay, which shows the level of affection they held for the title. The team even added an entirely new planet, outside of the main quest. The localization is intense; it’s almost as if there’s a full new version of the game available for fans in the west.
My only gripes about the whole game are the plot and pace. In terms of gameplay, puzzles, graphics, music, options, and sheer combat control, Rogue Galaxy has a lot to offer. It’s Level-5, after all, and every game they’ve released has been a success. It’s a shame, then that the game feels plodding. With sped-up cutscenes, or a more unique story, Rogue wouldn’t have just been exceptionally built. It would have been maddeningly addictive. |
_________________
my website |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
Predator Goose
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Location: Oversensitive Pedantic Ninny
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:46 pm |
|
|
I love Double Jump guides because of the size they are usually printed in and the sheer volume of information contained within.
I really don't like the big floppy strategy guides that Brady and Prima always put out (and DJ at times puts out - so sad to hear about RG). I don't think that it's ever necessary and it's really annoying to find someplace to put them.
And I don't buy their guides to walk me through the game, so I appreciate the fact that they flip their spoilers sections upside down. If I'm using their guide it's usually to help me out on a specific part, like power leveling in Phantom Brave (which, by the way, you shouldn't do. It makes playing the game all kinds of boring). And if they're going to tell you how to do something, they don't do it half assed. They give you mathematical formulas telling you why something works, rather than just telling you to go do it. It's that level of detail that I love so much.
Fucking A, they had a full write up on how to beat the first boss in Dawn of Sorrows. There was no reason for anyone to discuss any more strategy than "beat him until he dies" but by god they did it.
And the spreadsheets? God but I love those spreadsheets.
_________________
I can no longer shop happily. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
DonMarco
graphics fucker
Joined: 06 Dec 2006
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:57 pm |
|
|
| SuperWes wrote: |
| firenze wrote: |
| The FFXII guide? Now THAT'S a nice guide (good job SuperWes!). |
Woo!
I agree on the DoubleJump guides too. It's kind of nice that they mimic Japanese guides (this is something I suggested at Brady for Japanesey guides like Onimusha, but they shot it down because the printing logistics just didn't work), and I like that they're often packed with charts and numbers and information, but there are just some things about them that scream unprofessional. |
Japanesey meaning smaller font, more information, and extra sections for things not related to the game? Like art galleries, interviews, and fan input (like if it's an arcade game talk to actual arcade players for more info)?
I miss arcades...
| Predator Goose wrote: |
| I really don't like the big floppy strategy guides that Brady and Prima always put out (and DJ at times puts out - so sad to hear about RG). I don't think that it's ever necessary and it's really annoying to find someplace to put them. |
I liked it when all their guides were one size. The Devil Summoner and Rogue Galaxy guides were written by DoubleJump and published by Prima. The paper quality and size weren't really up to DJ, I guess. Aside from the binding issue with the eariest guides, they've always been excellent to hold and read through.
_________________
Still alive. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
firenze
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Location: Bonus Round
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 6:05 pm |
|
|
| SuperWes wrote: |
| Doublejump guides sometimes feel like I'm wallowing in an anime convention. |
Well said. Yeah, I feel almost a little embarassed to have the super-bubbly style (some of the heading fonts in the Phantom Brave guide... ugh) and fan art quality "bonus" artwork. I mean, I'm a total video game dork. But even I think the anime convention vibe is a little TOO geeky. Of course, perhaps some of it is fitting with the Nippon Ichi style for those games. The source material sometimes makes me a little ill with anime humor anyway, so maybe they're just being consistent. The Nocturne guide is fantastic - has a very Japanese guide feel and it's like a serious encyclopedia of the game.
I completely don't get why people would get psyched up for guides on games like Genji and Aria of Sorrow though. They simply don't have enough information to warrant an expensive ($20?? for a DS game guide??) book when the only really useful information is easily found by free FAQs, and is actually probably formatted in a way that's easier to read.
My 5 minutes of leafing through the Rogue Galaxy guide didn't show me too much that looked like it would be tremendously useful. Nothing like the complex maps of Nocturne that can't be recreated well in text format, not a very aesthetically pleasing design. It's almost as if they didn't know what to do with the added real estate of the full size pages after coming from the small book style. And again, there's no excuse for the absolute garbage quality paper.
