I sort of put SC on hold so I can play FE Echoes. I dislike playing more than one story-focused game at a time, but the two chapters I'd played of SC up to that point were completely excellent. Looking forward to getting back to it after this. Hopefully I can squeeze it in before FFXII HD.
Taking kind of a gamble, but I just ordered bother CS games for Vita despite playing TitS FC for about 10 or so hours and not really getting into it. I've been looking for something to fill the void that Persona 5 left, I just haven't felt too compelled to play anything else since I finished it. Here's hoping I'm able to get into the series this time around.
As long as it distracts me enough from buying a $130 P5 pvc figure, that's fine too lol.
Taking kind of a gamble, but I just ordered bother CS games for Vita despite playing TitS FC for about 10 or so hours and not really getting into it. I've been looking for something to fill the void that Persona 5 left, I just haven't felt too compelled to play anything else since I finished it. Here's hoping I'm able to get into the series this time around.
As long as it distracts me enough from buying a $130 P5 pvc figure, that's fine too lol.
makes you feel better, I couldnt get into FC and did get into CS games first. Of course keep in mind CS and persona might appear similar on the surface due to the school setting and being able to spend time with friends but they are different type of games. Regardless its a slow burn IMO.
Taking kind of a gamble, but I just ordered bother CS games for Vita despite playing TitS FC for about 10 or so hours and not really getting into it. I've been looking for something to fill the void that Persona 5 left, I just haven't felt too compelled to play anything else since I finished it. Here's hoping I'm able to get into the series this time around.
As long as it distracts me enough from buying a $130 P5 pvc figure, that's fine too lol.
I found CS much easier to get into compared to FC too. Apart from a lull 40 hours in because of a certain location you visit, I barreled right through CS1 and 2.
FC is great once you find a feel for it though (if you can.) I think it might be better than CS1, but that gap is pretty negligible.
Well, started this last night. Really fun. Last time I tried it, I was trying to play like a SRPG, but after beating Cold Steel, the system just clicks cause its the same thing in 2d. Estelle and Joshua are great characters and I can't wait to see where they develop.
But so far everything I know about Sherazade (great woman bracer, teacher, drunk) is very similar to Sara Valestein. Is there any particular reason that Sara Valestein WASN'T this character?
Also CS is totally a better starting point than Sky. For a newcomer who's played Persona but not a Trails game it's a very good bridge between the new Sky systems and familiar Persona ones. Then once you've beaten CS1, going back to Sky is really easy and feels natural.
Well, started this last night. Really fun. Last time I tried it, I was trying to play like a SRPG, but after beating Cold Steel, the system just clicks cause its the same thing in 2d. Estelle and Joshua are great characters and I can't wait to see where they develop.
But so far everything I know about Sherazade (great woman bracer, teacher, drunk) is very similar to Sara Valestein. Is there any particular reason that Sara Valestein WASN'T this character?
Also CS is totally a better starting point than Sky. For a newcomer who's played Persona but not a Trails game it's a very good bridge between the new Sky systems and familiar Persona ones. Then once you've beaten CS1, going back to Sky is really easy and feels natural.
But so far everything I know about Sherazade (great woman bracer, teacher, drunk) is very similar to Sara Valestein. Is there any particular reason that Sara Valestein WASN'T this character?
I definitely see the argument for this but I think the counterargument is also pretty strong. FC is a game that a lot of people seem to bounce off of and telling someone they need to play a full trilogy before the new games really doesn't help get more people on board with the franchise.
CS is a much smoother introduction to the franchise by today's JRPG standards. In the end I don't think playing them out of order really makes *that* much of a difference. If CS gives people the motivation to go play the older games after becoming invested in the world then I feel like getting over the hump in FC will be a lot easier. There's still plenty in the Sky games that CS doesn't clue you into.
Just finished TitS FC. I was a bit hot-and-cold on the game for most of the time because while I enjoyed the characters and world-building, the story seemed to shy away from any real drama or emotional stakes. In chapter 2 in particular I had to grit my teeth through everyone cooing over Kloe and the world's most boring goddamn orphans. But goddamn, that final chapter was a freaking rollercoaster. What a fantastic job ratcheting up the tension, and the raised stakes really brought the best out of the characters and their interactions.
