Shadow Hearts: Covenant - "I saw paradise"

Forever Zefiro

I love this game. I mean, the original was pretty cool, but Covenant adds so much more. These are the things I love about SH in general, but specifically Covenant:

- The Judgement Ring system keeps you paying attention to the battles.
- Being able to adjust each characters' Judgement Rings to your liking.
- The Crest system, and Solomon's Key to power them up more is an awesome idea.
- The Library - a catalogue of every monster and major character you come across in the game, each with their own flavor text/descriptions. I love reading the origins of monsters.
- On that note, everything has a description - items, Crests, etc. Very interesting stuff to read.
- The Score menu - keeps track of all the weird stats that aren't important, but cool to know.
- All the characters' unique abilities and the way you go about getting them: Blanca's wolf fights, finding gay porn to get new costumes for Gepetto's puppet Cornelia, etc.
- A better system for Yuri's Fusions, so that you can choose which Fusions to put Souls into. And Yuri's Fusions are a lot more interesting in Covenant. Much bigger changes in each step up.
- Very interesting monster designs.
- Good music.
- Not too many random encounters.
- How absurd and silly the game is sometimes, while still being serious, and twisting history.

And I'm only 9 hours in.

I've just been playing it a lot these last couple days, and I had the sudden urge to make this topic.

P.S., correct the quote for me if it's wrong. I don't remember the exact words.

EDIT - Also, if anyone has a hi-res picture of the artwork of Yuri and Blanca that's on the opening screen that says, "This is a work of fiction, blah blah blah," I would love it.

Backlash

I reeeeeeally want to play this, but Koudelka has been my roadblock for the last couple years. And for some reason I just can't bring myself to start SH1 until I finish it. After I finish FFXII and TP I'm getting to these games if it kills me.

Forever Zefiro

Backlash wrote:

I reeeeeeally want to play this, but Koudelka has been my roadblock for the last couple years. And for some reason I just can't bring myself to start SH1 until I finish it. After I finish FFXII and TP I'm getting to these games if it kills me.

I really wouldn't bother with Koudelka. I don't think it's worth it.

Gilder

Forever Zero wrote:

Backlash wrote:

I reeeeeeally want to play this, but Koudelka has been my roadblock for the last couple years. And for some reason I just can't bring myself to start SH1 until I finish it. After I finish FFXII and TP I'm getting to these games if it kills me.

I really wouldn't bother with Koudelka. I don't think it's worth it.

I tried playing Koudelka. It's a piece of crap. Saves are annoying, walking is annoying, fighting is annoying, everything was annoying. All opinion of course. However, SH is fantastic and that is not opinion. It is fact. Need I post the picture of the giant frozen fish weapon to reinforce this?

cj iwakura

Covenant had some of the funniest dialogue in any RPG that I've played since Disgaea.

And the line I'm thinking of definetly wouldn't be SFW as a thread title.

It also had a great ending. I didn't even realize the full impact of it until afterwards.

I went out and got From The New World immediately just on merit of how great Covenant was.

FTNW is different, that's for sure. I still haven't played Shadow Hearts(but I will), and I'm pretty sure I'll skip Koudelka.

Zephyr_Fate

Shadow Hearts 1 is infinitely better than Covenant in these areas:

Soundtrack
Storyline
Atmosphere
Artwork

SH:C is only better in these areas:

Graphics
Gameplay

However, SH1 is just so much better of a masterpiece than SH:C. From the monochrome dialog portraits to the classy, complex villain..not to mention the numerous plot retcons featured in SH:C that are just plain stupid.

Gilder

cj iwakura wrote:

Covenant had some of the funniest dialogue in any RPG that I've played since Disgaea.

And the line I'm thinking of definetly wouldn't be SFW as a thread title.

It also had a great ending. I didn't even realize the full impact of it until afterwards.

I went out and got From The New World immediately just on merit of how great Covenant was.

FTNW is different, that's for sure. I still haven't played Shadow Hearts(but I will), and I'm pretty sure I'll skip Koudelka.

