Well, for the most part the fighting/leveling up is standard turn based RPG fare. The neat part about the game is that you recruit 108 characters, over half of them playable. The other characters live in your home base, which in most games, consists of a castle that builds up over time. There are also large scale battles, and while there's an overworld, you never get to explore it fully; you are usually bound within the limits of a country or two. The plots are usually politically driven (should be since you're usually forming armies) One of the best things about the Suikoden series (with the exception of 3 & 4 somewhat) is the eastern feel of the game. From the character portraits to the music, Suikoden has a distinct feel to it that sets it apart from other RPGs. It's very classic...no modern stuff either.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suikoden There's links to each game in the series there. For me the appeal was recruiting the 108 different characters that would join your army, and the fun combat system. The 2D artwork in the first 2 games was great, and the music was fantastic.
The battle system in that game was crazy fun. However, the "twist" completely ruined the game, if not the entire series, for me.
Hmm...I can't recall exactly how long it took me to beat it, but I don't think it was unusually short. Probably about the same length as other FF games, or other major RPGs. Of course, I did a lot of optional stuff, so maybe if you do just the main quest, you can beat it relatively quickly. I do agree that the ending wasn't done very well. You can kind of tell when the game started to shift from what Matsuno had created to what the new guys did (I forget the names of the guys who took over after he left). I'm probably cutting the game some slack for that, which probably isn't something I should do. Not sure it matters since the best thing about the game to me was the battle system and Gambits (as mentioned). I became a BIG fan of that system after playing FFXII. And yes, as I mentioned earlier in the thread, the Suikoden games are great (well, 1 and 2 are anyway...haven't really played 3-5, although I'd probably only play 5 at this point). I absolutely love the recruitment aspects of the games, as well as the large-scale battles. Reminded me of Dragon Force in a way...wish I could find a way to play that game again. As for PS2 RPGs, I'm not sure if it was my favorite, but I really enjoyed Shadow Hearts 2: Covenant (SH1 was OK, never played the 3rd game). I'll have to think about all the PS2 RPGs I played, but this game is definitely up there with the best of them.
Never thought that the discussion would move to the PS2 but... okay. I'll chime in. FFXII, to me, was just a huge disappointment storywise. I've never felt so little need to kill the final boss in any post-NES FF as I have with FFXII. The story was was non-existent. I mean, if you're going to make a big plot with lots of intrigue, you need to have some meat to it. I can handle no character development, ala Suikoden, if the main plot was done well. But FFXII's was not done well. It was boring and I was hardly rooting for anyone. The battle system was cool though, and the only reason I played through the whole game. The best PS2 RPG, in my mind, is FFX. Maybe I'm biased towards it because it was one of the first PS2 hit and everything just looked so cool compared to the games before it. But overall it felt complete. It was a full game that offered some of everything. I also loved Xenosaga, and would've ranked them collectively number 1 if they actually stretched it out 6 games. In terms of character development and characters, it's similar to Chrono Cross. Very few characters get developed, silent main character, lots of recruiting, etc. Battle system is nice, because you have six characters to deal with so the party can be pretty well customized. Fights are traditional turn-based though. Although there is one broken aspect about the battle system you can abuse if you like... Storywise, others have pointed out. Covenant was a great game that had me hooked while playing, but it honestly left no impression. I had forgotten that I even played the game before you brought it up. The jokes in there are simply awesome, though. Very well done with the mixture of the light moments with serious ones.
The real "problem" with FF12 is that you had to beat the game and see the ending to confirm that nagging subconscious feeling you have playing the game -- you are playing as the supporting character all along. Bold story concept (for an RPG), great, great game mechanics, but those looking for traditional RPG storytelling probably came away disappointed. Having said that, I'd probably be more inclined to put FF12 in my top 5 than FF7 in my top 10. Cloud's "suppressed memory" is as weak as Dallas (the show) explaining away an entire season as a dream. No love for Phantasy Star?
I could not stand Yuna and her infernal inability to make a decision. She was one of the biggest turn offs for me that really brought FFX down. And when FFX-2 came out, it only got worse (for me)...FFX-2 should have been called Final Fantasy-Charlie's Angels (just my personal opinion) Phantasy Star II is one of the best RPGs, no doubt.
exactly! that's what I said earlier, when comparing Yuna to Ashe. I just couldn't freakin stand Yuna...she is pretty much the one reason that brought down FFX in my eyes, and prevented me from really liking the game a lot
I actually really hated that too...but it spawned possibly my favorite scene in FF7, where Cloud (as a generic Shinra soldier) gets stabbed by Sephiroth and lifts the sword and Sephiroth up and throws him into the chasm. I think they actually changed that scene later in other FF7 references to have Sephiroth jump in of his own free will...but I love that scene.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kznek1uNVsg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> figured I had to revive this... Anyone else way more excited than they should be?:grin::grin::grin::grin:
