[Peter lopez]

Ok, I'm always interested in these games when I hear about them but I've been too afraid to try one. I've always wanted to play a few FFs, but I don't understand how they play at all, how to use multiple characters (which is why I never played Baldur's Gate though I heard that story was great too), or how the battle systems work. Is there a game that eases a total noob into the genre?

You might want to try Dragon Warrior I and II (later called Dragon Quest)

You only control one character and the fighting system is very simple and easy to get into.

Though I myself found Dragon Quest VIII to be a bit bland and too slow paced, I would recommend trying that. It's turned based and has many of the same basic mechanics that you'll find in other JRPG's but you'll get a party to control. Controlling a party isn't as difficult as it may seem. Given that Dragon Quest VIII is turned based you can take your time selecting the actions of your teammates.

Pokemon is also a good place to start as well since it is basically a JRPG. It's a decent alternative if you can't get a hold of the original Dragon Warrior games and still has the basics of leveling up, learning skills, etc.

[Dragonz Dancer]

Ok, I'm always interested in these games when I hear about them but I've been too afraid to try one. I've always wanted to play a few FFs, but I don't understand how they play at all, how to use multiple characters (which is why I never played Baldur's Gate though I heard that story was great too), or how the battle systems work. Is there a game that eases a total noob into the genre?

Chrono Trigger was pretty easy. Good story, good characters, great music, great gameplay. Should give you a feel of the genre.

[Jesus Sanchez]

Ok, I'm always interested in these games when I hear about them but I've been too afraid to try one. I've always wanted to play a few FFs, but I don't understand how they play at all, how to use multiple characters (which is why I never played Baldur's Gate though I heard that story was great too), or how the battle systems work. Is there a game that eases a total noob into the genre?

Baldur's Gate has you controlling all party members at the same time, JRPGs battles (usually) don't. The battle system isn't exactly the same in each game, but basically you just pick each character's actions from a menu when their turn comes up.

Even for a noob FF games are incredibly simple to learn, at least FFVII and on (most of the ones before that are more difficult).

[Stephanie Nieves]

Yeah, I'd say Final Fantasy VII through X, Chrono Trigger or Lost Odyssey for turn-based combat. Star Ocean (and/or Star Ocean: The Second Story) or Tales of Vesperia (or Tales of Symphonia, Tales of the Abyss) for real time.

[Lance Vannortwick]

Good news (or maybe bad) for DS owners/fans of Radiant Historia

Atlus has made more copies of Radiant Historia so you can get it at an affordable price (though bad news for the people who spent more money to obtain a copy prior to this news). Gotta love Atlus.

http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2012/02/11-1/atlus-makes-more-copies-of-radiant-historia-rpg

---------------------------------------------------

Well I'm on Gran Pulse, about 30 hours in, and have decided to start the ever so fun process of grinding. Sure I could probably plow through on and continue the story but a little grinding and some cieth stone missions are somewhat of a welcome distraction.

It's so tempting to just start FFXIII-2 but I want to beat FFXIII first.

[Melung Chan]

Well I'm on Gran Pulse, about 30 hours in, and have decided to start the ever so fun process of grinding. Sure I could probably plow through on and continue the story but a little grinding and some cieth stone missions are somewhat of a welcome distraction.

If you do the twenty or so missions you should have no trouble with the rest of the game. First time i just continued on without doing any and had some real trouble in some fights at the final chapters.

[Jessica Lloyd]

Thanks so much guys! I'm looking into those now. (Turn base actually seems to throw me off more then trying to control multiple people at once. Just how my mind works I think.) But I'm excited to give them a try.

[kristy dunn]

So a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genso_Suikoden:_Tsumugareshi_Hyakunen_no_Toki, and there been quite a bit of negative reception, as seen by http://www.amazon.co.jp/product-reviews/B006D7LIL4/. However, this whole negative reaction seem to be because of it doesn't feel like a "real" Suikoden and too different from the earlier games. Not just with the basic "Suikoden-formula" either, but other changes like how there is no town exploration, for example, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMhV61MijOk. The whole game apparently feels rather cheap and I wonder how large budget they had to play with?

But besides that, if you can look past it, there are also a fair share of people who think it offers a good story (lots of text to read) and an excellent soundtrack (like all Suikodens). It's just that it doesn't make much sense to call it a Suikoden. Kinda like the DS game, which had some nice qualities (the story and protagonist were certainly not among those though ), but it was no Suikoden.

Still no news whether this will be released in english or not though.

[Cat Haines]

An exciting new http://youtu.be/rAPBAm1GkHE trailer was released yesterday!

http://youtu.be/pUn-acwB22I trailer showing off some character customization and combat.

http://www.siliconera.com/2012/02/14/happy-valentines-day-from-pandoras-tower-releasing-in-april/

Tales of the Abyss 3D was released in North America today.
----

Really can't wait for Kingdom Hearts 3D. Confirmed for 2012, but hopefully the localization won't end up taking as long as Birth by Sleep's.

[Emma Louise Adams]

Namco Bandai just http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-15-ps3-exclusive-jrpg-ni-no-kuni-out-in-europe-q1-2013, and that it will offer both japanese and english voices.