Oh, and I forgot I have the Devil Summoner book too. Just purchased it on a whim, for the games I'm really excited about I sort of like the "event" mentality around it and the ritual of making it feel special. That guide also uses an 8.5 by 11 full size, and they again don't do a great job with it. The pages just look so boring. Way too much straight text in the main walkthrough section, and the game doesn't really have very detailed maps. If you don't have enough art to make the pages lively, use some well places screenshots that compliment the text walkthrough at least.
I think Doublejump is admirable in that they seem to care about doing a good job of including all the data one could hope to want (even some charts that are borderline irrelevant and would rarely be consulted). They just need some good graphic design people.
The only guides I'm always tempted to buy are Brady's ones for Square-Enix games. They consistently have nice looking layouts, with clean inset boxes for side-questy stuff and a nice balance of text to pictures. Good easy to differentiate page design for stuff like Boss fights or callout boxes discussing secrets. The art is usually excellent stuff and worth looking at for fans (part of this must come from the source material given by S-E). Screenshots are used with about the right frequency. They always have nice glossy pages. It feels like something that's worth paying a few dollars for just to leaf through if you're a fan, like a coffee table book. Not like some rag with plain information that I could get in a FAQ (Prima is especially bad about this). It's not all about getting information, you better also have style and presentation to make that guide worthy of a purchase. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
SuperWes
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 6:07 pm |
|
|
A look into the mind of a strategy guide company:
1. Game Publishers like the larger guides because it means their cover art will be seen by more people in a game store.
2.
| Quote: |
| Fucking A, they had a full write up on how to beat the first boss in Dawn of Sorrows. There was no reason for anyone to discuss any more strategy than "beat him until he dies" but by god they did it. |
A good strategy guide writer gives a lot of information about things like boss fights. A good strategy guide editor pares down that information to just what's needed. A great strategy guide writer does both on the first pass (note that you can remove all instances of the words "strategy guide" from the above sentence and it's still true).
3. The number of spreadsheets in a guide is directly proportional to the amount of support a game's publisher gives the guide publishers. If the publisher doesn't give much support they're probably getting the info from a Japanese guide where the writers were given support. Note that the Japanese guides are often given to the US Strategy Guide publishers from the US game's publisher as reference material.
4. Some guides that obviously won't make strategy guide companies any money are done specifically to please a publisher so that they'll be able to do guides for more popular games that they'll make a lot of money on.
5.
| Quote: |
| Japanesey meaning smaller font, more information, and extra sections for things not related to the game? Like art galleries, interviews, and fan input (like if it's an arcade game talk to actual arcade players for more info)? |
Partially. The size was the main thing I was thinking of, but there are other things. Again though, most of the bonus stuff is less dependent on what the guide's publisher wants to do and more on how much support the game's publisher gives them.
6. Also the best-designed guides in the world are the European Piggy Back guides. HOT fucking shit. I'm pretty sure that recently a few of them have been brought over to the US as Brady or Prima guides.
-Wes
_________________
Last edited by SuperWes on Thu Feb 01, 2007 6:12 pm; edited 2 times in total |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
SplashBeats
Guest
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 6:09 pm |
|
|
| I guess I'm the only person bothered by the upskirts. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
firenze
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Location: Bonus Round
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 6:15 pm |
|
|
| Joe wrote: |
| I guess I'm the only person bothered by the upskirts. |
At the risk of droning on about guides even more than I already have (hey, I'm getting the game today - I can talk about it later). I noticed that even in the guide it looked like a page of Maxim whenever there was art of that character. They're really trying hard to sell the sex with her I guess...
