Support NeoGAF

[Dio]

Post impressions guys, I'm only getting home later tonight

It's a PSP game all right, but it looks so clean. No blurriness or anything, it's just running at a lower resolution - meaning it's just pixelated, instead of a blurry upscale, which would make it truly horrible looking (but it's not). That's really more on the Vita upscaling rather than anything else, but I'm still surprised.

Game feels responsive and I got the 'hang' of combat in seconds - stand still to block attacks, and when the enemy shows an opening, press circle to attack. Oozes atmosphere, and the typical XSEED style of localizing a Falcom game (which I really love) shines through.

 

[Aeana]

For those curious, the game converts to ISO flawlessly using the umd dump kai plugin on a CFW PSP. Got it going in PPSSPP now.

 

[Seda]

Only 1 hp? playing dangerously

 

[Dio]

Only 1 hp? playing dangerously

The tutorial starts you out with 1 hp.

 

[Seda]

The tutorial starts you out with 1 hp.

I figured it was something like that.

 

[Alric]

For those curious, the game converts to ISO flawlessly using the umd dump kai plugin on a CFW PSP. Got it going in PPSSPP now.

Good to know, I bought and am playing on my Vita but I want to load on my shield tablet to play in HD.

 

[JumpJeff84]

Hmmm, thanks for the great OP. I've never played one of these games but I'm kinda curious...

 

[Aeana]

As nice as the new arrangements are, I just can never bring myself to use them for long. The original music is such childhood nostalgia. Plus it's awesome anyway.

EDIT: Oh yeah, don't forget that you can view a large version of the map via the pause menu, and you can edit it too! The tutorial doesn't mention this, so it might pass some people by.

 

[Alric]

Oh Falcom, your music choices are always great.

 

[krYlon]

For me its the difficulty...not sure I have the patience for this kind of game anymore(and to be frank lol,the skills).

It's really not that difficult. It's a very accessible, fast, simple dungeon crawler. And really fun.

 

[Reveirg]

One hour in, love the game so far. It's definitely got that Falcom touch. And I prefer the 3rd person perspective to Etrian Odyssey's 1st person view.

Quick questions: I've read that you get treasure/something if you fill out a map.

Does that work per floor or per dungeon?

Do you have to literally step on every tile like in Persona Q?

 

[jdkluv]

One hour in, love the game so far. It's definitely got that Falcom touch. And I prefer the 3rd person perspective to Etrian Odyssey's 1st person view.

Quick questions: I've read that you get treasure/something if you fill out a map.

Does that work per floor or per dungeon?

Do you have to literally step on every tile like in Persona Q?

There's one gravestone per each floor. If you get the 100% completion of that map (which you can check at the pause menu - it's called "Floor Map Rate"), you'll be able to break it (= the gravestone from said floor) with a sledgehammer and get a rare/useful item. Not anything you are obligated to do, but it's a nice incentive.

And yes, you have to step on every tile in order to get the 100% completion. Glad you're enjoying it!

 

[Sword Familiar]

Nice OT. I’ll definitely be checking this out if/when it’s released in the EU.

 

[Ingueferroque]

For those curious, the game converts to ISO flawlessly using the umd dump kai plugin on a CFW PSP. Got it going in PPSSPP now.

I know, I know.. but it's too soon to emulate games that released day-1. Too soon.

I forgot all about how easy it was to pirate games for PSP. (I know you did not pirate it)

Just noticed that Brandish installed itself on my Vita, gorgeous icon!

 

[Lumpy Onion]

Gotta love that 4 minute long download time. Game looks great on my 50" plasma via ps tv. Love how big and bold looking the characters are. 1st time playing yet I am a longtime falcom fan since Ys Book 1&2 PCE. Thanks Xseed for making the improbable release of this game happen!

I plan on switching between 8bit and remixes constantly because they each have their own charm. Although just from the tutorial area alone I am finding the 8 bit to be a bit less bombastic vs remix.

 

[Aeana]

I know, I know.. but it's too soon to emulate games that released day-1. Too soon.

