VideoGame_Discussion

I need to learn this.

Like early game i had to farm some ability orbs because i'm having Yuna learn Lancet and the base black magic spells and having Lulu learn lancet and the base white magic spells for some overlap. So went thru a lot of ability orbs.

On the plus side I now have 2 nice starter mages that are versatile and can use lancet to restore MP.

later in the game it will be very easy to get the orbs and there will be an ability to get orbs you want.

I don’t remember this orb mechanic at all from OG play through.

Jumped into FFVIII ... crazy enough, was near the end of disc 2. Trying to regroup on what the hell I was doing last time, most of it came back, but will probably go watch some videos.

I forgot with the remastered version, that you have the speed up time, no damage, and no encounters. So at 16 hours to hit end of disc 2, is probably way under normal time.

I don't know what it is, but just don't ... have the same feeling of indulgent with the VIII characters like that of VII or IX in that era.

VIII is the only FF I have never completed. Wasn’t feeling it in 1999 just messed around with the TT mini game.

Feeb wrote:

Glad I'm not alone! Although I never finished ORIGINAL (JP) II/III as well.

Also, Skyrim... Bought it 3x, started various times, still haven't finished. Loved Oblivion.

Now Skyrim is on Switch for $30, to buy it again? Hrm.

https://www.gematsu.com/2021/04/final-fantasy-vii-...

Nayo is sexy and billy bob really?

i dont know, somehow after chocobo sam a character named billy bob fits...weird though it is.

I put 70+ hours into FFVIII back in the day. Triple Triad was where it was at. Final boss and Omega Weapon were so easy too from being maxes out on levels.

I'm up to 58 hours in FFXV and just finished Chapter 9 and now starting Chapter 10. Level 76 lol.

Gamefly used game sale, FF7R is $19.99

https://www.gamefly.com/game/final-fantasy-vii-rem...

I picked it up since I'd rather play it with the 60 FPS update when it's released

Just finished the main story of FFXV after 62 hours. Probably could've finished in 40 hours if I wasn't so OCD about the side quests. Overall, the story was pretty bad...or at least the storytelling was. The fact that you have to play all the DLCs, watch Kingsglaive, watch Brotherhood and read all this extraneous stuff to get the complete story is not a great thing.

Plan to tackle the 4 DLC episodes over the next couple days as well.

Once I'm done, at least that's 100+ GBs I can delete off the PS5 HDD.

Sun wrote:

this is why I don't intend to play it, ever.

I feel pretty comfortable with the story after only the game and kingsglaive. I understand where the dlcs will expound but don’t think it’s necessary to get the main idea.

I bought the XV DLC's, never went back and played them. The game had its moments but I was done...

Kommie wrote:

I've played most of main line games starting from IV (except V & Lightning Returns) and felt obligated to beat it since I bought the Deluxe Edition on Day 1, even though I ended up playing the Royal Edition from the PS5 Instant Collection.

Honestly I’m trying to recall a good FF story line. I guess US 2 is my fave. 3 is ok too- but they’re generally convoluted AF and overrated story wise imho. Working on X again now and it’s silly.

FFIX’s story is pretty straightforward, it’s just a long game so details are bound to slip through the cracks throughout a play through. Either way, IX is the most consistently fun and cohesive story out of any FF I’ve ever played.

Aside from me hating the gameplay so much that I stopped playing early on, just the intro to XV’s story was convoluted and silly. I can’t even imagine where it goes from there, but it didn’t look good.

I was wondering why these greaser dudes were supposed to be going to a wedding but they had time to ride chocobos and kill monsters. It seemed like a character study in mental illness.

@Feeb hildibrand (ff14) will suplex you into tomorrow for that comment lol

This is true.

Beat Episode Arden and it felt like I was playing a DMC game. Good story though.

I’m going to check that out this week hopefully. It’s been pending download for like 2 years.

Feeb wrote:

Get at it. It only took me an hour without doing additional content to get thru the story.

I just beat Episode Gladiolus today and it was kinda lame. Started Episode Prompto this afternoon and plan to finish it tonight and will try to start and finish Episode Ignis.

I just added it back. Definitely excited to see ardyn.

Feeb wrote:

Ardyn is the best character in the FFXV lore.

Finished all the DLC. Each one was only ~1 hour though Episode Prompto was a bit longer at ~1.5 hours.

I found each game interesting from a variance in gameplay. Gladiolus played like a Souls game, Prompto like a 3rd person shooter, Ignis like a Dynasty Warriors game, and Ardyn like a DMC action game.

I’m just happy to get 100+ GBs back on the HDD.

Wasn’t my favorite FF by far but I did appreciate it. There was a ffxiv crossover event too that was interesting.

@MrBean what's the verdict? You mentioned trying to jump back into FFVIII, wondering what your current day take on it is. Is it worth me starting up or should I pass?

theJaw wrote:

Man, time.... Sucks for me lately. I did resume. I'm on disc 3, but haven't touched in a bit. It's entertaining but being the 5th time I've gotten into this, it's still not hitting home. I think using the cheats (speed up, infinite health, no encounter) is taking away from the experience but I don't have time for the full game.

I dunno, I really want to finish it but I'm already bored again. Typical FF, story got weird and I'm just meh on interest level.

@theJaw I am in the extreme minority on this opinion, but I think FF8 is more playable today than FF7 is. If you can cheat the draw system (1 draw maxes stock or some other cheat of the sort) then it is even better. The plot gets pretty off the walls crazy, but trying out all of the ways to break the game is really fun. The battles are pretty brisk if you favor limit breaks over summons. The card game contained within it is good enough to be a stand-alone game. The music is also up there with the best in the series. Well worth an attempted play.

I have the opinion that FF8 should be beaten at least once if you're into FFs.

I'd agree with the at least once thing. It's one of my lesser played entries in the series and would rank it in the bottom half probably but still worth a go. I've played it through probably 3 times over the years, twice when it released and another time right around 2004 or 05.