Oh, a note on game/character design. I do LOVE the fact that Rogue Galaxy and the last game I purchased (Hotel Dusk) have ADULT main characters. The main characters aren't whiny teens. About time to start selling to those of us who weren't born after the SNES launch. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
Lestrade
Mary McMoePanties
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: Toronto
|
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
Predator Goose
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Location: Oversensitive Pedantic Ninny
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 6:25 pm |
|
|
| Quote: |
A look into the mind of a strategy guide company:
1. Game Publishers like the larger guides because it means their cover art will be seen by more people in a game store. |
I can understand this from a Game Publisher point of view. But from my point of view it knocks the product down quite a few notches, meaning I don't buy it.
| Quote: |
| 2. A good strategy guide writer gives a lot of information about things like boss fights. A good strategy guide editor pares down that information to just what's needed. A great strategy guide writer does both on the first pass (note that you can remove all instances of the words "strategy guide" from the above sentence and it's still true). |
Then you and I have different opinions on what makes a good strategy guide editor. Though I never, nor would anyone, had any need for the strategy for the first boss fight, I was still pleased that they included it. It helped the guide feel more complete.
| Quote: |
| 3. The number of spreadsheets in a guide is directly proportional to the amount of support a game's publisher gives the guide publishers. If the publisher doesn't give much support they're probably getting the info from a Japanese guide where the writers were given support. Note that the Japanese guides are often given to the US Strategy Guide publishers from the US game's publisher as reference material. |
I'm fine with this. I was just giving support for the spreadsheet style.
Also, while I am an anime dork, I didn't know that the size of the guides was a Japanese thing. So I think I can honestly say I like the size of the guides on it's own merits.
_________________
I can no longer shop happily. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
firenze
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Location: Bonus Round
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 6:25 pm |
|
|
| Oh, and yet one more comment about guides. "Japanese style" doesn't necessarily mean small. Some of the best guides I've ever seen are the Gamest/Arcadia fighting game mooks for Capcom and SNK games. Packed full of ridiculous amounts of data, sprite captures for every move, frame data, combos, etc. Almost all are the same size as our traditional larger page size guides. RPG guides I guess are a different animal though. I don't really look at a whole lot since I don't read Japanese fluently though, only Japanese RPG books I own are the super cool Shining Force III guides. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
SuperWes
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 6:33 pm |
|
|
| Predator Goose wrote: |
| Then you and I have different opinions on what makes a good strategy guide editor. Though I never, nor would anyone, had any need for the strategy for the first boss fight, I was still pleased that they included it. It helped the guide feel more complete. |
I was more just making a statement. I'm pretty sure Prima, Brady, and Double Jump all give just as much information on throw away boss fights. I'd be surprised if this was exclusive to Double Jump.
Also: Some of the stuff you're talking about gets shot down because the approvals process can be a big pain in the ass. Certain designs can't be done because the art isn't allowed to be obstructed in any way, and some ideas I've had (like including some historical information on the inspiration for characters in the Onimusha: Blade Warriors guide) wouldn't have been worth the effort of getting Capcom to sign off on.
-Wes
_________________
Last edited by SuperWes on Thu Feb 01, 2007 6:46 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
Predator Goose
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Location: Oversensitive Pedantic Ninny
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 6:42 pm |
|
|
| Quote: |
| I was more just making a statement. I'm pretty sure Prima, Brady, and Double Jump all give just as much information on throw away boss fights. I'd be surprised if this was exclusive to Double Jump. |
Ah, my bad. I thought you were saying that the DJ editor wasn't very good since he left something unecessary in.
_________________
I can no longer shop happily. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
SplashBeats
Guest
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:11 pm |
|
|
| firenze wrote: |
| Joe wrote: |
| I guess I'm the only person bothered by the upskirts. |
At the risk of droning on about guides even more than I already have (hey, I'm getting the game today - I can talk about it later). I noticed that even in the guide it looked like a page of Maxim whenever there was art of that character. They're really trying hard to sell the sex with her I guess...
Oh, a note on game/character design. I do LOVE the fact that Rogue Galaxy and the last game I purchased (Hotel Dusk) have ADULT main characters. The main characters aren't whiny teens. About time to start selling to those of us who weren't born after the SNES launch. |
Uh, the main character is 17. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
Mr Mustache
Mean Mr. Mustache
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: Bushwick
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:12 pm |
|
|
| aerisdead wrote: |
| seems to use Comic Sans font for EVERYTHING |
That is really terrible, any inclination I had to play this anime inspired game intended for twelve year olds has now past.
