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[mjemirzian]

You're right PK Gaming, I just considered day 8 as an extension of the endgame since you make your final route choice at the end of day 6. I'm not a big plot guy, so I don't want to get in a big argument about it. The fusion UI could be greatly improved, no question about it. Also, a command to remove all equipped skills on a character or swap skills to another character would also help greatly. Combat speed is an issue IMO - there should be a speedup option for people who don't want to sit through the same dance animations ripping apart yet another group of trash. SRPGs get a bad rap for being slow, cumbersome, overly complex, and confusing so I think UI and combat speed issues are very important to look at and criticize appropriately. And thanks, glad you thought it was a good review.

Scy, I'm not as concerned about a lack of a hard mode. There is a pretty solid achievement system and I consider completing a new game with no free battles to be a hard mode. There are also some optional NG+ demons that are pretty rough, although I haven't encountered them.

 

[PK Gaming]

You're right PK Gaming, I just considered day 8 as an extension of the endgame since you make your final route choice at the end of day 6.

The 8th day is pretty long though, I think its important enough to games overall flow to be considered at least. Though I might being nitpicking, but the mention of 8 days over 7 would definitely appeale to fans of the original.

I'm not a big plot guy, so I don't want to get in a big argument about it.

Fair enough hehe.

The fusion UI could be greatly improved, no question about it. Also, a command to remove all equipped skills on a character or swap skills to another character would also help greatly. Combat speed is an issue IMO - there should be a speedup option for people who don't want to sit through the same dance animations ripping apart yet another group of trash. SRPGs get a bad rap for being slow, cumbersome, overly complex, and confusing so I think UI and combat speed issues are very important to look at and criticize appropriately. And thanks, glad you thought it was a good review.

Well... I did remember having trouble with fusion in first game, so I guess my experience has biased me a little. Though then again, part of the fusion systems charm is the mystery of the whole thing, the fact that you have to find out each and every little quirk on your own is pretty cool. Valid point nonetheless. You are definitely right on the swapping skill sets, I disliked occasionally having to switch skills between characters.

As for the long animations, you must have played through a tons and tons of RPGs because I absolutely loved and every move animation. (Multistrike is the most satisfying thing ever) it was only an annoyance when you were getting ganged up. Though I guess they could feature a skip battle animation option for future releases?

Yeah Chaos was a shitty path in DS1.

Chaos would have been so much better if you could

Spoiler

actually kill god on the 8th day

and if

Spoiler

Mari didn't get kicked out of the group on the "kill all humans" version of the 8th day

 

[Pureauthor]

Any complaints about the game's plot are instantly rendered void by

Spoiler

Operation Box

.

 

[CornBurrito]

Actually giving some compelling reasons that each faction could wave in your face to win your support was one of Devil Survivor 1's bigger triumphs.

Except Chaos. Chaos had pretty shit representation in that game.

So far neither Yamato nor Ronaldo appear to be giving me much reasons to trust them.

Yeah Chaos was a shitty path in DS1.

I have the reprint of Radiant Historia preordered through Amazon, but do you know if GameStop is going to have it? Don't have Prime anymore, so I actually have to pay money for decent shipping =_=

No idea, sorry. I got it when it first came out. I had no idea they were even doing a reprint.

I'm partial to Yamato simply because the civilians that Ronaldo represents all look like stupid thugs. Seriously, it's like the game wants me to hate them /:

Yeah, WTF is up with that? They can't use normal civilian artwork, they use the thug artwork? Whyyyyyyy???

 

[duckroll]

Any complaints about the game's plot are instantly rendered void by

Spoiler

Operation Box

.

It's true.

 

[scy]

The fusion UI could be greatly improved, no question about it.

It lacks something, but I'm not sure I can put my finger on what precisely. It just feels cumbersome and I say that as someone who spends 50%+ of my playing time staring at the fusion system.

Edit: Actually, I think I blame my dying DS on this. My D-Pad isn't as responsive as it should be. Or maybe it's just going from the Vita to my DS or something.

Combat speed is an issue IMO - there should be a speedup option for people who don't want to sit through the same dance animations ripping apart yet another group of trash.

While the animations are brief, this definitely. It's not as bad as, say, Disgaea 1 (WINGED SLAYER WINGED SLAYER WIN...), but it'd make Free Battles go better. Too bad there's not a really good way to just let it use the system that the AI gets to (that is, it just shows the HP bars taking damage).

Scy, I'm not as concerned about a lack of a hard mode. There is a pretty solid achievement system and I consider completing a new game with no free battles to be a hard mode. There are also some optional NG+ demons that are pretty rough, although I haven't encountered them.

Haha, was just joking. Thought you were part of the hard mode brigade, like myself, for games :x

Any complaints about the game's plot are instantly rendered void by

Spoiler

Operation Box

.

