New Crystal Chronicles game!

[bastian]

I just found out about Echoes of Time. Strangely it is being released simultaneously on the DS and Wii and will allow for online co-op game play from either.

I'm excited but skeptical about this game. Rings of Fate was . . . an utter disappointment for me and the friend I game with. We had so many expectations from the original CC game . . . and it just didn't live up. First of all, the implementation of 3D (jumping and such) would have been nice except that sometimes the angles were absurd and impossible to tell where you were jumping to. The complete lack of camera adjustment was beyond frustrating.

But more importantly: it had ZERO story (in multiplayer mode). WTF? It was insane how completely plotless and characterless it was. The story in the single player mode was awesome . . . but what moron decided that you couldn't play multiplayer in "story mode"? He should be fired.

I hope to god that this game allows for multiplayer in a "storymode" but the very mention that online game play allows you to "visit a friend's world or have them visit yours" leaves me suspicious.

Another game to completely blow it along these lines is From the Abyss. Anyone play it? It was hyped to be a TRUE original Mana-style game (but not made by Squeenix) with co-op play . . . but in order to have multiplayer, each character must have already finished that particular level in single player. WTF? What's the point in even playing multiplayer then if you both have to have already finished the game.

Anyway, I'm really excited about what I would imagine this game could be . . . but I'm sure that squeenix will let me down once again.

[ryuzaki]

I was interested in From the Abyss but I am not sure about it now. Also the Crystal Chronicles game seems interesting. Hopefully this game has a good plot or it will be pretty boring >_<

[Kimiko]

I'm playing Crystal Chronicles: Ring Of Fates at the moment, and it's a very nice game. The camera doesn't always work right (wish it could zoom out so I can see enemies off the screen), but otherwise it works quite well. The dungeons are tough, but not impossible to complete, even for someone who isn't very good at platform games usually. I don't know about the multiplayer mode being bad because I only play single player (don't have anyone to play with).
If the new Echoes Of Time is going to be just as good, I'll definitely buy it.

[bastian]

Ryuzaki: I was talking about From the Abyss. Tales of the Abyss is a different game all together.

Kimiko: trust me. Multiplayer mode sucks a big one. They yanked ALL the story out of it, so it really doesn't even make sense. You enter a level, beat it. And then there's a new area on your map to go to. All the way until the end when you meet the boss. Kill him. End of game. No dialogue, no prologue. Absolutely nothing. It's idiotic.

I think THEY think that everyone will have already finished the game in single player mode and that they'll be bored enough to go through the game again with a few buddies or something. No thanks. Somehow my friend and I stuck it out. But when we were done, we were both like "thank god that horrible game is over with!"

And I REALLY hated the move from Zelda style overhead to pseudo 3D where jumping at insane angles is the key to most of the later levels. At least let me adjust the camera for godsake. There was a point where my friend and I spent like a good 45 minutes riding several platforms (in the forest level) and then had to try to jump off of one at a crazy angle to land on a square. It was annoying as frack.

Anyway, I HOPE that the multiplayer in the new one actually has story and camera manipulation abilities or there's no way I'm playing it.

[Tsurayu]

I was interested in Tales of the Abyss but I am not sure about it now. Also the Crystal Chronicles game seems interesting. Hopefully this game has a good plot or it will be pretty boring >_<

... you have made yourself an enemy today.

<.<;;

[Kimiko]

Bastian - Yes, the jumping to a platform off in the distance is quite hard to do. I'm now in the "???" dungeon, and I just can't get the hang of using Meeth's pot to jump over chasms. I've cheated a bit by having Gnash stand on the shoulders of one of my companions (love his double jump ability and bow).

[Magus_Melchior]

@Kimiko, re: "ninja standing on the shoulders of party members"-- I think they implicitly allowed that mechanic. I combine that with "click this button to teleport your party to your spot".

[ryuzaki]

Ryuzaki: I was talking about From the Abyss. Tales of the Abyss is a different game all together.

Sorry I meant From the Abyss as well I just made a typo.

I was interested in Tales of the Abyss but I am not sure about it now. Also the Crystal Chronicles game seems interesting. Hopefully this game has a good plot or it will be pretty boring >_<

... you have made yourself an enemy today.

<.<;;

I loved Tales of the Abyss by the way

[Tsurayu]

I loved Tales of the Abyss by the way

Good. Then you have made a friend. XD

[bastian]

@Kimiko, re: "ninja standing on the shoulders of party members"-- I think they implicitly allowed that mechanic. I combine that with "click this button to teleport your party to your spot".

I cheat even worse by unloading all my useless magicites and stacking them on top of each other to make a "ladder" or a "bridge" to get past annoying parts.

[Kimiko]

Yeesh, now he tells me. Could've used that hint before I almost finished the game.

[manaman]

Yeah,

I used the standing on another person's head and double-jump technique a LOT. There are a lot of ways of going about the levels. I'm working through the story the second time now. I feel that there's a pretty good amount of replay value. It's a good game. I'm looking forward to Echoes of Time. I think I'll get it on DS, but I'm not sure. The Wii version might be awesome to play as it will be a little bigger. It's hard to say.

Later,

manaman

[Kimiko]

I didn't get all the moogle stamps the first time, so I guess I'll have to play it again some time as well.