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[baekshi]

Freedom Wars isn't that player friendly. It takes a long time before it even becomes fun and the constant restrictions are a complete pain in the ass. Much better to start with more normal game. You're like that person who recommends Dark Souls to someone new to action games.

When I first bought the japanese, I didn't have trouble going through the first couple of the codes.. the game of course got harder but after patches those issues haven't been a problem for the most part. It definitely isn't hard at all, I breezed through the english version since enemy ai weren't super powered army anymore and ai weren't piling up. Now there's online portion to help you out with it also and it becomes a chore.

You'll have to learn to curve for DS even if you haven't never played DS/ action games before. You just learn things and if you can't... that's on you, not the game.

 

[Hasemo]

Thanks for all the answers. I hope my local Book Off/Super Potato have copies of PSO1&2 for the GC. And also that my notebook pc is enough to run the game on dolphin, since I don't feel like homebrewing my Wii U to play GC games.

Eh?

The OG PSO?

Spoiler

why would you want to do that?

I think (read as: am certain) that you can run it via PC somehow.

Sorry, I'm really having difficulty parsing how Nova makes you want to play PSO vanilla

Is wanting to play a highly praised game which started the series after playing the later entries (PSP2i/PSO2/PSN) so weird?

 

[NormalFish]

When I first bought the japanese, I didn't have trouble going through the first couple of the codes.. the game of course got harder but after patches those issues haven't been a problem for the most part. It definitely isn't hard at all, I breezed through the english version since enemy ai weren't super powered army anymore and ai weren't piling up. Now there's online portion to help you out with it also and it becomes a chore.

You'll have to learn to curve for DS even if you haven't never played DS. You just learn things and if you can't... that's on you, not the game.

to add to this, part of what makes the genre appealing is that learning. If someone asks for an action game, you might not give them something super punishing like dark souls, but a game like bayonetta -- which is also quite difficult, but is less frustrating for someone new -- is appropriate.

 

[Malyse]

Thanks for all the answers. I hope my local Book Off/Super Potato have copies of PSO1&2 for the GC. And also that my notebook pc is enough to run the game on dolphin, since I don't feel like homebrewing my Wii U to play GC games.

Is wanting to play a highly praised game which started the series after playing the later entries (PSP2i/PSO2/PSN) so weird?

Yes. 😋

IMO, there's not a ton to go back to, and this from someone who spent literal hundreds of hours in that game. It's along the lines of playing Zelda or Castlevania: yes it did in fact start here and seeing the origin is neat, but once that novelty wears you'll soon realize that there are better entries where your time would be better spent.

Spoiler

Though if you really wanted to get to the PS roots, you should play PS1-4

But that's just my two. I hope you enjoy it

OH! And the latest version of PSO is Blue Burst which is PC exclusive.
It has episodes 1,2 and 4

 

[baekshi]

I disagree. I find FW very off putting and at times incredibly cheap. Getting losing a mission for something you have no control over is shitty game design. But that's beside the point, which is what would be good entries into this type of game. I for one am generally against going for the newest thing, particularly when its still somewhat buggy. The question I and everyone else should have been asking is what he likes and dislikes about SS to more accurately gauge where his interests lie.

So what's incredibly cheap? losing mission you don't have control over? Why is that happening?

I asked my fair share of questions to him... For me, MH is the opposite of SS, and it is not a good recommendation.

 

[Hasemo]

So what's incredibly cheap? losing mission you don't have control over? Why is that happening?

Enemy npcs with super aim and big monsters stunlocking you so that you can't even stand up were my biggest gripes with FW, but I haven't touched it since the first patch since I've cleared the story at that point.

 

[baekshi]

Enemy npcs with super aim and big monsters stunlocking you so that you can't even stand up were my biggest gripes with FW, but I haven't touched it since the first patch since I've cleared the story at that point.

There have been two big patches since the launch, I had trouble with enemy npc before patch also.. they aren't like that anymore.

Edit:
There is that last boss battle that remains to be a bit tricky( but if you know the pattern...then shouldn't have problems), but you can go online... or I think you can just pop in ad hoc alone and do(i dont know) the last 3 individually.

 

[Shengar]

Enemy npcs with super aim and big monsters stunlocking you so that you can't even stand up were my biggest gripes with FW, but I haven't touched it since the first patch since I've cleared the story at that point.

Besides the last boss which use overwhelming and outnumbering method, I haven't experience stunlock in the game even when I switch from range-to-melee occasionally. I heard originally the Abductor have flamethrower weapon, but since I haven't seen it, they must've removed it from the game.

Picked up Soul Sacrifice Deal due to the sale and I must say I'm enjoying, though I am still early in the game and the battle system is certainly more complex than I was expecting.

Its my first Monster Hunter-ish game and I'm curious others games like it. I'm thinking of picking up either Gods Eater Burst, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite or Freedom Wars next?

