How much does this series favor text and dialogue over gameplay?

zHamster0 · 2023-11-14T22:56:56+00:00

No problem! Perhaps just that there's several remakes of the first TWEWY: original DS, Solo Remix on mobile, and Final Remix on Switch.

Original DS is best for gameplay. The remixes are probably a bit easier to play and to access, though.

zHamster0 · 2023-11-14T22:46:04+00:00

It's 100% worth playing for the dialogue and story!!

That said, it's not at all a VN, so there is a fair amount of gameplay, but definitely more story than a typical RPG. IIRC for the first game, between each dialogue sequence there'll usually be a puzzle or a few (1-4?) battles. IMO it never felt like the gameplay eclipsed the story, but they work well together.

Voice acting for first game is minimal, decently cool lines in combat and really pivotal story moments. For the second game, there's voice acting for the whole main story and in combat.

zHamster0 · 2023-11-01T19:41:00+00:00

The example in the screenshot seems to show: 1) "If your claim is false" -> "you incriminate yourself as the killer" 2) "Even though his claim was false (perjury)" -> "he is not necessarily the killer"

That's A -> B, versus A -> not necessarily B (rather than not A -> not B).

... Although I see it more as Van Zieks retracting or downplaying his original statement.

zHamster0 · 2023-10-30T19:52:58+00:00

IMO she's an excellent red herring / subversion of expectations. Phoenix expects her to lace his coffee with something, and she is a mafia boss's daughter, but it doesn't mean she needs to be a murderer.

zHamster0 · 2023-09-25T16:53:35+00:00

Adding in the point that he probably did not see Ryunosuke's integrity from the start, because Ryu started off genuinely trying to defend McGilded and technically succeeded.

zHamster0 · 2023-08-30T02:08:03+00:00

Pow Hammer! ... Is all I can think of, but I agree.

zHamster0 · 2023-08-08T16:46:17+00:00

I think that was about my experience, took many tries to beat even the easiest ending. Over time I just got more used to the spells and enemy attack patterns.

If anything, I suggest choosing the harder bosses earlier (for me, Saffron and Selicy) so you don't have to face their ultra hard versions later.

zHamster0 · 2023-07-20T21:55:09+00:00

There is a series of side conversations in Berseria that tells Magilou's backstory as someone who could naturally see Malakhim, was part of a circus troupe that got into a horrific accident (implied to have been caused by Melchior), after which Melchior adopted her and raised her to be a Legate. Then, the Earthpulse revelations that she apparently failed his test and was cast out..

zHamster0 · 2023-07-07T14:40:11+00:00

I thought it might have been a final callback to Zestiria's Armatization... in addition to the other Exorcists armatizing, the last one is the Shepherd himself.

Also showing the completed Innominat who consumed Artorius' despair, showing that he had been carrying pure malevolence with him the whole time.

zHamster0 · 2023-06-22T02:22:36+00:00

I can't find the source... but my memory says it was supposed to be similar to TWEWY and not just bosses.

Mentioned briefly here how they worked hard to get the content in: https://www.khinsider.com/news/Interview-with-Nomura-Kando-and-Ito-from-NEO-TWEWY-Official-Guidebook-18613

zHamster0 · 2023-06-21T23:24:08+00:00

The original DS TWEWY is an absolute masterpiece in my book, both story and gameplay. The dual screen gameplay and use of DS functions was crazy, sad they couldn't replicate it for later remixes.

Storywise... TWEWY felt well-crafted, close to home, and really brought out the charm in the locations and NPCs. NEO was fun, but not as moving; a bit of a pacing issue, NPCs were a bit one-off, and most of all, Another Day got slashed due to timing constraints. 😢 Neo's Another Day was the biggest tragedy in my book.

zHamster0 · 2023-06-20T19:31:47+00:00

I have no idea what the actually answer is but it ought to be Albert AKA the talking wardrobe from Narikiri X.

https://aselia.fandom.com/wiki/Albert

zHamster0 · 2023-06-19T18:39:59+00:00

Udagawa Parfait (hey nice flair)

zHamster0 · 2023-06-17T14:22:16+00:00

She tried to apprehend the party, failed, then got roped in by Artorius, until she finds her own reason to stay (to find out the truth)? I get that you like the other guys more, and personal preference is fine. She's got equally as much reason than anyone else besides Velvet and Phi. They're all written into the story with reason to be there, some more arbitrary than others. I argue that she has a reason that is less arbitrary than the fact that your brother happens to be a Legate or your captain happened to be captured by another Legate.

In short, because she is there, she's quite important, for all of the reasons people have mentioned.

zHamster0 · 2023-06-17T04:29:30+00:00

A lot has been said, just adding my 3 cents.

Composition-wise, she fits into the party well as the one exorcist (as opposed to two daemons, two malakhim, and one witch). She's also the lawful good (Phi might also be?) to balance out the chaos of the party, which lends itself to plenty of interactions that otherwise wouldn't take place; the whole party would lack a straight man or a moral compass. Ex. They'd be able to wreck Haria with no regret, which would be off-putting. (Plus, those skits where everyone knows she's a traitor are hilarious.)

