Eh, if they have a VERY low threshold to success then it'd definitely imaginable. Especially if the translation turns out to be blatantly phoned in.
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cj iwakura rejoice! Elminage Original (PSP) Heading to North America, and Europe!
- Thread starter Takao
- Start date
cj_iwakura
Member
He posted at the Atlus MB for a really long time.
dragonlife
Member
Ah, no wonder. Weird that I'd vaguely remember that.
Anyway, pretty cool that it's coming.
Augemitbutter
Member
will buy.
where is my next wizardry, xseed?
where is my next wizardry, xseed?
Parakeetman
No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Hey CJ get ready to DIE. Since that will happen a lot in the original Elminage lol.
Love how the Elminage series has stayed more true to the original Wizardry formula. Can imagine those who have never played a wizardry game are going to get scared off though by the difficulty.
Id have to say Etrian Oddessy was based off of Wizardry in general gameplay and style. Though most of the mechanics have been made a lot more "user friendly" and allows for more customization with the characters with the skill points.
Elminage in general most of the mechanics have stayed true to the original Wizardry formula for the most part. The game is by far one of the hardest Wizardry type dungeon crawlers out there and expect to spend a lot of time in game as its not a title you can blow through quickly.
For those who love that its a great series, but for those who have difficulty with games like EO Id suggest staying away from this title as you will just wind up getting frustrated.
Once again though great to see it coming to the west.
Id take a pic of every single Elminage game released but everything is all separated into boxes stored away in the apartment. D: Got them all except for the latest spinoff title that came out on the PSP the weird Japanese themed one which got panned pretty hard in user feedback. Didnt consider it an actual part of the series so never picked it up when it came out.
Id have to say out of them all 1 and 3 were the more difficult titles. 1 more so on the PS2 vs the DS just due to the sheer amount of enemies you can encounter. One area in particular with how monsters just keep appearing while in battle made for some CRAZY fights. It got toned down a bit on the portable versions. (DS / PSP)
Love how the Elminage series has stayed more true to the original Wizardry formula. Can imagine those who have never played a wizardry game are going to get scared off though by the difficulty.
Id have to say Etrian Oddessy was based off of Wizardry in general gameplay and style. Though most of the mechanics have been made a lot more "user friendly" and allows for more customization with the characters with the skill points.
Elminage in general most of the mechanics have stayed true to the original Wizardry formula for the most part. The game is by far one of the hardest Wizardry type dungeon crawlers out there and expect to spend a lot of time in game as its not a title you can blow through quickly.
For those who love that its a great series, but for those who have difficulty with games like EO Id suggest staying away from this title as you will just wind up getting frustrated.
Once again though great to see it coming to the west.
Id take a pic of every single Elminage game released but everything is all separated into boxes stored away in the apartment. D: Got them all except for the latest spinoff title that came out on the PSP the weird Japanese themed one which got panned pretty hard in user feedback. Didnt consider it an actual part of the series so never picked it up when it came out.
Id have to say out of them all 1 and 3 were the more difficult titles. 1 more so on the PS2 vs the DS just due to the sheer amount of enemies you can encounter. One area in particular with how monsters just keep appearing while in battle made for some CRAZY fights. It got toned down a bit on the portable versions. (DS / PSP)
Ingueferroque
Banned
OMG
I thought this would never happen! I will vote with my wallet.
I thought this would never happen! I will vote with my wallet.
Ingueferroque
Banned
Great art and atmosphere. Man, I wish EO didn't introduce 3D enemy models.
Parakeetman
No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
They actually look very nice in game. Its a positive step forward I say.
Parakeetman
No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
If you are familiar / like wizardry you will like this game. Once again reason being is it stays more true to the original formula.
Asides from that with this title, there isnt anything in particular besides that and its hard as nails.
Also dont expect shiny & pretty, since this game is anything but. The gameplay though is pretty solid if you enjoy "dungeon crawlers".
Yeah, I could see from the video it looks a bit rough, but the monster art is great nonetheless.
Cheers for the impressions
archnemesis
Member
Do we know what they'll price it at? I'm not sure harder than Etrian Odyssey is something I want out of a game, but everything else about it seems fine.
Parakeetman
No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
No worries! Its a great series and Id love to see more people enjoy it, but at the same time want to wave off others who are not familiar with Wizardry or have trouble with Dungeon Crawlers in general. As this game seriously is pretty difficult and can lead to frustration pretty easy if one is not used to the core mechanics. The monster art though is quite nice and fits the setting. Its one thing Ive always enjoyed about the series is the artwork.
The dungeons are huge too so getting "stuck" in one is all quite possible. Ive had it happen to me before on the PS2 version, so had to use my 2nd party to go through from the start and take note of where I was going due to all the "unique" panels such as warp, turn, etc to figure out how to get my first party out of there.
