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[thetrin]

Developer: Vanillaware
Publisher: Marvelous Entertainment (MMV)
Release Date: Sept 1, 2011 (JP), Unknown in other territories
Genre: JRPG/Simulation

Highlights:
- Conquest-based gameplay between three nations: The Knight's Kingdom of Union, The Ancient Kingdom of Logress, and the Magic Queendom of Avalon
- Comprehensive Character Creation for each character in your party
- Beautiful hand drawn art (what Vanillaware is known for!)
- Semi-online network system that uploads and downloads data from all PSPs playing the game, so you can fight other players' parties in your conquest
- Turn-based RPG gameplay using grid-based formations
- Parties share an AP bar for special attacks and spells, and AP is gained when enemies are defeated, or when a new round starts
- A waypoint based questing system that will take your squad all over the continent
- The ability to create three different parties, and have two of them wander around the land kicking ass under the watchful eye of the game's AI

Just got my copy of GKH. Came with the artbook.

Just about to pop in the game, but I'm a little swamped with work right now. Others who have preordered the game are welcome to post their impressions (obviously).

Sorry for the quick and dirty OP, but I'm in the middle of work, and I just wanted to start a thread for people to post their impressions of the JP version.

 

[LiK]

Mine shipped, waiting!

 

[djplaeskool]

Still neck-deep in BRS, so I got the standard shipping on this.
Should have it in a week or so. Can't wait, hearing nothing but great things.

 

[slaughterking]

Has it been translated yet?

 

[sixteen-bit]

This looks cool. Looking forward to more impressions.

 

[xxczx]

Come on NIS/Aksys/XSEED/Atlus, it's all up to you now.

 

[Fine Ham Abounds]

wo|OT|

 

[LiK]

Come on NIS/Aksys/XSEED/Atlus, it's all up to you now.

Ignition.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Ignition.

Aren't they dramatically dialing back their publishing efforts?

 

[thetrin]

Aren't they dramatically dialing back their publishing efforts?

Nothing says grasping for niche IPs like budget cuts and layoffs.

 

[LiK]

Aren't they dramatically dialing back their publishing efforts?

Prolly, but Shane keeps pimping it.

 

[Volcynika]

Ignition.

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

 

[Skilletor]

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

I don't care as long as it's in English.

This game looks awesome. Looking forward to impressions.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Prolly, but Shane keeps pimping it.

Maybe he wants to get a job at Marvelous

 

[LiK]

Maybe he wants to get a job at Marvelous

lol

 

[thetrin]

Popped in the game. Decided to opt for the 200 mb data install. I'll be ready to go soon, I'm sure.

 

[Volcynika]

I don't care as long as it's in English.

This game looks awesome. Looking forward to impressions.

I wouldn't consider Ignition's work to be English. Probably wouldn't buy it if they brought it over.

thetrin better post impressions OR ELSE.

 

[Skilletor]

I wouldn't consider Ignition's work to be English. Probably wouldn't buy it if they brought it over.

thetrin better post impressions OR ELSE.

So long as I can navigate menus and quests, we're good. lol

 

[thetrin]

thetrin better post impressions OR ELSE.

Lol, give me time. A little swamped with work right now. I'll post impressions in a bit.

I will say that the menu music is fucking AWESOME. Good lord.

 

[Lissar]

My game was shipped today, can't wait to receive it!

Of course I had to go with cheap shipping, but I'm sure I'll receive eventually... possibly after I get Xillia, but still...


Anyway, go team Avalon!

 

[djplaeskool]

Aren't they dramatically dialing back their publishing efforts?

I didn't think so. I know they stabbed their in-house development teams in the heart, but I thought they'd keep up publishing efforts, even after UTV/Ignition's acquisition by Disney.

 

[thetrin]

Chose Logres, just did the tutorial. Looks like defending does take up 2 AP. Normal attack does not.

Very interesting the way you get more options as you kill opponents, since every opponent killed gives you bonus AP for the next turn. I wonder how this will factor in with bosses.

 

[Octorockin']

Hopefully some localization announcements aren't too far off. The visuals, the music, the customization, the battle system...everything about this game looks great.

I didn't think so. I know they stabbed their in-house development teams in the heart, but I thought they'd keep up publishing efforts, even after UTV/Ignition's acquisition by Disney.

And Ignition is bringing over Dragon's Crown, right? Maybe Vanillaware's PSP offering isn't out of the question then.

 

[thetrin]

Doing Character Creation right now. I don't know why, but the animation is really blowing my mind right now.

 

[Tiktaalik]

Good god someone please translate this :'( :'(

 

[thetrin]

The amount of control you have over the voice of your characters is pretty awesome. I don't just pick type, I can also change the pitch.

 

[LiK]

The amount of control you have over the voice of your characters is pretty awesome. I don't just pick type, I can also change the pitch.

weird

 

[Dead Prince]

The amount of control you have over the voice of your characters is pretty awesome. I don't just pick type, I can also change the pitch.

interesting..

 

[Arpeggio23]

Those that are playing this, are you able to read Japanese or are you just winging it?

 

[thetrin]

My Japanese has atrophied terribly since I moved back to the states two years ago, but I'm not winging it.

My kanji is deplorable, but I can read katakana and hiragana just fine.

 

[LiK]

My Japanese has atrophied terribly since I moved back to the states two years ago, but I'm not winging it.

My kanji is deplorable, but I can read katakana and hiragana just fine.

better than me, i know zero. i will be mashing random buttons.

 

[Nix]

Man, the game sounds pretty good so far. What's the combat and weapon system like?

 

[thetrin]

Man, the game sounds pretty good so far. What's the combat and weapon system like?

