Rare playstation RPG's, worth collecting?

[Dolar]

I have been thinking about getting into game collecting, and was thinking of starting with PS1 RPG's. I had a good number when I was younger, but my mother cleaned out my room and had a yard sale, unbeknownst to me of course. I am sure some game collector was happy that day :)

So what are the rare Playstion rpg's? Where would be a good place to start? What would you expect to pay for ps1 games? I found this auction (http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140662235989&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123) but I am not sure if that is a good deal or not for those games.

Any advice or a guide for info on collecting?

[Guyra]

Sounds like a good collecting focus, PS1 RPGs. And since I'm such a fanboy of the series, I'll suggest getting King's Field and King's Field II, both released in the US. (Actually KF2 and KF3 in Japan, but that's another story.)

Fully 3D first person RPGs in vast, open worlds, and probably a bit different than most other RPGs in many ways. The first has two different PS1 long box releases, and one jewel case release, in the US, while the second only has the one jewel case release. The games are not hard to find nor particularly expensive, and might give some colour to your upcoming PS1 RPG collection. I see KF2 is in that lot you're linking to, and the current price is good, though it will probably rise significantly when it's nearing its end.

Other than that, the FFs speaks for themselves. Chrono Trigger(which comes with the FF Chronicles release), Chrono Cross, Legend of Mana, the Tales, BoF, Lunar, and Suikoden games are some titles worth looking for. Might be a good place to start.

You might also want to consider whether you're going to collect black labels only, or mixed with Greatest Hits, and if you're only going to collect NTSC-U games, or if you should include PAL and/or NTSJ-J. :)

[kupomogli]

If you're like me and collect what you're going to play, and you're a fan of RPGs, then there's no other console better to collect for than the PSX. Tactics Ogre Let Us Cling Together, Arc the Lad Collection, Brigandine, Brigandine Grand Edition(JP only,) Breath of Fire 3 and 4, Wild ARMs 1 and 2, Dragon Warrior 7, Grandia, etc. There is a massive list of amazing RPGs for the console in which no other console can compete in terms of overall quality, atleast in my opinion.

Not just RPGs, but you may as well also try to get any number of the amazing non RPGs for the console as well. Blood Omen, Soul Reaver, Rival Schools, Nightmare Creatures, Driver, Omega Boost, and Crash Bandicoot are just a few good examples.

[Aussie2B]

Collect what you like. Unless you want to play them and/or really want to have them, I wouldn't bother. PS1 RPGs are pretty expensive to collect, especially if you're only collecting for the sake of collecting.

[substantial_snake]

I am highly disappointed by the lack of Xenogear being mentioned in this thread.

The Auction that you posted is actually a pretty good lineup of PS1 games in general and seems like a good deal depending on heh condition of the discs and weather or not the price increases much upon the auction's close.

[calthaer]

I, on the other hand, am disappointed that Vakyrie Profile isn't getting a mention. I suppose one might argue that it's an action-RPG of sorts, but really it's up there when it comes to the "rare RPGs" on the PlayStation, IMO. And these days, since it had a re-release on PSP, it's quite affordable.

[Dolar]

Thank you all for the advice, I have a nice list and am going to start hitting up used game shops locally:) You guys even mentioned some I have never played, so thanks again.

[Junkyrdsalesman]

Ps1 RPGs are a lot of fun to collect. I think it would be best if you eased your way into the rarity market instead of going for Suikoden 2 right of the bat. start getting the cheaper games like Jade Cocoon, Torneko, Legend of Mana, Xenogears, FF games etc. Once you have your foot in the door then try to get the more expensive and desired games like the Persona series, Mega Man Legends 2, Suikoden Series, Brigandine, Valkyrie Profile, and all those Working Designs titles. good luck and happy collecting!

[Rickstilwell1]

You can buy my copy of Suikoden II complete with its case and manual for $100 if you want that in-demand game badly enough. It's my favorite game but heck I can play a burned copy and it won't bother me. I found a rom of it where I can play it on my hacked PSP on the go.

I also have a physical copy of Suikoden complete in case and manual that I can part with, but that one costs much less. That one's on PSN and I bought it just to support Konami in hopes that if it sold enough they would upload Suikoden II. But no they have been resisting the demand for some reason.

[Ryudo]

Vagrant Story
Xenogears
Grandia
Chrono Cross
Lunar

[Daria]

I found this auction (http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140662235989&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123) but I am not sure if that is a good deal or not for those games.