Yup.

 

[RPG_Fanatic]

Any complaints about the game's plot are instantly rendered void by

Spoiler

Operation Box

.

The best operation ever. When I first heard the name I was hoping it would be what it was. I grinned ear to ear when Io arrived at the scene. The favourite part was after

Spoiler

rescuing Daichi, Io popped her head out of the box and continued to wear it for the rest of the battle.

Beat the third day boss. Really surprised me when he appeared. Did not expect that. Overall I found him to be the easiest boss so far.

Time for more fusing and fate links.

Because I wanna be surrounded by Magic Babes. Is that a good enough answer?

This is how I played Devil Survivor 1 (Overclocked) and how I am playing game now.

(/ why must I perfectly fuse everything?!)

Don't worry. You aren't the only one.

 

[mjemirzian]

Haha, was just joking. Thought you were part of the hard mode brigade, like myself, for games :x

My stance is that developers should cater to a wide range of player skill levels. That should ideally include the high end of player skill as well as the low end. Devil Survivor 2 does this by including fairly airtight achievements like "No Free Battles", although it can be undermined somewhat by grinding enemy spawns in certain missions or save/load spamming. This isn't like Tactics Ogre where it takes more skill to avoid some of its achievements than it does to obtain them.

 

[duckroll]

My stance is that developers should cater to a wide range of player skill levels. That should ideally include the high end of player skill as well as the low end. Devil Survivor 2 does this by including fairly airtight achievements like "No Free Battles", although it can be undermined somewhat by grinding enemy spawns in certain missions or save/load spamming. This isn't like Tactics Ogre where it takes more skill to avoid some of its achievements than it does to obtain them.

How are the NG+ optional bosses they added? Do they provide a good amount of challenge for players who plan on going through the game a second time?

 

[PK Gaming]

You need to purchase the ability to fight them in NG+. It's cheap, and purchasing 1 battle, unlocks a bunch of others (including a difficult super boss)

 

[duckroll]

You need to purchase the ability to fight them in NG+. It's cheap, and purchasing 1 battle, unlocks a bunch of others (including a difficult super boss)

I know, I was just wondering if the fights themselves are fun, or if they're a mix of too easy and way too frustrating.

 

[PK Gaming]

I can't read, sorry the suns glare has blinded meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Yeah they're damn fun. Not DS1

Spoiler

Lucifer level

but they're challenging nonetheless. They even bring back

Spoiler

Belial

 

[mjemirzian]

How are the NG+ optional bosses they added? Do they provide a good amount of challenge for players who plan on going through the game a second time?

I haven't actually tried the NG+ enemies, but you can expect the usual - lots of almighty-type skills (damage as well as status effects), infinite enemy spawns, unique abilities that are borderline cheating, etc. Here's a gfaqs thread describing one of the toughest optional bosses.. no spoilers unless you don't want to learn what their name is.

 

[Mitama]

This game has so many memorable moments. I love how on Thursday

Spoiler

they convince Kama to fire an arrow at Shiva which causes him to rage and Kamehameha his ass.

 

[Chrono Helix]

On day 7.

Spoiler

Daichi's route. Yamato is bullshit.

 

[Cactus]

On day 7.

Spoiler

Daichi's route. Yamato is bullshit.

That fight is probably tougher than the final boss.

After being manhandled four or five times, I fused a demon that allowed me to increase attack range and obliterated him in one turn from afar.

 

[NichM]

substantial amount of fanservice

 

[Chrono Helix]

Spoiler

I eventually beat him by hiding everyone in the corner, and killed his first 3 mobs when he just reached the monument in the middle of the map. He powered up, and nearly got within attacking range, but one of my teams used Possession and delayed him for a turn. My MC was supposed to take him out, but he got Evil Bound the turn before, so I had someone else SDTP a Genma to him so he could True Phantasm over to the team that cast Possession earlier. I lost the Genma and nearly the MC (40+ HP at the end of the battle!), but he luckily decided not to Megido twice. I think his Remiel killed itself hitting my Mithra (he had Reflect Phys), and Drain from MC + double Ice Dance from Mithra finished him off.

 

[scy]

This is basically how I see the world.

 

[mjemirzian]

Those would be some good physics to grab hold of.

 

[PK Gaming]

I love you, that is the single greatest thing i've seen all day.

 

[CornBurrito]

I can't read, sorry the suns glare has blinded meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Yeah they're damn fun. Not DS1

Spoiler

Lucifer level

but they're challenging nonetheless. They even bring back

Spoiler

Belial

Fuck I couldn't beat the bonus boss in DS1 no matter how much I tried. Just brutally unfair.

That fight is probably tougher than the final boss.

After being manhandled four or five times, I fused a demon that allowed me to increase attack range and obliterated him in one turn from afar.

Lol wut?

