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[Amir0x]

Yes, I know that's the European boxart. But the NA boxart is HIDEOS.

There's a lot of big and small games out there for consoles and handhelds at the moment that are garnering hardcore gamer attention. Smash Bros., God of War and Patapon, No More Heroes, Devil May Cry 4... there's a lot. I dunno this year seems kinda heavy already, and we're two months in.

But this one! I'm excited about it! Yes, Square's neverending Final Fantasy whoring is terrible, and they suck as a company generally these days. But the summary of the 1up review tells the tale:

The bottom line with Ring of Fates is that despite its flaws as a single-player game, it thrives in multiplayer (even when played solo). The type of player who'll really enjoy this iteration of Crystal Chronicles is the Diablo/Phantasy Star Online, dungeon-crawling loot whore. With nearly 300 pieces of armor to earn and unlock, item-collection fanatics will have more than enough incentive to keep them occupied, and the game's competent controls and stellar visuals will satisfy every other craving. It's balanced and has just the right loot curve, unlike games such as Champions of Norrath, which offer too many loot drops but nothing worth keeping. Come for the single-player appetizer, but stay for the multiplayer grandeur. Ring of Fates is a keeper.

Let me bold, underline and highlight the relevant part.

The type of player who'll really enjoy this iteration of Crystal Chronicles is the Diablo/Phantasy Star Online, dungeon-crawling loot whore.

DUNGEON-CRAWLING LOOT WHORE

These words - dungeon-crawling + loot + whore - all combine to set off a explosion in my synapses which cause the sort of involuntary reaction that is really out of my hands.

Now, I know a lot of people out there wanted this to be the online multiplayer focused hack-n-slash that the original hinted at, and I did too. But this seems like it worked out pretty great! PHAT L00T, SLASH SLASH enemies. It's all there. I know, I'll have to suffer through the DS 3D... and I hear the framerate isn't great... but PHAT L00T. Buy this game.

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INFO
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Release Date - March 11, 2008
Price - $39.99
Website - North American link

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PICS
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[Mejilan]

Dungeon crawling loot whore. This will satisfy until Soma Bringer is localized.

 

[Kandinsky]

dungeon-crawling loot whore defence force!

 

[Bebpo]

Just a fair warning before you get your hopes up: FF CC is not a loot game that will satisfy your Diablo needs.

FF CC is good because the actual dungeon design is pretty fun. Lots of puzzles, platforming, bosses, passable short story, nice looking graphics w/visible equipment. Mainly though it's about the puzzles and platforming and dungeon design. IIRC there's not much randomization.

Soma Bringer has no puzzles or platforming and it's just about non-stop hundreds of hundreds of loot with randomized chests and bad guys and stuff + huge Xenosaga style story with 20 minute cutscenes all the time (all skippable).

FF CC starts off weak, but if you stick with it you'll get a fun 7 or 8/10 dungeon crawl. If you have friends it'll be an 8 or 9/10 great time. But it's not a loot adventure. It's more like a weaker Zelda.

Wait for SB for your loot needs.

 

[thebagofsand]

I might pick this up.

 

[Mejilan]

So that means that they'll complement each other nicely. Even better.

 

[Amir0x]

i dunno Bebpo, I want to believe you but you keep using Xenogears/saga as a qualifier for your Soma Bringer praise and it makes me want to protest it on principle!

That said, I'm getting that game, but dungeon/loot games don't need to be random or anything. Just needs to have lots of variation.

 

[Llyranor]

Just to clarify what I remember from the JP players:

You essentially need to play through the sp to unlock the areas in order to go through them in MP, right? There's no way to play through the game/story ONLY in co-op mode, right?

If the above is correct, I will pass.

 

[Tiktaalik]

I've very on the border of getting this. The fact that there is no online and the knowledge that no one I know will get this sort of kills a part of it for me. The customizable outfits and PHAT LOOT lean me toward getting it though. Tricky...

 

[lyre]

The game is so ugly and it's multiplayer is most likely well below the quality of the original FF:CC. Pass.

I'll stick to the back to back months of mysterious dungeon games for my loot-y gains.

 

[Mefisutoferesu]

Just a fair warning before you get your hopes up: FF CC is not a loot game that will satisfy your Diablo needs.

FF CC is good because the actual dungeon design is pretty fun. Lots of puzzles, platforming, bosses, passable short story, nice looking graphics w/visible equipment. Mainly though it's about the puzzles and platforming and dungeon design. IIRC there's not much randomization.

Interest UP

Soma Bringer has no puzzles or platforming and it's just about non-stop hundreds of hundreds of loot with randomized chests and bad guys and stuff + huge Xenosaga style story with 20 minute cutscenes all the time (all skippable).

