Angell Soul (Inside look into Turn Based Combat)

Hello dear readers, Angell Soul here again with an editorial in place of a review this time. With the new FFVII remake announcement and the upcoming FFXV it’s starting to look like turn-based combat is rapidly disappearing from RPGs. Are turn-based RPGs a thing of the past or do they still have a place in today’s gaming marketplace? Even the Final Fantasy series seems to be abandoning the genre.

I think we do have to face the truth of the matter. Turn-based combat has lost its place at the heart of the RPG world. It used to be that the top selling and best known RPGs involved meticulous strategic gameplay. Now the biggest titles are almost all exclusively action RPGs. Action like Dragon Age, Kingdom Hearts, Fallout 4, Oblivion and The Witcher games have been some of the most successful titles in the past half-decade of gaming.

Lately, I’ve heard people argue that turn-based combat is stale and boring. One person argued that turn-based combat was simply a result of technological limitations and bound to be abandoned. I would counter that turn-based combat is one of the most amazingly diverse genres of gameplay out there. Tactical RPGs that require detailed unit placement and consideration of space, classic Final Fantasy Games that require juggling different character skills, and the Mario and Luigi series that mix turn based elements with active input: these examples just go to show that turn-based combat is actually very diverse.

Does the expulsion of turn-based combat from mainstream games mean that those of us who love that kind of combat will no longer be able to experience it in our games? Well, no, but maybe it won’t have a place in the blockbusters of the gaming industry anymore. Turn-based combat is actually doing quite well when we consider the broader picture. PC rpgs are making a comeback and many of them, like the recently released X-COM 2, are showing us that turn-based combat isn’t stale.

In the grand picture of things the niche status of turn-based combat these days provides it the opportunity to grow in new and diverse directions. Developers making turn-based games won’t have to dumb down systems to appeal to casual fans, but can rather work on tailoring their games to be punishing and rewarding for experienced genre-fans. So, while FF XV won’t be revolutionizing turn-based combat maybe a smaller developer than Square-Enix might just do so.

Top 10 Best Jrpg Openings EVER! (Part 2)

Number 5: Wild Arms 3 The 3rd Advanced

Back in the heyday of the PS1 and PS2 Era of Jrpgs, not many could match the Tales series' openings, that is, with the exception of Wild Arms. An Rpg set in the fictional world of Filgaia, each game has a heavy Wild West theme, with cowboys and guns being intricate to the plot and gameplay. Wild Arms 3's opening captures it very well with the song having a very western sound. This was also the 1st and only game in the series to have the song re-recorded with English vocals.


Number 4: Tales of the Abyss

Tales of the Abyss is no where close to my favorite in the series but damn it if it doesn't have a close to perfect opening. If it was shown to most anime fans, it would be mistaken for a really good anime opening. The song is KARMA by Bump of Chicken and it's amazing! It showcases the characters and setting perfectly with the visual and movement matching the tempo of the song. Thumbs up!


Number 3: Chrono Trigger

The Playstation 1 port of Chrono Trigger added little outside of the amazing opening! Which was fine because the game was near perfect to begin with. The opening has the feeling of a massive adventure and shows off the fighting style and to a lesser point, the personality of the characters. 


Number 2: Tales of Graces f

In my opinion, the best Opening for a Tales game, by the best game in the Tales series. Sung by the amazing BoA, they managed to get her to re-record her smash hit 'White Wishes' (used in the Japanese vers.) in English and it sounds amazing. The visuals are mostly a mix of fighting scenes and scenes from the game. They start the opening with quick glimpse into each character's personality. It is an amazing opening.


Honorable Mention : Thousand Arms

Number 1: Wild Arms 2 The 2nd Ignition

Arguably the best game in the Wild Arms series, it also plays host to the best Opening in Jrpg EVER! It is perfect in the context of showing off the setting and characters via compelling visuals and  theme appropriate music. There's not much I can say that playing the youtube video I've hotlinked doesn't. It is perfect. 

Top 10 Best Jrpg Openings EVER! (Part 1)

Hello everyone! Rpg Soul here back with another gaming list :D. It's no surprise that Jrpg shares alot in common with Anime. From character archetypes to plot twists and villains, Jrpg is essentially an Anime you can play. 



Along with all the similarities are the Openings, you know? Cool visuals accompanied by upbeat J-pop music or a full blown song with vocals! (essentially an animated music video meant to introduce you to the characters and setting). Unlike Anime openings that plays at the start of every episode, you tend to see Jrpg openings after you've booted up the system and before the main menu (with some exceptions) So let's get to it! 


Number 10: Suikoden 3

The opening for Suikoden 3 is by far the best in the series with beautiful music and visuals that make the game look a lot more exciting than it actually was. It does its job in introducing the characters and to a small extent their background, with some characters running through a dessert while others stand in a forest or city. 

Number 9: Valkyrie Profile

The very underrated Valkyrie Profile takes the 9th spot with ethereal music that quickly turns into a quick tempo electronic track, the start of it matches the Norse Mythology lore of the game. It shows bits and pieces of the game without giving too much away and introduces us to a few of the many many characters in Valkyrie Profile. 

Number 8: Tales of Destiny

I love the visual and the music in this opening for another underrated game from the Playstation 1. I would've placed it higher had the music fit with the rest of the themes of the game, but on it's own it looks and sound amazing.

Number 7: Final Fantasy 8

Unfortunately, the only Final Fantasy that makes the list. Final Fantasy 8's opening sets the tone for the rest of the game perfectly, with foreshadowing and a kick-ass fight with Seifer. Also the chanting is amazing! So much love.