Any recommendations? Note I choose that particular Monster Hunter because I tried the demo for the one on 3DS but I just hate the controls so much I'd have to have a circle pad pro to play it and I avoid that issue with Freedom Unite because I'll be playing on a Vita.

Hear my advice since you enter the genre nearly the same way as mine if you want to enjoy all the game available: treat the game as separate entities with their own gameplay uniqueness that shouldn't cater to your specific gameplay preference. SSD (I assume you play the extended version), have different gameplay approach than other game that have similarity to MH like GEB or Toukiden (both focused on faster paced combat). If you want to play MH, I suggest you adjust yourself with either GEB or Toukiden before you jumped to MH since it'll ease the gameplay transition (also MH have the worst demo and tutorial if you haven't familiar with the genre). Freedom Wars is very different since it's kinda a hybrid with TPS like Lost Planet. It have great but unpolished gameplay that might either hook or off putting you.

So what's incredibly cheap? losing mission you don't have control over? Why is that happening?.

The game is riddled with RNG but I don't think there is any mission that you don't have control over with that could make you failed. Maybe he meant the zone control mission?

 

[SliceSabre]

Did you like the demo for Monster Hunter? If not, skip it and move on to Freedom Wars.

I enjoyed the demo it was just the controls I took issue with.

Hear my advice since you enter the genre nearly the same way as mine if you want to enjoy all the game available: treat the game as separate entities with their own gameplay uniqueness that shouldn't cater to your specific gameplay preference. SSD (I assume you play the extended version), have different gameplay approach than other game that have similarity to MH like GEB or Toukiden (both focused on faster paced combat). If you want to play MH, I suggest you adjust yourself with either GEB or Toukiden before you jumped to MH since it'll ease the gameplay transition (also MH have the worst demo and tutorial if you haven't familiar with the genre). Freedom Wars is very different since it's kinda a hybrid with TPS like Lost Planet. It have great but unpolished gameplay that might either hook or off putting you.

I honestly hadn't really considered Toukiden but I might take a look at a few screens to see what its like. Right now I feel like I'm leaning more toward Gods Eater Burst.

But yea as I watch more videos I'm starting to get a feel of how different each one plays cause I'll be honest I assumed they played the same way.

 

[Shengar]

I enjoyed the demo it was just the controls I took issue with.

By control, do you mean the camera? For me the semi-auto camera is serviceable to me even though I moved from Wii U to 3DS (using the Pro Controller to boot), but if talking about the camera control against big monsters with fast move, let alone underwater fight then lol

I honestly hadn't really considered Toukiden but I might take a look at a few screens to see what its like. Right now I feel like I'm leaning more toward Gods Eater Burst.

But yea as I watch more videos I'm starting to get a feel of how different each one plays cause I'll be honest I assumed they played the same way.

I haven't played GEB yet, so Toukiden is the closest one to MH in my personal experience. But since Toukiden Kiwami is on the horizon of 2015 releases, GEB is the more preferred choice right now I think.

 

[RyougaSaotome]

Yes. 😋

IMO, there's not a ton to go back to, and this from someone who spent literal hundreds of hours in that game. It's along the lines of playing Zelda or Castlevania: yes it did in fact start here and seeing the origin is neat, but once that novelty wears you'll soon realize that there are better entries where your time would be better spent.

I mostly agree that the original PSO prob doesn't hold up very well for people who didn't start there, but I take umbrage with your examples (mostly just Castlevania). The latter is just a well put together, expertly designed action platformer that I think still holds up favorably with its younger brothers. Still a damn fine 2D game.

But that's beside the point. I do think it might be interesting for someone who started at later games to see where it all started, even if Hasemo doesn't play all the way through or anything. Sometimes it's fun to just experience history, especially when, in this case, the original PSO had such a huge impact on games and console netplay. =)

 

[Malyse]

I mostly agree that the original PSO prob doesn't hold up very well for people who didn't start there, but I take umbrage with your examples (mostly just Castlevania). The latter is just a well put together, expertly designed action platformer that I think still holds up favorably with its younger brothers. Still a damn fine 2D game.

But that's beside the point. I do think it might be interesting for someone who started at later games to see where it all started, even if Hasemo doesn't play all the way through or anything. Sometimes it's fun to just experience history, especially when, in this case, the original PSO had such a huge impact on games and console netplay. =)

But would you not agree that something like Super Castlevania is far more worthy of your time?

Enemy npcs with super aim and big monsters stunlocking you so that you can't even stand up were my biggest gripes with FW, but I haven't touched it since the first patch since I've cleared the story at that point.

You saw the part about Blue Burst, right?

 

[Hasemo]

But would you not agree that something like Super Castlevania is far more worthy of your time?

You saw the part about Blue Burst, right?

Yeah, but I don't really want to mess around with private servers.

 

[Parakeetman]

Yeah, but I don't really want to mess around with private servers.

One thing is that if you are too used to how PSO2 plays you will go WAT at PSO. Since totally different feel overall.

Its quite archaic really.

Even PSU 1 and 2 feels dated. (besides the ugly as shit monster design in those games)

Hear my advice since you enter the genre nearly the same way as mine if you want to enjoy all the game available: treat the game as separate entities with their own gameplay uniqueness that shouldn't cater to your specific gameplay preference. SSD (I assume you play the extended version), have different gameplay approach than other game that have similarity to MH like GEB or Toukiden (both focused on faster paced combat). If you want to play MH, I suggest you adjust yourself with either GEB or Toukiden before you jumped to MH since it'll ease the gameplay transition (also MH have the worst demo and tutorial if you haven't familiar with the genre). Freedom Wars is very different since it's kinda a hybrid with TPS like Lost Planet. It have great but unpolished gameplay that might either hook or off putting you.

Toukiden is closer to MH than GE, since GE in general the attacks are not as precise for the most part. The second game got a little bit better but not by much. Its more about spamming attacks and moving around as usual. Out of all the games in the genre toukiden would be the closest thing to the MH experience in general. GE is a lot faster also, which will make the transition harder going backwards in to MH where you need to be more careful with how you play in general.

 

[Hasemo]

One thing is that if you are too used to how PSO2 plays you will go WAT at PSO. Since totally different feel overall.

Its quite archaic really.

Even PSU 1 and 2 feels dated. (besides the ugly as shit monster design in those games)

Oh I know what type of gameplay to expect - I've played the demo of the pc version a few years back and I owned PSU (but my pc at the time was too weak for the latter).

 

[Parakeetman]

Oh I know what type of gameplay to expect - I've played the demo of the pc version a few years back and I owned PSU (but my pc at the time was too weak for the latter).

You really must be bored or something to want to go that far back in the series history.

I still remember playing the original game, man was mind blowing having that body size slider. Good times.

 

[WarRock]

People are calling it MH4G a kusoge for a reason also. You should definitely skip that when it comes here.

The what now?

 

[Malyse]

You really must be bored or something to want to go that far back in the series history.

I still remember playing the original game, man was mind blowing having that body size slider. Good times.

I tried to get my friends to play splitscreen with me on GC. That worked about as well as you'd expect, by which I mean not at all.

The what now?

They are trying to invalidate my opinion that someone new to this style of game shouldn't hop into Freedom Wars as their second title.

 

[SliceSabre]

Toukiden is closer to MH than GE, since GE in general the attacks are not as precise for the most part. The second game got a little bit better but not by much. Its more about spamming attacks and moving around as usual. Out of all the games in the genre toukiden would be the closest thing to the MH experience in general. GE is a lot faster also, which will make the transition harder going backwards in to MH where you need to be more careful with how you play in general.

This is good info to know right right here. I don't mind transitioning from slow to fast gameplay but the reverse doesn't sit as well with me.

 

[Parakeetman]

This is good info to know right right here. I don't mind transitioning from slow to fast gameplay but the reverse doesn't sit as well with me.

Though for the most part Toukiden isnt too difficult which is nice for someone new to the genre. Kiwami is pretty excellent also with the 3 additional new weapons. The rifle works pretty well can imagine being able to do some pretty broken stuff to the game if you have 4 players using it with a particular bullet type.

Its a lot more streamlined as you dont have to go running around collecting as much resources as monster hunter which has a large focus on map harvesting also. Toukiden has some of it, but not to the level that monster hunter does. Dont think really any of the games in the series do. Even God Eater isnt that bad considering its just a single spot pickup and no items are necessary in any of the games for harvesting materials. Where MH there is also inventory management in the sense of knowing what to and not take depending on what you want to do. But that is the series charm for some is the extra layer of the game put on top of the general combat also. So if you do get into Monster Hunter just be ready to learn a lot of stuff at once. Though the modern title such as 4G for example has "somewhat" of a tutorial but its still the same ol trial by fire type of experience. Git gud or get dead basically lol.

One other thing though is that MH is a game that you need to put time into, as all the weapons take practice to learn on top of the deploying said weapons against the various monsters in the game. Anyone who says its "clunky" is basically the same kind of doink that didnt take time to learn how to play properly as everything is a viable option with gameplay and there are various videos to prove it also of people soloing various monsters with all of the weapon types. Its not a game about instant gratification, make you feel like a badass with little to no effort. So just keep that in mind. But it is a satisfying experience once you get a hang of things and can start progressing with no problems. Gives you a real feeling of accomplishment that many other titles dont these days.

 

[Malyse]

This is good info to know right right here. I don't mind transitioning from slow to fast gameplay but the reverse doesn't sit as well with me.

I think you should probably hop into MH then. It's about as slow as it gets when it comes to this genre, plus it's as good a start point as any.

