I just wanted to say that I really like the 3 person panel, it makes frame trap feel like its own podcast and gives the whole show more room to breathe.
In my opinion, Nier: Automata has a good story and gameplay, but it's the visceral experience of the Ending E credits that really makes it worth while. I think that is what truly makes it a masterpiece. I've never had any piece of art make me feel more like I was a part of something bigger or really understand what sacrifice for the sake of others truly is.
Alright, I'm at 2:09:54 and I've also been hearing a lot of the whole "Oooh, Chrono Trigger's only good cuz of nostalgia" BS. I picked up the DS version (which does have anime cutscenes) about a year ago because the original release was just a bit before my time. One would think that hearing constant praise about this game from every media outlet would raise my expectations too high and make the game less enjoyable, right? No. It's still one of the greatest JRPGs ever made. Had a blast the entire time and held up every second of the way. One of the greats.
I loved FFXV! I loved exploring the world, discovering locations, and the brotherhood between your members. It has been a long time since I thoroughly enjoyed a video game before FFXV came out. I liked the story a lot too. Sure they could have added more polish and story to connect loose ends, but overall I thought it was great.
I feel like when you are not more than three people it become more of a casual yet indepth anecdotal discussion than when you're a group with a orchestra chef to point the direction of the topics. This has been a smooth talk and we feel like we're part of your group. Highlight of this video is about the Arcade era stories which you don't hear alot of "gaming journalists" talk about. Good luck for the future and take care of Huber.
Man i love how Ben is just able to squeeze out all these interesting points and perspectives out of everyone esspecially through very good listening, 'questioning' and adding his own thoughts as food for thought as well. Huge props and keep it up!
about nier automatas chips (spoilers): i think its so genius how they handled this! in the first half of the game, dying gives you a new generated chip loadout when you lose your old one and have to retrieve it. this forces you to try out and experiment so you find the chips you really like. and when you play route c and really would like to keep your desired loadout, you do, since dying is now a hard game over bc of a certain story event. its so smart how gameplay and story work together there
love hearing people talk about crash in 2017. honestly warms my heart. me and my brother 102% crash 2 or 3 once a year for years now. i love these games, because there relatively difficult and brutal platformers. but i have to disagree with the assessment that the extra no death gems and the 100% are there only to extend the game. sure thats part of it, but i really feel that the game is constantly building up to it, the game rewards you for mastering it. and i really enjoy that.
Man, I just finished Chrono Trigger and started FFXII. Really miss what Kyle and Ben brought to the table in these discussions. Would love to see a reunion for EZX or something. L&R from 2023
Allies, I know for a fact Chrono Trigger's greatness isn't just nostalgia. I played it for the first time quite recently, as in... about three years ago I think, enough time to really have it sink in, but most certainly far after its prime... but it is hands down the best JRPG I've ever played. I usually have a very hard time getting into those older sprite-based classic type games too (sorry a Link to the Past), but there was something truly special about Chrono Trigger that grabbed me and didn't let go. That feeling has yet to be matched by any other game I've played since then.
andrewnicorn I knew what he meant about Versus XIII not being about "it's great having bros". Versus would have been too much about vengeance and Stella being dead all along, supposedly killed by Noctis I feel would have been a tad too edgy and make the game have a totally different feel. So I am sad that they didn't have the chance to polish the way they changed things, but I am not sad about it changing from Versus.
FFXV is really bad. The combat is as simple as hold attack and occasionally dodge with Triangle. The Story starts with a Whimper, and about 75% of the way through you think its going to get good, and then it goes absolutely no where with the thing it introduces(being vague because of Spoilers)Then ends abruptly with no explanation of what the hell was going on. The lack of any difficulty throughout the game is just wrong. I'm used to Final Fantasy kicking my ass, but my 7 year old nephew could beat this game( by holding 1 button) I played it before all these updates so maybe its better now, but I honestly cannot recommend it to anyone. Go buy a remaster of FF7, FFX, or even FFXII and you'll have a better time than this Stand By Me of a Video Game. If Kyle likes it, thats fine, it just means he hasnt finished the game yet This is at best a 2/5 Stars
I enjoyed it, but there was so much wrong with it. The level of unfinished "get the game out now, or else" in it makes MGSV seem like the most complete game ever made. All the jank of the game and the total lack of variety in quests, locales, creature variety, vapor storyline amplifies that blue balls feeling. Everything from the intended wedding on is like Sonic Adventure with schizophrenic personality break. The combat system really just turns into hold A to awesome and spaz out the camera too, gets very repetitive. However, it was a beautiful world, fun to be in, the creatures that were there looked really cool, I liked the characters a lot, chocobos were amazing, Prompto's photo mechanic was great, fishing is my jam, and I still somehow got the feels big time from the end of it, and I respect it for that. So I can enjoy it, am glad I played it, but still recognize my absolute disappointment and articulate my issues with it - I'm not just a cynical, hyperbolic hater.
You know, I really enjoyed the FF12 story, it has its flaws but it's DIFFERENT than the basic hero saves humanity scenario like many of the other FF titles. Rabanastre is filled with excitement and adventure... Every city just feels so ALIVE! As I remembered playing this game back in the day, you really feel immersed and really connect with the people you encounter throughout your journey. It may be pure nostalgia but I CANNOT wait to jump back into this game and explore this massive world once again.... Fran, Ashe, and Balthier - let us journey again!
Right now my pace with games I think playing/beating a couple new games and then going back to an old game or a remaster is a great way to keep yourself interested in what's new.
I'm with Kyle about the ac. It's not about wearing hoodies just that I'd rather pay a high bill than feel like dying. Totally worth it. When it's cold you can layer up to your heart's content but when it's hot you can be nude and you're still dying.
