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al-azad
May 28, 2009



Kid Moe posted:

Anything i should know before i start Contact for DS? It seems like its going to be one of those games where its easy to miss stuff.

I don't think there's anything you can permanently miss in this game because you can revisit past areas. I recommend cooking as much as you can to boost your skill. The game isn't necessarily difficult but the nature of the battle system means you'll be doing a ton of grinding to get anywhere.

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CloseFriend
Aug 21, 2002

Un malheur ne vient jamais seul.

Kid Moe posted:

Anything i should know before i start Contact for DS? It seems like its going to be one of those games where its easy to miss stuff.
Go in with an open mind. There's a lot wrong with that game, but there's some good stuff too.

I'd recommend using a guide to get the suits. They're what makes the gameplay interesting, and some of them are kind of in odd or out-of-the-way places.

apekillape
Jan 23, 2009

by Peatpot

Corridor posted:

And dudes, what the gently caress is up with that wiki? Still happening or not? :(

http://drumandface.info/wsik/index.php/Special:RecentChanges

I'm up to page 9 of the thread, hope to clear 20-ish by tonight. It's... a lot of goddamn data to edit, haha.

Twitch
Apr 15, 2003

by Fluffdaddy
I'm getting Metroid Prime Trilogy tomorrow. Is there anything that I really need to know before playing that series (I play on playing them in order), or is it better to just jump in cold?

Waffle!
Aug 6, 2004

I Feel Pretty!


Twitch posted:

I'm getting Metroid Prime Trilogy tomorrow. Is there anything that I really need to know before playing that series (I play on playing them in order), or is it better to just jump in cold?

Scan EVERYTHING. You get much more of the story in Prime if you read all the little notes the space pirates write to each other, and you learn cool stuff about the critters you're blasting. I haven't played the other two, but I'm sure it's the same. Ghosts are a loving bitch. You'll know when you get there.

muscles like this!
Jan 17, 2005


Twitch posted:

I'm getting Metroid Prime Trilogy tomorrow. Is there anything that I really need to know before playing that series (I play on playing them in order), or is it better to just jump in cold?

The games only really loosely tie together so if you get stuck on one don't be afraid to switch to a different game. Especially if you get frustrated with 2 as its the hardest one.

CloseFriend
Aug 21, 2002

Un malheur ne vient jamais seul.

Twitch posted:

I'm getting Metroid Prime Trilogy tomorrow. Is there anything that I really need to know before playing that series (I play on playing them in order), or is it better to just jump in cold?
If you plan on doing a 100% items run, write down the names of the rooms where you get each missile/energy upgrade. You won't get them all yourself (foregone conclusion), and backtracking and having to remember which you picked up (or worse, which you may have picked up but then died and never saved) is a giant pain in the rear end. It took me like two hours of backtracking when I decided to do a 100% items run because of this.

EDIT: It also helps if you grab the FAQ from Gamefaqs that has a checklist.

Wazzu
Feb 28, 2008

Are you sure I'm winning the Rumble? That does'nt seem right.....

Swiss Army Knife posted:

Ended up getting a windfall of games. Anyone got some tips for Red Faction: Guerilla

Yeah, everything can explode. You'll quickly realise this means that you can blow up cover. When you blow up important buildings, don't forget to leave yourself some cover.

You heal quite quickly when you're in a vehicle.

Remember to pick up enemy guns, because they then go into your weapon store (especially useful for guns like the sniper rifle which can go through tanks to their pilots)

If you're having trouble liberating oasis, there is a rocket mech in roughly the middle of the area, so you can use that.

The last mission is a loving bitch, good luck.

Jarrik posted:

Got a copy of Beyond Good & Evil (finally)...any advice is appreciated.

It's being a while...

Take photos of everything you can, you need the money for upgrades to advance the game.

Killing (by hitting the gas tank on their back, then hitting them again) the mysterious guards doesn't break your cover.

Indigo Raven
Sep 1, 2008

HEY! LISTEN! HEY! LISTEN! HEY! LISTEN!

