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[Pandora's Tower] - Consume the flesh of the Masters.

24

Posts

  • mere_immortalmere_immortal So tasty!Registered User regular
    My copy should be coming today, but I've heard it's more of a 3D castlevania than a traditional JRPG.

    You might not be wrong with comparison. The game does remind me more of Portrait of Ruin or Ecclesia (the only modern Castlevanias I've played) than it does a Tales of... or SMT.

    Argh I need to stop ordering stuff on the Saturday after it comes out, longest postage wait ever.

    Steam: mere_immortal - PSN: mere_immortal - XBL: lego pencil - Wii U: mimmortal - 3DS: 1521-7234-1642 - Bordgamegeek: mere_immortal
  • WotanAnubisWotanAnubis Registered User regular
    My copy should be coming today, but I've heard it's more of a 3D castlevania than a traditional JRPG.

    You might not be wrong with comparison. The game does remind me more of Portrait of Ruin or Ecclesia (the only modern Castlevanias I've played) than it does a Tales of... or SMT.

    Argh I need to stop ordering stuff on the Saturday after it comes out, longest postage wait ever.

    I'm not saying this game is as good as Castlevania, though.

  • BasilBasil Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    Golly, there is some delightfully demented wizzle wazzle unga bunga ting ting going on in this story, huh?

    I approve! More of this, chef.

    Basil on
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  • WotanAnubisWotanAnubis Registered User regular
    I can't quite believe this game merely got a 12 Rating. I'd've thought it would've been 16 at least.

  • mere_immortalmere_immortal So tasty!Registered User regular
    Huzzah, postman brought my copy while I was at work.

    ZfDTJ.jpg

    Pretty great for only a fiver more than the normal version.

    Only got past the treetop tower, but seems awesome so far. I thought the chain controls might be a bit annoying having to work them into the combat, but it works really well.

    Chain gauge seems to increase faster the longer you hold it if the first boss was anything to go by.

    Also should I be selling any flesh I come across that I don't immediately need for Elena?

    Steam: mere_immortal - PSN: mere_immortal - XBL: lego pencil - Wii U: mimmortal - 3DS: 1521-7234-1642 - Bordgamegeek: mere_immortal
  • WotanAnubisWotanAnubis Registered User regular
    Also should I be selling any flesh I come across that I don't immediately need for Elena?

    Yep. Flesh doesn't restore a set amount, it restores up to a certain point.

    Flesh in the Observatory also spoils over time, making it a lot less effective. So just sell it to Mavda before it becomes effectively useless.

    If you must, you can always make a quick trip to the Treetop Tower. If you chain their torsos, those long-armed brutes drop beast flesh and sometimes dripping flesh. If you got the time to reach them, those large pod-like plants are likely to drop dripping flesh or quivering flesh. All of which is way, way better than whatever rotting leftover flesh you haven't sold.

  • KrathoonKrathoon Registered User regular
    My import copy is still in the mail. I really hope it does not take a month to get to me.

  • XagarathXagarath Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    So this is pretty good. It's arguably more like 3D castlevania than any of the actual efforts we've had in that direction (not that I disliked Lords of Shadow, or anything) and there's more than a touch of Shadow of the Colossus.
    Hell of a weird choice for the Wii swansong, though. I'm amazed we got anything this backwards-insane at all, never mind promoted by Nintendo.

    Xagarath on
  • EvilRedEyeEvilRedEye Registered User regular
    Yeah, I'm really enjoying this. Although one of the bosses really annoyed me.

    (Not really a spoiler, just tagging it for anyone particularly sensitive.)
    The boss in the second leafy tower goes to this beam of sunlight to photosynthesise and recover from your attacks. I was struggling so I thought "Right, I'll go back, have a sleep and try again at night, when it's dark and there's no sun." I do this and return to the boss in the middle of the night. There's still a massive beam of sunlight striking the boss arena, and the boss still goes into the sunlight to heal. At night.

    Gone.
  • mere_immortalmere_immortal So tasty!Registered User regular
    I bought the leather belt from Mavda but it's showing up as a gift.

