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[Chrono]

I missed out on a lot of good games last generation (wasn't even a gamer) so I'm looking into those games I mentioned in the thread title. I won't be buying all of them since I'm already backlogged but I got to get them now before I have to buy used ones. I've got a few questions and it would be great if anyone here can help. Thanks in advance.



1- Between Anthology, Chronicles, and Origins what would you consider to be the best?


2- To the people who played Tactics: approximately how much time did it take you to finish it?


3- I've never played any SRPGs but just a little bit of tactics. The little I played of it (the first 3-4 fights I think...) was just too easy. Hit x, move next to enemy, hit x. Every now and then heal. And it was also really slow. Is this just the beginning of the game or does it get more intense later?

 

[neptunes]

yeah, I was going to make a thread regarding FFTactics.

I purchased it a couple years ago and my save file got corrupted :lol, I feel like starting it up again.

 

[dog$]

Tactics should take about 60 hours or so if you're doing moderate level grinding and not screwing yourself by going too fast. Most of my runthroughs have been 150/200 hours, but that's because I did insane stuff (like having Ramza & 4 normal doods have all jobs mastered before the 3rd story battle of Chapter 1 (leading to situations like lv99 Ramza and lv3 Algus & Delita )). And whether it picks up later depends on how you define "picking up"; sending my army of Teleporting Math Monks on the field to cause all hell to those who stand in the way gives me plenty of evil glee.

For those other collections you would probably be better served to look into Anthology (that's the one with 5 and 6, right?).

 

[cvxfreak]

I preferred Final Fantasy Chronicles, and I've owned all four of the non-original/main FF games on PSone. Final Fantasy IV's great, and so's CT. Just buy them all, since they're dirt cheap.

 

[neptunes]

I did insane stuff (like having Ramza & 4 normal doods have all jobs mastered before the 3rd story battle of Chapter 1

WOW!

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

1- Between Anthology, Chronicles, and Origins what would you consider to be the best?

I only have Anthology so I'm not really qualified to answer this. However, Origins is the most "new" one. I mean, there are better ways to play the other games, if you buy old carts or wear a parrot on your shoulder. Origins, though, is a graphical improvement and gameplay refinement, so as a PlayStation game it seems the most interesting. Anthology was a bit of a pain to play; FF VI had a fair amount of slowness in things like battle menus.

2- To the people who played Tactics: approximately how much time did it take you to finish it?

The timer was in the mid-20s in hours I think, though that doesn't take into account replaying battles, a few of which I had to attempt a number of times.

3- I've never played any SRPGs but just a little bit of tactics. The little I played of it (the first 3-4 fights I think...) was just too easy. Hit x, move next to enemy, hit x. Every now and then heal. And it was also really slow. Is this just the beginning of the game or does it get more intense later?

Well, the very first few are really introductory. Things get more interesting as it goes, since you get new types of classes and abilities. Difficulty varies, though there are a few most people would consider tricky, I believe. As for slowness, I guess that's inherent to the game. It never seemed particularly slow to me, except when viewing things I'd already seen in multiple attempts at the same battle.

 

[RevenantKioku]

I'd buy them all, since that'd run you $75 at most for 7 games. And the ones that are $20, you can get at Best Buy for $15, so yeah, that's $60 for 7 games. The only problems you get with this collection is a CT that runs a bit slow, and FF2 may piss you off because of how broken it is (I on the other hand love the game).

 

[MetatronM]

Chronicles is really good mainly for the very good and completely rewritten and uncensored version of FF IV. But its version of Chrono Trigger is not terribly good. Load times left and right. Blah. Anthology is good too, but it has some optimization problems of its own, and, if I remember right, is not perfectly compatible with the PS2 (I seem to remember the save screens being particularly garbled). Origins is VERY nicely done, BUT we are talking about 15+ year old RPGs just done up nicely, so if that old-school RPG style doesn't appeal to you, you might not like it.

Tactics is excellent. The strategy gets much more advanced later on than just walking up to enemies and hitting them, and it is a fairly tough game overall (not too difficult, outside of one or two battles, but no cakewalk either). I seem to remember Tactics taking me somewhere around 40-50 hours. And I don't know if I would call Tactics "slow." It's not like it's a fast paced action game or anything. It's turn based and as such, a certain sort of pacing is kind of required. I would say it gets more intense, though, as situations become more difficult and strategies on both sides become more advanced, but the actual speed never really increases.

 

[Chrono]

Thanks for the replies. ^__^

I got FF: Chronicles and FF: Tactics. I wasn't sure about origins since the games are pretty old and I'm not that hardcore about RPGs. I googled for anthology compatibility after reading MetatronM's post and it turned out the game is on an official list by Sony of games that don't work with PS2. I only have a PS2 so no anthology for me.


Man I'm already backlogged. It looks like I won't be buying any games for a long time. Except Metroid Prime 2 of course.

 

[Solid]

You didn't get Origins? SHAME ON YOU!