I was thinking about giving it a super modded out play on pc like I recently did with 7 (which rocked..with all the mods out there now it's basically the 1:1 remake fans have clamored for for years.) But the tsunamods team just announced FF8 Echo S , a super modded out and voiced version so I'm gonna wait for that. The FF7 Echo S is proceeding nicely I am voicing a couple of NPC's in that actually and hope to do some for 8 and the before crisis they're working on.

How do I go about installing mods like that? Are there any significant upgrades for FFIX?

theJaw wrote:

I'll hit you with a vid and some links to Tsunamods. The seventh Heaven mod manager makes it really easy.

I will have to look and see what all they have for 9

Final trailer for Integrade. Ok I'm a bit excited. The fort condor mini game looks fun!

https://youtu.be/YsXnDKAv_h8

MrBean wrote:

Any word on price just for the new content?

Kommie wrote:

$20

So looks like GameStop and Square Enix are giving out a steel book with prebuy... Can't see to find if best buy is doing it too (have it prebought there with GCU).

Should I feel crapty for considering buying this? Because I do.

I still need to play FF7R

Kommie wrote:

It was enjoyable. My main gripe is the pace is punishing at points. So slow to stretch it I guess.

And the combat system only really feels good on high difficulty. If the whole game was the same as the last few / bonus bosses it would be much better imho.

Taking a 4-5 hour segment to 30+ seems absurd. Even my first ever play of the game, I think it took me 12 hours to get out of Midgar. But I was a kid who had no idea what I was doing in it.

Kommie wrote:

I personally dislike the opening stuff because I played that damn demo in 1997 like 100 times. Ff7 doesn’t get going until after all the silly seaside stuff imho.

Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but it sounds like the Yuffie thing and all stuff going forward is PS5 only. Not on PS4.

Ps5 is too soon. No need to upgrade PS4 yet. Bad decisions.

It's gonna be exclusive to PS5 until 2022 apparently.

I think I'm just gonna wait until every VII Remake game is released before I bother with it again. I wasn't blown away by FFVIIR and haven't even attempted to finish it yet. I will eventually, but I'll probably just wait for it to be complete. No rush for me.

For the love of God, give an update on Part 2!

https://twitter.com/finalfantasyvii/status/1535185...

MrBean wrote:

The update is it’ll be a PS6 exclusive. Happy now? 😋

EclipseLion wrote:

Haha

a10 min stream, all the part 2 we are getting from that is one screen maybe two with a "more coming soon" message. they will have more to show than that, ever crisis etc

8 hours to go

https://youtu.be/wohQiEysqIA

Crisis Core Remaster?! Awesome. Never finished it on PSP.

Part 2 Rebirth, coming this Winter!
https://youtu.be/H_4CkyOmuuU

And it's coming out Dec/Jan/Feb? Awesome!

Are we sure it's Winter 2022 and not Winter 2023? I interpreted it as the latter because the Crisis Core remake trailer used the text "This Winter."

Yeah, I read it as Crisis Core is this Winter, and Rebirth is next Winter.

So XVI comes out Summer 2023 and then VII Rebirth at the end of 2023?

Maybe using "this/next" is there way to not be clear on things to give them an out.

Shoot, I should probably finish Part 1.

theJaw wrote:

Just wait till it's all out

That was my plan when it was reported the rest would be PS5-exclusive. Is that still the case?

Man I am so hyped they are leaning into this remake/sequel angle. I love it. Retelling the same exact story wouldn’t be as interesting IMO, but I’m also one to never replay story games or rewatch movies so I get how some may be put off from that

Shane12m wrote:

I’m with you 100%. I just hope it all fits together in the end. But so far they’ve got me on the edge of my seat. That trailer had me hyped for sure. And then I saw Itsuno announce Dragon’s Dogma II and I almost lost my mind lol.

I think everything that’s caught my eye this E3 season - and it hasn’t been much - has come from Capcom and Square. It’s good to see both companies kicking ass!

Heavyd814life wrote:

Heck yeah, I’ve been hoping for a sequel for so long, glad it’s finally happening. I hope they stick to the same combat and class system but improve upon them instead of making drastic changes (actually who knows maybe they do something unique and amazing) also the pawn system was actually really cool too

ya crisis core this winter, rebirth next winter, which actually means early 2024

and at some point along the way something for me to spend time at work playing in ever crisis lmao



and ya dragons dogma 2, i saw a funny one the other day that said the kids had their fun showing elden ring and then it said but now its time for the big kids or something like that to play and showed dragons dogma 2 lol

I could never get into Dragons Dogma. Game bored me to tears.

Kommie wrote:

You’ve established you have terrible taste in games so I’m not surprised 😂

Shane12m wrote:

Nope! It's just not that great

FF7R on PC is smooth as crap. Much better experience than even PS5, was pleasantly surprised. Glad they fixed launch issues (and got off EGS)

ya much better, and there are some very cool mods for that change the camera to make it like your playing more from the perspectives of the og game, its amazing how faithfully some of the areas are actually recreatd but it just doesnt look like it from the modern camera.

tonymack21 wrote:

Got a link for that mod? I’ve searched through some and didn’t see that one. I did like the one that fixes AI companions to attack more so you can use their abilities more often. May make things too easy though

Hrm, been wanting to replay vii rm as I flew through it and still haven't played interlude. Sounds like moving to pc may be a good idea.

Finally played Intermission. It was a good filler but not enough. Really looking forward to Crisis Core.

Also, this... Why do I want it. Too expensive though.

https://twitter.com/videogamedeals/status/15569864...

i got out of the figures, they were starting to charge too much for the quality you get which was quite poor for figs costing 150+

Why do people have this much time on their hands... Also, I love this! The original FF7 characters put into the Remake, awesome.

https://youtu.be/hBxYLE3tWIQ

DarkFact wrote:

haha, fantastic!

I missed this during the Nintendo Direct ... fingers crossed! Regret never finishing it on original release.