 

[RalchAC]

Toukiden is closer to MH than GE, since GE in general the attacks are not as precise for the most part. The second game got a little bit better but not by much. Its more about spamming attacks and moving around as usual. Out of all the games in the genre toukiden would be the closest thing to the MH experience in general. GE is a lot faster also, which will make the transition harder going backwards in to MH where you need to be more careful with how you play in general.

God Eater Burst is a bad example if you want to get used to MH. The game is too arcade-y and animations are really, really short. I don't think there is an animation priority, which is (alongside the sidesystems) the main reason why people can't get into MH and say it's "clunky".

Toukiden should be useful though. I've played it and in many aspects it's like a more streamlined version of MH. Has it's own stuff though, and I really liked it.

I want to give a try to Monster Hunter now that I've gotten used to stuff like the animation priority (which exists in Toukiden too) and other stuff from the genre.

Everytime I see this thread I feel sad because you can't get Phantasy Star Portable on the Vita...

 

[Parakeetman]

God Eater Burst is a bad example if you want to get used to MH. The game is too arcade-y and animations are really, really short. I don't think there is an animation priority, which is (alongside the sidesystems) the main reason why people can't get into MH and say it's "clunky".

Toukiden should be useful though. I've played it and in many aspects it's like a more streamlined version of MH. Has it's own stuff though, and I really liked it.

I want to give a try to Monster Hunter now that I've gotten used to stuff like the animation priority (which exists in Toukiden too) and other stuff from the genre.

Everytime I see this thread I feel sad because you can't get Phantasy Star Portable on the Vita...

Yeah the GE series is a totally different beast. In general too, the game just overwhelms players with the multiple boss missions real fast, so its a huge pain for those not used to the genre. As it becomes a task with item management. The attack animations are all chain based for the most part, so its more button pressing than really timing anything.

The ranged system is a bit different, but equally important to gameplay for breaking specific parts that cant be reached easily with melee weapons. Then the whole bullet crafting system.

Its a good game / series, but yeah not a good place to try and get into Monster Hunter with. Totally different beast.

Oh yeah RalchAC in regards to animation priority and such its interesting to see how lax it has gotten on the latest MH4G on the 3DS. Since there has been so many times where Im 100% sure I should have been hit but just clip right through said attack / enemy. Its kinda weird that its gotten even more lax from 4. For those who played from 1-2(DOS) and Frontier, its no wonder why the more hardcore fans are kinda mad about the game being too easy. Though the sales still show that the pubic generally approves so dont think it will be going back towards the higher difficulty in general. Am sure Capcom knows thats what Frontier is for anyways.

---

For those curious about the GE series, granted this is from GE2, its generally what combat looks like. A little different since there are some moves added into GE2 that were not in the first one helping the general flow with the weapons and balancing. Vid of me doing one of the early fights. This video was more to test out the PSV TV, than show off the actual game though lol. But you can see the speed that we are talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEv7BnvntD8

 

[Shengar]

This is good info to know right right here. I don't mind transitioning from slow to fast gameplay but the reverse doesn't sit as well with me.

My personal experience moving from vanilla SS to Toukiden is pretty rough during the first 3 hours because how vastly the difference of gameplay is, but it got better thanks to the good tutorial and somewhat easy difficulty in general. If I moved directly to MH, I might ended up hated it instead of loved it to be honest. But if that doesn't sit well for you, and since you already have the knowledge to what should expect (having played MH demo at that), I don't think it'll be a problem for you.

 

[RalchAC]

Oh yeah RalchAC in regards to animation priority and such its interesting to see how lax it has gotten on the latest MH4G on the 3DS. Since there has been so many times where Im 100% sure I should have been hit but just clip right through said attack / enemy. Its kinda weird that its gotten even more lax from 4. For those who played from 1-2(DOS) and Frontier, its no wonder why the more hardcore fans are kinda mad about the game being too easy. Though the sales still show that the pubic generally approves so dont think it will be going back towards the higher difficulty in general. Am sure Capcom knows thats what Frontier is for anyways.

Oh, I didn't know that. And for what I generally heard on GAF Frontier was to be a bad game due to the microtransanctions and it being too grindy if you didn't buy them.

For those curious about the GE series, granted this is from GE2, its generally what combat looks like. A little different since there are some moves added into GE2 that were not in the first one helping the general flow with the weapons and balancing. Vid of me doing one of the early fights. This video was more to test out the PSV TV, than show off the actual game though lol. But you can see the speed that we are talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEv7BnvntD8

This looks like so much better than Burst. I tried to get into GE:B again on my Vita but it doesn't feel that well compared to some of the native Vita offerings.

Hope Rage Burst is finally localized.

 

[WarRock]

God Eater expects you to get hit, manage the party to spread monsters through the map/kill ranged minions, move a lot without thinking, plus there is two types of damage to consider when meleeing (slashing/piercing/crushing + element).

