HAI GUYS, I'M REALLY LATE TO THE PARTY!
First off, I'd love to say that I'm really REALLY not up to par with following what's been released for my PS2, and I haven't been for a year and a half since I left my job in hell (Gamestop). I hate myself for not picking up on Persona 3 any earlier though, I really do because I'm actually quite impressed with how it turned out. I've put 30 hours into the game in the last week (lol summer vacation), which is something that's a big turnaround for me and RPGs.
I used to absolutely love RPGs, back when my Sega Saturn was my primary console, Shining Force, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Albert Odyssey. These games were all I ever played (outside of Virtua Cop 3 and X-Men Vs. Street fighter) and all was good with my life. Then I got a PlayStation, and the que of Generic RPGs just lined up, and I died a bit inside. I do vaguely remember playing Persona 2 for the PSX, and finding it enjoyable- for a PSX RPG. Final Fantasy Tactics was a bad version of Shining Force 3 to me, with replaceable characters, and no other RPGs broke my balls as much as Albert Odyssey or Panzer Dragoon Saga. I started to drift away from RPGs as a whole when the Dreamcast was released, and even more so when the PlayStation 2 was released. Every "Shining" game released for the PS2 dragged my hopes of ever getting a new Shining Force down even further, and while Phantasy Star Online/Universe were fun, they weren't the same as the games that I loved for my Genesis. Don't even get me started on Disgaea or the vast majority of NIS games, all I can say is enjoy your level grinding (the same level grinding that you had in the last NIS game). RPGs were dead to me.
About a month ago, I was musing around the internet, and stumbled upon the opening cinematic for Persona 3, and I was interested in it- then I remembered it was an RPG. knowing this I went and read a few reviews, all of which claiming this game as the second coming of Christ. Eh, I thought I'd give it a shot.
This game does so many things differently than your standard RPG and that right away was a gamble. Atlus pulled it off though, from the story telling, to the snappy battles, the game flows. The social interactions and their contributions to your status and the fatigue system that prevents you from just blowing through dungeons, it all helps you swallow the fact that the game requires you to level grind. The voice acting is well done, the menus and presentation, they're all spot on and original. This game gave me faith in RPGs again, and moreover, that Japanese developers can make an original game, and not just Final Fantasy X-2:OMG DRESSUP Special Edition (that's the one that comes with the special dvd!)
What other RPG's am I missing that actually do something new for the PS2? There have got to be some others out there that aren't garbage.
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Odin Sphere - fun and pretty. It is a 2D action RPG, though.
Also, nice Dr. Strangelove reference.
"it all helps you swallow the fact that the game requires you to level grind."
No, it fucking doesn't. This game requires the OPPOSITE of level grinding, that is, playing intelligently with what you are given. In fact you CAN'T level grind a problem away, because the amount of EXP you get from battles decreases as your level goes up, to the point where you might be able to get a single level for an entire week's worth of trips to Tartarus.
I'm starting to wonder if people know what "level grinding" actually IS.
"it all helps you swallow the fact that the game requires you to level grind."
No, it fucking doesn't. This game requires the OPPOSITE of level grinding, that is, playing intelligently with what you are given. In fact you CAN'T level grind a problem away, because the amount of EXP you get from battles decreases as your level goes up, to the point where you might be able to get a single level for an entire week's worth of trips to Tartarus.
I'm starting to wonder if people know what "level grinding" actually IS.
I didn't need to level grind in Persona 3. It's all about utilizing enemy weaknesses to your advantage. It can be a bit tough in the beginning, but it does get easier once you starting fusing persona for the main character. It's nice he could handle any situation once he had the right persona to back him up.
This game made me love RPGs too!
And I never liked them before.
This game helped me remember fun games.
Gen: Im starting to wonder if you know what Level grinding is. It makes no difference if the exp gain is minimal or huge when it comes to grinding. They call it a grind is because you put hours upon hours into killing the same enemies over again just to get experience. You're saying you didn't grind in Monad to prepare yourself for the final boss?
I know I did. Granted I didn't have to but I had all those weeks to spare before the final encounter so there I was. Plus in the Answer its just a huge dungeon crawl. And good luck if you just shoot for the exit of each floor without fighting anything. You will get owned regardless of your Persona. In order to survive you have to "Level Grind" a bit in order to be up to par against bosses.
Yeah I was late to this game as well having just rented it this past week. All I can say is that it was simply incredible and the most fun I've had with an rpg in a long time. Unfortunately I had to return it and won't have a ps2 upon moving out :(
@Gen Eric Gui and Chocobo Knight
Leveling up is a grind, and when you're forced to do it to progress in the game (i.e. to beat a boss) then it's a level grind. I can't think of an rpg that isn't a level grind, but regardless, it's a grind.
I feel the same Ichigo. While the Square's games turned me onto rpgs, they've also turned me off them. Its taken games like Odin Sphere, Persona series, Yggdra Union, Jeanne D'arc, Brave Story etc to keep me going.
All of those are not Square games, and I think that Atlus, Spike, Vanillaware etc are giving the big boys a great run for their money.
Tragic Hero: The problem isn't just the shrinking EXP values, but it's also the fact that you get TIRED after a set number of battles for your level. If you were to spend the absolutely optimal number of battles in Tartarus to not make you tired and have to sit out for day due to sickness, and you did that every day for thew hole month of game time, you can gain only a handful of levels. The game specifically placed these systems there to prevent the player from being able to "grind" aay their problems.
And even then, a level or two isn't going to help you for dick, because stat gains are so infinitesimally small. Unless you're in Monad spamming Die For Me! to get from level 98-99, the stat boost you get from a level isn't going to effect your game for shit.
The point is, if you don't learn the game you'll never pass it. Leveling is pointless after a certain point, and that certain point is the one you meet by just fighting your way up the tower normally. The only conceivable reason a person could have for "grinding" is if you fucked up and forgot to use somebody for a while and suddenly needed them, like needing Junpei to cast Marakukaja or something.
That's my point. You talk as if the game is "requiring" you to level grind to beat bosses, when this simply isn't the case. In fact, the game goes to as many lengths as possible to dissuade you from grinding.