I think I know the line you're thinking of :winky:. SH1 is really good too but just know one thing. After playing Covenant and FTNW, it is almost impossible to see the ring. The colors are much duller. Once you get used to it though, it's a great game and you'll see why everybody was disappointed at the semi-loss of atmosphere in 2 and the complete loss in 3. Just the first town is creepier than anything in the other 2 games. You'll also get to see the start of the whole vampire cameos with Joachim and.... whoever the gothic lolita girl was. SH1 has a lot of missable stuff though so I'd suggest reading up on it or you might miss some dungeons. I still haven't gotten the final pair of underwear for doing the lottery. I finally thought I had them all but I missed one guy in the town of SHLOOP SHLOOP SPLAT.

Forever Zefiro

Zephyr_Fate wrote:

Shadow Hearts 1 is infinitely better than Covenant in these areas:

Soundtrack
Storyline
Atmosphere
Artwork

SH:C is only better in these areas:

Graphics
Gameplay

However, SH1 is just so much better of a masterpiece than SH:C. From the monochrome dialog portraits to the classy, complex villain..not to mention the numerous plot retcons featured in SH:C that are just plain stupid.

I do love the original. And I will agree that the atmosphere in it is better than Covenant. As far as soundtrack, I'd say they're both about equal so far. I can't comment on story because as I said, I'm only 9 hours into Covenant. They both have great artwork though.

Zephyr_Fate

SH1 oozes aural variety and euphoria, while Covenant resorts to a static town theme..for far too long.

Elendil

Gilder wrote:

cj iwakura wrote:

Covenant had some of the funniest dialogue in any RPG that I've played since Disgaea.

And the line I'm thinking of definetly wouldn't be SFW as a thread title.

It also had a great ending. I didn't even realize the full impact of it until afterwards.

I went out and got From The New World immediately just on merit of how great Covenant was.

FTNW is different, that's for sure. I still haven't played Shadow Hearts(but I will), and I'm pretty sure I'll skip Koudelka.

I think I know the line you're thinking of :winky:. SH1 is really good too but just know one thing. After playing Covenant and FTNW, it is almost impossible to see the ring. The colors are much duller. Once you get used to it though, it's a great game and you'll see why everybody was disappointed at the semi-loss of atmosphere in 2 and the complete loss in 3. Just the first town is creepier than anything in the other 2 games. You'll also get to see the start of the whole vampire cameos with Joachim and.... whoever the gothic lolita girl was. SH1 has a lot of missable stuff though so I'd suggest reading up on it or you might miss some dungeons. I still haven't gotten the final pair of underwear for doing the lottery. I finally thought I had them all but I missed one guy in the town of SHLOOP SHLOOP SPLAT.

God, I missed one right after that. Rage!

FinalGamer

Zephyr_Fate wrote:

Shadow Hearts 1 is infinitely better than Covenant in these areas:

Soundtrack
Storyline
Atmosphere
Artwork

SH:C is only better in these areas:

Graphics
Gameplay

However, SH1 is just so much better of a masterpiece than SH:C. From the monochrome dialog portraits to the classy, complex villain..not to mention the numerous plot retcons featured in SH:C that are just plain stupid.

I have to agree 100% with all of this quote. Shadow Hearts 1 was excellent in most areas of it such as art, storyline and soundtrack. Graphics and gameplay was better in Covenant but this is one of those "you can't beat the original" cases.

Atlus Parker

Forever Zero wrote:

Zephyr_Fate wrote:

Shadow Hearts 1 is infinitely better than Covenant in these areas:

Soundtrack
Storyline
Atmosphere
Artwork

SH:C is only better in these areas:

Graphics
Gameplay

However, SH1 is just so much better of a masterpiece than SH:C. From the monochrome dialog portraits to the classy, complex villain..not to mention the numerous plot retcons featured in SH:C that are just plain stupid.

I do love the original. And I will agree that the atmosphere in it is better than Covenant. As far as soundtrack, I'd say they're both about equal so far. I can't comment on story because as I said, I'm only 9 hours into Covenant. They both have great artwork though.

I definitely prefer Covenant over SH1 hands down. How can you say Roger Bacon is "complex" until you finish his story in Covenant?

