Well, if we're talking Final Fantasy, it's been around forever as a mechanic -- either indirectly as cover, or directly as provoke. Whether it was worth a damn is anyone's guess because I doubt anyone used it more than once per game before FF12. It's not really an interesting mechanic until you introduce enough disparity in survivability that it starts to actually matter what character is getting hit.
Party order has effected probability of being hit in FF games since the first one, not the amount of damage you do. FF XII and XIII have it, though XII more than XIII.
...XIII has aggro, the Sentinel class is basically built around that idea!
It works just fine, you bring out a SEN, they take the hits.
....I know. I was referring to how Sentinel could have been the best class if it had more counter-attacks, didn't take so long to get into/out of the stance, etc etc.
We’re in that strange position where occasionally, the tables are turned and America gets screwed just as we have so many times in the past. Only in this case, America is really getting screwed – Xenoblade is hands-down the Wii’s best JRPG, and arguably the most competent and refreshing example of the genre this generation.
In many ways, it’s as user-friendly a JRPG as you’ll ever play and, with comprehensive tutorials for its more in-depth elements, it’s almost impossible to get lost. But yeah, that depth is still there and as easy as it is to get lost in some of the game’s more confusing field areas, it’s every bit as easy to lose hours just tinkering with your party. There are passive skills to learn, link and share, battle arts to level up, stat-boosting gems to craft, collection logs to fill, hundreds of errands to run, an entire settlement to rebuild and relationships to be forged with not just allies but any named character in the world. In summary then, there’s a staggering amount to do whenever the story offers a little downtime, as it so frequently does. Enjoying the story at your own pace is actively encouraged here, a welcome change for the genre and one that couldn’t be further from Square Enix’s approach with FFXIII.
While Monolith has clearly put a lot of thought and effort into making exploration fun again, its battle system is no slouch either. Falling somewhere between FFXII, World Of Warcraft and White Knight Chronicles, combat is fast-paced and fluid – clever and careful use of healing arts and buffs/debuffs are crucial with no in-fight item use, though the subsequent death of potion spam isn’t something the genre will mourn. Enemy Aggro is visualised on the targeted party member and since many talents have bonus effects if used from certain positions or in a set sequence, tactical Aggro management can net favourable results that defy the odds while overly aggressive play will almost always get you splattered.
I found a really good link that offers many step-by-step method to installing homebrew on your Wii, including a recently updated method that requires no games. It even has a specific Xenoblade guide if you just want to get that working.
Not saying your link isn't as helpful, but this one specifically has a "Want to just run Xenoblade and not mess with anything else?" link.
I ended up pre-ordering at ShopTo. They charge for shipping, which brought the total for $50.25, but a few people have spoken strongly about the store, and I should certainly get it earlier than I would have using one of the free shipping options.
I'm still in talks with my guy in writing off the cost of the game for a review. I would still pay for shipping, but $7.50 is a bargain no matter how you slice it.
I just got an email saying my Zavvi order was dispatched and that it will take 10-15 days to arrive. Sounds about right for going across the Atlantic to Texas.
As for me, I should be able to pick up my copy on Friday. Only problem is I won't have any time to play it in the weekend. I may be able to find a few spare hours and post impressions somewhere next week though. Not that the most of you are jumping in anticipation for impressions, since you probably can't even buy it on your continent. I imagine people aren't too eager to know how awesome a game is without being able to actually buy it...
I just got an email saying my Zavvi order was dispatched and that it will take 10-15 days to arrive. Sounds about right for going across the Atlantic to Texas.
Got the same email as well. My luck with ordering from the UK means it'll show up in about three weeks.
I just got an email saying my Zavvi order was dispatched and that it will take 10-15 days to arrive. Sounds about right for going across the Atlantic to Texas.
Got the same email as well. My luck with ordering from the UK means it'll show up in about three weeks.
Yeah I don't expect mine to show up in 10-15 days. But it'd be nice...
I'll wait and see what NOA decides to do. If they announce the Wii U's release date and start marketing games for it and killing off games for Wii I will most likely import.
...It's going to be released everywhere on August 19th. Unless you happen to be one of those fancy game journalisms. I am told Eurogamer's review will be up tomorrow morning. All bets on a 9.
