/vr/ - Retro Games

[Anonymous No.522968]

Guys.

SaGa.

I want to experience the best games in the series, but I'm deathly afraid of the associated tediousness. I've played a bit of Romancing and couldn't take it in ANY of the scenarios. I played a bit of Unlimited, but fuck me.

The original game was ok, but seemed sort of nothing special, though I only played for a few hours.

I'm not new to JRPGs. I played through most classic Dragon Quests and MegaTens and shit. Where should I start and what should I expect?

In any case, what I WANT from the games is this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S-gOrcscSg
Am I even looking in the right place?

[Anonymous No.523018]

>>522968

Play the SaGa 2 DS remake

[Anonymous No.523030]

>>522968

Minstrel Song is still the best one. One of the top 5 Best jRPG on the PS2 IMO. You need to invest some time to learn how it all works and fits together, but it's worth it.

Also, god-tier OST beyond all doubts.

[Anonymous No.523040]

>>523030
So, invest more time in the PS2 remake of Romancing it is, then?

For obvious reasons, could you pretty please mention 2-3 of your other favourite games?

[Anonymous No.523054]

>>522968
>The original game was ok, but seemed sort of nothing special, though I only played for a few hours.

My knee jerk reaction is to start insulting you because I love that game, but I can see how it's pretty basic and might not appeal to everyone. If you didn't think it was too terrible, you might try the second one, which is basically an improved version of the first.

The third one is one of those "like it or you don't" things, but everyone agrees that this song is baller:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zICpWwRU6I

[Anonymous No.523056]

>>523040

As far as PS2 jRPG goes, off the top of my head... Shadow Hearts: Covenant, Digital Devil Saga, FFX, Nocturne are some of my favorites (Besides Minstrel Song).

[Anonymous No.523075]

>>523054

I always forget that FFL are part of the SaGa series...

FFL2 and 3 were amazing in my youth. Not sure how they hold up these days. But yeah FFL2 is FFL1 but ridiculously improved in every single way.

FFL3 is more of a classic Final Fantasy. It reminded me a LOT of Mystic Quest (Good or bad thing depending on what you think about that game, I personally love it) but with an actualy story and more solid gameplay.

[Anonymous No.523091]

>>523056

Oh and Breath of Fire 3, how could I forget it

[Anonymous No.523092]

>>523054
>If you didn't think it was too terrible
I didn't think it was terrible at all. if anything, I liked the characters and had a bit of fun with it. I just didn't find anything truly appealing to me after awhile. I dind't "drop" it in /a/ terms, I just put it on hold.

>>523056
I see thanks. Looks like I'm going to have to try SaGa 2 and Minstrel Song.

What about Unlimited?

>>523054
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zICpWwRU6I
...was listening while I was writing the replies. Oh boy, it actually IS baller. And what the fuck, GB managed this? Holy cock, it actually is impressive.

[Anonymous No.523095]

Many of the SaGa games punish OCD gamers who attempt perfect runs on their first playthroughs. You will not have fun if you do this.

That's probably why I love them so much. After being the kind of asshole who attempted perfect playthroughs in series like Suikoden and Tales (which amounts to having to look up obscure bullshit on walkthroughs), it's nice just kicking back and jumping in blind for once. Minstrel Song is perfect for that.

[Anonymous No.523110]

>>523095
>Many of the SaGa games punish OCD gamers who attempt perfect runs on their first playthroughs. You will not have fun if you do this.

OP here.
I never attempt "perfect runs" at all. I experience games as they unfold. If I miss something, so be it. I'm the sort of player that only sees, like, 60% of a JRPG ever. I never play extra dungeons and I loathe NG+ modes. So... hope it's not a problem. Because I was actually being afraid that SaGa games FAVOUR ocd.

[Anonymous No.523119]

>>523092

Forget about Unlimited, it never existed. Not worth anybody's time. I am dead serious.

[Anonymous No.523140]

>>523110

Eh, if you want everything and see everything in Minstrel Song you'll have to NG+ 7 times. One time for each character (But you get stronger faster every time). But you don't HAVE to if you want the full experience. It's just crazy replay value.

[Anonymous No.523159]

>>523110
>I loathe NG+ modes
I'm not sure how to describe MS's NG+.

The only things that are retained in later playthroughs are progress in classes and some trigger for an unimpressive sidequest out of the 25+ the game has to offer. There's nothing like "YOU CAN ONLY FIGHT THE TRUE ULTIMATE BOSS IF YOU BEAT THIS GAME 28 TIMES".

Classes aren't really that big of a deal in MS to begin with (they amount to modest passives) so NG+ is more like giving the player a second chance for a "better" playthrough.

The game does have a tremendous amount of content and depth, but the way the main scenario unfolds, it's meant to be enjoyed as you figure things on your own instead of power gaming.

[Anonymous No.523181]

>>523159
All that sounds really cool, in fact.

Guess I'll go spend a dozen or so hourt learning Minstrel Song, then.