    The description says it extends the bag, but I have no more than the usual 30 slots.

    Am I missing something?

    Steam: mere_immortal - PSN: mere_immortal - XBL: lego pencil - Wii U: mimmortal - 3DS: 1521-7234-1642 - Bordgamegeek: mere_immortal
  • WotanAnubisWotanAnubis Registered User regular
    You have to gift it to Elena. Then she will help you carry more.

    Apparently, Aeron can't sew or stitch worth a damn.

  • mere_immortalmere_immortal So tasty!Registered User regular
    Ahhh yeah that worked.

    Just sew this onto my bag whenever you're not turning into a gross monster thanks.

    Steam: mere_immortal - PSN: mere_immortal - XBL: lego pencil - Wii U: mimmortal - 3DS: 1521-7234-1642 - Bordgamegeek: mere_immortal
  • WotanAnubisWotanAnubis Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    Just beat the fifth boss. He was actually pretty fun.
    He's completely invulnerable until he overheats and he mostly generates heat by attacking. So instead of staying away from him like a sensible person would do when faced with a killing machine, you have to goad him into attacking you and then dodging whatever he throws at you until he's forced to power down.

    WotanAnubis on
  • RenzoRenzo Registered User regular
    Hmm. I keep hearing good things about this. Maybe I should import it?

  • WotanAnubisWotanAnubis Registered User regular
    Renzo wrote: »
    Hmm. I keep hearing good things about this. Maybe I should import it?

    Well, I'm obviously loving it, but I have a hard time recommending this game without caveats.

    It's Castlevania-like, it's Zelda-ish and it's got some light dating sim elements. It doesn't tell its story in a particularly straightforward manner and it doesn't shy away from being gross or disturbing, though it doesn't really push it into your face either (well, except for all those (skipable) cutscenes of Elena eating monster flesh). And there's a time limit hanging over your head like a disgusting Sword of Damocles. A time limit that either drives you to finds those short-cuts quickly and get things done right away or just annoys you because it's constantly forcing you cut your dungeon exploration short and head back to base - it all depends on how much you can sympathise with Elena. Oh, and the main character is pretty dull.

    I will say it's better than The Last Story, though.

  • mere_immortalmere_immortal So tasty!Registered User regular
    Yeah the time limit is the one thing I dislike.

    Perhaps they should have put something into place that when you finished off a master the tower they were inhabiting no longer counts down the clock when you're in it. Or instead of giving you a game over the longer it takes to get master flesh the lower rating you get with Elena when you give it to her, but you can again use servant flesh to bring it back up.

    Anyway, when you use a shard of divinity is it just a one way trip back to the observatory?

    Steam: mere_immortal - PSN: mere_immortal - XBL: lego pencil - Wii U: mimmortal - 3DS: 1521-7234-1642 - Bordgamegeek: mere_immortal
  • WotanAnubisWotanAnubis Registered User regular
    Anyway, when you use a shard of divinity is it just a one way trip back to the observatory?

    Yeah, pretty much.

  • WotanAnubisWotanAnubis Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    Gamespot's got a review up, for what it's worth. One that curiously keeps mispronouncing both Aeron and Elena's names.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIsuv7upRiw

    And the written review.

    WotanAnubis on
  • mere_immortalmere_immortal So tasty!Registered User regular
    I've only got the sword and twin blades right now, but I don't really want to spend the materials to upgrade the twin blades to my sword level unless it's really worth it.

    Have you used em much Wotan? I've ran a couple of the earlier towers with em but it seems more difficult to dodge out of any combo attacks, think it's because the animation lasts longer but the dodge doesn't cancel it.

    Steam: mere_immortal - PSN: mere_immortal - XBL: lego pencil - Wii U: mimmortal - 3DS: 1521-7234-1642 - Bordgamegeek: mere_immortal
  • WotanAnubisWotanAnubis Registered User regular
    I haven't used the twin blades much at all either, to be honest. The sword was good enough for me.

    And then I got the scythe (in the fifth Tower, I believe). If the sword is average and the twin blades are weak but quick, then the scythe is strong but slow. I like the scythe. I've been using it a lot.

