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[Recommend On]Strategy/RPG/Roguelike for DS
chrono_traveller
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So, I've been looking for a game to scratch my gaming itch as it were since the Wii VC released the original Ogre Battle and its wonderful class-based army fighting goodness. In much the same way I like FFT, in that playing around with different classes and tactics gives me an immense sense of fun. While it may seem more in a rather round-about way, I've rather recently rediscovered the roguelike genre playing Etrian Odyssey 2 and I like switching around my classes and discovering how different classes work together.
On what I don't like, FFTA, while showing a little promise, was rather altogether disappointing for me, since it was so easy and unfortunately, I've heard similar stuff about FFTA2. Disgaea games start off interesting since you do have to have strategy and different class compositions when playing through story maps, but it bugs me in the end, because Majins destroy almost any sense of unique classes/characters.
So with that bit of background aside, I've been looking at some DS games (well Wii too, but that doesn't seem to have much along this vein currently) and have come up with this list:
Advance Wars : Days of Ruin
Knights in the Nightmare (coming soon)
Valkyrie Profile : Covenant of the Plume
Dark Spire
Shiren the Wanderer
Jagged Alliance (coming soon)
So, what do you guys recommend? Feel free to suggest others as well (though I have Wii, DS and PC). I've actually seriously thought about getting a PS3 just for Valkyria Chronicles, but I can't justify myself spending that kinda money yet, with not much else on the PS3 that interests me.
Edit: Now adding Rondo of Swords to the list.
On what I don't like, FFTA, while showing a little promise, was rather altogether disappointing for me, since it was so easy and unfortunately, I've heard similar stuff about FFTA2. Disgaea games start off interesting since you do have to have strategy and different class compositions when playing through story maps, but it bugs me in the end, because Majins destroy almost any sense of unique classes/characters.
So with that bit of background aside, I've been looking at some DS games (well Wii too, but that doesn't seem to have much along this vein currently) and have come up with this list:
Advance Wars : Days of Ruin
Knights in the Nightmare (coming soon)
Valkyrie Profile : Covenant of the Plume
Dark Spire
Shiren the Wanderer
Jagged Alliance (coming soon)
So, what do you guys recommend? Feel free to suggest others as well (though I have Wii, DS and PC). I've actually seriously thought about getting a PS3 just for Valkyria Chronicles, but I can't justify myself spending that kinda money yet, with not much else on the PS3 that interests me.
Edit: Now adding Rondo of Swords to the list.
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. ~ Terry Pratchett
chrono_traveller on
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It seems you like the idea of classes and jobs. Did you try playing the FFT remake? It's so wonderful.
I've seen the re-release on the PSP, but I haven't seen it anywhere else. I also have the original FFT, so I'm not too particularly keen on buying another unless they added a goodly amount of stuff to it.
Edit: About Dark Spire, yeah, after reading Jesuits(I think?) review in the Dark Spire thread, I've become a bit less eager for it. I may still pick it up, but I'm not as sure.
For Roguelikes, do you have a homebrew cart? Powder is a pretty fun game on the DS and the controls translate well. If you don't I would go with Shiren.
But I'd buy FFT if it came with a punch to the nuts, so I might be biased.
I'm actually having a hard time coming up with games that have the classes, and that makes me sad. Those are my favorite types of games too.
It's got great style as well.
I'd say it's a safe purchase.
also, valkyrie profile was fun, but doesn't play like a traditional srpg, at all. and somewhat short. probably not worht the $40 its going for right now.
if you have a psp, there's definitely stuff that sounds right up your alley. the FFT remake, wild arms xf, and disgaea are all excellent srpgs with a huge amount of cusomization.
@solsovly: Thanks for reminding me, I completely forgot about Fire Emblem while making the OP. I do like them, I've beaten both FE and The Sacred Stone on the GBA. I've been meaning to finish Path of Radiance for a while, so that I can continue on with Radiant Dawn. I saw Shadow Dragon on the DS, but I heard it is kinda clunky compared to newer FEs (even the two GBA ones). I should probably put that on my list.
@urahonky: I don't have a PSP and I'm usually not much for rebuying games. I'd much rather spend money on games I haven't played. Though, damnit where is my FFT2?
