Incline Revisiting Old Games (Again)

[Machocruz]

I played for the first time several years ago. After my first win, it immediately went into my top 10 of all time. Anyone thinking nuXCOM can compare is hopelessly lost.

 

[Falksi]

I played for the first time several years ago. After my first win, it immediately went into my top 10 of all time. Anyone thinking nuXCOM can compare is hopelessly lost.

I enjoyed the Nu X-com games to some degree, and think they're one of the few "reboots" to have actually worked to some degree too (esp when you consider their main aim was to console-ify a deep PC game for the less enlightened out there), but totally agree that they don't compare to the original. They soon get tiresome, and the surprises stop coming after a few playthroughs.

Hard West. Now THERE's a modern day turn based tactics game to thrive on. Playing through it again now, and it's fucking incredible.

 

[Sreggin Etah I]

Quick review on the games i've beaten in the last 2 months, i'm going to post only my ratings based on how much i liked each game:

5.0 = Masterpiece
4.0 = Very Good
3.0 = Good
2.0 = Average
1.0 = Bad
0.0 = I hated it

0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5 are in between.


----------------------------
Beat em Ups:

Golden Axe = 3.0
Golden Axe 2 = 2.5
Golden Axe 3 = 3.5
Knights of Valour = 3.5
Knights of The Round = 3.0
Metamorphobic Force = 2.5
Night Slashers = 2.5
Ninja Gaiden Arcade = 2.0
Pretty soldier Sailor moon = 1.0
River city Ramson = 2.5
Spider Man The Arcade game = 0.5
Streets of Rage = 3.0
Streets of Rage 2 = 5.0
Streets of Rage 3 = 4.0
Vendetta = 3.0
Violent Storm = 4.0


Fighting:

Garou Mark of the Wolves = 3.5
The last Blade = 2.5



JRPGs:

Dragon Quest 1 GBC = 1.5


Metroidvania:

Castlevania Circle of the Moon = 3.5


Platformers:

Castlevania 1 = 3.0
Castlevania 3 Famicom = 4.0
Castlevania Bloodlines = 3.5
Castlevania Rondo of Blood = 4.0
Castlevania Chronicles = 3.0
Donkey Kong Country = 2.5
Haunted Castle K = 1.0
Mega Man = 2.0
Mega Man 2 = 2.5
Mega Man 3 = 1.5
Ninja Gaiden = 3.5
Ninja Gaiden 2 = 3.0
Ninja Gaiden 3 = 3.0
Shinobi 1 arcade = 1.5
Shinobi 1 Master system = 1.0
Shadow Dancer arcade = 1.5
Shadow Dancer Genesis = 2.0
Sonic Advance = 2.0
Super Castlevania 4 = 3.5
Super Mario bros = 2.0
Super Mario bros 3 = 3.0



Shoot em Ups:

Contra = 3.0
Contra C = 2.5
Gunstar Heroes = 3.0
Metal Slug 1 = 4.0
Mystic Warriors = 3.0


The Three best:

1. Streets of Rage 2
2. Castlevania 3
3. Metal Slug
-----------------------------

This is just my personal opinion, i'm not trying to be objective or unbiased here. i'll update again after i beat at least 15 more games.

 

[Machocruz]

Quick review on the games i've beaten in the last 2 months, i'm going to post only my ratings based on how much i liked each game:

Similar tastes in Castlevania. 3 and Rondo are indeed in the top. I prefer the branching paths, hard style over Metroid , double jumping labyrinths these days.

What didn't you like about Donkey Kong Country? Was thinking of giving them a go. I got to the minecart section in the first game and got distracted by something else. Plus after playing Metal Slugs and Terraria recently, I have a taste for games where you can get mounts/vehicles.

 

[Sreggin Etah I]

Quick review on the games i've beaten in the last 2 months, i'm going to post only my ratings based on how much i liked each game:

Similar tastes in Castlevania. 3 and Rondo are indeed in the top. I prefer the branching paths, hard style over Metroid , double jumping labyrinths these days.

What didn't you like about Donkey Kong Country? Was thinking of giving them a go. I got to the minecart section in the first game and got distracted by something else. Plus after playing Metal Slugs and Terraria recently, I have a taste for games where you can get mounts/vehicles.

I liked Donkey Kong Country, but i'm not a fan of platformers where you just jump on enemies or where there's too much focus on jumping overall, that's why i like Ninja Gaiden and Castlevania more than DKC and Super Mario bros.