And I found the monsters patterns to be either "don't stop attacking except THIS time" or "only attack after this single move", it's not as organic as MH.

MonHun feels tighter to me because once you get used to it, you can keep exploiting weakness all the time, and the damage/knockback/monster patterns encourage you to not get hit even if the damage is not big. Plus all the mechanics regarding the optimal range of the weapons vs the range that triggers specific attacks for each monster making the encounters feel more... dunno, unique? I certainly feel more in in control of my character (and the progression feels smoother).

 

[Malyse]

I just decided to get a PS TV and use that for Japanese star hunters. Should be cheaper than a new vita and I won't have to rely on Sega's localization team anymore.

 

[Parakeetman]

I just decided to get a PS TV and use that for Japanese star hunters. Should be cheaper than a new vita and I won't have to rely on Sega's localization team anymore.

With how I have heard the PSV TV has dropped in price in the US that most likely is your best option.

 

[Malyse]

With how I have heard the PSV TV has dropped in price in the US that most likely is your best option.

Naw, no price drops yet.

Though maybe when I'm done with my 2.5 collectors edition.

 

[Parakeetman]

Oh, I didn't know that. And for what I generally heard on GAF Frontier was to be a bad game due to the microtransanctions and it being too grindy if you didn't buy them.

This looks like so much better than Burst. I tried to get into GE:B again on my Vita but it doesn't feel that well compared to some of the native Vita offerings.

Hope Rage Burst is finally localized.

Not really, if you have an efficient party its not that bad. Though time spent getting every thing you need is a different story though. I was playing since the service first started, was in with one of the higher class JP groups, since a friend dragged me along. Good times, but man did shit take a while at times. Though having come from MH DOS online mode it pretty much was the same massive mazo-game so it wasnt really anything new to me with how much HP monsters have and how much damage can be taken.

But that game seriously made you work for your gear lol. Had some interesting bosses too which actually called for more teamwork, such as the scorpion looking thing which you needed crushing type of weapons to break the crystals on its body then slashing to do damage to the flesh underneath. While its all very possible to solo it and folks have, for users who are not up to that level yet, the whole feeling like an actual team was interesting as it was one of the first monster types to do that. Think it was the actual first real insect type of boss in the series too. Then 4 brought in the others.

I really wish that they had brought over the system that added in new attack motions / styles for some of the weapons though.

But can see why they dont want to, to keep their playerbase from leaving.

Naw, no price drops yet.

Though maybe when I'm done with my 2.5 collectors edition.

Wasnt it dropped to like 80 USD or something

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KVMHSUM/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[Malyse]

Not really, if you have an efficient party its not that bad. Though time spent getting every thing you need is a different story though. I was playing since the service first started, was in with one of the higher class JP groups, since a friend dragged me along. Good times, but man did shit take a while at times. Though having come from MH DOS online mode it pretty much was the same massive mazo-game so it wasnt really anything new to me with how much HP monsters have and how much damage can be taken.

But that game seriously made you work for your gear lol. Had some interesting bosses too which actually called for more teamwork, such as the scorpion looking thing which you needed crushing type of weapons to break the crystals on its body then slashing to do damage to the flesh underneath. While its all very possible to solo it and folks have, for users who are not up to that level yet, the whole feeling like an actual team was interesting as it was one of the first monster types to do that. Think it was the actual first real insect type of boss in the series too. Then 4 brought in the others.

I really wish that they had brought over the system that added in new attack motions / styles for some of the weapons though.

But can see why they dont want to, to keep their playerbase from leaving.



Wasnt it dropped to like 80 USD or something

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KVMHSUM/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Huh. Google lists it full.

 

[SliceSabre]

Yea they both got price dropped. Regular PS TV and the bundle.

They used to be $99 and $139 respectively.

 

[Labadal]

Asking for some opinions:

Would Toukiden be a good game to get into the genre? I'm interested, but not sure which games are good. I have played Soul Sacrifice if that counts but didn't play it for a long time. Limited use of your abilities killed all the fun for me.

How challenging is Toukiden and is there even any story at all? Do you gain levels? Or is progression only made via gear?

Thanks in advance.

 

[JPS Kai]

Phantasy Star Nova is enroute to me from Japan and I should have my hands on it on Tuesday.

As someone that hasn't played a Phantasy Star since Portable, is there any sort of weird mechanics that are going to be lost in (lack of) translation that I should know about before going in?

 

[baekshi]

They are trying to invalidate my opinion that someone new to this style of game shouldn't hop into Freedom Wars as their second title.

And you dodged the questions. Also mh4g is being kusoge a true fact. Many are calling even if you disagree.

 

[baekshi]

Wasnt it dropped to like 80 USD or something

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KVMHSUM/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Makes sense for this to bomb hard, sony isnt bothering to whitelist that should have no problems running on ps tv without patch and not to mention there arent any apps for streaming...