Well, on that auction I'd at least be willing to safely plop down $130-$195. That's $10-$15 a piece for the 13 actual RPGs listed. And without researching individual prices, it's still safe to say you wouldn't get ripped off.

Also it's been forever since I've actually looked at PSOne prices (my own RPG collection is finished) but the jewels of that auction are easily Final Fantasy 7 (common but popular), Dragon Warrior 7, Xenogears, Star Ocean: The Second Story, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Last I checked they were each $30-$50 games, but even if their prices have plummeted they're still must haves for the system.

I'd also give prefrence to Final Fantasy 9, Legend of Mana, and Wild Arms 2. They're less valuable financially but solid games to play.

Leaving you with Final Fantasy 8, Front Mission 3, Saga Frontier, Parasite Eve 2, King's Field 2. Not my personal favorites by far, but four extra Square titles is a nice way to jump start the collection.

[isufje]

Vagrant Story
Xenogears
Grandia
Chrono Cross
Lunar

I'm not sure if I'd include Vagrant Story in that list... Not because it's not a great game, but because it's more of a One Man show... An Intense Action Platform/Puzzler with a DEEP Story if you will. But if you must, call it an A-RPG. (A stands for Action)

But back to the original poster's question. I'd recommend Azure Dreams. It's a very enjoyable Roguelike. It's extremely addicting the first playthru. (At least for me anyway)

[Rickstilwell1]

Well, on that auction I'd at least be willing to safely plop down $130-$195. That's $10-$15 a piece for the 13 actual RPGs listed. And without researching individual prices, it's still safe to say you wouldn't get ripped off.

Also it's been forever since I've actually looked at PSOne prices (my own RPG collection is finished) but the jewels of that auction are easily Final Fantasy 7 (common but popular), Dragon Warrior 7, Xenogears, Star Ocean: The Second Story, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Last I checked they were each $30-$50 games, but even if their prices have plummeted they're still must haves for the system.

I'd also give prefrence to Final Fantasy 9, Legend of Mana, and Wild Arms 2. They're less valuable financially but solid games to play.

Leaving you with Final Fantasy 8, Front Mission 3, Saga Frontier, Parasite Eve 2, King's Field 2. Not my personal favorites by far, but four extra Square titles is a nice way to jump start the collection.

King's Field J, 1, and 2 I would definitely recommend if you like action RPGs and can memorize maze-like areas with a first person view. I spent all of November playing through the entire series including the 4th one for Playstation 2. All of the games should be pretty cheap except maybe the Japanese-only import one. I think if you start with the Japanese one, your skills for exploring in the games become much better though. Something about its more simple level designs really gears you up for the rest of the series, and the graphics only get better with each release.

I say that because I used to really get lost in the first two USA releases and couldn't even beat them without using Gameshark back in the day. After playing through the Japanese only game, I was a pro. I had a little help from some online maps and walkthrough telling me what to do with certain items since I can't read Japanese, but for the most part I figured out most of the stuff on my own.

Now I'm disappointed that there's no more King's Field games being made. Demon's Souls is supposed to have some things in common, but that's a third-person game so it works a little different. The closest I'll probably find is the Elder Scrolls series from III and on. Elder Scrolls: Arena and II: Daggerfall are both quite unbearable if you're not used to PC gaming and are weaker graphically than even the first Japanese King's Field, while III: Morrowind is the first game in the series that is actually console-friendly.

One thing about the Japanese-only King's Field is that there are only three ways to be able to play it rather than four. You have to have a modchipped PS1 or PS2, a Japanese PS1 or PS2, or use emulation on PC. The swap disc method will not work with this game because the data is so small that the header leads right into the entirety of the game. Trying to use a swap disc like PS X-Change 2 makes the laser try to read past the game data and it won't load up. It will just keep trying to read empty space on the disc.

[Aussie2B]

Wow, Daria returns from the dead. I thought you weren't on Digital Press anymore. Good to have you around.

[Daria]

Wow, Daria returns from the dead. I thought you weren't on Digital Press anymore. Good to have you around.

*waves*

(:

[j1e]

A few RPG's on PS1 I think are great are FF7, Grandia, Lunar:SSSC, DW7, Wild Arms, Parasite Eve, Castlevania: SOTN, and Mega Man Legends.

[Guyra]

Since Rickstilwell1 mentions KFJ, I figured I should mention that there is a fan translation patch for the game over at http://www.swordofmoonlight.com.

