/vr/ - Retro Games

[Anonymous No.1064992]

hello /vr/

I'm playing pic related, just did the 5 towers and went to the "other world", the gameplay is great but I'm finding it a little boring... does it get better or it's always the same format?

[Anonymous No.1065000]

The combat is always the same with the Spear, but you get lots of other items and rings that will make it different. Also, that's just the beginning of the game; it will keep getting better and better, just keep going.

[Anonymous No.1065001]

If slowly restoring the World doesn't satisfy you, this might not be the game for you.

[Anonymous No.1065010]

>>1064992
The bosses get better, but yeah, overall the combat gets repetitive fast and it doesn't help that every spear handles the same way. I never managed to sit through the whole thing.

[Anonymous No.1065013]

>>1065000
the combat is the part I like, actually. but the empty world and the samey dungeouns were ticking me off a little.
I'm going to play a little more then, and see how this world restoring thing will turn out!

[Anonymous No.1065017]

>>1065013
You know, after a while restoring the world, you start encountering... well, I won't spoil it, but imagine Civilization slowly rising, and you there seeing how it rises... so yeah, the world will not be "empty" for long.

[Anonymous No.1065032]

>>1065017

nice!

[Anonymous No.1065040]

terranigma is by far the worst of the actraiser series

actraiser 8/10, just because its pretty old now
soulblazer 9/10, comparable to zelda 3 in quality
illusion of gaia 6/10 has some redeeming qualities, definitely "more of the same"
terranigma 3/10 I'm being generous, this crap was phoned in, and has some very questionable design decisions

>inb4 faggots that dont know this was one game series, and will be happy to reveal their ignorance to you

[Anonymous No.1065048]

>>1065040
Nope, everybody knows that.

Also OP, hate to say it, but if all you did was the five towers, you missed a chance to unlock some stuff and won't get another chance, sorry.

[Anonymous No.1065060]

>>1065048
if you mean polynesia, I did it

[Anonymous No.1065070]

>>1065060
Did you resurrected Mu?

[Anonymous No.1065074]

>>1065060
There is another...

[Anonymous No.1065104]

>>1065070
>>1065074
nop

;_;

[Anonymous No.1065397]

>>1065104
Don't worry, that only has a couple of items, one of them a equipment piece that athough you'll miss is easily outclassed by other weapons.

The [spoilers]five towers[/spoilers] was just a tutorial, gameplay-wise. Story-wise, it's just the introduction that introduces the main character and his world.

The outer world is huge. It'll start out empty, but that's why you're there for!

The combat is fun and it always stays that way. The dungeons will get different and much more varied, just as the overall setting.

>>1065040
Everybody knows it was a game series. Terranigma is my favorite by the way, I'd say my least favorite is ActRaiser 2, but even then I'd also give it a 8/10. You know, opinions.

[Anonymous No.1065417]

>>1065104
Don't worry, that only has a couple of items, one of them a equipment piece that athough you'll miss is easily outclassed by other weapons.

The five towers was just a tutorial, gameplay-wise. Story-wise, it's just the introduction that introduces the main character and his world.

The outer world is huge. It'll start out empty, but that's why you're there for! The combat is fun and it always stays that way. The dungeons will get different and much more varied, just as the overall setting will. Plus you'll start meeting a lot of characters.

After some events there, the plot will feel open-ended for a while until you get a new mission. Then it's a non-stop rollercoaster to the (great) end.

>>1065040
Everybody knows it was a game series. Terranigma is my favorite by the way, I'd say my least favorite is ActRaiser 2, but even then I'd also give it a 8/10. You know, opinions.

[Anonymous No.1065423]

>>1065104
Don't worry, that only has a couple of items, one of them a equipment piece that athough you'll miss is easily outclassed by other weapons.

The five towers was just a tutorial, gameplay-wise. Story-wise, it's just the introduction to the main character and his world.

The outer world is huge. It'll start out empty, but that's why you're there for! The combat is fun and it always stays that way. The dungeons will get different and much more varied, just as the overall setting will. Plus you'll start meeting a lot of characters.

After some events there, the plot will feel open-ended for a while until you get a new mission. Then it's a non-stop rollercoaster to the (great) end.

>>1065040
Everybody knows it was a game series. Terranigma is my favorite by the way, I'd say my least favorite is ActRaiser 2, but even then I'd also give it a 8/10. You know, opinions.

