Lost Odyssey

[Jimboxy]

Finally started playing this today, i've only just got up to the opening credits (about 20 mins or so) and so far so Final Fantasy...which is a good thing IMO

So far the story is essentially FF6 but plays very much like FF10. The graphics jump between jaw dropping to very very ropey, with some renders that wouldn't look out of place on an early ps2 title.

Because its the Korean version you can have Jap voices with English subs which is a god send, english voice acting on jrpgs is always grating.

I'll update when i've played further into the game.

[Sambob]

sounds good to me, i might try the demo,if there is one.

[Jimboxy]

if you like your final fantasy's then i can pretty much guarantee you'll like it. If you do get it, get it from play-asia, cheap as

[illdog]

Mmm, im tempted by this and Eternal Sonata, interested in your further impresstions Jimbo Potter. Bloody RPG's and no time to play...

[Jimboxy]

Going off topic slightly..

Eternal Sonata is worth playing, the game itself is a lot of fun and the story and characters are pretty interesting, my main gripe with it was the lack of depth it went into about the characters. It only takes about 10-15 hours for the bulk of the main game, but it would have been a triple a title if they expanded it out, and fleshed out the back story and characters and made the main game 30 odd hours. I also didn't like the fact it rely's heavily on replaying to get any of the interesting items.

.: EDIT :.

Also its tighter than a Nuns whatsit for achievements so illdizzel you have been warned

[Swallow]

I'm 10 hours into Eternal Sonata and I'm only on the third chapter...

[Jimboxy]

the chapters get pretty pacey towards the end of the game, i can't remember exactly what happens in chap 3 but i know it doesn't take to long to get to the end. If its the pirate ship bit then it is a total cunt to get all the items. If it isn't, hope i haven't spoiled anything...:whistle:

[pickled]

I really liked the look of lost odessy, but the random battles bit has put me off. I'm so over random battles, they really just annoy me now, blue dragon and eternal sonata managed not to have them,why does this one!!!

that said, I'll probably still pick it up, i love rpg's me

maybe i should spend a bit more time with eternal sonata

[Sambob]

I ordered this on the weekend, 25 quid delivered from Play-asia which suits me nicely. Im looking forward to a bit of a lovely looking RPG, with a good story. Im a bit FPS'd out (if anyone wants to play COD4 then im still up for that).

Hopefully I can put my mind to this and actually finish this one.

[Jimboxy]

I've been meaning to post an update for this, so no time like the present...

So far I'm about two and a half hours in. Not a lot has really happened, been introduced to the different systems the game uses. It has quite a nice magic linking system between mortals and immortals. I've also been introduced to the flashback system of filling in Kailm past, these flashbacks take the form of text, some nice images and music. There a bit corny, but it is a pretty unique way of giving the main character back story. So far thats about it. The random battles at the moment aren't to frequent, and thus aren't to frustrating. It plays pretty similar to all the recent squenix rpgs, with a map in the top corner, basically it feels like a final fantasy with out all the spit and polish.

[Sambob]

I dont need any extra spitting and polishing, I hardly have enough time to play games as it is.

It wasnt a bank breaker and its new, and possibly epic, so im pretty happy, not sure the missus will be happy, but hey.

[HandsomeDead]

I've been playing it for a few hours now, I've been through a lengthy tutorial but I think I'm starting to scratch the surface of the game. Its all great at the moment, the story is, generally speaking, pretty decent and the dream sequances are even a nice enough read for even an illiterate fuckwit like myself to enjoy, but you have the voice acting, its not as bad as the "Tails of" games or the dreadful Baiten Kaitos, but it is like Mass Effect never happened.

The way in which you learn skills is very similar to Final Fantasy IX and Tactics Advanced so I took to it pretty well, thats usually a big hurdle for me when it comes to JRPG's and the combat is a usual late 90's affair.

The only problam I have is that it really does feel like an old game despite the graphic's, but even they are not the best the 360 has seen, infact there was a point when I thought it was 9 years ago, playing FF8 when I should of had that English homework done.