Oh, another RPG in a similar style and by the same developer is Shadow Tower. :)

[Ryudo]

Not technically an RPG but has elements is the Mega Man Legends series and if you really want to get rare. The Misadventures of Tron Bonne. That is just an action game but a spinoff of MML. Very rare I have it and love it.

[Rickstilwell1]

Since Rickstilwell1 mentions KFJ, I figured I should mention that there is a fan translation patch for the game over at http://www.swordofmoonlight.com.

Oh, another RPG in a similar style and by the same developer is Shadow Tower. :)

Yeah, it is great that they have this patch but there's a problem. You can only play this patched version on an emulator. This is because a modchip (at least the one I have in my system) only allows you to play real Japanese discs, not burned games. In order to play burned games, you have to have a swap disc, like the PS X-change 2. But then you run into the same problem. King's Field (J) has the information squished too close to the beginning of the disc for the laser to read it anytime besides when it first boots up so that fact ruined my hopes of being able to play the translated version instead.

I mess around with it on the emulator still at my friend's house though, since it's a lot easier to do that than haul my system and games over there.

What sucks about my PC the most is that it has hiccups every few minutes whenever I run any emulator. It doesn't even seem to be the RAM that is doing it because it never goes up to 100% CPU usage or anything like that. My old underpowered desktop computer ran PS1 games without any of those problems.

[Kyle15]

Koudelka is a bizarre survival-horror/RPG hybrid. It has some kinks that should have been ironed-out, but I loved every second regardless.

[Junkyrdsalesman]

Koudelka is a bizarre survival-horror/RPG hybrid. It has some kinks that should have been ironed-out, but I loved every second regardless.

I'm looking to get my hands on that because I enjoyed Shadow Hearts so much. Another ps1 game you could look for is Azure Dreams

[LaughingMAN.S9]

Ps1 RPGs are a lot of fun to collect. I think it would be best if you eased your way into the rarity market instead of going for Suikoden 2 right of the bat. start getting the cheaper games like Jade Cocoon, Torneko, Legend of Mana, Xenogears, FF games etc. Once you have your foot in the door then try to get the more expensive and desired games like the Persona series, Mega Man Legends 2, Suikoden Series, Brigandine, Valkyrie Profile, and all those Working Designs titles. good luck and happy collecting!


i also collect ps1 rpgs and what this guy said is absolutely the best advice assuming you're going for a complete ps1 rpg set (i believe the number is somewhere between 79 to 81 and i think i have about half of those)


start with the cheaper ones that are relatively rare (most non square or enix) because you never know when the price will spike on these once more ppl discover them and they become even harder to get, rhapsody, threads of fate, koudelka even legend of legaia, those are all easily found online and depending on where you live can even be found in the wild



after that focus on atlus titles since those in comparison to others have smaller print runs and could be harder to find down the line, final fantasy's are never going to be hard to find or even really all that expensive so you can take your time with those

[substantial_snake]

Also keep in mind that unless your only going for black label copies of games you can still get: Final Fantasy Anthology, Chrono Cross, Final Fantasy Chronicals, Final Fantasy IX, and Final Fantasy Origins all as new coppies from square-enix itself.

http://store.na.square-enix.com/store/sqenixus/en_US/DisplayCategoryProductListPage/categoryID.20396100/parentCategoryID.16256100\

I honestly don't know why they do this but I am certainly not going to complain about it.

[Guyra]

@Kyle15: Hmm, from what I've read, that's the sort of game the Parasite Eve games are too. Survival horror with RPG elements? I haven't played those myself(though I really want to), but perhaps something for the OPs collection? :)


Yeah, it is great that they have this patch but there's a problem. You can only play this patched version on an emulator. This is because a modchip (at least the one I have in my system) only allows you to play real Japanese discs, not burned games.
Actually, that is completely dependent on the chip. Personally, I made a CD image from my original copy, patched it, burnt it on a CD-R, then played it on my friend's modded PS2. :)

[Aussie2B]

start with the cheaper ones that are relatively rare (most non square or enix) because you never know when the price will spike on these once more ppl discover them and they become even harder to get, rhapsody, threads of fate, koudelka even legend of legaia, those are all easily found online and depending on where you live can even be found in the wild

I'm skeptical that Rhapsody will ever go up much. It already had its spike. It used to be around $90 years ago. Then Game Quest Direct released a bunch of copies (did anyone ever determine if they were actually reprints or just NOS or something?), and eBay and even GameStops got flooded with them. Now that there's a DS version too, that surely eats into the value of the original as well. Plus there's the fact that a lot of RPG players don't like the game since it's so easy, short, and girly. But then again, Persona 2 had the same experience, and it did eventually climb back up in price.