Why oh why does everything that touch FFVII come off so damn cheesy ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiL7huRoyxM

MrBean wrote:

Oooh, decisions decisions on where to play this. The Series X makes a lot of sense, but I might have to wait and see how well it performs on the Steam Deck.

Also, SE Steam Sale: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/squareenix_tgs...

FFIX for $10 eh? hrmmm, I've wanted to replay this for awhile.

Damnit, the Final Fantasy Pixel remake bundle is also on sale. I've been itching to go back to IV and VI ... but to do the 3d remakes, or the 2d remasters? hrmmm ... I'd really rather play on Switch, but this is tempting.

Just listened to the FFVI theme, and g'damnit, I want to drop every other game and go play this again. So many childhood memories here.

https://twitter.com/Wario64/status/157025947867903...

Apparently the Crisis Core steel book is exclusive to GAME https://www.game.co.uk/en/m/crisis-core-final-fant...

MrBean wrote:
That synchronized Cactuar battle dance :)

And the game has a release too. Looking forward.

Who is the guy at around 1:50 who has one wing and is talking to Sephiroth?

MrBean wrote:
IV and VI had 3D remakes?

Are you referring to this piece of music:
https://youtu.be/PiI7rDqv9FQ

nonamesleft wrote:

III and IV. I remember playing IV on 3ds but don't think I finished. Never played III.

Yep, that song, so amazing!

Does GAME no longer ship to the states? I can't login and checking out as Guest says my phone number is invalid. Wanted to get that Crisis Core steelbook.

MrBean wrote:

Maybe there's some Wanker version of Buyee out there? Basically with Buyee you buy Japanese stuff, it gets shipped to a facility in Japan, then from there they ship it to you from Japan. It's how a lot of people import stuff from JP when sellers refuse to ship out of country.

Have they said anything about Crisis Core being Steam Deck verified yet?

I mean no, it's not released yet

Well, they said that Intergrade was verified before it's Steam release, so it's possible.

Probalby have to wait a bit longer to hear about it. I'm gonna assume it's less impactful than FF7R, so it'll probably be fine.

That's what I'm expecting/hoping as well. The original Crisis Core had a ton of bite-sized side mission content that's perfect for a handheld, and it'd be nice to farm through those on the go and sit home on a juiced up PC for the story missions.

Picked up all the old FFs on the current Steam Sale. I'm torn between IV 3d remake vs VI to start with. I legit want to play I-VI back to back but gotta be selective.

I'd just hit them all up with the pixel remasters. Don't need the 3DS remakes.

i just launched VI and legit got goosebumps and giddy at the opening / music. Jesus, it's been too long since I've played this.

I haven't used a controller on my PC in years. I have both an Elite Series 2 and a Dual Sense.

When setting up the controller in FFVI, it appears to think I have an Xbox controller. I re-mapped, but is this normal?

Just switched to the Xbox controller, works way better.

Nice! Steelbook available for Crisis Core at Best Buy

https://twitter.com/videogamedeals/status/15722776...

Dude, c'mon... Didn't realize this comes out a week after GoW and Sonic.

This will unfortunately be de-prioritized.

Holy crap the drought has become a flood. Ys VIII ps5 too. Yes.

Wait... No, I'm dumb. December 13th, not Nov 13th.

Lol. That’s ok. I need time.

SwiftJAB wrote:

PC 1440p120 all day baby.

MrBean wrote:

Yes, everything defaults to XINPUT even when using non-Xbox controllers, it's defacto standard. Steam is usually smart enough to make a DS appear as an Xbox in everything but button legends in game, but you may need to go to controller details in Steam settings and enable Playstation controller support. That fixed up a lot of stuff that wasn't registering DS (PS5 pad) as present, like the older Dark Souls titles. Elden Ring has built-in DS support

Final Fantasy XVI is 95% complete and release date is expected to be announced by end of this year

https://s.famitsu.com/news/202211/04281509.html

I really disliked FF XV from what little I played, but XVI looks pretty badass. I like the return to a more classic fantasy setting. FFIX is my favorite FF, so the more medieval the game goes, the more in I am.

theJaw wrote:

XV was disappointing, but was still fun to play. Never did the DLC ...

IX is absolutely one of my all time favorites!

Is it just me or did FFIX take a really weird sci-fi twist near the end? I remember enjoying the game.

I really friggin wish I could remember wtf I was doing in FFIX before I took a massively long break. Despite having considered it an all-time favorite game since the first time I owned it on PS1, I've never beaten it and finally got further than ever during my play-through on Switch. I think I picked up a Walkthrough a while back to try to figure out where I was... when I turn the game on, I'm standing outside Oelivert. Looks like all the chests were open, so I feel like I already did that bit at least. I can enter the airship, I just don't know where the hell I'm supposed to go from here. I also remember already doing the Black Mage Village stuff and all that.

Anybody have any guesses?

Only FF game I ever beat was the remake of the first one on GBA.

I looked up a different walkthrough a while back and I think it only confused me, but looking at that link, I'm not sure I remember the Ark boss. So maybe I'll travel deeper into Oelvert and see how far it takes me. Thanks as always Feebski.

@benstylus You just reminded me that I have the DS version of FFIII somewhere. Maybe I'll eventually drag out my old crappy DS to play that finally (even though I'm not a huge fan of the graphics in the DS remakes).

Pretty sure I got stuck somewhere around there too. The NPC conversation.

theJaw wrote:
The graphics might not be the best, but the game is fun. I put a lot of time into that one.

I used to have a ton of fun with FF games. Thoroughly played a bunch of the handheld ones. Good times. I'd love to play another, but those games require some serious time to put in. Backlog is too big at the moment to allow an FF game. Though I did start FFVIII around a year or two ago. Was enjoying it, but for a reason I'm unaware of I stopped playing it. Don't know why. Should continue that one. I like that in game card game. Fun. Was spending way too much time playing the card game instead of the actual game, and I don't regret it. :)

That’s my issue with FFIX, I sorta just want to play Tetra Master haha

Also my issue with FF /JRPG games these days. They’re so long and I eventually start playing and getting into something else to the point that I think “oh yah, I’m halfway through a Final Fantasy game”. Though I say that and then sink an FF game’s worth of time into Red Dead Redemption 2 or Ghost of Tsushima.