_________________
The people are like wool to me |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
LWJoestar
Joined: 25 Jan 2007
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:13 pm |
|
|
I bought Rogue Galaxy last night, new. My PS2 doesn't see it. It doesn't even know there's a disc in there. For other games, it works fine, but my Rogue Galaxy might as well bee one of those clear spacers you get in a pack of CD-Rs.
Saddington Bear, indeed.
_________________
 |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
SplashBeats
Guest
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:14 pm |
|
|
That's not Comic Sans, though. It's similar, but not Comic Sans. I'd know Comic Sans if I saw it.
Really, is it fucking necessary to see up the 14 year old (assumption based on personality/character design, I don't know how old she's supposed to be) girl's skirt every time you swim?
Last edited by SplashBeats on Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:55 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
Predator Goose
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Location: Oversensitive Pedantic Ninny
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:20 pm |
|
|
| Joe wrote: |
That's not Comic Sans, though. It's similar, but not Comic Sans. I'd know Comic Sans if I saw it.
Really is it fucking necessary to see up the 14 year old (assumption based on personality/character design, I don't know how old she's supposed to be) girl's skirt every time you swim? |
Xenosaga says that it's necessary to see up the skirt when they're just standing there. It's really bothersome.
_________________
I can no longer shop happily. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
bort
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: Are you related to Bandai and Namco takes of games Sent from my iPhone
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:24 pm |
|
|
Sheesh, you people don't have to be such assholes.
A desinger who inserts upskirt pictures of fictional little girls isn't necessarily sexually attracted to them. What if (s)he finds them cute? |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
Predator Goose
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Location: Oversensitive Pedantic Ninny
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:28 pm |
|
|
| bort wrote: |
Sheesh, you people don't have to be such assholes.
A desinger who inserts upskirt pictures of fictional little girls isn't necessarily sexually attracted to them. What if (s)he finds them cute? |
I'll accept the cute statement only in instances of either a) highly deformed art that looks nothing like a little girl, or b) bloomers. Anything else is just creepy.
Edit: Miyazaki can get away with anything he wants, because he is Miyazaki.
_________________
I can no longer shop happily. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
Knurek
Joined: 16 Dec 2006
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:29 pm |
|
|
| Predator Goose wrote: |
| Xenosaga says that it's necessary to see up the skirt when they're just standing there. It's really bothersome. |
But then Xenosaga had robot lolis.
//Edit
Oh, and lesbian main character...
Wait a minute... Xenosaga is Kanazuki no Miko the Game! |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
DonMarco
graphics fucker
Joined: 06 Dec 2006
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:33 pm |
|
|
| firenze wrote: |
| I completely don't get why people would get psyched up for guides on games like Genji and Aria of Sorrow though. They simply don't have enough information to warrant an expensive ($20?? for a DS game guide??) book when the only really useful information is easily found by free FAQs, and is actually probably formatted in a way that's easier to read. |
I remember when guides cost less than $10. Then they wree closer to $12. Then $15. Now a lot of them are $16-18. $20 guides are fine by me. Could be $25, you know. Brady has put out at least a dozen $30 limited edition guides.
| SuperWes wrote: |
| 6. Also the best-designed guides in the world are the European Piggy Back guides. HOT fucking shit. I'm pretty sure that recently a few of them have been brought over to the US as Brady or Prima guides. |
Prima's Jak 3, SOCOM 3, Tomb Raider Legend and Halo 2? I might be off by one. Also, my first Piggyback guide is in the mail! Who knows when it might show up??
_________________
Still alive. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
aerisdead
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Location: Toronto, Canada
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:36 pm |
|
|
| Lestrade wrote: |
| Hey, where can one play a demo of this game? |
I have no idea. But depending on your urge to play it, you can always borrow it off me at some indeterminate point in the future if you wish.
_________________
"Did you read that mr. ignorant new games journalist? YOU JUST DON'T FUCKING GET IT. "
-Alex Kierkegaard, better known as "Pikachu", irrationally responding to the wonderful gentleman who wrote the post you just read. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
luvcraft
buy my game buy my game me me me
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Location: Cobrastan
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 10:00 pm |
|
|
| bort wrote: |
Sheesh, you people don't have to be such assholes.