 

[Orniletter]

This is good info to know right right here. I don't mind transitioning from slow to fast gameplay but the reverse doesn't sit as well with me.

Honestly:

Monster Hunter is the top dog of the entire genre for a reason.

Freedom Wars is pretty good, but it just doesn´t compare to MH games (only played 3U and Freedom Unite, but the recpeption in the import OT for 4 was glowing).

The satisfaction when you kill your first big monster is far better than when you beat one of FW´s abductors. The story and characters are pretty bad in FW too.

I don´t know how much content overlap there is between 3 Ultimate and 4 Ultimate, but 3U is absolutely worth playing (if the majority of the content isn´t included in 4G of course <.<)

 

[Malyse]

And you dodged the questions. Also mh4g is being kusoge a true fact. Many are calling even if you disagree.

"People are calling it MH4G a kusoge for a reason also. You should definitely skip that when it comes here."
You didn't ask a question. And we moved on. You should too.

Phantasy Star Nova is enroute to me from Japan and I should have my hands on it on Tuesday.

As someone that hasn't played a Phantasy Star since Portable, is there any sort of weird mechanics that are going to be lost in (lack of) translation that I should know about before going in?

There's a pretty good OT, but bak and para can field this best. From what I've seen, it still looks like 3D phantasy star.

Asking for some opinions:

Would Toukiden be a good game to get into the genre? I'm interested, but not sure which games are good. I have played Soul Sacrifice if that counts but didn't play it for a long time. Limited use of your abilities killed all the fun for me.

How challenging is Toukiden and is there even any story at all? Do you gain levels? Or is progression only made via gear?

Thanks in advance.

theres a story, but it's not very deep. It's more of a way to justify your missions than compell you to progress.
It's on the easy side.
No real leveling. You can't just grind your way to victory.
Toukiden is probably the most accessible, but I say give Ragnarok Odyssey Ace demo a spin too. ROA is hunting on beginner mode and will really ease you in.

 

[Parakeetman]

And you dodged the questions. Also mh4g is being kusoge a true fact. Many are calling even if you disagree.

While its far from perfect, its hardly a kusoge either. You do know that Freedom Wars was also considered a kusoge in Japan right?

Though as usual seems like Capcom went and messed up a bunch of balancing issues with the title and pushed it out into the G title with more monsters. While its great they brought back a lot of older monsters and whatnots, plus more equipment more maps would have also been appreciated. Damned shame considering the new desert is very nice. But for the content that the game has within it, Id say its well worth the purchase. Even more so over the original 4. Most of the average gamers wont even know what is wrong with the title in the first place. Its only the hardliners who know what is actually broken with the title itself in terms of balancing. Having spent a good amount of time with it, the average user will have more than enough of a complete experience that they can enjoy with friends. Nice that they actually fixed the online to include private rooms.

Monster Hunter has never been about any sort of story and for the most part its not what the fans want anyways. Its obvious Capcom knows this too which is why they put hardly any effort into their story pieces. Outside of the CG scenes, which truthfully is a waste of time and resources that should be spent making more maps and whatnots. Folks play the game to challenge themselves and have a good time with friends more than playing by yourself and enjoying a story.

Asking for some opinions:

Would Toukiden be a good game to get into the genre? I'm interested, but not sure which games are good. I have played Soul Sacrifice if that counts but didn't play it for a long time. Limited use of your abilities killed all the fun for me.

How challenging is Toukiden and is there even any story at all? Do you gain levels? Or is progression only made via gear?

Thanks in advance.

Its challenging enough for someone new to the genre, for a Monster Hunter veteran its a little easy. Im not even top tier when it comes to being a MH player and I can rip through the title fairly easily.

There is a story that is voiced with characters in it.

No levels / all progression made via gear just like monster hunter. Various skills / abilities are gained from the spirits of historical figures found / freed in the game and equipped. Which include taunting, healing, attack up etc. So there is no like actual item usage such as in god eater / monster hunter for example.

Toukiden is a good title for new players as its not as high of a bar in terms of learning as Monster Hunter is, that and there is less "extra" work that has to be put into the game when it comes to material collecting. Most of which come from stuff harvested from enemies. Some do come from map pickups, but those are fairly easy to do. Weapon / Armor progression is rather fast also. Quite the enjoyable title, though since Kiwami is coming to the West also Id highly suggest waiting for that, as the community will be fresh once again. Also 3 new weapon types added. Rifle, Naginata and Club. (not the exact names) but you get the idea. Great additions to the game, personally the rifle I enjoy and the club does some insane damage. The naginata is interesting due to its parry move that allows you to take 0 damage from a physical attack if timed correctly.

