Infinite Undiscovery

Infinite Undiscovery was a debatable purchase for me. On one hand it was cheap, on the other the box looked pretty awful. However, the blurb sold me on it; promising me a great title from the creators of Star Ocean. After finishing the first disc and making decent progress on the second; I'm impressed. Just not that impressed. Infinite Undiscovery is an above average JRPG with a nice blend of elements, and it's definitely worth a single playthrough.

The graphics are awesome, almost Square Enix quality.

Genre: JRPG, Fantasy
Release Date: 2nd September, 2008
Platforms: Xbox 360
Score: 7/10
Similar Titles: Star Ocean, The Last Story, Xenoblade Chronicles

Final Fantasy XII

In recent years the respect and prestige the Final Fantasy franchise earned from providing a stellar storytelling experience, backed up by graphics beyond the confines of the other console games, has slowly deteriorated. This is due to the awfully poor Final Fantasy X-2 and the online rendition of the series which has only gained a small cult following (sorry ya losers the FF MMO sucks).

Most of the people I know just gave up on hoping the next game would break Square Enix out of their rut and bring Final Fantasy back up to speed with current games. Some people even fooled themselves into believing every game after X-2 was still amazing, ignoring the stink of mediocrity that currently plagues the series that used to set trends for the market.

The tutorial turns out to be a massacre. Poor Reks.

Genre: JRPG
Developer: Square Enix
Release Date: 16th March, 2006
Platforms: PS2, PS4
Score: 6/10
Similar Titles: Grandia, Dragon Quest, Star Ocean
Worth playing: If you are a fan of Final Fantasy or are running out of alternative RPGs to play.

Star Ocean: First Departure

Taking a franchise back to its roots is rarely a bad thing. The most recent Star Ocean games on the Playstation 2 and 3 were good, but they were more linear and lacked some of that charm gamers loved from the initial titles. You couldn't recruit a different party on your second playthrough. However, Star Ocean: First Departure brings back the love. It has adorable 2D graphics backed up by cutesy anime cutscenes; and all the other wonderful quirks that we've missed since Star Ocean made its debut on the Famicom.

The local defense force, Millie, Roddick, and Dorne.

Genre: Action, JRPG
Release Date: 27th December 2007
Platforms: PSP
Score: 7/10
Similar Titles: Grandia, Final Fantasy, Tales of Phantasia

Roddick, Millie, and Dorne are teenagers working as a local defense force for their small town, Kratus. They undertake tasks such as repelling bandits and rescuing cats from trees. When visiting the nearest village they discover a mysterious plague has begun spreading among the populace; turning everyone who comes into contact with it into stone. When no cure can be found to stop the illness, Roddick and company venture up the nearby mountain to find a rare herb as their last hope. What they don't realize, is that their journey will take them through time and space to reveal the truth because the virus and the history of their planet.

The combat is really fun.

If you weren't already aware, Star Ocean: First Departure is a replica of the original game on the Famicom. Many of the features have been enhanced to accommodate the modern era of gaming, the graphics and the engine have essentially been updated to Playstation quality. There are a few new characters and scenes, but it's mostly the same as the original. The lore from the Star Ocean universe is rich and filled with unique stories, and this game marks the beginning of it.

I really enjoyed playing First Departure, the combat is different from your typical JRPG. Instead of being turn based, you control your character on the field. Four team members can chosen for battle. You decide which party member to play as, and each character works a little differently. Symbology is the Star Ocean version of magic, which can be used for healing or damage. Not everybody can use magic, but every character learns a plethora of various skills as they level up. Skills can vary, such as a long range nuke, or an AoE knockback. 2 skills can be assigned at any one time, and the more frequently you use them the more powerful they become. I found fighting monsters and other enemies addictive, and intentionally sought out battles. However, the random battle mechanic doesn't kick in frequently; so if you want to progress through the game quickly it's entirely possible.

Roddick and company meet people from Earth.

As for the story, it covers many things. It starts out like your typical RPG, except the characters have tails. However, it quickly gets confusing and even a little overwhelming. Time and space travel, galactic wars, and even demon lords. For a very old game, it's actually original. My favorite part was being able to recruit different characters each time you play it through. On top of that, there's a relationship system in the game that changes the ending based on which allies you favor more. Another unique and very intriguing feature in Star Ocean: First Departure is the item system. Each shop has countless stuff to buy, and it can all be fused to create new weapons, or armor.

