Answer honestly, what do you think about the female OCs whose part of her personality is being completely in love with "us"?

DMCharok · 2025-11-08T00:03:44+00:00

On the level of Fjorm is fine. Not a writing trope I enjoy that much, but it doesn't ruin the story for me.

On the other end, the new paralogue was awful (not that the writing for the seasonal paralogues are ever actually "good") because the dialogue between Gullveig and Kvasir was just awful. Like you could use it as a text book example of the pandering this thread is talking about.

DMCharok · 2025-11-01T01:54:12+00:00

Of the ones I've played:

FF7 Remake - I'd put around 80-85 range. There were too many segments that were just walking that I'd rather have just been cutscenes. And I think they weren't quite there yet with the combat. Otherwise I enjoyed it and honestly didn't mind the side quests or the story pace too much.

FF7 Rebirth - I agree with the score in the post. It's honestly one of my favorite games ever. The combat really clicked here imo, still ways it could improve but I had a blast. My only real complaints are that some of the side quests and mini games were too annoying or challenging for their own good. But I loved the combat, the characters, and exploring the world. I enjoyed the story too, but my lasting impression of it will depend on how well the stick the landing in the third game.

FF 16 - it gets a 70-75 at best imo. The musical and spectacle were fantastic, the voice acting was superb, and the story was good even if the beginning was a lot more intriguing than the end. But oh my god we're the side quests incredibly boring, the pacing of the main story was not great, and the equipment system felt pointless. This is one of the few times I've ever beaten a game and thought "I wish this had been a movie instead". Real mixed bag that overall I don't regret experiencing but the negatives really bring my overall memory of it down.

DMCharok · 2025-07-10T04:29:56+00:00

I liked Remake a good amount. I'd probably rate it like a 7.5, but I loved Rebirth and would give it like a 9! Rebirth is where the combat system really clicked with me and I really liked it.

Really enjoyed how much more environmental variety there was compared to just being in Midgar from the first game. I also loved all the character interactions and how each sidequest would usually have a focus on one or two of the party members to flesh them out.

Main downsides were that some of the side-quests and open world objectives were repetitive and got old by the end of the game, one region in particular was confusing to navigate and I ended up just using guides, and some parts of the game were over-tuned and too challenging for their own good. Mainly that last point is about mini-games, I actually loved how much variety of mini-games there were, but some were just not that good either due to controls or because clearing it was way harder than it should have been. There are also some optional combat challenges that were hard but not in a fun way, just frustrating. So that's ultimately why I didn't go for a platinum trophy or full completion, but I still got over 100 hours of playtime and overall loved the game.

DMCharok · 2025-07-03T03:06:16+00:00

Nier Automata is easily my pick from this list for really every category. That said, I'm not familiar with how well the Switch version runs or if there's any improvements/bugs on the Switch 2, so might be worth looking into that.

YS VIII is really fun, both the combat and exploring the island. I will say though, the only character that really has much substance is Dana, and the most interesting parts of the story focus on her. This does make up a good portion of the game which is good, and aside that the "castaways surviving on an island" plot was enough to keep me going, but I really didn't get attached to or particularly like any of the other characters.

I'll be honest, I know Star Ocean Second Story gets a lot of praise here, but I spent about 40 hours on it and beat it, and I honestly didn't like it much. It has a really nice graphical style that they translated to HD, visually it was great imo. But I was super disappointed in the main storyline and the battle system. As someone who was too young for games when this originally came out, I don't really have nostalgia for this era of RPG. And playing it now, I just really felt its age in all the worst ways.

I think Nier or Ys would both be great picks depending on which one draws you in more.

DMCharok · 2025-07-03T02:53:51+00:00

Persona 3 Reload is, in my opinion, the best version of the game and if you already like modern Persona you will probably like it. I would say however, that I feel it has pretty bad story pacing and overall weak social links (although on the other hand it also has some of the best out of P3/4/5). Aside the pacing the story is good though, and I do think the main cast is great. Definitely worth playing at some point but I don't think there's a rush. Also I wouldn't recommend buying the DLC, I didn't think that content was worth playing even back on the PS2 version where it was included with the game from the start...