[Anonymous No.1065429]

I'm playing this too for the first time. I liked everything so far but there are some really shitty choices devs have made:

>stun enemies
>the cliff design is terrible (the part of the birds before you restore it)
>sectors where is unclear if you can jump from different heights
>some messages stay on screen forever (like the level up one)
>interior caves look like shit

God tier music though

[Anonymous No.1065450]

>>1065017
And suddenly, motherfucking Lions. I thought that was a particulary cute part of the game.

[Anonymous No.1065538]

>>1065040
Shittiest of tastes

Also no, Act raiser isn't part of the same series. The series is Soul blazer, not Act raiser, dumb anon.

[Anonymous No.1065549]

Little by little, you'll resurrect the world, OP, and the game will get more and more interesting. Especially once you resurrect humans and help them develop and expand their towns by initiating discoveries and encouraging trade an commerce between towns in different parts of the world.

[Anonymous No.1065551]

>>1065538
>The series is Soul blazer
This is all subjective, you know. There's nothing linking the game other than a few references, in jokes, and common themes. It's just Quintet treading similar ground with different focus every time. The same logic that tells us that Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia are related can say that Actraiser began the series. It can also mean that Robotrek is part of it.

[Anonymous No.1065573]

>>1065551
"They were made by the same company, therefore they are part of the same series."

That's what your logic sounds like, and it is retarded.

[Anonymous No.1065587]

>>1065551
>Everyone and their mother calls it Soul Blazer series
>Be incredibly hipster about it
The moment act raiser included a god mode is the moment you should realize it's not the same series. Not to mention it has what amounts to none of the ongoing similarities.
Not to mention Solid Arm mentions the Blazer directly in Illusion of Gaia as a plot point, and Terranigma is referred to as Illusion of Gaia 2. There's pretty much nothing tying ActRaiser to the Soul series.

But let's make it simple.
Does it have a dog named Turbo?
Y: It's a Soul Blazer game
N: It's not a Soul Blazer game

[Anonymous No.1065595]

>>1065551
It's a fan name designed by Hardcore Gaming 101, and it just stuck. There's no point in mentioning Act Raiser seeing there's no merit, origin or statement about it. It's literally just being hipster over it.

[Anonymous No.1065614]

>>1065587
>The moment act raiser included a god mode is the moment you should realize it's not the same series.
By that logic Illusion of Gaia is not part of the "series" because you can't revive things as in Soul Blazer.
>Not to mention it has what amounts to none of the ongoing similarities.
You mention characters as similarities. Well, ActRaiser lets you play as Kami/The Master, and this characters shows up in both ActRaisers and in Soul Blazer. Always with the same name and role.
>Not to mention Solid Arm mentions the Blazer directly in Illusion of Gaia as a plot point,
It's an easter egg. How could Illusion of Gaia be a sequel? We see the whole world of Illusion of Gaia both altered by the comet and afterward. The Magridd Kingdom doesn't exist at all there. Neither does Deathtoll.
>and Terranigma is referred to as Illusion of Gaia 2.
The devs call it that way, of course. But what makes it a sequel? Different world, different cosmology, different characters. There's nothing to link both stories at all outside of a reference made, again, inside an easter egg.
>There's pretty much nothing tying ActRaiser to the Soul series
The Master shows up in both. If we're saying Solid Arm showing up is a valid link, so is this.

>Does it have a dog named Turbo?
>Y: It's a Soul Blazer game
>N: It's not a Soul Blazer game
That's why I said that you could even consider Robotrek as part of the series, unlike what >>1065573 would have you believe.

>>1065595
Same characters, same themes, same assets used in ActRaiser 1 and Soul Blazer. HG101 even mentions this right at the start of the article.

[Anonymous No.1065617]

I am aroused by this thread

[Anonymous No.1065631]

I thought people called Terranigma, SB, and IoG the Heaven and Earth trilogy?

And no I don't think Actraiser 1 or 2 fit into it at all, the locales, gameplay, and characters are all wildly different than the trilogy, which have a lot more in common with each other.

[Anonymous No.1065638]

>>1065631
I think the anon that said that originally just threw Actraiser in by accident, but unwilling to admit his mistake, has been trying to argue for hours that it's part of the series.

