-
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.
Tales of Graces |OT| Gracing the PS3 with the Best RPG Combat
- Thread starter kayos90
- Start date
Meccanical
Member
Girl on girl creepiness is hot so, I'm down.
chickdigger802
Banned
Currently playing on normal, because for the most part, games are designed/balanced for normal.
Everyone here seems to be playing Hard. Is hard the 'way to play' or are yall playing it because its' your 2nd+ playthrough?
Everyone here seems to be playing Hard. Is hard the 'way to play' or are yall playing it because its' your 2nd+ playthrough?
Lumpy Onion
Member
Just picked up the game (along with Ashura's Wrath) at Gamestop. I got the second to last copy so either they ordered very few or it sold a lot. I really liked the boxart too. Nice and colorful. Can't wait for tomorrow when I get some time to play it.
Normally I'd play on the default difficulty, but when I got an achievement for beating a boss under 60 seconds on my first try, I cracked it up to Moderate.
Dedication Through Light
Member
Just started, the opening song is really nice.
Goggles, engage.
-Pyromaniac-
Member
lol nvm
Played through it before + Hard mode seems most balanced for this game since it makes you take advantage of all the subsystems (mixer, weapon upgrading, etc), and in most Tales games they tend to actually use Mystic Artes (not this one though, they use them on Normal still iirc).
Also my stream's back up: http://twitch.tv/fslink
I find Tales games familiar enough by now that most of the time, Normal feels a bit too simple and unexciting.
Unless Hard mode happens to work in a way where it's more annoying and tedious than fun if it's not a second playthrough with a few things carried over (that or lots of grinding), I think it's a more balanced option for seasoned players.
Only Tales games I would not recommend playing Hard mode on a first playthrough is Super Famicom version of Phantasia and Destiny 2 jpn.
Ugh, dat encounter rate.
I am an hour out of the childhood arc and I am enjoying the characters more than I expected. I am also really enjoying the gameplay. I don't regret buying this like I feared. I missed having a good enjoyable jrpg to play. Xenoblade didn't grab me like I hoped when my import came in, so I was hesitant on this.
chickdigger802
Banned
hmmm for most symphonia team games, higher difficulty tends to just = more spamming on a mob due to higher def/hp, which just makes it a chore
. I guess I'll play around a bit more until I'm familiar with the battle system... then see what's up.
Normal is good for beginners or people who want to try Graces' new CC system. However, if you want a challenge and a utilization of all the systems revolving around Graces combat, Hard is an excellent difficulty. When I first got Graces I played on Hard and it was a reward experience. While it's not as difficult as Dark Souls, it's analogous to: "Learn it or suck it."
RurouniZel
Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
I'm greatly enjoying the game, but I'll admit I can't go past normal difficulty. I may love these games, but I've always sucked at them (which is why I never let people watch me play, they'll just yank the controller from me).
Rahxephon91
Banned
I suck at Tales games, so I'm just playing on normal.
chickdigger802
Banned
How is death in this game? Go back to last save? Think I've been spoiled with 'retry battle' options in recent games.
Is charging up your guard to red a good strategy?
RurouniZel
Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
Yeah, Playing Tales of Graces f has once again reminded me that while I love the Tales games, I really suck at them! >>; I've never been able to survive on higher difficulty than Normal, and sometimes die on Normal as well. >>;
Retry option on bosses, otherwise reload last save.
Dedication Through Light
Member
Im surprised Ive been managing on Hard buts its the child arc, and I think I could really do well on this difficulty if they could do actual artes. Though Im not even to the first town yet.
There's a retry so you can retry the battle on bosses. I'm not sure about normal battles since I've never died in them. Going back to bosses though. If you engage the boss without saving and you can't beat it no matter what you're screwed. So yeah... Usually I save then try but if I can't kill it then I level up once and tackle it again.
Whichever difficulty you find has the best balance of enjoyment and challenge is where you should play. The highest difficulties are only there for the insane people who don't like having an intact controller, anyway.
I tend to jump around the difficulties, myself. Playing as much as I can on hard, to unlock the higher difficulties for NG+ runs, but if it gets to the point where the challenge overrides the enjoyment, I'll tone it down to moderate for a bit. It's my first run, after all, and my main focus is getting through the game, and enjoying the story and characters.
Why would you do that?
Member
I did it on Moderate, but Asbel died in the tutorial of the very first battle. It felt like dying from the first Goomba. lol
I restarted the game, still on moderate, and stopped sucking, and it was smooth from there.
It felt like dying from the first Goomba. lolI restarted the game, still on moderate, and stopped sucking, and it was smooth from there.
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
Third playthrough for me... played on Chaos on two other playthroughs. Bosses can be assholes on Evil/Chaos, but Hard can be 'just right' in most cases. I'm pretty stubborn, so I try to play it without adjusting the difficulty. You can imagine the cursing on later bosses and postgame/bonus bosses.
Usually, but there are going to be times when enemies won't give you the chance to charge to red auras (ex: swarms, summoning minions, they're quick, you want to distract them from hitting your spellcasters, etc).