Club
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIM-QFisVbA&list=UUM0d5CqnNiJu4zsPTnwmjAQ

Naginata
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7ALufQTIJY&list=UUM0d5CqnNiJu4zsPTnwmjAQ

Rifle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVKyfLPBf1I&list=UUM0d5CqnNiJu4zsPTnwmjAQ

Honestly:

Monster Hunter is the top dog of the entire genre for a reason.

Freedom Wars is pretty good, but it just doesn´t compare to MH games (only played 3U and Freedom Unite, but the recpeption in the import OT for 4 was glowing).

The satisfaction when you kill your first big monster is far better than when you beat one of FW´s abductors. The story and characters are pretty bad in FW too.

I don´t know how much content overlap there is between 3 Ultimate and 4 Ultimate, but 3U is absolutely worth playing (if the majority of the content isn´t included in 4G of course <.<)

Not really, 4 goes in a whole different direction from 3. Totally new maps and such and they ditched the underwater / swimming mechanic. Different monsters too, the ones that were water based that were unique to tri were removed also.

 

[Labadal]

Thanks guys. Will buy and add to my backlog.

I'll give Ragnarok Odyssey a try at some point, too.

 

[Parakeetman]

Thanks guys. Will buy and add to my backlog.

I'll give Ragnarok Odyssey a try at some point, too.

RO is a game that you most def will want to play with friends or its pretty boring by yourself. Not sure why it is, since its a very bright colorful game, but something about playing it solo just feels so unfulfilling when in comparison to other titles played solo. Its cool that there is a PS3 version also.

 

[Labadal]

RO is a game that you most def will want to play with friends or its pretty boring by yourself. Not sure why it is, since its a very bright colorful game, but something about playing it solo just feels so unfulfilling when in comparison to other titles played solo. Its cool that there is a PS3 version also.

Good to know.

I have played the Monster Hunter 4 demo and it was fun but the 3DS screen is too small for my poor vision.

The reason I want to get into the genre is Final Fantasy Explorers. Square Enix sucking (a sucker) in with the FF IP.

 

[Parakeetman]

Good to know.

I have played the Monster Hunter 4 demo and it was fun but the 3DS screen is too small for my poor vision.

The reason I want to get into the genre is Final Fantasy Explorers. Square Enix sucking (a sucker) in with the FF IP.

Its not a bad game, but more just what I noticed personally. Its very odd considering Im a solo player by nature when it comes to these titles for the most part. As I like the feeling of me vs. the game.

Your experience might be totally different so its worth checking out if there is a demo. Sorry cant confirm that for you as I dont really follow whats going on with Western titles that much.

Phantasy Star Nova is enroute to me from Japan and I should have my hands on it on Tuesday.

As someone that hasn't played a Phantasy Star since Portable, is there any sort of weird mechanics that are going to be lost in (lack of) translation that I should know about before going in?

Nope for the most part you should be good to go. The OT is also up if you wanted to look at gameplay vids and whatnots. The only odd thing Ive noticed is there does not seem to be any sort of default way to enter aim mode. Unless its touch related. If you are playing on the PS3 using a DS3 clicking on the right stick will take you into aimed mode, which is useful for the ranged weapons. Everything else is pretty much straight forward. No quests should be confusing either as its kill this, use X weapon to kill Y (get the killing blow and dont use any other weapons in the process), collect X resource, etc. Nothing confusing.

 

[Labadal]

There is a demo. Put both Toukiden and RO on my download list. Will try them tomorrow.

 

[Parakeetman]

There is a demo. Put both Toukiden and RO on my download list. Will try them tomorrow.

Hope you enjoy them!

Oh yeah about toukiden, when you cut off parts from the monsters you need to collect the part or else the enemy will regenerate said part. Am sure the tutorial should explain it. You will know when you are doing the action correctly by seeing your character standing there with a summoning circle around them and the part is floating around in the air spinning. Its how you collect resources from killed enemies in the game.

 

[baekshi]

While its far from perfect, its hardly a kusoge either. You do know that Freedom Wars was also considered a kusoge in Japan right?

.

I never said otherwise, Freedom Wars has so many flaws that I can list... it's a first game into its entry, and works perfectly fine at least until retribution missions doing alone without barbara.

"People are calling it MH4G a kusoge for a reason also. You should definitely skip that when it comes here."
You didn't ask a question. And we moved on. You should too.

Really?

http://neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=140949829&postcount=561

 

[Orniletter]

Not really, 4 goes in a whole different direction from 3. Totally new maps and such and they ditched the underwater / swimming mechanic. Different monsters too, the ones that were water based that were unique to tri were removed also.

Thats great to hear ! March (?) 2015 can´t come soon enough .

 

[Malyse]

I never said otherwise, Freedom Wars has so many flaws that I can list... it's a first game into its entry, and works perfectly fine at least until retribution missions doing alone without barbara.


Really?

http://neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=140949829&postcount=561

Dog with a bone, huh

We moved on. You should too.