Roddick is the main character, and compared to everyone else he's a little boring. Personally, I thought the dialogue was a little lacking. But the plot itself is good. Every so often after you make a fair bit of progress you get to watch an anime cutscene, which looks good but feels like it's tacked on as an afterthought.

Out of all the games you can get on the PSP, First Departure is easily one of the best. You can easily sink 30+ hours into it, and enjoy every second. If you ever feel like revisiting the game, you can do it with a new party and experience a new ending. Star Ocean: The Second Story has also managed to port itself onto the portable as well. Certainly a title worth purchasing, especially since it's cheap.

Check out the top 5 PSP RPG titles here!

Single player JRPG recommendations- Wii titles

I really like playing consoles a year or two after they are released, so there's plenty of cheap games out for them. Usually consoles don't get the best games until they have been out for a couple of years. Half a year ago I went out and bought a dozen cheap games for the Nintendo Wii.

To be honest with you folks, I've always hated the Wii. The nunchucks and aiming at the screen seem like cheap gimmick to me. Novelties aside, I love a good RPG. Especially a Japanese one. If you are looking for a JRPG to play on the Wii, check out this list.

1- The Last Story

Yeah, I don't know why there's so much yellow and pink. Magic, obviously.

It wasn't that hard for me to decide on my favorite game on the Wii. The Last Story has an innovative combat system, loads of character customization and a lovely JRPG story. Not only that, the music score was composed by Nobuo Uematsu, the same person who created the Final Fantasy scores. If you can find it, you should buy it. It should be quite cheap by now, so you have no excuses!

2- Xenoblade Chronicles

I was really excited to play Xenoblade when I bought it.

Xenoblade Chronicles is a strange one. It feels like an offline MMORPG. There isn't much story, but it's a solid game. The side quests are very simplistic and can get a little annoying, but they are optional. This game has a hell of a lot of content to get through, which is a huge plus. The graphics are a little less than expected, but Xenoblade is definitely a fun game that you can sink hours into.

3- Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn

Radiant Dawn starts out pretty basic, but it gets complicated later on.

For those of you know about the Fire Emblem franchise, this one needs no explanation. It has a great blend of RPG and strategy mechanics, brought to you with a very addictive campaign. With lots of options between choosing weapons and magic, you can create your own unique army to complete the story. The graphics are horrible though, it's not very pretty. But the gameplay more than makes up for that.

4- Tales Of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World

Tales of Symphonia was amazing on the gamecube, it's still good on the Wii.

The Tales series has always been very hit or miss. In my personal opinion, Dawn of the New World is a miss. It's a good game, it has all the usual mechanics you would expect as a sequel to Tales of Symphonia. The story carries on from the predecessor, and the battle system combines ideas from both Abyss and Destiny. Despite that, I just can't get behind it because it's lacking something special that I just can't put my finger on. Despite this, it still deserves the number 4 spot.

5- Monster Hunter 3 Tri

Monster Hunter has surprisingly good graphics.

Monster Hunter on the Wii received phenomenal reviews and critical acclaim. Many people might even rate it at the top of list. With countless scary and gigantic monsters to hunt and so many weapons and builds to choose from, this game is really something. It's pretty difficult to get started, with the complicated controls and overwhelming mechanics. However, it's worth the money if you can make it past the first few hours.

I hope you find a game you enjoy from this list. If you have any suggestions or ideas for games I should add, leave a comment and let us know!

Final Fantasy: Tactics

After creating the first Final Fantasy: Tactics game, Square tried to build on it with a couple of other handheld titles on the Gameboy Advance. Sadly, the franchise didn't really take off. But FF:Tactics was a brilliant game, worthy to be remade as War of the Lions for the Iphone and PSP. Every time I decide to go shopping, I always end up finding another beautiful title that I just can't pass up on. This is one of those iconic games, that every gamer should at least have a little experience with.

The graphics are bad by modern standards, but still playable.

