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[DarkLordMalik]

Just received my review copy of Dragon Fantasy: Book II! If anybody has any questions about the game, feel free to ask and I'll see if I can answer them.

Can we play it without playing the first part?

How is the combat/gameplay, story, characterization, sidequests and difficulty curve?

 

[ThatStupidLion]

anyone know what drinkbox is working on now?? post guacamelee.

 

[TheChaos0]

Get the 32, I thought 16 was enough but with the Killzone patch being a gig alone...

Atelier Mururu (great game) is 3 GB. thinking along these lines further - I don't want to keep (or have to be) deleting PSN, PSP, PSone and indie games. I've gone primarily retail as well, with 24 games from retail.

Also: I'm a sad panda. Nobody helped me out with my Vita back up inquiries, and so, I'm at work worried it'll burn into the screen the backup progress. I mean someone has to have backed up their Vita before today?

I feel like the forgotten Vita member

Sorry, didn't see it. I have backed up my 16gb card before to move to 32GB one...which took... a lot long than an hour. No burn in whatsoever, the screen does not burn in as easily as you were led to believe.

 

[Myzer]

Join the Vita ranks today and signed up for PSN+, Time to get some games...

... and some friends.

PSN: TheMyzer

 

[Rasec]

Join the Vita ranks today and signed up for PSN+, Time to get some games...

... and some friends.

PSN: TheMyzer

Welcome. more vitabros is always a good thing. o/

 

[jwk94]

Can we play it without playing the first part?

How is the combat/gameplay, story, characterization, sidequests and difficulty curve?

Yes, you can play it without playing Book I. Although, you won't understand some of the references made to Book I that pop up in the game.

Combat is turn-based. You can

Spoiler

capture monsters and have them battle with you if you want

. You have party members that can be switched out at an Inn. The game also has cooperative multiplayer so a friend can join your game and help you out.

Story is ok so far. I haven't really done much since I can't cross-save to the Vita. I'm going to wait until Tuesday to continue playing.

Sidequests so far are: (related to previous spoiler)

Spoiler

capture monsters

and kill X monster.

The game's not difficult so far but I'm really not far into it at all so I can't say much about this.

Join the Vita ranks today and signed up for PSN+, Time to get some games...

... and some friends.

PSN: TheMyzer

PS+ master race! Welcome to the club! Get Gravity Rush.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

Join the Vita ranks today and signed up for PSN+, Time to get some games...

... and some friends.

PSN: TheMyzer

welcome dude! enjoy the system it's great. let us know your impressions after you've had some time with it.

get after those PS+ freebies and discounts too. Rayman Origins is coming at end of month. The yearly three IGC games will probabaly rotate out in the next few months. so get on "purchasing" them asap.

 

[jwk94]

How is it? I liked the idea of 1 but the random encounters + constantly not knowing where to go kinda killed it for me, got done with the first third of it.

Fun so far, but again I stopped playing because of the Cross-save issue. I might go back for another hour or two because i really want to play it though....

You can see the monsters on the battlefield now so they're no longer random. However, I haven't really been able to avoid them but this is probably because I'm still in the first area which is more of an extension of the tutorial.

When you say you finished the first third of Book I, do you mean Chapter 1?

 

[honorless]

1) Larger doesn't actually equal "better." The map is huge, that is true. But most of the map feels poorly designed and unnecessary. I'd rather have a tightly designed, compact map, than some sprawling expanse where most corridors end in dead ends. There was never a sense of accomplishment when completing quests, and while I appreciate the lack of handholding, at it's core, there should be a sense of progression that you can latch on to.

That sense of progression was right in front of you whenever you pulled up the map and saw corridors filled in that weren't before. If you want to be steered toward tasks and lauded for completing them, Knytt definitely isn't the right game for you...but it isn't a lesser game for lacking those elements. Exploration for exploration's sake is the game's thrust.

I definitely hesitate to call it a "metroidvania" though, because after you complete the two (far too long) tutorial chapters, Knytt doesn't bar you from getting anywhere because you haven't found some character-enhancing ability. You always have all the tools you need to traverse any landscape, and it's up to you to figure out where to go and how to get there.

2) The story was pretentious, high school caliber anti-religion/establishment drivel that hurt the game more than it tried to ad some depth and gravitas to it. If the game had no narrative at all, it would have served it much, much better. The characters you meet are annoying, with bland, uninteresting dialogue and "quirks" (god how I hate the fairy companions that follow you around).