I think you may be pleasantly surprised to a certain extent. But I definitely see what you mean--you might have enjoyed it a little more if it focused more on the kids themselves rather than the kids' interactions with Sophie (especially since she's a flat character). S'alright; you're almost done with childhood, and you might never have to deal with it again on a subsequent playthrough if you choose to replay the game.
nintendoman58
Member
Really? It's not that hard on moderate. (Execpt for the bosses).
I'm almost 16 hours in. Story is picking up nicely. It doesn't do a good job at explaining certain things though. What the hell are cryas and valkines supposed to do? Or perhaps I'm just forgetting something that was always explained a long time ago.
Even so, better storytelling involves giving us a reminder at some point on what some plot device is though. A good example would be the narrator from that Fairy Tail anime. He tends to say things like "Remember this? This does..." whenever something we haven't seen in a while pops up.
I also finally figured out how this title system works (I mostly skimmed those instructions) and I FINALLY got Asbel's Stampede Strike and other skills I missed on getting.
Switching artes is also much easier now with all these CC points I got from upgrades.
Now for some plot spoilers. Stay away unless you are further than me in the game.
I honestly expected some kind of betrayal from Richard even before we saw him again. I started the adult arc and saw how everyone was like, and when I saw Richard again, I was all "Oh at least he hasn't gone all Anti-Hero. Yet." I'm also kind of confused on how they seem to be taking Richard's big demon transformation pretty well. They address it later, but they don't even seem too worried. And why does Asbel take Sophie's memory returning to be so...normal? He's happy she's back, but he's like: "Sophie's back! Let's get moving!" Dude! Show some fucking emotion!
Well that's my two cents about the plot right now. Aside from the above, there's nothing really dislikable about the plot so far. So I'm gonna keep going.
Cryas is essentially magic/mana for the game's world.
Asbel is a bit weird in how he acts so... you can say that it's due to his character.
Dedication Through Light
Member
Nice reference. I usually follow guides so they do provide some recap for me if I miss details.
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
Yep. Mamoruuuuuuuuuuuu.
And they explain cryas and the balkines cryas in the childhood arc.
-Pyromaniac-
Member
I have to force myself to stop playing this whenever I start a session.
-Pyromaniac-
Member
best mechanics in any, fun as hell, go play it now.
ULTROS!
People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
Top Tier along with Vesperia and Abyss.
RurouniZel
Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
I haven't finished it so I can't say 100%, but it has the best Battle System of the Tales games I've played so far.
Tales games I"ve played: Phantasia, Symphonia, Abyss, Vesperia, Graces.
Do be mindful of the graphics though, as the game basically is an upscaled Wii game. Just setting the proper expectation. I still love the way it looks but don't expect a tech masterpiece.
BassForever
Member
Of the ones I've beaten (all released US titles and or titles that are playable in English)
Vesperia > Abyss > Eternia/Destiny 2 > Symphonia > Phantasia PSX > Innoncence > Radiant Mythology > Legendia > Phantasia GBA > Destiny PSX
I won't rank Graces until I finish it, but right now I'd probably slot it before or after Vesperia, simply a fantastic game so far.
Dedication Through Light
Member
That caught me off guard as I played, as I guess I had a bit higher expectations, but the anime cutscenes definitely make up for it.
I think battle system wise its my favorite that Ive played starting out, I remember other ones all we could do at the start is just demon fang...
Harsh, man.
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
You know what I'm gonna say about this. My favourite 3D battle system in the series.
I've played a lot of Tales games, so I'm not gonna rank all of 'em. I like SS-LMBS way better than EFR-LMBS (Vesperia) and (DR-LMBS) Xillia, though.
Ahahahaha. Oh wow.BassForever said:
Koroviev
Member
This is kind of a weird question, but this game or Radiant Historia? I have the reprint pre-ordered, but the battle system in this sounds great. Problem is that getting both is a bit too much for the entertainment budget. My only reservation is the character design, especially Sophie's. I love SMT games but I really didn't like Eternal Sonata at all, if that helps any.
Edit: Never played a Tales game before, btw.
Edit: Never played a Tales game before, btw.
Dedication Through Light
Member
Will skits and discovery things carry over to the next playthroughs?
RurouniZel
Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
There's only one thing about Graces f that I don't like.
The music.
I mean, Tales games have never exactly filled my ears with bliss in the past but they usually had one or two pieces I could hum a few bars of, but man on man I turned the volume down on the music in this game because... man. It's bad!
The music.
I mean, Tales games have never exactly filled my ears with bliss in the past but they usually had one or two pieces I could hum a few bars of, but man on man I turned the volume down on the music in this game because... man. It's bad!
I personally like this game a lot more than Radiant Historia, but both are great. Radiant Historia is getting a reprint soon but hasn't yet as far as I know, so it's not easy to get cheaply at the moment.
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
Playing with my heart. My impressions of Radiant Historia are here.
I like both games a lot, and I like both battle systems a lot. And I like the characters in RH a lot. Tough decision, especially since RH is getting reprinted due to demand.
Told ya so. :lol
You can pick the option to inherit all book data in the Grade Shop when you start a NG+.