Okay, this is weird. I was looking at a GAF thread that had a new trailer for Zelda SS, but the actual video description says "Breaking: NoA Announces Xenoblade Chronicles Holiday 2011".
Probably, but it's a pretty stupid thing to write as it would only take attention away from that SS vid.
Even if it was true, it would do little to fan the flames from people like me who feel NoA basically fucked everyone over. Unless they were able to get this out in stores a month or two after the EU release, the only thing they'll pull off is releasing the same game at a time where it will get murdered by competition, will have already been played by most of the hardcore audience, and will then result in several online posts of Reggie's asshole shoulder shrug.
Nintendo done fucked up on this one, and I see no way they'll ever be able to make it up. I mean, they very likely don't give a shit, as billions of people will end up buying Zelda and such anyway (myself included), but this was still a dick move as well as a literal spit on the face of a game that's gotten lots of praise, to the point that it could end up filling the company's gaping wide RPG hole as a long-running franchise had they the sense to give it more love.
Episode 3 of the Official 'Let's Play' is up. It's got no real story spoilers (just the names of a few places you'll visit at some point). It's mostly about the game's crafting system (though, in my opinion, some details could've been explained better).
Further responsibility for your own wellbeing comes because this is a world without borders. No invisible wall will protect you from a cliff edge, and while sheer drops are occasionally used to provide some Zelda-style secret areas, a tumble from the wrong ledge will prove fatal.
Xenoblade Chronicles may lack the universal appeal of Miyamoto's adventure series; its tendency toward team management makes this a game for those who prize complexity and numbers over economy and colours. But it shares Hyrule's all-important sense of place and delivers that same heady shot of wonder to the spirit as you explore.
No Japanese RPG has more successfully married its various components this hardware generation. It's a game that invites us to reassess an entire genre, pointing to a bold future while nodding its respect towards the past. It's a towering triumph.
9 / 10
Sounds a bit like entering Hyrule Field for the first time in Ocarina of Time, only it's a thousand times bigger.
The likeable voice acting makes it easier to form lasting relationships with the characters, who are better-written and more believable than most. Their relationships with each other really make sense; rather than a band of random people thrown together by circumstance, your party really feels like a band of brothers (and sisters). They talk constantly during battles, encouraging each other and yelling awesomely British battle calls ("Get stuck in!" "Nice one mate!" "Come off it!"). If anything, they talk too much, but at least they're not the sterile pretty boys that we've come to expect from Japanese RPGs.
That's what's really at the core of Xenoblade Chronicles' brilliance: it defies your expectations. After the corridors of FF XIII, the openness of this world is a revelation, as is the unselfconscious plotting. It's got a lot of action and some moments that pack an emotional punch, but none of the pompousness and melodrama of less accomplished Japanese epics. I'd forgotten that JRPGs could be anything other than depressingly linear and a heavily over-written; we've grown to accept it as a feature of the genre, one we have to live with. Xenoblade Chronicles shows us that things don't have to be this way, that there's still room for innovation in this struggling genre.
90%
Fair bit of warning - it is a bit spoiler-filled. Character interaction and plot sound fantastic though.
Club Nintendo members are also in for a treat, as those who register their copy of the game before 30th September will for a limited time be able to download the game’s official soundtrack from the Treasures section of their Club Nintendo account.
So I preordered from Asda. I was going to get the one with the red classic controller from another site but decided against it as then I could save some money and buy other games too.
Well, that was disappointing. Got an email from the store where I preordered my copy of the CE saying that due to circumstances beyond their control they wouldn't get any. Still, it was easy to place an order at another store, thankfully.
Also, if you haven't heard yet, Last Story and Pandora's Tower are coming to Europe in 2012. You Yankees have my sympathies.
In my PC: Ryzom, Diablo III, Naruto Shippuden UNSR, The Old Republic
In my 3DS: Super Smash Bros, AC New Leaf
Last game completed: Steamworld Dig
It's hard to not import this, but I want to give NoA at least one chance to review sales numbers over there and make a decision. The critical acclaim might help too.....maybe.
I'll give them till summer of next year, or if they flat out say no. Thats when I will import.