This I'll give you. I think the "story" was supposed to be parodic commentary on how worthless a lot of game stories are, but it wasn't executed well. (The quests are actually the same way: half of the time when you "completed" a quest it was because you actually failed, or your solution didn't fix anything, or the situation resolved itself while you were gone, or...)

 

[coughlanio]

I'm trying to swing a friend into a Vita purchase.

What are some great upcoming games, in particular, JRPGs?

 

[jwk94]

I'm trying to swing a friend into a Vita purchase.

What are some great upcoming games, in particular, JRPGs?

Ys: Memories of Celceta. Does your friend like indies?

 

[corrosivefrost]

How is it? I liked the idea of 1 but the random encounters + constantly not knowing where to go kinda killed it for me, got done with the first third of it.

Welcome to "classic" JRPGs?
I haven't played it, but I remember many a game that was like that back in the NES/SNES days.

welcome dude! enjoy the system it's great. let us know your impressions after you've had some time with it.

get after those PS+ freebies and discounts too. Rayman Origins is coming at end of month. The yearly three IGC games will probabaly rotate out in the next few months. so get on "purchasing" them asap.

GTA:LCS will almost definitely be 9/17, as that's also the release of GTAV.
So Rayman should be the 24th. SCEA always "saves" the bigger Vita game for the final update of the month.

Ys: Memories of Celceta. Does your friend like indies?

The new Ys game is JRPG? Looked a bit more like ARPG from the gameplay footage, no? When I think JRPG, I think "turn based combat". The only sort of exception that pops into my mind is FFXII... but that had gambits which were kinda like predetermined turn based combat choices...

 

[Figboy79]

That sense of progression was right in front of you whenever you pulled up the map and saw corridors filled in that weren't before. If you want to be steered toward tasks and lauded for completing them, Knytt definitely isn't the right game for you...but it isn't a lesser game for lacking those elements. Exploration for exploration's sake is the game's thrust.

I definitely hesitate to call it a "metroidvania" though, because after you complete the two (far too long) tutorial chapters, Knytt doesn't bar you from getting anywhere because you haven't found some character-enhancing ability. You always have all the tools you need to traverse any landscape, and it's up to you to figure out where to go and how to get there.


This I'll give you. I think the "story" was supposed to be parodic commentary on how worthless a lot of game stories are, but it wasn't executed well. (The quests are actually the same way: half of the time when you "completed" a quest it was because you actually failed, or your solution didn't actually help anything, or the situation resolved itself while you were gone, or...)

That's fine, but the fact that most of the corridors just don't lead anywhere kind of destroys that feeling of "I've uncovered a new section, let's see where this leads!...oh, it's a dead end. Well, maybe this corridor will...nope, another dead end." In the end, it simply wasn't compelling in any way. I didn't feel like I was forging a path through uncharted territory and uncovering a strange new world. The tedious backtracking was also ten times worse given the size of the map. As much backtracking a Castlevania has, it pales in comparison to Knytt.

As for the story, I try not to think about it anymore. If it was being a parody of game narratives, it fails pretty hard. I don't want to spend ages completing a quest, only to "fail" it. When I complete a quest, I want to feel a sense of accomplishment, and one that doesn't just come from that check mark or grayed out text in my Quest Log. See Persona 4: The Golden. Completing quests in that game just felt good, and satisfying.

Still, I agree, Knytt wasn't for me, but it had nothing to do with not having my hand held or grasping the mechanics of the game or what it was trying to do. It just failed at being engaging in any meaningful way. You can guide a player, and still be non-linear and open-ended, and not hand-holding. Many great games do just that (like Demon's Souls/Dark Souls, for example; two games I absolutely love, and have a similarly grand, open ended game design). I guess I'm at that age in my gaming life where I simply don't have the time to spend wandering aimlessly through corridors, trying to "puzzle" my way through a game. Especially in a game that isn't engaging me in any other way. After 15 hours, Knytt just lost its luster for me. That's all there is to it.

 

[DarkLordMalik]

Yes, you can play it without playing Book I. Although, you won't understand some of the references made to Book I that pop up in the game.

Combat is turn-based. You can

Spoiler

capture monsters and have them battle with you if you want

. You have party members that can be switched out at an Inn. The game also has cooperative multiplayer so a friend can join your game and help you out.

