I bought it two months ago during my business trip to the US. I wanted something pretty for my PSP, and it did look pretty.
They tried to incorporate a pachinko-style concept into the game. For those of you unfamiliar with pachinko, it's an incredibly popular Japanese game where you try to shoot hundreds of little metal balls up a vertical shute and have them drip down into special holes, all while bouncing off a bunch of little metal pins in the process.
The game has become very digitized in Japan in the last decade or so, and there are hundreds of themes that go at the same time. Many have a 3 digit slot that is contantly spinning and stopping. It is always activated by the little pachinko balls that successfully drop into the main hole at the center of the machine.
Back to Crisis Core, this is the system they tried to incorporate. In every battle there is an annoying slot system working and affecting your battles. Summoning is controlled by random slot rolls, in addition to certain status and bonus effects. Every time you randomly do a summon, you can't speed it up or slow it down either, subjecting you to the long and masturbatory Square-Enix "HAY guys look at our pretty graphic designs!!!111one!"
What's even worse is that your level ups are determined by these slots. When you kill enemies, you gain experience, but you don't see it; it is a hidden stat. Once you have enough exp for a level up, the slot bar has a *chance* of giving you a level up. It is not guaranteed. You can potentially have the EXP for several levels without actually getting a level up. Level ups are determined by fucking chance. Materia level ups are the same.
Finally, if you do not talk to occasional random idiots standing in corners down specific alleys during this or that time, you can permanently miss certain magics, abilities, and items. I absolutely hate it when games do this.
$40 bucks well spent. Sigh. I used to love Square. I used to love Enix. But not so much anymore.
Ha! One of the guys at my work actually bought a PSP just to play Crisis Core. He ran out and bought a PSP and Crisis Core on lunch break came back and played it for a few minutes. Then he was going to get back to work and tried to save and it was all "Please insert memory card." So he bought the game, a PSP, and a memory card to play it and found out it was actually kinda crappy.
I wonder about my coworkers on a regular basis. The other programmer decided it was a good idea to spend $2,000 he didn't have on a TV...
EDIT: The guy who bought the TV shortly thereafter broke his wrist the day after his insurance expired.
I don't know why so many people here dislike the numbered Final Fantasy games. You don't like Japanese RPGs? They're too popular? I didn't really enjoy the DS remake of 3 that much, but I enjoyed IV, VI, VII, IX, and XII. They're not all at the pinnacle of gaming (VI is for me, but just that one). But I thought they were fun.
I can see disliking them for their format, if that's not your thing. If you're a big fan of action games, it makes sense that you'd dislike them. If you're a fan of hardcore strategy RPGs, then that would make sense too. But it doesn't seem like that's necessarily the case... so if you could, could each of you point out specific and legitimate reasons why you dislike them so much? I'm curious.
I really didn't like IV because I thought the story was just stupid. Mostly Kain switching sides roughly 6 times and random characters pointlessly killing themselves for no reason (only to come back with no explanation). The story didn't grab or immerse me at all, and the battle system wasn't too special either. Though I did really enjoy FFX, which I know most people didn't, so make of that what you will.
I don't like the games because their plots are uninspired (uh oh, a crazy guy wants to destroy the Universe!) and their characters are either underdeveloped or unlikable (or both). I despise the Active Time Battle system because it adds unnecessary real-time aspects to turn-based gameplay, basically punishing the player for not issuing commands quickly enough; the Active Dimension Battle system isn't much better as it allows you to automate the entire battle process, ostensibly to get you through them more quickly to see the next cutscene. FFIX's story was so boring I felt no impetus to complete it, and in a series that boasts sweeping cinematic FMVs, that's a very bad thing. I very much do enjoy a good RPG, but the numbered FF titles are not good RPGs.
Why am I supposed to like 3D FF games anyway? Because one guy totally has a sword that is also a gun? Because another guy has ridiculous spiky blonde hair? Because you have to waste time playing Blitzball? Sorry, but that shit doesn't stand.
Here starts a whole post of playing devil's advocate...I feel like stirring up some conversation. Feel free to shoot me down if I err in my logic.
I do absolutely love that game.
But I still feel like criticisms in the vein of those above could be leveled against it.
Silent protagonist.
Same basic layout as the first game (find fortress, recruit 108 Stars of Destiny, save world).
Random battles.
But, you know... I always have to remember that nostalgia plays a huge part in how I view games I played when I was younger.
I wonder if I could experience the Final Fantasies for the first time, I would dislike them as much as you guys do.
I don't THINK I would... there's things in those games that I find genuinely fun. Yes, the storylines are not amazingly nuanced high literary art, and sometimes the minigames do get a little tedious (I loved Blitzball, though). But I still think the games are fun. I enjoyed searching out every ultimate weapon in Final Fantasy VII, and I enjoyed the creepy vibe you got throughout the game. And despite the over-generalization of the plot you gave, Mario, there are some elements of the plots that I still think are kinda cool. Sephiroth wanted to become a god, Tidus was just a memory, and in XII your team of adventurers were just cogs in a greater machine, instead of a lone band of fighters taking on the powers of darkness.
