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[SneakyStephan]

At chapter 3 now (the factory city), and the music, area design, story etc is pretty damn good now (I loved the nolf 2 vibe music in the sea chase).

It's a shame that this game takes so very long to really pick up the pace and get interesting, thought all of the prologue was extremely dull and generic stuff, chapter 1 was still slow and boring till right at the end, and only halfway through chapter 2 does the combat finally come to it's own right.

Now that things have taken off and you get to see more of the world, it does have that wonderful adventure feeling that few rpgs can ever create.

edit , oh man so many nice little details.
The short frankenstein chime when they

Spoiler

scan the black orbment

:lol

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

At chapter 3 now (the factory city), and the music, area design, story etc is pretty damn good now (I loved the nolf 2 vibe music in the sea chase).

It's a shame that this game takes so very long to really pick up the pace and get interesting, thought all of the prologue was extremely dull and generic stuff, chapter 1 was still slow and boring till right at the end, and only halfway through chapter 2 does the combat finally come to it's own right.

Now that things have taken off and you get to see more of the world, it does have that wonderful adventure feeling that few rpgs can ever create.

The best is yet to come.

 

[Raitosaito]

Just finished the Ruan section.

So much for this game being slow paced. I've finished every side quest in Ruan and still felt like everything was chucking along quite nicely. I've also read a few books in the game, and man they were quite engaging.

My original perception of TITS is now officially thrown out the window. I guess as long as you can get through the boring epilogue it becomes one real roller coaster ride.

 

[Phoenix_Apollo]

For me, this game was a 9.25 out of 10. I really, really liked it.

I also seem to be one of the few people who liked all of the chapters equally.

 

[Hours Left]

For me, this game was a 9.25 out of 10. I really, really liked it.

I also seem to be one of the few people who liked all of the chapters equally.

No, I liked all the chapters too. And I think there are a lot of people who did.

It's just some people need the action to start right from the get go, and that definitely doesn't happen in this game. But that's what makes the later reveals that much more exciting IMO.

 

[Adam Prime]

I just finished Chapter 3 and just started Chapter 4...

The story is really picking up. I'm kinda getting unfamiliar with character names and who is aligned with which side. But I think the basic gist of the story thus far is:

Spoiler

Some rebels within the army are going to do something bad in the Royal City with the Black orbment - The Royal Guard are the good guys who are not in in the whole thing. Something like that, right?

And what'sup with Oliver? I don't understand his role. Maybe I'm not supposed to yet.

 

[Varion]

I just finished Chapter 3 and just started Chapter 4...

The story is really picking up. I'm kinda getting unfamiliar with character names and who is aligned with which side. But I think the basic gist of the story thus far is:

Spoiler

Some rebels within the army are going to do something bad in the Royal City with the Black orbment - The Royal Guard are the good guys who are not in in the whole thing. Something like that, right?

And what'sup with Oliver? I don't understand his role. Maybe I'm not supposed to yet.

Yeah, that's right.

And you're not supposed to understand Olivier's role completely yet. You're still in the realm of little hints.

 

[Callibretto]

I just finished Chapter 3 and just started Chapter 4...

The story is really picking up. I'm kinda getting unfamiliar with character names and who is aligned with which side. But I think the basic gist of the story thus far is:

Spoiler

Some rebels within the army are going to do something bad in the Royal City with the Black orbment - The Royal Guard are the good guys who are not in in the whole thing. Something like that, right?

And what'sup with Oliver? I don't understand his role. Maybe I'm not supposed to yet.

Oliver is there just to be funny and awesome. there's some hint or teaser in tits about his backstory but I think they're saving that for the next game.

 

[Grinchy]

Ok, I'm about 8 hours in and I really like the game. It's not overly complex nor is it the opposite. This is pretty much exactly what I needed; a JRPG that is meaty, traditional, and story-driven with sidequests.

I still have an urge to buy Tactics Ogre, but I will try to finish this first. I've never played the PSP for so many consecutive hours in such a short time frame, so it shouldn't be difficult to finish.

 

[DonMigs85]

I fear I may have missed something - in Zeiss there's a lady in one house looking for Septium Optic Annals, but I already surrendered that book to the librarian and saved. Does that lady give me something if I present her the book?

 

[DonMigs85]

^Nobody remembers that part? I do have a backup save, but it's 4 hours behind the current one. I would rather just find out now if there's a cool item or something involved. None of the FAQs seem to mention it either.