[Anonymous No.523185]

>>523159

> Classes aren't really that big of a deal in MS to begin with

I guess getting -1 on every core weapon skill the class has isn't a big deal... Also, it costs a LOT less magic stone (those purple things, forgot the name) to level a skill if it's in the class by default.

It's one of MS's many complicated sub-systems that aren't explained anywhere and that you have to tinker with to understand. Yes it's complicated, but if you like optimising your characters to the fullest, the game's a joy.

[Anonymous No.523574]

>>523119
Don't listen to this guy. Unlimited Saga is a very inaccessible, flawed but otherwise beautiful game that's quite unlike any other RPG out there. You just have to approach it as a SaGa spinoff rather than a main series title, and be prepared to throw away all you've been taught about computer RPGs out of the window since almost every aspect is overhauled compared to those.

Watch this guy's tutorials to understand the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1brcx4bDoFY&list=PL4F21C2CF117D81A7

I think RS:MS is still the best in the series though.
RS:MS > RS3 > US > SF1 > rest IMO, wish I could properly evaluate RS2 but it's jap only.

[Anonymous No.523713]

SaGa is one of those series that is very hard to really say where a good starting point is. You can start from first to last, I personally did think Final Fantasy Legend was special because of how characters grew and the races, compared to other JRPG's at the time it was something truly unique and gripping, but then again I gravitate towards RPG's that tend to not use experience points or levels.

Final Fantasy Legend 2 is probably one of the best ways to get into the series because it is more polished than the first game and is the best out of the entire Gameboy trilogy while still being familiar to JRPG veterans with its standard story progression.

After that you just get thrown into the fray with either the Romancing SaGa remake, Romancing SaGa 3, or SaGa Frontier which of course has different rules for character development along with being very open and often times not holding your hand on where to go. Some people might find that tedious, others may love it, because of this I can say that the SaGa series isn't for everyone.

>>523574
Also I agree with this on Unlimited Saga, especially that using field skills or doing combat wasn't bad at all. The reels all had a pattern and they always repeated and they only stopped when you told them to stop. It is no different than RPG's with time based attacks like Legend of Dragoon, Vagrant Story, the Mario RPG's, and so on. It was just displayed in a way that confused players, and also that the manual was required reading (I got by a scenario with just that).

It is my favorite JRPG series, and Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song is my favorite JRPG and remake period.

[Anonymous No.523724]

>>523159
>some trigger for an unimpressive sidequest out of the 25+ the game has to offer.
What about the corrupted elemental monsters? Those were some of my favorite fights when you walked in, the four gods theme began to play, and you had to fight a stronger version of themselves after you did the ecology quests.

[Anonymous No.523796]

>>523713
Also I'd like to add about Minstrel Song is that I was surprised how it hooked me. I ended up playing it four times in a row, back to back. It is the most I have ever played a RPG (if you count all seven scenarios in SaGa Frontier as one) many times in a row. No game has yet to give me the sort of adventure it had instilled.

[Anonymous No.523819]

>>523574

I pretty much played every single jRPG on the PS2 and Unlimited SaGa is by far one of the least enjoyable game i've ever played. It's down there with Wild Arms 4

[Anonymous No.523830]

>>523819
I don't know if I'd like to get in this or not (I am not that guy) since it isn't /vr/ material in the end.

[Anonymous No.523848]

Grey, Aisha, Gian, Neidhart, Claudia master race here

[Anonymous No.523851]

>>523819
Well no surprise there. You like the standard JRPG model prevalent amongst PS2 RPGs and Unlimited Saga is pretty much as close to the polar opposite of that as you'll get on the system without having to switch genres.

[Anonymous No.523872]

>>523848
>Gian
The only thing strong about you is your name.

[Anonymous No.523889]

>>523872

He makes a good Foil user if I remember correctly

[Anonymous No.523909]

>>523889
Put a real warrior into your party.

[Anonymous No.523915]

>My face when the Saga 3 remake for DS translation patch page updated this month after one year of being dead and said the patch would be out in a few more months at most

[Anonymous No.523931]

>>523909

If I wanted a badass female warrior, id' use Captain Silver or Frielei instead of Sif. Don't know why but I really don't like Sif.

[Anonymous No.523939]

>>523909

If only she looked like that art in-game. She looks even bigger than Hawke in-game. Waaaay too big

[Anonymous No.523947]

>>523931
Because you cannot tame the Valhallan warriors.

>>523939
I was about to say that the only other person who compares to her is Hawke. I actually like that. It really gives off a barbaric, warrior vibe that she did grow up in the harsh environments.

[Anonymous No.523972]

>>523915
Does the Saga 3 remake make it play more like a proper Saga game?

[Anonymous No.523976]

>>523972
No experience points or levels, so yes. Completely re-hauled.

[Anonymous No.523981]

>>523972

For some reason they made Xagor red. I always thought he was green. But I think it's a remake true to its roots, meaning level ups, exp and everything.