• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

GAF Plays: Legend of Legaia | Memories of TORNADO FLAME

Vorg

Banned
This needs to be played in an emulator. I tried playing it on my ps3 and it looks like ass. I was actually kind of shocked at how awful it looks. Currently playing my ripped copy on a jxd 7800 with epsxe for android.
 

Boss Doggie

all my loli wolf companions are so moe
If you play it on an emulator you can speed up combat if you want.

True.

But I never had problem with combat speed. It's just the leveling is so damn long because of low experience yield. Lunar games also suffer from this.
 

Tizoc

Member
Speaking of which, how hard is it to beat the game without level grinding? I'd always level grind in this game, but don't recall if I've ever played it by just going through the game.
 
Woh, I had no idea Michiru Oshima did the music for this!

Legend of Legaia is one of those games that I always saw in magazines and in the store, but just never had the money to buy for myself. By the time I did, years had passed and the game completely slipped my mind.

It might be time to dive in.
 

TheContact

Member
I bought this when it came out with my friend. We went back to his house and he wanted to play it first since I'd be the one taking it home with me. He played and convinced me to leave it, then he proceeded to beat it and then gave it back to me. Was such a good game, worthy thread
 

Jathaine

Member
My only gripe is that you need to grind in this game for levels... and it's slooooow

Only level grinding you might need to do would be for the Seru, if you're just looking to get by. That's really not too bad either since you don't need to max them or anything.

I personally wouldn't advise grinding much unless you just want to steamroll everything, most bosses (if not all) have equipment or strategies that make them manageable at pretty much any level.
 

Jarekx

Member
One of my favorite games from that era. I really loved that combat system. I wish we could get a PSN release someday. This is begging to be put on my Vita!
 
I need to finally beat this game. I started the game over years ago and made it to the second area again but then kinda just stopped

One of my favorite games as a kid
 

Boss Doggie

all my loli wolf companions are so moe
Only level grinding you might need to do would be for the Seru, if you're just looking to get by. That's really not too bad either since you don't need to max them or anything.

I personally wouldn't advise grinding much unless you just want to steamroll everything, most bosses (if not all) have equipment or strategies that make them manageable at pretty much any level.

There's also a money issue. Until you get the Gold Book you'd be sparse in cash.
 

Psxphile

Member
Legend of Legaia Playthrough Episode #2:
"The Fall of Drake Castle"
-or-
"Nothing has changed but EVERYTHING"



WANREJl.png

Before we leave Rim Elm, return to the town's only shop and purchase some equipment to go with your new Hunter's Clothes. You can get the Survival Knife here if you want, or you can wait until later and pick up a freebie from a chest. Your call. Also, head to the 2nd floor and examine this dresser for a useful item: the Point Card. Once in your inventory, every purchase you make at any shop will add points to your card. You can then use those points to deal damage to enemies during battle, up to 9999 (the card can save 99,999 points total).



A unique aspect of Legend of Legaia that you rarely see in jRPGs is that all equipment you wear are rendered and applied to your characters during the battles scenes. So here's Vahn decked out in the latest fashions of Rim Elm, including his Hunter's Clothes that were stitched with love. Baller.



Without the Mist hanging around, there's only the regular monsters to have to deal with outside of town. Biron Monastery is due north, but the river impedes our path. Following the path west, we come to a giant spring where several of Rim Elm's hunters have gathered. Here you'll be introduced to Lezam, an emissary from Drake Castle who was only just recently freed from being a Seru slave. Turns out he was on his way to warn Rim Elm of the Mist 10 years ago when he was caught by the quickly advancing Mist and turned. Now that he's free, he pleads to Vahn to free the rest of Drake Castle which had succumbed to the Seru. But before you head out, you can sip the spring water here to replenish your energy and examine the statues near the back for game tips.



As you approach Drake Castle west of the spring, you'll see that the influence of the newly-revived Genesis Tree stops just short of clearing the Mist here. The Waterway here controls the flow of the water, closing it is the only way to get across the river. But to do that, we'll need its key. The King of Drake Castle should have it, but with the way things are...

The next Genesis Tree can be found beyond Drake Castle, on Mt. Rikuroa. Which means we're going to have to fight our way through.



Inside it's like a scene from a nightmare. Lezam mentioned that King Drake tried something desperate to save his people when the Mist came. Whatever he did, it turned all his people into Seru monsters and imprisoned behind barricades. During random battles here we also finally absorb our first Seru magic from the Gimards. Burning Attack is your basic fire spell but it gets the job done, and at this point is much stronger than melee attacks on the enemies here. Once leveled up it can also drop an enemy's ATK stat down by a certain percentage as a secondary effect.

Absorbing magic is pretty much random in this game: you basically just have to ensure that the Seru whose magic you're trying to get is the last one standing in the group and that the party member you wish to have absorb it is the one who defeats it (and also has their Ra-Seru partner). At that point it's just dumb luck if you get it or not, but things like how high a level you are compared to the Seru and whether there's elemental affinity might factor into it. For instance Vahn might have more trouble absorbing Water Seru powers over Fire Seru, seeing as Meta has an affinity with Fire.



As you head deeper into Drake Castle you're progress will be barred by several doors that require keys, those keys can be found in one of the many adjacent rooms. In those rooms you'll see more citizenry locked up in cages and wearing Seru. The notes and letters left behind by King Drake and the castle inhabitants suggest that everything was done on purpose to save them from a worse fate: just before the Mist came they determined that wearing corrupted Seru stops time for the victim... and with no time left King Drake decided on a plan to save his people by having them don Seru and wait behind cages for the day someone comes to save them.

You'll also find a few chests along the way, one containing a Survival Knife in case you didn't buy one earlier and another containing the Fire Book I, an item you can use on Vahn to give him access to your first Hyper Art: the TOOHNADOW FRAAAAME *cough* Tornado Flame. Excuse me. The Tornado Flame is a powerful fire-based Art... it saps AP but it's totally worth it.


In the same room you find Fire Book I you also find a bed you can sleep in to rest. Sometimes dream sequences will occur when you rest, like here with Vahn and Meta which only occurs if you absorb the Seru Gimard. Once rested, we head out behind the throne room and past a gate to reach the other side of the castle. From here it's just a short walk to Mt. Rikuroa. As we enter, Meta senses the presence of another Ra-Seru in the vicinity...

Episode #2 End.
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
Speaking of which, are non-healing Ra Seru even that useful?
Yes. Especially when you level them up. I like using the ice ones a lot, myself. We even cited examples of the instakill ones as being incredibly useful with bosses.

Speaking of which, how hard is it to beat the game without level grinding? I'd always level grind in this game, but don't recall if I've ever played it by just going through the game.
It's not hard at all. Use buffs/spirit. Don't be afraid to use your seru, either.
 