Genre: Strategy, JRPG
Release Date: 20th June, 1997
Platforms: PSP, Playstation
Score: 8/10
Similar Titles: Final Fantasy, Vandal Hearts, Fire Emblem

As expected of a Final Fantasy game, Tactics has the usual turn-based combat. However, the addition of terrain navigation and strategically positioning your units changes the game considerably.  As a Playstation game, it's getting very old. It's aged magnificently, but Final Fantasy: Tactics is old enough to be rife with minor annoyances that don't plague the new releases of today. I hated waiting for my turn. Spell animations are a minute long. At least a third of your time playing this game you won't be doing anything but waiting for your turn. It's frustrating that none of the issues from the original edition have been adjusted. It should of been fundamental for Square to polish the game before porting it. The only real downside however, is it takes a dangerous amount of patience to enjoy Final Fantasy: Tactics. Oh, and you can't skip a second of it.

The combat can be really tough in a few situations.

Ivalice has been a part of three Final Fantasy games to date, and although it's not a full world it made quite the debut in tactics. The inhabitants of Ivalice can use both magic and technology, and it has numerous races of denizens and monsters. Although you don't get to see much of the location in Tactics, you get to see Ivalice in all its glory in Final Fantasy: XII.

The story begins with Ramza, a young mercenary with the blood of a noble. Ivalice has just ended a war, and the king is dead. A baby is the only remaining heir. With nobody to keep the nation under control, two factions fight for rule. Prince Goltana and Prince Larg have started a full scale war just to seize power. Ramza is unfortunately caught between these two lions as a pawn. So instead of taking a side, he instead fights for justice.

Aside from the nobles kicking sand at eachother, the commoners of Ivalice are also starting a fuss. The peasants are upset for being treated like dirt, and many uprisings are afoot. Delita, Ramza's childhood friend hates the privileged nobles so much, he seeks to manipulate and destroy them. In other words, the shit has hit the fan in Ivalice, and it's Ramza's job to vacuum it all up.

You will meet many characters on your journey, some of which can join your party as guests. The pompous nobles of house Beoulve who are always trying to manipulate their way up the ranks. Delita, your childhood friend and peasant determined to change the world. Agnes, a holy knight under the service of Princess Ovelia. Every person you meet in the game is surprisingly deep. The dialogue is short, yet still manages to convey a lot of information.

The PSP adds a few pretty cutscenes, none of which you can skip.

FF:Tactics has a story that all revolves around politics. Most of the scenes you watch are about people plotting to take their seat on the throne, or to rise above their station. It's basically medieval cloak and dagger stuff. It didn't really interest me that much until I made a fair amount of progress, once I'd played for about 10 hours I started to feel invested in the plot. I was more interested in fighting battles and adjusting my army.

During a playthrough of Tactics you will typically rotate between the world map and battles with the occasional cutscene. The map lets you choose from blue locations with towns to buy new gear and read rumors; and green places with potential battles. Certain points are marked red and guarantee battle. If you defeat all the red areas then the story progresses. Ultimately this pushes you into a simple rotation. Story, grind, gear, repeat. So if this routine is frustrating to you early on, quit now because it doesn't change. Personally, I didn't mind it. However, I know there's plenty of readers out there thinking 'fuck that' as they read this.

With dozens of classes and the ability to mix and match them, it's an absolute pleasure to customize your party. I spent several hours composing different builds and structuring my soldiers in the best formations. Some classes are really broken, like Monk and Ninja; while others are lacking something important, such as Chemist and Archer. There are so many classes to unlock, you will have to put in a lot of time to fully explore them all.

As a strategy game, Final Fantasy Tactics is a step in a different direction for Square-Enix. For some reason they decided to do the whole battlefield in isometric, which is an old technique and one I've never liked. Who the fuck wants to play a game diagonally? The terrain can block your line of sight and it's hard to move the camera to an angle to a good view. On the Playstation edition of this game, that's where the flaws end. On the PSP version, there is one more major disadvantage to deal with. The slowdown. For some reason, Square-Enix decided it would be a good idea to delay the cast time of every spell in the game. As previously mentioned, this inconvenience is annoying. It's gotten to the point that I put the PSP on the table and do something else when the enemies turn begins. Without this issue, Final Fantasy: Tactics would of been a perfect port.

Some classes can move pretty far in a single turn.