 

[Hours Left]

^Nobody remembers that part? I do have a backup save, but it's 4 hours behind the current one. I would rather just find out now if there's a cool item or something involved. None of the FAQs seem to mention it either.

I don't remember that at all, what does she say exactly?

 

[DonMigs85]

I don't remember that at all, what does she say exactly?

It's the neighbors of Tita. In the house there's a little girl downstairs and her older sister on the upper floor looking for that book - which I gave back to the librarian already.

 

[Hours Left]

It's the neighbors of Tita. In the house there's a little girl downstairs and her older sister on the upper floor looking for that book - which I gave back to the librarian already.

I think she works in the room where you found the book, and that's why she's looking for it. I'm pretty sure she doesn't give you anything, it's just a reference to the fact that you took the book. (Also, if I recall correctly, that NPC is prone to messiness and that's why she thought she misplaced it.)

I completed the game with max BP and didn't show her the book.

 

[DonMigs85]

I think she works in the room where you found the book, and that's why she's looking for it. I'm pretty sure she doesn't give you anything, it's just a reference to the fact that you took the book. (Also, if I recall correctly, that NPC is prone to messiness and that's why she thought she misplaced it.)

I completed the game with max BP and didn't show her the book.

Thanks, that's good to know. I think she did say something different the first time I spoke to her, come to think of it.

 

[Adam Prime]

Damn battles just got real in Chapter 4. I'm doing the first battle arena fight and it's tough!

 

[Reveirg]

I just finished my playthrough of Catherine, and I'm hesitating between starting to play this game or Persona 4.

This is a bit random but... I plan to play this game with my PSP on my HDTV (samsung plasma), and I'm worried about black bars and burn-in/image retention. Anybody have any experience with this?

Also, I keep hearing how the prologue is boring, I'm worried I won't be able to get into this game, especially after having played such a weird and intense game like Catherine.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Got 23 hours into this. Enjoying the hell out of this. Reached

Spoiler

Ruan yesterday, big city. I love it.

I'm enjoying the hell out of this game. It works so well during breaks and downtime.

 

[Hours Left]

Also, I keep hearing how the prologue is boring, I'm worried I won't be able to get into this game, especially after having played such a weird and intense game like Catherine.

The prologue isn't boring IMO, it's just slow going. But it's done purposely to set up the later events.

If you like RPGs with a great story and a deep and fleshed out world, this is the best one to come out in a long time.

 

[Reveirg]

I've also read a lot about how good the story is and how interesting the characters are.

However, I'm a bit worried about the lightness and happy mood of the game.

To which games would you compare the story? I've never played any Grandia or Lunar games btw.

 

[Famassu]

Imo, when the going gets a little bit more serious, it reminds me a bit of Suikoden. The whole game is kind of a mix of Suikoden-type war/scheming stuff and more light-hearted Lunar/Grandia adventure.

 

[Grinchy]

I really did not find the beginning boring at all. I could see how some may feel that way, but I've been enjoying the hell out of it so far. I guess I like when an RPG takes its time in setting things up. It kinda tells me that the story can be taken seriously, because the people making it took it seriously.

I'm probably still in the light-hearted part of the game, despite townspeople asking if I want to be romantic with my adopted brother. However, I can tell this is going to be a nice, deep story.

 

[Reveirg]

I'm about 2 hours into the game (at the farm), and so far this game is seriously testing my patience.

I really WANT to like it though. Maybe I'm just not in the mood, but I don't get it. Dialogue seems like standard anime cliches. Battle system is very basic, etc.

I'll try to get a bit further but I might put it on hold for now and start Persona 4.

 

[Yuterald]

I'm about 2 hours into the game (at the farm), and so far this game is seriously testing my patience.

I really WANT to like it though. Maybe I'm just not in the mood, but I don't get it. Dialogue seems like standard anime cliches. Battle system is very basic, etc.

I'll try to get a bit further but I might put it on hold for now and start Persona 4.

Try to stay with it. Seriously, all the little mundane events mean SO much more when you finish the game. You think you are watching a bunch of filler anime cliche-ridden cut scenes, but you're not. Trust me, everything will click if you stick with the game and finish it. It's sooooo worth it.

 

[chaosblade]

I'm about 2 hours into the game (at the farm), and so far this game is seriously testing my patience.

I really WANT to like it though. Maybe I'm just not in the mood, but I don't get it. Dialogue seems like standard anime cliches. Battle system is very basic, etc.