Jucksalbe

Banned
Ha, how did that happen? At least it seems the composer from Alundra worked on Legend of Legaia, so they didn't steal it.
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
I put that detail in the op... >.>

I'm gonna guess that since both of them are more well-known in anime composition, they crossed paths and that theme was contributed to Legaia.
 

Xenus

Member
I loved this game growing up. Still have it. Even got 2 but was a little disappointed in the change in the magic system in it though I still enjoyed it.This game also made me wish every RPG showed armor on your characters. It's one of the things that bugged me growing up. I know why they don't but I feel like it'd add quite a bit in JRPG's if you didn't look the same from wearing the plain clothes in the beginning of the game to the awesome defensive armors by the end. Especially since they usually render a 3 model or show a picture of what it's supposed to look like.
 

Psxphile

Member
Legend of Legaia Playthrough Episode #3:
"Noa and the Wolf"
-or-
"You Thought It Was A Natural Phenomena But It Was I, Zeto!"



For the moment we leave Vahn and Meta and focus on two new characters: a young girl called Noa and her wolf guardian and teacher Terra. Noa (whose name can be changed if you like) has just experienced a very strange and upsetting dream (which I seem to have neglected to get snaps of...): a voice calls to her from the darkness, calling itself mother and pleading for Noa's help. But Noa instead is woken by Terra, who after saying something philosophical about how dreams are ways of foretelling the future tells Noa that it's time for training.



As Noa follows Terra through the dank Snowdrift Cave that's been their Mist-free home for years (occasionally picking up the nutricious Healing Shrooms growing along the cave walls) Terra starts to quiz Noa on the things she's learned thus far: about the Mist and Seru, about the Genesis Trees, and how when her training is finally complete they'll be able to climb Mt. Rikuroa together and awaken the tree at its summit.


Terra will lead Noa to a room with Red and Black Piuras hopping about and have her fight them for experience. The Reds are pushovers but the Blacks will put the hurt on you unless you play it smart and use 'Spirit' to increase your Attack Bar (Noa's is noticeably longer than Vahn's and will stay that way for pretty much the remainder of the game) and to defend from attacks.


You'll have to take out a few Piara's before Terra allows you to stop. You can talk to Terra if you need to heal HP, and if you do so after you win your first battle it'll also teach you Noa's first Art, the Lizard Tail. You can continue fighting the Piuras for more XP but Terra will eventually end the training after a while.


Just as you're finished training and about to head back Snowdrift Cave shakes violently. They suddenly feel a chill wind in the underground followed by the Mist, and Terra surmises that an exit has appeared somewhere in the cave that leads to the outside. As there are now dangerous Seru and other monsters running wild inside the cave Terra joins you in battle and will auto-heal Noa if her HP drops too low. Heading back the way they came, they manage to find a way out of the cave through a new opening. Terra convinces Noa to head south towards Mt. Rikuroa: it's time for them to find the Genesis Tree.


To the east through a small path in the mountains lies a valley completely saturated in Mist. Despite Noa's impulses to rush in there Terra begs for her not to go: beyond lies the Mist Generator that has been polluting Drake Kingdom with Mist for years, but it's too dangerous for them to enter now. They must continue onwards to the Genesis Tree atop Mt. Rikuroa.

This is an optional scene that can be missed, and there's a treasure chest here that can only be gotten on this screen. Inside is a new weapon for Noa: the Nail Glove. Note: After the events at East Voz Forest you will no longer be able to access this screen. There are three more like it (each with missable chests) around Drake Kingdom so keep an eye out.



Once at Mt. Rikuroa Noa and Terra will need to traverse a series of collapsing caves and monsters to get to the summit. But just before they make it out, a Golem blocks their path. But with Terra's healing Noa won't have too much trouble taking him down: just Spirit and attack until dead.

(huh... kinda wish I had taken more battle pics)

With the summit still a ways off Terra suggest they rest for a bit, as it has grown tired. It takes this time to congratulate Noa on her perseverance and starts to explain to her that it is not actually a wolf but a special Seru that borrowed the wolf's body and saved Noa from the Mist many years ago. Terra wanted to wait until Noa was older before using the Genesis Tree to transfer itself to her as the wolf she's been inhabiting has grown old and will die soon, but due to recent events it's had to accelerate the plan. Once it transfers over Terra can help Noa find her real parents.


When they finally reach the summit Terra recounts how one day it awoke from inside the tree and found a child crying nearby. Because little Noa was too young for a Ra-Seru to attach itself to her, Terra instead choose to join with a wolf stalking nearby (*!*).




Terra bids Noa to approach the tree so they can initiate the transfer, but are blind-sided by Zeto who reveals that he was the one that forced them out of their hiding place. But he's not about allow the Genesis Tree to be revived, so he summons Caruban to attack them. Terra moves to protect Noa...


... but is struck down quickly by Caruban. Noa is left to fend for herself as Zeto gloats that she's powerless to do anything before disappearing.


Meanwhile, we return to Vahn and Meta's sides as they climb up the opposite side of Rikuroa, fighting against the Seru monsters and picking up some new gear and Seru Magic along the way. They manage to make it to the top and...


... lol wut? A girl and a giant lion-thing flitting about frantically? Terra feels the presence of Meta and implores both it and Vahn to save Noa.


Even with the two of them, Caruban is a tough customer. It's fire breath can strike the both of them simultaneously and it uses it pretty often. As Noa will naturally be the weaker character at this point - completely lacking in protective armor, it's best that she uses the Spirit command every other turn to reduce the amount of damage inflicted by Caruban. Fortunately Vahn can rely on Seru magic for this fight: Gimard to attack and his newest spell, Vera, to heal party members with Mystic Care (and its potency rises with its level: eventually it can also heal status effects). However, as Noa will probably get the first turn every round it might be better to have her use those Healing Shrooms she's been hoarding and leave Vahn to do the bulk of the fighting. Whatever we choose, Caruban will eventually fall.


Meta and Vahn awaken the tree, and the Mist is cleared from the surrounding area including Drake Castle. Its citizens revert back from Seru slaves to free-thinking humans, including their king.


The wounded Terra is quickly carried to the trunk of the tree to begin the transference. Terra joins with Noa and recounts their sworn mission: to find and awaken the Genesis Trees. The old wolf saunters off, and Noa instinctively moves to follow... having thought of it as a parent all these years. But Terra tells her that the old wolf is looking for a place to die and should be left alone. With that, Noa introduces herself to Vahn and asks if they can join him and Meta on their journey. They then make plans to return to Drake Castle.

Episode #3 End
 
I was big time into Square JRPG's on PS1 era and I hated Legend of Legaia with passion. Never got further than the first castle thing.
 

Psxphile

Member
Feels kind of lonely in here.

Legend of Legaia Playthrough Episode #4:
"Quelling the River"
-or-
"Old and Busted... The New Hotness"



Together Vahn and Noa (and their Ra-Serus... it's always implied, this isn't Kingdom Hearts II) enter Castle Drake from the rear entrance and are greeted at the gate by King Drake the Third himself.