I'm not that patient. They only have to sell maybe 100k to break even on just switching the region code and shipping the game. If Europe hits or beats that first month and we don't get a a quick announcement from NOA, fuck 'em.
So to play this game on my NTSC Wii I'll basically need LetterBomb to install the Homebrew channel and Gecko OS to run the disc itself, right? (with BootMii as a safety measure in case I brick it)
I checked out the tutorial at GAF and that's basically what they say, but I just want to confirm it since I'm paranoid as all hell that I'll brick my console.
So to play this game on my NTSC Wii I'll basically need LetterBomb to install the Homebrew channel and Gecko OS to run the disc itself, right? (with BootMii as a safety measure in case I brick it)
I checked out the tutorial at GAF and that's basically what they say, but I just want to confirm it since I'm paranoid as all hell that I'll brick my console.
Posts
It also reminds me how Marle had it in Chrono Trigger. Considering how she was made of paper, that was probably the worst skill in the entire game.
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It works just fine, you bring out a SEN, they take the hits.
....I know. I was referring to how Sentinel could have been the best class if it had more counter-attacks, didn't take so long to get into/out of the stance, etc etc.
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Iwata Asks
Part 1: Sound
Part 2: Story
Part 3: Development
... How does he find the time to do these interviews?
I'd link it if I was certain it was okay.
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But I don't see why that would be a problem, we've even had homebrew threads going on at some points
Not saying your link isn't as helpful, but this one specifically has a "Want to just run Xenoblade and not mess with anything else?" link.
I ended up pre-ordering at ShopTo. They charge for shipping, which brought the total for $50.25, but a few people have spoken strongly about the store, and I should certainly get it earlier than I would have using one of the free shipping options.
I'm still in talks with my guy in writing off the cost of the game for a review. I would still pay for shipping, but $7.50 is a bargain no matter how you slice it.
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Got the same email as well. My luck with ordering from the UK means it'll show up in about three weeks.
Yeah I don't expect mine to show up in 10-15 days. But it'd be nice...
So let's say I should expect it no earlier than September 2nd.
Not bad.
A troll post to get hits (for ZELDA???), or was this a mistake for another video that was supposed to be posted?
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Even if it was true, it would do little to fan the flames from people like me who feel NoA basically fucked everyone over. Unless they were able to get this out in stores a month or two after the EU release, the only thing they'll pull off is releasing the same game at a time where it will get murdered by competition, will have already been played by most of the hardcore audience, and will then result in several online posts of Reggie's asshole shoulder shrug.
Nintendo done fucked up on this one, and I see no way they'll ever be able to make it up. I mean, they very likely don't give a shit, as billions of people will end up buying Zelda and such anyway (myself included), but this was still a dick move as well as a literal spit on the face of a game that's gotten lots of praise, to the point that it could end up filling the company's gaping wide RPG hole as a long-running franchise had they the sense to give it more love.
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Sounds a bit like entering Hyrule Field for the first time in Ocarina of Time, only it's a thousand times bigger.
http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/118/1187845p1.html
Fair bit of warning - it is a bit spoiler-filled. Character interaction and plot sound fantastic though.
I just hope I end up getting it earlier than the Zavvi orders, otherwise there was no point paying for shipping.
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Noice.
More reviews:
http://www.cubed3.com/review/1024
http://www.n-europe.com/review.php?rid=587
Both 10 out of 10.
Status is currently "on its way", says Royal Mail. How very cryptic.
I really hope I get this before Deus Ex HR is out.
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Also, if you haven't heard yet, Last Story and Pandora's Tower are coming to Europe in 2012. You Yankees have my sympathies.
In my 3DS: Super Smash Bros, AC New Leaf
Last game completed: Steamworld Dig
I'm not that patient. They only have to sell maybe 100k to break even on just switching the region code and shipping the game. If Europe hits or beats that first month and we don't get a a quick announcement from NOA, fuck 'em.
I checked out the tutorial at GAF and that's basically what they say, but I just want to confirm it since I'm paranoid as all hell that I'll brick my console.
Yep, that's what you need.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-17-nintendo-confirms-wii-jrpgs-for-europe
Wii is the bizarro SNES: confirmed