Number 6: Tales of Vesperia

It's no surprise to find another Tales game in this list as the Tales games are known for their amazing animation. Vesperia also has the amazing advantage of having Bonnie Pink record an English version of 'Ring a Bell'. The visuals in this opening looks amazing! I still rewatch this from time to time.

More of the list in the next post!

Nostalgia Soul Series (Beyond the Beyond Review 1994)

Beyond the beyond was the first ever RPG I played and left me confused as a kid. What genre was this and why did the opening music make me feel like I was about to embark on a massive adventure? I decided to replay it for this review and expected epicness and nostalgia instead it's pretty meh in terms of Jrpgs even compared to the games on the SNES at the time. It breaks no new ground in terms of characters, storyline and gameplay and basically plays like a poor man's Dragon Quest. There will be leeway in terms of scoring because it was the first ever RPG released in America and was released at the start of the Playstation era, back when the system's true potential has not yet been reached.


Plot: Unnamed silent protagonist lives in a quiet town with his adoptive parents and sister. He trains with his father who is a knight for the Kingdom once a month. One night, his adoptive brother comes home to warn them about enemies that have taken over the castle and captured the prince. Together with Annie (his adoptive sister) and Percy (the brother), they leave the quiet town to check on protagonist's father and accidentally saves and travels with the kidnapped Prince.

Opinion: The plot is your typical run of the mill fantasy Jrpg. It never strays too far from the norm and not much I can comment about other than the story feels very traditional but that's not necessarily a bad thing, just very niche. 3/5 Soul




Setting and Graphics: The setting is medieval with lots of forest and caves and wooden houses. Typical for a Jrpg during that time period. 

The graphics are honestly butt ugly, it looks like a slightly better version of a SNES Rpg and one could mistake it for a port. Not that SNES games are ugly but games are also judged on the capabilities of the system they came out on. Of course this game came out at the start of the Playstation 1's life and you could make the argument that they did not know the full capabilities of the Playstation 1. 2/5 Soul


 

Gameplay: The game plays a lot like Dragon Quest in it's interface and interaction with people and objects, it is all done via a menu or the triangle button. Each character has a role and there are no customization which is normal for early Jrpgs. Also this game is littered with FUCKING random encounters! Can u imagine doing a somewhat complicated puzzle with random encounters occurring every two steps??!! It was a nightmare! 

The battle is turned based and has a Legend of Dragoon style 'hit the button at the right time' system but other than that there not much to note about it. 1/5 Soul


Characters: There are five slots in the party and two of them tend to be revolving doors for short term party members. In the other 3 slots there is silent protagonist who has no personalty to speak of, Annie and Edward the prince.

Annie: Bullheaded and stubborn, I quite like Annie. She thirsts for adventure and defies her conservative parents to be able to play with the big boys. Unfortunately, she falls into the typical adoptive sister stereotype that won't stop obsessing and in turn having romantic feelings for her silent brother...gross.

Edward: Boring.


Overall:  Boring, ugly and with a stupidly broken random encounter meter, I cannot give this game higher than 1/5 Soul I thought this review would be filled with nostalgia-filled scores and comments seeing as how this was the game that started my RPG obsession but I can't do it without feeling dirty after.   

Top 10 Soulful Final Fantasy Games Part 2

Number 4




Final Fantasy 5 was not the first game to introduced a job system but it was the first title that let you delve into the changing of jobs and character customization. I played it when it came out for the Playstation 1, along with Chrono Trigger and til this day it's still the funnest of the SNES FF Triglogy.

Top 10 Soulful Final Fantasy Games (Based on my PERSONAL OPINION) Part 1

Final Fantasy has grown and evolved over the years with the recent games being near unrecognizable to fans of the old installment of the series. With Final Fantasy 15 coming out this year, I've decided to make a top 10 list of my favorite games in the main flagship titles. I will start with...


Number 10

Despite being a sequel, many fans consider this game part of the main series. With bizarre Jpop music and a job changing system involving dresses, the game comes off more like a love letter to the fans of Final Fantasy 10 and boy did we enjoy the journey. Amust play if you're a fan of FF 10 

Number 9

The first FF game to come out for the Playstation 2 and the return to turn based battle for the series since FF3. A jumble of plots and twist, some make sense while some created plot holes. It was a beautiful game for its time but was marred with bad voice acting and strange creative choices. I still enjoyed it.

Number 8

One of two Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game to carry the flagship title. An online game second only to World of Warcraft and boasting upwards of 5 million account subscribed. It helped recoup the loss Final Fantasy 13 had on Square Enix and a good game in it's own right. If you're into MMORPGs, this is a must-try!

Number 7

Notice how I used Ashe's picture instead of one with Vaan for Final Fantasy 12? Had she been the main character I would have placed this game much higher. Vaan had no interesting story or character arc and instead followed Ashe around as the story revolved around her. And yes FF10 had the same concept but Yuna was no main character material, Ashe was. The battle system was hot off the heels of their first MMORPG FF11 and it showed. The game and world felt huge and had a sense of grand adventure.

Number 6

In the number 6 slot is Final Fantasy 4. I know a lot of people, my brother included would place this game a lot higher on their list and honestly I would have too but I was not a fan of switching out the party members constantly to fit the storyline. It's still a very good game and was the first in the series to have a proper narrative and paved the way for the rest of the series.

Number 5

With graphics that leave the games that came before it in tears, Final Fantasy 6 is the title you'll find in the top spot for a lot of Final Fantasy lists. The story took risks and it boasts one of the biggest cast of playable characters in the series. Featuring the first female main character in the flagship titles, Terra had paved the way for stronger and bigger females for the games after it. Kudos FF6.

End of part 1.