 

[Doombear]

Wow, this topic is going a bit crazy. I like it. There are a lot of opinions and advice and hype for different games in the 'genre'. I also like that for the most part people are staying civil! So often these topics become an argument and people get defensive for their hunting game of choice. Happy to see that hasn't happened much as there is a lot of fun to be had in these games, and we are all obviously huge fans of them.

I think this bit of advice from Shengar is spot on:

if you want to enjoy all the game available: treat the game as separate entities with their own gameplay uniqueness that shouldn't cater to your specific gameplay preference.

While there are countless similarities between titles they really are their own lovely gems. I started with Monster Hunter so that will always be my true love in the genre. Thousands of hours in the series. My favorite franchise out there, so know that before you read MY opinions on some others. Also, it should be noted that I approach all of these games with soloing being how I will spend the majority, if not all, of my time. This works great for some games, and not as well for others.

Folks play the game to challenge themselves and have a good time with friends more than playing by yourself and enjoying a story.

That is exactly what I love about Monster Hunter. I never had the opportunity to use XLink Kai back in Freedom nor did I have anyone to play with locally, so I learned the game myself. It. Was. HARD. I loved it. There is nothing as satisfying as taking on those High Rank, and later G-Rank, missions alone and eeking out a win. You get better, you learn, you get even better, and you feel like you are truly mastering something. I imagine that is how perfecting a fighting game feels.

Anyway, that fondness made me seek out other games, and while some have been enjoyable, hardly any have clicked that way. PSO I want to love, I do, but it hasn't sucked me in yet. I think it is due to the archaic feel that someone mentioned. It feels... too different. GEB, I really liked, but I was playing it in Japanese and the bullet creation was just... brutal. I have since grabbed it and am playing it again on my Vita. I quite like it. Again, it is different.

Soul Sacrifice, I just do not like this game. I don't love the story. I don't love the material management or the fighting style, or the enemies. The maps feel very small (a complaint I have with most games in this genre though... other than MH and TOUK) and more like arenas.

Toukiden I enjoyed, but like Parakeet says, it feels too easy. Lock on and smash bits with your weapon/combo of choice, knowing when to back away. Not a lot of strategy changing from boss to boss. The game is pretty, the weapons are fun, but the bosses all feel like the same fight, same approach, different enemy skin.

Freedom Wars feels the most different, and I am loving it so far. It is a refreshing change for me. The locale and atmostphere is odd, the restrictions are a very refreshing way to give you something to grind for. Can't afford to buy the right to run for 10 seconds at a time? Better go grind the points! The fights so far are challenging, but not brutal. That could be because I am only Code 5... almost have my Code 6 test open. We'll see. I have played a few times online to see how it is, and it is smooth.

Ragnarok Ace... ugh. I sunk a huge amount of time into iRO many many years ago, so I was a fan of the 'lore', the world, the jobs, etc. Then they announce a hunting title in that world!? I was so excited. Again though, so boring. So lifeless. As a solo player, it was often times quite crushing as well.

Finally, I attempted to play Lord of Arcana a few years ago too. I will try anything in this genre if I am able too. I truly want to love them all. Lord of Arcana also fell very short, was not very challenging and the lock on took a ton out of enjoyment out of the game. I did like the limited story that I saw though.

All I can add, read up on how these games play. For being related and in the same family of games, they are as different as your own family likely is. We can all offer out opinions too, but as you can see everyone feels very differently about each of these titles. It is really hard to tell someone if they will like one of them. They all have a lot to learn. They all can be very brutal. They can also all offer a great deal of fun, challenge, rewarding gameplay, and if you have a group to play with... a really great cooperative experience.

 

[Hasemo]

So, after reading that not all PC DVD drives read Gamecube discs properly, I've cancelled my PSO Ep1&2 order. Should've done proper research beforehand.
I'm still interested in seeing the story, so I guess a private server with Blue Burst is the best/easiest way to do it, but I don't really know where to start and am not sure what's the GAF stance on talks about private servers of dead games is, so..

Wow, calling MH4G a kusoge? Of course it's not a perfect game, nothing is, but I have yet to encounter things that people are complaining about. Granted that I haven't done the super-end content unlocked after clearing all the scrolls, but the difficulty of G1-3 was just fine.

The only odd thing Ive noticed is there does not seem to be any sort of default way to enter aim mode. Unless its touch related. If you are playing on the PS3 using a DS3 clicking on the right stick will take you into aimed mode, which is useful for the ranged weapons. Everything else is pretty much straight forward. No quests should be confusing either as its kill this, use X weapon to kill Y (get the killing blow and dont use any other weapons in the process), collect X resource, etc. Nothing confusing.

You have to touch the middle (?) of the touch screen to go into the shoulder aim mode.
I've discovered it by accident and I don't think it's listed in the controls menu.