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[I NEED SCISSORS]

I really want to try out Crisis Core on PSP. However, I have never played more than three hours of Final Fantasy VII (preferred VIII and IX). I have also just ordered Silent Hill Origins while, again, I only played a few hours of the original.

So I see there are two camps of thought with prequels - either a) they serve as a good introduction to the original and can be played beforehand, or b) they should be played after the original to further appreciate it (Metal Gear Solid 3).

What are your thoughts on this, and should I play Crisis Core and Silent Hill Origins based on this?

 

[Snuggles]

Yeah, I think so. When I play through the Metal Gear Solid series I like to do Snake Eater first, but I guess I can see why some people wouldn't do it like that.

 

[Danielsan]

I really want to try out Crisis Core on PSP. However, I have never played more than three hours of Final Fantasy VII (preferred VIII and IX). I have also just ordered Silent Hill Origins while, again, I only played a few hours of the original.

So I see there are two camps of thought with prequels - either a) they serve as a good introduction to the original and can be played beforehand, or b) they should be played after the original to further appreciate it (Metal Gear Solid 3).

What are your thoughts on this, and should I play Crisis Core and Silent Hill Origins based on this?

As far as I know Silent Hill Origins has very little to do with Silent Hill 1.
Then again, I didn't think it was particularly good and didn't bother to finish it.

 

[ntropy]

no. "consensus" has decreed. bow before consensus.

Spoiler

yes

 

[Gomu Gomu]

I guess it's possible. But I personally don't recommend doing it. It's better to get the context of the prequel's story and characters while playing the original game. And then knowing more when playing the prequel. The: "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooh, so that's why this happened" feeling is unmatched.

 

[DonMigs85]

Well it destroys some of the mystery in the first game that came out if you played the prequel first (like playing Baten Kaitos Origins before Baten Kaitos).

 

[Adam Prime]

What are your thoughts on this, and should I play Crisis Core and Silent Hill Origins based on this?

Almost EVERY prequel is made to be enjoyed because you know what's going to happen later in the series. That's usually the appeal of a prequel. So yeah it's usually best to get more enjoyment from a prequel by playing it in the order it was made... even if it was after it's sequel.

To answer your specific question:

Crisis Core - It's a pretty good stand alone game. The only thing you gain from playing FFVII before Crisis Core is that you know the ending. It's pretty fun to follow the story of Crisis Core knowing what's eventually going to happen... so you'll either hate or be totally surprised at the ending of Crisis Core.

SH Origins - yeah perfectly fine to play as a stand alone game. This game only connects to SH1... and I doubt anyone remembers the details of that story anyways. The game just makes a connection at the end, that just "sets up" the next game, but doesn't really add to SH1.

So yes, you'll be fine and enjoy both games without playing the sequels.

 

[hipgnosis]

They might be damn spoilery and could ruin the enjoyment of playing the sequel.

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

I guess it's possible. But I personally don't recommend doing it. It's better to get the context of the prequel's story and characters while playing the original game. And then knowing more when playing the prequel. The: "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooh, so that's why this happened" feeling is unmatched.

Isn't that simply justified retconning?

 

[Q8D3vil]

it depend

but i played crisis core and i didn't finish ff7

now crisis core is my favorite psp game

 

[Steiner_Zi]

There is no definite answer, it depends on the game. Usually it's better that you play the games with the order they were released. For example, it would be reeeally bad to watch the Star Wars prequels before the original trilogy.

 

[BSTF]

I really want to try out Crisis Core on PSP. However, I have never played more than three hours of Final Fantasy VII (preferred VIII and IX). I have also just ordered Silent Hill Origins while, again, I only played a few hours of the original.

So I see there are two camps of thought with prequels - either a) they serve as a good introduction to the original and can be played beforehand, or b) they should be played after the original to further appreciate it (Metal Gear Solid 3).

What are your thoughts on this, and should I play Crisis Core and Silent Hill Origins based on this?

You should have just bought SH1 as it is a better and cheaper game.

 

[thaOwner]

It depends on the game bro. For example, if you play Etrian Odyssey 2 before the first game, it might be impossible to play the prequel because of the minor improvements found in EO2.

 

[Dipper145]

It's okay to play any game series out of order.

 

[Dalauz]

Launch order always

 

[Bentendo]

I bought Crisis Core back in January of 2009. The first time I played Final Fantasy VII? Three days ago! :lol

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

You should have just bought SH1 as it is a better and cheaper game.

I own it too but i've not got round to finishing it. My problem is I will happily step over quality titles just to play the newer stuff. My backlog is enormous.

 

[Steiner_Zi]

It depends on the game bro. For example, if you play Etrian Odyssey 2 before the first game, it might be impossible to play the prequel because of the minor improvements found in EO2.

