August 31

[Star Ocean 3 0]

The Director's Cut is actually getting translated into English, which almost never happens, and it's 2 discs! I think with Disgaea being RPG of the Year last year, and now this, things aren't looking so bad.

 

Tales of Symphonia is out, by the way.

[Scroby 0]

Back up a second, what game are you talking about here? Are you talking about Tales of Symphonia or another RPG?

[Cartman 0]

Star Ocean 3

[El Psycho Diablo 0]

I guess I'll actually have to break out (and finish, for once) SO2, now.

[Lightning Flik 0]

You don't really have to finish SO2 to understand SO3, I think. SO3 is way too far into the future to have any past things pop up from Claude and his gang from SO2.

 

Then again, you never know with RPGs.

 

Although, I'm still fucking pissed that they killed off one of the main characters of SO1 in SO2.

Edited July 20, 2004 by Lightning Flik

[El Psycho Diablo 0]

I know.

 

It just bugs me not to finish a game before I play the sequel, though. That, and I put it aside because of a lack of time ot play..

[Lightning Flik 0]

Considering most prequels these days have nothing to do with the original, I tend to ignore the prequels if I haven't played them.

[Vyce 0]

Although, I'm still fucking pissed that they killed off one of the main characters of SO1 in SO2 (Claude's Father, Ronixius)

Thanks for ruining it for me, Spoiley McSpoilerton.

[Lightning Flik 0]

Rule of thumb on RPG spoilers. If it's been out for more than 2 years, it's fair game to spoil. Or whatever the hell we agreed on, after the bitch fest on the subject about a year back.

[Star Ocean 3 0]

What a bad rule.

[Lightning Flik 0]

Reason for that rule is because you'd pretty much have to spoiler any talk of RPGs then, since we are the most possessive bastards about spoilers and shit.

 

Although, I do apologize for my blunder. There was no need for a spoiler like that here.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

You could edit it out of the original post now, you know. No reason to screwify the rest of us, too.

[Star Ocean 3 0]

Aeris dies.

[Lightning Flik 0]

You could edit it out of the original post now, you know.  No reason to screwify the rest of us, too.

Did. Done. No more screwify for you.

 

Unless you already are screwed, and then, well, I can't help you there.

[Scroby 0]

Apprently Star Ocean 3 sounds good (doesn't own a PS2, so can't play it), but I wouldn't call it RP of the year. Maybe so far this year but not of the year, we still got Fable and Jade Empire to come along.

[Lightning Flik 0]

Shit... I just realized something.

 

Something that makes a poor RPGamer like me cry.

 

Star Ocean 3 and Phantom Brave come out on the SAME DAY!

 

It's just not fair...

[Rendclaw 0]

If Jade Empire is the RPG that I think that it is, its about time that a martial-arts based RPG came out. I'll be going with that.... and in my eyes, Suikoden doesn;t count... if one is made in the Baldur;s Gate style, I will be QUITE happy. I had all kinds of fun in BG2 playing Vhaidra.

[Star Ocean 3 0]

I'll have to wait and see how SO3 is, I got Phantom Brave instead. It's certainly an interesting follow-up to Disgaea.

[Star Ocean 3 0]

I'll have to wait and see how SO3 is, I got Phantom Brave instead. It's certainly an interesting follow-up to Disgaea.

[Lightning Flik 0]

I traded in my GBA and games to buy two games (although, I'm short ten bucks to get the other ) and I'm none too happy I sold them all. Well, at least at first.

 

So all I got right now is Phantom Brave, and my God is this game addictive as hell.

 

None of this stuff is spoilers, as you learn everything pretty much off the bat. No worries people.

 

You play as this Chroma (Mercenaries) duo, Marona (an 8 year old girl with the abilities to see Phantoms and summon them) and Ash (a young man who is a Phantom that died along side Marona's parents [<---that was not a spoiler, happens right off the bat people]); as the duo try to just get by in their world of islands.