MY FANTASYS.zip posted:

Just picked up a few games today, so any tips on Devil Summoner 2, Deus EX, Evil Genius, and Red Faction Guerrilla,

I think I can help on Devil Summoner 2.

-Anti-Death swords and swords that increase Mag absorption are great to have (The former is almost necessary in a certain boss fight). Hang on to them if you can.

-Try to obtain demons with the ability Sexy Voice and Sweet Talk early on. When negotiating, Sexy Voice is effective on male demons and Sweet Talk is effective on females. With both abilities, you improve your chances of negotiating successfully on almost every demon you'll encounter.

-To go with the earlier point, NEGOTIATE. A LOT. Try to recruit every demon you meet. Since the dialogue options each demon likes and dislikes is basically random, you'll fail at negotiating a lot, but just keep trying. Give them anything they want: HP, Mag, Yen or items unless they ask for rare gems like diamonds.

-FUSE A LOT. Most of the demons you get from negotiation aren't very good. You get your best demons from fusion. Fused demons can receive up to 4 abilities from their parent demons and if the moves you don't want don't inherit, cancel out of the fusion and retry. The skills are different each time. Don't worry too much about maxing loyalty before fusing, the small bonuses you get from that are nice, but aren't a big deal.

-After a certain point in the game, there will be a series of bosses that have a chance of ambushing you on the new moon. They are easily some of the toughest fights in the game. You can negotiate your way out of them, however the payment required is probably more than you'd want to lose. There's no real way to avoid these fights, but equipping a demon with the ability Unreachable Soul will reduce the rate that they appear. (There's an ability with the opposite effect as well, Just save often and try to make it to a place without monster encounters if you're warned that they're approaching.

I'm sure there's more I could say on it, but it's actually a pretty easy game and I don't want to make this too long.

Corridor
Oct 19, 2006

apekillape posted:

http://drumandface.info/wsik/index.php/Special:RecentChanges

I'm up to page 9 of the thread, hope to clear 20-ish by tonight. It's... a lot of goddamn data to edit, haha.

Okay, well I dunno if you saw my offer to help input data and crap, but I'll be less than busy for at least another week or so.

edit: I keep on hearing about Ratchet And Clank, and running into cheapo PS2 copies down at EB, so I'm starting to think well, what the heck, might as well check them out. I have absolutely no idea what they're like or if I'll enjoy them, but the PS2 ones cost next to nothing right now plus I love cutie robots. So which should I start with, or rather, which ones are best? I really don't think I'm going to have the time and/or inclination to play through all of them in order, and there are a ton of these loving things.

I also don't have a PS3 or PSP, which limits me to, let's see...
R&C
R&C: Locked And Loaded
R&C3: Up Your Arsenal
R&C: Size Matters
Secret Agent Clank

Not listing Ratchet's solo because it has no cutie robot. :colbert:

Corridor fucked around with this message at 10:19 on Aug 25, 2009

An Taoiseach
Mar 23, 2008

World's Strongest Love
Anyone got any tips for The Movies? Is it worth getting the expansion?

Ichiban Crush
Dec 11, 2004

Titter Titter (Circumflex Underscore Circumflex)
Unless I somehow skipped past it, I didn't see any for the Romancing Saga (NOT UNLIMITED) remake on PS2. Is there any characters I absolutely should not start off with? I'm several grinding hours into the longhaired mercenary and still haven't been able to beatdown the goblins guarding those dinosaur eggs; do bosses advance with party members' stats the way regular enemies do?

I normally wouldn't ask, but the Saga games can get tricky, even if the Romancing set didn't suck total balls like most of the other Saga sets. I figured I'd try that one, as I don't have the stomach to go through the Unlimited's whole formula of (based on theory):
Psychedelic Colorwashes(Candy Land + Roulette)JRPG/crap^(difficulty level requirement > A High-functioning autistic person's dedication to completing all things Saga)

Vinlaen
Feb 19, 2008

apekillape posted:

http://drumandface.info/wsik/index.php/Special:RecentChanges

I'm up to page 9 of the thread, hope to clear 20-ish by tonight. It's... a lot of goddamn data to edit, haha.
I've searched through the entire thread and put The Witcher stuff on the Wiki. I also added some Evil Genius stuff and Mass Effect (I think?).