2.5/5 is above average.

 

[Machocruz]

I liked Donkey Kong Country, but i'm not a fan of platformers where you just jump on enemies or where there's too much focus on jumping overall, that's why i like Ninja Gaiden and Castlevania more than DKC and Super Mario bros.

2.5/5 is above average.

I get it, I'm not a big fan of bop attacks either. Mario 3 and DKC are the exceptions. Sonics used to be, but I tried going back and I wasn't really feeling it.

 

[eXalted]

and worst of all is having to hunt around for ages to find that last alien. That can become a real slog.

Which is again, something else Open X-com addresses.

What gameplay tweaks you didn't like in there?

 

[Falksi]

and worst of all is having to hunt around for ages to find that last alien. That can become a real slog.

Which is again, something else Open X-com addresses.

What gameplay tweaks you didn't like in there?

I thought the harder difficulties were a real slog, and wasn't keen on having half your squad annihilated as soon as they leave the ship.

Overall Open X-com felt more like a grind than the standard game on those difficulties. It killed a lot of the tension, because there's rarely room to maneuver or breath.

 

[eXalted]

I thought the harder difficulties were a real slog, and wasn't keen on having half your squad annihilated as soon as they leave the ship.

The harder difficulties were bugged in vanilla.

Every time you load the game, it reverts to the Beginner difficulty. So in OpenXcom you are actually playing them the way they were intended.

 

[Sreggin Etah I]

I''ve been playing a lot of PS1 games lately, already finished Tomb Raider 2 and The mummy. I was playing Medal of Honor Underground, the first Medal of Honor is a solid 3.0/5 for me, almost 3.5/5, i really liked that game, solid gunplay, pacing and amazing sound design/atmosphere. However MOH 1 was held back by huge framerate drops and bugs, the sequel however, does nothing to improve the formula and only makes everything 100x worse ! seriously, i HATE Medal of Honor Underground, huge disappointment.

First, the framerate is way worse, like WAY WORSE ! MOH 1 didn't have huge framedrops until later in the game. Underground frame drop all the time, i can't barely move my crosshair at some points. The graphics aren't even improved, actually, sometimes looks worse.

Second, the bugs, holy shit the bugs: grenades not damaging enemies for some reason, enemies shooting through walls and hiting me, showing ID not working sometimes, weird animation bug in the "archaeology" level, enemies spawning behind me, german half-track sometimes requiring 2 panzerfaust shots to be destroyed and other times requiring 5 PF shots...

And the worst of all, the gunplay, they fucked up the gunplay in this game, seriously. Your bullets just never go where you're aiming, it's so bad ! so BAD ! that i booted Medal of Honor 1 up just to see if i'm crazy or not. But i'm not, they really fucked up the gunplay in Underground, just look:

Moh 1:

MOH Underground:

This happens every fucking time ! this game doesn't seem to have much recoil too, gun shots are mostly 100% deterministic in this game.

Just look at the difference, in MOH 1 you shot where you aim(at least most of the time), you aim for the head you do a headshot, plain and simple ! in Underground however, your bullets go all over the place except where you're aiming, i wish i could show you, my crosshair literally at the dead center, at the belly of the enemies, yet i can't hit shit, because my bullets goes everywhere except where I'M AIMING ! it's already hard to aim in these games, mix that up with shitty framerate, scarcity of ammo in Underground and enemies being less predictable in the sequel... you just have the recipe for infuriating gameplay.

I gave up, halfway in, i just can't stand playing this game, one of the most frustating and unfun FPS i've ever played.

1.0/5

and MOH 1 >>>>> Underground

edit: i had to take a screenshot of this:

Plain shot, no recoil, tried 15 times and couldn't hit him, the bullet always goes to the same spot, just screw this game dude !

 

[Falksi]

UN Squadron/Area 88 - SNES/Arcade

The UK mag Mean Machines, (the console lovechild of Zzap and C&VG's Julian "Jaz" Rignall, who went on to be chief editor at IGN 97-02), was culturally massive in gaming circles in the early 90's. The humour, style, and brutal honesty made it legendary amongst me & my group of friends, and whatever it said went. Thanks to that mag, we got guided in the direction of games which we wouldn't even have considered normally. And this leads us to UN Squadron, also known as Area 88. Xmas '91 saw this arrive from Santa, along with Super Ghouls and ghosts, and I lost many an hour to it.