Story is ok so far. I haven't really done much since I can't cross-save to the Vita. I'm going to wait until Tuesday to continue playing.

Sidequests so far are: (related to previous spoiler)

Spoiler

capture monsters

and kill X monster.

The game's not difficult so far but I'm really not far into it at all so I can't say much about this.

Thanks for the detailed response. This sounds a lot better to me than Part 1. I didn't like what i saw/heard about it so decided to skip on it even when it was on sale. Part 2 looks a lot better for sure. Will wait for your final impressions

 

[ThatStupidLion]

I'm trying to swing a friend into a Vita purchase.

What are some great upcoming games, in particular, JRPGs?

if by "great" you mean "AAA" games theres not a whole lot announced yet after Tearaway.

i'm sure there will be, but not much right now. Probabaly need to wait till 2014 to hear of more releases after PS4 hype and marketing has simmered a little.

as for upcoming rpgs....

Rainbow Moon + Rainbow Skies is coming - SRPG
Ys: Celceta - ARPG
FFX/X-2 HD Remakes
Valhalla Knights 3

 

[ZeroAKA]

I'm trying to swing a friend into a Vita purchase.

What are some great upcoming games, in particular, JRPGs?

Upcoming RPGs that I'm interested in:

Atelier Meruru Plus
Borderlands 2 (more of a FPS but...)
Demon Gaze
Disgaea 4 (not confirmed for US release yet)
FFX/X-2 HD
Toukiden (hunting games count, right?)
Ys Celceta

 

[jwk94]

Welcome to "classic" JRPGs?
I haven't played it, but I remember many a game that was like that back in the NES/SNES days.



GTA:LCS will almost definitely be 9/17, as that's also the release of GTAV.
So Rayman should be the 24th. SCEA always "saves" the bigger Vita game for the final update of the month.



The new Ys game is JRPG? Looked a bit more like ARPG from the gameplay footage, no? When I think JRPG, I think "turn based combat". The only sort of exception that pops into my mind is FFXII... but that had gambits which were kinda like predetermined turn based combat choices...

My bad, I saw JRPG and instantly though Ys =/

Thanks for the detailed response. This sounds a lot better to me than Part 1. I didn't like what i saw/heard about it so decided to skip on it even when it was on sale. Part 2 looks a lot better for sure. Will wait for your final impressions

You're very welcome!

 

[Surfheart]

I'd kill for a quality western style RPG in the vein of Skyrim on the Vita.

What say you Vitabros and Muffins?

 

[2+2=5]

That's fine, but the fact that most of the corridors just don't lead anywhere kind of destroys that feeling of "I've uncovered a new section, let's see where this leads!...oh, it's a dead end. Well, maybe this corridor will...nope, another dead end." In the end, it simply wasn't compelling in any way. I didn't feel like I was forging a path through uncharted territory and uncovering a strange new world. The tedious backtracking was also ten times worse given the size of the map. As much backtracking a Castlevania has, it pales in comparison to Knytt.

As for the story, I try not to think about it anymore. If it was being a parody of game narratives, it fails pretty hard. I don't want to spend ages completing a quest, only to "fail" it. When I complete a quest, I want to feel a sense of accomplishment, and one that doesn't just come from that check mark or grayed out text in my Quest Log. See Persona 4: The Golden. Completing quests in that game just felt good, and satisfying.

Still, I agree, Knytt wasn't for me, but it had nothing to do with not having my hand held or grasping the mechanics of the game or what it was trying to do. It just failed at being engaging in any meaningful way. You can guide a player, and still be non-linear and open-ended, and not hand-holding. Many great games do just that (like Demon's Souls/Dark Souls, for example; two games I absolutely love, and have a similarly grand, open ended game design). I guess I'm at that age in my gaming life where I simply don't have the time to spend wandering aimlessly through corridors, trying to "puzzle" my way through a game. Especially in a game that isn't engaging me in any other way. After 15 hours, Knytt just lost its luster for me. That's all there is to it.

Knytt is not for everyone but imo you didn't understand its philosophy, since you named it, i could say that in demon's souls you need to understand by yourself how to kill an enemy, in knytt you need to understand how to reach a certain point, the level design is the "enemy" or maybe i should say that the entire game is a big puzzle game, where you always need to use your brain to reach the points you want.
In demon's souls and guacamelee the difficulty is represented by the enemies, in knytt by the level, infact in knytt enemies are nothing more than moving obstacles or traps.
In demon's souls the focus is in the combat, in knytt in the exploration and the platforming.
I don't know if i was clear, but i guess no matter what you won't change your mind anyway.