@lostwords: I've never heard of hoshigami. Whats good about it? I've seen Luminous Arc, but it seemed like a pretty cut and dry JRPG from a class/strategy viewpoint.
I hear someone tried to port Gearhead but didn't have the homebrew karts, just the shitty "Official" ones, and he gave up when he had something like an hour loadtime just for chargen.
dream a little dream or you could live a little dream
sleep forever if you wish to be a dreamer
It's just an end-game goal which will take you 3 or 4 playthroughs to even touch usually.
I'm on nearly 40 hours and i'm miles from any majin hahah
Anyway, I'm thinking about getting either FFIV, FF Tactics A2, Echoes of time or Disgaea. Which are most fun/repayable? And do the FF games have Black Mage (8-bit theater:p) as a playable character?
Steam / Origin & Wii U: Heatwave111 / FC: 4227-1965-3206 / Battle.net: Heatwave#11356
EDIT: As I recall, they also can't use knives, so no stabbity death
I liked the DS Fire Emblem. Obviously there are areas where it isn't as polished as the later games, mainly supports and the like but it has a fair amount of re playability. Did I mention it has 5 extra difficulty levels past hard?
Pick up Jagged Alliance though, it is a fantastic game.
If you're looking for a RPG I can't recommend The World Ends With You enough, but from your post I get the impression you're looking for turn based combat.
FFTA2 is a pretty great game in general, though it's not super challenging. There's been times where I've felt like I might fail at some given quest, but usually it's because I had opted to take some weaker clan members in order to train them with the vets. A couple story missions were also surprisingly hard for me, but I managed to pull through.
It does away with the bullshit laws of the first one, with you only getting one law to follow per battle (it's always a set law, don't remember if it was that way in the last). It's a new system, basically. At the beginning of each battle, you choose a clan privilege. These range from things like bonus EXP at the end of the fight to slightly boosted strength and defense, or all units of a certain race getting a boost. Break the law, and you lose that privilege, along with the ability to revive anyone who's been KO'ed.
Well, there's other things that bother me about Disgaea, but the Majin irks me the most, simply because it throws away any semblance of variety (at the very least aesthetically) at the end game. Don't get me wrong, I played the heck out of Disgaea 1 and 2 (and Phantom Brave), but that was a sticking point that really kinda soured me a lot. Also, (though I learned to avoid it in Disgaea 2) was that being about the right level for a story battle is key. In the first one I tried to do extra stuff as much as possible, which made the story battles really boring.
@Grislo: I haven't heard anything about Rondo of Swords, I'll look into it.
@Bartholamue: I saw Revenant wings last time I was at gamestop, but I thought it was FF12 style play. Which, while I did like FF12, isn't really what I'm looking for currently. Is the play different?
@Heatwave: If you liked FFTA, from everything I've read, you'll like FFTA2 as well. FFIV is more story based than other games talked about here. You don't get to choose your party. Don't know what to compare it to, because I don't know what you've played. The black mage (ala FF1) also makes his appearance in FF9 (kinda), but while every FF game has a black mage of sorts, most don't look like the FF1 black mage.
And Jaged Alliance, and Shiren.
Oh, and Front Mission, if you never played it on the SNES. Giant robots with giant guns shooting up other gianter robots. Aesthetically, the mecha are more western in design, so it's more like Heavy Gear than say, Gundam. I don't know if you care about that, but it's of interest to me.
Goddamn my stupid fucking bat thing. What the fuck are those things called?
Just another reason for me to do a totally human/racist run.
5 levels past hard?
Steam / Origin & Wii U: Heatwave111 / FC: 4227-1965-3206 / Battle.net: Heatwave#11356
TETRIS DS 760.559 466.343
clubhouse 270.663 522.426
@Heatwave: If you haven't played any FFs, FFIV is probably a decent place to start as any. Its might be a bit of a culture shock(genre shock?) to go from a very modern action oriented rpg like Mass Effect to a pretty old, classic turn-based rpg like FF4.
@Tar: I saw something mentioned about the online rescue system, but didn't really understand it. Also, I figured that I probably wouldn't be able to find anyone online when I die to actually rescue me since it seems it would be difficult. Is this not the case?
The DS version made the difficulty a little fairer(the original was ridiculous), but it's still average at best.