Update: still haven’t found where I left off on FFIX. Went into Oelvert to discover nothing to do, then went to the Desert Palace to find it was no longer functional. Now I gotta continue tracing my steps from there, but didn’t have the patience last night.

Honestly, I'd just restart. IX is so awesome. I'd love to replay it.

MrBean wrote:

Haha I was honestly thinking about it, and know I will again someday, but I finally found where I was: Ipsen’s Castle. I knew I was close.

Now I’m just worried because I’m not used to the party the way I was when I was actively playing and hope I’m not wildly under leveled for this place haha

MrBean wrote:
I've heard praise about IX from several people on gtz. Haven't played it myself, but yet another person here praising it pushes me to want to play it.

Have you played other FF games? Regardless, what makes IX great?

IX came along when many old school fans were upset with the direction of the series. VII is a huge departure from the simple “medieval” type themes of early games- and VIII was deemed a travesty by many, including myself. Lots of folks loved the return to simpler roots in IX when it released. I think it picked up many new fans too because lots of younger gamers call it the best when they know in their hearts 3(6) is by far the greatest.

Feeb wrote:
3 was great. What did you think of VII?

nonamesleft wrote:

It’s ok. My problem with it the midgard intro area and the fact that the series left Nintendo and pixel look. The game is decent, story ok, characters are some of the most iconic in series.

I think IX is my favorite because it’s the first I ever played back in the day… but it is a lot better than most others too, imo. I’ve still only ever just started VI though, maybe I’ll give it a go after IX.

So in like 14 years or so.

nonamesleft wrote:

I've played all, IX is definitely one of my favorites, without question. The characters, story, atomsohere, exploration... It was the last great FFX.

Alrighty finally back in the FFIX swing. Just beat the Taharka boss from Ispen’s Castle before saving. Gonna finally plow through this thing.

Ah, IX. It's the only good FF after VI.

Y’all. FF XII and XIV are legendary. Wtf.

Feeb wrote:

XII was good, not legendary. XIV I had to bail on due to addiction to MMO's. If I have any one single gaming regret, it's not getting into FFXIV when they rebuilt it. I loved it prior A Realm Reborn but I've learned I can't handle MMO's.

I did restart XII when it was re-released on Switch, didn't finish the second play through. Would love to, but ya know... Time.

Try XII again. And try to complete the trophy list.

Feeb wrote:

Well… I think XII is the only acceptable one after IX. (XV is backlogged with no decision made, and given most of the later games, prolly will be for quite a while. I don't know if I'll get XVI even after it goes sub-$20.) But… XIV? Doesn't exist. Kinda like how the one I expected to be numbered XI is called X-2 instead? Maybe something in that clusterf… that is XIII should have been XIV?

Ok.

XV was a big disappointment.

I very, very much dislike XV. I only ever just started XII way back when it first released with my old gf, but we were thrown off by the new combat system and never got past the first like… 5 minutes. I should give that one a go sometime soon too, now that I’m more used to real time battles. Nothing will ever beat turn based imo, but ah well.

Anyone here ever play Crystal Chronicles? I tried to back in the Gamecube’s heyday but never had pals who both had GBAs & were into FF, so I could never play multiplayer (which was the whole point). Anyone try it out on Switch? Willing to pick it up sometime soon if anyone ever wants to party up & give it a go.

XII has some of the best end game content in the series. Really awesome battle system / customization of party actions.

Man, this is making me want to revisit XII ... sadly no Steam Sale. Would prefer to play this on PC vs. the dungeon (basement). Will wait out a future sale.

FFXVI - June 22nd 2023!

Crisis Core is shipping. I gotta finish Ragnarok before playing but man, gonna be tough.

Yep mine just shipped from bestbuy

MrBean wrote:

Also remember to be very wary of publishers' online stores.

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.square-enix....

Square Enix has a 1.4 average rating on TrustPilot. It's a 1 to 5 scale with 1 being the minimum, so that essentially translates to 10% out of 100%

Between having personally experienced issues with Capcom and Bandai Namco, reading complaints here about NIS, and the stories on Trustpilot about Square Enix, I'm becoming increasingly skeptical of any publisher's online store. The skills required to make good games are not the same skills required to run an online store. And it shows.

benstylus wrote:

I've actually had good luck with the Aksys store. Several orders placed there with no issues at all.

Square shipping is criminal.

I've only had one issue with shipping from SE's store. I forget which it was, one of the old CE's ... arrived with the plastic ripped. Took like 2 months of back and forth to finally get them to replace, was painful. Outside of that, been OK - minus their shipping costs.

Still, I set a reminder for this Monday, I'll buy it ... so it can sit on a shelf, and now in the basement because I have zero room left. I'm smart.

Or maybe I just demote one of the FFXV CE's (because you know, gotta buy both Xbox and PS versions).

The cost is the criminal part.

Got my Crisis core and steelbook today

Damn, nice. Mine shows up tomorrow. Trying to binge through Ragnarok!

Looks like the Final Fantasy 1-6 Pixel Remasters are coming to Switch and PlayStation. ESRB rating mentions those platforms now:

https://www.esrb.org/search/?searchKeyword=Final%2...

That's great news, and overdue!

Anyone start Crisis Core? I haven't heard or read anything yet ... don't want to. Hoping to wrap up with God of War this weekend and start this.

Haven't bought it yet. I heard it's supposed to perform well on the Steam Deck, so I'll probably be buying it for PC

I'm not going to be able to start it until next month. I picked it up on Steam so I can do all the one-off training missions on the go.

I'm playing Crisis Core on switch, works great

Installing CC now, just realized I didn't get the prebuy DLC on either my PS5 or Switch purchases (so I could get the Steelbooks).

Looks like a known issue with Best Buy pre-orders, fun!

