Since I'm going to use this page to type crap when I'm bored I figured I'd participate in the whole site-editing thing. I put some of my collection in, I made it about half way but sometimes I have to click on "Add to my collection" numerous time before the actual blue "Add to my collection" button will highlight once the pop up window opens. I even tried two different browsers but no dice? What a drag. But it did help me discover a few glaring omissions. So for all of you that add the NA version of "Adventures in the Magic Kingdom" and the NA SNES version of Bust-A-Move...you're welcome.
So I started playing Persona 3 again. Sorry, Persona 3: FES. To think, I went out and got Persona 3 right away, hardly played it and then a few months later, hey, here's an upgrade that's cheaper. Oh well, considering FES was a gift from my girlfriend for my birthday a few months ago, I'll pretend it was free. Plus I still have that totally awesome art book and soundtrack from my original copy. I had two damn weeks off from work
The North American box art for Persona 3 FESwhen Persona 3 was supposed to be released, but no, the damn art book wasn't high enough quality so they had to delay it to after my two weeks off. I could've finished it way back when. Thank goodness P4 won't have an art book. But enough of this witty banter.
I played about 10 hours yesterday and am enjoying it as much as I thought I would when I played about 3 battles way back when. I guess it took this crazily stupid game drought we're having right now to finally pick it up, that and I think i needed some time away from turn based RPGs before I ventured into them again.
The game is great, I loved the concept of a social simulator by day, dungeon crawler by night when I first heard of it, and the execution is marvelous. If anything it shows me that it was good I didn't have a social life in high school because this kid is juggling so many activities at once he's constantly tired, and people are always begging him to go out. Don't they know he has to rid the Tartarus of shadows? Sheesh.
One of the major things that drew me in was the battle system. The idea of hitting an enemy with an attack that exploits their weakness (or one that does critical damage) will lead to another turn is fantastic. This way, if you run into three enemies on a battlefield and you know all three of their weaknesses, you can take them all out easily without the enemy ever getting a turn. Brilliant. I'm also always a fan of being able to get an advantage in battle if you strike the enemy on the battlefield before you start to fight. Hell, I'm a fan of being able to see the enemies on the battlefield. No random encounters, thank goodness. Save that for Dragon Quest. Now that I think about it, an EarthBound approach to the enemies where, if they're fleeing or extremely weak compared to your level, when you hit them out on the field instead of activating the battle you just get the XP would have been nice.
The story is decent, I'm intrigued, but this isn't a game that is dependent on story. Also the social elements are fun and aren't too intrusive. For example, you just say you want to go to practice, or out to eat with someone, there's no "don't spill coffee on yourself" mini game or kendo club practice QTEs. Of course the doing all that isn't just for fun, it ties into your ability to create Personas, which is a good thing, otherwise I would probably not be doing any of that. Or maybe I would be, I'm sort of turning into a completist (topic for another time).
Alright, enough about that. My main complaint on this one: the main character's name. He has none. This was the most difficult part of the game. Enter your name? What is this? I never understood people who would name their characters in, for example, a Zelda game, "MATT," or something inappropriate.
"Please, MATT, Princess Zelda has been kidnapped! You must save her, MATT! You're our only hope. Go, now, so that the kingdom may be saved once again. All praise our hero, MATT!"
My Zelda saves always looked like this:
LINK ...
LINK ...
LINK ...
BECAUSE THAT IS HIS NAME.
So I name my character only to find out he HAS A NAME in the Manga (Minato Arisato, if you must). I'm not replaying 10 hours just for a name change. Boo on you, Atlus. Don't do it again! At least when you play something like Chrono Trigger you get a default name but you can change it if you wish. Bah. Alright I'm done, and I didn't even say anything about the kids shooting themselves in the heads.
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