Firstly I played through the SNES version. It's a very considered game all round, and you can tell that they'll put some real effort into creating enemy attack patterns which challenge you a lot at first, but also offer enough gaps to be exploited the more familiar you become with the game. It creates a top learning curve, and feels very rewarding. The energy bar system is also very clever too. You can get hit numerous times, but if you get hit a second time within several seconds of the first hit you instantly lose a life. It adds some reals tension, and creates a great dynamic whereby when you do get hit you have to go on the defensive. This works great in the full context of the game, as a lot of it is geared up to encourage a more aggressive approach all round. The push & pull between both dynamics is absolutely bang on.

The smattering of slightly tactical elements work spot on too. You get to choose levels accordingly, buy different aircraft, buy different weapons' etc. There's enough in there to add an additional layer of depth & keep the game grounded in that more "considered" vibe, but not so much as to bog the game down. The power up system is nob on the money as well, as each one essentially serves as "experience points", so you "level up" the more you collect, rather than get a different type of weapon (you buy those between stages). This means if you keep getting stuck on the same stage, each time you attempt it you'll get that bit more powerful as you keep collecting power-ups, and it really helps motivate you to keep trying if you are struggling. It also adds to a few of the tactical decisions too, as finding & playing "experience"-heavy levels can help overcome other, tougher ones.

And there's some real dogfighting going off at times too, and it feels flipping mint. Some enemies take more than just a shot or two to kill on harder levels, and this creates some situations where you're chasing each other round for a noticeable amount of time. The pressure is always on to dispatch them asap in order to stay on top, as new enemies some thick & fast, and the exciting dynamic this creates gets the adrenaline really going at times.

However, all a bit too often you get bummed from behind or out of nowhere. Once you've learned the stages you rarely fall for it again, but it does feel cheap. The bullshit factor ramps up significantly towards later levels too, with one or two bosses in particular starting to grate, and the final 3rd does become a bit tiresome on the whole. In fact the first 2/3rds of the game is balanced notably better than the last 3rd all round. At times during the last 3rd you're really up against it to the point where even the slightest mistake will finish you. And whilst I like the soundtrack, I also found it a bit lacking and bland at times too. The background graphics also fall into that category - does the job, but nowt special either.

It's a really, really, really good game which oozes quality, and carries some great weight. But there's enough flaws & enough frustration during the last 3rd, just to cut it short of being a classic.




Arcade Version

Now the arcade version is very similar, but does have enough different elements to be of note. Firstly you can't select stages; secondly you can't buy additional aircraft - you're choice of character determines what aircraft you get and that's it, you're stuck with it; thirdly a lot of the stages are somewhat different, with some being completely different altogether; fourthly that extends to several bosses, with numerous ones being different from the SNES counterpart; and finally it is significantly faster & snappier than the SNES version too.

Unsurprisingly, overall the arcade version is a more arcade popamoley experience. It's not bad for that, and those who prefer that may prefer this version. But if you were to ask me I'd say that the SNES version clearly stands out as the better of the two, and feels the more well-rounded and balanced experience.

 

[Baron Dupek]

I''ve been playing a lot of PS1 games lately, already finished [...] The mummy.

How is that game? Never heard much about it beside one old review from hardly reliable gaming magazine.
I have PC version, wonder if there are any differences - levels, gameplay maybe?

 

[Sreggin Etah I]

I''ve been playing a lot of PS1 games lately, already finished [...] The mummy.

How is that game? Never heard much about it beside one old review from hardly reliable gaming magazine.
I have PC version, wonder if there are any differences - levels, gameplay maybe?

it's okay, not a bad game at all, but not good either. My problems with this game are bad controls, shitty platforming sections and gimmicky trial-and-error levels that made me die a lot, and if you lose all your lives, you have to restart the level from the beginning and some combat sections can drag. if the game didn't have all that shit i would've rated it a bit higher. Don't expect any hard puzzles, the levels are very straightforward, you're never going to get stuck. and it's a 6-10 hours long game.


Still a 2.0/5 for me, an average game.

I don't know nothing about the PC version.