I forgot all about how easy it was to pirate games for PSP. (I know you did not pirate it)

Just noticed that Brandish installed itself on my Vita, gorgeous icon!

Why on earth should there be a time restriction on emulation? It has nothing to do with piracy. I purchased the game and decrypted my own purchase to ISO using the very license that was granted to me upon purchasing the game.

 

[Teknoman]

Guess I'm gonna have to juggle this, persona q, pkmn omega ruby, and FFX HD. Portable RPG flood strikes again

 

[Big_Al]

Awesome stuff, looking forward to the EU release soon hopefully, looks like a lot of fun. You'll have my money Xseed

 

[Ingueferroque]

Why on earth should there be a time restriction on emulation? It has nothing to do with piracy. I purchased the game and decrypted my own purchase to ISO using the very license that was granted to me upon purchasing the game.

I know you did, but to be fair someone else could just as easily do it and put the ISO online. It would then take someone either a 400kb emulator to play, or a transfer to their CFW PSP.

Now if it was a VIta release, this wouldn't be possible yet. Meaning someone as curious as they are cheap would have been more likely to actually pay for it when given no other options.

Don't want to derail the thread, but it just sucks knowing XSeed took a long time getting this out there.. (and the massive sale hitting today doesn't exactly help their exposure)

 

[orborborb]

This is such a classy game, you can tell the original was made back when this kind of game appealed to a general audience. Same thing with scrolling shooters, all the best ones are from back before the inmates starting running the asylum.

 

[Reluctant-Hero]

I switched the turning from L/R to left/right on the d-pad. Now the game feels perfect.

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

This is such a classy game, you can tell the original was made back when this kind of game appealed to a general audience. Same thing with scrolling shooters, all the best ones are from back before the inmates starting running the asylum.

Falcom games had universal appeal for Japanese PC gamers...anyone would have bought Legend of Xanadu if it came to either the PC-98 or FM Towns back in the day. Brand loyalty's what kept games like Brandish alive in a time when the NEC games market was inundated with eroge of varying quality.

 

[Reluctant-Hero]

Wow... I'm already stuck on these floor/door switches in the first dungeon. I must be overlooking something.

Edit: duh...

Spoiler

jumping

 

[Lumpy Onion]

Loved tossing those metal balls around in Ruins 2. Felt like some Indiana Jones stuff there.

And I really like the simple story in the game so far. Thematically it reminds me of Vagrant Story and the Souls games. The idea of an entire city that sunk under the earth for 1000 years is fascinating. Falcom definitely has a thing for ancient ruins.

 

[nyarla]

Loving this, it's awesome! Really cool mix of first person grid based style getting lost in dungeons (but not first person) + roguelike style fast battling (but not randomly generated). Traps and secrets, yay! Also it's cool how the maps are spread out horizontally as well as vertically (only up to 2nd area yet).

The only thing I don't like so far is...

And yes, you have to step on every tile in order to get the 100% completion.

I'm happy to step on every tile, but the automap fills in surrounding tiles to the one you're on, so there's no way - that i know of..yet(?) - to know if you missed any without just walking everywhere again.

 

[RangerBAD]

I forgot you have to level up magic.

I'm happy to step on every tile, but the automap fills in surrounding tiles to the one you're on, so there's no way - that i know of..yet(?) - to know if you missed any without just walking everywhere again.

Missed steps are gray.

 

[Links_fantasy]

I'm going to buy this later this week, I can't resist Falcom games. Hope it's the start of a Falcom 2015!

 

[wyrdwad]

I'm happy to step on every tile, but the automap fills in surrounding tiles to the one you're on, so there's no way - that i know of..yet(?) - to know if you missed any without just walking everywhere again.

If you look on the big map, it shows you every space you've unlocked. The only way you might get slipped up is if there's a door you haven't opened, as doors also count toward the 100% completion rate.

...That or the one floor that requires you to use the Warp spell to hit 100%, which even I have to admit is kind of BS.

-Tom

 

[nyarla]

Missed steps are gray.