-Noa's Sheltered Life- Chapter 1: The Mustache
As Noa has been cooped up in her cave all her life without anyone but a surrogate wolf to talk to, everything outside in the real world is strange and unusual to her. A lot of the humour in Legend of Legaia is derived from Noa's interactions with everyday things others would probably take for granted. Like overly-elaborate nose hair. And pimps.

I'll try to remember to share more of her insights as we continue.



Back in the throne room and after Vahn and Noa fill him in about what's been happening, King Drake III quickly surmises what we're here for and relinquishes the Water Key we need to close the Waterway. The king then pleads for the two of them to work together to solve the mystery of the Mist and rid it from the neighboring lands. From here we're free to explore the castle once more.


In the same room where King Drake was imprisoned, you can find a unique item called the Platinum card if you check the opening along the left-uppermost corner. Having the card in your inventory allows you to see a shop's secret goods, which are listed in blue text. For instance, if you return to Rim Elm w/ the Platinum Card you'll see that the shop now has two new items for sale you wouldn't be able to see otherwise.

Another item of interest is access to a book about Biron Martial Arts in one of the other rooms. If you speak with a man standing in front of the bookcase he'll read you three different passages, each one corresponding to a party member. Here you'll learn new Arts for Vahn and Noa if you haven't already stumbled onto them yourself through experimentation: Charging Scorch and Swan Driver, respectively.

There's a third Art to learn here, but we'll have to come back later for it.



As we venture out of the castle Noa is surprised to see so many people all in one place. That place, of course, being this hastily-built bazaar at the front gates. She gets excited and runs off to explore, leaving Vahn to himself for the time-being. Just don't try to ditch her or she'll get depressed. And that's not cool. Also ya'll miss out on free stuff.

I don't think I ever found that guy's wallet. What's that about?



-Noa's Sheltered Life- Chapter 2: The Concept of, the Concept of Cash
You'll find Noa checking out the latest fashions at some guy's stall. After the peddler shows her the Fighting Robe she believes it's hers to take and runs off with it. The shopkeep stops her and explains she needs to pay for it first, a concept of which she doesn't have a clue about.


Naturally you're given the choice to fill her in or feign ignorance. The first two choices has Vahn explaining it, but you'll want to go with the "I don't know shit about nothin'" response, which prompts the peddler, after lecturing us on how money makes the world go round, to gift us the Fighting Robe for free. Finally, some defensive gear for Noa!

Afterwards, Noa will run off again and talk to another shopkeeper who will fill her in on some things, and then she'll turn around and quiz you about it. Answering her questions correctly will win you some free items, like a set of Healing Leaves.




Following that excursion, she'll ask about what Inns are. You won't get anywhere here by lying, or anything at all sadly. Still, if you rest now you'll be treated to another one of Noa's dreams (although you could just as easily head back into the castle and sleep for free in that one room... the gentleman next to the stall even tells you this).



Legaia OST: Noa's Dream

( つ Д `)



After leaving the castle head straight for the Waterway and use that key to close it, thereby allowing you to cross over the now dry riverbed. Be sure to grab the Wind Book I from the chest here and use it on Noa to learn her first Hyper Art, Frost Breath.



Here's what Noa looks like with the Fighting Robe and other gear gained from Drake Castle equipped. And some shots of her Hyper Art in action.



Along the mountains north of the river we find two more entrances to the mist-riddled valley beyond and some treasure. We still won't be able to enter until Vahn and Noa find and awaken another Genesis Tree.



If you head back to Rim Elm you can meet with Tetsu and have him teach Noa a new Art. Vahn gets nothing, though (the fuck?). And you can introduce Noa to Mei and vice-versa. Absolutely nothing bad can come from this!



bob's_burgers_ohmygod.gif

Her words are like "How sweet!" but her face is all like "You're on thin ice, mister."



Once you're finished with preparations and generally going around ruining relationships it's time to go find Mei's mom, Maya. The entrance to Biron Monastery is due north of Rim Elm where the Mist still lingers.


Episode #4 End
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
I'm joining in this weekend or so. I just need to record some more footage and capture images from that footage during editing because I'm only at Drake Castle. It's too bad that the Elgato Game Capture doesn't lend itself to capturing screens as readily as FRAPS/Bandicam (actually you know what, I can probably use Bandicam in OBS/Elgato's capture program and that'd make things much easier for me). I also finished Granstream Saga this week, so my console time is pretty free! But yeah, busy bee this week.

I picked the PS2/PS3 version instead, so I'll be recording footage with my card, and maybe uploading stuff to YT. My laptop doesn't seem to like running it in ePSXe and the desktop is in a room that is usually occupied.

I don't think I'll be snapping every dialogue / NPC dialogue exchange and will relegate that to emotes and text. Some of these screens can be big and I'm experimenting with sizes.

Anyway, you're doing a good job so far psxphile! I'll try to make my playthrough a smidge different to reduce redundancy. I think Noi's streaming it but I dunno if he changed his mind.

bob's_burgers_ohmygod.gif

Her words are like "How sweet!" but her face is all like "You're on thin ice, mister."
She was never that cool anyway.
 

topplehat

Member
I'm going to love reading through this, probably my favorite JRPG growing up (might still be?). A PSN release would mean an instant playthrough for me.
 

Psxphile

Member
Anyway, you're doing a good job so far psxphile! I'll try to make my playthrough a smidge different to reduce redundancy. I think Noi's streaming it but I dunno if he changed his mind.
Fine by me. If you were to focus on the battle engine and the game's ost more that would be swell, 'cause I seem to be doing a bad job showcasing either. And those are the best parts!


She was never that cool anyway.
Well, it's hard to compete with Noa who is simply just more fun to have around. And apparently Noa is only 12 (*!*), so that's like a double-slap to the face right there.
 

Noi

Member
I'm doing a test stream tomorrow to see how the game looks like with my current stream settings and I'll roll with it if it's adequate. Just have to judge if I'd rather have an actually watchable stream on hitbox or archives on twitch.
 

Tizoc

Member
PSXPhile just taught me about items I didn't know I can pick up. Keep it up mate! Loving the images you post too.
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
I'm doing a test stream tomorrow to see how the game looks like with my current stream settings and I'll roll with it if it's adequate. Just have to judge if I'd rather have an actually watchable stream on hitbox or archives on twitch.
Doesn't hitbox archive?

Fine by me. If you were to focus on the battle engine and the game's ost more that would be swell, 'cause I seem to be doing a bad job showcasing either. And those are the best parts!

Well, it's hard to compete with Noa who is simply just more fun to have around. And apparently Noa is only 12 (*!*), so that's like a double-slap to the face right there.
And Vahn's 14, while Mei's 16, iirc.