Elendil

I definitely preferred the first game.

Xagarath

FinalGamer wrote:

Zephyr_Fate wrote:

Shadow Hearts 1 is infinitely better than Covenant in these areas:

Soundtrack
Storyline
Atmosphere
Artwork

SH:C is only better in these areas:

Graphics
Gameplay

However, SH1 is just so much better of a masterpiece than SH:C. From the monochrome dialog portraits to the classy, complex villain..not to mention the numerous plot retcons featured in SH:C that are just plain stupid.

I have to agree 100% with all of this quote. Shadow Hearts 1 was excellent in most areas of it such as art, storyline and soundtrack. Graphics and gameplay was better in Covenant but this is one of those "you can't beat the original" cases.

As do I.
If you could give the first game the superior voices, battle system and fusions of the second, you would have something wonderful.

Feral

I still need to finish this game. I just hate the

[spoiler:c50cdf86b4]other fusion guy, the adolescent samurai so lame I can't remember his name[/spoiler:c50cdf86b4]

so much that I kind of lost interest after he joined the party.

Is SH1 as funny as SHC?

Blackjack

I vastly prefer Covenant to the first one. Characters, gameplay, plot, setting, voice acting, graphics.... Pretty much everything except soundtrack (of which I love both equally).

Renzo

I can't really recommend one without the other. They're two parts of a whole story.

Zephyr_Fate

Atlus Parker wrote:

Forever Zero wrote:

Zephyr_Fate wrote:

Shadow Hearts 1 is infinitely better than Covenant in these areas:

Soundtrack
Storyline
Atmosphere
Artwork

SH:C is only better in these areas:

Graphics
Gameplay

However, SH1 is just so much better of a masterpiece than SH:C. From the monochrome dialog portraits to the classy, complex villain..not to mention the numerous plot retcons featured in SH:C that are just plain stupid.

I do love the original. And I will agree that the atmosphere in it is better than Covenant. As far as soundtrack, I'd say they're both about equal so far. I can't comment on story because as I said, I'm only 9 hours into Covenant. They both have great artwork though.

I definitely prefer Covenant over SH1 hands down. How can you say Roger Bacon is "complex" until you finish his story in Covenant?

Remind me again why they included fictional backstory about Roger Bacon that was absent in the original? Roger Bacon didn't want ultimate power to fight Rasputin, he wanted to remake the world and wipe it free of it's sins.

His backstory was completely done in SH1, what they did to him in SH:C is flat-out ridiculous.

On a side note: SH1 has more highbrow comedy than SH:C, and the adult humor is just so much more hilarious than Covenant.

"If anyone's going to eat her, it's me!"

AJR

I really need to get the original SH. SH:C is one of my favourite RPG's ever, and I'd like to see how the first entry played out.

Only problems I have with SH:C are the plot and the lack of challenge during boss fights.

Renzo

I liked all the retcons they made for Covenant. Made Bacon into a more complex character. It was obviously a retcon, but I think it was to the benefit of the character.

Kato's story was great, also. Unexpected and pretty screwed-up/touching.

JihadJesus

My main complaint with this game was that it was really, REALLY easy. There was more than one boss battle where I'd equip auto-defense spiked shoes, cast the Sanity-saving skills first turn, boost my status, line up a single combo...and procede to kill the boss in two or three more turns without even healing.


[^^^ preceding statement may contain slight hyperbole]

I didn't even have the heart to finish the whole game in the end, although my roomate did move out and take the PS2 with him about that time. Still, it seemed weird to me that there'd be such an interesting combat system with quite abit of depth that went largely to waste simply because the bosses lacked necessary punch.

Zephyr_Fate

Renzo wrote:

I liked all the retcons they made for Covenant. Made Bacon into a more complex character. It was obviously a retcon, but I think it was to the benefit of the character.

Kato's story was great, also. Unexpected and pretty screwed-up/touching.

No they don't. He was complex enough in SH1. His backstory was amazing, and it really defined him as an out-of-the-box villain.

His character in SH:C is just fucking stupid. He's too polite and often resembles Meiyuan in queerness.