[Anonymous No.1065639]

>>1065587

Son how can you be this stupid

Actraiser and Soulblazer are the only 2 games that have a direct link to each other, "the Master."

You know, the Master, who is your player character in Actraiser?

He is the guy who starts off Soublazer, sending his angel in his place. He also saves your game, and has significant plot-relevant dialogue at the beginning and the end of SoulBlazer.

I was prepared to argue with people who refused to believe that Actraiser was connected to Terranigma, because its like comparing cookies to cow manure, but to say that game 1 and game 2 are not connected is a completely new one.

And I'm sorry, did you call Actraiser's town building segment "strategy?" If we're going to call that 'strategy,' (its more of a painting game with a top down shooter) then we're definitely going to call the town building in SoulBlazer 'strategy,' even though neither of them are strategic at all.

[Anonymous No.1065661]

>>1065631
>the Heaven and Earth trilogy?
Yeah, that's how they call it in Japan after Terranigma's original name (Tenchi Souzou, literally "the creation of heaven and earth" but also the title of the Book of Genesis). HG101 took the name from there.

>And no I don't think Actraiser 1 or 2 fit into it at all, the locales, gameplay, and characters are all wildly different than the trilogy, which have a lot more in common with each other.
I'm >>1065614 and I mostly feel the same way. I'm just playing devil's advocate because the story links between the games are so inexistant that whatever makes them a "series" can be broadened to include any other Quintet game. Hell, HG101 even says that Granstream Saga is part of the series (Turbo be damned).

[Anonymous No.1065669]

>>1065423
>No granstream saga in taht iamge.

Being a fan of such an unplayed game is sufering.

[Anonymous No.1065672]

>>1065638
I wasn't the original anon who threw ActRaiser in the series. I'm just arguing that if we say that Soul Blazer, Illusion of Gaia and Terranigma constitute a "series" on the basis of easter eggs and thematic references, his point of view regarding the inclusion of ActRaiser in there is just as valid

[Anonymous No.1065678]

>>1065639
>If we're going to call that 'strategy,' (its more of a painting game with a top down shooter)

you realize by that by building poorly laid out towns, you won't have enough population to level up your character. I fail to see how making sure to have the most efficient town layout to have good stats is pretty strategic.

[Anonymous No.1065684]

>>1065661

>citing an outside source, some dinky ass low budget website Ive never heard of, about VIDEO GAMES

ok, you know I kind of roll my eyes at this crap when it happens in science, depending on someone else's agreement instead of just explicitly demonstrating your own research, but it really doesn't belong here

there is no outside authority, unless we can find quotes from the producers or writers. its 100% opinion based on information you can produce

[Anonymous No.1065685]

>>1065672
>I wasn't the original anon who threw ActRaiser in the series. I'm just arguing that if we say that Soul Blazer, Illusion of Gaia and Terranigma constitute a "series" on the basis of easter eggs and thematic references, his point of view regarding the inclusion of ActRaiser in there is just as valid

So you're just picking arguments for no reason other than playing devil's advocate? Why do you feel the need to do this? all it does is shit up threads.

[Anonymous No.1065681]

>>1065672
It's more than easter eggs and themes, it has wikipedia to back it up.

[Anonymous No.1065693]

>>1065684
>citing an outside source, some dinky ass low budget website Ive never heard of, about VIDEO GAMES

>posting on /vr/
>never heard of hcg101
>calling it dinky ass and low budget

If you don't have HCG101 bookmarked, then you should just stop posting on /vr/.
You're the worst kind of person.

[Anonymous No.1065702]

>>1065685
>So you're just picking arguments for no reason other than playing devil's advocate? Why do you feel the need to do this? all it does is shit up threads.
I'm not "picking arguments". I'm being honest. My first post was >>1065423 and I didn't try to start anything. People piled up on the opinions guy because he included ActRaiser. And let's not be hypocrites, if we say that there's a "series" because common characters (and, quoting >>1065681 and >>1065595, Wikipedia and HG101), we have no reason to pile up on opinions guy. Let he include whatever he wants and go back to talking about Terranigma without resorting to empty logic to justify/argue against some guy whose logic is exactly the same as yours.

[Anonymous No.1065707]

>>1065669
I played it. I tried liking it.

But damn, the VA is so bad.