  • KrathoonKrathoon Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    I finally got my copy in the mail and I made it past the first boss. I am enjoying it so far. I suspect that the protagonist messing around with something that is supposed to keep a chasm from spreading is not going to bode well. Also, I wonder what happened to all of the military people checking the place out. The curse perhaps?

    I like that the gifts seem to enhance the observatory. I suspect it will be blinged out by the end of the game.

    Krathoon on
  • WotanAnubisWotanAnubis Registered User regular
    Krathoon wrote: »
    I like that the gifts seem to enhance the observatory. I suspect it will be blinged out by the end of the game.

    Blinged out is, perhaps, going a little far.
    Though I do like that Elena will change rugs and tablecloths and bedsheets and whatnot as time passes (and sometimes you'll even spot them hanging from the laundry line). On the one hand, this means the Observatory looks a bit more like Elena's living in it and keeping it clean. On the other hand, you won't be able to stop her putting down rugs you think look pretty bad.

  • Werewolf2000adWerewolf2000ad Suckers, I know exactly what went wrong. Registered User regular
    Krathoon wrote: »
    I like that the gifts seem to enhance the observatory. I suspect it will be blinged out by the end of the game.

    Blinged out is, perhaps, going a little far.
    Though I do like that Elena will change rugs and tablecloths and bedsheets and whatnot as time passes (and sometimes you'll even spot them hanging from the laundry line). On the one hand, this means the Observatory looks a bit more like Elena's living in it and keeping it clean. On the other hand, you won't be able to stop her putting down rugs you think look pretty bad.
    Yeah, and she does the same with stuff you get for her to wear, as well. It's a nice little touch of realism I don't think I've ever seen in a game before. In fact I initially thought it was some sort of bug where the game had forgotten what items I'd bought before I realised what was happening.

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    EVERYBODY WANTS TO SIT IN THE BIG CHAIR, MEG!
  • turtleantturtleant Gunpla Dad is the best.Registered User regular
    Any word on this coming state side? Looks like a lot of fun.

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  • EvilRedEyeEvilRedEye Registered User regular
    I finished this today, overall I thought it was very good. Consistently enjoyable, no major flaws, no annoying difficulty spikes or anything like that. The low-ish Metacritic score baffles me to be honest.

    Gone.
  • WotanAnubisWotanAnubis Registered User regular
    EvilRedEye wrote: »
    The low-ish Metacritic score baffles me to be honest.

    In all fairness, there are no outright negative reviews.

    Still... Ganbarion is a minor studio who's only made One Piece games before this and on top of that Pandora's Tower is part dating sim and has a time limit.

    Since Ganbarion isn't and doesn't have a Big Name and probably couldn't afford to buy reviews, it's no wonder the average score is kinda low-ish.

  • WotanAnubisWotanAnubis Registered User regular
    For all you completionists, interior decorators and fashionistas out there...

    You're probably aware that Mavda hands out free items if you bring her a lot of flesh. For every Tower, Mavda has three items to give and in order to get them, you have to sell her an amount of flesh worth X Leots all in one go. For example, if you harvest flesh worth 150 Leots at once and sell it to her, she'll give you Mercury. 300 will get you a Power Stone and 600 will give you a Shield Talisman. Unfortunately, if you sell her, say, 100 Leots' of flesh and then, after another run through the tower, sell her another 60 Leots' of flesh, she won't give you the Mercury. But if you sell her 600 Leots' worth of flesh straight away, she'll give you all three at once, which is nice.

