My Favorite Song of All Time/What Is Greatness?

What is... Greatness?

According Urban Dictionary, "Greatness is an acquisition of status by the people who have contributed to an organization, group, or purpose that is greater than themselves. It is defined by the deeds of people that make this world a better place. To provide a purpose to those who have no purpose, and to sustain it, mitigate it from damage, and praise it in any way they can, while still maintaining their own dignity and greatness."

This definition examines greatness as a status. Something that can be achieved and in a sense, "used" to better the lives of other individuals by said "Great" person. Or it spawns from an experience or path that an individual has taken to help better themselves and in the process, helping other people due to their own dreams and ideals.

According to Wikipedia, "Greatness is a concept of a state of superiority affecting a person or object. Greatness can also be referred to individuals who possess a natural ability to be better than all others. The concept carries the implication that the particular person or object, when compared to others of a similar type, has clear advantage over others. As a descriptive term it is most often applied to a person or their work, and may be qualified or unqualified."

By this definition, Greatness is not only your status, but a symbol or a power. It also shows Greatness as "mastery", the highest level of skill or presentation.

But again, what exactly is Greatness and how does one get to that point? Let's unpack this topic here and now.

The majority of people who know me on the Facebook know that I might usually share a picture and my text above it is just "Greatness". Showing that said picture showed some sort of superiority or mastery.

A TV Show known as Merlin, features the titular character as a young boy born with the gift of magic, destined for greatness. The story of Merlin is a tale of experience and betterment. The main character, Merlin, has many adventures, spanning 5 seasons, that tell many different tales that set Merlin on the path to greatness. There are countless characters throughout the series that say, "Merlin. Man destined for greatness." They speak like it is a path, and Merlin is walking and along that path to fulfill his destiny.

The theme of greatness and achieving it, is the very foundation of my writings. A story of about someone or a cast of characters that experience countless different trials, because of your specific ideals, actions, or dreams in which during the process, they become "Great".

In history, there are figures who have "the Great" attached to their name. It is usually people who have accomplished feats of great proportions or reached a certain status such as an Emperor or Queen and people have seen such figures as Great. People can even gain the title posthumously because they are recognized and honored for their accomplishments and contributions after their death.

Now, you're probably wondering, "Gothorita, what is all this for? Just tell me your favorite song already."

Yeah, well, I'm getting there.

WARNING MINOR SPOILERS FOR FINAL FANTASY VI

Final Fantasy VI. An extremely influential and ambitious game of its time.

Final Fantasy VI tells a tale of war, rebellion, destruction, madness, and reformation. Featuring an eclectic cast of heroes, the story's pacing goes from Low, Medium, High, Lowest, High, and finally to Neutral.

Now let me explain it in depth. The story starts off at a Low point, in which the characters are being introduced. It gets to a Medium point where the characters are exploring the world and finding a way to fight against the antagonist while meeting new party members along the way. We get to a High point when the characters are finally getting close the antagonist and can finally strike them. The party has reached the highest point, until... Something happens to change the game completely and they literally hit rock bottom. The Lowest. The party has to find their way to get back at the antagonist and defeat them once and for all. Once they gain the strength to go out into the world once again, they reached a new High. And finally, once the antagonist is defeated, balance is restored and the party can finally rest and restore their lives back to a normal, Neutral state.

What I'm trying to say here is that, it is a tale of greatness. The party members experience many trials throughout their journey because of their wish to restore balance to the world. Because of their ideals, it shows the others around them their purpose, while maintaining their drive to do what they believe is right. And in the end they're heroes that saved the world. Even though they fell and lost faith, they eventually stood up, and kept moving forward because of their purpose and dream to restore balance to the world.

To understand Greatness, you must first understand humility and to be at your lowest point, but eventually rise back up and continue to do what you believe is right.

In the words of William Shakespeare, "Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them." There will always be hardship and experiences, but as we learn from it, the hopes and dreams that we carry are what makes us truly great because it influences those around us and those who see us making them believe that they too, can be great.

Now, just what is my favorite song of all time?