[Sambob]

Im enjoying it at the minute, Ive done about an hour and a half of play, I dont think that I like the dream bits in the game...I think its because at the minute I dont really understand their relevance. The game looks quite nice although there are some points when it feels like high end PS2 stuff as people have said.

The combat hasnt really taken off yet, im sure that there will be more to it as you upgrade your people. The magic so far has been very simple as well but I can see potential for it to develop.

Like PTG said its not got any of those overly complicated elements which can completely bugger games up, but at the same time I can see that there will be plenty of room for making a good set of characters.

Its still got that thing which RPG games have where if you die then its annoying game over, but it appears that there are checkpoints which you go back to so you dont go all the way back through a weeks worth of playing, which I really like. Its not as if the game is without challenge this way, as there are only limited save points which means you will still need to knuckle down and beat that tricky boss to actually be able to turn off the game. So the pressures still on, you just dont have to go all the way back through an hour of game to then die again, which is what has made me abruptly stop a lot of the other RPGs ive played.

[Jimboxy]

I really should carry on playing this at some point, but i can't seem to stop playing Call Of Duty 4, then i also have mass erect sitting on my shelf as well, so that might get in first.

[Sambob]

Ah, two games which are equally worthy of your playing time.

Luckily ive got a lot of other distractions out of the way and I will have no choice other than to plow on with the game which hopefully means that I will not get distracted and probably finish this game.

[Jimboxy]

I Played some more of this over the weekend. I've got a bit further, but its kicking my ass at every turn. I think i played for about 3 hours and managed to get through about 45 mins of game play. I'm currently getting whipped by a giant worm boss, i killed it once, then another one of the cunts pops out of the ground. Bastard.

[Sambob]

Ah that worm boss, im on to the second disc now. Its worth persisting because it picks up right around the end of the first disk mark.

Some hints for the worm boss:

Skill link or learn from an item the 'anti-petrify' item, i think its called yellow band. This does mean a few level grinding fights, but theres the stairs section before the boss where you can run up and down getting about 4 skill points each time so id say you need about ten fights. You seriously need to have anti petrify for that boss, once youve equiped it then the boss is a dodle.

With kaim and seth just focus on killing the things that charge up, and then with jansen cast all shield, and after that keep casting aqua on the worm (i think its aqua, theres an item that tells you the element type of the boss) When the second fucker pops up make sure you defend on that turn because he attacks right away. If you have anti petrify and also all shield then his mega beam wont trouble you, on the next turn just heal everyone and then repeat the formula of killing the minions with Kaim and Seth and then magic with jansen.

As long as you have the anti petrify skill and cast all sheild at the beginning then it makes it a whole lot easier. Petrify can turn your game from going really well to completely up shit creek.

[Jimboxy]

cheers for the hints sammy, I actually managed to beat it last night. I only had jensen with yellow ribbon. Took me a few attempts but i got there. I had kaim and seth take out two of the bug things, then i kept nailing the main boss with Aqua which was doing approx 400 per hit, then just kept healing if i needed to. Still took me about 8 tries.

[Sambob]

Thats the first real boss, there was that bird thing but it was shit.

I found that first worm boss way too hard considering it was the first one, it made me give up for about half an hour, to calm down. It starts to pick up from there on in though. Ive not really had to level grind for any parts, there've been one or two areas where ive hung around to steal a certain item needed to make a special ring.

I had a look at an FAQ a while ago to find some of the rings that could be made, and they all looked way too complicated, I was struggling to make the sort of second tier rings, but there are ones that require you to combine all kinds of things that you just wouldnt think to do.

To be honest theres only one area where ive found that using rings has made a massive difference, apart from making the combat a bit more interactive, and thats the ghost house near the end of the disk.

As i said earlier, im really into it now, not played it much lately because of tings, but im looking forward to getting on it tonight.

[Jimboxy]

yeah i was a little stand offish about it, but now i'm getting somewhere i'm enjoying it. I don't even mind that its hard, just so long as its not impossible/completely luck based. I've got to admit i'm enjoying it more than mass effect at the moment, but i guess thats more of a comfort zone thing than anything.