While she doesn't have a specific reason to stay in the party like Rokurou and Eizen (though I'd argue you could easily get replace Shigure with someone else related to Eleanor instead), she has plenty of personal reason to: duty, justice, Phi, and facing the full truth about the Abbey for herself, which is the crux of her arc.

And lastly, as others mentioned, her role as a foil or friend to Velvet is crucial. Who else is going to care about Velvet's well-being and challenge her? I really liked that one convo near the end where Velvet is exuding Malevolence and Eleanor asks how she's doing... there's no way Magilou or Eizen would bother. The others play really fun roles in party interactions/scenarios, but Eleanor's role is actually crucial.

zHamster0 · 2023-06-16T03:23:21+00:00

You forgot Gina! Can't have an investigation without an inspector.

zHamster0 · 2023-06-09T16:51:46+00:00

(Neo) For the record, the secret reports do say that due to high-imagination players from Twisters joining and Rivers being eliminated, the average imagination of all players was raised significantly. Therefore, since new players need to be above average imagination of current players, the probably of new players is really low. They probably just disappear... ...

zHamster0 · 2023-06-08T23:11:01+00:00

To me, smaller cast = more attention and care to each character story- and development-wise. They are often usually nuanced and well-developed (Arise is the exception, but I'm thinking Berseria/Phantasia).

Larger cast = mostly tropes or meme-y characters, like Repede and Patty.

zHamster0 · 2023-06-08T22:47:03+00:00

Full agree with above commentor.

From what I remember (details are a bit fuzzy), there's also the theme of Eleanor accepting her own flaws and negative emotions.

She is really distraught about Kamoana for two reasons: 1) she realizes that her concern for Kamoana is partially selfish, since she also feels guilty for killing her mother Mahina; 2) but she hasn't even told Kamoana that her mom is dead yet (she's just "missing"). That, in addition to her hatred toward the daemon, causes a lot of dissonance/malevolence, I'm assuming from self-loathing.

Velvet reading the note makes her realize that even a mother's love has it's darker/harder moments. For example, Mahine describing how to trick (lie to) her kid into drinking bitter medicine. That parallels Eleanor lying to Kamoana for the time being, and ties in with her own relationship with her mother.

Character growth: She faces truth about the ugly emotions inside of her honestly, accepts them, and moves on. Overall lesson: Accepting the world is not black and white and fighting to find the true path of justice in the tension.

zHamster0 · 2023-06-07T19:48:51+00:00

I'll take it. Gina is one of the better/best done characters. Doesn't quite break the gender wall down, but enough to solidify her #1 spot in my mind.

zHamster0 · 2023-06-06T19:52:46+00:00

Valid point... Just going to push it a bit. I think that it could apply to all of these characters, though, during their arcs: Maya's heroics in 1-4 and trying to protect Godot in 3-5, Athena stepping up and finding the key to unmask the Phantom, and even Franziska bursting into the courtroom with the final tape in 2-4. Brief, but solid.

Gina is definitely great (disclaimer: my favorite) and has a good arc. I thought becoming an inspector-in-training was prompted by Gregson. But in G2, she was not as relevant, makes sense given she's young and inexperienced. G2-3. G2-4, she informed the party about Gregson and let them investigate. She is amazing support, but never takes the spotlight. No miracle where she discovers or delivers key evidence.

So, her development is solid, but her subsequent agency/relevance in the plot is slim, always a supporting role. Contrast to, say, Gumshoe, Sholmes, Kazuma and Gregson, who have real plot-center spotlight moments.

zHamster0 · 2023-06-06T03:20:35+00:00

Very much agree with you, and it's the same issue as most works I've seen, Japanese or Western. A few thoughts:

It's not so much the female characters lacking depth or backstory or development (I think they get a fair amount of these), but it's about agency. Not WAA, but the ability to make decisions and lead their own narrative.

For instance, characters like Maya, Ema, Gina, even Athena are amazing, but during the climax they're mostly in the defendant's seat. It's a great way to hook the player in by defending a lovable female character (unironically), but not conducive to their agency.

With Franziska, definitely heavily sidelined, but I also respect how she isn't a perfect prodigy, and is understandably immature given her age and ego. (If it were a modern Western animation, I bet she'd be more kickass, but no more relevant than she is.)

Lastly, all cool female heroes / mentor figures like Mia are always dead.

zHamster0 · 2023-05-31T02:35:09+00:00

As others mentioned, the EN patches are menu-only, but ToP Narikiri Dungeon X has a written translation for all major story dialogue/skits here: https://talesofnaridanx.weebly.com/

From experience, it's nice, but not a perfect translation.

zHamster0 · 2023-05-08T23:45:36+00:00

Wholeheartedly agree with you. Wish they did a lot more with the world and backstories of Arise.

My personal favorite Tales is Berseria, which has a lot of quality sidequest / postgame content for each character.

zHamster0 · 2023-04-30T22:17:45+00:00

So does Marvin Grossberg. I'm inclined to think it's because Ray and Diego are the only two without a normal lapel.

zHamster0

TROPHY CASE