 

Anyways, what makes this game so much fun are battles. You see you must confine Phantoms into objects on the field of battle. Depending on said objects, you get increases and decreases. If you put your character (a fighter) into a rock it grants him strength, health and defense, while sapping intelligence, speed and resistance. While this is great for fighters on the other hand their turn comes less than say if you put them into a bush (which has almost the opposite of rocks for stats). Well, you might think that's not a big deal except the fact your Phantoms disappears after FIVE turns. So that makes it even more difficult to decide on. Do you do the hit and hit more often? Or hit and tank?

 

Adding to this web of intrigue is that if you equip the character with anything that counts as an object (which includes dead people/phantoms/monsters/etc.) that is not actually in the field to confine them counts as two spaces. While this might seem as a draw back, it is also a good thing because you can then use the disappaited Phantom's equiped whatever to confine another Phantom.

 

Also there might be a certain object on the field that increases other objects/people's stats and can add or pain you depending on how it is directed in battle. If your enemies get bonuses, the best course of action is to slaughter the the object and then proceed with decapping your enemies. Unless you wish to be cheap and just knock the guy out of bounds (off the field map), but that only works for regular guys.

 

The out of bounds isn't really a good idea to do though, unless you face super weak monsters. If the guy you knock out of bounds is the same level or above the rest of his friends on the field, everyone will gain a level for that cheap hit you laid. What happens if your guy gets knocked out? Notta. So try not to get yourself O.B.ed.

 

If you use the Random Dungeon Generator guy to earn titles (titles basically alter stats for your characters) and get into some random dungeon, it's a good idea to pay attention to the resitricions on the levels because you might not be abled to equip stuff, you might have to fight with only magic, or other insane stuff (I just recently had a random stage called "Close Call" and everything is a bitch to kill).

 

What makes this game even more fun is that everything can gain levels. While people gain XP, the equipment gain mana. This means that wimpy sword you got might not be so whimpy if you level it up to 12. On top of everything leveling, you can also combine everything to. Got two awesome swords? Why not combining both awesome swords to create the UBER SWORD! And that way you can wreak havoc on your baddy foes. Or if you want all the techs that can be taken from a sword and have them always at your command, you can take the sword and merge it with your character and VIOLA! Guy who now can use some fo the sword skills (and has the swords stats too!). Or you can take two characters and combine them to get a UBER GUY (Ash and Marona will stay themselves no matter what you do with them, just so you know). Oh and stats can go up to 9,999,999 or so I heard.

 

So much to talk about. What else? Oh yeah. You can also buy weapons, but there is a catch. Your merchant must gain levels in order for you to buy better equipment. Yeah, that's right. You must take the pitiful Merchant into battle to let him gain a level so that he'll have new stuff to sell you.

 

The story is entertaining and fun. Like you have Ash comment on Marona's cooking is bad, and Marona defends herself, whilst Ash replies with something like, "So you meant to burn the pasta in flames then?" Definitely a combo of laughs and seriousness (the whole game is about differences and learning that someday people will accept you), but only one annoying thing about it. I wish Ash didn't say his catchphrase so much, "You'll go no further. For her sake, I will not fail". Damn thing is stuck so well into my mind.

 

While the graphics aren't the greatest (I prefer Disgaea, seemed a little more polished) it still has a nice manga like feel to it. I must say though that the characters in the game are much more impressive than I thought they would be.

 

But that's more or less it about the game. Hopefully, I'll find a way to get $10 and see if SO3 is worth a purchase.

[Star Ocean 3 0]

But that's more or less it about the game. Hopefully, I'll find a way to get $10 and see if SO3 is worth a purchase.

 

Uh...yes?

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I've been playing Star Ocean for the last few days. Pretty good game though if you get your meters full you can jump 3 or 4 levels in less than an hour if you fight the battles just right.

 

A little light on the gameplay through the first 8 hours or so too.

[Guest Skironox]

I've got 20 hours into Star Ocean and am getting sucked more and more into the game with eacho hour. I finally got to the Item Creation system a couple of days ago.

 

I'm not too thrilled that the traditional SP system has been ditched for the new "Build your HP/MP up" system, and dying when you run out of MP is just stupid, but other than that this is a great game.

 

I've got 41 battle trophies so far, I'm not trying to find them, just running into them by coincidence.

 

There's fanboys on Gamefaqs that have beaten the US version already

I'd rather take time and enjoy the game rather than rush through it.