I'll try to get a bit further but I might put it on hold for now and start Persona 4.

You have a while before the main plot actually starts coming together and clicking.

I have a feeling your opinion is very common though, since the game doesn't really pick up and come together until about the halfway point. So people get bored since the story seems mundane and doesn't motivate them to continue. It wouldn't be as bad if the game didn't "punish" you for not doing the guild quests (they are your primary method of getting money), some of which can be really time consuming.

That's probably the game's biggest flaw. I liked the beginning of the game because it was something a little different and more light-hearted than most RPGs these days, and the second half of the game is just awesome all around.

 

[Hours Left]

Imo, when the going gets a little bit more serious, it reminds me a bit of Suikoden. The whole game is kind of a mix of Suikoden-type war/scheming stuff and more light-hearted Lunar/Grandia adventure.

That's probably a good comparison.

The dark elements start to slowly seep in as the game progresses, and I think that's a perfect counterbalance to the light tone the game starts with.

When things get "real", the really do in a big way. And it leads immediately into the next game.

 

[Varion]

I have a feeling your opinion is very common though, since the game doesn't really pick up and come together until about the halfway point. So people get bored since the story seems mundane and doesn't motivate them to continue. It wouldn't be as bad if the game didn't "punish" you for not doing the guild quests (they are your primary method of getting money), some of which can be really time consuming.

That's probably the game's biggest flaw. I liked the beginning of the game because it was something a little different and more light-hearted than most RPGs these days, and the second half of the game is just awesome all around.

I'm honestly surprised that opinion isn't more common. It was one of the things that I was worried about before the English version came out, half expected most of the reviews to mark it right down for how long it took to get going. So how well the game has been received overall is still a really pleasant surprise. People are more patient than I thought!

Personally I loved the first half as well, but I tend to enjoy parts of games that most other people find slow (it was the same thing with Suikoden 5, so many people hated the first 7-8 hours for the lack of actual playing, but they were some of my favourite parts of the game). Either way it does pick up later in the game, and none of the other games in the series take as long to get started as FC does because that 'Welcome to the world' setup is all done and dusted.

 

[SpaceDrake]

Personally I loved the first half as well, but I tend to enjoy parts of games that most other people find slow (it was the same thing with Suikoden 5, so many people hated the first 7-8 hours for the lack of actual playing, but they were some of my favourite parts of the game). Either way it does pick up later in the game, and none of the other games in the series take as long to get started as FC does because that 'Welcome to the world' setup is all done and dusted.

Yeah, FC starts out slow, SC pretty much starts out by lighting dynamite under your ass. Even the prologue lays some shockers on you. I really want to see people's reactions to that.

 

[Reveirg]

Well, even though I initially gave up and started playing a few hours of Persona 4 (which is looking good so far). I did get to bring my PSP at work (got some downtime I can use). The gameplay is becoming more and more addictive. I'm up to the mines right now.

I guess I'll continue playing the game when I have some time outside of home and might eventually get really into it if what you're all saying is true =D

 

[Grinchy]

I thought I was further into the game than I really was. Did anyone else spend 11 hours on the Prologue?

 

[Hours Left]

I thought I was further into the game than I really was. Did anyone else spend 11 hours on the Prologue?

Yep.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Well, even though I initially gave up and started playing a few hours of Persona 4 (which is looking good so far). I did get to bring my PSP at work (got some downtime I can use). The gameplay is becoming more and more addictive. I'm up to the mines right now.

I guess I'll continue playing the game when I have some time outside of home and might eventually get really into it if what you're all saying is true =D

It's happening already, just like we said: slowly and assuredly.

 

[Paznos]

Just finished Chapter 2 yesterday and things are finally getting good, the prologue and chapter 1 were off to a slow start but now I can't wait to see what happens next.

 

[Adam Prime]

Getting deep into Chapter 4, story is getting interesting! I hope that my team is leveled up enough!

 

[Akselziys]

Getting deep into Chapter 4, story is getting interesting! I hope that my team is leveled up enough!

Two more familiar faces popping up in Ao no Kiseki in this week's mag scans

Spoiler

Julia, Sieg & Kloe

 

[Melhisedek]

I just entered final chapter, how much do I have left? (not doing any sidequests)

 

[anddo0]

Just got done with the prologue. It took just under 13 hours. I had a side quest time out on me (Lost Kitten). So, there goes 100%. I'm kinda relived, now I can just enjoy the game. I'm going to do the "Medical Necessities" sidequest and then move on.