I was surprised at how strong a villain the game ended up having, considering how
late in the game Richard was actually revealed as the villain (though it was pretty obvious that he would be from the get-go). The cat-and-mouse game you play with him in Grancel and the castle makes him feel like a genuinely powerful and intimidating presence. Better yet, his motivation is not just fairly rational but also grounded in the history of the country you've been living in as well as your character's own personal history.
For all that the game as a whole is like a leisurely travelogue, that last chapter plays like a tight political thriller.
And then that ending. Oof. Why didn't I buy SC last time it was on sale...
Just finished TitS FC. I was a bit hot-and-cold on the game for most of the time because while I enjoyed the characters and world-building, the story seemed to shy away from any real drama or emotional stakes. In chapter 2 in particular I had to grit my teeth through everyone cooing over Kloe and the world's most boring goddamn orphans. But goddamn, that final chapter was a freaking rollercoaster. What a fantastic job ratcheting up the tension, and the raised stakes really brought the best out of the characters and their interactions.
I was surprised at how strong a villain the game ended up having, considering how
late in the game Richard was actually revealed as the villain (though it was pretty obvious that he would be from the get-go). The cat-and-mouse game you play with him in Grancel and the castle makes him feel like a genuinely powerful and intimidating presence. Better yet, his motivation is not just fairly rational but also grounded in the history of the country you've been living in as well as your character's own personal history.
For all that the game as a whole is like a leisurely travelogue, that last chapter plays like a tight political thriller.
And then that ending. Oof. Why didn't I buy SC last time it was on sale...
I think it's worth taking a break after FC. As spoiler free as possible, the first half or so of SC is basically FC2 in terms of structure. You could easily get burnt out going straight to SC, particularly since the first half is so relatively weak in the writing department compared to FC.
I think FC is a stronger and more consistent game upon replay too. My opinion more or less reflected yours on my first time through, but I came away with a lot stronger feelings for it the second time. And yeah, that last chapter is so good. Still my favorite part of the whole trilogy. A certain politically driven segment of 3rd gives it a run for its money though.
I definitely think CS is easier to get into and then transition back into FC if you're so inclined. Honestly, even after CS1+2, it still took me two tries to really get into FC. In the case of both FC and CS1 you're largely taking about games with backloaded plots (CS1 especially). Their top priorities are exploring the characters - their personalities, relationships, and motivations - and developing the world they live in. The sequels are when they really take off plotwise.
That's an approach that's not going to be for everyone, but the games are so committed, you've gotta respect it. Even when I wasn't into FC, my impression wasn't that it was a bad game.
Chapter 2 was actually my favorite stretch of FC by far, too. I was completely sold on the vibe and pace of the game at that point and it just really shines for that whole section.
I definitely think CS is easier to get into and then transition back into FC if you're so inclined. Honestly, even after CS1+2, it still took me two tries to really get into FC. In the case of both FC and CS1 you're largely taking about games with backloaded plots (CS1 especially). Their top priorities are exploring the characters - their personalities, relationships, and motivations - and developing the world they live in. The sequels are when they really take off plotwise.
That's an approach that's not going to be for everyone, but the games are so committed, you've gotta respect it. Even when I wasn't into FC, my impression wasn't that it was a bad game.
Chapter 2 was actually my favorite stretch of FC by far, too. I was completely sold on the vibe and pace of the game at that point and it just really shines for that whole section.
It shines until the first half of chapter 5 for me. That's when the story wants to take over but the game doesn't seem to want to let it, so we have a story going places but the game feeling just like it did 40 hours ago when the story barely existed. They needed to make that transition much better than they did
Edit: sorry thought you were talking about CS1
After finishing TitS Third, and suffering from heavy Kiseki withdrawal, I decided to bust out my trusty japanese dictionnary and play through the tutorial dungeon of Zero.
The game seems really great so far, but I'm going to wait until an english version is eventually released to play more. As much as I love those trademark walls of text, my japanese is simply not good enough so the whole thing is quite confusing to me, and having to decipher even basic sentences becomes tedious real fast.
Funny thing though, the game made me feel nostalgic for the divertissement part of CS2. I guess that's what we get for playing the series out of order.