[Anonymous No.1065714]

>>1065693
He's right. HG101 has no authority whatsoever most of the time. It's basically a very informative review site outside a few interviews and research articles. The "Heaven and Earth" series article has nothing to back up the inclusion or exclusion of Quintet games from its topics. It's just the writer's opinion.

Also, polite sage.

[Anonymous No.1065715]

>>1065707
The VA is shit but I still really loved the game.

[Anonymous No.1065717]

Let us remember this thread and archive it, lest similar arguments ever arise.

[Anonymous No.1065719]

I-I'll just leave this here.

[Anonymous No.1065726]

>>1065719

[Anonymous No.1065739]

>>1065714
The whole Soul Blazer trilogy nickname started because of them (Named heaven and earth trilogy by the japanese, also including only these three games)

We are not talking about an official nickname, we are talking about something that just stuck, and no one except that one anon even thinks about adding Act Raiser to it.

[Anonymous No.1065742]

>>1065726
knock knock
;_;

[Anonymous No.1065743]

>>1065707
I agree with >>1065715, it's not the game's fault it got a shitty forced VA. It's not that extensive, although I'd completely understand someone not playing it to avoid listening to whatever the hell that girl playing Arcia is trying to sound like.

I loved the combat and the story wasn't bad either, if you play it to the end you'll be hit with a huge plot twist, and it was kind of neat (if a bit out of left field).

It's also one of the few 3D PS1 games with graphics that I feel have held up. The fact that it didn't use pre-renderred backgrounds makes it seem like it has a solid graphic style, unlike most RPGs of the era.

Really cool game if you ask me.

[Anonymous No.1065749]

>>1065743
The only thing that makes me feel a bit weird about the game was they had no faces. They had heads, but no faces.

[Anonymous No.1065759]

>>1065743
>>1065661
>>1065669
IMO it was the worst in the "series".

Which is still decent. The first three are so damned good.

[Anonymous No.1065764]

>>1065739
Yeah, but who decided these three games alone form a series? What makes them more qualified than a random HG101 article to decide so?

If this one anon thinks ActRaiser is part of the series, he's got the exact same arguments everybody else has for linking Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia on his side. I don't understand what the big controversy is, let him think whatever he wants. Saying he's wrong makes us hypocrites because we apply his exact same logic to our own taste.

Just let it die and let's go back talking about Terranigma.

[Anonymous No.1065769]

>>1065764
>Yeah, but who decided these three games alone form a series?
The world, when HCG101 used the nickname and everyone followed through with it.

It's how these things work.

[Anonymous No.1065772]

>>1065759
The problem IMO is that its a 7/10 while the the others are 7.5-8.5s outta 10.

[Anonymous No.1065782]

>>1065749
That's a common complaint people have about the graphics, although more than "a bit" I've read people being really turned off by it. I also think it was weird, but it's not bad either, it's just the style it chose. Plus to be completely honest, I didn't really miss the pseudo-attempts at "faces" PS1 games at the time could produce...

I ended up just imagining the faces that they show during the dialogues, which I guess was what they intended? I'd like to know if the no-face decision was made due to technical reasons or just because. I always thought it was the former.

[Anonymous No.1065784]

>>1065772
A 6 to the 8-9s IMO. (Honestly I'd give Terranigma a 10 even with it's flaws, but I might be biased)

[Anonymous No.1065787]

>>1065782
>Cloud pic
Honestly that doesn't look bad at all. At least it makes the characters somewhat more human-ish.

[Anonymous No.1065790]

>>1065769
>The world,
Using the exact same logic that one anon is using to include ActRaiser. This is why I was giving arguments for him before, argumentum ad populum isn't reason to pile up on some guy with valid views (however flawed his opinions may be, Terranigma rules).

[Anonymous No.1065805]

>>1065790
The whole fucking name is based on ad populum.

Goddamn, it's like taking a meme, change it and argue that "this is how the meme really is". Let's finish this here.

[Anonymous No.1065807]

>>1065787
The weird arms, super deformed shape and lack of nose/mouth is way weirder to me than just lacking eyes. Granstream Saga had realistically proportioned characters, and I think they've aged better than FFVII's lego figures with eyes.

Although this isn't taking into account the battle models for VII, which are a lot better, but of course are reserved for fighting characters.

[Anonymous No.1065815]

>>1065782
I don't think its bad, just odd. I do think its 'better' than doing a shitty face, but as a kid it was always something that made me curious and now as an adult I wish they did a game in 32bit graphics instead of 3d.