MrBean wrote:

Check your email, i got an email on the 13th at like 1am with it from BestBuyInfo@emailinfo.bestbuy.com

brian9824 wrote:

I've been looking, I have a ton of emails from them, do you have the subject of the email?

Thanks

MrBean wrote:

Yeah it was - Redeem your Nintendo digital product

When you view your order on best buy's site do you see the item Final Fantasy Crisis Core Digital Pre Order Bonus Offer - Nintendo Switch as part of your order?

Also i mean worst case its kinda a nothing DLC, just some materia you can get early that you can easily get later.

brian9824 wrote:


Dang, not finding that email.

No, i don't see that as part of the order. I pre-bought when they were offering steel books, but later added the DLC. Found some posts on the web talking about this and some have found success contacting BB. I just DM'd them, see if that goes anywhere before talking to someone on the phone.

Thanks

FFXII CE is 40% off (only Steam version available): https://store.na.square-enix-games.com/en_US/produ...

I have the PS4 version unopened, but I picked this up ... I'd like to have the stellbook and statues displayed, and having on Steam may be a push to get me to re-play it again as I still haven't finished Zodiac Age, only the original release - in which I feel like I didn't give it any justice. I barely touched the gambit system and opted to do it all manually. Thought at the time that it was lame and took away from the gameplay. I'd love to revisit it now and make it work properly.

MrBean wrote:

Yeah if its not showing in your order you'll have to ask them about it. I mean if you don't get it its literally just 3 materia that will break the early game that you can easily get later, so you aren't missing something. You can get infinite copies of them later, just get them earlier via the DLC

Ahh Crisis Core. Probably won't pick it up until it's $20 or less. I played the original on PSP.

Modulating...MODULATING...

The Pixel Remasters are getting a physical release, apparently exclusive to the SE store:

https://store.na.square-enix-games.com/en_US/produ...

Releasing in Spring.

Hm $75 for all 6 for standard edition is better then I was expecting TBH

Of course, first time in ages we get to sleep in on a Sunday... Missed the standard. The anniversary editions are still available, which actually looks pretty cool.

You can still join a waiting list for the standard edition. All of these will be available separately digitally, so I’ll probably just get FFVI when it drops. Then get the others later when they’re half off since SE games go on sale a lot.

BloodPuppetX wrote:

I don’t recommend buying this because if Square Enix is just as craptacular as Bandai Namco or NIS America, if anything goes wrong with your order, y’all are gonna get ripped off.

Also CEs are fudging stupid

DarkFact wrote:

Not as stupid as store exclusive standard editions

Well, okay, but one ick doesn't excuse the other. At least one's still standard price.

I don't buy collector's editions anymore, but I really can't stand pack-ins with partial soundtracks.

"Sure, we're perfectly capable of producing a soundtrack, but if you're willing to pay this much for a box of crap, you'll probably pay full price for a full soundtrack as well."

DarkFact wrote:

I don't care if Collector's Editions exist honestly. They are there for the people that want them and it's a great way for a company to make a little more money without adversely affecting my gaming experience with the Poor Schmuck Edition.

Thinkin of firing up Final Fantasy Tactics again. I never beat it, and the beginning of the game reminds of Christmas time for obvious snowy reasons.

theJaw wrote:

I've been holding out hope they'll remaster it like Tactics Ogre.

MrBean wrote:

Never played Tactics Ogre. Worth a go?

Yepppp

Pixel remasters are up again.

https://twitter.com/wario64/status/160526478175293...

Damn, too slow ... both gone again

So I picked up FFXII Zodiac Age CE on sale, Steam edition (largely to get the statues). Yet, now this is making me want to play it.

I played and finished FFXII on release a lifetime ago. Started the Zodiac Age when it was released on Switch, only got a few hours in.

Anyone play this on PC? Any mods worthwhile to look in to before I get underway?

Still not sure If I'll play this or Crisis Core first, but I've always looked forward to revisiting XII.

Also, random side note as I know nothing about Zodiac Age. I remember way back when, one of the best weapons (a spear?) was missed if you opened some early chest in the game (thank you guides back then!). Is that still a thing in this re-release?

Thanks!

Lots of QoL changes. I do recall there was a glitch with a weapon due to the chest mechanics- that’s fixed. One of the best changes is you get two boards / classes per toon (12 classes) now instead of only one shareable to all and only 6 classes. Also trial mode- if you get to the last level you fight all 12 judges at once.

Feeb wrote:

Please tell me they called this the "Supreme Court" fight.

I feel like I'm way out of the loop here. What's the deal with these Pixel remasters? Are they any good? What all did they update? Most importantly, which version of FFIV did they remaster?

Renaissance2K wrote:

Not sure why I said 12. There were 5 I think. I just had xii on the mind.

Scott wrote:

All the games are based on their original releases. They don't include any of the new mechanics, bonus dungeons, or other original content from the GBA, PSP, DS, or mobile ports. There's a theory that it'll be released as DLC at some point, but I would have expected that announcement by now.

It's all new 16-bit-ish sprite art, and the translations have been refreshed, but otherwise, the gameplay content remains virtually unchanged, except for some minor tweaks and bug fixes. The soundtracks have all gotten a major overhaul with a modern instrumentation, and what I've heard so far is pretty amazing. Digital Foundry has complained about an odd refresh rate and slowdown, which seems inexcusable, but I don't know how serious it is.

The biggest sin so far, other than the missing bonus content, seems to be the default font. Square used the same font for English text as for Japanese, so it's ridiculously narrow and wastes a ton of space. If you're on PC, you can easily swap it out.

The one change I appreciated most from the NES to GBA conversion of FF1 was that if your selected enemy target was dead when you attacked it, then you would attack another one instead of the dead one while "INEFFECTIVE" appeared on screen.

They left the option in to change it back but I don't know of anyone who did

I think that's considered a bug that was fixed.