I really like the wiki idea!

GOTTA STAY FAI
Mar 24, 2005

~no glitter in the gutter~
~no twilight galaxy~
College Slice

Kid Moe posted:

Anything i should know before i start Contact for DS? It seems like its going to be one of those games where its easy to miss stuff.

First and foremost, know that it's not a game for everyone. I know people that love it so much they are still doing playthroughs three years after it came out. Others try the game and find it frustrating, boring, tedious, etc.

Give it a shot and see where you lie; it's one of those "love it or hate it" games. If you end up not liking it, don't force yourself to continue playing.

If you do like it, find a good guide for it online. I found that having a guide handy didn't detract from the flow of the game but rather enhanced it by making sure I was in the right places at the right times. It's pretty easy to miss costumes, weapons, and items if you don't know where to look.

Don't forget your stickers (you'll know what I'm talking about when you get there).

Lastly, have fun. Pick a playstyle that suits you and run with it.

Nate RFB
Jan 17, 2005

Clapping Larry

CloseFriend posted:

If you plan on doing a 100% items run, write down the names of the rooms where you get each missile/energy upgrade. You won't get them all yourself (foregone conclusion), and backtracking and having to remember which you picked up (or worse, which you may have picked up but then died and never saved) is a giant pain in the rear end. It took me like two hours of backtracking when I decided to do a 100% items run because of this.

EDIT: It also helps if you grab the FAQ from Gamefaqs that has a checklist.
Counter argument: In Prime 1 at least, it is very much possible to get every single missile and energy tank without a guide. The trick is to use your ears. All collectible items make a distinct "wirrrr" sound when you get close and you can usually hear them through walls even.

Prime 2 though I wasn't able to find anything that way for whatever reason.

Prime 3 it isn't a problem at all since they provide help with finding everything anyway.

Honestly though don't worry about it too much, the only thing you can potentially gently caress yourself on is not scanning something that only appears briefly like a boss. And the only rewards for that are generally artwork if I recall.

Corridor
Oct 19, 2006

GeneralFai posted:

First and foremost, know that it's not a game for everyone. I know people that love it so much they are still doing playthroughs three years after it came out. Others try the game and find it frustrating, boring, tedious, etc.
Personally I love it and hate it. I pick it up every few months and then yank it out of the DS in frustration after a few days.

You should know that most of the sidequests etc can only be done AFTER you finish the game. You don't start a New Game +, it just sorta uh... keeps going.

Morpheus
Apr 18, 2008

My favourite little monsters

Corridor posted:

I also don't have a PS3 or PSP, which limits me to, let's see...
R&C
R&C: Locked And Loaded
R&C3: Up Your Arsenal
R&C: Size Matters
Secret Agent Clank

Not listing Ratchet's solo because it has no cutie robot. :colbert:

Okay let's see. Secret Agent Clank I haven't played, but it's nothing like the rest of the series from what I've heard, and not terribly good. I played Size Matters on the PS2, and it felt incredibly gimped. The game can't render as many enemies so they throw fewer enemies at you thank take full clips of ammo to take down, and it can get pretty repetitive. The original R&C isn't bad, and if you haven't played any of them it should feel pretty fun, just make sure you play it first, if anything just for the story and the meeting of the lombax and the robot. The rest get progressively better, with more upgrading to your weapons and spiffier effects.

Don't forget Deadlocked either. Its style is a little different, more oriented around shooting and less exploration, but it's fun and the only game that I've hit 100% on. Oh, and it has split-screen multiplayer, if I remember right.

SheepNameKiller
Jun 19, 2004

Nerd Watch posted:

Request: Morrowind

Procure and use the item http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Pemenie_and_the_Boots_of_Blinding_Speed

Morrowind is gigantic and you will spend a lot more time moving from place to place than you did in Oblivion. Given the amount of gameplay available in Morrowind and its two expansions, it's a lot less painful to get around with a speed boost than without.