A battle typically consists of your team being placed on one side of the field, whilst the enemy attacks from several directions. Once a unit's CT gauge reaches 100, it can act. Each unit can move and perform an action in a turn, if you don't want to do anything you can choose to wait and your next turn will charge faster. Using a normal attack or item is done instantly, but casting magic usually takes a couple of turns. The AI isn't particularly competent, so you will have to fight against an enemy with more soldiers under his control almost every time. Most battles can be completed easily by keeping your units together and surrounding one enemy at a time. If you give all of your men the ability to heal themselves, Final Fantasy: Tactics is a game you can steamroll over for the most part.

There are a few nuances in the system that you have to adjust to. If you're firing an arrow at an enemy, it can be blocked by terrain or even an ally if they are in the way. It's impossible to stand on top of a corpse, so standing with your back to a dead monsters prevents anyone hitting you from behind. Climbing up cliffs or stairs makes use of your jump stat instead of your move stat, so some classes and builds can leap up a building and others have to take a longer route.

Every now and again you can tame a monster into your party, that includes other humans and even chocobos. So if you want to have a strange army of monsters and birds, that is entirely possible. However, usually it's better to keep the same 5 units so they get more EXP. Sadly, you never get to field more than 5 soldiers each battle, so recruiting a dozen unique warriors into your party is pretty much a waste of time. If you could use up to 10 people in a battle Final Fantasy: Tactics would of been much more tactical.

Gafgarion is one badass dude.

Jobs are another word for class, whichever one you pick will change the weapon and armor you can equip as well as the abilities you can use. In the beginning you only have access to 2 jobs: Chemist and Squire. Once you meet the prerequisites it's possible to change to a new class. Character levels and class levels are separate, so changing to a new job puts you back at the beginning. It's fun to explore what each job is capable of. Moreover, some techniques you pick up can be equipped onto your character regardless of class.

When somebody on your team gets downed, you only have 3 turns to revive them or they disappear forever. Although this mechanic will probably annoy you at first, it's easy to adapt to. However, once you get to the later stages in Final Fantasy: Tactics, losing a unit forever is not a viable option. In other words, if you don't resurrect your buddy in time; you're going to have to start the battle all over again. To add insult to injury, restarting a battle requires you to reload the entire game.

It's very easy to abuse the mechanics in FF:Tactics to your advantage. For example, if you want to grind experience all you have to do is kill all the enemies but one. Then, command your party to attack each other whilst healing themselves to avoid death. Each hit or heal grants the caster experience, thus making it possible to level your party members without being in any danger.

Final Fantasy Tactics is a fantastic title, I wholly agree with its transition to the PSP. It's a worthy title that didn't see enough praise on the Playstation. That being said, it's also got many areas that could be improved on. If you want a turn-based game where planning your actions and creating an ideal party is the challenge, then pick this one. Final Fantasy Tactics is not perfect, but it was a great game when it was released, and it's still worth your time now. Just remember, it's very slow paced. Be prepared to put down the console and do something else for a couple of minutes every now and again.

I just wish they'd made a sequel, because using this core engine and perfecting it by adding more classes, bigger battles, side missions and more equipment could make a game that would sit at the top of strategy titles for the next 20 years.

The Last Remnant second review

After moseying about and giving a short review, I've decided to give a detailed final analysis on the Last Remnant. As a JRPG it breaks ground through several approaches, but at heart it still retains the watery consistency for the masses. It's too easy to pick up and lacks diversity and customization in many ways. However, despite the many flaws you can observe within an hour of starting the Last Remnant, it's still a great game at heart. If you're looking for a game to put on the backburner in between more titanic titles or just something you can play when tired or lazy, this is certainly the game for you. Definitely worthy of time killer status.

Rush fighting the Conqueror, his rival.

Genre: Adventure, JRPG
Release Date: 20th November, 2008
Platforms: PC, Xbox 360
Score: 7/10
Similar Titles: Final Fantasy, Breath of Fire, Grandia

Winning Dissidia: Hints and Tips

After putting dozens of hours into perfecting my Final Fantasy: Dissidia play it has come to my attention that once you reach the final chapters, it can become unbelievably challenging and frustrating to make progress. Some enemies with a high CPU level are just downright godlike. This article will provide a few hints and tips dedicated to helping you beat them all. If you're having trouble defeating some of the hardest bad guys, I hope this helps you.

Cosmos and Squall.

A review on Dissidia can be found here.