You got it wrong. He's referring to games that come after the original but they are chronologically set before that. (such as MGS3 )

 

[MonsterHunter]

I really want to try out Crisis Core on PSP. However, I have never played more than three hours of Final Fantasy VII (preferred VIII and IX). I have also just ordered Silent Hill Origins while, again, I only played a few hours of the original.

Give them another chance

 

[John]

Don't. You miss a lot in, say, MGS3 if you play it before the first two. Play in the real world's chronological order, not the game world's.

 

[Nemo]

Play Crisis Core before FFVII. I did, well I did play until Junon, but I loved it so much more after play CC.

 

[Sir Ilpalazzo]

I don't think it's ever good to play a prequel before its predecessors.

Imagine not knowing anything about Star Wars (somehow), then watching all six movies in chronological order. It just wouldn't work.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

Well usually prequels will have improved gameplay and make shout outs that you wont understand unless you have played the other game(s). So no.

 

[bdouble]

Well usually prequels will have improved gameplay and make shout outs that you wont understand unless you have played the other game(s). So no.

Yeah I think a great rule of thumb if you plan on playing the whole series its best to play them in release order. Mainly because of gameplay and design improvements that are usually inevitable unless its a bad sequel. I can't see how playing a prequel before the original would be better if you've never played them.

In this case though with FFCC and 7 it probably doesn't matter cause they are so different in gameplay.

 

[Slightly Live]

I enjoyed Crisis Core whilst only having played about 30 minutes of FFVII, so take that as you will.

If anything, a prequel should get you interested in the original game/s.

 

[tokkun]

Crisis Core is a joyless game whose only reward to the player is its FF7 fan service. It is hard for me to imagine why anyone would want to play it if they had no nostalgia for FF7 already.

 

[Parallax Scroll]

You got it wrong. He's referring to games that come after the original but they are chronologically set before that. (such as MGS3 )

If only there were a word for games like this...

 

[Community Forum]

Launch order always

This is correct.

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

Crisis Core is a joyless game whose only reward to the player is its FF7 fan service. It is hard for me to imagine why anyone would want to play it if they had no nostalgia for FF7 already.

Graphics look good.

 

[B.K.]

If you ever plan to play Final Fantasy VII, it would be a horrible idea to play Crisis Core first. Crisis Core will spoil a lot of major plot twists for VII.

 

[vodka-bull]

One of the best games I've ever played was MGS3. It also was my entry into the MGS saga so I then decided to play the other games as well. Those games were ok, but none was as great as MGS3. Even today I would prefer to play with Big Boss anytime instead of playing with Solid Snake. After all, Big Boss was the real hero for me, and Solid Snake feels more like the children of the real hero. It's like the successor can't reach the rank of the original.

So, as I played MGS1 I just rushed through it. The game wasn't that good, I didn't like the Shadow Moses complex, I didn't like that I had to get chipcards to get access to new rooms, that all felt a little bit awkward to me. Hell, I can't even remember the story exactly because of the dislike against the game. I played through it only one time, MGS3 was finished by me about 12 times. Just recently, 3 days ago, I started a new playthrough and finished it in the same night.

I know this topic isn't about MGS3 or any of the MGS series, but since MGS3 is a prequel to MGS and it was released after MGS, I have to admit that it could've been a bad decision to start the prequel before the main game. I don't know how the experience would have been if I had played MGS before but I guess it wouldn't have been any worse. The order in which I've played the MGS series didn't bring me the "aha" effect anymore as it could have been otherwise.

So, if I ever get the next chance to play a prequel/sequel before the maingame, I wouldn't do it. If I've played the main game and actually liked it, and I maybe would like the successor too, I will play it in that order. Because I know I wouldn't play the games in reverse of their release dates since the successor mostly isn't worse than the original game.

 

[Colocho]

If you're in it for the story playing them in order is always best imo, as that's the way the story was supposed to be experienced.

If you're in it just for fun it doesn't really matter.

 

[Freeza Under The Shower]

Crisis Core is a joyless game whose only reward to the player is its FF7 fan service. It is hard for me to imagine why anyone would want to play it if they had no nostalgia for FF7 already.

Not to mention that none of it would make sense outside the context FF7.

So, to the OP: no. Not with games that are direct sequels to one another though. In literature, the only connection between books from the same author tends to be a central theme or smaller bits. In games, pretty much the whole structure is inherited by sequels, so playing out of order is not really an effective way to "get into the series" should that be your motive to play those games.

If it is not, than pursue whatever order you damn well please. And, while I have "gotten myself into" Metroid, I started with Metroid Prime, having always heard and seen Super Metroid, but not having played it myself (at that time). So between Gaidens everything is fine too. But this is not very common outside of main Nintendo games (which are all self-contained or short serial-series), imho.