Some insights that I got from Nier Automata **spoilers, it's gonna be a doozy** : -To the androids, the humans on the moon are like what God is to real life humans. People cannot actually see God but choose to believe anyway. 9S isn't affected when he realizes humanity is already extinct because he believes he'll be okay as long he has his relationship with 2B. -Also, that's why 9S feels so disrespected when Adam tells him that "he just wants to ******* 2B." 9S believes that his feeling towards 2B transcends just sexual attraction and is actually something more spiritual than that. Sort of like what humans do when they try to describe feelings of love toward their significant other. It would feel intensely disrespectful if someone told you that you don't actually care about your loved ones and you only "care" about them because it is your biological instinct to care for them. -After 2B dies, a huge life question for 9S is "Why did the humans give us emotions when they created us? We don't need them to carry out tasks like obtaining resources, completing missions, and executing targets-so why?" You can also replace humans with God if you consider it to be a metaphor for real life. We don't need emotions to survive and reproduce (biological purpose) so why did God give us them? -Popola and Devola is a clue to the answer to that question. Popola and Devola units were always created in pairs and they also wondered why humans created them that way. They come to the conclusion that they would not be able to live with themselves because they could not emotionally support each other if they were individual units and would probably just die. That's why the humans, or their God, created them in pairs. -Yoko Taro's own personal answers to these questions come at the final credits at the end of the game (my favorite credits at the end of any video game ever). Some important things to note: the bullet hell section was meant to be impossible (effectively), you would need to call in help from other players who made it past this, and those players that made it past this also called in help from even more players when they finished the game. This means that for someone to beat the game, other people have to have already beaten the game to send in help. And you're not supposed to realize what they did for you until you get past the bullet hell and you're asked the same questions they're asked. And if you delete your save file, you're allowing the "next generation" of players to beat the game as well. In a sense, it's a situation where the whole world is supporting each other. This is also why the music changes language and turns into a ballad with all three languages-to emphasize a sense of togetherness and camaraderie among people regardless of race, nationality, culture, beliefs, class, etc. -I think this is the type of message Yoko Taro was trying to send: Sure, life may be meaningless. Maybe we're just on this planet to perform our biological functions to pass on our DNA to our offspring and survive. There might be no God and you might have no purpose. But that's fine. We have each other-just like 9S has 2B and just like Eve has Adam-and that's where we find meaning our lives. We don't just happen have each other, we NEED each other to get through the tough times (like the bullet hell credits). So just understand that even though things might not be going your way, the world may look bleak, and you may outright hate being in this messed up world, we're all just human and we need each other. At least, "that's what we believe." Sorry for rambling but I love this freaking game bruh
I played Chrono Trigger as a 19 year old with relatively little Jrpg experience on the DS and enjoyed it thoroughly, it really does stand the test of time.
I know a lot of people are on the FFXV hate train but Episode Prompto was actually super good! Fun gameplay, some more lore and some background on best boi Prompto. And I think it's only $5 so it was definitely worth my money.
I'm 100% on board with Bosman on this. I hate the heat. I'd rather be freezing because I can put layers on in the winter until I'm comfortable, whereas I can't remove my flesh to be more comfortable during the summer.
Guys; about Crash and how hard the first two can be with the cheese; it's partly because the original games all had different engines, and physics, but in this trilogy, all games use the crash 3 physics; so the jumps work as in crash 3, but the levels are design for the other jump mechanics. (source: the developer :p )
great episode guys. in depth and challenging discussions on videogames and a trip down nostalgia road is always a good episode. also a nice diverse talk on "what have you been playing"
Oh man, I loved him. Granted the story wasn't as well executed as I would have liked, but (spoilers ahead) I loved it when I realized that he was the first king of light. Chosen by the gods, but rejected after he selflessly corrupts himself by absorbing others' suffering and daemons into himself. The starscourge makes him immortal, and the once compassionate king grows malevolent over thousands of years. Then he comes back with a plan to fuck with the gods, and to get revenge on his bloodline. He got what he wanted in the end. He wanted to end his bloodline, himself included, and post-crystal Noctis was the only one who could kill him. He died knowing full well that Noctis was about to die. Mission accomplished. Great villain in my book.
@kenshokram. Maybe, but most of the lore is in the game. There are little hints and collectables that tell you about his story. It's handled like a Soulsborne story, and I generally enjoy that change of pace.
Oh Kyle I love Crash 1 and 2 xD The difficulty is high but you get better at it, it something you either enjoy or you don't, but it's deliberate. Very satisfying.
Hey Ben, great to hear you're liking TZA! I wanted to clear something up about Vaan, because I feel like a lot of people don't really get his point in the story. He's the point of view character, but not necessarily the main character. As soon as Ashe joins the party, she becomes the focus and it's clear that she's the protagonist of the game. I know you're still early in the game, but Vaan's role in the story becomes a little clearer the farther you get in the game. Early on he's sort of a typical shonen hot head, but later on he sort of calms down and grows a little. He actually helps Ashe reach a major decision towards the end of the game. Anyway, I don't know if you've reached Jahara yet, but there's a cutscene there between Ashe and Vaan that kind of clears up some of Vaan's thoughts and reasons for joining the party. I don't know if you'll ever read this, but thanks for taking the time if you do!
I really like Vaan as a viewpoint character. Ben being down on him really bums me out. He has good interactions with the other characters. I love the relationship he has to Basch, that scene with him screaming at Basch in his cage, questioning Basch's story in the Barheim Passage, Balthier telling him "Believe what you want to" but saying to Basch (when Jones featured that scene in Ben's Don't Skip I thought, can't you see how great that interaction is?), Vaan explaining to Basch back in Rabanaster that they couldn't have escaped Barheim without Basch, thanking him, saying that he knew then that it wasn't bash who killed the king, but the Archadian Empire --- all excellent scenes. Vaan asking Fran just exactly how old she is, it's not like the writers didn't know what they were doing and I think the english voice for him is perfectly on point.
I think you can say a game is one of your all-time favorites without feeling the need to play it again or checking to see if it holds up. FFXV was the first Final Fantasy game I saw to completion after playing sections of at least a half-dozen others and... It was beautiful. I loved it. It is one of my favorite games of all-time whether I play it again or not. Same goes for Breath of the Wild, the first Zelda game I've ever finished. It's been a hell of a year for video games, eh? Also, I know the dungeon y'all are talking about... In the midst of it, it was incredibly frustrating. Platforming with Noctis like that was very, very difficult. But I finished it! It is one of those gaming accomplishments that I won't soon forget. Beautiful dungeon too! Have honestly never played anything like it.
Just a little thing about Sombra: She is actually very common in the pro scene this season. Still not great outside of the scene though since she requires tight teamwork. She gains her ult almost every fight, and the ult is game changing. With that said, Doomfist might not be as popular in the pro scene(but might replace a Genji or one of the tanks), but might actually see a lot of playtime in regular competitive/qp.