Did anyone else think there was something kinda missing from Estelle and Joshua's reunion? Don't get me wrong, it was a great scene, but I just can't shake this feeling of slight disappointment from it. Maybe it was because Joshua actually got so little screen time up until that point. I felt like I wanted more from him.
Did anyone else think there was something kinda missing from Estelle and Joshua's reunion? Don't get me wrong, it was a great scene, but I just can't shake this feeling of slight disappointment from it. Maybe it was because Joshua actually got so little screen time up until that point. I felt like I wanted more from him.
I was expecting something far more melodramatic, honestly. Once I got over the shock of it being so relatively low-key, I was impressed with the direction they took. It felt more natural.
She is 100% the star of that scene for sure and since it's really her story it works on that level. Idk though. I actually really disliked Joshua the first few times I attempted to play FC but ended up liking him when I finally made it through the whole game. I wanted more of *something* from him.
I think one of the things that maybe bothered me a bit was that he never came clean about Hamel himself. Loewe had to do it for him. I think it would have been cool to have Joshua need to finally spill his guts to Estelle in a way that showed he could finally be open with her the way she is with him. They sort of do this with him finally crying but idk, I wish there was more. I don't feel fully invested in their romantic relationship because it's rarely feels like a two way thing. Estelle is always the one putting in the work while Joshua is an idiot.
Like I said, it was a great scene. This has just been nagging at me since I saw it last night.
She is 100% the star of that scene for sure and since it's really her story it works on that level. Idk though. I actually really disliked Joshua the first few times I attempted to play FC but ended up liking him when I finally made it through the whole game. I wanted more of *something* from him.
I think one of the things that maybe bothered me a bit was that he never came clean about Hamel himself. Loewe had to do it for him. I think it would have been cool to have Joshua need to finally spill his guts to Estelle in a way that showed he could finally be open with her the way she is with him. They sort of do this with him finally crying but idk, I wish there was more. I don't feel fully invested in their romantic relationship because it's rarely feels like a two way thing. Estelle is always the one putting in the work while Joshua is an idiot.
Like I said, it was a great scene. This has just been nagging at me since I saw it last night.
You gotta remember, Joshua doesn't feel DESERVING of this. There's a good number of scenes where this is alluded to by him. Note terms like "doll", "darkness", and the like.
I can't go further until you go further, but pay attention when you get to
Amberl tower
and beyond. He's one of the best examples of the game avoiding "haircut characterization change" in a series full of them.
Yup. I had real reservations on how that was going to go down without flailing at melodrama and Falcom not only met those high expectations, they annihilated them, and continue to do so in 3rd.
Speaking of this, notice that her maturity and understanding and rhetoric needed to do that didn't just happen with a change of clothes either!
You gotta remember, Joshua doesn't feel DESERVING of this. There's a good number of scenes where this is alluded to by him. Note terms like "doll", "darkness", and the like.
I can't go further until you go further, but pay attention when you get to
Amberl tower
and beyond. He's one of the best examples of the game avoiding "haircut characterization change" in a series full of them.
Your first point is kind of the source of one of my problems. I get all that and the repeated use of those words is really obvious. They even literally use dolls of him to capture Estelle. I get it, believe me.
So far in the game Joshua just feels like a character that only got development because of other people. Agate, Tita, Schera etc all got these arcs and moments that cemented their motivations. Joshua just straight up didn't get a lot in the first half which I think is why when the payoff of the reunion comes it feels one sided in a way. I didn't get the sense that Joshua had grown to the point where he was even able to accept Estelle's words. It just kinda happened because Estelle is so powerful and great. That made that scene harder to fully buy into personally. There's still a lot of game left and I hope Joshua is given the chance to shine in a way the first half didn't let him.
I was expecting something far more melodramatic, honestly. Once I got over the shock of it being so relatively low-key, I was impressed with the direction they took. It felt more natural.
Joshua was about to take off again, thinking it was going to go on till the end of the game. I was legitimately surprised when Estelle 100% subverted my expectations by stopping him and bringing him back, and it really made the scene incredibly impactful for me. And as for Joshua, I always liked him, but never got why he was so down on himself up to that point, when when you learn the later stuff, and take in the end of FC into account, I really wanted his resolution with Estelle badly.
