Terra and Lightning's RPG Roundup

"Over and Over and Over Again" (RPG Roundup Episode 36). So what have we been playing? Lots of stuff! Today’s episode laments some of the more repetitive elements of Bravely Default and also questions some of the -um- wardrobe decisions of the denizens of Star Ocean 5. We also discuss Final Fantasy II, King’s Quest: Episode 1, and our progress in Dragon Warrior! Some FFXIV, FFXI, and Shining Force 2 also sprinkled in.

Persona 4 Golden – You are Yu! (RPG Roundup Episode 35). PlayStation Vita. 2011. What happens when your parents go to work in some foreign country and you move to a little town called Inaba? Murder, that’s what happens! Join Yu Narukami and pals as they learn the power of Persona, bond over beach escapades and boring school trips, and of course try to solve the murder mystery! Turn-based combat married to an intriguing social link system makes for a great 100 hours, especially on the newer Vita version. Disclaimer: we did misremember a few things in retrospect, so try not to mind when we get a few things wrong. We also couldn’t discuss everything we wanted to, given how long the game was.

"Segue Episode #1 – Oh Where Have the JRPGs Gone?" We're now splitting up our What We've Been Playing and review episodes – have no fear, Persona 4 Golden should be out in about a month! Today we talk about Persona 5, Shining Force 2, and South Park: the Stick of Truth, among other games, and also about this year’s rather disappointing E3, although a few games piqued our interests. And what’s this terrible game called Magikarp Jump that we’ve been playing? Find out if you dare!

"Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance – the Eyeliner of Evil Returns." PlayStation 4. 2015. Now coming out on the Nintendo Switch! Although a little more simplistic than its predecessors, Disgaea 5 still has its merits, with a fun tactical battle system, larger than life characters, and fixations with curry that border on the obscene. Why does main character of Killia want revenge on the powerful overlord Void Dark? All this and more, to include some spoiler-free Persona 5 talk and discussion on our travails through Final Fantasy XI.

"Conception 2 – The One With the Boobs." Recorded in early January – episode may not sound up to date with what we’re playing now. So…boobs. This game has a lot of boobs. It also has boring dungeons, painful battle mechanics, and repetitive cutscenes. Listen to us as we ramble about (of course) boobs, baby mechas (no lies there), and sleep aids (you won’t need any after playing this game).

“Dragon Age: Inquisition: Part 2—The Trouble With Lord Woolsley.” PlayStation 4. 2014. It’s been a year and half since Part 1, but we’ve finally finished Dragon Age: Inquisition. You name it, we’ve done it: Healing the rift, defeating Corypheus, killing dragons, electing a new Divine, deciding the future of the Inquisition—and, of, course, bringing Lord Woolsley home. It’s a Christmas miracle—that we saved Lord Woolsley and that we finally finished this episode.

Chrono Trigger: Part 2 – To Faraway Times. SNES. 1995. Here we are with our second installment on Chrono Trigger, picking up after the showdown with Magus in the Middle Ages. Much like its predecessor Final Fantasy 6, the game turns from a linear format to a more open-ended experience, including skippable sidequests and several options on how to beat the final boss. Also, Lavos sounds like a broken-down car. And Magus becomes your reluctant last party member.

"Mario Maker – the Hammer Brother Horde." Wii U. 2015. We are finally back to talk about…Mario Maker, which is one of our non-RPG minisodes. We also talk about the games we’ve been working on, complain about Final Fantasy XV, and discuss our future plans. New Star Ocean game, anyone? Remember, Chrono Trigger Part 2 should be coming out soon!

"Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch – Oliver’s Acid Trip." PlayStation 3. 2013. We recorded this in early December, but schedules and a myriad of audio issues made this one a hard one to edit. It also didn’t help that we weren’t overly fond of Ni No Kuni. Wait – what? But everybody else liked it! Well, the battle system is a clunker. So is the AI. The game revolves around a boy named Oliver, who is learning to be a wizard while dealing with the death of his mother, and his journey to become powerful enough to beat the evil wizard Shadar.

"Chrono Trigger: Part I – Robo's Rave." SNES. 1995. What groundbreaking game in the mid-90s featured time travel, multiple endings, and Rick Astley lovin' robots? If you guessed Chrono Trigger, then you are correct. We discuss the first half of the game as well as what we’ve been up to gaming-wise. Hint: we had nothing to do with pigeons.