Support NeoGAF

[Seanspeed]

Tales of Graces f begs to differ!

I haven't played it, but I'm not sure a large percentage of people would consider that one of the very best JRPG's. My main point was that even the all-time greats have had ho-hum combat at times. Its not something that I'd knock a game like this for too much unless its a real sticking point throughout the game.

 

[frequency]

Well to be fair, Tales of Graces f is only really exciting in boss battles. Random battles, for the most part, are just as dull as anything else.

But I haven't played the harder difficulties, so maybe it changes there?

 

[GhostSeed]

Some indi game stores should have copies of this as well tomorrow. I talked to a distributor today that got copies in so I'm not sure whats going on with the exclusivity.

 

[zroid]

Well to be fair, Tales of Graces f is only really exciting in boss battles. Random battles, for the most part, are just as dull as anything else.

But I haven't played the harder difficulties, so maybe it changes there?

Yeah, any time you're finding the random battles too dull, amping up the difficulty instantly makes it awesome. But even at lower difficulties I find the battles extremely rewarding. Even when not challenging per se, the bonuses make it worth putting together complex chains and targeting enemy weaknesses.

For me, anyway.

 

[Liferebooted]

Tales of Graces f begs to differ!

But thats just a downgrade from Tales of Vesperia.

 

[zroid]

But thats just a downgrade from Tales of Vesperia.

Never played it thanks to Bamco's refusal to release the PS3 version outside Japan :/

 

[RawPower]

Ok, so I want this game but I don't have the money right now. Am I fucked?

 

[SecretMoblin]

Ok, so I want this game but I don't have the money right now. Am I fucked?

Not necessarily. You probably have a few months where there will be copies in-store at Gamestop and/or the prices online will hover around $50.

 

[Bisnic]

It's been a while since i played a Wii game, and it shows, aliasing and low res textures all over the place is hard to ignore.

Just started playing as Shulk and Reyn. How can you choose Arts from the other characters you're not controlling like Reyn? All i seem to be able to select are the ones for Shulk. And if i understand the combat right, all i have to do is stay close to my target for autoattacks, use my arts when available and move around to avoid enemy attacks?

 

[Aeana]

It's been a while since i played a Wii game, and it shows, aliasing and low res textures all over the place is hard to miss.

Just started playing as Shulk and Reyn. How can you choose Arts from the other characters you're not controlling like Reyn? All i seem to be able to select are the ones for Shulk. And if i understand the combat right, all i have to do is stay close to my target for autoattacks, use my arts when available and move around to avoid enemy attacks?

Not unless you do a chain attack, which unlocks a bit later.

 

[braves01]

Hmm, the Kotaku review is derailing my hype. I know it's Kotaku, but it's still disconcerting.

 

[Ultratech]

It's been a while since i played a Wii game, and it shows, aliasing and low res textures all over the place is hard to ignore.

Just started playing as Shulk and Reyn. How can you choose Arts from the other characters you're not controlling like Reyn? All i seem to be able to select are the ones for Shulk. And if i understand the combat right, all i have to do is stay close to my target for autoattacks, use my arts when available and move around to avoid enemy attacks?

You can't. The other 2 characters will work off of AI.

However, you can choose the skills the AI will be forced to use by editing their Arts bars. (Though at that point in the game, you don't have much to tinker with, so just leave it alone for now.)

And yeah, you've got the gist of combat. Just make sure to position yourself for certain arts (like standing on the side of the enemy for Shulk's DEF-lowering attack).

 

[SecretMoblin]

Hmm, the Kotaku review is derailing my hype. I know it's Kotaku, but it's still disconcerting.

Keep in mind he's admitted to only playing 35 hours of the game.

But some of his criticisms are fair.

 

[BlazingDarkness]

Hmm, the Kotaku review is derailing my hype. I know it's Kotaku, but it's still disconcerting.

I can't think of one character I found irritating in the whole of Xenoblade.
The combat system is fun. The only thing I'd agree with there is the item management could have been handled better. But then you've got things like instant fast travel between locations and stuff like that which washes away any smaller complaints like the interface and whatnot.