The graphics of the dungeons in general for the first one are not all that impressive looking and sound effects are quite dated along with the music. But thats all part of the games charm.
So overall those wanting a pretty authentic old school hardcore dungeon crawling experience this most def is the game for you.
Folks wanting something a bit more light hearted Id say look into the Etrian Odyssey or Class of Heroes which is slightly a bit more difficult than Etrian Odyssey.
Its a lot harder. To be honest. I really wish there was a current example I could give you to try out and see if you would enjoy the game, but at the moment there really is nothing. There is the Wizardry game that was a PSN release in the west, but the difficulty on that one is not as high as this game, since once you get a party settled in you can blow through a lot of the enemies. Its harder to do in Elminage. But the mechanics are similar in some ways.
Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls was the name of the title. Am not sure if there is a demo version out? Might want to check into that.
cj_iwakura
Member
Yep, it has a demo.
Well, so much for that. Got excited for nothing.
Pureauthor
Member
Nice. I'll keep an eye out.
You have to be expecting "PSN exclusive" at this point for any new PSP announcements, with only a few odd outliers like Ragnarok Tactics.
cj_iwakura
Member
This is the best thing about the digital era if you ask me. Niche games like this would never have a chance otherwise. (XSeed: Hint - Half Minute Hero 2.)
Definitely one of the greatest aspects. I love how digital gives life to so many things that would otherwise be forgotten in this modern game era.
Hopefully by the time this comes out, Vita compatability on Day 1 will be standard, and they can possibly provide a demo of some form at the same time.
I fail to see how anyone should really complain about download-only PSP releases from this point forward; without this potential, and Vita compatability, would we even be getting PSP games anymore?
You're more likely to see a mangled version released on XBLA/Steam by MarvelousUSA than a PSN release from XSEED.
So is this better than Labyrinth of Lost Souls? LoLS was quite the disappointment to me as I was looking forward to a new quality dungeon crawler but it simply wasn't good enough imo. Awful soundtrack (and no dungeon music, grr!), poor dungeons, poor story, beyond shitty sidequests (collect several of these rare drop items, yay!). I can live without a good story in a dungeon crawler but the other stuff needs to be at least average (Dark Spire is a good example of a game that nails the Wizardryesque dungeon crawler imo).
Doubly frustrating, given it IS designed for handhelds.
And there is the other problem: the target audiences don't fully mesh. I guess if things could be a bit more ideal it'd be the more complicated games from people with passion for physical packaging that reliably hit retail, while the simpler games (or those that really make sure you know everything and render the manual redundant) from developers/publishers who'd rather save as much in the process of getting it to customers were primarily digital. Instead, it feels like we're slowly going for an inverse of this. :/
cj_iwakura
Member
Yeah, pound for pound, The Dark Spire is a much better game, but LoLS is good for what it is, and I loved the art(and what little music it did have).
I think Elminage has dungeon BGM, thankfully. Dark Spire's was amazing.
Eusis: Proper digital manuals render that annoyance moot though, right? If anything, Digital games should have the potential to come with the best manuals ever designed...
As for HMH2nd, I'd accept such a game broken into bite-sized PSMobile releases, or something of the sort. Wouldn't even be TOO surprised to see it end up as something like a quick dual-screen port for Wii U...
As for HMH2nd, I'd accept such a game broken into bite-sized PSMobile releases, or something of the sort. Wouldn't even be TOO surprised to see it end up as something like a quick dual-screen port for Wii U...
dragonlife
Member
Agreed. I never made it far in the game (I never do, yet I buy these kinds of games), but the thing you notice almost right away is the godly music. So good. The fact that you can also switch to a "classic" mode is fucking sweet, too. That the music changes along with it is awesome as well.
I feel like the Vita's digital manuals still need to take a few steps towards that, while the 3DS's are just too plain and cold. Nevermind the fact there are other physical goods that can be included with a game.
There was nothing too amazing (or too stupid) about Dark Spire's gameplay, but I'll be locked in a first person sewer dungeon filled with giant rats if the art and music weren't fucking godly. Classic mode graphics and music were a nice throw-back to the early-mid 80s, but I definitely prefer the newer skin.
I love how the dungeon hallway/room graphics were skewed.
Enjoyed every minute of the game.
I love how the dungeon hallway/room graphics were skewed.
Enjoyed every minute of the game.
Never got around to getting Dark Spire, is it worth playing if you don't have that much experience in older style first person dungeon crawls? The most similar I played is SMT3 (which from what I read is exactly that, except in 3rd person) and I loved the shit out of it.
Dark Spire is fairly similar to those early first person turn based dungeon crawls that fit the early Wizardry mold. It can be pretty damn difficult until you gain a few levels and replace your shitty starter gear. But once you get used to how the game mechanics and resource (spell) management work together, tackling chunks of the dungeons, opening up shortcuts as you progress, become very doable.
