The next topic for our new vlog series is Persona 4, which NG5 and I have been playing as much as possible since its release.  This video only scratches the surface of my feelings about the game.  For a more detailed review, read on.

I should mention that I will compare Persona 4 to its predecessor frequently, my apologies to those who have not played Persona 3.  For my review I divide the game by its elements and discuss each individually:

Battle System - 1 More!:

Fighting in Persona 4 feels a lot like Persona 3 with some minor changes.  As I mentioned in the video, I love the fact that allies can be controlled in battle by the player – a Persona first.  After setting an ally to manual controls, they will remain that way for every battle afterward unless this setting is changed by the player.

While in dungeons, characters do not become “tired” like in Persona 3 – you are basically limited by your SP.  Knowing when to call it quits or when to push on is important if you are low on SP.  Being able to control your allies REALLY helps with SP consumption.  Why attack with garu when Yosuke can do it for you?  It is possible to recruit a certain NPC who makes dungeon crawling considerably easier… for a fee.

Another cool addition to battling is the guard option.  If you know an ally is weak to a certain element and you fear an enemy may try to sock them with it, have them guard.  Guarding prevents the attack from hitting “weak” and won’t grant your enemy a ”1 more.” This can be vital for harder battles where you may not be able to select your allies.

Overall, fighting feels fast and fun.  Your goal in battle is still to exploit weaknesses in an attempt to pounce on a downed enemy. Perhaps some people complained that Persona 3 was too easy, because you’ll find that bosses in this game don’t mess around.  One of the first bosses in the game gave me a bit of trouble.  It attacked my party with a wave of fire, which Chie was weak to.  The guard command helped and I ended up winning by a small margin.

Presentation - I Like the Flow of This Place:

Persona 4 features vivid colors and some great design.  Everything from menus down to simple dialog boxes are refreshing in their appearance.

Since the game is for the PS2, the graphics aren’t earth-shattering, but my mantra is quality design is far superior to great graphics with bad design.

The game’s music works very well with the design of Persona 4 and succeeds in maintaining a youthful feeling (when it’s appropriate).  The music is also wicked catchy…  Currently my favorite song is Princess Yukiko’s Castle.

Story - Yin and Yang:

One of the reasons I love the MegaTen series is because it is dark.  People you meet in Persona 4 will die.  Not die as in “black out”, or “pass out.”  Their corpses will be strung up on telephone poles or something equally dramatic.  I find that the serious nature of the game helps immerse me in the story and keeps me playing.

The subtle humor the game maintains helps to balance this out, yet draws me in just as much.  I feel like I can identify with some high school kids with a decent sense of humor, rather than some super serious muscle-bound warriors.

Social Links - Plays Well With Others:

The S-Link system is one of the best features that separates Persona 4 from other RPGs.  By forming relationships and strengthening them, the Persona your character can wield will become stronger upon creation.

There have been a few tweaks to the system since Persona 3.  For instance, there will be times when multiple S-Links can be strengthened at once by hanging out in a group.  There are also times when you may not even be hanging out with anyone and an S-Link will go up.  The other night I had a dream about Chie, which increased our relationship.  Cool huh?

With so many people to befriend, it’s nice to have more options when it comes to increasing ties with them all.

Conclusions:

If you enjoyed Persona 3, then you will enjoy Persona 4.  If you enjoy RPGs and have never heard of the Persona series, then this is a great place to start.  I have really been enjoying making a name for myself in the tiny town of Inaba and living out my days.  I don’t know what I will do with myself when my year is up, but I am sure I will have made a lot of great memories.

Related Entries:
All other Kotowari entries on Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 can be found here

Roy atlus, persona, ps2, review, vlog 5 comments

The game I spent about a year waiting for is finally available to buy in North America.  I managed to convince Atlus to send me a copy, but I still haven’t gotten it in the mail yet.  I guess late and free is better than nothing.

Has everyone already received their copy, or are you still waiting to get it in the mail?  Hope you guys enjoy the game, and you can expect a review shortly!  EVERYDAY YOUNG LIFE, JU-NES

Related Entries:
All other Kotowari entries on Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 can be found here

Roy atlus, persona, ps2 7 comments

Flight-Plan, the developers behind the Summon Night series and Eternal Poison have been showing off their newest title in the works for the PS2 entitled Sacred Blaze.  The game is a tactical RPG at its core, but features some pretty unique battle elements and awesome character design.

