How you been?
I haven't had the chance to play Baldur games. But Wrpgs aren't very deep with character relationships, and it seems like that's something you care alot about. Do you think you'll enjoy games like Oblivion and Fall Out? Character relations are few to none, but you do seem to have alot of freedom to explore and flexability to make choices. You know, talking to you about this has made me realize just how different Western rpgs are from Japanese rpgs, and even how different people view games. I, for one, would make a terrible game critic, because I tend to simply sit down to enjoy my games and ignore the negative details, unless they are too big to be ignored.
The side conversations that happened while you're roaming the world were funny, but that was about all that was enjoyable. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is still my favorite WRPG.
True, true. I agree that relationships on their games are dry and flat, and also that their "choices" are often weak and usually none existent. You know, if those are the reasons why you don't like their games, you wouldn't have any fun playing Mass Effect, either; things don't improve much on those two points. Was there anything that you did like about their games or about Dragon Age?
The relationship system was flat and shallow. The conversation faked having a lot of choices when you only had two and maybe a third of coming off like a jerk. Every thing is solved by killing someone even when you think you're doing good. A death is forced into the situation. And in the end you don't really have choice you just have different paths to the same end goal. For a company that was built on the idea of giving you choices and options it was just as restrictive as a linear game. All choices were just an illusion.
That sucks. Hope you get either the ps1 version of P1 or a psp for christmass (: Should you have the chance to do so, I would recommend getting a psp. I really enjoy mine, I think it's an awesome handheld with great games, including some I'm sure you'll be interested in. Do you work? Really? I thought Dragon Age 1 was pretty well done, although I didn't finish it (I've been told the second one is a total failure). What is it about Bio that you didn't like? They seem like a pretty good company to me.
Unfortunately, P1 for the PSone is too expensive and I don't own a PSP. So I haven't yet. But it should still have the same sort of school setting I think. I gave consideration to playing Mass Effect, but I ended up going with Dragon Age. Either way, it's unlikely I'll be play any other Bioware games. They manage to fail on too many points for it to be worthwhile to continue playing their games.
I'll be getting my hands on P1 soon, then. Have you already played it? My experience with Jrpgs is limited to FF and Persona, but it seems to me that they put a little more emphasis on story and character relationships. Western rpgs I've played have also been few, but there is a serious difference between them. Mass Effect 2 has been my favorite Western rpg, like, ever. Have you tried it?
P1 is available in stores now. And I expect that P2 will be eventually as well. I prefer JRPGs over WRPGs, but I'll play WRPG, they just don't have the same sort of appeal to me though. They just aren't as much fun.
Seriously? When was P1 remade? I'll definitely get that if it's out there. Are they the kind of games that are Japan-exclusive? If they aren't getting released on the US, that would explain why I've never seen them. Wow. Do you like Japanese rpgs or Western ones?
P1 and P2 are remade for the PSP, P2 isn't out yet, but it will be soon. There have not been many of the Atelier games that have been released in the US. The Atelier Iris 1-3 were on the PS2, Atelier Rorona/Totori/Memeru are PS3, Atelier Annie is DS and I think there might be a PSone that made it, but that's it. There was the Mana Khemia series, which are part of the Atelier series, but take place in a school teaching alchemy, also on the PS2. RPGs are what I mostly play. I own more than 100.
Sounds like a very involving, deep game. I just can't remember ever seeing an Atelier game before. Guess I'll have to pay more attetion next time I got to Gamestop. I'm trying to get Persona 4, but I have too many unfinished games to get through. I hope Persona 1 & 2 get a remake someday, they do seem hard to find. Are rpg's your favorite type of game?
Atelier is a long run series of games based around Alchemy as its core gameplay. In general you will end up creating everything you use, wear and consume. It obtain items through stores, harvesting materials or killing monsters. The alchemy system is generally pretty thorough allowing you to customize a single item many different ways to get get the effect that suit your play style. In general, if Gust makes the game it's going to have an alchemy system and usually a deep one. I've only played Persona 3 and 4, 1 and 2 are difficult to find.
I have never heard of Atelier before. What is it about? How long how you played Persona games? I only recently got into the series when I bought Persona 3 Portable; it blew me away. Fantastic game, just fantastic. It served to make me realize, as you said, about all the things not present in the whole of the FF series.
The Atelier series from Gust and the Persona series from Atlus. They both offer different aspects that the other including FF doesn't have. So it fills in the different holes missing from the others.