You guys weren't lying when you said this game was text heavy. I tend to doze off when I play text heavy games. So, I have to play this when I'm wide awake, and before playing other titles. I'm weird like that.

 

[Adam Prime]

Just got done with the prologue. It took just under 13 hours. I had a side quest time out on me (Lost Kitten). So, there goes 100%. I'm kinda relived, now I can just enjoy the game. I'm going to do the "Medical Necessities" sidequest and then move on.

You guys weren't lying when you said this game was text heavy. I tend to doze off when I play text heavy games. So, I have to play this when I'm wide awake, and before playing other titles. I'm weird like that.

Yeah I'm also glad that I missed a quest in the Prolouge chapter as well. I had the same attitude of "oh well" and didn't feel the OCD need to complete everything. By the end of Chapter 3 I was pretty much done with sidequests, I just wanted to do nothing but advance the main story, which is great since Ch 4 only has two and they're pretty unmissable.

Again really enjoying how interesting the story is without getting JRPG fucking weird "We must defeat a CLOUD OF EVIL to save the land!"

 

[chaosblade]

Yeah I'm also glad that I missed a quest in the Prolouge chapter as well. I had the same attitude of "oh well" and didn't feel the OCD need to complete everything. By the end of Chapter 3 I was pretty much done with sidequests, I just wanted to do nothing but advance the main story, which is great since Ch 4 only has two and they're pretty unmissable.

Again really enjoying how interesting the story is without getting JRPG fucking weird "We must defeat a CLOUD OF EVIL to save the land!"

If you're going for max BP (which is more important than "all sidequests," I don't think there's a reward for that) there are a few things in the last chapter that are important but not specified.

Then again, you're probably not going to get max BP without a guide.

 

[Adam Prime]

Any tips for the last three battles of the game? Can I use Deathblow 100% on any of these guys, figure it's worth a shot. Can't wait to finish this game up tonight after work!


EDIT: 5 hours later, finished the game! Died once on the very last boss. It took a long time to beat, but wasn't too bad.

The ending was cool like everyone said that it was. I'm interested RIGHT NOW in just reading the spoilers and plot summary for the entire rest of the series. I doubt the PSP games are going to continue being made and published here in the US, and honestly by the time they release all the games I'm not going to be as interested as I am right now about it.

So anyone have a fansite with the entire series summed up, that would be nice!

 

[SolidSnakex]

Ao no Kiseki orders

A Tweet at the official Falcom Twitter reveals that Falcom has taken over 200,000 retail orders for the game (this means that retailers have ordered 200,000 units, not that people have pre-ordered 200,000 units). Sony apparently sent a congratulatory e-mail about this to Falcom CEO Toshihiro Kondo, who passed along the information to the Falcom staff.

http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2011/08/12/ao_no_kiseki_orders/

 

[chaosblade]

XSEED seems pretty dedicated to getting at least the two other games in the trilogy out. SC will probably be UMD only on PSP, so that's only an issue if you have a Go or intend to play it on the Vita (yeah... that does suck). And all indications are that 3rd will be digital only, UMDs just won't be viable by then.

Zero/Ao are the two that probably won't make it, especially on PSP.


And 200k orders on Ao no Kiseki is really impressive. Zero had sold like 130k or something last time I saw sales posted.

 

[Augemitbutter]

Ao no Kiseki orders



http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2011/08/12/ao_no_kiseki_orders/

that's pretty cool, i'm happy for them.

 

[SpaceDrake]

That'd be the initial shipment, mind. That's the most a Trails game has shipped in initial order ever, and the most Falcom has shipped in... a while. Let's say that.

 

[Hours Left]

XSEED seems pretty dedicated to getting at least the two other games in the trilogy out. SC will probably be UMD only on PSP, so that's only an issue if you have a Go or intend to play it on the Vita (yeah... that does suck). And all indications are that 3rd will be digital only, UMDs just won't be viable by then.

Zero/Ao are the two that probably won't make it, especially on PSP.

If the Trails series continues to be successful for XSEED, I don't know why Zero & Ao wouldn't make it over. Obviously PSP most likely won't be viable by then, but Vita and/or digital releases seems completely plausible.

 

[chaosblade]

If the Trails series continues to be successful for XSEED, I don't know why Zero & Ao wouldn't make it over. Obviously PSP most likely won't be viable by then, but Vita and/or digital releases seems completely plausible.