The player assumes the role of god and at the start of the game chooses whom he or she wishes to guide with their godliness.  There are two choices, each with their own story and supporting characters:

The dashing blonde knight on the right is Aleksheed (アレクシード) and he is on the side of Law.  He is the prince of a territory known as Ojen and he asks for god’s help fighting off the invading forces of darkness.

The raven-haired girl on the left is named Kiyora (キヨラ) and she is on the side of Chaos.  She was a princess of Karashya kingdom, but it was overtaken by the forces of darkness.  She asks god for help in getting revenge and regaining her crown.

Depending on which side the player picks – Law or Chaos – different units will be available to ally with.  For the complete list (including master/servant relationships) check out Famitsu’s page on the game here.

Each story character is a “Master” who is able to command “Servants” which the player, as god, can conjure.  This includes naming the Servants and in some cases adjusting stats.  The Master character receives various bonuses for each Servant he or she has under their control.  Attacks may be executed with up to 7 total Master/Servants for maximum damage.  As god, you control character development in terms of abilities, stats, tactics, etc.

Here Serubina (セルビナ), the white mage on the side of Law, prepares her army of familiar white cats.

Sacred Blaze is slated to be released February 19th of next year in Japan.  Since many of Flight-Plan’s games have been localized for Western audiences, I don’t doubt we’ll be seeing this title next year.  It’s strange to think that PS2 titles will be coming out well into 2009…

I like when games give you some input on how the story will proceed.  It’s safe to say I will be taking up arms with the Chaos side.  I love Kiyora’s character design too much.  In fact I like just about every character, but in terms of the story and the main character, Chaos wins no contest.  Sorry Blonde guy.

Roy preview, ps2 0 comments

The opening video for the next installment of the Devil Summoner series has been revealed to the public.  Some things we have already seen such as masked men jumping on rooftops, Raidou summoning multiple demons and Narumi being a bonehead.

The video did provide new information, which I was able to investigate further (I’m a gumshoe too!) at the game’s main site.  The man with the white hair is in fact a Kuzunoha.  His name is Kuzunoha Gaylin the 17th and is also a Devil Summoner.  Gaylin has spent some time in America, perhaps explaining his sudden appearance and unusual name. 

Another character has appeared named Nagi, she is the girl with long black hair.  She is half Russian and is Gaylin’s disciple in the Devil Summoning arts.  She is also the 18th member in Gaylin’s lineage.  I wonder if she has a connection with Rasputin who appeared in the first game…

The two, along with Raidou, appear in some strange labyrinth.  It seems they will work together in the game.  

Lastly, there is a scene where the man-with-the-red-mask shows his face for the first time.

Little is known about this man but he sure seems… unstable.

I want to see a Devil Summoner where Nagi is the main character!  Do it Atlus!  But seriously, I am glad that some new characters are being brought into the story.  In the first game, Raidou Kuzunoha Vs. The Soulless Army, it kind of felt like Raidou was on his own.  That’s probably because Narumi comically expected him to take care of everything. 

Related Entries:
Devil Summoner: Kuzunoha Raidou Vs. The King Abadon Preview
Devil Summoner Raidou Kuzunoha Vs. King Abadon Story Info
Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha Vs. King Abadon Packaging and Battle Elements

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Atlus has announced that North American gamers who pre-order their copies of Persona 4 and Eternal Poison will receive a bonus 100-page artbook.

The participating locations are Gamestop, Amazon and EB Games. EB Games will only be offering the bonus in-store. If you don’t want to take a chance (I wouldn’t), then you can get the pre-orders online at the following links:

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
Amazon	Price = $36.99	Buy Here
Gamestop	Price = $39.99	Buy Here
On Sale 12/09/08

Eternal Poison
Amazon	Price = $36.99	Buy Here
Gamestop	Price = $39.99	Buy Here
On Sale 11/11/08

I wish Atlus wasn’t releasing two games I want to play within a month of each other!  I don’t even think I will be done with Disgaea 3 by the November release of Eternal Poison…  So many games to play, so little time.

Still, it’s nice to see some decent (and free) pre-order incentives.

Related Entries:
All other Kotowari entries on Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 can be found here
Eternal Poison Preview

Roy atlus, persona, pre-order, ps2 3 comments