Izuna's also a pretty fun roguelike.
The difficulty is somewhere in the Fire Emblem category, in that if you let your weaker characters get hit, they're fucked.
What sets it appart from other srpg's is that while you move on a very recognizable grid, you attack by moving your units through the enemy units rather than placing them next to each other. Some units are able to block this, and others are able to move through blockers, so it all becomes about unit placement/movement, and about taking advantage of being able to attack multiple enemies, and avoiding them doing the same to you.
There should videos around, it's pretty cool. Good replay value, too, with new game+-ish options, and multiple paths within the game.
Also, you can customize units with ability points earned on level up, so you can focus on whatever floats your boat, not just with the units you field, but with how you build those individual units.
Dang it, I need to clamp down on this somehow, otherwise I better just start calling my DS a money pit.
Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns is a good roguelike. It's slightly less frustrating than other ones, since you can bring two characters into dungeons and switch between them. Lots of little audio clips when you talk to characters (in japanese) and I love the art style. I havent played/found Shiren yet.
FFTA2:GOTR (yikes) Was pretty but felt really limiting after playing Disgaea. The terrible "Learn skills by equipping items for a long time" system returns, and battle areas feel tiny.
FF12: Revenant Wings Was alright. It was sort of an RTS. It would have been a lot better if you didnt have to summon all these little monsters and use them. Would have been a lot more fun for me to just use the main characters.
dream a little dream or you could live a little dream
sleep forever if you wish to be a dreamer
Well, as an update I just bought Shiren and Advance Wars. I'll probably be keeping an eye out for sales for some of the others mentioned in this thread.
I think I saw Rondo of Swords used for pretty cheap at Gamestop, so I might pick that up next time I'm driving by.
Feel free to keep discussing though.
dream a little dream or you could live a little dream
sleep forever if you wish to be a dreamer
Ok, so basically, you start with a small number of mechs and pilots. The mechs are customizable; the torso, left are, right arm, and leg units are interchangeable, as are the backpack, left/right hand weapons, and left/right shoulder mounts (for more weapons, shields, etc). And the targeting CPU. The pilots themselves gain XP and new abilities as the game progresses.
In combat, your army and the enemy army take turns moving units, attacking, etc. When one of your dudes attacks an enemy dude, your weapons have a chance of hitting the enemy mech in one of 4 areas; the torso (where the cockpit is), either of the arms (where the weapons and shoulder mounts are), or the legs (the legs count as one area, and when destroyed lower a mech's movement to one square). You can use machine guns which attack multiple areas multiple times, rifles shotguns and flamethrowers, which do more damage to a single point, rockets and missiles which can hit multiple parts at range, melee weapons, etc.
When you beat the game, you have the option of starting a new game with your leveled up pilots and all your equipment. This makes the game stupid easy (even if you sell off your equipment, your pilots will still have their abilities), but there's also an option to increase difficulty by up to 10 times.
The only real problem I have with the game is that some of the mech parts look the same as others. But most of the weapons look unique, and they added a whole other campaign to the game, which takes place during the same time but from the enemy perspective supposedly. I haven't tried it yet.
Edit: It was a import from Japan. Do they have two out there at the moment?
That first main dungeon completion is going to be one of the most satisfying gaming experiences you can ever have, EVER. (...if you actually stick with it through countless deaths.)
Of course unit customization is my big selling point (especially for stuff like Front Mission/Armored Core) so it might not bother other people as much as me.
Steam / Origin & Wii U: Heatwave111 / FC: 4227-1965-3206 / Battle.net: Heatwave#11356
Rondo of Swords was promising, but I stalled out on that one.
Disgaea is a fun hundred hours (and more!) if you get off on building an unstoppable demigod capable of crushing all challengers beneath him. No shame in that. But, past the first few chapters, a strategy game it is not, unless you were to generously consider clearing geopanels strategy - it's more of a puzzle minigame.
One, the Prinnies are useless experience leeches - as a rule, monsters aren't worth using. Two, you really need a healer. Or two. Or three. Or four. Don't worry about levelling them; save that for your reincarnated mage(s). Slap whatever INT boosters you can spare on throwaway clerics and the early game will be much easier to clear without need for grinding.