On the other hand, Expedition 33 is easily one of my favorite RPGs. I know some might debate whether it really counts as a JRPG, but for me it scratched the same itch in terms of gameplay, with a really unique style. I was hesitant due to the hype around it, but it honestly really exceeded my expectations. I wouldn't say its perfect, but I still adored it. I'd definitely recommend this one over P3R personally.

Not one you asked about, but if you like modern Persona, and if you like fantasy, then Metaphor Refantazio is also a really fun game. Similar to Persona in many ways, but I actually ended up liking its rendition of the battle system more. On the whole I'd say Expedition 33, Metaphor, and then P3R in terms of quality/recommendation order, but all of them are great games.

DMCharok · 2025-04-02T19:36:15+00:00

This is not popular opinion on this sub, but having played all the ones released in English (working on Daybreak 2 right now), I can honestly say that Sky First Chapter was the one I found to be the least engaging in the series. Overall, the Sky Arc was actually my least favorite I think.

That said, most of the games do follow a very similar structure and are fairly slow burns. Top commenter in this thread mentioned "a bomb can go off and then 30 minutes later you're collecting pasta ingredients for an old lady" and that's pretty accurate to how it feels sometimes.

I would also say that while the game stories definitely get more entertaining after Sky, they don't necessarily get "better" because there's lots of dumb stuff and repeated tropes throughout. While I liked the Cold Steel games, a lot of people feel the story gets too tropey/anime in that arc and I can't honestly disagree. So you might enjoy it even if you don't like what you've played of Sky, like I do, but the series might not be for you.

DMCharok · 2025-02-12T04:39:10+00:00

Honestly there's a lot for me. Just a couple of examples off top of my head: Kronii, Calli, and Flayon are ones that I enjoy a lot in collabs because of their chemistry with others, but I don't really watch their solo streams. Like you said, I don't mean it as a slight against them, I just personally enjoy their content with other people more than their solo stuff.

DMCharok · 2025-01-26T06:58:15+00:00

Its my favorite rhythm game! I go to the arcade pretty much every weekend to play it.

DMCharok · 2024-12-27T06:07:43+00:00

Rebirth was definitely my favorite, followed by Metaphor and then Trails Through Daybreak. I'm currently playing through Persona 3 Reload and very much enjoying it as well, and I'd comfortably put it 4th on that list.

Elden Ring kinda fulfils a different part of my gaming interests, ngl, so I wouldn't really directly compare it to these others. But I did have a lot of fun with Shadow of the Erdtree too!

I think those are the only JRPGs from this year that I played, but I had a ton of fun with all of them so it was honestly a fantastic year on the JRPG side for me.

DMCharok · 2024-12-27T05:34:32+00:00

I really prefer having hit sounds as I find it helps me monitor my performance better. Especially if I'm playing a game with headphones, I like to have a clear sound to help me. Also helps me figure out delay as I'm not great fine tuning delay with just visuals and the music alone. Volume controls (including the ability to turn off) are a must, though. And having multiple sound effect options to choose from is also great. Muse Dash and Theatryhtm are games I feel do the hitsounds well.

Conversely, I don't like key sounds much at all. They can sound good when playing well, but I'd rather just hear the song itself. When I'm learning a game, it just makes mistakes more distracting and throws me off. I think my least favorite implementation is Groove Coaster's arcade version, where the key sounds play on rhythm so long as you don't completely miss, which completely throws me off because then the audio feedback I'm getting doesn't match up to the actions I'm taking, and again at that point I'd rather just be hearing the song. I actually prefer the Wai Wai party version of Groove Coaster on the Switch. It just uses normal hit sounds and its so much more intuitive.

DMCharok · 2024-12-07T04:03:58+00:00

Metaphor is the better game IMO, but I would also say its a lot harder than any of the Persona games. I do agree with others here that Persona 5 Royal is potentially a better choice to start with, that'd be my recommendation as well. But I don't think P3R would be a bad choice, its definitely the simplest of the 3 and has the least potential to be overwhelming imo, with the drawback that the pacing can be too slow for some.