 

[Falksi]

Hellfire - Megadrive/Arcade

I am the god of hell fire and I bring you: Hellfire!. And so forth. Hellfire was a game with a big rep around our way back in the day. Famed for it's tough as old boots difficulty, it was hailed by many a gaming expert (including those at Mean Machines) as one of the best shooters out there. In fact to quote MM - "Simply the best shmup currently available on the Megadrive. Need we say more? 93%". So I loved SHMUPS, I loved my Megadrive, I loved Mean Machines and treated the likes of Jaz Rignall as a hero......so why didn't I ever buy, or even play this? I'd like to pretend it's one of those weird little mysteries, but it's not. It's because I thought it looked pretty shit. No fancy power-ups, no outlandish bosses, an unconventional shooting method etc. I just never wanted it. So it was nice to finally getting round to see if I'd missed out.

And yes, yes I have. What makes Hellfire stand out is that your weapon is multi-directional from the off. It can fire either forward, backwards, vertically or diagonally at the push of a button, and so the game becomes a bit of a thinking man's shooter. Not only are you having to dodge, weave & blast as standard, but you're also having to cycle through your shooting modes to give you the best offensive setup as this goes off. It adds something of a slight "puzzle" element to the action, and this definitely gives it a touch of uniqness. In fact it feels really fresh, as the enemy attack patters are obviously designed to draw the most of this, and prompt you as such. So it's easy to see why back then, when everything was an R-Type clone, it stood out.

And fuck me can you get your buzz on in this game. It often walks an incredibly brilliant line between bullet hell, and giving you enough breathing room to get by. It gets hella intense in ten cities, and those moments are also placed & paced superbly throughout the game, giving you time to catch your breath slightly, then go full out for another dose.

But by 'eck is this game tough at times. There's no Normal difficulty mode, just either allegedly "Easy", or "Bollocks of steel" Hard. And when starting off I strongly advise you donning your make-up & skirt on and playing on Easy, because after the first level things get very tough very quick. Easy mode is hard, and hard mode is granite. With that said though, bizarrely the last level seems easier than those leading up to it.

The game's downer comes in it's old school structure. Die and you have to start from earlier in the level, and with no power or speed upgrades. Now they have designed the game well enough so that you still have a fighting chance, and getting some semblance of power back sharpish is often achievable. Being fully upgraded also doesn't make a mammoth sized amount of difference either. But despite all that, it still doesn't stop it being just damn annoying when you die, lose all your upgrades & have to re-run a section of the level. It's a design choice which has always annoyed me, and I'm afraid here that's no different.

Also, cycling between firing modes could have been smoother had more buttons been available. It's OK as it is, but it's also not uncommon to cycle past the mode you need, and have to go round again to get to it, costing you valuable seconds in often tight situations. And yes, it looks pretty mediocre, with bland backgrounds & unspectacular enemies. There are some absolutely banging tunes to compensate though, and the soundtrack really kicks arse. But visually it's as mediocre as they come.

Hellfire's a proper fun blast, with a bit of something different and definitely worth a play. How much you like it will boil down to just how prepared to get smacked by some brick walls, and if the older school design choices which it makes get on your nerves. Do I love it? No, it pissed me off enough and is too bland looking for it to be in my classic collection. But did I have a great buzz with it? Absolutely. Not so much a "must own" as a "must play". Like a dirty, average looking lass you probably wouldn't have a relationship with, but who gives a killer blowjob and you'd empty your load on now & again.




Arcade version

Now with all that said, the arcade version has a few key differences, and with them come a few contradictions. Firstly it's obviously automatically set to "Hard" mode, so no warm up here. But more significantly, it removes the "start from earlier in the level when you die" mechanic, and just keeps things rolling. Unfortunately, with this being hard mode from the off, this now highlights just how underpowered you are without any power-ups, and sheds light on the probable reasons as to why they decided to start you from earlier in the level for the Megadrive version. As once you're into the second level your attack power becomes redundant against most enemies other than the twee cannon fodder, and this really kills a lot of interest in the game.

Other than that it's pretty much identical to the Megadrive version, and somewhere between the two is a 5/5 game trying to burst out. But as it is neither quite get the balance right. If I had to choose, I'd go with the Megadrive version. The real solution to their issues should have been to add a bit more kick to your initial weapons, and lose a ranking of power when you die, rather than the full lot of powers ups. But Que Sera.

 

[Falksi]

Dahna: Megami Tanjou - Megadrive

^One of the many set pieces in the game. Ride an Ogre to kick some arse

Dark Fantasy is great isn't it? I mean, I like my sci-fi, I like loads of other settings too, from Western to Post Apocalyptic etc. but there's just something about fantasy, and dark fantasy in particular, which really stirs my loins. This is a Japanese take on your usual dark Western fantasy, and it's often hailed as a "hidden gem". I'd never heard of it until recently, so being a sucker for pretty much any of that, I liked the look of it, and here we are.