>>1065784
I dunno, I think 7 is good. 6 to me says 'Above mediocre' while 7 is 'Fun and enjoyable' to me, Terranigma i'd say is 8.5 IMO, fantastic game, but with just a few flaws keeping it from being what it could have been. Still one of my favorite SNES games.

[Anonymous No.1065816]

>>1065805
Dude, don't get mad about it. The whole time I've been saying that the whole thing is completely subjective. What makes it a series? What doesn't? Most people's arguments can be used to include even Robotrek, which takes place in another galaxy and has nothing to do with death and rebirth. I've never said "this is how it really is", I'm saying that there's no right or wrong as to how it is, and citing how "most people feel" is pointless because how they "feel" makes no sense.

Agreed, let this die here. Just respect the other anon's opinions.

[Anonymous No.1065843]

>>1065815
>wish they did a game in 32bit graphics instead of 3d.
The same could be said about most 3D/pseudo-3D PS1 RPGs... although out of all of them, I really do think Granstream kept the better, most consistent graphic style. Even though it had no faces!

>Terranigma i'd say is 8.5 IMO, fantastic game, but with just a few flaws keeping it from being what it could have been. Still one of my favorite SNES games.
I think the story is 10/10. It's really a great tale that is both epic (as a literal world adventure) and personal (seeing how Ark is such a fun, likable character). Because of how it's laid out, the game was always fun to play. But for me the problem was the mechanics. Magic was almost completely useless, a level means a world of difference, there is minimal variety in weapon effects, there are no real interesting items to use... I think 8.5 is an accurate rating. As a whole I feel it should be a 10, but being completely honest it's an 8.5

[Anonymous No.1065862]

>>1065843
I don't know man, there are those issues with the gameplay that you mention, but I think the gameplay is always fun, but that isn't even considering the other mechanics like making the world grow and stuff like that, which should really boost the score a lot.

There's so much to the game than just the combat.

[Anonymous No.1065870]

>>1065862
Not >>1065843 but while the gameplay of world building was great, those issues he said are sitll issues and nothing can make them be ignored. I'm the original guy who said it was 8.5, and you'd be an idiot to say thats not still a great score for the game.

[Anonymous No.1065881]

>>1065862
I know exactly what you mean. That's why I say I feel it should be a 10. Even though there is practically no variety on the mechanics, I agree with you that the gameplay is always fun. It's the best action RPG gameplay you can find on the SNES. The spear is flexible, fast, and even ties up to the story in a neat way.

However, being realistic, there's a lot of wasted potential. There's a magic system that's just useless, they tried to make it a central part of the game (searching for magirocks is the biggest sidequest, after all) it but never really quite works. You can equip lots of spears, and some are suppossed to have special effects, but this is also a thing they tried to implement and failed; at the end of the day, you'll just use the most powerful one. And the levelling thing is just unforgivable from a design perspective. These are all flaws. Personally they don't bother me, but they do exist...

I know what you mean though. Terranigma is more than the sum of its parts. From the heart it'd give it a 10/10 no questions asked; from the brain a 8.5 seems reasonable. Either way it's my favorite game and the end of the day I wouldn't change a thing about it.

[Anonymous No.1065898]

>>1065862
I know exactly what you mean. That's why I say I feel it should be a 10. Even though there is practically no variety on the mechanics, I agree with you that the gameplay is always fun. It's the best action RPG gameplay you can find on the SNES. The spear is flexible, fast, and even ties up to the story in a neat way.

However, being realistic, there's a lot of wasted potential. There's a magic system that's just useless, they tried to make it a central part of the game (searching for magirocks is the biggest sidequest, after all) it but never really quite works. You can equip lots of spears, and some are suppossed to have special effects, but this is also a thing they tried to implement and failed; at the end of the day, you'll just use the most powerful one. And the levelling thing is just unforgivable from a design perspective. These are all flaws. Personally they don't bother me, but they do exist...

I know what you mean though. Terranigma is more than the sum of its parts. From the heart I'd give it a 10/10 no questions asked; from the brain a 8.5 seems reasonable. Either way it's my favorite game and the end of the day I wouldn't change a thing about it.

[Anonymous No.1065905]

>>1065870
They'd be a real issue if they actually deterred from the fun in the combat itself or the game, which it doesn't.