Yeah, I don't mind. It's usually what I excel at.
 

Psxphile

Member
League of Legen fuck, everytime

Legend of Legaia Playthrough Episode #5:
"Biron Monastery"
-or-
"A Tale of Two Rivals"



As we enter, we come to a small room with two doors, air vents and a lever. Flipping the lever turns on the vents which dispels the Mist and opens the inner door, alerting the Biron Monks that they have visitors. Vahn and Noa are greeted by the Elder of Biron Monastery, Zopu. The young man in blue, Master Teacher, however is visibly displeased about all this and chastises Noa for her un-intentioned slight against his master.



Zopu also takes note of our Seru, but decides that as we the first humans to come to the Monastery in 10 years, a celebration is in order. Songi, the man in red, is quite the opposite of Master Teacher. He is intrigued by our Ra-Seru and seems to have a bit of a power lust. Noa makes an accurate assessment of his nature.



Tetsu back in Rim Elm already made mention of it, but speaking to the monks here really drives home that those who follow the ways of Biron are against the wearing of Seru and prefer to train their bodies and minds to the peak of human condition. You also learn how the monks managed to eke out a living here confined to the monastery and about the civilians who were trapped here along with the monks.

Also, don't forget to check your surroundings for hidden items in barrels, behind walls and that huge bust of Biron.


As you head up to the next section, you're stopped by a very much alive and well Maya. She excitedly greets you and then runs off to prepare for the party. In the next room Noa will get a chance to have some private girl-to-girl time with her and we'll learn from the monks that Maya has been like a den mother to the them since she's come to live here, especially to Master Teacher and Songi who she treats like her sons.


It becomes quickly apparent that Songi and Master Teacher are rivals despite once having been the best of friends, to the bewilderment of Zopu and Maya. And while Master Teacher despises Seru and with good reason, Songi would like nothing more than to use one despite the teachings of Biron to beat Master Teacher once and for all and become the undisputed number one student. Shit is about to go down, yo.



In another room are two peddlers where you can shop. The only significant thing here is the Savior Clothes for Vahn, a nice upgrade from the Hunter's Clothes but we're just shy from being to afford it. That's okay, we'll be back for it later.



After speaking to Zopu the party will start. There, Vahn breaks the news about Juno to Maya and about Mei being alone. She asks for some time and excuses herself.


Zopu correctly assumes that we had come to Biron Monastery to take Maya back to Rim Elm. He then asks for a favor: to awaken the Genesis Trees north of Biron Monastery, in West and East Voz Forests. When we answer in the affirmative, he orders Master Teacher to go with us to West Voz. Songi, feeling left out and smelling an opportunity, suggests that he should head for East Voz and secure the tree there. Zopu agrees and assigns him monks to accompany him. We then all turn in to prepare for the journey in the morning...



... except for Songi, who schemes in the night. What a dick.


The next day, Songi heads for East Voz and Vahn, Noa and Master Teacher prepare to go to West Voz.


Yeah, I was wondering why everybody was calling him "Master Teacher" too, come to think of it. Here we will have an opportunity to come up with his new name...


... but we'll stay with his default, Gala. Despite being ordered by Zopu to help us, Gala is still distrustful of anyone wearing Seru. Welp, too bad: they gave you a naming screen, that means you're in it for the long haul, buddy.


On our way out we chat with Maya. Seems she's got something on her mind, but it'll have to wait until we return.

Going to have to stop this update here, getting a little too long... and that's after excising about a dozen snapshots I probably didn't need. We'll pick it up on the next.


Episode #5 End
 
Rq6PpCY.gif

Yes, Gaf this is why I mess with you! Legaia is my all time favorite classic RPG. I rank it up there with Klonoa in my top 3 PSX games. I was entranced with it as a child (Dat boss battle theme) and I keep the strategy guide next to my bed just cus. Love it, love it, love it!

FFFFFIIIYYYYAAAAAA BBBBBLLLOOOOOW!
 
Wish I still had this game otherwise I'd definitely join in on this playthrough.

I don't remember the grinding being too difficult because if I remember correctly, me and a friend of mine shared a memory card and leveled up the same file in order to get beyond certain bosses. It wasn't nearly as bad that way.

One of my favorite PSX games for sure. So many memories.
 
Ugh, went to find my copy and can't find it; I think I lent it out to someone and forgot to get it back.

Time to track it down :/
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
I’ll make the images smaller next time, and will encode video at a higher resolution later on. Canadian Internet, you know.

thebettersequelx2screedjeb.png
thebettersequelx2screebkw2.png


I wrote a bit about Contrail, Prokion, and SCEI in the OP, so please read it!

thebettersequelx2scree8jq8.png


briJfyu.gif
Music: Title

The thing about this soundtrack is that I like a lot of the samples used in it. Back in the day, I thought Gann’s review of the soundtrack and the RPGfan review of the game regarding the soundtrack itself were completely off-base and never went in-depth into what he liked and disliked about many of the tracks. I don’t think Legaia’s soundtrack is the best thing I’ve ever heard, but I do think there are a lot of gems strewn throughout the album. It’s just at $30, it’s hard to justify paying that much for such a short album that didn’t include most of the tracks.

The game has an opening movie, but since it has a ton of spoilers, I’m not going to link it yet.

After selecting New Game, you get an introductory cutscene trying to explain all of the similar-similar jargon in the game.

briJfyu.gif
Cutscene: Legaia’s History ; Music: Prologue

thebettersequelx2scremrr7v.png
thebettersequelx2scre8br3g.png
thebettersequelx2screm8qht.png


Since the dawn of human memory, known as history, humans lived together with creatures known as Seru. The Seru lived together with humans, always obeying them, and making the humans many times stronger than before.

When not worn by a human, a Seru looks much like a stone figure. However...

Upon touching a human, a Seru changes form and gives that human secret abilities. With a Seru, a human can lift objects heavier than itself and even fly in the air at will.

However, that era came to an end.

Appearing from out of nowhere, the Mist covered the land, bringing to an end prosperous symbiosis between humans and Seru.

After the thick Mist came, the Seru, who once obeyed humans, rebelled against them.

The Seru began attacking humans at will. Seru that attached themselves to humans controlled their minds and turned them into evil beasts.

As if forsaken by god, human civilization collapsed. It was the twilight of humanity.

Those who escaped the Mist inhabited the desolate areas and protected each other. Now, their faint hope is their only source of inspiration.


Basically, the gist of it is:
- God creates the heavens and the earth and humans
- For some reason god creates monsters too, and derp, the humans don’t have anything to protect themselves with. Oops.
- God’s like, “Ok, you guys, my bad. Here, have some Seru. That shit is magical, yo.” Then he leaves into the ether.
- People build civilization using Seru and they had happy fun times flying through the air and becoming non-Thomas the Tank Engine-esque trains.
- Mist shows up because reasons, fucks Seru and humanity up straight-up dawg time for 10 years.