You nailed it. A personal favorite does not mean, "statistically the most perfect," game. I love games that are flawed, but have a clear vision and unique sense of identity. It is those little details that make a connection to a game so special and FF XV is filled with those little details that make you not care about the flaws.
suplextrain I agree, but it's not uncommon for Final Fantasy games to have Interesting ideas that never really work perfectly. It's not perfect, but it's still a decent game
I understand where you are coming from and I feel like there needs to be a distinction made. Clear vision doesn't always relate to plot. In that field, the game is not so clear. I was talking more about the overall themes and mechanics that the game was presenting as being its clear vision. You could clearly see what they were trying to go for in that realm in terms of friendship and their road trip. I should have clarified earlier.
Y'all can fight me, but FFXV was my fave game of last year. It hit all the story notes I personally needed. For some reason, despite lacking exposition and some worldbuilding, the core plot hit my heart so hard and had me crying by the end. And can't WAIT to hear your final thoughts on it whenever you finish it Kyle!!!
DS chrono trigger has both the anime cutscenes and the in-game cutscenes right after. also looks the best and has the best UI since the menus are on the bottom and the game screen is CLEAN.
I'm late in gaming, so when I got into ff15, I don't have that huge amount of expectation you'll have like after waiting for 10 years. Enjoyed it a lot, and think it's a bold, unique game
Nowadays, I always watch LPs on RUclips before considering whether to buy a game. I rolled my eyes after seeing the transition from the end of the rougelike "no save" tutorial of Nier: Automata to the start of the savable chapter. I said to myself: "Wait a minute, what?!". If the android troops of YoRHa are holding such a powerful technology of self-destruction and resurrection, the androids should be the winner of this stupid android/machine war long time ago by simply doing the following sequence: 1. Create a team of this powerful black box kamikaze and send them to an area on earth. 2. Self-destruct with black boxes to clean up the area from the dumb machines 3. Send in a scavenger team to collect resources in that area. 4. Resurrect the kamikaze team members. 5. Repeat step 1. Anyway, it is just a game - a more complicated route (melee, range, dodge, small scale self-destruction (not black box), 2D, 3D, bullet hell, on rail shooting etc.) to fight is more fun than simply using the black box strategy to win. Besides, there will be no such thing as the so-called a compelling story if it is winning too fast. By the way, the story is already very self-destructive compelling from the very beginning. Just an opinion.
NIER AUTOMATA SPOILERS I want to chime in a little on Automata. The game to me was giving off a strong "Finding meaning" vibe. Most sci fi media about the subject of blurring the lines of what it means to be human never really go this in depth on that specific area. Like, you're practically human and feel emotions, now what? Do you find meaning in your life by having fun(Theme park bots), do you seek a higher power(become as gods), protecting humanity(Yorha), or simply having a family(many side quests and 2B-9S, Adam-Eve). I feel like the game was exploring what gives different people meaning for their own existence and also shows what can happen when people lose their meaning, Pascal with the kids, 9S wasn't TOO upset about Yorha being wiped because at least he still had 2B..........and she dies and he loses it.
Regarding the magic in Final Fantasy 15, I was extremely disappointed at the lack of inclusion of meteor and rain from the demo. Those were easily my favorite parts and I was looking forward to using them more.
Most people agree that 2 is the best in terms of design. Even Jason Rubin has said this (the creator of Crash). It is super difficult though but that's kind of enjoyable about it.
When breaking it down on gameplay and design, Crash 2 is the best, only a silly person would say otherwise. Crash 3 has more variety with vehicles etc., but variety is not always a good thing. Whenever replaying the trilogy, some of those vehicle levels in 3 are the most annoying and least fun ones.
Kyle, don't go to the movies in Thailand. Just before the end, you'll see dozens of people leave. They don't even wait for the credits. Don't know why it's a thing, but it always rustles my jimmies.
Yeah that was a very weird omission by Ben. Persona 4 more so than the others is all about how the mundane, the ability to just be your true self around others, is worth any adversity and discrimination you may face for being your true self.
They almost used Shinkawa's art style for the entirety of MGS2 before settling on the more realistic look! Also, my experience of trying to get teens/my (barely past their teens) friends to play MGS1 and 2 has been to tempt them with a story. Maybe it's just my group of friends, but I've really been able to get them in with the story.
Yeah, I turned 22 recently. And nope, I started with the original! After MGS1 made its way into the Hall of Greats, I knew I had a sworn and sacred duty. I'm now playing through them in order using the HD collection (Xbox version). Just started up Snake Eater this weekend. I think that a lot of people I know have an appreciation for things that were before their time. If you think about it, the whole hipster movement was originally about trying to cling to the physical and material in the face of a world that's rapidly digitizing. Hipsters eventually devolved into an aesthetic reserved for the upper-middle class, but I think a lot of the sentiment about wanting to maintain a relationship with physical stuff still applies. In a world of Spotify and iTunes, the fact that people are making an active choice to go buy vinyl copies of their favorite albums is a clear aesthetic and in some ways philosophical decision. So my experience is that, if someone around my age hears enough enthusiasm for an older piece of media from someone they trust, they'll be surprisingly willing to give it a shot!
Well cool :) I love MGS1 and I hope you enjoy the series. It's great that EZA could put this game into their Hall of Greats and bring it into your world. What were your thoughts on the series up to that point? When you saw the release of MGS5 were you curious about what all the hype was for?
The fact that it was the fifth entry made me feel like I had sort of missed the boat in a lot of ways. The trailer material made Snake look like a soulless, grizzled action hero like so many before him, and even the presence of guns turned me off a bit because it looked like just another action shooter. I grew up mostly on racing games, puzzle games, platformers, and JRPGs, so it was easy for me at the time to just lump it in with similar titles and not give it much of a second thought. When people started talking about the philosophy and story, though, I was intrigued by the promise of a game in a genre I don't usually play that could provide some of my favorite things in games. Throw on the revelation that the game is largely stealth-based and its Hall of Greats induction and I was sold.
I love MGS1 for it's story and philosophy, but whatever else it gets wrong, MGS5 gets action soooo right. I understand you are put off by shooters, but you could do worse than to play MGS5 just for the action. I started the series with MGS1 back in '98 but was put off by the way the story developed from 2 on. So, unlike a lot of fans, I am perfectly fine with digesting MGS5 apart from the unfinished plot.