    Of course, what's really nice are the unique items for the tower and the gifts for Elena. Here's a complete list:
    Treetop Tower:
    150 - Mercury
    300 - Power Stone
    600 - Shield Talisman

    Sheerdrop Spire:
    200 - Potted Dryad
    400 - Panacea
    800 - Bronze Mirror

    Wellspring Steeple:
    100 - Quality Metal
    250 - Sage Stone
    500 - Certan Tome

    Crimson Keep:
    100 - Guard Stone
    250 - Ambrosia
    500 - Music Box

    Ironclad Turret:
    100 - Certan Rug
    250 - Skill Band
    500 - Glass Vase

    Arcadian Tower:
    250 - White Rug
    500 - Pure Band
    1000 - Ancient Clock

    Rockshard Rampart:
    250 - Tactical Manual
    500 - Okanos Stone
    1000 - Knight Storybook

    Torrent Peak:
    150 - Rainbow Scale
    300 - Farsight Band
    600 - Aios Pendant

    Blazing Citadel:
    150 - Red Rug
    300 - Phoenix Stone
    600 - Formal Dress

    Truegold Tower:
    200 - Aegis Steel
    400 - Rustic Painting
    800 - Noble Garb

    Dawn/Dusk Tower:
    500 - Spirit Silver
    1000 - Orb of Opposites
    1500 - Promise Ring

    So if you want your Observatory as pretty as it can be, I guess you'd better get grinding.

  • Werewolf2000adWerewolf2000ad Suckers, I know exactly what went wrong. Registered User regular
    For all you completionists, interior decorators and fashionistas out there...

    You're probably aware that Mavda hands out free items if you bring her a lot of flesh. For every Tower, Mavda has three items to give and in order to get them, you have to sell her an amount of flesh worth X Leots all in one go. For example, if you harvest flesh worth 150 Leots at once and sell it to her, she'll give you Mercury. 300 will get you a Power Stone and 600 will give you a Shield Talisman. Unfortunately, if you sell her, say, 100 Leots' of flesh and then, after another run through the tower, sell her another 60 Leots' of flesh, she won't give you the Mercury. But if you sell her 600 Leots' worth of flesh straight away, she'll give you all three at once, which is nice.

    Of course, what's really nice are the unique items for the tower and the gifts for Elena. Here's a complete list:
    Treetop Tower:
    150 - Mercury
    300 - Power Stone
    600 - Shield Talisman

    Sheerdrop Spire:
    200 - Potted Dryad
    400 - Panacea
    800 - Bronze Mirror

    Wellspring Steeple:
    100 - Quality Metal
    250 - Sage Stone
    500 - Certan Tome

    Crimson Keep:
    100 - Guard Stone
    250 - Ambrosia
    500 - Music Box

    Ironclad Turret:
    100 - Certan Rug
    250 - Skill Band
    500 - Glass Vase

    Arcadian Tower:
    250 - White Rug
    500 - Pure Band
    1000 - Ancient Clock

    Rockshard Rampart:
    250 - Tactical Manual
    500 - Okanos Stone
    1000 - Knight Storybook

    Torrent Peak:
    150 - Rainbow Scale
    300 - Farsight Band
    600 - Aios Pendant

    Blazing Citadel:
    150 - Red Rug
    300 - Phoenix Stone
    600 - Formal Dress

    Truegold Tower:
    200 - Aegis Steel
    400 - Rustic Painting
    800 - Noble Garb

    Dawn/Dusk Tower:
    500 - Spirit Silver
    1000 - Orb of Opposites
    1500 - Promise Ring

    So if you want your Observatory as pretty as it can be, I guess you'd better get grinding.

    Post-game spoiler:
    Most of those items also become available to buy on New Game+. Plus there's at least one extra gift I've found behind one of the locked red doors, which you can open in NG+.

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    EVERYBODY WANTS TO SIT IN THE BIG CHAIR, MEG!
  • WotanAnubisWotanAnubis Registered User regular
    And done. After roughly 45 hours, I've finished the game. Which is longer than average, I've been given to understand, but I enjoyed grinding and faffing about. And also cut my dungeon exploration short to make sure I got back to Elena in time (only had to use a Divine Shard once).

    So yeah. Awesome game. The chain mechanic was done pretty well and the bosses were varied enough that it never felt that repetitive. Story was pretty decent, too.

    Might decide to go for the other endings next.

  • TheEternalCowboyTheEternalCowboy Registered User regular
    Getting this tonight & quite excited. Surprised this thread doesn't have more love.

