Trails in the Sky

[Disposable Ninja]

I am so glad I picked this up off of Steam. I forgot how much I've been wanting a game like this. It's not necessarily a great game, not so far (kind of middle-of-the-road, actually), but god DAMN does it cover that itch for a decent, old-school style JRPG. It's been so long since I've played an RPG that doesn't force you to meticulously plan out your character growth and instead just lets you spend hours just reallocating attributes as you see fit.

Also, mission-based structure, a la Arc the Lad III.

[Mongrel]

*Looks at website*

"GREETINGS FROM LIBERAL"

Okayyyyy....

[Brandleby]

I... want to say XSeed mangled the translation of "Rivera", but XSeed is not a bunch of schmucks who would do that, so idk.

(Though the trailer also begins with the claim "ONE OF THE MOST BELOVED RPGS FINALLY MAKES ITS WAY TO THE PC." which is pretty, uh, lol. Maybe someone on this particular team has been hitting the HERB a bit too much.)

Picking this up right after dinner though, of course.

ALSO UPDATE: I didn't realize that XSeed was founded by Squeenix refugees. I kind of want to know there's anyone there I would recognize, but uh, chances are also kind of high that I really don't.

[sei]

This is the kind of game I'd much rather play on a handheld than on my PC. Then again, it was released on the PSP, so...

Scratches the itch DN described pretty well. I think the game might be more fun if one doesn't do all the tedious fucking sidequests, though, so gamer OCD may be a brobdingnagian obstacle to enjoying this.

[pacobird]

It's a really great game, but some of the side quests have specific windows so getting 100% is wretched even with a guide. Fortunately you'll never need a guide at all unless you're trying for that, so yeah, you'll find it much more enjoyable if you just do whatever you have to to not give a shit about absolute completion.

[Büge]

Is this about chemtrails

So help me, DN, if you mention the lizard jew fluoridation conspiracy, I'm defriending you

[pacobird]

Actually, yes; the title refers to airship contrails.

[Thad]

So if I DO buy this thing, should I get the Windows version or the PSP version?

[Disposable Ninja]

I guess the PSP version? The only bug I've had so far is that if I have two controllers plugged into my computer it can't tell the two apart and will register one controller as the other. (Solution: unplug one controller). Other people purportedly have had more serious issues, graphical errors, crashes and the like. If you have a PSP and can get a hold of a copy and don't have a problem playing 60-hour games on a tiny screen I don't see why you shouldn't play the PSP version.

[Thad]

Tiny screen? I didn't run component cables up my walls and through my ceiling so I could play games on a tiny screen.

[Classic]

As far as I know (which isn't much) the advantage to playing it on PSP is to play it "on the go".
... So...

[Thad]

IT CAN DO BOTH

[Classic]

The PC version advertises more resomolutions and crispier, soundier worderfaces.
So maybe those are features you care about.

[Thad]

Wonder how it runs in WINE. That might help with the portability question.

Then again, it's not like I need another JRPG right now.

[Disposable Ninja]

but some of the side quests have specific windows so getting 100% is wretched even with a guide.

Haha holy shit you weren't kidding.

[sei]

Yeah, so that shit is why I put the game down instead of beating it.

[Disposable Ninja]

Yeah, I can see how it's absolutely infuriating. I exhausted every single available side mission, proceeded to the next story mission, and immediately upon finishing it checked the side quest board to find "Whoops, you failed a mission you didn't even know existed!". Turns out somewhere between unlocking a dungeon and completing said dungeon a new side quest opened up.

[pacobird]

The trick is to intentionally blow one in the first chapter and just keep going.

[Brandleby]

I always wanted to do an open-world/RPG type game where most of your objectives are time sensitive and you can't possibly do everything, this making the story's outcome dependant on how you prioritize. Reactions like this are why I'm convinced that that's a terrible idea.

[Thad]

I think it's fine if you make it clear and overt that that's a core part of the gameplay. (Dead Rising is a good example.)

As opposed to just putting a bunch of quests in that don't really have a good reason for being time-sensitive except just to fuck with you.