[Daria]

Full PSOne RPG Collection (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=110686)

Because it was inevitable I'm posting a link to my own collection of 81 titles. 83 if you wanted to include Legacy of Kain and Castlevania (not pictured). Also still missing Point Blank.

Not showing off, it's just useful for establishing a list of available titles.

As for my recommendations, these are my favorites for the system. Your mileage may vary.
Alundra
Arc the Lad
Azure Dreams
Breath of Fire III
Breath of Fire IV
Dragon Warrior VII
Final Fantasy IX
Grandia
Koudelka
Lunar Silver star story
Lunar eternal Blue
Persona 2
Rhapsody
Shadow Madness
Star Ocean 2
Suikoden
Suikoden 2
Tales of Destiny 2
Thousand Arms
Valkyrie Profile
Vandal Hearts
Wild Arms
Xenogears

[kupomogli]

@Kyle15: Hmm, from what I've read, that's the sort of game the Parasite Eve games are too. Survival horror with RPG elements? I haven't played those myself(though I really want to), but perhaps something for the OPs collection?

The first one is an RPG, the second game is a survival horror. If you like the early Resident Evil titles, then you'd like Parasite Eve 2. Parasite Eve 2 is my favorite of the two and the weapon variety makes it a lot of fun. Once completing the game you have the option of replaying it in different types of modes. While it plays like the older Resident Evil titles, it's more action oriented than survival horror. There's really no lack of weaponry and you'll still have your powers to fall back on for a little bit if you run out.

The first game you could compare, somewhat, to Vagrant Story with its sphere battle system which all weapons have a certain range(Parasite Eve was released first though.) On Parasite Eve it's an ATB, each weapon has a certain range, certain amount of shots, etc. Vagrant Story has a better storyline and better graphics, but because of the battle system with enemy damage types on weapons, it's gameplay isn't as good or accessible to most people.

[Guyra]

Kupomogli, thanks for that info! I've been a bit interested in the Parasite Eve series, especially in the last few days, but haven't read that much up on gameplay and the like. And yes, I love the early REs! (Way better than the newer ones, even though I enjoy them too.) So PE2 should be up my alley. And as for the first game, it sounds like I'll enjoy that too.

I'm going to grab me these two early January, I think. Oh yes. :)

[Rickstilwell1]

@Kyle15: Hmm, from what I've read, that's the sort of game the Parasite Eve games are too. Survival horror with RPG elements? I haven't played those myself(though I really want to), but perhaps something for the OPs collection? :)


Actually, that is completely dependent on the chip. Personally, I made a CD image from my original copy, patched it, burnt it on a CD-R, then played it on my friend's modded PS2. :)

Hmm, maybe the PS2 modchip is a better one than the one you could get for the original? I'm going to want a modchipped PS2 in the future anyway so that could be my way of doing it. Cool stuff.

[LaughingMAN.S9]

The first one is an RPG, the second game is a survival horror. If you like the early Resident Evil titles, then you'd like Parasite Eve 2. Parasite Eve 2 is my favorite of the two and the weapon variety makes it a lot of fun. Once completing the game you have the option of replaying it in different types of modes. While it plays like the older Resident Evil titles, it's more action oriented than survival horror. There's really no lack of weaponry and you'll still have your powers to fall back on for a little bit if you run out.

The first game you could compare, somewhat, to Vagrant Story with its sphere battle system which all weapons have a certain range(Parasite Eve was released first though.) On Parasite Eve it's an ATB, each weapon has a certain range, certain amount of shots, etc. Vagrant Story has a better storyline and better graphics, but because of the battle system with enemy damage types on weapons, it's gameplay isn't as good or accessible to most people.



they're both great games and i love both of them but like kupo said, they're really 2 really different games, parasite eve 1 is an action rpg with survival horror elements (my personal favorite of the 2, better story imo and alot more gun customizations) and 2 is pretty much just resident evil in the desert, its not a bad thing, it really all just comes down to preference


but if you do take 2 over 1 just remember this....SAVE THE DOG AND GET THE BAGS OF ICE! lol it'll all make sense in the end

[The 1 2 P]

I've always been amazed at how collectible the PS1 rpg's have become over the years. Not only have some of the games reached sky high prices but so have the strategy guides and pretty much any other memorabilia for them. If only I could have predicted this back during the PS1 days. I'd be very rich right now.