 

[Baron Von Beans]

I'd kill for a quality western style RPG in the vein of Skyrim on the Vita.

What say you Vitabros and Muffins?

Skyrim/fallout 3 style would ruin my life. My problem with those games are the sheer amount of time it takes to do anything. Being able to suspend the gameplay anytime, and take it with me anywhere....I could see my free time, wherever I am, already flying by....

But hell yea!

 

[Trigger]

I'd kill for a quality western style RPG in the vein of Skyrim on the Vita.

What say you Vitabros and Muffins?

Oh totally!

I'd play a diablo-esque third person Fallout game too.

 

[jon bones]

I'd kill for a quality western style RPG in the vein of Skyrim on the Vita.

What say you Vitabros and Muffins?

dude don't even joke like that

morrowind goty edition on Vita.... imagine

 

[RalchAC]

I'm trying to swing a friend into a Vita purchase.

What are some great upcoming games, in particular, JRPGs?

I'd kill for a quality western style RPG in the vein of Skyrim on the Vita.

What say you Vitabros and Muffins?

I would preffer a WRPG in the vein of Diablo. And isometric RPG with a good online component and easy to play in small bursts (instant travel and that kind of tools).

Is the kind of game that I could buy and keep playing for dozens and dozens of hours. And playing it online will be great for boss fightings and difficult areas. Shit, I've played around 30 hours that Android game, Dark Avenger. It was a 6 game or so, but touchscreen controls were less shitty than the average and the levels where like 1.30 - 3.00 minutes longer.

What i find amazing is that i haven't used my tablet since i bought my Vita. I suppose I'll use it more when classes start again.

 

[KennyLinder]

I am playing Guacamelee and I am stuck! I've come across spiky red thorns covering a jump and I can't get past them. You land in this green liquid if you mess up which resets you to the start of the jump. Any ideas? Must be missing something with the controls! Cheers

 

[jon bones]

I am playing Guacamelee and I am stuck! I've come across spiky red thorns covering a jump and I can't get past them. You land in this green liquid if you mess up which resets you to the start of the jump. Any ideas? Must be missing something with the controls! Cheers

"try rolling"

 

[Moobabe]

Just had KillZone crash at the end of a level. Reloaded- back to the start...

Come on GG - mid level saves please

 

[DarkLordMalik]

Just had KillZone crash at the end of a level. Reloaded- back to the start...

Come on GG - mid level saves please

IGN review mentioned these crashes and took off points due to this. Here's hoping they are able to patch it soon. Seems like the 1 GB patch hasn't fixed it completely.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

Just had KillZone crash at the end of a level. Reloaded- back to the start...

Come on GG - mid level saves please

think of it as added replay value...haha

how long are levels?

 

[sajj316]

Just had KillZone crash at the end of a level. Reloaded- back to the start...

Come on GG - mid level saves please

Looks like I'll be playing multi until this is sorted out.

 

[Myzer]

welcome dude! enjoy the system it's great. let us know your impressions after you've had some time with it.

get after those PS+ freebies and discounts too. Rayman Origins is coming at end of month. The yearly three IGC games will probabaly rotate out in the next few months. so get on "purchasing" them asap.

Thanks will do. Initial impression is the screen is gorgeous.

I've put a bunch of stuff on the download queue from freebies which will keep me occupied for a while.

PS+ master race! Welcome to the club! Get Gravity Rush.

Already in the download queue.

 

[KennyLinder]

"try rolling"

Slaps face. It's been a long day, cheers

 

[OmegaTreeFish]

Guess killzone doesn't unlock at midnight here in the UK.

On the plus side I got some new head phones and decided to try the 30 day trial of music unlimited. Loving it. Might have to subscribe.

 

[nampad]

think of it as added replay value...haha

how long are levels?

30-40 minutes. The last two took me around 1 hours.

 

[CyclopsRock]

It's probably been asked, but I'm planning on swapping my 8GB card for a 32GB card. I don't intend on using the cards with any other system. I have a few games installed on my 8GB card - can I just swap between that and my 32GB ad hoc and it'll act like a game cartridge with x games on it, with the icons appearing on my homescreen? Or can you only have one "active" at a time?