 

[Aeana]

Hmm, the Kotaku review is derailing my hype. I know it's Kotaku, but it's still disconcerting.

Well, it's probably a good thing to go into the game with a controlled level of hype anyway. It's quite a good game, but not everybody is going to think it's the second coming like some do. I skimmed over the Kotaku article and I didn't see anything I'd call unfair, after accounting for different tastes, it's fairly in-line with my own thoughts, especially when it comes to UI, with the differences being that I like Riki and I like the character catchphrases, especially Reyn's.

 

[Bisnic]

Should i sell every materials i found, or could that shell and or paw be useful someday? I dont want to fill my inventory with useless crap.

 

[Tawney Bomb]

I preordered this based on GAF hype and that I haven't played an RPG I've liked on consoles this gen. The wait until tomorrow is annoying me as I want to play this game.

 

[frequency]

I got my NA copy. Mainly to just show support and I guess collection purposes or something.
I'm not sure I'll replay it since I have so many other games going right now and a huge backlog.

The art booklet is printed on nicer paper stock than I expected. But it is as sparse as I expected so...
I don't see this ever being valued very high. Maybe right at release (like now) for the people who missed out and aren't thinking right. I don't think it'll ever reach "collector's item" status. But eh, whatever.

I already have the Monado Archives. Skimming through the pre-order booklet, nothing looks new. I might just give it away to a gaffer who missed out if any are in my small town.

 

[Aeana]

Should i sell every materials i found, or could that shell and or paw be useful someday? I dont want to fill my inventory with useless crap.

You can give materials to your party members to raise their affection rating.

 

[Zekes!]

so far I've just spent an hour and half running around the first area. I've advanced the story ever so slightly

 

[SecretMoblin]

so far I've just spent an hour and half running around the first area. I've advanced the story ever so slightly

If that's the way you like to play, then you're in for a treat.

 

[TDLink]

It's been a while since i played a Wii game, and it shows, aliasing and low res textures all over the place is hard to ignore.

Just started playing as Shulk and Reyn. How can you choose Arts from the other characters you're not controlling like Reyn? All i seem to be able to select are the ones for Shulk. And if i understand the combat right, all i have to do is stay close to my target for autoattacks, use my arts when available and move around to avoid enemy attacks?

You can only control the character you are using except during Chain attacks and a couple other situations that will be explained to you later. You can change your character at any time though by going to the party menu. (Ie, you can play Reyn now if you wanted)

Should i sell every materials i found, or could that shell and or paw be useful someday? I dont want to fill my inventory with useless crap.

You should pick up every quest and item you can. There is no limit to "quest space" in the journal and picking up items will auto-complete quests if you have them...or when you get them later. A bit later into the game you will be able to tell if an item has a future use or not, for now I would take everything though. You won't run into Inventory issues until MUCH later in the game.

 

[Bisnic]

You can only control the character you are using except during Chain attacks and a couple other situations that will be explained to you later. You can change your character at any time though by going to the party menu. (Ie, you can play Reyn now if you wanted)



You should pick up every quest and item you can. There is no limit to "quest space" in the journal and picking up items will auto-complete quests if you have them...or when you get them later. A bit later into the game you will be able to tell if an item has a future use or not, for now I would take everything though. You won't run into Inventory issues until MUCH later in the game.

Thanks. What about the red ! that you see on the minimap? I dont see anyone there. Does that depend on the ingame time?

 

[Zornica]

Thanks. What about the red ! that you see on the minimap? I dont see anyone there. Does that depend on the ingame time?

if you see a red ! then there is someone there. probably above or beneath.

 

[TDLink]

Thanks. What about the red ! that you see on the minimap? I dont see anyone there. Does that depend on the ingame time?

Some things do depend on certain times and/or weather conditions but if you are already seeing the ! on the minimap it means it is there at that moment and you shouldn't have to mess with the clock at all. It could be a NPC or a red item orb or some other quest objective. Make sure you check every "level" of the area you are in too if there is some overlapping stuff since the minimap doesn't differentiate. Depending on the NPC and the background things can also admittedly blend in at times so you may just have to look carefully. If that ! is there though then what you need to do or person you need to talk to is there too.