Look at Planescape Torment. That game is fantastic, but it's combat ACTUALLY gets in the way of the enjoyment many times. Would you really say PST is a 7 or lower just because the combat is that godawful?

[Anonymous No.1065916]

>>1065905
as a game? Yeah. I have to look at a game as the whole of its parts, not just an individual thing.

[Anonymous No.1065919]

>>1065898
Uh, I used magic a fuck ton. Not everything mind you, I probably never even used some of the rings, but the pins were fairly handy.

You are completely right about the leveling though. One level can mean 50 damage to 500 some times (mainly in bosses).

[Anonymous No.1065925]

>>1065905
I actually would say it's 7/10. Great story, possibly would make a good book, but as a video game it has lots of flaws (and unlike most of the ones in Terranigma, those flaws do get in the way constantly). On >>1065815 anon gave a good breakdown on what the scores mean for him, and 7 doesn't mean "worst thing ever".

I think with the whole video game "journalism" (of course, using the term loosely) we have internalized that anything below 8 is bad. It's not, not every single game is amazing. 8.5 is a great score.

And on Terranigma, the broken levelling does get in the way. If you're too high a level (and I'm not talking unreasonable grinding, just one higher than "intended") you'll kill with one blow even the final boss. That's a real problem right there.

[Anonymous No.1065935]

>>1065925
The game is actually designed so that killing everything once or a little more puts you in a comfort zone of not easy nor too hard when it comes to leveling.

They just made a mistake of making grinding viable instead of making monsters a one time kill like Chrono Trigger. So going through the same zone a few times means overleveling.

[Anonymous No.1065954]

>>1065919
Well, I've also used the pins too. But pins only heal or warp you out (I'm assuming those are the ones you used, I've used the hell out of the Bone and Grass pins), you don't use them for fighting actively, just for surviving. Using magic for fighting is cumbersome. It can be done, but t's always a lot more convenient to just hit stuff with your stick of choice. And you have such a varied array of rings that the implementation is just a big missed potential.

Bafflingly, both pins and rings would be really useful during certain boss battles, but in most of these you're not allowed to use it (for plot purposes, but still).

>>1065935
>instead of making monsters a one time kill like Chrono Trigger
Uh... monsters are not a one time kill in Chrono Trigger. If you go through the same areas, you'll have to fight there too sometimes. In Terranigma at least you can always avoid the monsters, in Chrono Trigger you're often forced to fight.

But I understand the idea about the design, the problem was that you get these big dungeons (not a bad thing of course) and so you can easily get lost or confused and thus overlevel without noticing, since the fact that the fghting is so fun compels you to kill stuff instead of avoiding them.

[Anonymous No.1065981]

>>1065954
I swear I remember being able to clear dungeons of monsters and not fighting again in CT. Damn, I maybe misremembering, sorry.

[Anonymous No.1066001]

>>1065981
Don't worry, I mean, there ARE some monsters that don't respawn, usually when they're tied to small events, but they're rare. Maybe you're just remembering those?

[Anonymous No.1066052]

>>1066001
Probably.

On the same note, guess what did have non-respawning monsters? Soul Blazer.

[TDogg No.1066137]

Does this game stand up to its cult reputation? I am a big fan of the Zelda franchise, Castlevania and most Final Fantasies. Big fan of good RPGs, mostly retro ones. Should I download it?

[Anonymous No.1066184]

>>1066137
honestly yes. I've posted that it has flaws in this thread but its still an amazing SNES game you need to play.

[Anonymous No.1066214]

>>1066137
Fuck yes you should.

It's also one of the best looking games in the snes.

[Anonymous No.1066231]

>>1066137
It's not really like those, except you going jumping through the cleft is kinda like leaving midgar for the first time in ff7 - it gets really boring but picks up and gets good again, if you can make it that far

[Anonymous No.1066632]

That ending to Terranigma. RIght in the feels.

[Anonymous No.1066653]

>>1065925
That's the only complaint I have with the game. The reverse is true as well; I couldn't for the life of me work out how to beat the last boss since I was only dealing a pitiful amount of damage..then several years later I read a FAQ which told me to grind like two more levels. Fired up the game and beat it in an instant despite barely even remembering the controls.