There was also a peninsula in FF1 that was supercharged with powerful monsters, which people used for quick leveling. It's stayed that way through a bunch of re-releases, but because it was originally a bug, I think they removed it from this version.

Scott wrote:

These are remakes. They're identical to one another, these aren't remasters, the soundtracks, pixel artwork and UNFORTUNATELY THE FONTS are all new.

I never finished Crisis Core on PSP. I remember just not liking it. Finally starting Reunion and I'm not sure I'll stick with it. The acting is awful, the combat is repetitive... I dunno, is it worth it?

"Activating Combat Mode" God I wish I could shut that off.

I mean, the combat doesn't have any hidden latent progressions. If you're not down with it now you won't be for another X hours

I feel like I need to see the story, given the whole remake of the 7 series. Sure I could YT it... But at least it doesn't seem all that long. Maybe I'll try to avoid all the side stuff and try to focus on the story.

Kinda want to go play XII or be a complete idiot and goto XIV.

I haven’t tried the newest XIV expansion. Overwhelming amount of new content. Too much other new stuff to get stuck in that.

If I ever had spare cash month-to-month, I’d be all over FFXIV. Always wanted to get into that game.

6 hours in, Crisis Core is growing on me. Except for Zack... Man he reminds me of Tidus. Whiny and annoying. They clearly were influenced by Luke and Anakin.

Shame that the graphics didn't get as much love as FF7. Still good, but feels... I don't know, rushed/compressed in comparison.

The materia fusion system is awesome. Love all the dark spells. Just watched the Genesis and Sephiroth battle, that was fun.

MrBean wrote:

I really want to start this but I’m hooked on Ys VIII again and monster hunter incoming.

I know it’s not necessarily a Final Fantasy, but the remastered Legend of Mana is $15 on the eshop right now and I’m very much thinking if snagging it.

Anyone have it? Is it good stuff?

So I got a Crisis Core Reunion for myself on PS5 and one for my daughter on Switch. She's always expressed interest in Final Fantasy, she just prefers to play things in handheld Switch mode so she's mostly just watched me play Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which sparked her interest in Crisis Core. She finished Crisis Core today and now she wants to play more Final Fantasy but she wants them all for Switch, and to look/run great! Lol. I got lucky and found a FFX/X-2 physical cartridge for Switch today, she seems to be interested in that one mostly next.

I like Crisis Core Reunion, but DAMN, I find myself just doing the Missions nonstop because I feel like I need to be at 100% on them, but then in boss fights I feel a bit overleveled lol. It is a fun game, but Zack is definitely not at the top of my favorite FF characters list.

akfa wrote:

Yep, same sentiment here. The missions drove me away from the game the first time around. Yet, I do like the QoL upgrades with the 5 sets you can configure. I find myself shuffling this a bit to make it easier to keep leveling up materias.

Still, Zack sucks, the missions are boring/repetitive, and I'm definitely over-leveled.

That's awesome that your daughter's getting into them! Oh man, FFX ... Tidus and that annoying voice/laugh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H47ow4_Cmk0

MrBean wrote:

Yeah, I haven't had a tough boss fight yet. Last night I did the mission to defeat 1000 Shinra soldiers. Jesus. Takes forever because only so many load in at a time lol

As for Tidus, I think my kids going to like him, she thinks Zack is the COOLEST character related to FF7.

So I'm at the point where it appears that I'm at the end of the game (they warn me about completing missions).

I'm at 40% done on the missions. I haven't infused any materia yet. Have tons leveled to master. Is it really worth the extra grind or just go finish?

I'm at 15 or so hours, kinda want to move on but I definitely would like to see all of the end game materia. Are dozens of hours worth it or move onto another game? I'm assuming I've missed plat as some were tied to chapters.

Plague Tale, Witcher 3, Sonic Frontiers, Dead Space are probably current top contenders for next up.

MrBean wrote:

Shelve it and put in Ys VIII

Well, looks like I had quite a bit more to go. Just wrapped up Crisis Core. Ended up enjoying it much more than I thought and now realize I shouldn't have bailed on it years ago.

Yet as always though, some really funky and stupid story points and horrible voice acting. Still, was great to finally go through this part of the story.

I haven't yet read on what's changed from original vs. this, but being that we're seeing changes to the original FF7, it's safe to assume that some of this has changed. The ending had me confused ... I need to Google.

Feeb wrote:


Never played them, always wanted to.

Not sure now's the time to jump in. I really want to revisit FFXII, but think it may be time to finally jump into Witcher 3.

I'm all for a FFIX, Vagrant Story, or Chrono Cross remaster... But can we please focus on and finish FFVII?

Honestly curios what this is being that XVI lands this year.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/final-fantasy-pr...

MrBean wrote:

Equally awesome games in my book. You can’t go wrong. You need to experience ys viii for sure though.

Think I've decided to go with FFXII: The Zodiac Age - and on PC (I started it on Switch when it first came out, already forgot what I did there).

Anyone else play on PC and have mods they recommend? The Struggle for Freedom (https://www.nexusmods.com/finalfantasy12/mods/59) -- seems pretty solid, tons of changes that appear to be positive and geared towards QoL and positive difficulty enhancements. I always debate whether or not I should use mods on games like this, but if they truly enhance the experience ... than I think it's worth it.

I really don't see having the time to play TZA vanilla, then another mods play through, so want to make this one count.

Ugh, multiple exclusive editions... Again.

https://twitter.com/Wario64/status/161149288501019...

I went with Best Buy for the 2 steelbooks. My Walmart $69.99 price error preorder got cancelled like everyone else.

Why oh why can they not just focus on FFVII? Stop with all the spin-offs and distractions!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIaCp_AZjsg

After finishing Crisis Core, I've come to realize that I don't know if I really remember or understand the original FF7 story. Between the spinoff, movie, remake, it's all kind of confusing.

This showed up in my YT feed and was entertaining, still need something that better brings the whole ecosystem together. Yet with the Remake, who knows how it'll all change.

https://youtu.be/D36jDxsEcKQ

Yah I feel like FF7 is infamous for its long, convoluted story haha

theJaw wrote:

I thought it was infamous for the emotionless protagonist with spiky blonde hair and big sword, Tifa and her assets and the silver-haired baddie with huge long sword.