It's shit, but it's shit-good. Some elements of the game show real potential, others are real lame, but it has enough up it's sleeve to be of note. See at it's core it's a fairly basic Rastan clone, and the gameplay is fairly poor all round. The controls feel off and clumsy; and whilst the move-set is OK, the collision detection can be well out at times (you clearly hit some enemies, and it just doesn't register), and overall it just plays fairly awkwardly. You also only have one life (with 5 continues) and, considering that you often face instant death from many a platforming section, it's a strange design choice to make, and unsurprisingly only serves to frustrate.

But the game also has some really nice ideas. Granted, they are implemented just as awkwardly as the controls most of the time, but it's still fun experiencing them. Almost every stage sees some really cool set piece, from galloping down a cliffside on a horse, to dismembering a two headed giant knight, to flying on a Griffon etc, and so it feels like an adventure and helps the game stand out. The more you play it & get used to the shit elements, the more fun you unearth. You're score also serves as experience points, which levels up your life bar, and that helps hold interest a bit too.

Of course, the game drops the ball again when it comes to the pacing of these set piece sections, because they're often repeated over & over again for maximum annoyance. I mean sections which you would usually have to complete 2 or 3 times maximum get repeated upwards of 7 or 8 times, and that really drags the whole thing down again.

So it's a poor-ish game with some nice ideas, and also thematically appealing. One which I think fans of the genre should have a blast on at least once just to have a taste of it's ideas & set pieces, but one which you'll probably come away from and never want to return to after.

Crap but likeable, and occasionally enjoyable too.

 

[Machocruz]

Sword and sorcery, especially of the Howardian kind, is my favorite kind of fantasy, thematically. High fantasy is great for aesthetics, but I prefer the primal, comparatively grounded nature of S&S. One can imagine it as a kind of pre-history. Magic exists, but it is often grounded in concepts familiar to us, like alchemy, occultism, etc. Monsters are our Earth animals projected to an abominable level. But affairs mostly revolve around raw, sweaty, treacherous humanity. Self-interest is what motivates the actors, more often than not. Violence is unvarnished, visceral.

The half-naked thots and chads don't hurt either.

 

[Falksi]

Thunderforce 4 - Megadrive

^Bland backdrops like this aren't uncommon. "Hi, we're in Delaware......"

Often hailed as the best in the series, I find it quite surprising that - being a huge fan of Thunderforce 3 and playing it very regularly - I rarely play this game. I never owned it on cart back in the day, but I did have it in my early PC emulation collection. Me wonders what the reason is for this lack of play time over the years? Time to find out and time to get thunderstruck again.

Well it's just not that good IMO unfortunately. It's not bad, there's some really well crafted portions & there's some fun to be had, but for every bit I enjoyed there was another bit which I got annoyed or bored with. First thing that hit me was the change of vibe from previous entries with the early tunes. There's the odd good tune in there later on, but far too many jazzy, placid tracks for my liking overall. Music is of course a personal preference, but the more laid back vibe of some of the tracks just doesn't suit a game of this ilk IMO. They should feel more exciting & intense from the off. Later in the game things do ramp up, but it's a bit like sitting down to watch an Arnie flick, and having the first 2/3rds of the movie centered around a family drama before the violence & action kicks in.

And that extends to the levels themselves & game as a whole. TF4's first level is a bit tricky, but then the next few are a cakewalk, and fairly characterless too. I think Stage 6 was when the game really started to kick in for me and the level design got interesting, but by then it's almost over. When you do finally get to some enjoyable action for the last 3-4 stages it is pretty good, but again it's all too little too late, and even then it's more "good" than "amazing".

Some of the boss fights can't half drag out too. There's some well designed ones, with some clever patterns, but some seem to take an absolute age to kill off, even when fully powered. Something else which irked me is how reliant you are on power ups as well. The main weapon seems too weak to me, yet once you've acquired a power up or two you're a bit too overpowered for certain sections, so it feels imbalanced in this respect (which again is a departure from far better balanced third entry)

But it does have some great graphics, the odd cracking tune, and a few welcome additions to the previous games. These include the screen scrolling vertically when you move your ship up/down to match, thus giving you more of a playing field to fight in. It doesn't make a huge difference, but it adds a bit of something at least. And whilst the balance of weapon strength is off, the power ups themselves are also fun, with each one feeling different and useful. You can't always rely on the same power up either - it's very situational - so they definitely have a much better balance there than with other parts of the game, as you are constantly having to chop & change as appropriate to match said situation.