Final Fantasy: Dissidia hints and tips
- Something you learn early on is dodging is a very easy tool to utilize. Spamming dodge can be used to avoid most attacks, maneuver around the battlefield, and even gain height. However, when you start to get to the dangerous opponents, overusing blocks is just asking the AI to come and beat your face in. Learn to dodge to avoid the enemy attacks, don't just spam dodge and hope they miss.
- Blocking is much harder than dodge to use effectively, or even use at all. If you can successfully block an attack, it grants you a huge opening. Learn what attacks the computer likes to use against you. Make sure you know which attacks cannot be blocked. If it's easier to dodge you should do that instead. But remember it is better to block if you can.
-  When you pick a character, stick to it until you perfect your strengths and weaknesses. For example, Terra is very potent at spamming bravery attacks from a distance and then closes in for the kill. She is very weak against people who can close the gap and hit her before she can activate Tornado. Or Squall, who has a variety of dangerous attacks and is lethal in mid and close combat. If he uses the right attack for the right situation, he's nearly impossible to defeat. However, once he activates a move he usually has a wide opening. It's best to force him to use an attack you know how to avoid, then beat him down. My point is; once you play a character you will know what works best against him/her. Use that advantage.
- Landing attacks becomes increasingly hard the further you get. Therefore when you actually hit your opponent you must continue the chain as long as possible. Some characters can chain together numerous bravery attacks and sometimes even combo it into a HP attack. Practice combos on low level opponents and see if you can manage to put together more than 3 abilities. When you fight a hard opponent you want to be able to make the most out of every opportunity you get.
- Dissidia can be a very frustrating game. If you're retrying the same battle and losing too much, take a break! Believe me, you can come back after 10 minutes and win on your first try with ease. I've done it on more than one occasion.
- The AI usually has an attack pattern. Remember, you're only fighting a computer. If you can analyze the smallest factor; for example your enemy always dodges after using a particular ability, you can use that against them. Be observant, because it's likely they will repeat the same mistakes.
- If you have an attack that can break through a block, use it. It's common for your opponent to try and block an attack instead of dodging it. Also, if you find an attack that works well against an enemy: abuse it. Sometimes a certain move completely counters the enemy AI and they can't figure out how to avoid it.
- Repeating the earlier campaigns and chapters for extra rewards and levels is not a waste of time. You will often get the chance to fight rare enemies, pick up a summon and grab some loot. If you're higher level than the enemy, it gives you a lot more room to make mistakes.
- Buy new gear. Gear is very important. If you have the best equipment you will do a lot more damage, and take a lot less. Trust me on this one, if you can upgrade more than a couple of pieces it's definitely worth it.
-  Ex-mode is amazing. There's a reason Ex-cores exist. Grab them as fast as you can, because you can beat unbeatable opponents with a well placed burst. I've one shotted opponents I never stood a chance against by landing a lucky Ex-burst. Remember, it also restores your health points so you can use it defensively if needed.
- Getting Ex-cores is not only important for getting yourself closer to Ex-mode, but also to deny your opponent getting his. Always go for them because even if you don't need it; it's better you have it instead of your enemy getting it. If the situation arises where you cannot stop your enemy from getting an Ex-core, then try to punish them for it. If your adversary is rushing straight for the core, then they are vulnerable to attack.
- Each character has a unique approach to victory. For example, Zidane is better in the air than on the ground. However, his ground abilities are designed to force your opponent into the air, so take control of the battlefield and force your enemy into a position where you want him. Tidus is a monster in close range, his abilities can evade the bulk of damage and counterattack easily, but you have to know when to go on the offensive because spamming attacks will get you killed.
- Keeping your distance at the beginning of a battle is vital. It gives you time to analyze the AI, and learn what pattern they are using. If you have a long range ability, it's much easier to strike from a distance; because it's easy to dodge most attacks from far away. At low levels you can keep up a barrage of attacks, but when the going gets tough, play safe and be observant.
- I've had a battle go on for up to 20 minutes in some cases. If you're against an enemy that is just too hard to defeat, playing for the long haul can be your only chance. Bravery attacks can be pretty much useless against someone higher level than you, so hit them with a HP attack and then wait for your bravery to reset and repeat.
- Before you fight a hard enemy, make sure you are on full health. It's also possible to start a battle with Ex-mode already prepared. Fight a weak opponent and collect Ex-cores until you have burst ready. Opening on a challenging AI with Ex-mode can give you the upper hand. 
- Breaking an enemy will win you a lot of fights. Reducing your enemies bravery to 0 will grant you the stage bravery which can give you an unbelievable advantage. If your opponent lands a HP attack on you, their bravery resets to nothing temporarily. You have a short window to break them, so launch a full offensive. Your goal should always be to break your enemy at every opportunity.
- When you learn a new ability, test it out. Some moves are just plain overpowered against the AI. If you are losing against a particular enemy, sometimes changing your move pool can win you the battle.
- The stage you are fighting on should affect your playstyle. In a closed arena, such as Ultimecia's castle; you can often trick an enemy into a corner. If you force the enemy into a bad position, they won't be able to dodge effectively. In an open battlefield, keep your distance.
- If you are determined to win a hard battle, be cheap. Spamming your best attack may make you feel like a cheater, but if it wins you the fight who cares?