 

[RevenantKioku]

Thanks for the replies. ^__^

I got FF: Chronicles and FF: Tactics. I wasn't sure about origins since the games are pretty old and I'm not that hardcore about RPGs. I googled for anthology compatibility after reading MetatronM's post and it turned out the game is on an official list by Sony of games that don't work with PS2. I only have a PS2 so no anthology for me.


Man I'm already backlogged. It looks like I won't be buying any games for a long time. Except Metroid Prime 2 of course.

Zuh? Anthologies works on PS2, that's where I played FF5. There was just the occasional garbling of the save screen, which going in and out of the menu fixed.

 

[Chrono]

I'm gong crazy.

I cancelled my order at ebgames. Then I started adding one RPG after another: FF7, FF8, Anthologies, Origins.... I wanted to hold off on 7 and 8 since I'm expecting a remake but considering that I'd re-play FF9 in a heartbeat 7 and 8 might be too good to wait for a remake (if it ever happens..). I searched around for Vagrant Story and I could only find a new copy at http://us.playstation.com so I sent them an e-mail to cancel my latest order (their site won't allow me to) so I can add in VS too.

Now I know Final Fantasy I and II will be on the GBA this November. This is much better since I need a few good RPGs on the go. That cancels Origins. I think I'll be playing RPGs for the rest of the year now.

My latest list of cheap-classic-RPG-goodness:


Final Fantasy: Tactics
Final Fantasy: Anthologies
Final Fantasy: Chronicles
Final Fantasy : VII
Final Fantasy: VIII
Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls on GBA
Vagrant Story

I have Chrono Cross in my backlog too...


I can't find new copies of Valkyrie Profile, Legend of Mana, or Dragon Warrior VII. In a way I think that's a good thing. I might try ebay though.

By the time I'm finished with this list current-gen games will be cheaper. And I might still have games to play when the next-gen hits so I won't have to buy a new console. Yep. This is a good strategy.

So is there anyhing I should add to that list? ^__^;

 

[neptunes]

I plan to pick up chrono cross also.

I hope I can finish it before november, looks like it'll be slim with school and work.

 

[RevenantKioku]

Just a quick once over on my collection and I think you should go for:
Parasite Eve - personally my favorite non-FF RPG from the PSX era.
Tales of Destiny - Comes after PE for me.
Front Mission 3 - If you like FFT, go for this, although its a bit more hard-core.

 

[OmniGamer]

Here's a tip for Tactics...save 2 files. There are several moments when you're locked into multiple battles back to back, and you can't get back to the map....during my first playthrough, I got into a battle that I wasn't prepared for and got my ass handed to me. I had to start over . Thankfully I loved that game so much...most other games I would have just been too pissed to start over.

In fact I might start a new game soon...btw, what's everyone's favorite support ability? Mine is the Chemist's Auto-Potion...it has a high frequency rate, and if you keep your stock full of the highest availble potion, you're damn near invicible.

 

[firex]

If you like FFT, please track down a copy of Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together for PS1. I think you'll like it - it's harder for sure, but a lot more strategic, and personally I thought the story was a lot better.

 

[belgurdo]

I prefer using stuff like the Samurai's healing ability (or any Cure spell on someone with high faith) to auto potion, but Blade Grasp makes healing irrelevant once your brave is high enough

 

[cubicle47b]

2. Around 30 hours I think. It's been a couple years.

3. Yeah, it gets relatively difficult if you play straight through without leveling up (but mostly just in a few places).

 

[dog$]

what's everyone's favorite support ability?

What's the name of the monk one that chances at full recovery if hit during critical? Hamedo? That's the one I always used; Auto Potion annoyed me just because it'd do something every time, and use items. Even after having everyone job-up through Chatters (and earn 1mil+ gil in the process) I'm way too cheap and lazy to keep a stock of 99 X Potions.

 

[Crazymoogle]

Origins has been 100% overruled by the november release of FF1+2 GBA.

 

[teiresias]

Personally, I'll take the remixed awesomeness that is the FF:Origins soundtracks over the extra dungeon or two in the GBA versions.

 

[Mejilan]

Nah, get FF1&2 for the GBA to play, and the FF Origins soundtrack to listen to, and you're golden. That's my plan, anyway.

 

[djtiesto]

I hear they're totally fixing up the balance issues in the FFI-II GBA release... that alone makes it worth the price of admission for me

FF Origins has an Easytype mode for FF1, but no such thing for FF2, unfortunately

 

[Diomedeskun]

Be careful you don't burn out on this RPG goodness. It is all great, but it might be too much and it all takes a great deal of time to play.

I adore virtually every game mentioned, but I would not recommend Final Fantasy Tactics as a first SRPG because the only more challenging SRPG for Playstation is Tactics Ogre (which I wanted to love, but it was too slow and I got sick of watching everyone miss turn after turn). I played FFT first and loved the genre, but I did not find any challenge in the genre until Fire Emblem. Front Mission 3 is particularly easy, although it is quite fun.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is great, but it is also much easier than the original and any veteran will be forced to create their own challenge by limiting themselves. Tactics Ogre: Knight of Lodis is so easy that it has virtually no gameplay to speak of save for the battles where you must split up your team and are forced to use weaker characters.

