- [b:a8xfvk3t]Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne[/b:a8xfvk3t] - Most JRPGs start out with a protagonist and his pals trying to prevent world domination/destruction/apocalypse–but not this game.
After the first 20 minutes of gameplay, the Conception happens where the world AKA Tokyo is destroyed and the protagonist, granted with demonic power from a mysterious boy, along with a roster of demon allies must set out in the Vortex World [size=84:a8xfvk3t](a fetal stage of the world, created by the Conception)[/size:a8xfvk3t] and help create a new world following a Reason created by other characters [size=84:a8xfvk3t](For a person to create the new world, they must possess a powerful inner philosophy that encompasses a set of natural laws that the new world would be based upon; your character, the Demi-Fiend, being part demon now, is forbidden to create a Reason(thankyouwiki!))[/size:a8xfvk3t] OR you could be a bad ass, piss in god’s face, side with darker forces and not follow any Reason at all resulting in 1 of 6 endings.
It’s a JRPG dungeon crawler that first featured the Press Turn system, in which more turns are available if an opponent’s weakness is exploited, a critical hit takes place or the combatant simply passes a turn resulting in a half-turn used instead of a full turn.
Most people that enjoy the Persona series (typically those who like P3/P4) tend to dislike Nocturne because: a) it’s “hard”, b) “no voice acting”, c) not enough story/dialogue and/or d) not Persona. [size=84:a8xfvk3t]Other people would comment that it’s just demonic Pokemon, which I could see but seriously the SMT series goes all the way back to the 80s.[/size:a8xfvk3t]
Idk, I really just about everything about this game-- characters, music, dungeons… just amazing.
- [b:a8xfvk3t]Final Fantasy V[/b:a8xfvk3t] - This is I think the 4th Final Fantasy game that I’ve beaten and it turned out to be my favorite of the series. It expands on the Job System that was present in Final Fantasy III [size=84:a8xfvk3t](that is, the ORIGINAL game, not the game that came out on SNES- that one was really FFVI)[/size:a8xfvk3t]
Probably the most light-hearted FF, I’ve played. Sure shit happens but there’s a lot of goofy, silly humor thrown in there too. It introduced the character GILGAMESH, whom, IMO, is the best NPC (…really, he should have his own game) in the franchise.
- [b:a8xfvk3t]ICO[/b:a8xfvk3t] - The first game made by Team ICO. It’s a love it or hate it game. You play Ico, a boy with horns sacrificed by his village because, well, you have horns and that’s bad, mkay. You break out of confinement and try to escape when you happen upon a frail, wispy-looking girl in a cage and you set her free. Hand in hand, you and the girl set out to escape from the castle grounds while protecting the girl from wraiths.
There’s not much music in this game (or dialogue, for that matter). It’s completely atmospheric and it’s impressive how much detail went into it considering its a CD-Rom PS2 game.
- [b:a8xfvk3t]The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask[/b:a8xfvk3t] - Highly underrated game, mostly because people still jizz over Ocarina of Time and of its grim three-day time limit plot.
The game takes place right after the events of OoT in a land called Termina. You get three days to fetch a mask that was stolen by an imp. Don’t have the mask by the time your three days are up? The MOON crashes down and everyone dies.
But who cares?! You’re LINK and you have your trusty Ocarina of Time that Zelda gave you and you can rewind back to the First Day using the Song of Time, thus giving you plenty of time to get that darn mask back.
[size=84:a8xfvk3t]Side note: I’m currently watching SirRonLionHeart’s LP of this game and it brings back memories. ![:o]( "Surprised")
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- [b:a8xfvk3t]Shadow of the Colossus[/b:a8xfvk3t] - The second Team ICO game and is considered to be a spiritual prequel to ICO.
The only enemies in this game are 16 colossal giants. Some big, some small. It’s a boss rush, really. Definitely more action-oriented than ICO, since that one is just puzzles and hand-holding.
Much like the first game, it has little dialogue but the music, which only plays when you’re slaughtering colossi is absolutely great. One of the best video game soundtracks I’ve ever heard.
- [b:a8xfvk3t][size=100:a8xfvk3t]Killer7[/size:a8xfvk3t][/b:a8xfvk3t] - This game is a badass rail shooter from Suda51. In it you can play one of 7 assassins (and switch characters at special save points during missions) collectively known as The Smiths (not rly, but they all have the Smith surname).
THE PLOT:
[quote:a8xfvk3t] [size=100:a8xfvk3t]In an alternate history in which the world is at peace and all types of terrorism is almost non existent, the Japanese United Nations Party is attempting to unify the world under Japanese control. To that end, The Smiths are asked by an agent of the United States to assassinate a number of targets that are working with the Party to prevent this from occurring. As the Killer7 attempt these tasks, they find that their efforts are interfered with a mutant terrorist group known as “Heaven Smile”[/size:a8xfvk3t]
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TBQH, I didn’t play this for the plot. In fact, I still don’t understand what happened at the end… but you know, I’m completely fine with that. It’s a fun shooter all in all.