Choose your battles wisely.

Most of this advice is common sense. In battle it can be hard to keep your wits about you. Try to remember some of these hints during a fight and you will certainly gain an advantage. Sometimes playing like a cheap bastard is the only way. Personally, I hate abusing one overpowered ability. On Dissidia, sometimes it is necessary to win. Don't be proud, be a winner.

When you have no bravery, a HP attack can restore you to normal.

I truly do hope some of these tips will help you in beating Dissidia. It is a great game, just don't put stock in the story. Good luck Final Fantasy fans!

My review on Final Fantasy: Dissidia.

Kingdom Hearts

The original Kingdom Hearts game ushered the JRPG genre into a new era. It took a step aside from the average turn based and slow paced RPG. Instead, you get to take a more pivotal role in combat, using a hack and slash based system incorporated into the usual Roleplaying blend.

Who would of thought Square-Enix and Disney could come together to create such a ground breaking game? There are many reasons to experience Kingdom Hearts. At a first look, it seems laughable to put Final Fantasy and Disney characters in the same sentence, never mind the same game! But it works, because it's one of the best damn games I've ever played.

Sora and Kairi, before everything turns to darkness.

Genre: JRPG
Release Date: 28th March, 2002
Platforms: PS2, PC, PS4, Android, Iphone
Score: 9/10
Similar Titles: Final Fantasy, Zenonia, Xenosaga

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by sleep

Kingdom Hearts has always been a questionable franchise at first sight. Final Fantasy meets Disney? Isn't that a rather awkward and strange match up? You'd think so, until you got your hands on a copy and realize it's a masterpiece. Square-Enix have developed a unique and wildly addictive combat system that fused action into the genre. It pushed the RPG industry into a new intuitive and more engaging era.

Terra and Aqua.

Genre: JRPG
Release Date: 9th January, 2010
Platforms: PSP
Score: 8/10
Similar Titles: Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Dissidia
Worth Playing: Birth by sleep was very fun, the story was pretty memorable and the combat was excellent.

Final Fantasy: Dissidia

I do enjoy playing my PSP. So far, the game I've played the most is Dissidia. It's a very unique game for Square-Enix. The usual turn based action is instead replaced by a good old beat em up with a few interesting quirks. Super Smash Brothers or Soul Calibur are easily comparable to this combo based fighting game. It's also just as good.

Tidus destroying the low level AI.

Grandia 3

Genre: JRPG
Release Date: August 4th 2005
Platforms: PS2
Score: 6/10
Similar: Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest

The graphics aren't bad.

Grandia 3 is the final game in a great but deteriorating series. Although the plot and characters cling to the stereotype and refuse to decease in hitting you with the generic stick; at the end of the day it doesn't stop Grandia from being a JRPG worthy of Square-enix.

The characters are kinda horrible though.

Suikoden 3

Genre: JRPG
Release Date: July 11th 2002
Platforms: PS2
Score: 7/10
Similar Titles: Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Grandia

The main character, Hugo.

Suikoden III is a game I always wanted to play, hoping it would live up to its predecessors. Sadly, I never got around to it due to it being console only. Luckily I got my hands on a copy, and I must say it didn't let me down. At heart this game is basically part JRPG and part anime, which suits me just fine.