Great example of a game from last generation that had 2 different versions in development was The Force Unleashed. Technically it had 3, but I'm excluding the NDS version...The Wii/PS2/PSP version made by Krome Studios and the PS3/XB360 version made by LucasArts' inhouse team. It's great to compare the differences in the base game, each of the 3 games made my Krome also included extra features unique to that platform, such as multiplayer in 2 of the 3 version, but the main comparison between the mission structure and design is so intriguing to compare. Personally, when it comes down to it, the PS2 version is my favorite of them all. It's just a superior game to than LA's version on PS3/XB360/PC. Not as pretty looking I suppose, but the gameplay, level design, "The Force Powers", everything just had more meat to it. I was quite impressed with what it was able to accomplish. I never played the Wii version, but from what I can tell it's the same game, but maybe it runs better on the Wii than PS2. I don't know. The PSP version is solid, but much uglier due to the low res and weaker system, but still impressive. It's a great game regardless! I kinda wish more of these situations occurred, if anything, just because it's cool to compare/contrast the different development choices, and why they were made.
That remake question is so good. I would want Hideo Kojima and Hidetaka Miyazaki each do a remake of Knights of the Old Republic. It would be sick seeing what these two would do with a Star Wars game. I don't think either version would feel anything even remotely like the original game. And that's fine, we have the original, that's already been done. I want Kojima's own vision of Star Wars, and Miyazaki's own vision of Star Wars.
I tried to play MGS and got put off, but it wasn't because it didn't appeal to my modern gaming sensibilities. It was because my anxiety will not allow me to play that game, getting spotted is such a horrific feeling to me that it's almost impossible to get through. I don't think that's something a remaster can fix, and sadly it might mean I never get to play one of the greats.
You can use PS Plus to manual save in Souls/Bloodborne. I used it to save scum the ending achievements on my first playthrough of BB & DS3. (I have completed it more than that but I wanted to get the platinum done asap so that I could reply without thinking about achieves or endings)
When listening to the Crash discussion, there's so many "wrong" things I heard, I really need to play the remaster and see if the remaster is the issue at times.
When I played FFXV around Christmas, I had an absolute blast with it. I still maintain it's a great game. However, looking back, when I think about that game's open world vs. Breath of the Wild, it would be hard for me to pick it up again because of just how much more meaningful and fun to explore BotW is compared to FFXV.
I quite enjoyed Final Fantasy XV but the bad vibes surrounding the game left me with a negative impression. Thanks to Kyle for that great discussion on that game which reminded me why I enjoyed it so much
When they talked about Gundam Versus, I felt like I was back in time, where for some people Gundam Wing was the only Gundam. Man, I know people who would both laugh and rage at the panel for not knowing some the great storyline based Gundam games, and no mention of Super Robot Wars? For shame. For me, Gundam is about the political intrigue and dialogue about war, so more about the characters. Giant robots is the cherry on top.
"Is it the diagonals one" - Pretty sure Kyle's talking about Sound Voltex. I play this. "It just had a big anime girl on it" "I think it's just a big touchscreen" There's a lot of those. In the US? Maybe Crossbeats?
I feel bad for the developers of FF XV. They try so hard fixing this game. If they had at least 2 more years to finish it, maybe I would like their game. ^^'
Just started watching the Castlevania series on Netflix... Everytime I hear Dracula speak I hear Lazarevic from Uncharted 2. It's the same voice actor. It's cracking me up.
I just wanted to say that I really like the 3 person panel, it makes frame trap feel like its own podcast and gives the whole show more room to breathe.
John Smith how?
Clear my evening, Frametrap is here.
And with 3 of my favourite Allies no less. Hot damn.
In my opinion, Nier: Automata has a good story and gameplay, but it's the visceral experience of the Ending E credits that really makes it worth while. I think that is what truly makes it a masterpiece. I've never had any piece of art make me feel more like I was a part of something bigger or really understand what sacrifice for the sake of others truly is.
Alright, I'm at 2:09:54 and I've also been hearing a lot of the whole "Oooh, Chrono Trigger's only good cuz of nostalgia" BS. I picked up the DS version (which does have anime cutscenes) about a year ago because the original release was just a bit before my time. One would think that hearing constant praise about this game from every media outlet would raise my expectations too high and make the game less enjoyable, right? No. It's still one of the greatest JRPGs ever made. Had a blast the entire time and held up every second of the way. One of the greats.
Thanks for the heads up on Spoilers for Nier.
Just skipped past onto the next section.
Great shout guys ! :D
I loved FFXV! I loved exploring the world, discovering locations, and the brotherhood between your members. It has been a long time since I thoroughly enjoyed a video game before FFXV came out. I liked the story a lot too. Sure they could have added more polish and story to connect loose ends, but overall I thought it was great.
Nice to see that Kyle loves XV so far.
I feel like when you are not more than three people it become more of a casual yet indepth anecdotal discussion than when you're a group with a orchestra chef to point the direction of the topics.
This has been a smooth talk and we feel like we're part of your group. Highlight of this video is about the Arcade era stories which you don't hear alot of "gaming journalists" talk about.
Good luck for the future and take care of Huber.
Man i love how Ben is just able to squeeze out all these interesting points and perspectives out of everyone esspecially through very good listening, 'questioning' and adding his own thoughts as food for thought as well. Huge props and keep it up!
I agree one of the best parts of Nier: Automata is the character development with the main cast and how it unfolds.
having 3 panelists is the prefect size for frame trap
Gundam crew best crew
the EZAth
about nier automatas chips (spoilers):
i think its so genius how they handled this! in the first half of the game, dying gives you a new generated chip loadout when you lose your old one and have to retrieve it. this forces you to try out and experiment so you find the chips you really like. and when you play route c and really would like to keep your desired loadout, you do, since dying is now a hard game over bc of a certain story event. its so smart how gameplay and story work together there
This FrameTrap shows that we need Spoiler mode for NiER Automata.
It was promised at one point, can't wait for the eventual arrival!
Robbl which will be a while
Yes, it's really time for that!
escpecially since this discussion was rather weak tbh
Still waiting for it Lmao
love hearing people talk about crash in 2017. honestly warms my heart. me and my brother 102% crash 2 or 3 once a year for years now. i love these games, because there relatively difficult and brutal platformers.
but i have to disagree with the assessment that the extra no death gems and the 100% are there only to extend the game. sure thats part of it, but i really feel that the game is constantly building up to it, the game rewards you for mastering it. and i really enjoy that.