 

[Tess3ract]

For reference, I went into the game with no hype at all.

110 hours later I came out with a game that belongs in my top 5 games of all time.

 

[burgerdog]

So my ccp arrived today and what the hell is up with the 3ft cord? I didn't know they sold wired ccps so when I placed my order I didn't check for details. I'm looking at amazon now and I can't seem to find a wireless version, I'm confused.

 

[Aeana]

So my ccp arrived today and what the hell is up with the 3ft cord? I didn't know they sold wired ccps so when I placed my order I didn't check for details. I'm looking at amazon now and I can't seem to find a wireless version, I'm confused.

It plugs into your Wii remote. That's how all of them are. It's "wireless" because the Wii remote is wireless.

 

[burgerdog]

It plugs into your Wii remote. That's how all of them are. It's "wireless" because the Wii remote is wireless.

Oh!! Okay, that makes sense and clears it up. Thank you.

 

[pelicansurf]

Tales of Graces f begs to differ!

Unfortunately the rest of the game, outside of the combat begs to differ. I'm right before the last dungeon and I can't bring myself to finish it. Blarghghghgh.

 

[clemenx]

For reference, I went into the game with no hype at all.

110 hours later I came out with a game that belongs in my top 5 games of all time.

Same here. Around 115h total. What is more surprising is that it never felt that long for me. I was always amazed when looking at the gameclock. Absolute treat to play.

 

[Cloudy]

WTF I ordered on GameStop.com when the preorder bonus was included and now it's not listed in my order anymore. I stopped by the store and they said I'm not getting the art book

 

[Hero of Legend]

Has anyone else experienced the screen going completely black for a sec? It happened when I was attacking an Evil Bunnit very early on.

Someone on GameFAQs looks to have had that occurrence as well.

 

[zroid]

Unfortunately the rest of the game, outside of the combat begs to differ. I'm right before the last dungeon and I can't bring myself to finish it. Blarghghghgh.

Well I was specifically referring to the combat in this instance, although it is true that except for a few minor issues, I've been loving the game throughout.

Anyway, enough talk about ToGf in the Xenoblade OT!

 

[Jacksonlee]

heya fellas, i was thinking of getting either this, last story, or the... other one i forgot the name

so i was wonder if you guys can educate me :

i value story (- character development, presentation, fluidity)
then art, overall presentation
then gameplay.

which game is right for me? :/

note that i cannot stand horrid voice acting or fractured story.

little help ?

 

[Aeana]

heya fellas, i was thinking of getting either this, last story, or the... other one i forgot the name

so i was wonder if you guys can educate me :

i value story (- character development, presentation, fluidity)
then art, overall presentation
then gameplay.

which game is right for me? :/

note that i cannot stand horrid voice acting or fractured story.

little help ?

No matter what you value, Xenoblade is the answer. Honestly, TLS and Pandora's Tower are just way worse games in every area.

 

[abrack08]

Hmm, the Kotaku review is derailing my hype. I know it's Kotaku, but it's still disconcerting.

Ugh, I was hyped for this, but I hate MMO type combat, the main reason I never finished FFXII. Is it REALLY similar to MMO type combat? Or just kind of?

 

[SecretMoblin]

Ugh, I was hyped for this, but I hate MMO type combat, the main reason I never finished FFXII. Is it REALLY similar to MMO type combat? Or just kind of?

Here's a bit from the OP:

The battle system is frequently compared to Final Fantasy XII, though there are notable differences. With few exceptions, the AI controls your party members during battle. Party members will automatically attack when an enemy is within range. Each character has a set of unique “Arts”, which can be used by selecting icons during the battle. These techniques can be used at will but all require a cooldown period, similar to a MMORPG system. Under special conditions, quick time events can be activated that provide the party with certain bonuses or abilities. Performing actions during battle fills the “Party Gauge”, which allows players to prevent enemy attacks, revive fallen party members, and perform a Chain Attack.

There are no gambits, the AI controls (most of) your party members' actions, the combat system is much more "position"-based and on-the-fly. There are certainly similarities, but they are very different systems overall.