Final Fantasy X

Genre: JRPG, RPG, Adventure
Release Date: July 19th 2001
Platforms: PS2, PS3, Vita, PC
Score: 9/10
Similar Titles: Dragon Quest, Breath of Fire, Star Ocean
Worth Playing: Final Fantasy X has become widely available through numerous ports, and therefore anyone searching for a fairly decent game to play will find this game a pretty enjoyable experience overall.

The cover wouldn't be so bad if I didn't hate Tidus.

As number one on my list of best Final Fantasy games, this FFX review has been a long time coming. While I say Final Fantasy X is the best Final Fantasy game, that's purely due to the Sphere Grid.

The tenth instalment of Square-Enix's greatest franchise did pretty much everything right. When the game was released it was an unnerving time for fans, who were skeptical as to whether the series would adapt as wonderfully to the playstation 2 as it did the playstation. In my oh so humble opinion, Final Fantasy 10 succeeded in every way possible. I've met more than one person who didn't enjoy playing RPG games until they encountered FFX.

Suikoden 2

Genre: JRPG, RPG
Release Date: December 17th 1998

Platforms: PS1, Mobile, Android, Iphone
Score: 9/10
Similar Titles: Final Fantasy, Kessen
Worth Playing: By now (2016), Suikoden II is an epic classic that should be played by every connoisseur of retro RPG titles. It holds up well to the test of time, being one of the best Suikoden games to date.

The cover, trying to display as many of the characters as possible.

If you're wondering why I'm reviewing Suikoden II before I, it's because I think the first game was a little unpolished and annoying to play at times. Suikoden 2 however, has everything that its predecessor doesn't, and is wonderful all the way through.

The main character and his partner in crime, Jowy.

Final Fantasy 9

Genre: JRPG, RPG
Release Date: July 7th 2000
Platforms: PS1
Score: 8/10
Similar Titles: Dragon Quest, Lufia, Legend of Dragoon

Traditional cover.

Today I shall continue the reviews on Final Fantasy series, with the ninth instalment of the franchise. Square decided to drop the angsty teenage protagonist this time around, and replaced him with an optimistic monkey man, Zidane. A lot of people dislike Zidane as the main character, and while I can't say I love him, he's not half bad.

Summons are depicted gloriously in cut scenes.

Final Fantasy 9 is somewhat a big leap from the previous games, it kicks off by reintroducing the four character combat system, followed by a new ability mechanic that allows you party to learn spells through their weapons. Summons like Ramus and Bahamut are in the game but only usable by two of your female party members later on. It's impossible to say you'll enjoy nine over other Final Fantasies, because it received more mixed critique than any of the others in the series. What I noticed on my playthroughs is Square-Enix have tried to combine what they think are the most successful aspects of their other games into Final Fantasy 9, including the characters (think about it).

The external world map is a feature I've always loved.

The combat hasn't evolved much, it's still very turn-based. However, your party adopts a class system from the earliest games in the series, Zidane is a thief, the main heroine Princess Garnet is a white mage, her guard Steiner is a fighter, and so forth. a new limit break/overdrive has been developed called trance, which boosts the strength of your characters in their speciality. Trance kicks ass, it facerolls boss fights. Overall, there's no drastic changes to the good old Square-Enix formula.

Battles are pretty interested with the class system.

Graphics have a noticeable polish about them in Final Fantasy IX, Characters look more defined and cut scenes are very pretty. It would never stand up to any of the games of today in anything but story, but the game had groundbreaking visuals for it's time, and people can appreciate them even today.

The graphics are impressive for PSX.

As the only reason to play the game today, the storyline is definitely something. If you know JRPGs and Square-Enix, you have a good idea of what it will be like. Zidane and his oddly assorted band of misfits have to work together, battling through the monster ridden mists to save the world from the greedy Queen Brahne and other evils. Sadly, the bad guys have nothing on Sephiroth, or even a fly. If that wasn't blunt enough for you, the antagonists just plain suck. Despite this, Zidanes antics and the other characters personality depth weaves an intriguing plot.

CAKE

Even though a copy of this game is hard to get your hands on these days, if you like JRPG games I suggest you play it at some point. As you progress you'll most likely find yourself hooked. Same thing goes for any of the Final Fantasy games. Unlike 7 and 8 though, there is no PC version.

I wouldn't suggest this as your first Final Fantasy, it's not the best of the bunch. Read up on the others before making a decision.