No, that's what it's FAMOUS for, silly.

For those that are unaware, the Retro Talkshop Thread is playing Final Fantasy VI this month, if anybody else would like to join in.

Renaissance2K wrote:

Just got a new charger for my og PSP 1001, so maybe I'll give it a go. I'm certain I have it on there somewhere, what with all the emulation and whatnot.

You can emulate it, and Final Fantasy Anthology is available as a psOne Classic, though you probably have to jump through some hoops now to buy it.

Didn't know where else to post this so eff it: I started getting back into Suikoden II. I rented it waaay back in the PS1 days and played the very start of it but never finished. Still, it left a big impression on me. Now I'm playing that version via my PSP and gosh darn, what a game. The animation is beautiful for a 2D RPG, especially in the battles. I love that it's still turn based but sometimes the characters will just attack at the same time, and that the camera changes up throughout. I just wish I knew where the fudge to go.

Also: I'm gonna start up the GBA version of FFVI soon because I hear the translations are better in that one. Pretty pumped.

Nice to have that JRPG itch back again.

To this day I'm still angry at myself for never giving Suikoden a shot. Always wanted to. Have the first 3, and got them when they were released, in the midst of pothead days.

How bad/good have they aged?

MrBean wrote:

From what I’ve played of Suikdoen II (the only one I’ve played) I’d say it has aged incredibly well. It looks and plays better than some modern day 2D RPGs tbh.

tonymack21 wrote:
I just got the FF Tactics ones and they’re quite nice.

Tim81DE wrote:


are they bring arts or play arts/play arts kai? the bring arts line is pretty decent, but the kai's for the price were pretty awful. 150 bucks and fugly as hell and poor quality. i have some stuff i still need to unload, i am never amassing "stuff" ever again, its such a hassle when you decide its time for it to go.

https://twitter.com/Wario64/status/162787299855973...

I feel bad for anyone buying that on console on not being able to change the font.

I thought the Collection sold out almost immediately everywhere, but it looks like it's still available through that link @MrBean posted a couple posts above. Was that a different version or something?

Scott wrote:

Assuming it can play in English (?) but it's the Asian version available. Still bat crap that they haven't restocked the standard edition in the states.

Most all Play Asia releases have English. It's just whether or not you're anal about collecting non NTSC versions.

MrBean wrote:

It missed Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy Mystic quest (i won't count the portable GBA ones either)

I don’t think I thought of star wars a single time through all those games.

Final Fantasy XII has strong Star Wars vibes, but not the others. I think Emperor Palpatine is the default "evil emperor" for a lot of folks, though.

We’re not quite ready to reveal the launch date for the FINAL FANTASY PIXEL REMASTER Series on console, (currently listed tentatively for May 31st) but we can tell you it’s fast approaching. For our teams to process your order so you receive your FINAL FANTASY I-VI Collection /FINAL FANTASY I-VI PIXEL REMASTER -FF35TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION in time for launch, we will need to start taking payment starting Wednesday, April 5, 2023.

If they were gonna do anything with the older FF games, they should've just remade them with the HD-2D graphic style like Octopath Traveler. I can especially imagine FFVI looking incredible with that style.

theJaw wrote:

The opera scene in ff6 has some of the 2d hd stuff

Yah I guess a bit, but nowhere near the way Octopath does it. At least from what I remember.

Pixel Remaster console release just got moved from May 31st to April 19th.

Torn on whether to play on Sony or Nintendo. Those games were from the Nintendo era, so Switch feels like the right choice. Seems like there were less made for PS4 though? Between eBay pricing and random reads, odd that they would produce less of one over the other if at all true.

The anniversary edition is quite cool, but I wish the pixel figures would have been a bit expanded. The 8 characters are solid, but needed to be doubled. Oh well.

Wow, it's been 3 years since FF7 remake? Christ. Get a move on with part 2!

https://twitter.com/wario64/status/164662866976138...

Just saw it.

Thanks... Now I need the GameStop version too, dicks.

Wait, nope, already got that one in June!

Pixel Remaster Anniversary Edition shipped today! Man I want to play these but they'll be back logged for a while...

MrBean wrote:

If they don’t produce more physical copies I’d keep that sealed. Only 2-3 of those i’d actually play anyway- I’d go digital. I regret not buying one a copy.

I went back and forth between pre-ordering it back when it was up but figured FFVI would be the only one I actually bothered playing all the way through. I've played them all back in the day. Not sure if I beat any of them (maybe a couple), but VI was the one I liked most and I know I didn't beat that one, so it's the only one I really have any urge to revisit.

Feeb wrote:

I do own them on PC as well, so it's kinda silly to open the CE ... BUT ... I'd prefer to play on console, and display the figurines. Still, they're selling quite well now, and yeah they'll prob be more valuable later. Yet, I'm a sucker for display fodder and those 8bit characters are sweet! haha

I wish I knew they were all going to have platinum trophies on PS4. I just beat Final Fantasy on PS3 via the Origins collection.

Crisis Core missions are a helluva drug.

My play-asia copy of the pixel remaster should be shipping soon for switch. The perfect console to play em on. Still stupid how Square did limited stock on these...

Pixel Remaster stock is available, but queues are up.

MrBean wrote:

Waited through the q to be told they’re all gone. Don’t be me.

Welp, guess I should actually play the game now, or something...

#ccff7r

@Renaissance2K is that finishing all missions? If so, gdamn, and congrats! There's just too many!

Nah, it's not every mission - I just started Chapter 4, so >45% of the missions are still locked - but it's the final superboss mission, which is oddly available before many of the other easier missions.

Since I've played through Crisis Core on PSP, I wanted to try finishing whatever missions I could as they became available, and then I'd work on the campaign when I ran out or when the remaining missions got too hard. Well, because of the way damage scales in this game (you'll die pretty fast if you're hit by something way above your level, but you can still deal decent damage until then), I never hit that "missions got too hard" point.