Scrublord Prime
Nov 27, 2007


Ichiban Crush posted:

Unless I somehow skipped past it, I didn't see any for the Romancing Saga (NOT UNLIMITED) remake on PS2. Is there any characters I absolutely should not start off with? I'm several grinding hours into the longhaired mercenary and still haven't been able to beatdown the goblins guarding those dinosaur eggs; do bosses advance with party members' stats the way regular enemies do?

I don't know about good or bad starting characters (I haven't even beaten the game yet :( ) but as far as I can tell, bosses are static and don't upgrade like random encounters do. Instead some quests end if you get too powerful.

If you have access to the world map you are in the main game and can start exploring for new areas, quests, and most importantly new party members. In fact I'd suggest ignoring any quests/dungeons until you've opened up several towns in each area (except the Coral Sea which you don't have access to for a while). Plus this game doesn't mind giving you a quest that you aren't powerful enough to complete yet (which sounds like your current problem). Boat rides will cost you money the first time to take the trip but all following trips are free. Check out the pub in each city and try and recruit a full party before going too far. Mercenaries are meant to fill up party spots until you can find a better character (aka any non-mercenary), mercenaries are stuck with early gear (which you can't steal) and have lovely LP. You can recruit some characters in other places other than the pub.

Your main source of cash will be from quests and chests. Enemies drop jack poo poo in terms of cash. To get most chests you'll need proficiencies which you can buy from the class teachers. Buy at least one level of every proficiency you see (only one character needs to know it for you to use it, so try and get proficiencies on one character who knows the skills that the proficiency uses like 'Find Chests' on a character with the Search skill).

Exploring and buying proficiencies can get somewhat costly but there is an easy quest in Melvir you can complete almost right off the bat. Talk to people and you'll hear about a missing daughter and a cult. Enter the sewers near the police station and you should see someone sneaking around. Follow them for money rewards!

Using magic will make it improve over time, kind of like learning new weapon skills. Instead of learning new skills the ones you already know will become better. Of course there isn't much indication of this besides your magic improving suddenly (like an attack spell hittimg multiple times).

Honestly the game feels like you need a walkthrough for it just to figure out where quests are and what proficiencies you'll need to get all the loot from dungeons. Brining the wrong proficiencies in a dungeon could lock you out of a lot of loot (whoops forgot to bring jump and all the chests are behind gaps).

Leoben
May 27, 2008
Before I drop 800 MS points on Magic: The Gathering I'd like to know a few things. How customizable are the decks? Is there a decent online multiplayer fan base. Is it worth it?

Killing Vector
May 3, 2009

Corridor posted:

edit: I keep on hearing about Ratchet And Clank, and running into cheapo PS2 copies down at EB, so I'm starting to think well, what the heck, might as well check them out. I have absolutely no idea what they're like or if I'll enjoy them, but the PS2 ones cost next to nothing right now plus I love cutie robots. So which should I start with, or rather, which ones are best? I really don't think I'm going to have the time and/or inclination to play through all of them in order, and there are a ton of these loving things.

I also don't have a PS3 or PSP, which limits me to, let's see...
R&C
R&C: Locked And Loaded
R&C3: Up Your Arsenal
R&C: Size Matters
Secret Agent Clank

Not listing Ratchet's solo because it has no cutie robot. :colbert:

I'd recommend just playing through at least the first three in order. I think the consensus is that R&C2 edges out as the best, though plenty prefer the third game. They're both great, really. The first one is a fine game too, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't have later series staples like upgradable weapons/health and weapon mods. Also there are things like how Clank gets upgrades partway into the first game that he keeps permanently and starts out with in the later games. That's why I'd recommend playing it first (not to mention story-wise you'll appreciate playing them in order). Also, Ratchet has a different voice actor in the first game.

Note that in general the series shifted towards a heavier focus on shooting and a bit less on platforming as the series progressed. Deadlocked (the Ratchet-only game) dropped the platforming aspect almost completely, I think.

