Well, expected it to happen sooner or later, another skipped week due to forgetting/laziness. Better late than never, though.

GAMES!!!!

Over a year later, I have finished the two part series known as Digital Devil Saga. I became incredibly interested in the SMT franchise with Persona 3 and 4 (3 in particular), but off the spin off games Digital Devil Saga might just be my favorite. It's a more traditional JRPG with darker themes and a simple yet excellent battle system. The most interesting part about DDS 2 though is the story. While the plot in the first game was intriguing, as you watched the characters slowly come to grasp their demon forms and new found emotions, Digital Devil Saga 2 drops a ton of crazy facts and revelations about the world in which it takes place. Most apocalyptic settings are usually brought about by nuclear weapons or zombies or demons coming from hell. How did the world get fucked up here? The sun turned black and everyone exposed to the sun's rays turn to stone, unless they have the ability to turn into demons. And interesting set up, plus it looks pretty cool.

The gameplay was still a ton of fun just like in the last game. A change or two was made, such as the addition of a berserker form that takes place when solar data is maxed out. Interesting thing about this game is that more so than DDS 1, your party is constantly changing for various story reasons. It's actually kinda clever as it gives you no choice but to try out different party members you'd probably ignore most of the time (like Cielo). But by the final dungeon, everyone will finally be back, and then you can return to your preferred party setup.

The mantra grid was how you acquired new skills for your characters, and was how the game made up for having no recruitable demons with different skill sets. The grid in DDS 1 was a series have straight, separate paths that you could access at anytime. In DDS 2 it's a giant hexagon grid where you have to branch off of mantras you've mastered to learn new ones. And when you've mastered a certain section of mantras, you unlock a bonus one, and each character's mantra grid contributes to the whole thing. I only kind of wish you could jump straight to a mantra that was unlocked by another party member instead of having to work your way over there yourself. But then again, by the end of the game you'll want just about every mantra necessary to cover for your weaknesses.

Lastly, the final dungeon was not only a long endeavor (took me about 14 hours to get through), but I felt it was a harder dungeon than even the Karma Temple at the end of DDS 1. More than anywhere else at the game, I found myself making mistakes that cost me my entire party and a game over, though not necessarily from the enemy ambushing me and killing me before I have a chance to retaliate. A lot of that 14 hours was spent grinding enemies that had elemental weaknesses I could easily exploit so I could get more XP and master the necessary mantras. Considering I've gone from Persona 3 to the DDS games, the gradual increase in difficulty I feel is preparing me for when I inevitably play Nocturne.

Still, absolutely enjoyed both Digital Devil Saga games. Probably some of the best RPGs I've played in recent years, and their games that everyone should play. The structure and mechanics aren't too different from a traditional JRPG, and the Press Turn system makes turn based battles incredibly fun. Can't recommend enough.

And the Rest

Project X Zone

Got this game a few days ago and I've finished chapter 13. More detailed write up later but so far its a simple strategy RPG with fantastic sprite animations and fanservice. Liking it.

A bunch of N64 stuff

Two weeks ago I ordered a replacement N64 control stick along with Wave Race 64 and Perfect Dark. The new stick feels great, no longer loose like the old one I had. Also, Wave Race 64 is still incredibly fun. Surprised that I was able to beat the expert and reverse modes, as those gave me trouble for a long time.

Other Stuff

I've now registered for classes at DigiPen, and I'll be knowing who my roommate will be on July 5th. Originally was going to be on July 1st, but apparently DigiPen student housing is still filling up spots there. Only a month and a half until I move down to Redmond. I'm pretty excited about the whole thing. Not much else going on besides that. Weather this month was hot as hell, but now it's cooled down. I've never been more relieved to see the sky covered in clouds.

In Conclusion

And that's it. Between Project X Zone, SMT IV in a couple weeks, plus all the old Nintendo games I'm buying with my paycheck, I've got content to last me most of July. You can expect more detailed impressions of Project X Zone in the next entry, followed by some more N64 stuff to give me time to play enough SMT IV so I can write about it. That's the basic plan.

Peace.