And I dare you not to UNTZUNTZUNTZ along to the track [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmNwawd5aG4:a8xfvk3t]“Rave On”[/url:a8xfvk3t]
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[b:a8xfvk3t]Okami [/b:a8xfvk3t]- You’re a wolf. You get to pee and poop on enemies. Oh yeah and you’re the goddess Amaterasu. That is all.
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[b:a8xfvk3t]Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra[/b:a8xfvk3t] - Easily the best game of the Xenosaga series. The third of what was intended to be six games, fixes the pile of crap gameplay that Xenosaga II left.
I’m not going to say much about this game exceeeeeeeept: Shion is still a whiny bitch, KOS-MOS is still a robot, MOMO has boobs, chaos is still Jesus-ing it up, Nephilim is still a ghost, Allen finally mans up and Albedo is still the best character.
Also, the ending of this game is bittersweet and left me wanting more ;~;
- [b:a8xfvk3t]Digital Devil Saga 1[/b:a8xfvk3t] [b:a8xfvk3t][size=84:a8xfvk3t]and I guess DDS2[/size:a8xfvk3t][/b:a8xfvk3t] [size=100:a8xfvk3t]- A Shin Megami Tensei spin-off with hindu/buddhist overtones. You play as Serph, leader of the Embryon, a small tribe fighting against other tribes in a world called The Junkyard, a vast, post-apocalyptic wastelandin which it is constantly raining. You fight to dominate all other tribes to reach a paradise called Nirvana.[/size:a8xfvk3t]
[size=100:a8xfvk3t]In the beginning of the game, your tribe and your opponents fight over a large egg-like pod when it suddenly opens, branding everyone with a mark called Atma. This causes the people to transform into demons and the battle ends with Embryons devouring their enemies.[/size:a8xfvk3t]
[size=100:a8xfvk3t]This game adopts the Press Turn System used in SMT: Nocturne and is probably ATLUS’ “mainstream-friendly” version of Nocturne. In SMT:N, the player can only have 8 skills equipped, if you discard a skill, it’s gone forever and you have no way to get it back. In DDS, you can learn all the skills you want and swap out skills any time before a battle worry-free. Another upgrade is that, if character dies in battle, it is not automatically a game over.[/size:a8xfvk3t]
[size=100:a8xfvk3t]The second game takes place right after the first game ends, which makes Digital Devil Saga [i:a8xfvk3t]One Game for the Price of Two.[/i:a8xfvk3t] I think it’s worth it though… and the soundtrack is fabuloussss.[/size:a8xfvk3t]
[size=100:a8xfvk3t]So pretty much it’s a lot easier than Nocturne. There’s a lot of bonus boss battles that you can take part in both DDS1 and DDS2, but there are special boss battles that you can only do on a New Game+ or on Hard Mode. The Ultimate Boss from the first game is said to be the hardest boss in RPG, but really, it all falls down to being really lucky (& I mean really lucky, shit is srs) and using the two skills that you’ve probably never used in the game. [/size:a8xfvk3t][size=84:a8xfvk3t](Somehow I ended up winning and I thought I would never want to fight the boss again, but I find myself wanting to attempt it again.)[/size:a8xfvk3t][size=100:a8xfvk3t] The UB from the second game is said to be just as difficult as well.[/size:a8xfvk3t]
- [b:a8xfvk3t]Rez[/b:a8xfvk3t] - Another rail shooter set to electronic music which plays in the background and gradually evolves as you progress through the levels.
PLOTTIME:
[quote:a8xfvk3t] The game is set in futuristic computer “supernetwork” called the K-project where much of the data flow is controlled by an AI named Eden. Eden has become overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge gathered on the network, causing her to doubt her existence and enter a shutdown sequence, which would create catastrophic problems everywhere should she be able to complete this. The player plays the protagonist hacker, logging into the K-project system to reboot Eden while destroying any viruses or firewalls that happen to inhibit progress, and analyzing other sub-areas of the network to gain access to Eden’s location. The K-Project name and much of the game’s visual and synesthesia inspiration comes from the Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky.
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There’s only 5 levels in this game and I believe 2, maybe 3, different endings to this game. One ending pretty much tells you “Good job but you failed”[size=84:a8xfvk3t] I get this one a lot.[/size:a8xfvk3t]
The only way to get the TRUE ending is a lot harder as it involves getting 100% on items and kills.
I realized I’ve spent WAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much time on this.
And it was time wasted. DX