Hensler

Oh wow, Shadow Hearts isn't that Final Fantasy with Mickey Mouse game that always seemed really gay to me. Good to know. I feel stupid now, but it's still good to know. More non-Mickey Mouse RPGs are always good.

Forever Zefiro

Hensler wrote:

Oh wow, Shadow Hearts isn't that Final Fantasy with Mickey Mouse game that always seemed really gay to me. Good to know. I feel stupid now, but it's still good to know. More non-Mickey Mouse RPGs are always good.

... That's Kingdom Hearts.

Radikal_Dreamer

While I loved SH:C, I can very much see how people would be angry at some of the changes made from the first one. I think that if they had taken the quality of SH:C and, instead, made it with the intent and feel of the first, they would have probably really blown away anything out there and created one of the best RPGs. What they did do, however, was make a great RPG that was a pleasure to play. I haven't even played From the New World, yet, as it just looked like they took the changes made it SH:C and completely did away with the remnants of the first game. I was going to wait for it to drop in price, but now it looks as though it dropped off the face of the earth. I'll have to order it off amazon marketplace soon.

Elendil

Feral wrote:

I still need to finish this game. I just hate the

[spoiler:423c2c6a76]other fusion guy, the adolescent samurai so lame I can't remember his name[/spoiler:423c2c6a76]

so much that I kind of lost interest after he joined the party.

Is SH1 as funny as SHC?

Yeah. One particular cutscene makes me crack the fuck up (though I still haven't decided whether it's intentional. I don't really care.) when I see it.

Elendil

Radikal_Dreamer wrote:

While I loved SH:C, I can very much see how people would be angry at some of the changes made from the first one. I think that if they had taken the quality of SH:C and, instead, made it with the intent and feel of the first, they would have probably really blown away anything out there and created one of the best RPGs. What they did do, however, was make a great RPG that was a pleasure to play. I haven't even played From the New World, yet, as it just looked like they took the changes made it SH:C and completely did away with the remnants of the first game. I was going to wait for it to drop in price, but now it looks as though it dropped off the face of the earth. I'll have to order it off amazon marketplace soon.

I'd recommend playing it, though you'll probably have to put a little work into sticking with it. There's a whole lotta nothin' in the middle of the game, but I think the ending payoff is pretty good. It also plays brilliantly. That helps.

kitch

I've never liked the "puzzles" in the Shadow Hearts games, but I do like the games overall.

Magus`

Feral wrote:

I still need to finish this game. I just hate the

[spoiler:be45596c2d]other fusion guy, the adolescent samurai so lame I can't remember his name[/spoiler:be45596c2d]

so much that I kind of lost interest after he joined the party.

Is SH1 as funny as SHC?

... Why? He becomes one of the best, if not THE best, meelee fighters in the entire game.

LavaKnight

Yeah, I liked him as well because I'm a big "hit 'em until they die" kind of guy.

Shadow Hearts: Covenant is actually one of my favorite rpg's. This was why I was really disappointed with From the New World. I did stop right where the story apparently started, though, so maybe I'll finish that up soon.

Then, I'm surprised to see all the praise for the original SH. From what I remember, most people liked SH:C and SH, but I didn't remember it being so one-sided as to which was better. I guess I'll have to find it sometime soon, and have fun thinking "hey, that wasn't how SH:C said it happened!"

Magus`

I really liked FTNW, but it felt so much less epic than SH2 did.

I never finished SH1 (I got close) and can't find a decently priced copy to do so.

If they make a new SH, I sure hope it's on the Wii.

Zephyr_Fate

LavaKnight wrote:

Yeah, I liked him as well because I'm a big "hit 'em until they die" kind of guy.

Shadow Hearts: Covenant is actually one of my favorite rpg's. This was why I was really disappointed with From the New World. I did stop right where the story apparently started, though, so maybe I'll finish that up soon.

Then, I'm surprised to see all the praise for the original SH. From what I remember, most people liked SH:C and SH, but I didn't remember it being so one-sided as to which was better. I guess I'll have to find it sometime soon, and have fun thinking "hey, that wasn't how SH:C said it happened!"