If you're looking for a review on other final fantasy games check out these links:
Final Fantasy 8 review
Final Fantasy 7 review

Final Fantasy 8

Genre: JRPG, RPG
Release Date: February 11th, 1999
Platforms: PC, PSX
Score: 9/10
Similar Titles: Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, Grandia
 

A fair bit of controversy surrounds Square-Enix and their eighth instalment of the series, some hail it as the best game of the franchise; others criticise it as the worst.

Since I'm not here today to continue the age old argument, I'm going to skirt over the subject and get straight on to my personal opinion regarding this game.

What you will find in Final Fantasy VIII is a well developed JRPG story with a tinge of romance, backed up by a fairly interesting battle system. Intimidating at first, junctioning and controlling GFs (Summons, like Shiva and Ifrit) and magic can be frustrating. Early on you will find yourself in unnecessary battles for a prolonged amount of time; merely to draw basic magics from an enemy to power up your party. Despite this annoying flaw, the random battles are surprisingly bearable through most parts of the game.

Square-Enix also attempted to make drastic changes to how battles functioned, implementing features that allowed enemies and bosses to level up at the same pace as your characters, GFs being able to learn their own abilities, and a new style of limit break. Overall, the improvements did make a difference; the fights had more depth and tactics than the games predecessors.

The key factor to enjoying Final Fantasy VIII is to appreciate the story; although the same could be said for any of the games. I can't say the plot is flawless, but I found myself engaged enough to play obsessively on my first couple of playthroughs.

Squall Leonhart, the protagonist is essentially a soldier, working under the command of Balamb Garden,a home to many young orphans and students alike. Gardens are situated throughout the world with dozens of pupils, as a military power of sorts. Students are assigned under squads, and employed on missions similar to mercenaries. All residents of Balamb Garden aspire to rise to one role, SeeD. SeeD are the highly qualified soldiers of Garden.

Squall is a strong and angsty young teenager, approaching the day of his SeeD test. Although he doesn't have many friends, he has a groupie who goes by the name Instructor Quistis Trepe, and a rival named Seifer. When I put it that bluntly it sounds terrible, but if you are no stranger to Final Fantasy games you'll know they can weave a damn good story.

I don't think it's appropriate to go into more detail without spoiling the game, so guy buy it you scrubbers!

As you may know, I have already reviewed Final Fantasy 7, which can be found here.

The Last Remnant

Hey everyone, for my first post and review I'd like to talk about a game I've been playing on and off recently, the Last Remnant.

Square-Enix have bought out yet another linear Japanese style RPG, this time using the Quake engine. Yes, I know Quake is an FPS game, tell Square that.

Square made the horrible mistake of throwing the game out onto the shelves before it was finished. The most prominent issue is the frame rates, or lack of them. As you get into the game you'll find it slowing down mid-battle, and sometimes even pausing. Don't let this get you down though, the game isn't absolutely abysmal, and it has a lot of selling points.

The Last Remnant doesn't really derive from the good old Square-Enix RPG formula, but they haven't broken any new ground since early final fantasy anyway.

The battle system develops well as you get further into the game, at first I found it a little dull, until I got a few hours in, and I started dying. There are many difficult fights, and sometimes you'll be forced to move from the main plot into some side-quests to power up your party.

The fighting is very simple, you input a command turn based style, and your party proceeds to attack. Your spells develop as you use them, and fighting more enemies at one time yields greater rewards. You can recruit many members to your party throughout the course of the game. While they share little plot relevance, you have a nice selection to develop your army.

Finally, I thought I'd paste a little information about the plot without spoiling anything:

Rush Sykes is the prototypical RPG hero, innocently sulky but totally devoted to his sweet sister Irina. When Irina is kidnapped, Rush hurries to liberate her, but unsurprisingly, it's not the most straightforward of rescues. Rather, Rush finds himself caught in a political struggle centered around powerful magical artifacts called remnants. These objects are both the center of society as well as a great curiosity, heavily researched at the Academy by hosts of scientists, including Rush's own parents.

Overall, I'd say the game is definitely worth playing if you can grab it cheap. It's certainly not worth full price, and if you aren't a hardcore RPG player then it's probably not for you. Anyone in love with Square-Enix should also get this game.

A more comprehensive review on the Last Remnant can be found here.

Check out the top 5 PC turn-based RPGs here!