And leveling up and growing your characters from weakness to strength is just something that I find fun. It's not useful, it's not profound, but I enjoy it, and I like that the Final Fantasy games let you take your time and relax while you're doing it. Sometimes I just feel like relaxing.
But, to restate, I understand that they are, mostly, not perfect games. There are games with better storylines, better battle systems, and more likeable characters. And in my old age now, where I don't get to play games that often, when I'm trying to find new games I'm much more discerning. But when I was in high school and junior high, and had a lot of time, those games were enjoyable to me, and will always hold a place in my heart.
Phew, rant. I think what set it off was people yelling how much these games suck. How terrible they are. Honestly, are they TERRIBLE? I don't think so. They are coherent games that can be enjoyed by people with a bit of patience. Not everyone might like them, but they don't SUCK. Save those kinds of criticism for games that actually suck, like Superman 64. Games that are broken, incoherent, or horribly made. Instead, just say that you don't like this game because X. That works much better.
Somebody had me download that 'Perfect World' MMORPG that you see in the banner ads on all the websites, and while it seemed to have potential as a badly translated WoW imitator, I couldn't keep going because you can't use the arrow keys to move, and I hold the mouse with my left hand so I couldn't use the WASD without twisting my body around in strange ways.
Wanna know a game I played for like five minutes then never again?
That's right, Mario Kart Wii, because none of you feckers thought it'd be a good idea to buy it, all swooning over Brawl. All I wanna do is be able to redshell you bitches
I drove around town and checked 11 stores today trying to get Mario Kart. Every store carried it and none of them had it in stock. Just a thought, but maybe this might be part of the problem?
World of Warcraft. I missed being able to build little towns, and didn't like this "run anywhere the hell you want!" thing. Ugh. Too good for the barracks, eh grunt?
Children of Mana, oddly, I finished. Something satisfactory about playing the same level over, and over, and over. Never touching it again.
I actually dedicated a good chunk of my life a few months back to World of Warcraft, but I stopped shortly before hitting lev. 40 with my warrior.
I played mostly solo, because my friends at work were all Lev. 70, and I had trouble grouping with random people online. I type Chinese slowly as it is, and I had trouble understanding them. You know how some people typ lik this cuz they h8t typng? I think they have Chinese internet speak, and it blows my mind the fuck away.
Or maybe I'm just dumb. Either or.
Although I did like the economy of the servers. I got a good feel for the average prices of certain goods, and I started reeling in money. I broke 100 gold sometime around lev. 35.
I raid Black Temple, but I doubt my guild will get to Illidan before the expansion. I had never played a Blizzard game before WoW, but now I'm working on beating Warcraft II.
I've never beaten Starcraft, but I need to get into it. I just really suck at RTS, but there's a good chance it will come out while I'm still in China, so I need to make sure I last longer than five minutes. My endurance sucks, and I tend to lose it after a few minutes. Although sometimes I just can't wait, and I just blow my load all at once after a few furious rushes.
Ok. I still don't care for FF7 though. I guess I might have liked the materia system if I had played it long enough to get into it, but then I've played some Path of Exile which I believe uses a similar system.
As far as the topic goes I've had my friends get a game once and say "This game is terrible. It is NOT worth $10. You should buy it." I then bought it and we played it for the rest of the day even though it was pretty bad.
That was my thing to do with rentals. We'd rent a game and play it nonstop in a weekend, getting 20+ hours into it, regardless of how good it was. We found some really horrible awesome games doing that.
Yeah, you do have to either get some half obscure treasures or wait a while for the game to give you the decent support materia, there's no shenanigans without the support materia.
On a similar topic, I wish Path of Exile had more interesting support materia.
Edit: Having read the rest of the thread. I agree that the Active Time Bar system is fucking garbage and just punishes you for thinking your actions through.
Comments
I bought it two months ago during my business trip to the US. I wanted something pretty for my PSP, and it did look pretty.
They tried to incorporate a pachinko-style concept into the game. For those of you unfamiliar with pachinko, it's an incredibly popular Japanese game where you try to shoot hundreds of little metal balls up a vertical shute and have them drip down into special holes, all while bouncing off a bunch of little metal pins in the process.
The game has become very digitized in Japan in the last decade or so, and there are hundreds of themes that go at the same time. Many have a 3 digit slot that is contantly spinning and stopping. It is always activated by the little pachinko balls that successfully drop into the main hole at the center of the machine.
Back to Crisis Core, this is the system they tried to incorporate. In every battle there is an annoying slot system working and affecting your battles. Summoning is controlled by random slot rolls, in addition to certain status and bonus effects. Every time you randomly do a summon, you can't speed it up or slow it down either, subjecting you to the long and masturbatory Square-Enix "HAY guys look at our pretty graphic designs!!!111one!"