My favorite song is, Omen. From Final Fantasy VI. It is musical greatness. Deriving from the mastery definition of greatness. It tells the story of Final Fantasy VI in a beautiful non-lyrical 16-bit musical masterpiece. It combines several songs in the soundtrack while ultimately remaining it's own song. Every second of the song is pure greatness.

From the loud organ in the beginning of the song showing the darkness of the world overthrown in war, to the poetic and swift keys that create the feeling of progression that silently tells the beginning of the game's story. How the keys start to get quicker and quicker then slow down, show that progression and then the low point.

The song just drops. Tries to get up...and drops. The keys then play more notes as the party is slowly regaining itself, but is still very weak and not strong enough to defeat the antagonist. Until... they gain new powers and the party feels motivated to go out into the world again. Everything seems to go well, and once the party has finally gained their strength, they infiltrate the antagonist's domain. Then... A moment of silence that will ultimately decide the fate of the world. Will they be victorious...?

As the slow, lovely, and beautiful version of Terra's Theme plays, they rise up and fight the antagonist in an epic final battle. The song slows down and lowers the chord progression as the battle ends and the party is victorous. They can finally live in peace. Balance Is Restored...

It quite literally is musical mastery that tells a tale of greatness. When I first listened to this song, it was also the first time I said something is "Greatness" in the form of mastery. The song seriously changed my life.

It is an Omen, to the game entirely and I believe that the song has a very powerful message and lesson in it. That, no matter how dark things are, it is an Omen of great things to come. If you truly believe in your dreams, your ideals, your hopes, and as long as you stick by them, you will always be successful in your own way because of an indomitable will and unquenchable faith to march forward and continue to pursue your ideals and do what you believe is right. It is those who believe in and follow these principles that truly can become Great.

"Our key to greatness lies not in our ability to project ourselves to others as if we are putting ourselves onto a projector and creating an image of ourselves on a projector screen. Rather, our key to greatness lies in who we are which we can give to other people in a way that when they walk away from us, they are able to say in their hearts that they have taken away something with them quite extraordinary." - C. Joybell C.

Citations:

"Greatness." Urban Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2015.

"Greatness." - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2015

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*Cue Final Fantasy VI SNES Victory Fanfare*

"It's not the net worth of one's life that's important. It is the day to day concerns, the personal victories, and celebration of life...and love!" - Terra Branford, Final Fantasy VI

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time! ~Gothorita

~The Tale of Icarus, the Lion King~

This is a tale of ancient times.

The tale of the Lion King.

In the days of old, a man named Icarus, emerged in the midst of a time known as the War of Ancient Finowé. In a continent overthrown by the all-powerful warlord, Stalin. It was Icarus with his mysterious power that came to be known as "Lion" that fought and defeated Stalin. He was heralded as the Hero of the War of Ancient Finowé. In the aftermath of the battle, Icarus was crowned King of Finowé. Known all across the land by the name, "Icarus, the Saint Lion King".

However, unable to control his newfound power, he became corrupt and fell from his graceful and mighty stature of the Hero that the people of Finowé revered. All of his prestige was lost amongst his people. Thus he was dubbed, "Lucifer, the Demon Lion King".

When Icarus came to his senses and tried to atone for his actions, the people denied his plea because they no longer had faith in him. With the kingdom and castle town in ruin, no one believed a word he said.

In this new reality, Icarus took the name of Lucifer as his own to pay penance for his unforgivable actions. Lucifer cast a powerful magic spell to revert the damage that he had caused to the environment. The people were left to wonder, "who restored our kingdom?" Soon after, he left the continent of Finowé never to be seen again...

It was in this time that Lucifer developed the Chaos and the Seraph Magic out of his own Lion power. When he died, his final words were, "The essence of Nature and Destruction shall become one in the True Lion."

Hakuoki: Stories of the Shinsengumi

Hakuoki: Stories of the Shinsengumi! Sadly, this game does not track play time, but I'd say it took 15-20 hours to beat. I could be entirely wrong on that.

Now.... what do I have to say about the tale of the Shinsengumi? Oh yeah, I know, it made me fucking experience shit-tons of emotions! I loved this game from beginning to end. The opening & opening theme were so beautiful. When you first watch it, it shows a lot of mystery, intrigue, and adventure. It's a very mysterious opening and I could watch it again and again and still be mesmerized by it. It's so beautiful.