The superboss is wildly more difficult than anything else leading up to it, but I took an hour to pump my HP and my SPR ratings, and managed to eke out a win. The reward is worth it.

Reward for beating her is ok at first but pretty crazy later.

I no longer have sympathy for the physical only kids, at this point it's just hilarious how stupid y'all clearly are, and how much money you have that you don't need. Go off.

image

DarkFact wrote:

I bought 8.

Feeb wrote:


How much did the anniversary edition retail for?

Kommie wrote:

Most Asian countries follow the NTSC standard. I see a lot of people throw around NTSC and PAL without knowing what they mean. For example, a portable game cannot be NTSC or PAL, because those are television standards, yet every European Game Boy game on Price Charting is listed as PAL.

nonamesleft wrote:

$305 post tax + shipping.

Torn on whether to open mine or not.

Is it really a physical copy or is it just part of the game and you gotta download the rest? In which case, I might as well go Digital on the Pixel Remasters when I'm ready to get them.

MrBean wrote:
Would you play through the games?

I wouldnt. Aren't these available as singles, like they released on Steam years ago? Just buy one as you're ready to play it, maybe wait for a sale. Some day you may be able to sell the sealed product investment at break even with inflation before the economy crashes.

I think only the singles are available on steam - which I do have them. Just something about playing these kind of games on Console is more appealing.

You can buy them piecemeal on PSN:

https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP0082...

The switch is probably the same.

I mean if you want the physical version i just bought the play asia version. Same price as buying the digital copies, but i have the ability to re-sell.

But will you????????? I f I only wanted to play 6, paying $75 for 6 games when I only want one makes no sense.

You won’t have a problem selling these.

LRG "investors" say the same thing.

They are wrong.

I need to look in my Steam account... It's possible I bought them already and forgot about it. I'd really like to get console though as I hardly play PC games with a controller. Thinking of doing it for the PS4 if I don't already own them.

Plus the PC gets the based FF6 SNES font fix that console gamers will never get. Very sad

I heard lots of complaints on that. Never actually saw it.

The font is awful, glad I played on PC and fixed it

Font is pretty ghoulish.

image


Fixed:
image

"native font for pixel remaster" would be a better way to call it.

There's gotta be some legal reason they can't just use the font, it 100% can't just be developer stubbornness. Not when it was this easy to fix. Like, the SNES font must be owned by a third party that refuses to release it to Square or something.

DarkFact wrote:

Square are probably too cheap to pay for it

Clearly they have the money, just don't want to.

My playasia copy of Pixel Remasters got delayed to end of month. Missed the first batch by a day. Oh well no rush

Finally watched an unboxing of the Anniversary Edition ... I'm gonna have to open one.

On the upside, the Anniversary Edition, is not console specific (as the games are packaged seperately within the outter box). So opening one of two of the Anniversary Editions, allows me to keep the games unopened, simply open the extras. The 8bit figures look awesome for display! Next house, I'll probably do something with the vinyl too.

I spent most of last month grinding through Crisis Core Reunion and closed the book on it tonight. 46/51 Steam achievements, including all 300 missions. Turns out blowing through every available mission, including the super boss, when you're only a third of the way through the game turns the rest of it into a cakewalk.

With the Steam Deck, I'm going to try to get those last five achievements. Ignoring Catzilla (not a game) and Drop That Beat Like an Ugly Baby, this will be the first Steam game I 100%.

3 weeks to go until XVI!

FF7 Rebirth

https://youtu.be/HkD8BCCYsS0

Gonna be 2 discs. Reminding me of the old PS1 FF days.

FF7 Ever Crisis

https://en.ffviiec.com/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_me...

Demo for XVI

https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP0082...

Downloading the demo now. Definitely playing through it later today.

Looks like your progress carries over into the full game, so I might check this out later.

The demo progress carries over? That's pretty awesome! I'm gonna hold off for now though, way too into Diablo!

Supposedly my Collectors Edition already shipped and will be here this week ... a bit ahead of schedule. Sadly, it's for the shelf and I'm gonna play the digital edition.

Jesus this mature attempt at FF is very cringe so far. Definitely going to feel off without an element of cartoony fun and target of younger players.

Maybe it’ll lighten up a bit.

Final Fantasy had always been pretty corny and campy. HAHAHAHA

But it’s got cactus dudes and funny thieves/ I’ve never heard a character call someone a cock either.

The overdramatic nature of XV was one of my main criticisms for that game. Still to this day IX is peak FF for me, as far as tone goes. Perfect mix of fantasy, comedy, drama, and atmosphere. Just a ton of fun to exist in that world.

I don’t think there’s a gold saucer or happy beach town in this new universe. I’m open to surprises.

I've been largely ignoring everything related to XVI in anticipation of release.

Just watched the below trailer. Feeling a bit nervous now. Visually it looks incredible, of course. Gameplay seems fast and modern, ok I guess (give us a good ol turn base again!).

Just... Kinda giving some strangers of Paradise vibes. Like they clearly heard the feedback from XV (emo boy band) and are trying too hard to go with a mature theme. The characters, voices, acting, etc. I'm optimistic it's going to be amazing but like most JRPGs, this feels like it may be over emphasized to the point of being comical.

I didn't finish SoP though, wish I would have.

CHAOS!

https://youtu.be/iaJ4VVFGIa8

The demo has been pretty enjoyable to me. I like the gameplay, the feel, better than I thought I would. Hard to pull off diablo though :]

Played some of the demo.... It's actually pretty good so far. Combat was fun, doesn't have the metrosexual boy band road trip vibe of XV at all.

I didn’t make it to the actual gameplay yet.

Got my copy of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster from Play-Asia and really enjoying the quality of life features and cheats like being able to increase XP, Gil, turn off encounters, etc.

So tempted to start at midnight tonight ...

Anyone else taking some time off work for this one? I am!

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