Dr. Black Jack
Member
So, NIS America.
Ever since my wife started playing Disgaea ten years ago their games have just done nothing for me. There was a Makai Kingdom trailer that interested me enough to preorder the game, but I never played it before gifting it away. My wife fell off after being disappointed with Disgaea 2, and we haven't had any major contact with their games since outside of laughing about how many ridiculously titled Atelier games get released. I'd occasionally read up on a new game, decide that the gameplay looked stale and janky and the dialogue was too juvenile/hamfisted, and skip it as usual.
A few days ago I realized something: maybe that's the entire point.
Growing up, JRPGs were the golden pinnacle of gaming for me. They usually had the best graphics, the grandest stories, the most beautiful soundtracks; if one made it over at all it was something to be celebrated and I loved it. Then NISA games came along and ran contrary to all of that. Games with samey gameplay, forgettable MIDI tracks and mediocre graphics pumped out as fast as they could be translated. They weren't grandiose or revolutionary; they just took SRPG framework, slapped some anime graphics on top and called it a day. It ran contrary to the pedestal that I had placed the entire genre on, and it burned me out on JRPGs in general.
But you know what, past me? That's bullshit. We have a weekly ritual of inviting my buddy over and watching so-bad-they're-good movies on Netflix. We are currently running through Ride to Hell for kicks, and I even bought the DLC. We love playing terrible jank in every form of entertainment we consume...why should JRPGs be any different? Why does every one have to be this life-changing experience that takes years to craft? I want some grindhouse JRPGs. I want something that purposely makes me cringe and doesn't try to be anything more than what it is. I need some jank in my life.
Grabbing The Witch and The Hundred Knight and Mugen Souls Z after work. let's do this
Ever since my wife started playing Disgaea ten years ago their games have just done nothing for me. There was a Makai Kingdom trailer that interested me enough to preorder the game, but I never played it before gifting it away. My wife fell off after being disappointed with Disgaea 2, and we haven't had any major contact with their games since outside of laughing about how many ridiculously titled Atelier games get released. I'd occasionally read up on a new game, decide that the gameplay looked stale and janky and the dialogue was too juvenile/hamfisted, and skip it as usual.
A few days ago I realized something: maybe that's the entire point.
Growing up, JRPGs were the golden pinnacle of gaming for me. They usually had the best graphics, the grandest stories, the most beautiful soundtracks; if one made it over at all it was something to be celebrated and I loved it. Then NISA games came along and ran contrary to all of that. Games with samey gameplay, forgettable MIDI tracks and mediocre graphics pumped out as fast as they could be translated. They weren't grandiose or revolutionary; they just took SRPG framework, slapped some anime graphics on top and called it a day. It ran contrary to the pedestal that I had placed the entire genre on, and it burned me out on JRPGs in general.
But you know what, past me? That's bullshit. We have a weekly ritual of inviting my buddy over and watching so-bad-they're-good movies on Netflix. We are currently running through Ride to Hell for kicks, and I even bought the DLC. We love playing terrible jank in every form of entertainment we consume...why should JRPGs be any different? Why does every one have to be this life-changing experience that takes years to craft? I want some grindhouse JRPGs. I want something that purposely makes me cringe and doesn't try to be anything more than what it is. I need some jank in my life.
Grabbing The Witch and The Hundred Knight and Mugen Souls Z after work. let's do this