FinalFantasyFanatic wrote:
> I'm playing it at the moment. It's bloody massive, from what I can
> tell. I seem to have done tonnes, and there's still tonnes to do.
>
> One of the better RPGs of recent times, although it can get a bit
> irritating in parts for some reason. Beautiful, too. Good story
> (actually funny in parts, touching in others) and some decent
> characters.
>
> It's worth buying, no doubt.

How does it compare with skies of arcadia? and the battle system seems a little strange. how does that work?

I dunno how you'd compare it to Skies. But I don't think it's any better.
It's really great and enjoyable ... if a tad tedious in places (but, it's an RPG, so what did you expect) - but something's slightly lacking to bring it to Skies levels.

Also, the camera is really annoying.
If you've played Grandia 2 you'll know the thing - it almost looks straight down on your character, so you can't look around the places very well (shame, because they're usually stunning) and can't get your bearings very well.

And you usually run right into enemies because you can't see far enough in front of you. It's even more annoying when if (very occasinally) comes down closer to the horizontal and you see the game can actually draw the depth in well enough.

I'd buy it,

So far i've put near 60 hours into it, i'm well into the second dvd now me thinks, but to too sure how far off the end i am. There's loads of side-quests to go back to (i haven't done that many, and still rack up the hours!) The computer controlled AI actully is quiet good i thought, it learns what moves/tactics/magic you like to use on a character and uses em in battle. You can also tell the AI what to do and what magic to use, so don't know how FFF was finding it a bit naff, unless you haven't figured out how to turn off certain spells in battle.
Camera can be a bit annoying, but thats what the maps for, and you can rotate the camera sometimes for a better angle.
I'll do a review on it when i complete the full story.

As for the AI, when Cliff started to run away from all the enemies and side-step like a spastic (even when there was only 1 left), and then when he killed himself by using all his MP up, I wasn't too impressed.

Yeah, change the tactics, but that really shouldn't ever happen.

Although it is amazingly fun when you all just team up on one monster and beat the living shee-ite out of it. Or when you keep it up in the air between you, that's pretty good.

FinalFantasyFanatic wrote:
> Have you got whatever item it is that lets your break stuff yet?

You get a couple of random ones first then the ring of disintergration, which is what you really need.

> I think my battle trophies save got corrupted some how - it won't
> save it anymore if I get a new one, but all the old ones still show
> up from the main menu. And you can't start again with them, can you?
> How very annoying.

Gutted, but i think if you finish it, then start over/harder i think the battle trophies carry over, as reading about it, i don't think you can get them all first time through anyway!

Think i'm on the final leg of the story now, and i can't go back anywhere, all i can say is the bad guys are sure gettin a lot harder, and i should have levelled up in Gemity more + invented more weapons n stuff! Ah well plod on!

I\'ll compare it to something

Star Ocean 3>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> FFX

But then anything done by Nippon Ichi Software >>>>> anything else :-D

Woohoo double post!

But BIGGER woohoo, managed to finish the begger! 62 hours 44 mins! without doing any of the side quests or much inventing. Got a feeling there is enough to go back to!

My advice, create a save in gemity, just in case as some of the beasties are a bit tough! From now on they get a lot harder!

Nah, nothing compares to Tsunami Bomb in Disgaea.

Take some time, listen to a couple of riffs and try to find the solo and you'll be a changed man.