A desinger who inserts upskirt pictures of fictional little girls isn't necessarily sexually attracted to them. What if (s)he finds them cute? |
well, everyone knows that in Japan the word "upskirt" means "moe", which means "loli", which means "jailbait", which means "I live to feel pre-pubescent girls' hymens rip and bleed under the onslaught of my 40-year-old cock while they scream 'NO DADDY NO!'" which means "ecchi", which means "hentai", which means "ibuprofen" which means "SD" which means "perfectly innocent depictions of little girls and you're worse than Hitler if you think even for a moment that our intentions were anything other than the purest of pure", so I don't really see what the big deal is.
_________________
 |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
firenze
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Location: Bonus Round
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 10:17 pm |
|
|
| Joe wrote: |
| Uh, the main character is 17. |
Oh for real? Fuck. Guess my point still stands for Hotel Dusk though. I swear I was reading somewhere that Rogue Galaxy was a mostly adult cast and didn't get into the "teens saving the world" thing. Guess not, too bad.
I just picked up the game at lunch. Whoo. I'll play it later. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
schild
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 10:22 pm |
|
|
| It is mostly an adult cast. The lead character isn't whiny though. At least not yet. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
SplashBeats
Guest
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:29 am |
|
|
| firenze wrote: |
| Joe wrote: |
| Uh, the main character is 17. |
Oh for real? Fuck. Guess my point still stands for Hotel Dusk though. I swear I was reading somewhere that Rogue Galaxy was a mostly adult cast and didn't get into the "teens saving the world" thing. Guess not, too bad.
I just picked up the game at lunch. Whoo. I'll play it later. |
Rogue Galaxy kind of has a FF12 thing going with the cast, in that the game stars a dumb blonde haired teenager but he's actually pretty well-adjusted, even if he is a little dense, so he winds up being quite likeable. He reminds me of Stahn from Tales of Destiny, actually.
I haven't got Jungle Fever into my party yet so I will leave my evaluation of her to a later post. She seems pretty Tough Female Non-Love Interest though.
The Moe Upskirt Vehicle is a little grating but she isn't fucking Tifa or something so I don't mind her too much. She's pretty generic RPG female/love interest for main character, but not offensively so.
Steven Blum (I keep forgetting the name of his character so I just call him this, because Steven Blum has absolutely no range and every character he plays sounds the exact same) looks like Pirate Auron and has that Older, Mysterious Badass thing going on. Again, cliche, but not offensively so.
That's a good way to describe the plot in general, really. It's cliche, but charming. Level 5 seems to be good at that. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
schild
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 11:10 am |
|
|
Logged another 5 hours tonight. They recently introduced a really base form of crafting/fusion. Also, armor changes appearance - which is nice. The weapons are getting cooler. The guns steal from Metroid and...gasp... improve on the concepts.
Basically, yea, being a space pirate isn't so bad.
Edit: Anyone complaining about Kisala (the love interest) is overexaggerating. Unless they're constantly using her as the main party member or purposefully going for a pantyshot, any fanservice that might show up is COMPLETELY non-invasive. It does not hurt the game one bit. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
Knurek
Joined: 16 Dec 2006
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 12:35 pm |
|
|
| Anyone can confirm this is really a DVD9 game? I'd want to import this one, as Europe won't be getting this one soon (if ever, knowing Sony Europe fancy for RPGs without words Final or Fantasy in the game title), but if it's a DVD9 game, I guess my Swap Magic won't really work that well with it... :| |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
Pijaibros
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: Casino Night Zone
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 3:11 pm |
|
|
| Joe wrote: |
| Steven Blum (I keep forgetting the name of his character so I just call him this, because Steven Blum has absolutely no range and every character he plays sounds the exact same) |
Sweet, the whole time I'm gonna be thinking of Megas XLR, Big O, Neo Contra, and Killer 7.
Happy Thoughts!
_________________
 |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
SuperWes
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 3:57 pm |
|
|
So I have EXACTLY $40 to spend at Best Buy. Should I get Rogue Galaxy or should I get Lunar Knights next week?