[Floor Punch]

That's disappointing, as it pretty much guarantees a late North American release as well.

I suppose it can't be helped.

[David John Hunter]

Currently in battle with neochu trying to get the growth egg (well I'm down to the 5 piochus since I killed off the neochu with death)

Right now I'm switching between combat clinic and attrition (still using death) to try to dwindle down their numbers. If I can kill off two of the little bastards I should be somewhat okay. Trying and retrying this battle has eaten up at least an hour and a half but in the long run it will save me quite a bit of time (should I pull this battle off).

Edit: I beat them though it was a separate battle from the one I was talking about above.

I had forgot to set two crucial paradigms in that battle. They were both protection paradigms but one was for Vanille to be assigned the syn role and the other was Hope to be assigned the syn role. After my initial buffs were gone from the aegisol and fortisol I needed to replace them and those paradigms were important to doing that. If I didn't I would have just kept losing.

That set me up to be able to use mystic tower and I just blasted them until it was just two of them and I could use relentless assault to finish them both off.

[Michelle Chau]

Namco Bandai just http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-15-ps3-exclusive-jrpg-ni-no-kuni-out-in-europe-q1-2013, and that it will offer both japanese and english voices.

That's disappointing, as it pretty much guarantees a late North American release as well.

I suppose it can't be helped.

...
























WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!





What am I supposed to play, now...

[Chloe Yarnall]

That's disappointing, as it pretty much guarantees a late North American release as well.

I suppose it can't be helped.

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/ni-no-kuni-wrath-of-the-white-witch-launches-winter-2012/

[Catherine N]

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/ni-no-kuni-wrath-of-the-white-witch-launches-winter-2012/

Still way too late...

[Kayla Bee]

What am I supposed to play, now...

Nothing. Now you just have another thing to complain about.

[JUan Martinez]

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/ni-no-kuni-wrath-of-the-white-witch-launches-winter-2012/

Ah, thanks for that. I'm still working on my backlog of games from the past 25 years, so the wait won't be that bad.

[flora]

Nothing. Now you just have another thing to complain about.

There's got to be something. Kingdoms of Amalur can't be the only game I actually want practically within this year. Xenoblade Chronicles... good game? On a cool-headed level, how do they delay a game's localization that so suddenly? It doesn't usually take this long to localize Japanese games, does it... Final Fantasy and Dark Souls aside? Strange theatrics (seemed so close) aside, I was asking a real question. There isn't much I care for this year and this summer's going to be pretty boring. Must find something... Wii JRPGs acceptable (single-player, open-ended in gameworld design to some degree) up until the summer (where I will no longer have much longer access to a Wii).

[Batricia Alele]

Xenoblade Chronicles comes out April 6 in North America. It's pretty much the http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CUNNyNK-4w you're going to find this generation (and it's an all around great game to boot). Combat is sort of like Final Fantasy XII, except with each character having a distinct play style.

Pretty much every side quest in the game is a fetch/go kill [enemy] quest and there are metric ton of them, but they're also a decent excuse to explore every inch of the game's fairly expansive areas (which you'd probably be doing anyway). Quests are also a decent source of EXP, so if you decide to do them you shouldn't find yourself doing much (if any) late game grinding.

One of the nicest looking games I've seen, Wii or otherwise, though character models leave a bit to be desired. Music is top notch (as you can see in the linked trailer), the game being scored by a number of very talented folks (including Yoko Shimomura, responsible for Kingdom Hearts' music and the illusive Final Fantasy Versus XIII).

[Meghan Terry]

Have you gave Rune Factory Tides of Destiny a shot?

From what I've heard and seen it seems to be a pretty good game (I plan on picking it up pretty soon)

[Tyrel]

Have you gave Rune Factory Tides of Destiny a shot?

From what I've heard and seen it seems to be a pretty good game (I plan on picking it up pretty soon)

That reminds me, I still have to finish that game...

[Flesh Tunnel]

http://andriasang.com/comzzy/sakaguchi_ios/

Since The Last Story's release early last year, we've all been wondering what Final Fantasy father Hironobu Sakaguchi has been up to. Out of nowhere today, he provided an update. It appears that Sakaguchi may be working on iOS games.

That's games, plural. A follower at Twitter asked Sakaguchi for details on his next game. Sakaguchi responded that his new game is for iOS, and he's making around three titles.

That is so depressing. Not even a dedicated handheld. iOS.

[Emzy Baby!]

Woot just beat FFXIII (again)!

Spoiler

I was expecting a much tougher fight from the final boss(es) but it was extraordinarily easy. I can't believe how weak Orphan was and yet I had such a difficult time when I beat the game the first time around.

This means I'll at least be able to start FFXIII-2 tonight

[cutiecute]

I had Final Fantasy 13 but I only got about 60 hours into it. I'm going to buy Final Fantasy 13 and 13-2 next time I'm put if I have the mola.

[Claire Jackson]

http://andriasang.com/comzzy/sakaguchi_ios/



That is so depressing. Not even a dedicated handheld. iOS.

If he's working on it specifically for iOS then it should be okay. I use my iPad religiously.