In the video, we see a blue-haired teenager emerge from his house.

briJfyu.gif
Music: Rim Elm

thebettersequelx2screappw2.png


This is Vahn. I’m not going to change his name just because I’m not too creative today!

lol-vahn-concept-portuvor0.jpg


Name: Vahn
CV: Wataru Takagi
Age: 14
Ht: 5’0”
Wt: 106 lbs
Laterality: RH
Element: Fire
Strengths: Highest Lower-Defense (LDF)
Best at summoning: Fire Seru and Earth Seru
Worst at summoning: Water Seru
Weapons: Sword, Knife, Knuckle
Instruction Manual said:
A young boy living with his father and younger sister in Rim Elm, a remote village whose high walls keep the Mist out. Possessing a strong sense of justice, Vahn is determined to uncover the true nature of the Mist and free the world from its terror. After his fateful encounter with the Ra-Seru Meta, he leaves his village to embark on a great adventure.
Possesses a good balance between offense and defense in combat. Parameter growth is average. Having a Ra-Seru of the fire attribute, Vahn is not very adept at summoning Seru of the water attribute - his only weak point.
I don’t know whether it’s the lack of access to an instruction manual, but those are some things that some players generally forget. Vahn is the most balanced character in the game, and thus he levels up slower/gets less attack slots than one character and faster/gets more attack slots than another. Another thing that some folks sometimes forget is that Vahn just sucks at water Seru. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen folks complain that they can’t get Vahn to acquire/deal better damage with water Seru, and that’s because it’s the complete opposite of his Ra-Seru. Every Seru has an affinity associated with a character based on its element, but I’ll get into that later when I actually get one.

Vahn is a Silent Protagonist, which means he usually gets other people to do the talking for him, but he speaks in-battle (though, bear in mind that many of his victory phrases in Japanese were cut out of the English version of Legend of Legaia).

With respect to Vahn in-battle, as said before, Vahn ends up having the highest LDF. I’ll talk about Vahn’s comparison to other characters in the game as we acquire them. For the most part, he just has the second-highest attack, UDF (upper defense), speed, agility, and intelligence stats in the whole game. Vahn also, at the end of the game, will be able to hit any enemy without thinking of which direction to press for an attack, even flying enemies. Vahn’s animations tend to flow into each other fairly smoothly so it’s easy to chain attacks into shorter strings on the spirit bar.

Just know that if you rename Vahn, he has an 8-charcter limit. If you guys really really want me to rename him to something cool, I can totally arrange that since I’m not too far in.

Also:

thebettersequelx2screoiu30.png
thebettersequelx2scred8ui5.png

thebettersequelx2scre3fufa.png
thebettersequelx2scre33ub7.png


When you first start the game, Vahn doesn’t have any skill, he doesn’t have any moves, and he can’t use magic to impress anyone. This means Vahn sucks at dancing, and it’s up to you to teach him how to strut.

thebettersequelx2scre4su36.png
thebettersequelx2screucu3u.png


He is also butt-naked and carries leaves around to mask his nudity.

thebettersequelx2scref1rhh.png


Vahn’s a hippie. While he likes to start fires, he loves looking at trees. And the basic objective in the game is to save the trees, so Vahn’s definitely our guy for that.

thebettersequelx2scred8u0n.png
thebettersequelx2scre2fup6.png


This tree sucks. It’s all mossy and it has no branches and leaves. I think we should just move on to saving better trees.

thebettersequelx2screihuiy.png


Let’s just be indignant and answer no because Vahn was probably being the pyromaniac he is and desired to set fire to the tree somehow.

thebettersequelx2screluupo.png


Oh, old people! Always thinking the best of the yo--… wait a minute.

So basically, Vahn developed an inferiority complex because they’re sending his scrawny ass out to hunt for food.

thebettersequelx2scre8du03.png
thebettersequelx2screqxu1q.png
thebettersequelx2screqfuv1.png


This bro is taking laughing lessons from Bugenhagen but messed them up. In all honesty, this ends up being a little bit of worldbuilding because it lets you know that the village is so small that the elder actually gives a shit about you. When men come of age, they go on hunts during the day to catch food for the village, but apparently doing so is fraught with peril. A lot of things are said without having to go through huge batches of dialogue just to know about the world. That’s what I like about this game. Going through batches of dialogue may be entirely optional for the player, but you end up implicitly learning about it if you don’t go through the dialogue.

Anyway, the scene ends. The two child NPCs near the tree say regular NPC stuff:

u6SIqZd.gif
Vahn, when you go hunting outside the Wall tomorrow, bring me back a souvenir.

Sure, we’ll chop off a bison’s head just for you.

1ayVuSP.gif
Vahn, I love the Genesis Tree too!

#fuckyeahtrees

By the way, the game has this cool panoramic zoom thing when you look at the board tucked away behind the Genesis Tree. I’ve tried to look at this board after reviving it, but it doesn’t work. So, let’s do it now!

thebettersequelx2screyduw3.png
thebettersequelx2scredtuu7.png


This looks a lot better in motion, believe me. There are only two houses that matter, and neither of them are the Elder’s house. Anyway, the zoom in and out is pretty neat.

As you come out of the tree’s area, you bump into your childhood friend, Mei. Mei is one year older than Vahn, making her 15-years-old. Her mother went to Biron Monastery ten years ago and could not return before the Mist enveloped Drake Kingdom. She and her father live at her house. I don’t want to say she’s a love interest (even though she canonically is) because she’s so boring. So let’s take every opportunity to be incredibly mean to her!

thebettersequelx2screlnscx.png


No, I wasn’t! Why does everyone say that I was?!

thebettersequelx2screj4s7y.png


In this event, we are going to say no. Because we’re assholes.

thebettersequelx2scre4fsvi.png
thebettersequelx2screqwsbc.png
thebettersequelx2scred6szs.png


I can’t believe the game’s not allowing me to be an asshole even if I’m trying to be! Then she proceeds to tell us that’s what she likes so much about Vahn.

So I guess they’re kinda-sorta dating, only not really.

thebettersequelx2scre3xss2.png


“Measurements”, you say. Measurements. You all know what I’m thinking. She proceeds to say that she needs to make “one little alteration” (haaaa), and that she’ll see us later at our house. Well, we might as well make her wait. It’s not like we care about her or anything.

It’s time to raid the entire town! By the way, her door is locked, so you can’t go in to steal her stuff yet.

Next door to her lives Vahn’s friend Ixis. Or at least, I think he’s Vahn’s friend. See, the game makes you think he’s important when he really isn’t, and he only seems to matter in one of the four endings.