Size Matters and Secret Agent Clank are both ports of PSP games that were outsourced to another company. As such, they're shorter and just generally not as well done as the Insomniac games. I still liked them, though, but I played them on the PSP. I don't know if there are any issues with the PS2 port, but their limitations will probably be magnified since you'll be comparing them to the native PS2 games. Secret Agent Clank does have plenty of robots, but it also plays somewhat different than the other games (Clank is the main character, more emphasis on minigame and gimmick levels).

Sibtiger
May 25, 2009

Leoben posted:

Before I drop 800 MS points on Magic: The Gathering I'd like to know a few things. How customizable are the decks? Is there a decent online multiplayer fan base. Is it worth it?
Keep in mind that this is from a person who used to be rather competitive in MTG, but I would say it's not worth it. The decks are so gimped and customization is so awful it barely feels like Magic. To be specific, by playing single player you unlock more cards, but all you can do is add them to your deck- you can't take out a single one of the original 60, and furthermore you can't add more land to help balance out adding in these new cards which tend to be expensive. The puzzles are fun but not worth 800 MS points.

Astfgl
Aug 31, 2001

Nerd Watch posted:

2. While we're at it, any other major differences between Oblivion and Morrowind I should be aware of in transitioning?

If you're really curious, check this out: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Morrowind_for_Oblivion_Players

It's a comprehensive list of all the differences between the two games. Some general tips, though:

In Morrowind, your joinable factions will be limited by things like (1) what major skills you have (2) your levels in certain skills and (3) what other factions you're a member of. Unlike in Oblivion, where you could theoretically complete every quest in every faction regardless of what character you play, factions in Morrowind will deny you admittance or advancement for any combination of the above reasons. You advance in rank not based on how many quests you've completed (as many faction questlines are entirely optional) but rather on how advanced your desired skills are. This really means you'll have to play several different character types to get the full experience.

Magic is a lot more fun and versatile, so I highly recommend at least experimenting with a mage-character. Just keep in mind that like your attacks, casting can fail (which sucks).

If you purchased the game physically, you'll want to keep the map that came with it handy. Morrowind doesn't have Oblivion's fast travel system, and it also doesn't have the compass/questline pointer. In other words, you really have to explore to find what you're looking for. This means following roads, paying attention to signposts, watching for physical landmarks, and consulting your paper map. You may also want to familiarize yourself with your transportation options (Mage Guild teleporter, Silt Striders, Propylon Chambers, Almsivi/Divine Intervention, local boats, and mage spells like Mark and Recall) as many will only have a limited number of destinations.

Thievery is a lot more challenging in Morrowind. You don't get any sneak indicators like in Morrowind, and there's no way of distinguishing stolen and non-stolen items in your inventory. Lockpicking is easier, but you have to disarm traps manually with a probe which is a pain in the rear end.

Oh, and I wouldn't pick one of the beast races (Argonian, Khajit) for your first character as they can't wear helemts or boots.

apekillape
Jan 23, 2009

by Peatpot

Corridor posted:

Okay, well I dunno if you saw my offer to help input data and crap, but I'll be less than busy for at least another week or so.

Sure man. Start on like 40 and work forward and we might be all caught up by the end of the week.

The formatting is really simple, it's just

'''''Whoever says:'''''
*Blah de blah blah.

If there's something spoily, use <spoiler>code tags</spoiler>.

Thanks yo.

Lacermonia
May 15, 2002

Sibtiger posted:

Keep in mind that this is from a person who used to be rather competitive in MTG, but I would say it's not worth it. The decks are so gimped and customization is so awful it barely feels like Magic. To be specific, by playing single player you unlock more cards, but all you can do is add them to your deck- you can't take out a single one of the original 60, and furthermore you can't add more land to help balance out adding in these new cards which tend to be expensive. The puzzles are fun but not worth 800 MS points.

A magic game where you can't customize your deck? That sounds really horrible and I wonder who thought it was a good idea.

Dr Snofeld
Apr 30, 2009

Killing Vector posted:

I'd recommend just playing through at least the first three in order. I think the consensus is that R&C2 edges out as the best, though plenty prefer the third game. They're both great, really. The first one is a fine game too, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't have later series staples like upgradable weapons/health and weapon mods. Also there are things like how Clank gets upgrades partway into the first game that he keeps permanently and starts out with in the later games. That's why I'd recommend playing it first (not to mention story-wise you'll appreciate playing them in order). Also, Ratchet has a different voice actor in the first game.

