Ok, after 2 months of play time I have finally made my mind up about this game. I'm recommending it, to all those who enjoy JRPG type games - and specifically those who have had experience with games like FFXI that try to take the JRPG style of game into an MMO.
The game is very MMOesque, and starts out very badly because of this. The battle system does not really *work* until a good six or seven hours into the game where you start getting rafts of new abilities to use and a deeper understanding of how exactly it works. I have to say that the battle system only ever really works *great* for me in boss fights, where the more tactical method of fighting works well. In normal combat, this is less the case - although it is not too bad generally provided you can put up with drawn out battles due to long animation time.
Story is generally good, though as with the battle system it starts out quite poorly. It matures into an interesting tale main-plot wise, and the sidequests are all little stories into themselves rather than the usual "Go and farm x monsters", which is very refreshing. They have really tried to merge the wealth of content in an MMO with the storytelling strength of the SP JRPG, and they have done it well imo. It took me a month and a half to do everything there was to do on the first disk, and I'm still barely scraping the surface of the second. A very rewarding game in this respect, and you'll get as much out of it as you put in really - if you rush through the main plot, then I don't doubt the game will be far less rewarding than going for the fuller route as I and fire have done.
The game is a timesink, there is no doubt about that, but there are not many games I can play for two months straight without wanting to quit for a while - and this has managed it. The start is terrible, and I urge you not to judge the game until you are at least a good six or seven hours in. But if you're patient, and stick with it, you'll find a surprisingly good RPG that just goes on and on.
The Last Remnant
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Anubis
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"Perhaps this is what I have always wished for since that day. The loss and destruction of all. That's right, one must destroy before creating. In that case, if my conscience becomes a hindrance to me, then I will simply erase it. I have no other choice but to move forward....therefore!" - Lelouch vi Britannia/Zero, Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch
Forever an eXile and proud of it!
Forever an eXile and proud of it!