Dang, Ben you are becoming so good at asking people questions! I feel like I was watching an episode of 60 minutes for a minute there!
Man, I just finished Chrono Trigger and started FFXII. Really miss what Kyle and Ben brought to the table in these discussions. Would love to see a reunion for EZX or something. L&R from 2023
Allies, I know for a fact Chrono Trigger's greatness isn't just nostalgia. I played it for the first time quite recently, as in... about three years ago I think, enough time to really have it sink in, but most certainly far after its prime... but it is hands down the best JRPG I've ever played. I usually have a very hard time getting into those older sprite-based classic type games too (sorry a Link to the Past), but there was something truly special about Chrono Trigger that grabbed me and didn't let go. That feeling has yet to be matched by any other game I've played since then.
Kyle just made me feel a lot better about loving Final Fantasy XV. Everybody was so cynical about that game!
not everybody, i can name a few youtubers who loved it as well if you want.
andrewnicorn I knew what he meant about Versus XIII not being about "it's great having bros". Versus would have been too much about vengeance and Stella being dead all along, supposedly killed by Noctis I feel would have been a tad too edgy and make the game have a totally different feel.
So I am sad that they didn't have the chance to polish the way they changed things, but I am not sad about it changing from Versus.
FFXV is really bad. The combat is as simple as hold attack and occasionally dodge with Triangle.
The Story starts with a Whimper, and about 75% of the way through you think its going to get good, and then it goes absolutely no where with the thing it introduces(being vague because of Spoilers)Then ends abruptly with no explanation of what the hell was going on.
The lack of any difficulty throughout the game is just wrong. I'm used to Final Fantasy kicking my ass, but my 7 year old nephew could beat this game( by holding 1 button)
I played it before all these updates so maybe its better now, but I honestly cannot recommend it to anyone. Go buy a remaster of FF7, FFX, or even FFXII and you'll have a better time than this Stand By Me of a Video Game.
If Kyle likes it, thats fine, it just means he hasnt finished the game yet
This is at best a 2/5 Stars
Gada101 opinions...
I enjoyed it, but there was so much wrong with it. The level of unfinished "get the game out now, or else" in it makes MGSV seem like the most complete game ever made. All the jank of the game and the total lack of variety in quests, locales, creature variety, vapor storyline amplifies that blue balls feeling. Everything from the intended wedding on is like Sonic Adventure with schizophrenic personality break. The combat system really just turns into hold A to awesome and spaz out the camera too, gets very repetitive. However, it was a beautiful world, fun to be in, the creatures that were there looked really cool, I liked the characters a lot, chocobos were amazing, Prompto's photo mechanic was great, fishing is my jam, and I still somehow got the feels big time from the end of it, and I respect it for that. So I can enjoy it, am glad I played it, but still recognize my absolute disappointment and articulate my issues with it - I'm not just a cynical, hyperbolic hater.
You know, I really enjoyed the FF12 story, it has its flaws but it's DIFFERENT than the basic hero saves humanity scenario like many of the other FF titles. Rabanastre is filled with excitement and adventure... Every city just feels so ALIVE! As I remembered playing this game back in the day, you really feel immersed and really connect with the people you encounter throughout your journey. It may be pure nostalgia but I CANNOT wait to jump back into this game and explore this massive world once again.... Fran, Ashe, and Balthier
- let us journey again!
Huber, Brad, Ben and Kyle should go on a roadtrip and film it for us! A la - easy livin but roadtrip!
i love the 2x remake question.
Kyle: It has loot in it.
Ben: Kyle.
Kyle: What?
Ben: No.
Right now my pace with games I think playing/beating a couple new games and then going back to an old game or a remaster is a great way to keep yourself interested in what's new.
I'm glad to see Kyle loving FFXV, too. Duscae was a great way to prepare for the game. And FFXII is my favorite RPG, on another note.
Benjamin Busche picking up 12, what's rly great about it going in?
Frame trap is the best thing the internet has produced. So jolly.
I'm with Kyle about the ac. It's not about wearing hoodies just that I'd rather pay a high bill than feel like dying. Totally worth it. When it's cold you can layer up to your heart's content but when it's hot you can be nude and you're still dying.
Some insights that I got from Nier Automata **spoilers, it's gonna be a doozy** :
-To the androids, the humans on the moon are like what God is to real life humans. People cannot actually see God but choose to believe anyway. 9S isn't affected when he realizes humanity is already extinct because he believes he'll be okay as long he has his relationship with 2B.
-Also, that's why 9S feels so disrespected when Adam tells him that "he just wants to ******* 2B." 9S believes that his feeling towards 2B transcends just sexual attraction and is actually something more spiritual than that. Sort of like what humans do when they try to describe feelings of love toward their significant other. It would feel intensely disrespectful if someone told you that you don't actually care about your loved ones and you only "care" about them because it is your biological instinct to care for them.
-After 2B dies, a huge life question for 9S is "Why did the humans give us emotions when they created us? We don't need them to carry out tasks like obtaining resources, completing missions, and executing targets-so why?" You can also replace humans with God if you consider it to be a metaphor for real life. We don't need emotions to survive and reproduce (biological purpose) so why did God give us them?
-Popola and Devola is a clue to the answer to that question. Popola and Devola units were always created in pairs and they also wondered why humans created them that way. They come to the conclusion that they would not be able to live with themselves because they could not emotionally support each other if they were individual units and would probably just die. That's why the humans, or their God, created them in pairs.
-Yoko Taro's own personal answers to these questions come at the final credits at the end of the game (my favorite credits at the end of any video game ever). Some important things to note: the bullet hell section was meant to be impossible (effectively), you would need to call in help from other players who made it past this, and those players that made it past this also called in help from even more players when they finished the game.
This means that for someone to beat the game, other people have to have already beaten the game to send in help. And you're not supposed to realize what they did for you until you get past the bullet hell and you're asked the same questions they're asked. And if you delete your save file, you're allowing the "next generation" of players to beat the game as well. In a sense, it's a situation where the whole world is supporting each other. This is also why the music changes language and turns into a ballad with all three languages-to emphasize a sense of togetherness and camaraderie among people regardless of race, nationality, culture, beliefs, class, etc.