Additionally, you get bonuses in 2 and 3 for having cleared or nearly-cleared save files on the memory card.

McKracken
Jun 17, 2005

Lets go for a run!

Dr Snofeld posted:

Additionally, you get bonuses in 2 and 3 for having cleared or nearly-cleared save files on the memory card.

Yeah the bonus weapons from previous games are a nice touch. I'm hoping they do something like this with Crack in Time.

lactomangulation
Jan 29, 2009
How about Star Ocean 4?

I know not to expect much with respect to the plot, but I really like the combat and the item customization in the previous SO games, especially SO3. Are there any drastic changes from previous games in the series?

Cliff
Nov 12, 2008

Nate RFB posted:

Honestly though don't worry about it too much, the only thing you can potentially gently caress yourself on is not scanning something that only appears briefly like a boss. And the only rewards for that are generally artwork if I recall.

I don't think this happens at all in Prime 1, but the sequels have bosses that you'll have to scan multiple times to get all the data on them. Some have multiple parts (head vs. body), some have minions, some change partway through the battle.

Dr. Video Games 0031
Jul 17, 2004

The correct answer is to not give a poo poo about getting 100% on everything because the scans just bog down the play experience and are generally worthless.

Cliff
Nov 12, 2008

Scanning everything is one of my favorite parts of playing through the Prime series :colbert:

al-azad
May 28, 2009



Cliff posted:

Scanning everything is one of my favorite parts of playing through the Prime series :colbert:

Perhaps but you shouldn't let collecting ruin an otherwise enjoyable experience. In games with a bunch of junk to grab I usually save 100% for the second play through. Trying to get it on the first play through usually involves reading a guide or observing every tiny detail which can easily detract from the main game.

Case in point a friend bet me 10$ to beat Final Fantasy X-2 100% on the first play through. I did and hated it so much I didn't bother collecting my money. I probably would have hated the game had I taken my time from the start but trying to do every arbitrary task in the required order made a bad game even worse.

Namarrgon
Dec 23, 2008

Congratulations on not getting fit in 2011!
I am about to start Avencast, any pointers?

Argon_Sloth
Dec 23, 2006

I PLAYED BATTLETOADS AND ALL I GOT WAS A RASH IN MY ASS

Waffle! posted:

Scan EVERYTHING. You get much more of the story in Prime if you read all the little notes the space pirates write to each other, and you learn cool stuff about the critters you're blasting. I haven't played the other two, but I'm sure it's the same. Ghosts are a loving bitch. You'll know when you get there.

Just scan the enemies you're having problems with and bosses. There are a number of enemies in all three games that you will target differently after a scan.

A lot of the story comes from scans but you'll be fine if you stick to scanning the obvious places. Computer screens, odd walls, corpses. Important scans (story/switches/hints for required collectibles) are always red. So you can easily figure out what's worth scanning. But by no means go all OCD over it on your first playthrough. There are scans that disappear later in each game.

Ghosts are easy with Super missiles and the X-Ray Scope. Just about every enemy has an easy way to deal with it. In Prime 1 and 2 Charged Ice/Dark beam shot will freeze most things to be killed with a single missile.

Smirking_Serpent
Aug 27, 2009

Not sure if this has been posted, but Resident Evil (PSX):

1. The controls suck, but you get used to them.

2. Lots of people say you have to save every bullet constantly, but you'll end up with a hundred or so handgun bullets by the game's end, so you can afford to use your weapons. It's better to dodge enemies, but if it's too hard and you're going through an area you think you'll come back to (one hallway in the mansion connects to four rooms and a staircase), then just kill the zombies. If it's a small room with one item, try to avoid the undead.

3. Never use the knife.

4. Pick Jill your first time through, she gets better weapons and a bigger inventory, along with a handy lockpick.

5. Use a guide. The puzzles in this game aren't fun to solve, they're a bunch of inane bullshit and you can screw yourself over if you come to an area and need four inventory slots but need five.