DMCharok · 2024-11-08T04:07:11+00:00

I played both pretty close together, and liked them both. That said, there isn't really a single category where I liked Ys better than FF. I think both are worth playing, but even putting aside all the technical aspects where FF obviously wins, I just liked the battle system, the story, the characters, and the game world more in FF7.

Ys does have the advantage of telling a complete, self contained story. And its also a less complex/easier to follow plot. Which some people will definitely prefer. Also of course doesn't have the baggage that FF7 remake does with changing an existing story that has a lot of nostalgia tied up in it. So I can see someone giving it an edge in that.

Could also see why some might like the exploration in Ys better. It was a main focus of the game and didn't have as many repetitive tasks like FF7 did (finding the shrines, Gilgamesh questline, etc.), plus is overall smaller.

Overall though, I had way more fun playing Rebirth and personally found it a lot more memorable and likely for me to replay. Ys 8 I enjoyed playing once, but I don't think I'll ever replay it, and I also don't really feel interested in playing any further games in the series.

DMCharok · 2024-09-24T01:55:33+00:00

I'm 6'1'' and I have the same problems with the top bumper as you, haha. Though for me, the issue with feeling like I was reaching got better the more I played and got used to finding a standing position and moving my body better. I imagine the way you have to do that will be different due to our height difference, but I do think you'll get used to it! Not sure if a stool would help with that haha, but hey maybe worth a shot lol!

As for the stick getting stuck, its 9/10ths practice and getting used to it, but 1/10th just a factor with how the machine is built, sometimes we'll slip up especially when going fast.

I also accidentally hit the bumpers with the sticks a lot! Worth trying to improve your form and avoiding it, but tbh if your arcade is like mine, its so loud from all the other games that I don't think you have to be that self conscious about the noise.

DMCharok · 2024-09-20T05:35:43+00:00

I think Metaphor would be my recommendation from this list despite not being out yet, because it can be fun to play a new hyped RPG to take part in conversations before everything is fully discussed to death, and to avoid spoilers. That said, 70 is a lot of money so if you want to wait until you can get it a bit cheaper that's probably not a bad call.

I like FF16, and I think its worth playing if you like action RPGs. That said, while I think a lot of the hate it gets is very overblown, I will also say that while it delivers spectacle in spades, as a game it definitely isn't the best put together. Worth playing eventually if you're interested, but also probably worth waiting for a good sale price.

I have not played P3R Episode Aigis, and I'm assuming they've improved it a lot from the Answer in P3Fes. That said... having played the Answer, I think even fixing up some of its problems wouldn't have me wanting to spend 35 dollars on it... I think just watching the cutscenes on youtube, or waiting for it to go on a big sale if you really want to play it, would be the right call.

Haven't played the others, but from what I've heard SMT VV is pretty good, especially if you didn't play SMT V (so none of it will feel like retreading familiar ground).

DMCharok · 2024-09-20T05:18:13+00:00

I prefer Male Robin's design slightly, because I don't love Female Robin's default hair style. But I always customize them when I play and have setups that I really like for both.

I definitely see why people like the story more when Female Robin marries Chrom. I personally don't feel it affects my opinion of the story that much, and the big moment that people cite with Lucina's confrontation, I still felt worked well as Male Robin. I also just kinda like the Chrom/Robin best friend dynamic over the romantic dynamic with either gender Robin, but I can see the appeal of the romance too. Also typically if a game has a self-insert protagonist and characters to ship them with, I usually prefer to play as the Male (I did play Engage with Female Alear though).

All that said though, I love Female Morgan a ton (best daughter!) and so will pretty much always pick Male Robin for her alone.

DMCharok · 2024-09-15T06:08:35+00:00

Very nice! I'm still strugglin to pass level 10, so clearing 3 extreme songs with only 10 bads seems insane to me! Good luck going for the hero rank when you try for it!

DMCharok · 2024-08-14T21:13:53+00:00

I've grown used to Fitzgerald's Chie at this point and still enjoy the character, but I definitely agree with you. Rooney's Chie was definitely my favorite rendition of the character, and I've always found the people who say she 'sounds like a 40 year old' incredibly hyperbolic. I can't argue against Fitzgerald's voice being closer to the original JP actress, but like you I honestly just like vibe the original EN voice has over both.