That fight is pathetically easy if you go about it right. IIRC I moved the MC two spaces. Then I got the boss to get within 4 squares on his second turn, and used a second character to bait him into attacking. Then I just put the MC in range and one turn killed him.

The final boss on the other hand was impossible for me to beat until I looked at Mitama's super demon post.

 

[cj_iwakura]

If this game had codes like Strange Journey, I'd let everyone have my godly King Frost.

Mabufu, Force Dance, Ice Dance, Ice Boost, Resist Fire, innate resistance to all other elements.


Also, Jungo = essential. Man touches things, they die.

 

[Koroviev]

If this game had codes like Strange Journey, I'd let everyone have my godly King Frost.

Mabufu, Force Dance, Ice Dance, Ice Boost, Resist Fire, innate resistance to all other elements.


Also, Jungo = essential. Man touches things, they die.

Mine had resist fire too

Speaking of which, just fused the next tyrant ^^

 

[scy]

If this game had codes like Strange Journey, I'd let everyone have my godly King Frost.

Mabufu, Force Dance, Ice Dance, Ice Boost, Resist Fire, innate resistance to all other elements.

I have trouble accepting using demons that aren't really close to resisting everything. I really should break this habit since I'm only on Day 4 and the game is easy mode even without it

But now I have Drain to give to everything oh god noooo

 

[Cactus]

Lol wut?

That fight is pathetically easy if you go about it right. IIRC I moved the MC two spaces. Then I got the boss to get within 4 squares on his second turn, and used a second character to bait him into attacking. Then I just put the MC in range and one turn killed him.

The final boss on the other hand was impossible for me to beat until I looked at Mitama's super demon post.

Are you sure we're talking about the same fight?

Spoiler

Yamato on Daichi's route.

I don't think it's possible for the boss to be within four spaces after only two turns.

Either way, that fight was the only one that gave me any sort of trouble. I managed to beat

Spoiler

Polaris

on my first try without much difficulty.

 

[PK Gaming]

Are you sure we're talking about the same fight?

Spoiler

Yamato on Daichi's route.

I don't think it's possible for the boss to be within four spaces after only two turns.

Either way, that fight was the only one that gave me any sort of trouble. I managed to beat

Spoiler

Polaris

on my first try without much difficulty.

Spoiler

The trick to beating him, is waiting until he gets in range, and bum rushing the hell out of him. Don't come to him, let him come to you. He uses a chaos wave user which means NO extra turns. I 2 shot him with a combination of the MC and Joe using Super snipe err evil flow to finish him. I'm surprised you found Polaris easier, since he's a bitch during the final phase.

Fuck I couldn't beat the bonus boss in DS1 no matter how much I tried. Just brutally unfair.

The amount of time I spent grinding, grinding for fusions, grinding for magnemite and grinding for macca was staggering. Couldn't even touch him in the original version, DSO made things so much easier. Fuck

Spoiler

His Uber MegidodolalaLOL move is pure bullshit and it gets stronger after each use.

 

[Cactus]

Spoiler

The trick to beating him, is waiting until he gets in range, and bum rushing the hell out of him. Don't come to him, let him come to you. He uses a chaos wave user which means NO extra turns. I 2 shot him with a combination of the MC and Joe using Super snipe err evil flow to finish him. I'm surprised you found Polaris easier, since he's a bitch during the final phase.

That's kind of what I did. Once I fused a demon with the skill which lets me increase my attack range by 4, I just sent in the other three groups to stop him near the statue and I sniped him from afar with my MC.

For

Spoiler

Polaris,

I managed to get two characters in attack range very early on and both of them survived the

Spoiler

first giant energy attack.

I might have been a bit lucky, though, since my MP was pretty much depleted by the end.

 

[Lafiel]

Just did the first battle in osaka during Day 2. Shit was intense, I managed to beat the battle with only Daichi remaining lulz, it's a good thing he had "hero's soul" otherwise that wouldn't have been possible!

 

[Koroviev]

I have trouble accepting using demons that aren't really close to resisting everything. I really should break this habit since I'm only on Day 4 and the game is easy mode even without it

But now I have Drain to give to everything oh god noooo

Yeah, weaknesses really bother me. However, the vile demons have chaos wave, so I tolerate the physical weakness <_<

 

[vall03]

holy shit! just finished Thursday and some of the revelations are really intriguing!

Spoiler

First thing I thought was Kagutsuchi and Nocturne, lol

. Anyway, I was bummed at first that the two Devil Survivors are not related, but it really doesnt bother me that much...

 

[duckroll]

Mass Effect 3 is really getting in the way of me finishing this game. Each time I consider turning the DS on, I consider whether I want to press Spacebar for AWESOME or put time and effort into

Spoiler

beating Yamato

on Day 7. My weaker side prevails each time. Lulz.