[Anonymous No.1067045]

>>1066137
It's one of the best action rpgs out there. If you like the games you listed, you will surely love Terranigma

[Anonymous No.1067049]

This may not mean much to you now OP, but if you ever encounter a boss you can't seem to do much damage to, it might not be your level, it might be your weapon.

You can thank me later.

[Anonymous No.1067059]

>That puzzle when going to the zombie town

[Anonymous No.1067124]

>>1065013
Excellent, then. The combat wont change much, but the locations will, and the world will change with them.

[Anonymous No.1067156]

>>1065843
>I think the story is 10/10. It's really a great tale that is both epic (as a literal world adventure) and personal (seeing how Ark is such a fun, likable character). Because of how it's laid out, the game was always fun to play. But for me the problem was the mechanics. Magic was almost completely useless, a level means a world of difference, there is minimal variety in weapon effects, there are no real interesting items to use... I think 8.5 is an accurate rating. As a whole I feel it should be a 10, but being completely honest it's an 8.5
It really comes down to taste. IMO, the story is suffering considerably from incredibly slow pacing between the resurrection of humans and Beruga's appearance. The plot twists are great, and the characterisation of NPCs is - by SNES standards - pretty complex, but it's not quite enough for a 10/10, IMO.

Whereas with regards to weapons, whether one can use the staff in four different ways, or has four genuinely different weapons... Amounts to the same thing. So I really don't fault it for this. In fact, since this decision substantially reduces tedious item switching, I tend to think it was the right decision. It's not like people don't use one primary weapon 90% of the time in games that DO have different weapon types.

I also rather like the dungeon design in that they're not ludicrous 'Uh, if it's basically impossible to get in or out, WHY IS THERE EVEN A BOSS LIVING HERE?' designs.

Together with graphics and soundtrack, a 9,5/10

The levelling however, is an issue where I agree with you. It's... Silly. Making the game more Zelda-like in this regard, with linear power progression after bosses (Or cancelling the power progression altogether) would've been preferable. But that, too, is something many, many games have problems with.

Overall a 9/10.

[Anonymous No.1067172]

>>1067156
Addendum: And the magic... Well, it's not, strictly speaking, useless. Some bosses are pretty vulnerable to offensive magic. But ultimately, as someone else noted previously, just using the staff is faster and more fun.

Canning the magic and increasing the number of unique staff-moves might've been a good idea, and seeing as Illusion of Time could do entirely without magic, I suspect that magic was tacked on just to increase the game's variety, and the inexperience of the devs in implementing it shows.

[Anonymous No.1067331]

>>1067156
>IMO, the story is suffering considerably from incredibly slow pacing between the resurrection of humans and Beruga's appearance.
Exploring the just reborn world was one of the best parts of the game. In retrospective, I am very glad they didn't force Berruga's appearence to an earlier time, as I wouldn't have been able to simply explore the world I rebuilt. I think giving that timeframe of just exploration really helped the feel of the game.

[Anonymous No.1067356]

>>1067331
Well, admittedly, yeah - making sure that Beruga didn't just threaten ONE world, but YOUR world, YOUR creation helped immersion a great deal, compared to many other titles. But the pacing is still kinda slow-ish, and you often just wander to places because the game tells you they're available - not because there's a pressing need to. I think I agree with you, re: Beruga's late appearance. But I still think the mid-game 'Story' could've been handled better. A vague 'You must help reborn mankind' isn't a whole lot.

[Anonymous No.1067368]

pay attention to the back door the zombies walk into, that is all

[Anonymous No.1067743]

>>1067156
>IMO, the story is suffering considerably from incredibly slow pacing between the resurrection of humans and Beruga's appearance.
I agree with >>1067331. I don't think the vagueness was bad. The only command you get after resurrecting mankind is that you have to help bring forth "geniuses", and shortly after that you can explore the whole world, and like you say, that makes it yours. At that point the whole world is seemingly at peace and there's no big bad to fight, you just explore at your own pace, taking it all in. It can be slow or fast depending on you. There's no overall mission, but I think it'd only be a negative if there never was. The twist ties it all together, and that act deepends the impact it has on both Ark and you.

I thought the open world phase was a neat idea that works on a narrative and gameplay level, but I can understand how having no big mission for a while could turn some people off. Having no urgent mission does make you feel directionless.

