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In Memory of Imageepoch: A Requiem For The JRPG Saviors
- Thread starter cj_iwakura
- Start date
JustAnotherOtaku
Member
Black Rock Shooter is a solid game, really enjoyed that one. Arc Rise Fantasia was fine too as a Tales-clone. Never got round to playing The Last Ranker though.
fatgamecat
Member
Luminous Arc 1 and 2 were pretty mediocre SRPGs that mostly relied on fanservice. Not sure about 3, but probably the same.
Not expecting much from Stella Glow, either, but I'll give it a try since it's being localized.
Not expecting much from Stella Glow, either, but I'll give it a try since it's being localized.
Jawmuncher
Member
Any closure is a sad day but I can't say I've played any of that besides Fate. Which I couldn't beat.
Played Arc Rise Fantasia in Japanese, had to import it since it took forever to come and then it was US only.
I finished this game 3 times, that battle system was so fun and well done, it's like the Skies of Arcadia sequel Sega never done.
I finished this game 3 times, that battle system was so fun and well done, it's like the Skies of Arcadia sequel Sega never done.
Yes, only talking about the battle system.
striferser
Huge Nickleback Fan
I've play Fate/Extra, 7th-dragon 2020, and BRS
I finish Fate/extra twice, but never did finish 7th dragon 2020 and BRS. It was okay, not the most mindblowing rpg ever, but it was serviceable
I finish Fate/extra twice, but never did finish 7th dragon 2020 and BRS. It was okay, not the most mindblowing rpg ever, but it was serviceable
Kresnik258
Member
I've still never played an Imageepoch game. I'd like to have made it Arc Rise Fantasia but alas, Europe...
Will probably grab Fate/Extra and BRS before they get pulled from PSN at least.
Will probably grab Fate/Extra and BRS before they get pulled from PSN at least.
Kind of my feelings as well, although I like the psp 7th dragons also, even if I never finished them.
cj_iwakura
Member
Hahaha, damn. Was that Koshiro?
I agree they had a knack for drawing in great talent. Boy was it wasted on that game. Had some gorgeous artwork, then... it came out.
Was this ever release on PS3? Can't seem to find any info about it.
Time and Eternity was so bad that it even made Koshiro bad.
GeekyDad
Member
I always took this developer for what they seemed to be trying to be -- the Andy Kaufman of JRPGs. There wasn't much they did I didn't enjoy. The Luminous Arc games were a little hard to get through at times because of how bad the dialogue and premise were, but I still appreciated those games for what they were. I'll miss their silly, immature approach to making games. Stella Glow will be a pre-order for me, if for no other reason than the fact it should go up in value over the years.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Oh godddd I forgot about this. I played probably the first ten (?) hours of the game way back when it first came out, and it didn't grab me at all, and I'm pretty sure this was part of why
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
Arc Rise Fantasia was pretty good as long as you turned off the voice acting volume. Time & Eternity was sort of enjoyable in a B-movie trainwreck way. Haven't played anything else from them.
Brawly Likes to Brawl
Member
You should definetely try out 7th Dragon's fan translation if you ever get the chance. It seems like it would be up your alley.
Luminous Arc I is basura while Luminous Arc II is excellent.
I really liked the story and some of the humor in the game and the gameplay was very serviceable.
Randomly Nameless
Member
I remember being really excited for Sands of Destruction because it heavily advertised Mitsuda and Kato's involvement, but then the game released to meh reviews and I didn't bother picking it up.
I still think Last Ranker looks awesome, wish it got translated. I never found their other stuff too interesting, but a studio closing is always crappy.
I still think Last Ranker looks awesome, wish it got translated. I never found their other stuff too interesting, but a studio closing is always crappy.
Gets me every time
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
I grabbed the translation a while ago and then forgot I had it. Maybe this weekend, I'll check it out.
Supermanisdead
Member
Sands of Destruction is great, I won't hear otherwise.
Shadow Hog
Member
About all I know of them is a few streams of Schala's showing off Time and Eternity (holy shit that was skeevy as hell) and Arc Rise Fantasia (looked passable, but did they seriously get the actor for John Mayor from Deep Fear, a game notorious for horrible voice acting, for a role?). I do recall hearing some positive hype for Sands of Destruction prior to release (including some comparisons to Chrono Trigger, although I can't remember the context for them), although that fell flat pretty quickly after release. Didn't know they were the 7th Dragon folk, but since that game never came out in English...
Can't say as I'll miss them.
Can't say as I'll miss them.
God dammit I came here to make this joke
ActStriker
Member
Since when was Arc Rise Fantasia a Tales clone?
Colonel Mustard
Banned
It's cel shaded and has dialogue scenes...I think someone from the Tales series might have been involved in some way.
In no way was is a clone though. Dude couldn't have possibly played it to think that way?
It's totally a turn-based Tales game. Literally the first thing I thought after I started it, and I never changed my mind.
Not nearly as good as Tales games though, but then again, guess I'm a pretty big fan
Brawly Likes to Brawl
Member
ARF's design is basically "What if Tales was turn based?"