 

[mauaus]

The musical levels in rayman Legends make me smile like an idiot

 

[coughlanio]

Killzone live in UK and Ireland now, booted to the menu then powered off the Vita, ready for my flight tomorrow

 

[bigfunkychiken]

Mercenary is quite a lot of money (compared to what I normally spend on games.. I haven't paid more than 30 dollars for a game in a year or two). Is it worth it for the single player alone? How much replay value does the SP offer?

Spoiler

goddammit why isn't there a bot mode!?

MP is, sadly, not an option for me until the local fucking cable company extends their reach.

 

[Takao]

Take a deep breath Takao.

The real reason all those games exist on iOS and not the Vita is because the money is over there and its not worth bringing over here.

It makes zero sense for Sony to pay EA or Activision for ports that do nothing.

And yes I would rather have no support from the large Western companies than the garbage EA tries to sell as new products on the Vita.

I'd say it's a better investment than paying for ports of indie game which is something they're actively encouraging.

 

[Boogalogist]

Went to the PSN store and saw that MHFU is fucking US$20. WTF? No sale!

 

[Massa]

Mercenary is quite a lot of money (compared to what I normally spend on games.. I haven't paid more than 30 dollars for a game in a year or two). Is it worth it for the single player alone? How much replay value does the SP offer?

Spoiler

goddammit why isn't there a bot mode!?

MP is, sadly, not an option for me until the local fucking cable company extends their reach.

The single player was built for replayability. Check out EatChildren's posts in the OT for the game where he goes into detail, but basically after beating a mission you unlock three different contracts where you're rewarded for replaying with different goals.

 

[EsotericManiac]

Just got over 900k on my last completion! Good for 6th on the leaderboards. Very ecstatic.

I ghosted a bit. Was up to 19 hearts. Took some pictures if anyone is interested.

 

[breakfuss]

The musical levels in rayman Legends make me smile like an idiot

Haha, yeah, that's what I'm most looking forward to. Eye of the Tiger, lololol.

 

[heringer]

Went to the PSN store and saw that MHFU is fucking US$20. WTF? No sale!

Vast majority of PSP games now are $20 or lower.

 

[omg_mjd]

I'd say it's a better investment than paying for ports of indie game which is something they're actively encouraging.

I can't imagine people getting excited over iOS ports coming over to Vita the same way they have been with the indie games.

 

[mullet2000]

Just got over 900k on my last completion! Good for 6th on the leaderboards. Very ecstatic.

I ghosted a bit. Was up to 19 hearts. Took some pictures if anyone is interested.

Dammmnnnnnn nice dude.

I completed my regular no checkpoint run a while ago, 158,000 in 22 minutes.

Now I'm working on getting to the city of gold...I keep dying for dumb reasons once I get the Ankh -_-

 

[EsotericManiac]

Dammmnnnnnn nice dude.

I completed my regular no checkpoint run a while ago, 158,000 in 22 minutes.

Now I'm working on getting to the city of gold...I keep dying for dumb reasons once I get the Ankh -_-

Make every attempt to sac damsels to the altar. The chalice goes a long way. If you can get the bonus 8 health, even better

 

[VanWinkle]

Haha, yeah, that's what I'm most looking forward to. Eye of the Tiger, lololol.

Just played that one last night. So good.

 

[spatenfloot]

I'd kill for a quality western style RPG in the vein of Skyrim on the Vita.

What say you Vitabros and Muffins?

not likely

Buy the Atelier series games and Killzone
(neither is like Skyrim)

 

[mullet2000]

Make every attempt to sac damsels to the altar. The chalice goes a long way. If you can get the bonus 8 health, even better

Yeah I've been doing that.

Last time I ran right into a tiki trap after getting the ankh. -_- Just realllllly dumb mistakes on my part. Gotta take things slower.

 

[Lt.Chips]

My sister just gave me $100 PSN credit for my birthday!

I'd really like to spend it wisely. Will you help out a fellow vitabro?

What should I be buying, based on my library of games listed below?

Dragon's Crown (loved it)
Muramasa Rebirth (loved it)
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (loved it)
Rayman Origins (loved it)
Guacamelee (loved it)
Mutant Blobs Attack (loved it)
Limbo (loved it)
UMvC3 (loved it)
PSASBR (meh)
NGS2+ (loved it)
ACIII Liberation (meh)
Bunch of PS+ free games (Uncharted, Gravity Rush, Wipeout, NGS+, etc.)