Interest... DEAD, buried, and feeding flowers. :\

I really am tired of the whole phat loot thing, it ends up feeling like busy work/grinding these days. I'm surprised that FFCC isn't the same, and in fact more a Zelda-a-like, definately back in the interest bin.

 

[Bebpo]

Interest... DEAD, buried, and feeding flowers. :\

I really am tired of the whole phat loot thing, it ends up feeling like busy work/grinding these days. I'm surprised that FFCC isn't the same, and in fact more a Zelda-a-like, definately back in the interest bin.

There aren't really a lot of Japanese games that are like this though. I mean there's Record of Lodoss War, Shining Force Neo/Exia, and now Soma Bringer. I guess PSO/PSU but those are sort of different because they are online MMO-type.

 

[Mefisutoferesu]

There aren't really a lot of Japanese games that are like this though. I mean there's Record of Lodoss War, Shining Force Neo/Exia, and now Soma Bringer. I guess PSO/PSU but those are sort of different because they are online MMO-type.

Right, but it's a diablo-a-like isn't it? That's approaching the anti-thesis of where I want games to go. I'm just really tired of the whole loot/item drops schema. I think, maybe, I'm getting old. Oh, I'm sorry, were you talking about my FFCC comment? Yeah, in that case, I guess you're right, but I was originally under the impression that FFCC was that kind of game.

 

[sevenchaos]

I'm going to get this tomorrow. Thanks for reminding me.

 

[ivysaur12]

1up gave this an A?


Hmm... I'm intrigued. The only thing from stopping me is that I'll have no one to play with.

 

[Tiktaalik]

1up gave this an A?


Hmm... I'm intrigued. The only thing from stopping me is that I'll have no one to play with.

It got a B- from Jeremy and a 6 and 7 from Game Informer. It's currently sitting at ~80 on Metacritic, though Game Informer's scores haven't been added yet.

Interestingly Metacritic is marking down 1up's A as a 100. Are there no A+'s in 1up's scale?

 

[keanerie]

I might pick this up as a substitute for Soma Bringer, but I might also just play Diablo II....

 

[Link Man]

I'm planning on getting this, even if it's just for single-player.

 

[QVT]

Sounds fantastic. I'm such a good little dungeon crawling loot whore.

 

[grandjedi6]

Just a fair warning before you get your hopes up: FF CC is not a loot game that will satisfy your Diablo needs.

FF CC is good because the actual dungeon design is pretty fun. Lots of puzzles, platforming, bosses, passable short story, nice looking graphics w/visible equipment. Mainly though it's about the puzzles and platforming and dungeon design. IIRC there's not much randomization.

Soma Bringer has no puzzles or platforming and it's just about non-stop hundreds of hundreds of loot with randomized chests and bad guys and stuff + huge Xenosaga style story with 20 minute cutscenes all the time (all skippable).

FF CC starts off weak, but if you stick with it you'll get a fun 7 or 8/10 dungeon crawl. If you have friends it'll be an 8 or 9/10 great time. But it's not a loot adventure. It's more like a weaker Zelda.

Wait for SB for your loot needs.

You have my attention, go on

 

[ivysaur12]

I'm planning on getting this, even if it's just for single-player.

Question for importers: is it worth it to get this for the single player?

 

[methodman]

you can play this over wi-fi? I'll definitely play with some of you guys later on this week.

 

[DevelopmentArrested]

you can play this over wi-fi? I'll definitely play with some of you guys later on this week.

local only

 

[DarkKyo]

So is this in store tomorrow or shipping tomorrow? I NEED THIS GAME.

Also, what's the deal with character creation? Are there more or less options than the last CC in terms of appearance(not armor, but naked appearance).

 

[Haeleos]

Does anyone have any info on multiplayer? Is the co-op the same as if playing single player, except with other people? I hate when games cut out the storyline whenever you play co-op.

 

[Hatchet Man]

After reading the descriptions here my interest in this game has increased.

 

[Fuu]

I'm in.

 

[sykoex]

Awesome!! I'll post my friend code as soon as i get this. the online will be hardcore, such an awesome fit for the DS.

 

[batbeg]

Awesome!! I'll post my friend code as soon as i get this. the online will be hardcore, such an awesome fit for the DS.

...do people even read threads anymore?

There is no online play.

 

[Fuu]

...do people even read threads anymore?

There is no online play.

There is a sort of moogle design trading that uses the wi-fi, but yeah, I don't think he was talking about that.

 

[ethelred]

...do people even read threads anymore?

Did they ever?

 

[Symytry]

Question for importers: is it worth it to get this for the single player?

From what I understand, FFCCRoF IS a single player game. The multiplayer can't be had unless you complete the single player game first, or at least that's the way I think it works. I could be completely wrong on that however.