Vagrant Story and Valkyrie Profile are wonderfully different RPGs. Final Fantasy IV from Chronicles is a great port with virtually no loading delay and a far improved translation, unlike the other Square ports.

 

[Chrono]

My God...

Why is Valkyrie Profile going for 70-90 dollars on ebay? Yeesh. I'll forget about it now. Dragon Warrior is also rare. I did however find a new copy, but its' $69.99... Parasite Eve is no where to be found.

I got Final Fantasy Chronicles/Anthologies/Tactics/7/8 and Vagrant story. http://us.Playstation.com is the only online store with new copies for all of these gems. $167 total which means I'll never get an xbox now. :lol

I only wanted it for two games though (ninja gaiden and PDO) so it's not big deal.

Be careful you don't burn out on this RPG goodness. It is all great, but it might be too much and it all takes a great deal of time to play.

I already have quite a backlog from this gen so I'll switch between RPGs and new games every now and then.

 

[Brian Fellows]

If you like FFT, please track down a copy of Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together for PS1. I think you'll like it - it's harder for sure, but a lot more strategic, and personally I thought the story was a lot better.

Someday I wil go back and finish TO....

 

[MetatronM]

My God...

Why is Valkyrie Profile going for 70-90 dollars on ebay? Yeesh. I'll forget about it now. Dragon Warrior is also rare. I did however find a new copy, but its' $69.99... Parasite Eve is no where to be found.

I see new copies DW VII in stores pretty regularly. I think it's usually $20-30 depending on the place.

Valkyrie Profile is so expensive because it is very rare and very awesome. A double whammy.

 

[Diomedeskun]

I can really only recommend Dragon Warrior VII to those who played the older games. It is just a huge, long version of Older Dragon Warriors with cheap sprites on sub-par poly backgrounds. The story goes on for too long and the game just spends too much time rambling. It is fun for anyone who once imagined a bigger Dragon Warrior 3 or 4, but both of those are actually better games.

Other fun PSX RPGs include Kartia (VERY easy SRPG, but has awesome character/item creation and land transformation as well as challenging final bosses), Breath of Fire 3+4 (4 has much better graphics as well as characters and fixes up many issues from 3, but both have stories that feel a little empty and 4 copies too much from 3 and feels unfinished), Suikoden 1+2 (just awesome, but play 1 first and tehn use your save in 2), Star Ocean 2 (awesome battle system, character customiztion, and freedom, mediocre story), and Grandia (best of its series).

Vandal Hearts is a fun, but simple SRPG with some interesting mechanics. Vandal Hearts 2 ditches all of that, but provides a long, complex SRPG with numerous endings and a much darker story than Final Fantasy Tactics. Tales of Destiny was charming, but not really all that fun or original. It also looks like a Super NES port. Tales of Eternia (Tales of Destiny 2 in the states) is much, much better in gameplay, story, and graphics.

 

[MoxManiac]

If there's any game that deserves to have a high tag, it's VP. I even have the offical strategy guide for it <3

 

[RevenantKioku]

If there's any game that deserves to have a high tag, it's VP. I even have the offical strategy guide for it <3

Eh, VP had no replayability for me. It was a great once through, but second attempts just weren't, well anything.

 

[sc0la]

Speaking of more difficult to get than most PS1 games, is Castelvania Symphony worth 30$ for a nice copy??

I found one and am debating getting it.

 

[Diomedeskun]

Eh, VP had no replayability for me. It was a great once through, but second attempts just weren't, well anything.

Did you get the "A" ending and play on hard? If so, then I can see your point, as I had no desire to play the bonus dungeon, but if you only got the B ending and did not play the several extra dungeons of Hard, you have much yet to experience.

As for Sumphony of the Night, as much as I like the GBA Castlevanias, Symphony still towers over them, even Aria of Sorrow. It is the finest Hybrid of platformer and RPG I have ever played.

 

[mosaic]

scola -- if it doesn't have the Greatest Hits green stripe, then perhaps it's worth it if it's complete and in immaculate condition.

Otherwise, I see the Greatest Hits version all the time at Blockbuster and Sam's Club around here for $14.99 (13.88 at Sam's)

 

[RevenantKioku]

Did you get the "A" ending and play on hard? If so, then I can see your point, as I had no desire to play the bonus dungeon, but if you only got the B ending and did not play the several extra dungeons of Hard, you have much yet to experience.

I didn't, but that doesn't make my re-attempts any more fun. Most of the character stores just weren't the same seeing them again.

 

[sc0la]

scola -- if it doesn't have the Greatest Hits green stripe, then perhaps it's worth it if it's complete and in immaculate condition.

Otherwise, I see the Greatest Hits version all the time at Blockbuster and Sam's Club around here for $14.99 (13.88 at Sam's)

hmm I see so the whole fuss was over the non GH stripe version :lol.

I will look around for a new copy first then. I don't give a shit about a green stripe.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

Origins has been 100% overruled by the november release of FF1+2 GBA.

Well, the GBA versions sound fairly different. Things like different portraits, and different magic system. So GBA FF1+2 is less like the originals than the PS1 versions.