-Wes
_________________
|
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
aerisdead
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Location: Toronto, Canada
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 5:08 pm |
|
|
Fuck Lunar Knights, man.
This seems okay to me if you want to play an RPG. There are lots of things to like, even if I am not convinced by the plot.
_________________
"Did you read that mr. ignorant new games journalist? YOU JUST DON'T FUCKING GET IT. "
-Alex Kierkegaard, better known as "Pikachu", irrationally responding to the wonderful gentleman who wrote the post you just read. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
firenze
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Location: Bonus Round
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 5:20 pm |
|
|
| Joe wrote: |
| That's not Comic Sans, though. It's similar, but not Comic Sans. I'd know Comic Sans if I saw it. |
I love the font, whatever it is. Nice and big so I don't strain my eyes. It doesn't look gritty and serious, but it's not so bubbly that it's cutesy. It's a really clean look, consisitent with the crisp clean style of the game graphics.
I am mildly nearsighted, so I wear glasses when I need to see far away things. Driving to read signs, in large auditorium lectures back in college to see the board, etc. Usually for RPGs, I need to wear glasses when I sit back on the couch and play or else the text is just blurry enough that it's annoying. I don't have to do that with Rogue Galaxy and I like that.
More games should use easy to read fonts. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
BotageL
pretty anime princess
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: *fidget*
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:52 pm |
|
|
So, someone with the full game, does the framerate still drop to like 15fps in combat? That was really, really distracting when I played the demo I acquired and installed on the hard drive. Well, that, and the fact that if you leave the demo paused for like two minutes it will reset even before you reach the 10 or 15 minute maximum for the "running around" part of it. I'm almost tempted to rent the game from Gamefly and give it another chance even though I doubt I'll like it that much.
_________________
http://www.mdgeist.com/ |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
boojiboy7
narcissistic irony-laden twat
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: take me on a blatant doom trip.
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:55 pm |
|
|
| Pijaibros wrote: |
Sweet, the whole time I'm gonna be thinking of Megas XLR, Big O, NEEEEEEOOOOO CONTRAAAAAAAAAAA, and Killer 7.
Happy Thoughts! |
fixed. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
SplashBeats
Guest
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 9:47 pm |
|
|
| BotageL wrote: |
| So, someone with the full game, does the framerate still drop to like 15fps in combat? That was really, really distracting when I played the demo I acquired and installed on the hard drive. Well, that, and the fact that if you leave the demo paused for like two minutes it will reset even before you reach the 10 or 15 minute maximum for the "running around" part of it. I'm almost tempted to rent the game from Gamefly and give it another chance even though I doubt I'll like it that much. |
I have not noticed slowdown of that nature in my few hours of playtime. There is a bit of a drop when things get really intense, but it is still quite playable and understandable considering the PS2 hardware and how damn gorgeous the game is.
I highly recommend this game, even if you are not a big RPG fan. The combat is really fun, and although the plot is cliche, it is so tongue-in-cheek about the whole thing that it does not really bother me. I've also noticed that the game is utterly savage to the otaku set.
Also, for some reason Firefox is opening the Find dialog every time I press the apostrophe key. This is a contraction-free post as a result of this strange problem. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
aerisdead
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Location: Toronto, Canada
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 11:41 pm |
|
|
I hope I can make queen of the jungle put on some clothes soon
it's embarassing
_________________
"Did you read that mr. ignorant new games journalist? YOU JUST DON'T FUCKING GET IT. "
-Alex Kierkegaard, better known as "Pikachu", irrationally responding to the wonderful gentleman who wrote the post you just read. |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
Lestrade
Mary McMoePanties
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: Toronto
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 5:22 am |
|
|
| aerisdead wrote: |
| Lestrade wrote: |
| Hey, where can one play a demo of this game? |
I have no idea. But depending on your urge to play it, you can always borrow it off me at some indeterminate point in the future if you wish. |
Hey, thanks, that'd be very nice of you. I'd just love to tinker with it for a few hours. I don't know if I'd like it—odds don't seem that good—but I'm curious. I'll be interested to hear your impressions.
_________________
Illustration Portfolio | The Gamer's Quarter |
|
| Filter / Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