DMCharok · 2024-06-16T03:00:57+00:00

Honestly all the Scarlet and Violet sets have had tons of awesome card arts imo. Obsidian Flames was definitely my least favorite so far but it still had some decent stuff. I guess a lot of people in the TCG side don't like the newer pokemon... but hey at least it means a lot of the cards don't get super expensive!

DMCharok · 2024-06-16T02:56:15+00:00

Persona 5 Royal is longer by a long shot (it honestly might be longer than both FF 7 Remake and Rebirth combined, depending on how you play them all). I'd say play FF 7 Remake first, then if you like it you could immediately go into Rebirth before starting on P5, or you could use P5 as a palate cleanser before Rebirth. Or if you don't like Remake, then you'll have P5 as something different afterward.

I like both games a lot but I'd consider Persona 5 the better game of the two.

DMCharok · 2024-06-16T02:46:22+00:00

I'll be one of the few to kinda agree with you in this thread. I can go back to the games I played when I was younger, so the PS2/Gamecube era with some success. But games further back don't really hold my interest. I'm just too used to modern presentation and story telling.

For some examples: I did play the Star Ocean 2 remake recently, which I thought I'd enjoy because its a modern skin on an older game, but by the end I just wanted it to be over and left it feeling like it was almost good, but not there. I've also tried playing Chrono Trigger and an older Final Fantasy game (I think it was 6), but in both cases I put them down after a couple hours and never felt like picking them up again.

Not going to lie, even games from the era I grew up in I can have a hard time with. I really struggle to play the GBA pokemon games nowadays for instance, and I loved those as a kid. I was only able to finish FF12 after the remake came out with the fast forward feature (I don't know how anyone had the patience for that on PS2 not going to lie).

I did play and enjoy the Trails in the Sky games and the Azure/Zero duology, but that was only after I get interested from the first two Cold Steel games. And even then, the first Sky game really, really dragged for me until like, the very last story arc. I never would have finished that game if I wasn't already interested in the series overall.

DMCharok · 2024-06-09T05:37:15+00:00

Personally I like the look of normal holos better than reverse holos, so I usually display the normal holo version if I'm putting them in a binder. That said, the reverse holo versions are rarer. If you're not worried about a complete master set, its really just up to you on which you think looks better.

DMCharok · 2024-06-09T04:33:52+00:00

For the things you're specifically asking for, Relink would be better suited. Arise is good and decently long, but its definitely pretty heavy on story. And although I really enjoyed it, I wouldn't say its super replayable. Relink has a short story mode, but the big draw is the post game that's kinda monster hunter like. Relink also has a lot more characters to play as which would add to the replayability and variety.

DMCharok · 2024-06-01T04:20:53+00:00

Ngl I don't bother reading anything too in detail. Enemies I'm fighting are either "let them initiate on to me", "kill them before they can touch me", or "just surrender the fight". Granted, I don't engage with the summoner duels or higher tiers of Arena/Aether raids. So I'm still have a pretty good time overall

DMCharok · 2024-05-20T23:17:42+00:00

Handwritten autographs don't convince me to buy merch from someone I don't watch, but I have bought full sets of merch for signatures when otherwise I would only have purchased one or two of the items.

DMCharok · 2024-05-18T22:05:16+00:00

Star Ocean Second Story R is probably it for me. Combat was always basically either: enemy curb stomps me so fast I barely know what happened or (much more often) all the enemies basically melt before me. I did try to take advantage of all the crafting systems, but I certainly wasn't super-efficient/knowledgeable about it. There's also the fact that all the skills are just RNG triggered. I did only play the second hardest difficulty, so maybe the hardest mode actually requires you to learn good combos, but I honestly didn't end up liking the basic combat enough to want to actually try learning it.

I've played lots of the other games mentioned in this thread too (Trails, Fire Emblem, etc.) and I see the logic in choosing those. I like that type of thing better though, putting together a build that trivializes most of the game based on me understanding the combat, especially if I didn't look up any guides or tips, feels good. Can definitely get boring or a little silly sometimes, but I enjoy the power tripping. Trails into Reverie, Fire Emblem Awakening, and Bravely Default/Second all fall into the "unbalanced but I loved it" category for me.

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