If you look on the big map, it shows you every space you've unlocked. The only way you might get slipped up is if there's a door you haven't opened, as doors also count toward the 100% completion rate.

...That or the one floor that requires you to use the Warp spell to hit 100%, which even I have to admit is kind of BS.

-Tom

Thanks guys.. Turns out I'd misunderstood jdkluv. Seems you don't have to actually step on every possible space, the automap just has to mark them all black? I had thought spaces which you hadn't stepped on but which had been blackened didn't count, and stupidly I hadn't checked to make sure Excellent!

 

[LegatoB]

Finishing up Ruins 3, and I haven't even come close to dying yet, so I had a question: what exactly is Retry Bread for? I seem to be able to save wherever I want, whenever I want. Is there some penalty to loading a saved game that I'm not clear on (since there doesn't seem to be a manual for the English version)?

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Man, the PSN store on the PSP is super-archaic. Feels kinda underground and edgy downloading games from it now.

Anyway, downloading this and Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, which I forgot I even had. But Brandish is where it's at tonight, obviously.

 

[Ingueferroque]

I played the SNES Brandish 1 and 2 way back.

The presentation in The Dark Revenant is excellent. The 2d art, menu's, the intro, the cinematic, the sparse character portraits and designs... it's wonderful. Fantastic atmosphere.

The atmosphere in the dungeon itself is also excellent, and though not looking too hot in screenshots compared to the 2d originals, the visual style is very well done and works well as a PSP game. Wish I still had a PSP, because on Vita these tend to look a bit fuzzier.

Awesome stuff, can't wait to get lost in it. Shame we didn't get a Brandish 2 remake.

 

[pje122]

I know you did, but to be fair someone else could just as easily do it and put the ISO online.

That's probably already happened, dude...
In fact, I believe this game was fan-translated a long time ago...

 

[Alric]

That's probably already happened, dude...
In fact, I believe this game was fan-translated a long time ago...

I think the fan translation finished 4-5 months ago.

 

[Ingueferroque]

Oh ok.

Well, eh, I didn't mention it, but the translation by XSeed is great.

 

[Reveirg]

There's one gravestone per each floor. If you get the 100% completion of that map (which you can check at the pause menu - it's called "Floor Map Rate"), you'll be able to break it (= the gravestone from said floor) with a sledgehammer and get a rare/useful item. Not anything you are obligated to do, but it's a nice incentive.

And yes, you have to step on every tile in order to get the 100% completion. Glad you're enjoying it!

Thanks for the answers!

Just out of curiosity, about how long does it take to complete the game? (story)

 

[wyrdwad]

Finishing up Ruins 3, and I haven't even come close to dying yet, so I had a question: what exactly is Retry Bread for? I seem to be able to save wherever I want, whenever I want. Is there some penalty to loading a saved game that I'm not clear on (since there doesn't seem to be a manual for the English version)?

Retry Bread is unnecessary if you're willing to sit through the save menu every time you get an inkling to save "just in case." But if you're pretty sure you're probably going to be OK but don't want to risk it, Retry Bread is just a much quicker alternative than waiting on memory stick access and all that.

There is no penalty for saving, though, so if you're patient, Retry Bread is indeed pointless.

Man, the PSN store on the PSP is super-archaic. Feels kinda underground and edgy downloading games from it now.

Isn't it great, though? I remember when the PSN store on PS3 looked like that... and it was SO MUCH BETTER. Nowadays, it constantly feels like the PSN store is one second away from crashing on PS3, what with all the input lag... and it all looks so, so boring! Plus, it's much less organized than it used to be. What I wouldn't give for Sony to go back to that design for the PSN store on all their systems...

Just out of curiosity, about how long does it take to complete the game? (story)

Including Dela Mode, I beat the game in 35 hours, but I'm slow. For the average gamer, 20 is a fair (if quick) estimate. 15 without Dela Mode.

-Tom

 

[CrimsonFist]

Is there any penalty for resting? It kind of feel like it makes the healing potions redundant.