Filler is a killer, and that's the case here. T4 isn't a bad game at all. It's OK, and can be quite enjoyable at times. But it just didn't grab or excite me anywhere near as much as TF3, it felt bland, padded out & saggy in parts, and I doubt I'll return to it again. After finishing it, I popped the previous entry on for a quick blast, and couldn't put it down until I finished it. TF4 didn't really do it for me at all, but I would say that if you're a SHMUP fan still give it a go, because a fair few of my complaints such as music are down to personal taste, and if it grabs you from the off there are a lot of decent elements in there. So it's at least worth trying.

 

[Machocruz]

TF4 being the best in the series is a meme, something a number of people repeat without critical basis, because lemmings. For years and years TF3 was the one, had the biggest rep, etc. Now because the internet makes hipster voices project louder and further, are we hearing "Ackshually...". In 10 years, we might hear a bunch of people say 5 or 2 was the best.

TF4 is good, but 3 was a console shmup being compared to arcade greats. Maybe that was a meme then, but to even utter that indicates it probably had something going for it that other console games didn't.

 

[deama]

I played through unreal and return to castle wolfenstein last year and they were pretty damn good.

I tried replaying freespace 2 but after playing through ace combat 7 it doesn't quite work for me; freespace 2 feels way too slow now.

Replayed through age of decadence for the 6th time now, damn good game, can't wait for the sci-fi sequel to come out.

I replayed through the Unity port of Daggerfall with some minor mods installed. I don't remember if it was a mod or a setting built into the unity port, but the draw distance could be increased tremendously, and wow, it gave a very interesting feeling in that I have barely felt, it was this massive scale feeling, kinda like you're standing ontop of a mountain looking over the horizon on a clear day. Well, it wasn't that insane, but it was the first time I actually noticed, the only other notable games that have twinkled* something similar would be ass creed odyssey.
To be fair though, the landscape was pretty empty in daggerfall unity port, but the scale was still impressive.

Replayed through Dark Messiah of Might and Magic recently and a pretty good dungeoneering hack n' slashy adventure, I didn't like the catacomb level though, the one where you have to collect those damn gems for the statue, it dragged on too much.

Replayed Tale of Wuxia again recently and it's an interesting game, it's kinda like age of decadence chinese addition, not as good, but has it's moments.

I replayed Warlords Battlecry 3 with the protectors mod which expands on the base game and adds a new campaign. I both really like this game and really don't like it. I love the hero/rts hybrid system and how many stats/skills there are, like e.g. a skill to give you passive resources income, a skill to just boost allies, in addition to more standard stuff. I quite like this and this game has probably the best necromancer system I've seen wherein there's different summons you can summon, you can upgrade them via another skill.
The issue with this game though is the repetition, it gets really repetitive, quickly.

 

[samuraigaiden]

Falksi check out Psycho Dream on the SNES

 

[Falksi]

Falksi check out Psycho Dream on the SNES

Cheers mate, never even heard of that. Just playing through FF5 at the mo, but will be on that soon enough. Looks interesting

 

[Zerth]

Have you played seiken densetsu 3(Trials of Mana) or Terranigma before?. If you're looking forward to get into another top-down ARPG later, you can check one of those. Terranigma has a kinda ludicrous but tragic story, and the "spearplay" is quite straightforward. Seiken Densetsu is party based, and can be even played coo-op.

BTW I'm currently playing the Nes port of Wizardry 1 patched with a romhack that fixed the buggy AC. Do you mind If I share some thoughts about it after I finished it?.

 

[Machocruz]

Fuck I need to do less reading about/watching games and more playing. Remembered I started a game of Seiken Densetsu 3 last year, vowing to finish it after several false starts. Only beat the first boss before I got pulled away from the game. And I've been thinking about Terranigma. Looks cool. I like these old, simple ARPGs. Just started NOLF and a MInecraft run too *dabbing my brow*

 

[Falksi]

Have you played seiken densetsu 3(Trials of Mana) or Terranigma before?. If you're looking forward to get into another top-down ARPG later, you can check one of those. Terranigma has a kinda ludicrous but tragic story, and the "spearplay" is quite straightforward. Seiken Densetsu is party based, and can be even played coo-op.