Oh. This game has four endings.

thebettersequelx2scre6sku4.png


Ixis is a bit of a jerk. He’s essentially Vahn’s rival and he has deep feelings for Mei. He thinks the entire village is boring and he thinks of himself as this hotshot who can destroy anything in his path. Considering we never see Ixis doing anything but complaining, it’s safe to say that Ixis is full of shit. His basic dialogue is essentially, “Fuck old people! Fuck staying in the village! Fuck trees! And fuck you

Though considering the fact that his father’s a complete nihilist and all his mother does is complain, maybe that’s why Ixis is such a butthead.

We answered no to this question.

cmHlWax.gif
: Hey, you’re not being honest! Ha, ha! You can tell me the truth! Admit it—you’re glad to leave the village to hunt as one of the adults, aren’t you? Oh, it’s so frustrating! I wish I had been born a little sooner. Then I could be a hunter and see the world outside the village with you.

My ass. You just wanna one-up me at every turn.

thebettersequelx2scre9xkdp.png


And you will always be jealous.

By the way, his dad’s a complete nihilist waiting to die:

thebettersequelx2screpwj4f.png
thebettersequelx2screrpkk1.png


If you really wanted to hear what he had to say:
AxVzlxL.gif
: You will? I’m glad. You’re such a good child, Vahn. It’s a story about something that happened many years ago, when I was out on the hunt. We caught much game. I was in high spirits—so happy that I dropped my guard. Suddenly, the wind changed direction and the Mist came. I thought we would escape… but it was too late. The Seru monsters came from the Mist and attacked us. That’s how I ended up like this. I survived, but I could never go out on the hunt again. Now listen, Vahn! Never underestimate the Mist!

And his wife complains:
q58F2IW.gif
: He’s always complaining. He used to be strong and tough. But now…

Anyway, the random NPC talk that matters is if you talk to the guard at the wall: No, no! Vahn, do not get too close to the Wall!

Yeah, psxphile was right; this is Attack on Titan.

If you go into the item store, you’ll catch the shop lady crying and being embarrassed that you saw her crying. She says that before the Mist came, she used to sell items and weapons. She suddenly remembered her time doing that while cleaning. If the mist ever disappears, she’ll be able to reopen her store. She makes us promise to come shopping.

Oh, we will.

If we go to the elder’s house, you’ll realize that it’s like retirement home. If you speak to one of the elderly folks there, he’ll tell you about the world.

thebettersequelx2screiusn5.png


Yes, it’s a worldbuilding infodump, but it’s an optional infodump where you can get the information elsewhere. Legend of Legaia has as many jargon terms as certain other games that get criticized for it. It just gets a bit of a pass because the worldbuilding is much better and more detailed (or even is up to player agency to learn this stuff via NPC conversation without all of it getting dumped on you once).

Tell me about the Seru!
Old man: The Seru... The Seru are like living armour. When worn by a human, it becomes both weapon and tool. With the power of a Seru, a man could carry a stone larger than himself, run faster than a wolf. But the Mist brought an end to the age of benevolent Seru. The Seru became cursed, evil. Vahn, never touch a Seru. The Seru are evil.

Tell me about the Mist!
Old man: The Mist itself poses no danger to us. But when touched by the Mist, the Seru become demons -- horrible, murdering monsters! In the Mist, the Seru take on a will of their own and attack people. But that is not all. The person who wears a Seru as a weapon becomes possessed by Seru, and himself becomes a monster! Vahn, tomorrow you will travel outside the Wall as one of the hunters. Now listen. Beware of the Mist. We humans are no match for the Mist or for the Seru monsters. When the Mist approaches, flee! That is the only way to protect yourself from it.

Tell me about the Wall!
Old man: Rim Elm is a remote village. The Mist that covers the Earth seldom reaches this far. Somehow, we have managed to survive. However, at night, the wind sometimes changes direction, and the Mist closes in on us! To protect the village from the Mist, we have built the Wall. And for more than ten years, the Wall has protected us.

We can also find the Elder’s secret pot stash in his cupboard:

thebettersequelx2screktsgk.png


One of the NPCs outside and closer to the beach ends up telling you about your father, Val. Because it’s a video game. Essentially, he became handicapped during an “accident” a few years ago. She ends the conversation with “take care of your father”. Since this a console-style RPG, I don’t think we’ll be doing much of that.

Finally, our last stop is Vahn’s martial arts instructor, Tetsu.

thebettersequelx2screpls2i.png
thebettersequelx2scrembsud.png
thebettersequelx2screz4sdq.png


I want to hear about Biron.
Tetsu: Biron is a god of strength and love. Outside Rim Elm is a temple devoted to Biron. There, many warrior-monks devoted to Biron practiced night and day. They renounced the world's dependence on Seru and worked to polish their fighting skills. Many Biron warrior-monks also traveled the globe to spread the noble teachings of Biron. When visiting Rim Elm, I was trapped here by the Mist. But I am still a faithful Biron! I feel it is my destiny to teach the young the teachings and fighting skills of Biron.

Tell me the secrets of fighting.
Tetsu: Ha, ha, ha! There's no shortcut to success in battle! Constant training is the only way. However, I shall teach you a little secret. Use your Spirit effectively! You will be unable to attack and thus be attacked... but your defensive force rises while you are accumulating Spirit. That's not all! In your next turn, you will be able to inflict more attacks! This is a good strategy when fighting a formidable opponent.

He challenges you to a tutorial battle. I have recorded this tutorial battle which might have some missteps because I forgot that it was a tutorial battle, but whatever.

briJfyu.gif
: Battle footage: Tetsu ; Music: Brand of the Holy Knuckles

thebettersequelx2screbdsd4.png
thebettersequelx2screczs86.png


The tutorial does a pretty poor job of explaining the advantages of using certain types of hits over others. The battle footage I took explains all of the basics like using healing items, using Spirit to raise your defense and AP/how many hits you can deliver in a turn, auto/command, etc.

High and Low are kicks to the upper and lower body, respectively, while Right/Left refer to the character’s arms. By inputting a combination of High, Low, Left, and Right, you can execute a combination of attacks called Arts. Arts cost AP, so you need to take a turn and raise your spirit if you run too low. You can also accumulate AP by attacking enemies, getting hit, and automatically at the beginning of your turn. Your Agility/Spirit bar also extends to allow you to input more commands to create a series of combinations.

In this tutorial, Tetsu teaches you the Somersault move, which is ↑ ↓ ↑.

What’s actually cool about this battle system is that it isn’t just for show. While the sound effects are awesome and sound like they hit and hurt hard, they also really do actually hit that hard. Some enemies aren’t affected by low or high attacks at all, so you do have to keep an eye out for enemy types, even if the game’s UI doesn’t make it painfully clear to you.