-I think this is the type of message Yoko Taro was trying to send:
Sure, life may be meaningless. Maybe we're just on this planet to perform our biological functions to pass on our DNA to our offspring and survive. There might be no God and you might have no purpose. But that's fine. We have each other-just like 9S has 2B and just like Eve has Adam-and that's where we find meaning our lives. We don't just happen have each other, we NEED each other to get through the tough times (like the bullet hell credits). So just understand that even though things might not be going your way, the world may look bleak, and you may outright hate being in this messed up world, we're all just human and we need each other. At least, "that's what we believe."
Sorry for rambling but I love this freaking game bruh
"it's good to have bro's" - Bosman .... Except there better not be any brother drama.
I played Chrono Trigger as a 19 year old with relatively little Jrpg experience on the DS and enjoyed it thoroughly, it really does stand the test of time.
I respectfully disagree with Kyle, Crash 2 is the best one
I know a lot of people are on the FFXV hate train but Episode Prompto was actually super good! Fun gameplay, some more lore and some background on best boi Prompto. And I think it's only $5 so it was definitely worth my money.
I'm 100% on board with Bosman on this. I hate the heat. I'd rather be freezing because I can put layers on in the winter until I'm comfortable, whereas I can't remove my flesh to be more comfortable during the summer.
Guys; about Crash and how hard the first two can be with the cheese; it's partly because the original games all had different engines, and physics, but in this trilogy, all games use the crash 3 physics; so the jumps work as in crash 3, but the levels are design for the other jump mechanics. (source: the developer :p )
We really need Kyle back on FT when he finishes FFXV. need to hear his thoughts.
Digimon Worlds.... one of my all time favorite ps1 games! That and Monster Rancher 2 took all my time as a kid.
great episode guys. in depth and challenging discussions on videogames and a trip down nostalgia road is always a good episode. also a nice diverse talk on "what have you been playing"
My favorite thing about FFXV was the villain.
After looking into his lore, he's become my favorite video game villain of all time.
Really? I felt the exact opposite. I thought he was a horrible villain, and I cared so little about his motivations.
Oh man, I loved him. Granted the story wasn't as well executed as I would have liked, but (spoilers ahead) I loved it when I realized that he was the first king of light. Chosen by the gods, but rejected after he selflessly corrupts himself by absorbing others' suffering and daemons into himself. The starscourge makes him immortal, and the once compassionate king grows malevolent over thousands of years. Then he comes back with a plan to fuck with the gods, and to get revenge on his bloodline.
He got what he wanted in the end. He wanted to end his bloodline, himself included, and post-crystal Noctis was the only one who could kill him. He died knowing full well that Noctis was about to die. Mission accomplished. Great villain in my book.
What? He's a fantastic villain and the gods didn't win, he won because he achieved everything he set out to do.
"After looking into his lore" Well that means the game didn't do a great villain job did it?
@kenshokram. Maybe, but most of the lore is in the game. There are little hints and collectables that tell you about his story. It's handled like a Soulsborne story, and I generally enjoy that change of pace.
Ben Moore, I dropped what I was doing when you mentioned that you wanted to play Suikoden. I had shivers down my spine. Great choice!
Oh Kyle I love Crash 1 and 2 xD The difficulty is high but you get better at it, it something you either enjoy or you don't, but it's deliberate. Very satisfying.
Hey Ben, great to hear you're liking TZA! I wanted to clear something up about Vaan, because I feel like a lot of people don't really get his point in the story. He's the point of view character, but not necessarily the main character. As soon as Ashe joins the party, she becomes the focus and it's clear that she's the protagonist of the game.
I know you're still early in the game, but Vaan's role in the story becomes a little clearer the farther you get in the game. Early on he's sort of a typical shonen hot head, but later on he sort of calms down and grows a little. He actually helps Ashe reach a major decision towards the end of the game.
Anyway, I don't know if you've reached Jahara yet, but there's a cutscene there between Ashe and Vaan that kind of clears up some of Vaan's thoughts and reasons for joining the party. I don't know if you'll ever read this, but thanks for taking the time if you do!
I really like Vaan as a viewpoint character. Ben being down on him really bums me out. He has good interactions with the other characters. I love the relationship he has to Basch, that scene with him screaming at Basch in his cage, questioning Basch's story in the Barheim Passage, Balthier telling him "Believe what you want to" but saying to Basch (when Jones featured that scene in Ben's Don't Skip I thought, can't you see how great that interaction is?), Vaan explaining to Basch back in Rabanaster that they couldn't have escaped Barheim without Basch, thanking him, saying that he knew then that it wasn't bash who killed the king, but the Archadian Empire --- all excellent scenes. Vaan asking Fran just exactly how old she is, it's not like the writers didn't know what they were doing and I think the english voice for him is perfectly on point.
Our co-host isn't here! HUBER!!
I think you can say a game is one of your all-time favorites without feeling the need to play it again or checking to see if it holds up. FFXV was the first Final Fantasy game I saw to completion after playing sections of at least a half-dozen others and... It was beautiful. I loved it. It is one of my favorite games of all-time whether I play it again or not. Same goes for Breath of the Wild, the first Zelda game I've ever finished. It's been a hell of a year for video games, eh?
Also, I know the dungeon y'all are talking about... In the midst of it, it was incredibly frustrating. Platforming with Noctis like that was very, very difficult. But I finished it! It is one of those gaming accomplishments that I won't soon forget. Beautiful dungeon too! Have honestly never played anything like it.
Just a little thing about Sombra: She is actually very common in the pro scene this season. Still not great outside of the scene though since she requires tight teamwork. She gains her ult almost every fight, and the ult is game changing. With that said, Doomfist might not be as popular in the pro scene(but might replace a Genji or one of the tanks), but might actually see a lot of playtime in regular competitive/qp.
Winter >>>>>>>> Summer. I freaking hate summer.
Autumn/Fall>Spring>Winter>Summer ... the extremes(Summer and Winter) suck.
Huber, HUBER? HUUBBBEEEEERRRR
n Huckleberry Finn!!
I don't mind some Brad he is great too
tom sawyer GAME OVER
Played a few Final fantasy's, But XV has to be my Favourite. There is obvious flaws but the subtle things done in that game makes it special imo.