BTW I'm currently playing the Nes port of Wizardry 1 patched with a romhack that fixed the buggy AC. Do you mind If I share some thoughts about it after I finished it?.

Yes mate both. SD 3 I thought was really neat, but also very poorly paced, and very boring too. I think I got around 10 or so hours in, then jacked it in. I will give it another go at some point, and pop my thoughts up on here though. FF5 is taking the JRPG slot at the mo, and I'm ony about half way through that (if that), so be a month or two yet at the very least.

Terranigma I've dabbled in over the years, but never sat down to go through it. Initial impressions were great tho and was actually gonna play it next, so might still do.

Fill your boots with Wizardary 1 mate, thread's here for anyone to pitch in as they wish. Look forward to reading your take on it

 

[Falksi]

Final Fantasy 5 - SNES

Often overlooked for the more flamboyant & hyped-up games in the series, FF5 used to be a stand-out favourite of mine back in t'day, and was one of the few which I completed more than a handful of times. Even back then, the length of these games was a heavy load to get through, and so they had to have something about them to keep me ticking. Obviously it's well known for it's fabled job system, so it's time to step into another land of make believe again and see if it's held up, or going to disappoint like so many other JRPGs have on return.

So I'd say FF5 is a bit like a nice hike up the hills of lush countryside, on a hotish summers day, with some tidy snatch in tow and a few bevies in your rucksack. It's paced very steadily, you have to put some effort in, take some time to have a breather now and again, and there's times where the bevies bloat & the snatch annoy, but overall it's still very enjoyable. However, you're also glad when you're back home with your feet up too.

Firstly, the whole aesthetic is ridiculously charming. Mint traditional quaint pixel art combined with some superb soundtracks, help create a vibrant vibe which draws you in. The story is also more charming than gripping too. I personally enjoyed it, but there's no doubt that it's lackluster & less epic than other games in the series. The joy comes from how it's told and the cute little details throughout, but it's definitely by the numbers, and methodically paced, which might not be for some. That said, even though the game has a lot of cliched elements, and doesn't feel particularly spectacular or outlandish, it does still often surprise you with a few decent plot twist/reveals too.

It also gets off to a great start with the balance it strikes between linearity & exploration. Exploration is initially quite limited, but because the game includes vehicles from a very early stage, it at least feels far less so. In fact the variety in transport methods which the early game offers, and how much it constantly changes these up, has rarely been done to such a degree. Each method of transportation can access different areas, so it gives the same world and same areas a different perspective. This really helps keep the game feeling fresh & interesting throughout, and expands at a really nice incremental rate as the game progresses too.

Now it is down to taste, but I found the job system & combat in general great fun. Each FF turn based battle is essentially a little puzzle for you to work out, and in many JRPGs this works well initially but lacks depth, as once you know how to "solve" each puzzle you can do that for most similar encounters, & thus it becomes a tad samey. However, the job system really helps spice that up as you have to consider finding the balance between "solving" the battle, whilst also progressing each job too. For example some battles you can absolutely cake-walk through with a gang of Monks, but then what happens later when no-ones levelled up their white wizard, and you're left thin on healing options for a big fight? The short-term/long-term trade off really adds some flavour & interest, helping keeping thigs very fresh throughout by forcing different approaches, and adding some much welcomed depth & variety. It's not D&D stuff, it's undoubtedly a bit gimmicky, and it's still simple, but it is a nice addition.

That said, the job system's many options also mean it can be really faffy at times to do simple things. Quite often you find yourself returning to the ability setup screen to equip abilities to use out of combat, only then to return to them again to equip abilities needed for combat. This can sometimes be after every battle, depending on how hard you get hit, so it's definitely a pain at times. There are also certain sections of the game which are just too grindy and battle heavy for my liking. I've certainly played worse, but combine that with the sometimes faffy setups and busy-work can really start to eat into your time, and thus impede your enjoyment of the game.

Whilst the game's not hard it can be very tricky at times, as it can often throw a lot of elements at you at once (new jobs, new enemies, time limit to exit a dungeon etc.), and this gives the game various sections which are more challenging than the usual standard JRPG affair. I like this, as it keeps you on your toes, but some may find it annoying.

FF5 lacks a certain "wow" factor, can sometimes grate, and lives or dies by how much you like the vibe & job system. It's certainly one of the more ponderous entries in the series, but it also has an absolute ton of stuff to like too, and if you take to it, then there's an absolute quality game still in there worth playing.