 

[RPG_Fanatic]

In the middle of day 4 now. Lol at the physical examination and the aftermath.
Nice being able to go to every area at will now.
Time to stop the next death clip from happening.

I know I keep saying this, but I am really loving the dialogue. Atlus really outdid themselves this time with the localization.

 

[semiconscious]

I know I keep saying this, but I am really loving the dialogue. Atlus really outdid themselves this time with the localization.

approaching the end of day 2, &, yeah, the dialog's been picking up (tho i'm still having a hard time warming to the characters overall - well, with the exception of io, for obvious reasons ). i'm finding the difficulty to be just right, with the skill cracking keeping it challenging. good to hear things improve over time...

 

[Mitama]

Hahaha.

 

[semiconscious]

what'm i missing, re: fusion level? why can't i fuse a lvl 18 demon if my fuse level's 18?...

 

[Mitama]

Unique demon that you already have in your stock?

 

[Torraz]

Is this game harder or am I simply not remembering the pre-drain and holy dance phase of DS 1? It seems to me like there are a lot more fights with constant respawns of enemies. This is one of my top hated features of games. I'd usually have discarded the game for this by now, but the plot in a SMT game should be able to make up for it...

Yeah, my team is pretty subpar at the moment with 2 nice demons, 2 decent ones and 4 outdated ones. I usually do fine until several new demons spawn and rush me... I guess I'll have to see if I can farm either of the two free battles for a money card...

Currently day 3 and stuck at the

Spoiler

Fumi/hacker battle with the level 37 demon and miasma spawns

.

 

[cj_iwakura]

It's a fair bit harder, yes, but it's equally easy to break open. Dance is as broken as ever, and you really want your demons to be up to snuff. If you have demons with lower HP than your party, fuse them away. This is no game for sentimental attachments. (Otherwise I'd stlil have my girl Shivuu. )

 

[duckroll]

I found the game in general easier than DS1 for most of the game. If you have crappy demons or poorly optimized team setups it's going to be hard because you have to brute force your way through stuff instead of breezing through them.

 

[cj_iwakura]

It seems to me that DS2 loves to throw in extra reinforcements more than DS1 did. There's that Growlanser influence!

 

[duckroll]

It seems to me that DS2 loves to throw in extra reinforcements more than DS1 did. There's that Growlanser influence!

Yeah but that's no issue at all with a well prepared team. The reinforcement are rarely teams which are completely different from the existing enemies in the battle, so if you're able to take out the existing teams very easily, reinforcements are just more exp in the end... which makes you even stronger. Heh.

 

[Mitama]

It's a fair bit harder, yes, but it's equally easy to break open. Dance is as broken as ever, and you really want your demons to be up to snuff. If you have demons with lower HP than your party, fuse them away. This is no game for sentimental attachments. (Otherwise I'd stlil have my girl Shivuu. )

Someone on Gamefaqs has a LV99 Moh Shuvuu. :lol

 

[scy]

I hate reinforcements if only because they tend to come right when I'm about to finish the boss and I don't want to miss out on the EXP

I think DS2 does better trying to make the game harder but proper fusing negates it all, really.

 

[duckroll]

I hate reinforcements if only because they tend to come right when I'm about to finish the boss and I don't want to miss out on the EXP

I think DS2 does better trying to make the game harder but proper fusing negates it all, really.

I don't think reinforcements make the game harder at all, since that's just brute force. What does make DS2 more interesting than DS1 in terms of strategy design are the bosses and special condition battles. I find those much more fun than a lot of battles in DS1.

 

[CornBurrito]

Are you sure we're talking about the same fight?

Spoiler

Yamato on Daichi's route.

I don't think it's possible for the boss to be within four spaces after only two turns.

Either way, that fight was the only one that gave me any sort of trouble. I managed to beat

Spoiler

Polaris

on my first try without much difficulty.

Yes we are talking about the same fight, and yes it was possible for me to get him within 4 spaces in only 2 or so turns. I literally didn't move the MC at all, or only moved him like 2 spaces.

And for the final boss:

Spoiler

My first time I couldn't even get past his first form without losing most of my party. The guy just got too many turns, and those blobs just respawned too quickly. Then the second portion came up and I couldn't defeat them because of all the healing they possessed.

 

[Golbez]

I think my favorite bit of text is right here:

Dick in a Box? Thank you Atlus.

 

[CornBurrito]

I was disappointed that Joe ended up being straight.

 

[Torraz]

Alright, thanks for the feedback. I fully admit to brute forcing occasionally. Apparently I'm not doing "proper" fusing. One thing keeping me away from that is that the demons I have which are good are very expensive and I would, by my own estimate, need to grind several hours for money to perform some fusions which would be obsolete after an hour of game-time at the most.

 

[Koroviev]

Hahaha.

This is why Atlus gets all of my pre-order money