Your first point is kind of the source of one of my problems. I get all that and the repeated use of those words is really obvious. They even literally use dolls of him to capture Estelle. I get it, believe me.
So far in the game Joshua just feels like a character that only got development because of other people. Agate, Tita, Schera etc all got these arcs and moments that cemented their motivations. Joshua just straight up didn't get a lot in the first half which I think is why when the payoff of the reunion comes it feels one sided in a way. I didn't get the sense that Joshua had grown to the point where he was even able to accept Estelle's words. It just kinda happened because Estelle is so powerful and great. That made that scene harder to fully buy into personally. There's still a lot of game left and I hope Joshua is given the chance to shine in a way the first half didn't let him.
You'll get more elaboration later, but the sheer obviousness of his brooding behavior even tipped off the Capuas that it was a mood born from fear and self-loathing rather than any distant amorality like Josh thought it was (or rather, should be).
That's why the "doll" talk is big, he is figuring that pleasant, kind existance he lived during those 5 years at the Brights was just a dream of some broken shell shattered by the same asshole who rebuilt him a decade before.
Then you have Estelle's Shining Like The Sun tempered by the events getting her mature enough to really say the right things the right way at the right time for such a delicate conversation.
Dude lived a fucked up life and is letting himself be convinced he's worthy from that point on...a slow, careful journey. You'll see more as you progress, and on into 3rd.
It's nothing short of amazing to be so moved by a game i already played, a history i already experienced. I was left speechless, again.
Now that i finished replaying FC and SC i'll finally be able to play The 3rd, i may not be able to resist and start as soon as tomorrow, but we'll see.
Joshua was about to take off again, thinking it was going to go on till the end of the game. I was legitimately surprised when Estelle 100% subverted my expectations by stopping him and bringing him back, and it really made the scene incredibly impactful for me. And as for Joshua, I always liked him, but never got why he was so down on himself up to that point, when when you learn the later stuff, and take in the end of FC into account, I really wanted his resolution with Estelle badly.
Unfortunately, I made the mistake of looking at a walkthrough for the Chapter just before and it spoiled that Joshua was permanently joining the party. The scene was still pretty moving though. I wasn't sure how she'd be able to convince him to stay. I also really liked the scene in Grancel afterward, with Cassius laying the smackdown. I saw it coming but it still stung.
he doesn't absorb them utterly so much as his Stigma borrows their power when active, and not all of it usually.
He didn't know how to control the Spear of Loa after using his Stigma powers to kill the transformed guard, which is how he couldn't maximize its power and why he couldn't stop himself from killing Rufina
. The Recluse Cube operates separately of him or anyone when not given a command, but it's enough for
the copy of his Stigma within Phantasma (attached to its self-preserving core, Anima Mundi) to force him and others inside
he doesn't absorb them utterly so much as his Stigma borrows their power when active, and not all of it usually.
He didn't know how to control the Spear of Loa after using his Stigma powers to kill the transformed guard, which is how he couldn't maximize its power and why he couldn't stop himself from killing Rufina
. The Recluse Cube operates separately of him or anyone when not given a command, but it's enough for
the copy of his Stigma within Phantasma (attached to its self-preserving core, Anima Mundi) to force him and others inside
I only want to say after finishing Ao I'm more excited than ever for Sen3.
The potential for what it could be as a game is huuuuuuuuuuge considering a lot of the things that can likely be attributed to playing a role for Sen1/2 shortcomings might not be a problem for Sen 3(stuff like the vita memory limitations and them taking more time to make Sen3).
I only want to say after finishing Ao I'm more excited than ever for Sen3.
The potential for what it could be as a game is huuuuuuuuuuge considering a lot of the things that can likely be attributed to playing a role for Sen1/2 shortcomings might not be a problem for Sen 3(stuff like the vita memory limitations and them taking more time to make Sen3).
Out of curiosity, how did you play it? Zero and Ao no Kiseki look really appealing to me and I was wondering if there was an English patch or translation guide somewhere.
Out of curiosity, how did you play it? Zero and Ao no Kiseki look really appealing to me and I was wondering if there was an English patch or translation guide somewhere.