You nailed it. A personal favorite does not mean, "statistically the most perfect," game. I love games that are flawed, but have a clear vision and unique sense of identity. It is those little details that make a connection to a game so special and FF XV is filled with those little details that make you not care about the flaws.
absolutely agree.
suplextrain I agree, but it's not uncommon for Final Fantasy games to have Interesting ideas that never really work perfectly. It's not perfect, but it's still a decent game
I understand where you are coming from and I feel like there needs to be a distinction made. Clear vision doesn't always relate to plot. In that field, the game is not so clear. I was talking more about the overall themes and mechanics that the game was presenting as being its clear vision. You could clearly see what they were trying to go for in that realm in terms of friendship and their road trip. I should have clarified earlier.
Brad with that love and respect for Nier/Automata... there's a reason why this dude holds the EZA World Belt!!!
Y'all can fight me, but FFXV was my fave game of last year. It hit all the story notes I personally needed. For some reason, despite lacking exposition and some worldbuilding, the core plot hit my heart so hard and had me crying by the end. And can't WAIT to hear your final thoughts on it whenever you finish it Kyle!!!
DS chrono trigger has both the anime cutscenes and the in-game cutscenes right after. also looks the best and has the best UI since the menus are on the bottom and the game screen is CLEAN.
This is the best show about gaming that there is.
kyle's description of playing digimon world during the summer sounds like just having a full-time job
I'm late in gaming, so when I got into ff15, I don't have that huge amount of expectation you'll have like after waiting for 10 years. Enjoyed it a lot, and think it's a bold, unique game
Just what I needed on this hot Monday! Also I have been fidgeting with my AC all day for the same reasons
Entire Crash trilogy is definition of swimming in sevens.
Nowadays, I always watch LPs on RUclips before considering whether to buy a game.
I rolled my eyes after seeing the transition from the end of the rougelike "no save" tutorial of Nier: Automata to the start of the savable chapter. I said to myself: "Wait a minute, what?!".
If the android troops of YoRHa are holding such a powerful technology of self-destruction and resurrection, the androids should be the winner of this stupid android/machine war long time ago by simply doing the following sequence:
1. Create a team of this powerful black box kamikaze and send them to an area on earth.
2. Self-destruct with black boxes to clean up the area from the dumb machines
3. Send in a scavenger team to collect resources in that area.
4. Resurrect the kamikaze team members.
5. Repeat step 1.
Anyway, it is just a game - a more complicated route (melee, range, dodge, small scale self-destruction (not black box), 2D, 3D, bullet hell, on rail shooting etc.) to fight is more fun than simply using the black box strategy to win. Besides, there will be no such thing as the so-called a compelling story if it is winning too fast. By the way, the story is already very self-destructive compelling from the very beginning.
Just an opinion.
I'm so happy Kyle is enjoying FFXV. I loved it too
I really enjoyed the episode! I like it when people don't agree! different points of view
NIER AUTOMATA SPOILERS
I want to chime in a little on Automata. The game to me was giving off a strong "Finding meaning" vibe. Most sci fi media about the subject of blurring the lines of what it means to be human never really go this in depth on that specific area. Like, you're practically human and feel emotions, now what? Do you find meaning in your life by having fun(Theme park bots), do you seek a higher power(become as gods), protecting humanity(Yorha), or simply having a family(many side quests and 2B-9S, Adam-Eve). I feel like the game was exploring what gives different people meaning for their own existence and also shows what can happen when people lose their meaning, Pascal with the kids, 9S wasn't TOO upset about Yorha being wiped because at least he still had 2B..........and she dies and he loses it.
Regarding the magic in Final Fantasy 15, I was extremely disappointed at the lack of inclusion of meteor and rain from the demo. Those were easily my favorite parts and I was looking forward to using them more.
The touchscreen rhythm game was probably Osu. It's amazing
Sure made my time in a bath soaking to ease the pain of terrible sunburn better! Thx ben XD
With you Brad. Secret of Mana best SNES RPG! Couldn't finish neither FF6 nor Chrono Trigger but ate SoM up instantly.
Whoa whoa whoa! Brad, wtf? Federation vs Zeon is amazing!
Wow I couldn't disagree more Kyle, Crash 2 is easily the best one for me. And I like the enemy design
Most people agree that 2 is the best in terms of design. Even Jason Rubin has said this (the creator of Crash). It is super difficult though but that's kind of enjoyable about it.
When breaking it down on gameplay and design, Crash 2 is the best, only a silly person would say otherwise. Crash 3 has more variety with vehicles etc., but variety is not always a good thing. Whenever replaying the trilogy, some of those vehicle levels in 3 are the most annoying and least fun ones.
Kyle, don't go to the movies in Thailand. Just before the end, you'll see dozens of people leave. They don't even wait for the credits. Don't know why it's a thing, but it always rustles my jimmies.
I'd love to hear Kyle's thoughts on the ending when he finishes the game.
Persona, Ben. Mundane things about the friends, yeah Persona does that too.
Yeah that was a very weird omission by Ben. Persona 4 more so than the others is all about how the mundane, the ability to just be your true self around others, is worth any adversity and discrimination you may face for being your true self.
Ben knows how great Casey's Taco Pizza is. Nuff said
They almost used Shinkawa's art style for the entirety of MGS2 before settling on the more realistic look! Also, my experience of trying to get teens/my (barely past their teens) friends to play MGS1 and 2 has been to tempt them with a story. Maybe it's just my group of friends, but I've really been able to get them in with the story.
I assume you, too, are barely past your teens. So how did you come to play and enjoy MGS1? Did you start with MGS4 or some such?
Yeah, I turned 22 recently. And nope, I started with the original! After MGS1 made its way into the Hall of Greats, I knew I had a sworn and sacred duty. I'm now playing through them in order using the HD collection (Xbox version). Just started up Snake Eater this weekend. I think that a lot of people I know have an appreciation for things that were before their time. If you think about it, the whole hipster movement was originally about trying to cling to the physical and material in the face of a world that's rapidly digitizing. Hipsters eventually devolved into an aesthetic reserved for the upper-middle class, but I think a lot of the sentiment about wanting to maintain a relationship with physical stuff still applies. In a world of Spotify and iTunes, the fact that people are making an active choice to go buy vinyl copies of their favorite albums is a clear aesthetic and in some ways philosophical decision. So my experience is that, if someone around my age hears enough enthusiasm for an older piece of media from someone they trust, they'll be surprisingly willing to give it a shot!