[Trebuken]

Collecting PS1 RPG's can be expensive so I would suggest taking the slow road and buying one here and there while collecting other games. The PS1 collection will be an important one for you so you want to get good copies (black label optional IMO).

If RPG's are your appetite you might develope a PSP collection which I believe surpasses the PS1 in quantity, though not in quality (or does it?).

They now have an adapter so your PS1 can be played fullscreen on a TV, so it's a nice way to go. You can't go wrong with a PS2 collection either.

[xelement5x]

I'm skeptical that Rhapsody will ever go up much. It already had its spike. It used to be around $90 years ago. Then Game Quest Direct released a bunch of copies (did anyone ever determine if they were actually reprints or just NOS or something?), and eBay and even GameStops got flooded with them. Now that there's a DS version too, that surely eats into the value of the original as well. Plus there's the fact that a lot of RPG players don't like the game since it's so easy, short, and girly. But then again, Persona 2 had the same experience, and it did eventually climb back up in price.

So that's the story huh?

I picked up the DS version of Rhapsody and played it off and on until I finished it and it really was a pretty darn fun game. So I decided to pick up a complete PS1 copy and it only set me back about $20, I was surprised since Atlus games tend to be so pricy.



I've got a pretty solid collection of PS1 RPGs mainly since that was the major system I played through High School. Between the games that both my wife and I own, we've got a lot of the really sought after games covered so there's not much I'm still looking for. Some of the highlights I'd recommend that aren't to expensive are:

Wild ARMS 2 (Skip the 1st one, it's no where near as good as 2)
Koudelka
Rhapsody
Kartia
Final Fantasy IX
Parasite Eve (2nd one is okay too, but the first is the better game IMHO)
and of course, Xenogears

[BlastProcessing402]

Hmm, maybe the PS2 modchip is a better one than the one you could get for the original? I'm going to want a modchipped PS2 in the future anyway so that could be my way of doing it. Cool stuff.

My PSone came pre-chipped and I've never had the issues you mention either. I got it 11 years ago tomorrow (wow, time flies) and it was after the PS2 had launched, so it was fairly late in the PSX lifetime so I assume they'd worked out these sort of kinks by then.

Though, previously I just used a parallel port GameEnhancer on an early US model of the PSX (before they took off the composite jacks) to disc swap, and that also let me play import backups so I dunno why a chip wouldn't do that as well.

I made the import backups myself, I just didn't want to risk ruining the original of something I couldn't replace with a trip to Best Buy. Didn't do anything special to make them, no patching them or anything that I can recall, but this was going back over a decade so maybe I forgot.

[Gameguy]

You can only play this patched version on an emulator. This is because a modchip (at least the one I have in my system) only allows you to play real Japanese discs, not burned games.
That must be just yours, I've come across several modded PS1 systems and all could play burned games too. Most modchips inject the proper anti-piracy code into the system when it boots so it won't need to be read from the game itself, it will boot up any game. I've never encountered a modded system that couldn't play burned games, I do know some can't play all legit games because some games are designed to detect modchips but others are stealth so they allow all games to play fine. I believe the only difference between "normal" and stealth chips is that the "normal" ones keep injecting the code constantly while the stealth chips only inject the code while the system initially boots up, the anti-modchip legit games don't run if they detect the code still running.


Now that there's a DS version too, that surely eats into the value of the original as well.
The battle system was changed for the DS version, people seem to prefer the original version more than the remake version. The original battles were strategy/tactical-RPG style while the DS version has 2D turn based battles. Other factors would still affect the value of the PS1 version, but I doubt the DS version existing is really one of them.

[Aussie2B]

Yeah, there are differences (the DS versions also doesn't have the English versions of the songs, if I'm not mistaken), but it's less different from the original than a lot of other remakes out there, and even those have an effect on value. Not everybody cares enough about a game to want to experience every version, so they just go with whatever is easier for them to get/play or whichever version sounds more appealing.

[Koa Zo]

Saiyuki is a superb SRPG game which is almost always overlooked.