What's even worse is that your level ups are determined by these slots. When you kill enemies, you gain experience, but you don't see it; it is a hidden stat. Once you have enough exp for a level up, the slot bar has a *chance* of giving you a level up. It is not guaranteed. You can potentially have the EXP for several levels without actually getting a level up. Level ups are determined by fucking chance. Materia level ups are the same.
Finally, if you do not talk to occasional random idiots standing in corners down specific alleys during this or that time, you can permanently miss certain magics, abilities, and items. I absolutely hate it when games do this.
$40 bucks well spent. Sigh. I used to love Square. I used to love Enix. But not so much anymore.
I wonder about my coworkers on a regular basis. The other programmer decided it was a good idea to spend $2,000 he didn't have on a TV...
EDIT: The guy who bought the TV shortly thereafter broke his wrist the day after his insurance expired.
I can see disliking them for their format, if that's not your thing. If you're a big fan of action games, it makes sense that you'd dislike them. If you're a fan of hardcore strategy RPGs, then that would make sense too. But it doesn't seem like that's necessarily the case... so if you could, could each of you point out specific and legitimate reasons why you dislike them so much? I'm curious.
Why am I supposed to like 3D FF games anyway? Because one guy totally has a sword that is also a gun? Because another guy has ridiculous spiky blonde hair? Because you have to waste time playing Blitzball? Sorry, but that shit doesn't stand.
Also, what would you call a "good RPG?"
I do absolutely love that game.
But I still feel like criticisms in the vein of those above could be leveled against it.
Silent protagonist.
Same basic layout as the first game (find fortress, recruit 108 Stars of Destiny, save world).
Random battles.
But, you know... I always have to remember that nostalgia plays a huge part in how I view games I played when I was younger.
I wonder if I could experience the Final Fantasies for the first time, I would dislike them as much as you guys do.
I don't THINK I would... there's things in those games that I find genuinely fun. Yes, the storylines are not amazingly nuanced high literary art, and sometimes the minigames do get a little tedious (I loved Blitzball, though). But I still think the games are fun. I enjoyed searching out every ultimate weapon in Final Fantasy VII, and I enjoyed the creepy vibe you got throughout the game. And despite the over-generalization of the plot you gave, Mario, there are some elements of the plots that I still think are kinda cool. Sephiroth wanted to become a god, Tidus was just a memory, and in XII your team of adventurers were just cogs in a greater machine, instead of a lone band of fighters taking on the powers of darkness.
And leveling up and growing your characters from weakness to strength is just something that I find fun. It's not useful, it's not profound, but I enjoy it, and I like that the Final Fantasy games let you take your time and relax while you're doing it. Sometimes I just feel like relaxing.
But, to restate, I understand that they are, mostly, not perfect games. There are games with better storylines, better battle systems, and more likeable characters. And in my old age now, where I don't get to play games that often, when I'm trying to find new games I'm much more discerning. But when I was in high school and junior high, and had a lot of time, those games were enjoyable to me, and will always hold a place in my heart.
Phew, rant. I think what set it off was people yelling how much these games suck. How terrible they are. Honestly, are they TERRIBLE? I don't think so. They are coherent games that can be enjoyed by people with a bit of patience. Not everyone might like them, but they don't SUCK. Save those kinds of criticism for games that actually suck, like Superman 64. Games that are broken, incoherent, or horribly made. Instead, just say that you don't like this game because X. That works much better.
Chrono Trigger.
Greatest RPG of all time.
I think that qualifies as twisting your body in strange ways.
I drove around town and checked 11 stores today trying to get Mario Kart. Every store carried it and none of them had it in stock. Just a thought, but maybe this might be part of the problem?
Children of Mana, oddly, I finished. Something satisfactory about playing the same level over, and over, and over. Never touching it again.
I played mostly solo, because my friends at work were all Lev. 70, and I had trouble grouping with random people online. I type Chinese slowly as it is, and I had trouble understanding them. You know how some people typ lik this cuz they h8t typng? I think they have Chinese internet speak, and it blows my mind the fuck away.
Or maybe I'm just dumb. Either or.
Although I did like the economy of the servers. I got a good feel for the average prices of certain goods, and I started reeling in money. I broke 100 gold sometime around lev. 35.
A noble pursuit. Godspeed through Lordaeron!
It should probably have had more excaimation points in the name.
Sadly, I think I made the very same map. Gotta love trees.
DBD hasn't been here in years either, but wtf. FF6 was the best RPG of all time, your opinion is bad, DBD. You glorious, wonderful bastard.
As far as the topic goes I've had my friends get a game once and say "This game is terrible. It is NOT worth $10. You should buy it." I then bought it and we played it for the rest of the day even though it was pretty bad.
On a similar topic, I wish Path of Exile had more interesting support materia.
Edit: Having read the rest of the thread. I agree that the Active Time Bar system is fucking garbage and just punishes you for thinking your actions through.