I haven't seen many comments on the sales of Trails. I've inferred that it didn't bomb, but it didn't blow away their expectations either.

The biggest problem with the rest of the series seems to be the size of the company, not the size of the games. From a Siliconera interview:

Ken: I’d say a conservative estimate, for the course of the year, we can churn out six to eight decent size games.

Siliconera: And Trails in the Sky counts as how many decent sized games?

Ken: [Laughs] Yeah, that would take up about half of that capacity, to be honest with you.

Probably an exaggeration, but it makes sense that they would probably rather localize a few games versus localizing one Kiseki game, unless they know it's going to sell better than those three games.

Still think the best bet is for them to get Falcom's games on Steam (lost count of how many times I've said this). We'd almost certainly get the rest of the series in that case, I'm confident it would do pretty well on there.

 

[dr3upmushroom]

I just got this for cheap during the Amazon summer sale, and as someone who only rarely gets in the mood to play an RPG, I have a few questions before I sink too much time into this.

1) How difficult does it get?

2) Are the spell combinations in the Handbook all of the magic in the game? When I first found out how the orbaments work, I was really excited because it reminds of Golden Sun, mixing the Djinn to find new spells. This obviously doesn't have the summoning aspect, but still, it's sort of similar, and I really like games where you can tinker with stuff. However, I checked the book and it gives you the "recipes" for quite a few spells, and I'd be pretty disappointed if that's all there is to it. Hopefully there's some really powerful/useful ones you have to find on your own.

3) Are the guild quests pretty interesting or are they going to be a bunch of "Kill x enemies" things? Am I going to have to go back to locations multiple times to complete multiple quests in the same area?


Aside from these concerns, I'm liking the game so far. The dialogue is pretty crappy, and the story seems pretty cliche so far, but the battle system is fun enough and I really like the graphical style. My favorite part of RPGs is exploring new towns, and the first one felt pretty decent, I can't wait to see some of the bigger ones.

 

[Hours Left]

I just got this for cheap during the Amazon summer sale, and as someone who only rarely gets in the mood to play an RPG, I have a few questions before I sink too much time into this.

1) How difficult does it get?

2) Are the spell combinations in the Handbook all of the magic in the game? When I first found out how the orbaments work, I was really excited because it reminds of Golden Sun, mixing the Djinn to find new spells. This obviously doesn't have the summoning aspect, but still, it's sort of similar, and I really like games where you can tinker with stuff. However, I checked the book and it gives you the "recipes" for quite a few spells, and I'd be pretty disappointed if that's all there is to it. Hopefully there's some really powerful/useful ones you have to find on your own.

3) Are the guild quests pretty interesting or are they going to be a bunch of "Kill x enemies" things? Am I going to have to go back to locations multiple times to complete multiple quests in the same area?


Aside from these concerns, I'm liking the game so far. The dialogue is pretty crappy, and the story seems pretty cliche so far, but the battle system is fun enough and I really like the graphical style. My favorite part of RPGs is exploring new towns, and the first one felt pretty decent, I can't wait to see some of the bigger ones.

1. It never gets too difficult, though there some tough battles here and there. Watch out for monster chests.

2. The handbook has all the spells.

3. There's a good variety. Considering that you spend much of the game on foot, you'll be running all over the place. You have to revisit places a lot, but that's due to story and rarely feels like busy work IMO.

I'm surprised that you find the story and the dialogue to be a weak aspect of the game, as it's the strongest aspect of the experience by far IMO. You're still early on so it'll be really shifting gears later, but I think you may be surprised. And if you love exploring towns, this game should really please you, as every NPC says something different after practically every event.

 

[Hyunkel6]

Probably asked a billion times before, but when does the game pick up the pace?

 

[Nix]

Probably asked a billion times before, but when does the game pick up the pace?

I would say, for a person who's used to light RPG's such as Lunar, around the middle of the 1st chapter.

For people who like RPG's but rather want to be sucked in immediately, around the start of chapter 2, and for people who are just playing it for the sake of playing it, around the end/beginning of chapter 2/3. You will be sucked, as you'll have ample time to get aquainted with the world, characters and plot, and whether you like it or not, you will become enthralled with Tits in it's entirety.

It just depends on where it pulls you in indefinitely, but in end of the prologue, you definitely see hints of the magic that make you forge on. It's just that brilliant of a game.