SolidSnakesBandana
Jul 1, 2007

Infinite ammo
If your 'tips' include 'use a guide' you're in the wrong thread.

PepsimanVsJoe
Nov 16, 2007

Tim52 posted:

How about Star Ocean 4?

I know not to expect much with respect to the plot, but I really like the combat and the item customization in the previous SO games, especially SO3. Are there any drastic changes from previous games in the series?

The item customization is about the same as the last game though IIRC it's not as abusable so you can't make your lead pipe into a 9,999+ dmg weapon. At least it's easier to figure out and you can't screw up items you're trying to create.

Most of the changes are in the combat system. The bonus board from SO3 has been overhauled to be less frustrating(no losing all of your bonuses over a single crit.) and you can add different bonuses like more fol/exp/skill pts/etc depending on how you defeat your foes.

More importantly there's the addition of the Rush guage. By charging or taking/doing damage you build up a rush. When this fills up you gain a bunch of bonuses like the ability to ignore damage(you still lose HP but you don't get stunned/knocked down) along with some other abilities like super combos.

As in the previous game you can guard but now you can also perform an evade move just as the enemy is about to strike. This is great as it automatically sets the enemy up for critical attacks. Some enemies can respond to your attempts with a counter of their own but depending on your alignment you can counter their counter.

Oh and before I forget depending on your alignment you can focus on either the Rush guage(and gain additional bonuses related to it) or the evade(ditto). Some players favor one alignment over the other but both have their uses and are very suitable to the style of play you're looking for.

The cutscenes are a riot at least so I wouldn't skip them the first time around(or skip them anyway and just check 'em out on youtube).

Word of warning though. For some odd reason Tri-ace forgot to optimize this game for three discs so you actually have to swap discs depending on what side of the universe you're on by the endgame. This is really frustrating as the sole place you can create items at is on one disc while at least one of the post-game dungeons is on another disc.

Overall it's probably a simpler game than SO3 in terms of combat but I prefer the four-person parties and the defense/evade system is easier to grasp. Just be on the lookout as most of the bosses actually have a weakpoint and if you simply mash away at them you'll do piddly damage.

EDIT: Oh yeah those trophies have been overhauled as well. There are far more of them but they're character-specific and not quite as retarded to collect.(I don't think there's one for beating the game at exp level 1 at least)

PepsimanVsJoe fucked around with this message at 05:45 on Aug 27, 2009

opaopa13
Jul 25, 2007

EB: i'm in a rocket pack and i am about to blast off into space. it should be sweet.

Sibtiger posted:

Keep in mind that this is from a person who used to be rather competitive in MTG, but I would say it's not worth it. The decks are so gimped and customization is so awful it barely feels like Magic. To be specific, by playing single player you unlock more cards, but all you can do is add them to your deck- you can't take out a single one of the original 60, and furthermore you can't add more land to help balance out adding in these new cards which tend to be expensive. The puzzles are fun but not worth 800 MS points.

To add to this, every single-player victory unlocks a new card for the deck you used, and some decks rely on these unlocked cards to be effective, forcing you to grind victories against a weak opponent. The puzzles are neat, but there's only 8 of them, and the first few are really basic.

At least the interface is done well -- it makes me hope they'll use the engine for a sequel.

zero democracy
Oct 9, 2002

in extremis
I just picked up Lost Odyssey. Any spoiler free pointers so I don't end up completely loving myself and giving up mid-game? It seems pretty badical so far.

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muscles like this!
Jan 17, 2005


zero democracy posted:

I just picked up Lost Odyssey. Any spoiler free pointers so I don't end up completely loving myself and giving up mid-game? It seems pretty badical so far.

Make sure to check everywhere in an area before you go to the boss because the early ones usually have something that will help in the fight.

If you start getting tiny amounts of experience in fights then you're at the right level for that area and move on.

The game is pretty big on elemental weaknesses so make sure to switch out your equipment in fights to maximize your effectiveness.

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