>Whereas with regards to weapons, whether one can use the staff in four different ways, or has four genuinely different weapons...
I think you misunderstand, I may have worded it poorly. I love the spear, and like I say it even ties up to the story and to what Ark represents, so I'm not talking having different subweapons. What I'm saying is that there was a flawed handling of spear types (just like with magic). You are told that there are different elemental properties to spears, and many of them do try to be unique (trading offense for defense, boosting luck and dropping all other stats, rock-crushing, etc), but this is only relevant when rocks are in your way and during Bloody Mary due to how difficult she is. Outside of that battle, the spear types don't really matter. It's not a huge flaw, but it is another mostly unused feature that they tried to have to spice up things but ultimately failed; another example of wasted potential.

[Anonymous No.1067746]

>>1067156
>IMO, the story is suffering considerably from incredibly slow pacing between the resurrection of humans and Beruga's appearance.
I agree with >>1067331. I don't think the vagueness was bad. The only command you get after resurrecting mankind is that you have to help bring forth "geniuses", and shortly after that you can explore the whole world, and like you say, that makes it yours. At that point the whole world is seemingly at peace and there's no big bad to fight, you just explore at your own pace, taking it all in. It can be slow or fast depending on you. There's no overall mission, but I think it'd only be a negative if there never was. The twist ties it all together, and that act deepens the impact it has on both Ark and you.

I thought the open world phase was a neat idea that works on a narrative and gameplay level, but I can understand how having no big mission for a while could turn some people off. Having no urgent mission does make you feel directionless.

>Whereas with regards to weapons, whether one can use the staff in four different ways, or has four genuinely different weapons...
I think you misunderstand, I may have worded it poorly. I love the spear, and like I say it even ties up to the story and to what Ark represents, so I'm not talking having different subweapons. What I'm saying is that there was a flawed handling of spear types (just like with magic). You are told that there are different elemental properties to spears, and many of them do try to be unique (trading offense for defense, boosting luck and dropping all other stats, rock-crushing, etc), but this is only relevant when rocks are in your way and during Bloody Mary due to how difficult she is. Outside of that battle, the spear types don't really matter. It's not a huge flaw, but it is another mostly unused feature that they tried to have to spice up things but ultimately failed; another example of wasted potential.

[Anonymous No.1067760]

>>1067368
That was so much bullshit.
Just made me love the game even more

[OP No.1067809]

thanks for your input, /vr/troopers. I fuckin love this board so fuckin much.

[Anonymous No.1067930]

>>1065617
That guy was weird. Apparently Dar Gaia's whole plan was to have you resurrect the earth, including that guy, who was responsible for its destruction to begin with, so he can then destroy it again.
What's the fucking point?

[Jordan Parks No.1068446]

>>1067049
Can you make me a Bloody Mary Fuck that castle, I hadn't played my file in like 2 years and I was saved a couple areas just before the castle and had a hell of a time in there.

[Anonymous No.1068453]

you eventually fight harder enemies that require you be more prescious with your attacks and movment

spells add some variety but you should limit yourself on how many you use because you can cheese bosses by spamming them

the 5 tower dungeons are some of the worst in the game. Later dungeons are the same shit but with improved layouts

[Anonymous No.1068459]

>>1067930
its yin and yang

dark gaia represents destruction and death

the world of earth has been created and destroyed countless times, this is just the way that the cycles take place.

[Anonymous No.1068776]

>>1067930
>>1068459
Pay close attention to what [spoilers]Beruga[/spoilers] says. [spoilers]He doesn't want to destroy the world. He wants to break the cycle forever in a different way.[/spoiler]

[Anonymous No.1068791]

>>1067930
>>1068459
Pay close attention to what Beruga says. He doesn't want to destroy the world, he was going to "cure" death with science. That's why he's worshipped in Mosque as a savior. Without death, the cycle is broken and thus Dark Gaia is able to take over Light Gaia.

[Anonymous No.1068793]

>>1067930
>>1068459
Pay close attention to what Beruga says. He doesn't want to destroy the world, he was going to "cure" death with science. That's why he's worshipped in Mosque as a savior. Without death, the cycle is broken and thus Dark Gaia is able to take over Light Gaia.

[Anonymous No.1068934]

>>1068453
>spells add some variety but you should limit yourself on how many you use because you can cheese bosses by spamming them

there is one boss for whom cheesing via elec ring spam is all but required, though.

[Anonymous No.1069105]

>>1068934
how so?