Well cool :) I love MGS1 and I hope you enjoy the series. It's great that EZA could put this game into their Hall of Greats and bring it into your world. What were your thoughts on the series up to that point? When you saw the release of MGS5 were you curious about what all the hype was for?
The fact that it was the fifth entry made me feel like I had sort of missed the boat in a lot of ways. The trailer material made Snake look like a soulless, grizzled action hero like so many before him, and even the presence of guns turned me off a bit because it looked like just another action shooter. I grew up mostly on racing games, puzzle games, platformers, and JRPGs, so it was easy for me at the time to just lump it in with similar titles and not give it much of a second thought. When people started talking about the philosophy and story, though, I was intrigued by the promise of a game in a genre I don't usually play that could provide some of my favorite things in games. Throw on the revelation that the game is largely stealth-based and its Hall of Greats induction and I was sold.
I love MGS1 for it's story and philosophy, but whatever else it gets wrong, MGS5 gets action soooo right. I understand you are put off by shooters, but you could do worse than to play MGS5 just for the action. I started the series with MGS1 back in '98 but was put off by the way the story developed from 2 on. So, unlike a lot of fans, I am perfectly fine with digesting MGS5 apart from the unfinished plot.
Great example of a game from last generation that had 2 different versions in development was The Force Unleashed. Technically it had 3, but I'm excluding the NDS version...The Wii/PS2/PSP version made by Krome Studios and the PS3/XB360 version made by LucasArts' inhouse team.
It's great to compare the differences in the base game, each of the 3 games made my Krome also included extra features unique to that platform, such as multiplayer in 2 of the 3 version, but the main comparison between the mission structure and design is so intriguing to compare.
Personally, when it comes down to it, the PS2 version is my favorite of them all. It's just a superior game to than LA's version on PS3/XB360/PC. Not as pretty looking I suppose, but the gameplay, level design, "The Force Powers", everything just had more meat to it. I was quite impressed with what it was able to accomplish.
I never played the Wii version, but from what I can tell it's the same game, but maybe it runs better on the Wii than PS2. I don't know. The PSP version is solid, but much uglier due to the low res and weaker system, but still impressive. It's a great game regardless! I kinda wish more of these situations occurred, if anything, just because it's cool to compare/contrast the different development choices, and why they were made.
Oh man, Kyle! Yu Yu hakusho is my favorite anime! wish you talked about it
OH BOY. 3 hour's let's go
That remake question is so good.
I would want Hideo Kojima and Hidetaka Miyazaki each do a remake of Knights of the Old Republic. It would be sick seeing what these two would do with a Star Wars game. I don't think either version would feel anything even remotely like the original game. And that's fine, we have the original, that's already been done. I want Kojima's own vision of Star Wars, and Miyazaki's own vision of Star Wars.
I tried to play MGS and got put off, but it wasn't because it didn't appeal to my modern gaming sensibilities. It was because my anxiety will not allow me to play that game, getting spotted is such a horrific feeling to me that it's almost impossible to get through. I don't think that's something a remaster can fix, and sadly it might mean I never get to play one of the greats.
stop being a baby.
Is Huber banned to the shadowrealm of Frame trap? Does he have to beat Nioh and Persona 5 before he can return!?
Gihren no Yabou, one of the best gundam game series, ever.
Kyle is so wrong about Crash 2 and Crash Warped that it hurts
You can use PS Plus to manual save in Souls/Bloodborne.
I used it to save scum the ending achievements on my first playthrough of BB & DS3.
(I have completed it more than that but I wanted to get the platinum done asap so that I could reply without thinking about achieves or endings)
Pascal best voice acted character in Nier! His arc crushed me
When listening to the Crash discussion, there's so many "wrong" things I heard, I really need to play the remaster and see if the remaster is the issue at times.
When I played FFXV around Christmas, I had an absolute blast with it. I still maintain it's a great game. However, looking back, when I think about that game's open world vs. Breath of the Wild, it would be hard for me to pick it up again because of just how much more meaningful and fun to explore BotW is compared to FFXV.
I quite enjoyed Final Fantasy XV but the bad vibes surrounding the game left me with a negative impression. Thanks to Kyle for that great discussion on that game which reminded me why I enjoyed it so much
haha i love that kyle loves ffxv. simultaneously the most overrated yet underrated game last year.
gundam battle assault 2 is one of my favorite fighting games ever
FFXV is one of Kyle's favorite RPGs of all time....okay then. Glad he is enjoying it. I personally thought it was a mess.
When they talked about Gundam Versus, I felt like I was back in time, where for some people Gundam Wing was the only Gundam.
Man, I know people who would both laugh and rage at the panel for not knowing some the great storyline based Gundam games, and no mention of Super Robot Wars? For shame.
For me, Gundam is about the political intrigue and dialogue about war, so more about the characters. Giant robots is the cherry on top.
I agree with the manual saving issues. I am replaying GoWIII and I noticed I was getting a bit tired of the constant saving process.
That save issue in Yakuza 0, why does it save the system options every time as well... oh man so annoying!
Old men Ben and Brad: "Remember when arcades were cool? Back in my day..." xD
As someone who spent time on the street in LA of a December, I can tell you there absolutely IS occasion for drinking hot cocoa there. I fkng froze...
1:56:00 'My favourite' - was Ben just referencing The Fifth Element!? Can't tell if that's just his accent or he was doing a Gary Oldman voice.
Frame Trap and Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age on the same day!
Doom 3 on the OG Xbox has a dedicated quick save button
kyle! invading bases is SO cool! i loved that part of xv!
I just finished route B for Nier and REALLY hope you guys will get a Spoiler Mode together for it!
"Is it the diagonals one" - Pretty sure Kyle's talking about Sound Voltex. I play this.
"It just had a big anime girl on it"
"I think it's just a big touchscreen"
There's a lot of those. In the US? Maybe Crossbeats?
I feel bad for the developers of FF XV. They try so hard fixing this game. If they had at least 2 more years to finish it, maybe I would like their game. ^^'
this was probably already stated, but are the allies going to be at gamescom? ben impressions of monster Hunter world would be killer
No, Bosman, NO. You did *NOT* "100%'d Crash Bandicoot 3" *UNTIL* you collect ALL of the ankhs (ALL of them). Did you?
Just started watching the Castlevania series on Netflix... Everytime I hear Dracula speak I hear Lazarevic from Uncharted 2. It's the same voice actor. It's cracking me up.