I haven't played Elminage, but from what I've read, it'll be quite similar to this mold as well.
If you can find Dark Spire for fairly cheap, it's not a bad way to cut your teeth on this kind of game.
(Edit - Holy shit. $25 [used] to $75 [new] from Amazon merchants...)
(Edit 2 - In hind sight, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey would probably be a great buy for you. It's basically a numbered SMT in all but name, IMHO. Cheaper, too.)
It's certainly better than Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls. That turned out to be one of the few games of this style that I just couldn't get into it. Too sloppy, grindy, and unbalanced even for me.
I haven't played Elminage, but from what I've read, it'll be quite similar to this mold as well.
If you can find Dark Spire for fairly cheap, it's not a bad way to cut your teeth on this kind of game.
(Edit - Holy shit. $25 [used] to $75 [new] from Amazon merchants...)
(Edit 2 - In hind sight, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey would probably be a great buy for you. It's basically a numbered SMT in all but name, IMHO. Cheaper, too.)
It's certainly better than Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls. That turned out to be one of the few games of this style that I just couldn't get into it. Too sloppy, grindy, and unbalanced even for me.
archnemesis
Member
Being unbalanced was one of the reasons I really enjoyed Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls. When the dice rolled in your favor you could get awesomely overpowered loot and other times your party got wiped almost instantly. It made venturing into the dungeons more exciting.
OfWhiteSkinOnRedLeather
Member
When buying gear in this game, can I compare it to what's currently equipped, or am I essentially buying blind like in Dark Spire?
SatelliteOfLove
Member
The fact they take on the poses from their 2D representations, even briefly, is class.
The next few years and beyond will not be kind to you.
Well, I'm hoping as the 3DS (and hopefully Vita) gain traction they can keep a strong presence in retail, but if those DON'T take off more or retail simply eschews them anyway then yeah, this is just going to get more and more common, and even in the best case, uhhh, like said it's your only hope for most future PSP games.
REALLY hope niche games can keep a strong presence at retail for 3DS games unless an account system gets implanted.
buddha0991
Member
isnt this that game that can have custom portraits and music for the characters?
cj_iwakura
Member
Yep.
Magicpaint
Member
omg this looks hawt.
buddha0991
Member
Now I am far more interested in this, oh yes...
Delusibeta
Banned
Honestly? Niche games are the first to transition to digital distribution only, broadly speaking. PC gaming around 2007 would have probably be considered niche in the west, and that was when Steam and digital distribution in general really got into gear.
And annoyingly enough niche games are the ones most likely to get bogged down right rights crap and actually care for good packaging. If at least the former was a non-issue I'd more gladly welcome it rather than consider it a necessary evil.
Parakeetman
No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Just portraits. The first one & second didnt include the music feature yet. Do believe it was from the third one that included the music load & dungeon load.
Augemitbutter
Member
atlus can successfully market retail niche games with their goodies, so i don't see why others couldn't. i know it doesn't work with every game, but let's not act like these releases won't be profitable in the future.
Parakeetman
No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Budget would be a difference I suppose. That and this particular example here is not exactly a title that a very large market would go after in the first place. Even less than the general niche titles that Atlus releases. Even within Japan itself it has not that large of a following, which is why Starfish in general always does low print numbers of their games at start. Atlus in general is a known name which is why people will run out to support. Its a lot harder for a newer company to try and get that sort of pull from the consumers with no developed fanbase of its own.
The first Elminage title is going to be a bit of a hard sell cept to the real hardcore fans of Wizardry in general. Esp with how the dungeon map looks. Its quite ugly to be honest and unless you are a fan of the genre can see a lot of "new gamers" getting turned off by it and generally the difficulty and lack of hand holding the game has. Or what they would complain as archaic gameplay design.
My guess is that the original is cheaper to license. Though is quite the gamble, since the original game is far from being a looker. Plus there were small improvements made to the later games. But for something this niche I suppose its the only logical choice to test the waters with...
UFO is a VERY low budget publisher. There is zero marketing money allotted to this game, same as every other game they've put out, and it's likely they're only bothering with it because they have a prior relationship with Starfish. (They also published Heavenly Guardian.)
Do they even have experience with anything as text-heavy as an RPG? The only releases of theirs I'm familiar with are shooting games.
There've been a lot of posts about how Atlus can do this, Atlus can do that. But it seems to me that their metric of success has jumped above a lot of niche titles that in past years would have been shoe-ins for localization...hence the total silence on P2EP.
as in i can just load up some pics from a folder?
i wonder if i should use shining force 2, phantasy star 2 or spartacus:blood and sand pictures?
I think it's also been MUCH harder to sell some of these niche games, not to mention the exchange rate means that for their parent company they HAVE to push more to make the same profits as before anyway. Although it is kind of curious how Atlus seems to be the most reluctant to jump onto digital, it seems like a lot of releases would be more practical that way.