    I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees.
  • LeumasWhiteLeumasWhite New ZealandRegistered User regular
    It's a bit baffling, yeah.

    I do appreciate that they made Elena seriously gross in monster form. Adds a little extra incentive to get back in time. Get your slime away from the bedcovers! I paid good money for those!

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  • ZephiranZephiran Registered User regular
    It's a bit baffling, yeah.

    I do appreciate that they made Elena seriously gross in monster form. Adds a little extra incentive to get back in time. Get your slime away from the bedcovers! I paid good money for those!

    After you've completed about half of the adventure, you want her to stay in good health because the expensive gifts you bought her will break if you don't.

    And believe you me you'll curse yourself for missing the deadline when that White Gold Ring needs to be repaired.

    Alright and in this next scene all the animals have AIDS.

    I got a little excited when I saw your ship.
  • mere_immortalmere_immortal So tasty!Registered User regular
    I need to get back into this.

    Think I got to tower 4/5 before I got dragged away. Ditto for Xenoblade too and I haven't even started The Last Story yet : /

    Nintendo have confirmed that they're sending me the coin collection though, coming in October.

    Steam: mere_immortal - PSN: mere_immortal - XBL: lego pencil - Wii U: mimmortal - 3DS: 1521-7234-1642 - Bordgamegeek: mere_immortal
  • WotanAnubisWotanAnubis Registered User regular
    Zephiran wrote: »
    It's a bit baffling, yeah.

    I do appreciate that they made Elena seriously gross in monster form. Adds a little extra incentive to get back in time. Get your slime away from the bedcovers! I paid good money for those!

    After you've completed about half of the adventure, you want her to stay in good health because the expensive gifts you bought her will break if you don't.

    And believe you me you'll curse yourself for missing the deadline when that White Gold Ring needs to be repaired.

    Only the gifts Elena wears - dresses, bracelets, necklaces, that kind of thing. The carpets, for example, are safe.

    Dripping with purple ooze, but safe.

  • ZephiranZephiran Registered User regular
    Zephiran wrote: »
    It's a bit baffling, yeah.

    I do appreciate that they made Elena seriously gross in monster form. Adds a little extra incentive to get back in time. Get your slime away from the bedcovers! I paid good money for those!

    After you've completed about half of the adventure, you want her to stay in good health because the expensive gifts you bought her will break if you don't.

    And believe you me you'll curse yourself for missing the deadline when that White Gold Ring needs to be repaired.

    Only the gifts Elena wears - dresses, bracelets, necklaces, that kind of thing. The carpets, for example, are safe.

    Dripping with purple ooze, but safe.

    Considering she's got like half an hour of gameplay time before she starts turning into a slug again, she puts an amazing amount of effort into cleaning up the house!

    Alright and in this next scene all the animals have AIDS.

    I got a little excited when I saw your ship.
  • KrathoonKrathoon Registered User regular
    The whole thing with the breaking items is interesting. I did not know about that. So, she definitely becomes high maintenance.

  • ZephiranZephiran Registered User regular
    Also, I'm pretty sure some of the flowers and greenery you buy for her wilt and die when she passes a certain transformation threshold. The flowers she planted from seeds in the garden certainly do, I'm not 100% on the potted plants you can get for her.

    I think she might even circulate the potted greenery in the same way as accessories, though.

    Alright and in this next scene all the animals have AIDS.

    I got a little excited when I saw your ship.
  • mere_immortalmere_immortal So tasty!Registered User regular
    Does stuff being broken lower the affinity meter?

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  • WotanAnubisWotanAnubis Registered User regular
    edited June 2012
    Does stuff being broken lower the affinity meter?

    Not really.

    Being away so long that Elena slowly starts mutating into a horrible monstrosity does lower affinity.

    WotanAnubis on
  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    edited July 2012
    Wow, this game is really really awesome. Jesus, seeing that poor girl have to eat that gross out tumour-meat was incredibly effective. I really wanna save her now.

    Also, Mavda is the coolest fucking character I've seen in years. Good god she is just too too creepy.

    Magic Pink on
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