Finally, let’s go home. The dialogue here is pretty plentiful, so I’ll just offer the highlights.

briJfyu.gif
: Music: Mei

thebettersequelx2scre7dsew.png


Vahn’s Father, Val: I'm sorry, Mei. That Vahn - I wonder where he's wandering around.
Mei: It's alright. My father hasn't come back from hunting today yet, anyway.
Nene: I should be the one making hunting clothes for my brother.
Mei: Don't worry about it, Nene. I just wanted to help celebrate this special day for Vahn.

thebettersequelx2scre0zos2.png


Nene: Um, Mei, can I ask you something?
Mei: What is it?
Nene: Mei, are you in love with my brother?
Mei: !
Nene: Ah-ha! I knew it!

I feel like I just stepped foot into a Tales game.

Nene: What took you so long? Mei has been waiting for you this whole time! You're always wandering around with your head in the clouds. Let's hurry up and take those measurements!
Mei: Vahn, hold still. I'll only take a minute.
Mei: I knew it! You've gotten bigger since the last time I measured you. You're almost as big as my father - maybe bigger! It's amazing how quickly boys grow. Alright, I'm done. Thank you, Vahn.
Mei: Mr. Val, little Nene, if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way.
Val: Thank you, Mei. Give my regards to Juno when he returns from the hunt!
Mei: I will!

thebettersequelx2scre8fsb7.png
thebettersequelx2screw7s8e.png


I really did step-foot into a Tales game.

Afterwards, Vahn’s father wants nothing to do with him, and his little sister’s being a brat.

thebettersequelx2screnpssj.png


Sure. Why not. (To this, she responds that she didn’t hear anything, and it’s funny because Vahn doesn’t talk.)

thebettersequelx2screfbs1f.png
thebettersequelx2screxjspm.png


That’s not food, that’s clothing!

Since there’s nothing else to do, let’s screw around a little bit outside.

thebettersequelx2scre6es4r.png


…or not.

briJfyu.gif
: Music: Night Requiem ; Cutscene: Juno dies

thebettersequelx2screg6s3e.png
thebettersequelx2screxrs6a.png


This section doesn’t need my commentary. Watch the attached video instead.

thebettersequelx2scre6zsjr.png
thebettersequelx2scre93sdt.png


I’ve also recorded the NPC dialogue from after Mei’s father passes away.

briJfyu.gif
: Music: Night Requiem ; Post-Death NPC Dialogue

And as you’d suspect, Ixis is being himself.

thebettersequelx2scre1msw9.png


When you get home, you’re prompted to rest. Do so to carry the story forward.

thebettersequelx2scre8puca.png


Let’s choose to rest and end the day. We’ve got hunting to do tomorrow.

Next time: The prey comes to us.

Promise the next updates will have less pics, but the first update is always an infodump in my experience. To be honest, considering this took me 3 hours to put together, I really just want to capture screens and take video and not be as in-depth unless it comes to a battle. I want to have fun with this as opposed to treat it like a chore.
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
I had to omit the original few paragraphs because of character limits:

When I was a kid, I usually saved up my allowance to get one thing I really wanted during the summer, whether it’d be several books, a game, a CD, a VHS tape, what-have-you. I can’t remember which summer it was, but I ended up saving my money, going to the EB in the mall with my parents, and looking through the game. I figured Beyond the Beyond looked pretty cool and the back of the box made it seem like a great game, so I picked it to play over the summer. Back then, I was enrolled in rec swimming and baseball and music lessons, and I went outside for hours at a time to play, so my playtime was usually limited.

I hated Beyond the Beyond. I basically did more stuff around the house than normal, stopped buying comics for a while, and saved up to get something at the local Microplay a month later. I ended up picking Legend of Legaia because it was about $33 and while it didn’t look as neat as a lot of the other more expensive games there. Essentially, my largest deficit with respect to playing RPGs is the PS1 because we just couldn’t afford much back then, and the rental places didn’t carry much in terms of selection.

Legend of Legaia is something that I’ll always associate with my youth, simply because I did a lot of stuff back then that whenever I play the game I reminisce about how the town I grew up in used to be. There were barely chain stores around here, way more farms and green space, and way less houses. It used to be smaller. My dad used to bring home pizza from this local family-owned pizzeria and I just so happened to have been playing Legaia at the time. I even associate the game with fireworks just because I used to hang out in the truck in the evenings when I didn’t have baseball or swimming or music because it was more of a charity thing (ie: sales of fireworks for Canada Day went towards a charity instead) and dad was helping out.

My next updates are going to be shorter because:
a) I’m trimming videos
b) Elgato’s Game Capture has a stupid screenshot tool
c) I really don't want to spend 3-4 hours writing this up.

I’m sorry this may not be up to the caliber of my Final Fantasy IV playthrough from two years ago, but at the same time, that one zonked me out. And it’s summer. I don’t want to spend 3 hours writing these things up when I can just go out for a walk or go to the gym!
 

Xenus

Member
I had to omit the original few paragraphs because of character limits:

When I was a kid, I usually saved up my allowance to get one thing I really wanted during the summer, whether it’d be several books, a game, a CD, a VHS tape, what-have-you. I can’t remember which summer it was, but I ended up saving my money, going to the EB in the mall with my parents, and looking through the game. I figured Beyond the Beyond looked pretty cool and the back of the box made it seem like a great game, so I picked it to play over the summer. Back then, I was enrolled in rec swimming and baseball and music lessons, and I went outside for hours at a time to play, so my playtime was usually limited.

I hated Beyond the Beyond. I basically did more stuff around the house than normal, stopped buying comics for a while, and saved up to get something at the local Microplay a month later. I ended up picking Legend of Legaia because it was about $33 and while it didn’t look as neat as a lot of the other more expensive games there. Essentially, my largest deficit with respect to playing RPGs is the PS1 because we just couldn’t afford much back then, and the rental places didn’t carry much in terms of selection.

Legend of Legaia is something that I’ll always associate with my youth, simply because I did a lot of stuff back then that whenever I play the game I reminisce about how the town I grew up in used to be. There were barely chain stores around here, way more farms and green space, and way less houses. It used to be smaller. My dad used to bring home pizza from this local family-owned pizzeria and I just so happened to have been playing Legaia at the time. I even associate the game with fireworks just because I used to hang out in the truck in the evenings when I didn’t have baseball or swimming or music because it was more of a charity thing (ie: sales of fireworks for Canada Day went towards a charity instead) and dad was helping out.

My next updates are going to be shorter because:
a) I’m trimming videos
b) Elgato’s Game Capture has a stupid screenshot tool
c) I really don't want to spend 3-4 hours writing this up.

I’m sorry this may not be up to the caliber of my Final Fantasy IV playthrough from two years ago, but at the same time, that one zonked me out. And it’s summer. I don’t want to spend 3 hours writing these things up when I can just go out for a walk or go to the gym!

