Let me get a few things off of my chest:
1. I hate, hate, hate, hate random battles with the passion of a thousand suns that consume my soul. They scream laziness. It seems as if the developer thinks, "Our battle system isn't very fun, so the only way to get people into battles is if they can't avoid it." I've got news for you, I like battles in rpgs. I will usually get into them in order to learn new skills! I hate how lazy it is. I hate being interrupted in my exploration by some stupid swirling screen and new enemies. Every random battle I get into is like somebody taking their fingernails across the chalk board while imitating Gilbert Gottfried.
Hate.
2. Kaim's run is ridiculously hilarious. I guess he forgot what a full stride was when he lost his memory because he runs like my baby niece. And when you sprint, he's the Flash and everybody else are just normal people moving at normal speed. Looks really silly.
3. 1000 years stuff is really good. Unfortunately, it's a book. I read faster than all the stupid text flourishes in the world. I don't want to have one short story at a time presented to me. I don't want to have to find things that flesh out Kaim's character. This shit should be given to me. This is an actual book in Japan that, I think, should have been given out with a Collector's Edition in other territories. I've got nothing against having the stories in the game, but I like reading books wherever I please. Not when I come across another chapter in the game. As it stands, I'm going to be skipping them because they disrupt the game (for me).
4. The packaging is the cheapest thing I have ever seen in my life. Three discs come STACKED on top of eachother with one in a paper sleeve not unlike (i.e. EXACTLY like) the packages of paper sleeves you can buy at your local office max for like a penny. I was pretty upset when I opened my game.
Okay, that's the bad (for me; your mileage will undoubtedly vary). And maybe it's because I went into this game with such low expectations, but after about 4 hours...I'm really impressed.
First off, the English voice acting is top tier. It is some of the best I've heard in a videogame. It's so good (I can't believe I'm saying this), that I have, for the first time ever, been playing with English voices instead of Japanese. The Japanese voice acting really throws me off; I don't think several of the character's voices match their personalities (Seth, Jansen). That might be because prior to buying the game, I watched the first couple of hours in vids all in English. I dunno, but whatever the case, it's good. And at least you have the option of playing with either one.
Nobuo Uematsu (of Final Fantasy Fame) has really got me with this soundtrack. I haven't heard a single tune I haven't liked. The Main Theme is classic. I'm instantly reminded of Terra's theme from Final Fantasy 6 (one of my favorite game tracks ever). It's worth listening to even if you don't like the game. Makes me miss him in Final Fantasy :(.
The graphics are amazing. When the opening CG transitions into battle, I was hardpressed to tell the difference between ingame and cg. I enjoy the way "magic" looks in this world they've created. It's used to power mundane things like lamps and "magic taxis." The effects really make it look otherworldly as you're walking through this technologically advanced town. You can tell it doesn't belong there. It's subtle, but really stands out for me.
Seth, Kaim, and Jansen are great characters so far. Their dynamics and voicework are a joy to listen to. Jansen in particular has some great lines. I'm eager to see more.
I'll get more into the battle system when I have more than 4 hours into the game. As it stands, it's a great evolution of the normal turnbased fare. The timing rings add a nice touch and keep me paying attention to battles.
So, basically, even though I hate random battles (fiery passion, soul, etc), the game is GOOD. And in the end, looking over a few warts is worth it for the overall experience that is a good game.
Definitely can't wait to play more.
Thanks, Gamersyde, for the pics :D.