I liked Black Rock Shooter, here's my short writeup for the SOTY 2013 thread:
Of the others I only played Luminous Arc, which was kind of average.
x. Black☆Rock Shooter: The Game
This game is set in a dystopian science-fiction world, so don't expect a lot of happy and cheerful music here. But it's good music, just listen to a few examples. And it's a small thing, but I really liked the Mission Clear music.
I had to look up the composer to find out why stuff like this sounded so familiar to me. It's Manabu Namiki, who also composed for a lot of Cave games, including the wonderful Mushihimesama Futari. Still it's kinda funny, because he's also responsible for DoDonPachi Saidaioujou, one of my least favorite soundtracks of this year.
Of the others I only played Luminous Arc, which was kind of average.
KuwabaraTheMan
Banned
Arc Rise Fantasia was a fantastic game, and is very underrated by people. That game had a really fun battle system.
I can't say that I've ever played anything else by them. It sounds like 7th Dragon and Last Ranker (and possibly Luminous Arc) were worthwhile, at least.
I can't say that I've ever played anything else by them. It sounds like 7th Dragon and Last Ranker (and possibly Luminous Arc) were worthwhile, at least.
Key lead from the development team were older staff from the Tales Studio, and you just have to play the game to see it's heavily inspired by the Tales franchise, only the battle system greatly differs.
what. ARF is better than pretty much all localized Tales except Symphonia
MissileTrick
Member
The Luminous Arc series was my favorite from them. Still salty we never got the third game. I know they weren't amazing games , but they got the job done and I liked their humor. I'll find a way to play the Vita game and I'm picking up Stella Glow later this year. I mean that's practically a Luminous Arc game.
Benzychenz
Member
They never made a game I wanted to play and I like JRPGs.
Now that's a controversial opinion!
ARF's writing (story, characters, dialogue etc etc) is so fucking bad it's actually hilarious, and I don't like saying this, but it's almost a fact. It has no redeeming qualities. Most Tales games (anything aside from Vesperia, I'd say) have "just" painfully average, anime-cliche ridden writing.
Certainly no need for a flat what here, that should be reserved for statements like "Dark Souls has one of the worst combat systems around". I'm 100% sure you're in a small minority.
RyougaSaotome
Member
This is exactly where I stand with IE, though Duck and Aeana are already more than aware of that. lol
I actively take mental notes on who says they enjoyed Time & Eternity, cause then I know our tastes will never ever align. XD
That said, I did like Fate/Extra, but that's entirely because I love the Nasuverse and thought it spun a super rad yarn. The gameplay was just bonus fluff around the visual novel.
I replayed Last Ranker recently, and had a good time with it. Love the soundtrack, game has some good characters and funny moments. The first time through, the last couple of hours were super hype, but it wasn't quite as good the second time around. good memories, because it was he first game I played in Japanese.
Chiwa Saito as Caster in Fate/Extra and Fate/Extra CCC is pretty much my favourite game VA ever. Criminal Girls was surprisingly fun.
Overall, good memories from Imageepoch games, and hoping I can pick up 7thDragon2020 sometime.
Chiwa Saito as Caster in Fate/Extra and Fate/Extra CCC is pretty much my favourite game VA ever. Criminal Girls was surprisingly fun.
Overall, good memories from Imageepoch games, and hoping I can pick up 7thDragon2020 sometime.
I played Luminous Arc and really got into the tactics battle system (little dragon brother archer was my favourite) but the voice acting/drama was terribad XD Looking forward to Stella Glow, hopefully it's a decent game.
I always read it as Imageepooch
I don't remember this, at least in Luminous Arc I? I I definitely ditched Luminous Arc II cos of the marriage system tho...was really creeped out by the 12 year old girl two screen wedding dress spread...
I always read it as Imageepooch
iMEYjiPOOCH
I don't remember this, at least in Luminous Arc I? I I definitely ditched Luminous Arc II cos of the marriage system tho...was really creeped out by the 12 year old girl two screen wedding dress spread...
Luminous Arc was such utter tripe I can't begin to say where they went wrong. I could obviously start with the nonsensical plot, paper weight characters, or even SRPG lite battle grid, but I won't. Because the sum total of those things make it not even worth it. I can handle one out of three factors being bad. Jeanne D Arc was enjoyable for instance, even though the story was light. But every aspect? Hm
LA2 was only marginally better but an improvement.
Arc Rise Fantasia was surprisingly good given their output. I put in a lot of hours just playing around with the battle system. Made me see IE in a new way, given I also enjoyed Last Ranker. so yeah, they had their problems and were never going to be the Messiah of JRPGs, but I'll pour one out for em. Dammit, at least they tried.
LA2 was only marginally better but an improvement.
Arc Rise Fantasia was surprisingly good given their output. I put in a lot of hours just playing around with the battle system. Made me see IE in a new way, given I also enjoyed Last Ranker. so yeah, they had their problems and were never going to be the Messiah of JRPGs, but I'll pour one out for em. Dammit, at least they tried.
Throughout my painful time of playing this game this song was the standout track. God that trumpet is fantastic.