deuxhero
Arcane
So I went to buy Custom Robo Arena (loved the GCN game, and the price just dropped to 5 bucks, am also enjoying), and I decided to buy this as well on a whim (seeing as how EBgames was going to stop dealing with GBA games soon) as I had heard some things about it (The first, which I haven't played, is best known for the line "No no! I, uh, kiss other girls all the time!", which is on the back of the box, so... yeah, also item crafting). I was expecting an average JRPG with some lesbian gags that I could write a snarky review about (that would give me at least a buck for an hour of half fun).
Much to my shock, the game is actually sort of good. The dialoge (as expected of an Atlus translation, though I doubt it is ALL their creation) is hilarious. The PC's mentor is a massive ham, making everything EPIC (A hammer is not just for forging weapons. *face-cut in* It forges a woman!), with silly characterizations on everyone else as well.
The combat is not half bad (It's a JRPG and is mostly combat, so it better not be), and has some interesting unique bits. Similar to a 2d fighter or the early Tales of... games (though not spam friendly like them, and unlike the one ported to the GBA there, this runs OK), with the action based combat taking place on a 2d plain and you can move (Control pad) attack (a) block (Note: B is normally set to block, but also uses magic after you select it with the r button, the selection can be done during a pause), or swap weapons (L). The controls are a little odd, but work after the first few encounters.
The various weapon classes (Sword, Axe, Spear, Knuckle and Drill, with your really sucky hammer as backup if you manage to break everything you equiped) all behave differently, with greatly differing hitboxes (spears can't hit anything not 2 PCs directly in front of you with their standard attack (and the other 2 do low damage and also have awkward hitboxes), attack rather slowly and with average power, but a large number of foes that would otherwise kick your ass easily at close range lack the ability to effectively counter it), Drills have a move that can lock foes into hit stun and deal massive damage while they can't fight back, but have long animations needed to start the move, and leave you vulnerable to anything you didn't lock in (also, shit range and can't hit anything JUST off the ground), swords hit an arc in front of you (allowing you to reliably hit flying stuff), but have short range ect. This makes smart use of the 3 weapons you can use at a time and swapping at the right time an interesting battle mechanic.
This is important as, like most Atlus published things, combat is fucking hard. Not in "grind moar" or "don't get unlucky" hard, but actually needing to use the right combination of your weapons and to block attacks. This is helped by the fact that you can only "equip" so many non-attack abilities at once (Abilities would be "use this item" and "cast this spell") for use in battle, meaning you can't simply outheal a boss (Also worth noting that Magic is semi-Vancian, you get a fixed number of casts for each spell, based on level, only recovered on resting, though you "know" every spell you have access too).
I haven't quite finished yet, but there seems to be some replay value (You can select 1 of 4 companion, who has regular dialoge, each play, as well as spend the night with one of a few NPCes at some point), though not exceptional.
Forging system is OK, a bit simple (select mold and ore, then latter gain the ability to upgrade with additional ore or break the weapon down for a slightly better version of the mold while losing all ore spent, also limited molds to find unless you spend forever at fishing)
Worst part is the repetitive levels (a bunch of forest and caves for the first 7 hours, though I just hit a very nice ChronoTrigger@2300 A.D. style factory dungeon), and the text has a nasty tendency to be TOO sensitive to the "progress to next line with a" (lacking the normal "press a once to skip the "speaking", press again to go to next line), though it could just be my finger.
Before you ask, the yuri is constant and not just a one off gag used as a marketing ploy.
Overall, worthwhile impulse buy at 9 bucks. Likely not going to run out and get the first when I finish, but fun enough. It isn't in print and the developer (Publisher Atlus is still around obviously) is alreddy dead apparently, so feel free to not remove from inventory if you are into that.
Much to my shock, the game is actually sort of good. The dialoge (as expected of an Atlus translation, though I doubt it is ALL their creation) is hilarious. The PC's mentor is a massive ham, making everything EPIC (A hammer is not just for forging weapons. *face-cut in* It forges a woman!), with silly characterizations on everyone else as well.
The combat is not half bad (It's a JRPG and is mostly combat, so it better not be), and has some interesting unique bits. Similar to a 2d fighter or the early Tales of... games (though not spam friendly like them, and unlike the one ported to the GBA there, this runs OK), with the action based combat taking place on a 2d plain and you can move (Control pad) attack (a) block (Note: B is normally set to block, but also uses magic after you select it with the r button, the selection can be done during a pause), or swap weapons (L). The controls are a little odd, but work after the first few encounters.
The various weapon classes (Sword, Axe, Spear, Knuckle and Drill, with your really sucky hammer as backup if you manage to break everything you equiped) all behave differently, with greatly differing hitboxes (spears can't hit anything not 2 PCs directly in front of you with their standard attack (and the other 2 do low damage and also have awkward hitboxes), attack rather slowly and with average power, but a large number of foes that would otherwise kick your ass easily at close range lack the ability to effectively counter it), Drills have a move that can lock foes into hit stun and deal massive damage while they can't fight back, but have long animations needed to start the move, and leave you vulnerable to anything you didn't lock in (also, shit range and can't hit anything JUST off the ground), swords hit an arc in front of you (allowing you to reliably hit flying stuff), but have short range ect. This makes smart use of the 3 weapons you can use at a time and swapping at the right time an interesting battle mechanic.
This is important as, like most Atlus published things, combat is fucking hard. Not in "grind moar" or "don't get unlucky" hard, but actually needing to use the right combination of your weapons and to block attacks. This is helped by the fact that you can only "equip" so many non-attack abilities at once (Abilities would be "use this item" and "cast this spell") for use in battle, meaning you can't simply outheal a boss (Also worth noting that Magic is semi-Vancian, you get a fixed number of casts for each spell, based on level, only recovered on resting, though you "know" every spell you have access too).
I haven't quite finished yet, but there seems to be some replay value (You can select 1 of 4 companion, who has regular dialoge, each play, as well as spend the night with one of a few NPCes at some point), though not exceptional.
Forging system is OK, a bit simple (select mold and ore, then latter gain the ability to upgrade with additional ore or break the weapon down for a slightly better version of the mold while losing all ore spent, also limited molds to find unless you spend forever at fishing)
Worst part is the repetitive levels (a bunch of forest and caves for the first 7 hours, though I just hit a very nice ChronoTrigger@2300 A.D. style factory dungeon), and the text has a nasty tendency to be TOO sensitive to the "progress to next line with a" (lacking the normal "press a once to skip the "speaking", press again to go to next line), though it could just be my finger.
Before you ask, the yuri is constant and not just a one off gag used as a marketing ploy.
Overall, worthwhile impulse buy at 9 bucks. Likely not going to run out and get the first when I finish, but fun enough. It isn't in print and the developer (Publisher Atlus is still around obviously) is alreddy dead apparently, so feel free to not remove from inventory if you are into that.