[Markarth]

I find it hard to believe that no one has mentioned the legend of dragoon?!? You know the four disk epic that ate your life along with your eyesight and attention span@_@ in my opinion much better than any ff game of the time


6908
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-zyobeCNsQ

[ShinobiMan]

I find it hard to believe that no one has mentioned the legend of dragoon?!? You know the four disk epic that ate your life along with your eyesight and attention span@_@ in my opinion much better than any ff game of the time


6908
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-zyobeCNsQ

And it looks as though you joined the forum just to give Legend of Dragoon a mention. That's dedication there! Welcome.

Staying on topic, Lunar Silver Star and Eternal Blue Complete are two of my most favorite RPGs.

[Alpha2099]

I find it hard to believe that no one has mentioned the legend of dragoon?!? You know the four disk epic that ate your life along with your eyesight and attention span@_@ in my opinion much better than any ff game of the time
Gotta agree with Markarth here. If you're collecting PSX RPGs, you have to pick up Legend of Dragoon. That was probably the first epic-length RPG I was ever exposed to. It's very underrated and underappreciated in the shadow of the Final Fantasy titles and a number of other RPGs for that console. I won't say it's a perfect game (because it's really not), but it's a ton of fun, and after all the other RPGs I've played since this one, it's still my favorite.

[Zing]

I have mentioned Legend of Dragoon, just not in this thread. I posted my thoughts over at PSC. It's one of the best RPGs I have ever played and certainly the best I have played on the PSone.

http://www.playstationcollecting.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=69&threadid=78696

[Aussie2B]

I find it hard to believe that no one has mentioned the legend of dragoon?!? You know the four disk epic that ate your life along with your eyesight and attention span@_@ in my opinion much better than any ff game of the time

Probably because it's not remotely rare. Note the topic title.

Also, from what I've seen, there are quite a few gamers who dislike Legend of Dragoon, so that could lessen the amount of discussion on it as well.

[TheRetroVideoGameAddict]

I have probably 10 PS1 RPG's and they're all the ones I personally want to play and enjoy. I don't see the need to own a super rare RPG for the sake of owning a super rare RPG unless I plan on sitting down and playing it through a few times like I did with FF7 and Vandal Hearts, heck, I don't even own any of the other FF games for the PS1 because part VII was the only one I liked and enjoyed.

[LaughingMAN.S9]

I find it hard to believe that no one has mentioned the legend of dragoon?!? You know the four disk epic that ate your life along with your eyesight and attention span@_@ in my opinion much better than any ff game of the time


6908
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-zyobeCNsQ


I've had this game since like 2005 and only played the game for the first time earlier this year and to be honest, i was disgusted.


The game looked incredibly cheesy and even tho i barely clocked in 30 minutes, i could already tell this game wasnt going to amount to much.

Honest question, how far would i have to go before the game picked up? I want to give this game a fair shot and the following this game has had to have come from somewhere right?

[Alpha2099]

I've had this game since like 2005 and only played the game for the first time earlier this year and to be honest, i was disgusted.


The game looked incredibly cheesy and even tho i barely clocked in 30 minutes, i could already tell this game wasnt going to amount to much.

Honest question, how far would i have to go before the game picked up? I want to give this game a fair shot and the following this game has had to have come from somewhere right?
"Disgusted" is a fairly harsh term, bro. You might wanna check yourself.

And one person's definition of "picked up" is different from someone else's definition. If you only clocked 30 minutes of play, you didn't even make it to the second boss (or barely did, but I'm guessing not), which means you didn't give this much of a try. The ability to transform into a Dragoon doesn't come for a couple towns yet. I haven't played the game in almost a year, so my milestone markers are sketchy, but I'd say you need to give it 2-3 hours, approximately.

[Little Miss Gloom]

Vandal-Hearts.

Vandal-Hearts.

Holy mother of fuck, Vandal-Hearts.

[Zing]

I've had this game since like 2005 and only played the game for the first time earlier this year and to be honest, i was disgusted.


The game looked incredibly cheesy and even tho i barely clocked in 30 minutes, i could already tell this game wasnt going to amount to much.

Honest question, how far would i have to go before the game picked up? I want to give this game a fair shot and the following this game has had to have come from somewhere right?

It sounds like you were planning to fail from the start.

The game is very balanced in plot progression. There wasn't any moment during my 40 hours where I felt like my time was being wasted. The game keeps moving and doesn't stop. It can be a little bewildering at first, when you have no idea who the characters are. All you know is that you are sitting around reading the newspaper, when suddenly a dragon attacks and you are helped by a strange woman. The first town scene is a brief introduction to the combat mechanics and provides some plot to begin. By the time you are running through the prison, you should be qualified to know if you are enjoying the game or not.