Out of curiosity, how did you play it? Zero and Ao no Kiseki look really appealing to me and I was wondering if there was an English patch or translation guide somewhere.
Seems a small group over at GBATemp has patched FC Evo with Xseed's english localization. Requires a Vita w/ Henkaku installed, obviously. The team has expressed interest in doing the rest of the trilogy, but implores people to continue buying the games on Steam to support the series.
As far as spring the series, it's be cool if they made the patcher require the English Sky FC and grab the files from it to patch the Evolution version. Wonder of that's even possible
As far as spring the series, it's be cool if they made the patcher require the English Sky FC and grab the files from it to patch the Evolution version. Wonder of that's even possible
Considerably more work, but not impossible. The hacker we work with on the Zero fan translation has managed to backport the voices from Zero Evolution to Zero PC, but it is definitely a daunting task on the scale of the entire game.
Just made it to the final battle in nightmare arena and when a certain enemy did his special smash attack, it glitched my game. The turn order got stuck and no one could attack at all... Had to alt + F4 it... what a waste of time lol.
Still pushing through SC, almost finished with chapter 9, about 43 hours in. My overall impressions haven't changed, that this is a game (and series) that is far more bloated than it needs to be.
Chapter 8 is especially offensive, where I'm being forced to wander around the same areas YET AGAIN. I don't care how justified it is by the plot. At a certain point, it just comes across as padding. Yes, it's nice to be able to stop by and see old friends but I'm sure they could have figured out a way to do that without all the endless commuting.
(Thank god for Cheat Engine making me go through the wilds much faster. I'm not sure I could take it at a normal speed.)
Seeing the buzz about 3rd recently, I decided to give it another chance. And it totally clicked with me! I guess I was just burned out last time when I started it right after finishing SC. Or maybe it's that I played more dungeon crawlers these years. The combat is fantastic and I appreciate the writing a lot more this time. The Crossbell arc is better at world building but nothing tops the trilogy's characters. The nostalgia was so strong I started to replay SC...until I got bored of the sewer in the first chapter. Really can't play these games back to back. Now eagerly waiting for CS3 just for the old gang. Between FFXIIHD, Splatoon 2 and this, it's gonna be a summer to remember.
Seeing the buzz about 3rd recently, I decided to give it another chance. And it totally clicked with me! I guess I was just burned out last time when I started it right after finishing SC. Or maybe it's that I played more dungeon crawlers these years. The combat is fantastic and I appreciate the writing a lot more this time. The Crossbell arc is better at world building but nothing tops the trilogy's characters. The nostalgia was so strong I started to replay SC...until I got bored of the sewer in the first chapter. Really can't play these games back to back. Now eagerly waiting for CS3 just for the old gang. Between FFXIIHD, Splatoon 2 and this, it's gonna be a summer to remember.
Seems the raw translated english patch for Zero no Kiseki PSP has been released (leaked?). Appears to be more or less complete all the way up to the final chapter.
That was always the fear with this project. All the samples posted before the project changed hands were of poor quality too, it was more than something that just required a bit of editing.
That was always the fear with this project. All the samples posted before the project changed hands were of poor quality too, it was more than something that just required a bit of editing.
They said over and over again that the translation was originally done to be as literal as possible. So it was always going to need a good amount of editing to read well.
Of course some people will want the original literal translation, because "accuracy to the original."
If I were them, I'd probably crowdsource most of the text other than the main story and other key dialogue. Given the amount of NPC text, that would probably make it a bit quicker and easier to handle.
They said over and over again that the translation was originally done to be as literal as possible. So it was always going to need a good amount of editing to read well.
That's if the actual translation work was decent to begin with, which I don't trust that it was and I saw criticism of even the accuracy from people familiar with Japanese. Editing doesn't fix a poor translation.
Of course some people will want the original literal translation, because "accuracy to the original."
You'd hope fans of a series localized by XSeed would want an actual good translation.
If I were them, I'd probably crowdsource most of the text other than the main story and other key dialogue. Given the amount of NPC text, that would probably make it a bit quicker and easier to handle.
Oh god no. Crowdsourcing fan translations of fiction projects are usually disasters. If you want something of poor quality, no consistency, and a planning nightmare, that's one way to go.