Just finished the 5th area. It took me a bit of time to adapt to the controls, and I had to swap the shoulder buttons and arrows over, but I'm really enjoying it now that I've got the hang of it.

 

[threelights]

Ugh, I don't have my PSP with me.

Is there any way to buy and download it from my PC? Or does it have to be a PSP/PS3? I don't use PSN all that much (if at all).

Game is looking good also, I want to play it >.>

 

[Tye The Czar]

Another question in the Q&A should be:

Spoiler

What would cause a sorceress to don a stripper outfit and high heel boots while wandering around in a cave? It's not like a sorceress needs to move around that freely to be effective.

 

[wyrdwad]

Is there any penalty for resting? It kind of feel like it makes the healing potions redundant.

There are two penalties for resting, actually:

1) You're given a "score card" at the end of the game, which shows you a ton of stats and gives you a title based on them. One of the stats it keeps track of is the number of times you rest, so if you're shooting for the best title, you'll want to keep your resting to a minimum. (That's why you see little tick marks on the screen as you continue resting; to prove your shame to everyone looking over your shoulder!)

2) When you rest, time moves around you in fast-forward, and your defense drops to like, zero. Even a slime can hit you for 255 damage and kill you instantly if it happens to catch you mid-rest, and if you rest for more than a split second or two in a room where ANY enemies are known to spawn, it's pretty much a death sentence. Effective resting can only really be done in closed rooms with no enemy spawn points -- so if you really need to rest, be sure to close all the doors before doing so, or you might be in for a rude awakening!

There were actually moments when I desperately needed to rest, but couldn't really go anywhere that I knew was safe, so I would literally press the SELECT button once to rest, then press it again a split second later to wake up, make sure there were no enemies around, then just repeat over and over again till I was healed. Which might seem like paranoia, except that on more than one occasion, I "woke up" to find a monster like, right next to me, swinging its weapon -- meaning if I hadn't been taking such short "naps," I would've died for sure.

It's kind of a neat touch, I think.

-Tom

 

[Deleted member 20920]

Another question in the Q&A should be:

Spoiler

What would cause a sorceress to don a stripper outfit and high heel boots while wandering around in a cave? It's not like a sorceress needs to move around that freely to be effective.

How else would a sorceress dress in the wonderful world of fantasy games if she wants to be known as a sorceress? A conservative woman's only option would be to stay at home or take on a cleric job class

/sarcasm

Will buy this game soon

 

[Seda]

Played up through the first boss

Spoiler

Ruins floor 8

. So far things have been pretty straightforward, but I can certainly see how having more interconnected rooms and higher enemy density can make things more hectic as I go from here. The game is definitely an easy one to pick up and get the hang of.

I probably abuse resting too much even though I have plenty of potions to use. Don't really care about the end of game title, although I expect that resting will become less viable later in the game.

 

[SMK]

*snip*

So that's what those marks were for! I've been resting very frequently and one time a stray missile comes flying through an open door and one-shots me. Also, even though I know exactly where the pitfall traps are, I still fall in them, and I still get a jump scare when I do. This game is awesome.

 

[Teknoman]

Annnnd i'm hooked.

 

[Aaron-Lagann]

Thought this was about a different Brandish...

Spoiler

#TeamShameless

This looks cool, gonna check it out!

 

[Teknoman]

I know there is an Ys community thread...but is there one for Falcom in general?

 

[jackal27]

Liking this game so far, but I'm already stuck in the first area! Haha

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

I know there is an Ys community thread...but is there one for Falcom in general?

Closest we've had is the Dragon Slayer 30th anniversary thread for general discussion. I'll gladly contribute to a Falcom community thread if we can generate interest for games beyond Ys and Kiseki.

 

[Aeana]

I don't see much of a reason for a general Falcom community thread if we have the Ys and Kiseki ones already. Not everything needs a community thread. In this case, there aren't enough non-Ys/non-Falcom games available in English for there to be a whole lot to talk about for an extended period of time. There's nothing wrong with creating new threads to talk about a particular game or ask questions, and I wish people would do it more instead of hiding away in community threads for every little thing.