If you're going by what is the true plot, SH1 is the true plot. It's the original and therefore should be taken with far more than a grain of salt.

SH1 is a masterpiece.

Zephyr_Fate

On a side note, Nautilus is possibly defunct and we will never see any more Shadow Hearts games.

I emailed Aruze and I don't think I've gotten a response back.

Elendil

Magus` wrote:

Feral wrote:

I still need to finish this game. I just hate the

[spoiler:03ce56803f]other fusion guy, the adolescent samurai so lame I can't remember his name[/spoiler:03ce56803f]

so much that I kind of lost interest after he joined the party.

Is SH1 as funny as SHC?

... Why? He becomes one of the best, if not THE best, meelee fighters in the entire game.

Because he's lame? Seriously, he's such a fucking boring character.

Sepah

The pacing in this game really threw me the hell off. Every time I expected it to be over, it wasn't. And I still have no idea just how much I've missed, how many or even whether there are alternate branches in the storyline or alternate endings...

And I've never played the first game. Need to find a copy.

Elendil

Sepah wrote:

The pacing in this game really threw me the hell off. Every time I expected it to be over, it wasn't. And I still have no idea just how much I've missed, how many or even whether there are alternate branches in the storyline or alternate endings...

And I've never played the first game. Need to find a copy.

THere's two endings, decided simply by an dialogue option shortly before the end. None of the crazy shit you needed to do in SH1 (not that there was much point; the bad ending was the right one anyway). There's a good bit of character stuff in the various sidequests, though.

I thought the second half of the game was kind of a let-down after the awesome first half. The villain was more interesting, and it did have its moments, but I didn't find it nearly as engaging.

Edit: One nice thing about Covenant was the new system for fusing/SP. The first game made you pay the SP in one lump at fusion (as oppsed to paying turn by turn in the latter games), which generally had the effect of locking you into that form until (if) you have the spare time and items to restore SP. It really, really sucked to pick the wrong fusion. :oops:

Sepah

[realspoiler:618b32146d]I got the ending where Yuri dies and the ghosts fly off. And Karin gets sent back in time. What was the other one?[/realspoiler:618b32146d]

Don't read this if you haven't beaten the game. You have been warned.

Zephyr_Fate

Sepah wrote:

The pacing in this game really threw me the hell off. Every time I expected it to be over, it wasn't. And I still have no idea just how much I've missed, how many or even whether there are alternate branches in the storyline or alternate endings...

And I've never played the first game. Need to find a copy.

Do so. SH1's plotline never, I repeat never, drags.

Elendil

Sepah wrote:

[spoiler:6dff3f97bc]I got the ending where Yuri dies and the ghosts fly off. And Karin gets sent back in time. What was the other one?[/spoiler:6dff3f97bc]

[realspoiler:6dff3f97bc]That was the good ending. The bad ending has Yuri survive and lose his soul.[/realspoiler:6dff3f97bc]

Sepah

Elendil wrote:

Sepah wrote:

[spoiler:23350168bd]I got the ending where Yuri dies and the ghosts fly off. And Karin gets sent back in time. What was the other one?[/spoiler:23350168bd]

[realspoiler:23350168bd]That was the good ending. The bad ending has Yuri survive and lose his soul.[/realspoiler:23350168bd]

...wow. I am really glad I got the ending I did. That other ending would've traumatized me for sure.

cj iwakura

Sepah wrote:

[realspoiler:ff94a76b70]I got the ending where Yuri dies and the ghosts fly off. And Karin gets sent back in time. What was the other one?[/realspoiler:ff94a76b70]

Don't read this if you haven't beaten the game. You have been warned.

[spoiler:ff94a76b70]Well, Yuri didn't die in my ending, but Karin still went back in time, so I guess you got the bad one. Also, my roommate pointed out that they're basically saying she becomes Yuri's mother, which is all kinds of messed up.[/spoiler:ff94a76b70]

Of course, I could be wrong... but I really don't remember

[spoiler:ff94a76b70]Yuri losing his soul OR dying...[/spoiler:ff94a76b70]