I grew up to this as well. This game, FFVII and VIII, The Legend of the Dragoon and Tales of destiny were games I gre up on. I associate this one mstly with music that was going on as I played it. Good times and also your play through reminds me of my brother and his gf sitting behind me and commenting on my play through of Shining Force on the PS2. :D
 

Psxphile

Member
Legends of Legaia Playthrough Episode #6:
"West Voz Forest: Omens
-or-
"My Little Master Teacher Can't Be This Grump"



When we first get him, Gala seems more of a liability than an asset. Of the three heroes he has the shortest attack bar, only able to string two moves together at its normal length until he hits Level 3. Despite raising his attack significantly, using weapons he's not suited for (like Noa's Nail Glove as seem above) makes his weapon arm larger than his other attacks on the attack bar, which can severely limit his ability to combo effectively. This is a general rule of thumb for every party member, though. Much later in the game, we'll see a much more extreme example of this.




If we head due west as we exit Biron Monastery we'll find the last of the four entrances to the valley beyond, and another easily-missed treasure chest containing the Ivory Book. It's an Accessory that will increase the wearer's ability to absorb Seru Magics. For now I'll stick it on Vahn.



If we follow the river north of Biron Monastery we'll come to a cave. Currently there isn't much here to see except for this mysteriously-locked door. Seems to be someone on the other side, but they aren't opening for anyone with the Mist outside. Best to leave it alone for now. You can however take this opportunity to grind for a level or two and cash, as well as learn some new Seru magic. Once we've got the cash, we can head back to Biron and pick up that armor for Vahn.



Theeder is our first attack magic with an area-of-effect. It can strike not only the targeted enemy (sometimes twice) but those immediately on the left, right and in front of it as well. It's a spell best used on the first turn of battle, when a pack of monsters are lined up perfectly to be taken out in one casting, usually making Noa the best choice to use it. However, her low maximum MP and Turning Laser's high MP cost will keep you from abusing it too much in the early game. Theeder's secondary effect at higher levels is lowering an enemy's INT stat by a certain percentage.



Y'know, for a highly-respected member of the Biron Monastery and an accomplished martial artist with the title of "Master Teacher" Gala has very few actual moves in his repetoire. Like, literally none. But we can fix that quickly by visiting Tetsu in Rim Elm and the book guy in Drake Castle. And once he hits Level 3 and can slot 3 attacks, we can stumble on more by inputting random commands. I'm not going to do that on this run, though (well, not on purpose). I prefer to have the game "reward" me with new Arts as I continue.



You can actually illicit a response from Mei if you speak to her after selling/discarding/losing the Hunter's Clothes. Any answer will get you the same reaction.



West Voz Forest is a simply-designed maze. It's basically a linear path with the occasional fork leading to some chests. The most interesting thing we'll find here is this Fertilizer, which we'll need to continue; and the Noa Feral for Noa.



Along the way we'll make sure to have Noa absorb Vera for healing purposes and at least one Nighto absorbed by whomever... because why not? Count me in as one of those who had no idea just how useful Nighto could be.



Hell's Music isn't what you would call attack magic, as it doesn't cause any direct damage to the enemy. Rather, it can cause the Confused status or in rare cases, annihilate the opponent completely. Or if you're unlucky, it does nothing at all. Raising its level decreases its chances for failure. Naturally, it's not supposed to work on bosses but apparently there is the rare exception to that rule.



We eventually come to a small river and no way to cross. From Gala we learn that the strange sapling we see is called Bridge Grass. When fully grown it can be used to cross the stream. Noa has the bright idea to use the Fertilizer we found to speed up the process, and Gala manages to both insult and praise her in the same breath. That interlude aside, we use the Fertilizer to super-grow the Bridge Grass and cross over to the other side.



At the end of the forest we find a small glade and the Genesis Tree. However, something is off about this tree. Terra confirms our suspicions and tells us that the tree is dead, possibly from too much exposure to the thick mist from the valley beyond the mountains. Meta says there's no way this tree can be revived. Seems we came all this way for nothing. Best be heading back.



Just then Gala and Noa spot something within the tree, and Meta confirms it to be a Ra-Seru Egg that has yet to hatch. The Ra-Seru implore us to take the Egg with us, and we grab it. Looks like we'll need a healthy Genesis Tree in order to hatch it, which means we'll be taking it with us to East Voz Forest.



As we wonder about Songi's fate at East Voz, a large explosion rocks the horizon. Biron Monastery has come under attack by a powerful force, and we make haste to return there immediately.


Episode #6 End
 

randomkid

Member
I hated Beyond the Beyond. I basically did more stuff around the house than normal, stopped buying comics for a while, and saved up to get something at the local Microplay a month later. I ended up picking Legend of Legaia because it was about $33 and while it didn’t look as neat as a lot of the other more expensive games there. Essentially, my largest deficit with respect to playing RPGs is the PS1 because we just couldn’t afford much back then, and the rental places didn’t carry much in terms of selection.

PSX is the first system I got where I started branching out beyond Square RPGs, but even still there was a wide swathe of really mediocre looking PSX RPGs like Beyond the Beyond and Legend of Dragoon that I totally wrote off alongside series that had more merit to them (I've since decided that Grandia 1 and Wild Arms 1 are things I'd probably like, even if the sequels aren't gonna be up my alley). Not sure if Legend of Legaia is the right kinda game for me but it's at least neat to see people discuss the merits of a game I'd totally dismissed.
 

BHK3

Banned
What was the name of this one seru you could summon, it looked like this this guy at least from my memory he does, he would lift his underside and shoot a giant laser, if he was strong enough he could 1 shot the enemy and the enemy would be "annihilated" turning them to dust.
 

Remmy2112

Member
I actually rented this game as a kid back when I did not yet have a memory card for my Playstation. I kept the system on for days and got all the way to the casino tower and got crushed by the armored dude at the top. The game had no checkpoint system so my game was completely gone. Needless to say I was very, very pissed. I eventually got a memory card and went back to the game and beat it and it remains one of my favorite console RPGs.
 

Psxphile

Member
What was the name of this one seru you could summon, it looked like this this guy at least from my memory he does, he would lift his underside and shoot a giant laser, if he was strong enough he could 1 shot the enemy and the enemy would be "annihilated" turning them to dust.

Alurulvl1.jpg


Totally not an Aliens-inspired design.
 
After seeing this thread, I started playing this today– somehow it's nearly evening time.

The battle system is still something really special.
 

Jhoan

Member
Loving the impressions here. While I never owned it, I remember playing the hell out of my friend's borrowed copy up to a late game boss where I was using Gala's Lightning Storm Hyper Art.

It was so good for a game that looked similar to Final Fantasy VIII. I was in awe seeing all the new pieces in the battle screen which was a cool touch. The combat was so fun. I definitely remember getting Aluru as a Seru summon and destroying enemies.

Funny enough, my brother got Legaia 2: Duel Saga used about 4 years ago or so but we lost our messed up PS2 so that sucks. Been itching to play it as a summer backlog game so hopefully we'll find it and repair it. I'll go back to lurking now.
 
Top Bottom