Though if you love having total and complete control over every action of your party members at all times, you'll frequently be frustrated with the AI's decisions.

 

[Tess3ract]

Ugh, I was hyped for this, but I hate MMO type combat, the main reason I never finished FFXII. Is it REALLY similar to MMO type combat? Or just kind of?

It's more akin to real mmo combat than ff12 ever was. FF12 was just boring "select ai behavior and watch things happen"

This is more like an action rpg kind of.

 

[Luigiv]

Ugh, I was hyped for this, but I hate MMO type combat, the main reason I never finished FFXII. Is it REALLY similar to MMO type combat? Or just kind of?

I'm not found of Auto Battle combat either though I found Xenoblade to probably be the best implementation I've tried. Since it's very fast and you're constantly selecting artes to perform, it feels a lot more involved and hands on than most other auto battle systems.

The combat system won't set your world on fire but it gets the job done.

 

[ivysaur12]

It's not really MMO-style combat. I wouldn't really classify it as that.

Also, auto-battle is a blessing due to how much you'll be managing the battle system because many attacks are based on position. And you need to keep attacking to build up arts stuff. It works well.

 

[Elfforkusu]

The nice thing about the battle system is that your actions and role varies tremendously based on what character you main.

I'd agree that using Shulk gets old about midway through the game. Thankfully you can (and should!) add some variety to your experience.

 

[Astra]

WTF I ordered on GameStop.com when the preorder bonus was included and now it's not listed in my order anymore. I stopped by the store and they said I'm not getting the art book

When did you order it?
I guess making a fuss won't get you anywhere if they don't have an artbook to give you.
The EBgames here, however, had at least 10 art books, and I can't imagine they had that many preorders here, but you never know.

 

[Rahxephon91]

Ugh, I was hyped for this, but I hate MMO type combat, the main reason I never finished FFXII. Is it REALLY similar to MMO type combat? Or just kind of?

Yes I would classify this as very MMO combat. But, it does feel very involved.

 

[abrack08]

It's more akin to real mmo combat than ff12 ever was. FF12 was just boring "select ai behavior and watch things happen"

This is more like an action rpg kind of.

I've played a few MMOs too, most recently I played TOR for a few hours. That's just not my thing, I was only comparing it to FF12 because that was also a MMO type RPG that I didn't like. I still want this game though

 

[SecretMoblin]

I've played a few MMOs too, most recently I played TOR for a few hours. That's just not my thing, I was only comparing it to FF12 because that was also a MMO type RPG that I didn't like. I still want this game though

Let's try it from a different angle then, maybe that'll help: what didn't you like about FFXII's combat?

 

[The Awesomest]

So, Gamestop said my order would be in tomorrow morning.

I know this is a weird place to ask this, but I wasn't sure if I should make a new thread for it or not. I checked the website, and the Gamestop that has my preorder also has a new copy of Final Fantasy CC: Crystal Bearers for $15. I always thought that game looked pretty cool so I was considering picking it up. I'm not typically a terribly harsh critic of my games. Should I pick it up while I'm there? Is it worthwhile?

 

[Hiltz]

Maybe I'm suffering brain damage, but didn't Destructoid already review this game last year? If so, then why did it replace the original score with this new lower one ?

 

[SecretMoblin]

So, Gamestop said my order would be in tomorrow morning.

I know this is a weird place to ask this, but I wasn't sure if I should make a new thread for it or not. I checked the website, and the Gamestop that has my preorder also has a new copy of Final Fantasy CC: Crystal Bearers for $15. I always thought that game looked pretty cool so I was considering picking it up. I'm not typically a terribly harsh critic of my games. Should I pick it up while I'm there? Is it worthwhile?

You can probably get it for cheaper online ($10, perhaps) and that's a better price for it.

Maybe I'm suffering brain damage, but didn't Destructoid already review this game last year? If so, then why did it replace the original score with this new lower one ?

We all know why. :\

 

[ivysaur12]

You can probably get it for cheaper online ($10, perhaps) and that's a better price for it.



We all know why. :\

...Why?