I also remembered someone saying that in multiplayer mode the story is more or less not existent.

 

[Firestorm]

I still haven't finished the GameCube game. Maybe it's time for my friends and I to move on and play this instead =(

Maybe it doesn't require us to grind for 10 years to beat the game.

First off, Ring of Fates arrives in two distinct flavors: solo and multiplayer. These modes are separated in much the same way Sega's Phantasy Star Universe offers an offline, story-driven mode in which players control preset, predesigned characters, while including a multiplayer mode in which gamers can steer their own customized, personalized avatar through the game's levels. This is a distinct departure from the original Crystal Chronicles, wherein part of the game's charm was in guiding your own mute custom character through the game's challenges. In Ring of Fates, you either play through the story mode, or you play through the story mode's levels solo or with friends, but devoid of any plot.

Ah damn. Is it really that hard to stick in the story for multiplayer?

 

[Macstorm]

You can access multiplayer right from the start. Single player unlocks new things in multiplayer mode. You can even play multiplayer mode by yourself to build up your character and if you are lucky enough to know someone else local that has the game, you can join up.

 

[Haeleos]

In Ring of Fates, you either play through the story mode, or you play through the story mode's levels solo or with friends, but devoid of any plot.

No purchase for me if there's no story in multiplayer. I heard about the terrible AI in single player and would rather spare myself the headache.

 

[sk3tch]

This is the message that R4 users (and others) are getting after playing for a certain amount of time. The belief so far seems to be that the timer is randomized. I think it is an awesome way for Nintendo to "defeat" piracy because people will get to taste the game and hopefully buy it when they're frustrated.

Source: http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=77990

 

[dude]

This is the message that R4 users (and others) are getting after playing for a certain amount of time. The belief so far seems to be that the timer is randomized. I think it is an awesome way for Nintendo to "defeat" piracy because people will get to taste the game and hopefully buy it when they're frustrated.

Source: http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=77990

It's nice, but I don't think it'll be long before a way is found around it :\

 

[DarkKyo]

Does anyone know how extensive character customization is?

 

[Fuu]

That's the cutest anti-piracy message I've ever seen.

 

[djtiesto]

FF CC is good because the actual dungeon design is pretty fun. Lots of puzzles, platforming, bosses, passable short story, nice looking graphics w/visible equipment. Mainly though it's about the puzzles and platforming and dungeon design. IIRC there's not much randomization.

That's a relief, I could give a damn about random dungeons and lots of loot, but solid level design and good puzzles are much more important for me.

 

[batbeg]

That's a relief, I could give a damn about random dungeons and lots of loot, but solid level design and good puzzles are much more important for me.

That's a relief, I could give a damn

I could give a damn

could

No! That's a bad djtiesto!

So I just found out this comes out on the 21st here. I may see about me and my girlfriend getting this, but neither of us have jobs so eh... Still excited either way.

 

[Kazenone]

So I just found out this comes out on the 21st here. I may see about me and my girlfriend getting this, but neither of us have jobs so eh... Still excited either way.

Yes I want to do the same but DW6 just came out and then Dragon Quest Monsters:Joker is this Friday too so even though my hype for another Crystal Chronicles game is through the roof, I can't decide what is priority and what is not!

To be honest I am really in it for the Moogle customization.

 

[CrisKre]

I want to add that the presentation in this game is top notch. It is pretty fun in single player too, but of course shines in multiplayer. Its one of the best games in my DS collection for sure.

 

[ivysaur12]

Ok, I think I'm going to get this, even though I'll have no one to play with. Hopefully the solo mode in multiplayer is worth it.

 

[rollingstart]

Is there a way you can play this over the wifi in the same way as Monster Hunter Freedom where you trick it into thinking people you are playing over the net are people next to you?

 

[bluemax]

Considering I wrote 2 FAQs for the GCN version I'll definitely be all over this.

 

[lyre]

When it comes to phat loot, there's a much better game for that and it just came out about a week ago (Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer for the slow, and buy this game).

Another game that has a lot of phat loot along the same lines will be out later next month (Pokemanz Mysterious Dungeon 2).

Anyone getting Rings of Fate expecting prospects of massive loot gathering is going to be extremely disappointed.

 

[PataHikari]

I like Dungeon Crawling. But not much of a loot whore, I prefer character customization to equipment whoring.

Will I like this?

 

[DevelopmentArrested]

I like Dungeon Crawling. But not much of a loot whore, I prefer character customization to equipment whoring.

Will I like this?

Just got the game. 1 hour in. Id' say yes.

 

[Kobun Heat]

Has the world really fallen apart so much that all discussions of this game have to be centered around DUNGEON HACKING and LOOT DROPS? Have we lost our minds?

It's an action RPG. You know, like Secret of Mana? Not as good as, but what is?