Combat is turn based, and the party shares a single AP bar, similar to Skies of Arcadia. You earn back a set number of AP every turn, but you also get bonus AP for the next turn when you kill an enemy.

Skills look like they're tied to weapons. When you create your character, you choose a male or female archetype, and can change their hair color and armor color, but can also change which weapon they use. Each "Type" defaults to a certain weapon, but for instance, I took a female crossbow user and made her a gun user in character creation.

 

[Hasemo]

The amount of control you have over the voice of your characters is pretty awesome. I don't just pick type, I can also change the pitch.

I've made one female archer but she had the male voice set. Yes, it was a girl, 100% positive about that.

What has really blown my mind was the multiplayer aspect, the thing seems huge, but I'm not able to choose the characters I've created yet, just the premade ones from the first fight. Guess you have to be at least at level 10.

Finished the first quest, the narration was a bit annoying plus all the fights other than the boss one were a bit too much of a breeze. Can't expect it to be super hard at the beginning, but still, the difference in strength between regular enemies and the ones at the end of the quest was kinda big.

Battle system is fun and will probably get more complex later on.

Other than that, I like the fact that you have a random (semi random?) chance of getting more stat points out of trainings in the castle if you're lucky.

 

[Busaiku]

Haven't really kept up, is this a George Kamitani game?

 

[Lissar]

My Japanese has atrophied terribly since I moved back to the states two years ago, but I'm not winging it.

My kanji is deplorable, but I can read katakana and hiragana just fine.

You don't read novels and/or comics to keep up your reading skills? That's what I do, and I find I can at least keep improving in that area even when I'm not in Japan. Listening/speaking isn't great of course, but it doesn't take too long to get back into that.

 

[thetrin]

I've made one female archer but she had the male voice set. Yes, it was a girl, 100% positive about that.

What has really blown my mind was the multiplayer aspect, the thing seems huge, but I'm not able to choose the characters I've created yet, just the premade ones from the first fight. Guess you have to be at least at level 10.

Finished the first quest, the narration was a bit annoying plus all the fights other than the boss one were a bit too much of a breeze. Can't expect it to be super hard at the beginning, but still, the difference in strength between regular enemies and the ones at the end of the quest was kinda big.

Battle system is fun and will probably get more complex later on.

Other than that, I like the fact that you have a random (semi random?) chance of getting more stat points out of trainings in the castle if you're lucky.

I did pop into the multiplayer to see what it's all about, and it DOES seem gigantic. I'm curious how long the single player mode, because I'd really like to play the multiplayer more than the single.

 

[Phatcorns]

Totally forgot about this game. If I knew what the hell state my PSP was in with what custom firmware, I'd have thought about importing it.

 

[sixteen-bit]

The amount of control you have over the voice of your characters is pretty awesome. I don't just pick type, I can also change the pitch.

Like Soul Calibur custom characters.

 

[Octorockin']

Haven't really kept up, is this a George Kamitani game?

Tomohiko Deguchi is the director going by wikipedia, but I can't remember the lead artist's name. : / The range of artwork created for this game is fantastic though!

The soundtrack cover has a spiffy illustration too.

 

[Rarutos]

I would have imported this too if I had the money, too bad, really wanted the artbook.

Aaaah, I really hope this gets localized by someone! This and VCIII are the only two PSP localizations that I really want!

 

[boingball]

Thanks for the impressions. Still hoping for an english translation. Will buy for sure then.

 

[thetrin]

Looks like you have to buy new skills for all characters, not just wizards. Each character has elements or skill levels that they gain as they fight. A skill requires a certain skill level to learn, but what's weird is that you expend skill levels when you learn a skill.

So, for instance, I just bought force blast for my Knight for 140g. It requires that he has a skill level of 3. Once I bought the item, I equipped the skill on him, and his skill level went to 0 again.

Also, the weapon you arm changes what skill levels you can gain. For instance, for wizard (iirc), the hammer is earth, wind, and light, while the hammer is water, fire and darkness (those could be wrong, i don't remember exactly). Anyway, the weapon they have equipped determines what skills they use.

Very weird, but cool system.

 

[KibblesBits]

FYI Kodensa is still playing it now.
http://www.justin.tv/kodensa

 

[Risk Breaker]

Great impressions thetrin, thanks!

I really really want this, I wish I knew just enough Japanese to barely understand the game, I would play anyway and learn more Japanese in the process, just like I used to do when I was 10 but with English... Oh well, someday.

 

[Nix]

Looks like you have to buy new skills for all characters, not just wizards. Each character has elements or skill levels that they gain as they fight. A skill requires a certain skill level to learn, but what's weird is that you expend skill levels when you learn a skill.

So, for instance, I just bought force blast for my Knight for 140g. It requires that he has a skill level of 3. Once I bought the item, I equipped the skill on him, and his skill level went to 0 again.

Also, the weapon you arm changes what skill levels you can gain. For instance, for wizard (iirc), the hammer is earth, wind, and light, while the hammer is water, fire and darkness (those could be wrong, i don't remember exactly). Anyway, the weapon they have equipped determines what skills they use.

Very weird, but cool system.

This seems alot more complicated than just mash X. O_O. Damn if I have to wait for a guide before I import.

 

[mollipen]

I've made one female archer but she had the male voice set. Yes, it was a girl, 100% positive about that.

That's giving me too many ideas for characters.

 

[sixteen-bit]

That's giving me too many ideas for characters.

Did you get a working PSP?

 

[Hasemo]

That's giving me too many ideas for characters.

Happened to me only once, I still don't know if it was just my poor judgement of character's gender based on their looks.

 

[Chev]

There's already a nie big juicy topic there:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=425898&page=6