The story is something I WILL NOT spoil for any soul. It's so impactful and teaches a lot of lessons. I'm still thinking about it now! The characters were all really diverse and cool. I really like the protagonist and the characters of Isami Kondou, Heisuke Toudou, Sanosuke Harada, Keisuke Sanan, Kyuju Amagiri, Chikage Kazama, Katsuhira Itou, & Sen. But I'd have to say that my favorite character was Heisuke Toudou. He reminded me a lot of myself. (I really loved his alternate costume)

Hakuoki: Stories of the Shinsengumi was my first ever experience with the visual novel genre and I enjoyed every minute of it. One thing I really liked about the game was the music. It really suited the atmosphere of the different events. As aforementioned, it made me feel so many emotions. I was crying, laughing, angry, happy, sad, I just felt so many different things playing this game. I loved the writing, the pacing, the music, the action, the tension, there was no bad or uninteresting moment for me in the game. Another thing I really liked about the game was that it taught me a lot of new vocabulary words. Every 2 minutes or so, I'd see a new word and have to Google it. I really like learning from games. The game also had philosophical themes in it that really hit me at certain points especially at the end of the game. Those aspects really engage me that much more because I have such a deep respect and love for philosophy.

There's only one thing I have a gripe about but it's very nitpicky, though. It's just that there are few times they'd say something in Japanese that wasn't in the text box. Like for example, the text box could say, "Yes, let's get going." While the character will say like, someone's name and something similar to that. Obviously it's translated differently (and very VERY well, by the way) and there are different ways of grammar for languages so things are said differently, but the text box shouldn't say "Thank you very much." And then you hear the character say "Arigato" and then "Shinsengumi" when that wasn't in the text box.

However, that does not deter from the game's story or quality at all. It just left me wondering a bit.

Moving on, I had thought since this was an otome game, it was about a female protagonist who's just surrounded by good-looking males and you have to romance them, which made me think it wouldn't have such a grand story. But I was actually wrong, it was more like you go through the story raising affinity and you'll get a trophy or something if you maximize it.

The game's protagonist has a name but you can name her. I named her Madison to reflect as a female version of myself. The protagonist is not silent, though. She is very much her own character, but she does not have any voice acting.

If you're interested in this game you can buy it on the PlayStation Store digitally, or purchase it physically from places like Amazon, GameStop, or videogamesplus.ca.

Hakuoki: Stories of the Shinsengumi is an otome visual novel for PlayStation 3 created by Otomate, Design Factory, & Idea Factory. (Hence why I bought it... Idea Factory is amazing.) It is entirely voiced in Japanese with English text. And in my opinion, this game is an in and out masterpiece! I don't give a shit if you disagree with me but aside from nitpicky shit like some minor DLC, maybe it would've been better on Vita, and the not-so occasional text box-to-voice difference, this game is flawless. Fucking flawless. I REALLY FUCKING WANT the Collector's Edition for this game now because surprisingly enough, this is literally one of the best games I've ever played.

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Undisputed Verdict: 10/10

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!! ~Gothorita

Dragon Quest III: Seeds of Salvation

Dragon Quest III: Seeds of Salvation! I believe I finished it around level 42 or something. I can't remember. I'm gonna take a good guess and say this game is 30-35 hours long. 

Dragon Quest III: Seeds of Salvation is a classic turn-based JRPG originally developed and released for the Nintendo Entertainment System. After it's release it has been ported to SNES, GBC, Wii, and iOS/Android. I played the Game Boy Color version which is known as Dragon Warrior III in English territories.

Personally, I believe that Dragon Quest is the JRPG in it's most pure form. Classic turn-based with a world map, towns, dungeons, engaging story, character classes, very grind heavy and the like. I enjoyed the simplicity of Dragon Quest III. It wasn't overly complicated or anything.

The music of the game is very good and fitting. I particularly like the 1st World Map theme and the battle theme.

Dragon Quest III tells a tale of the unnamed hero whose father was killed in trying to save the world from the evil monster Baramos. When the game begins, the hero sets off on their journey looking to save the world and find these 7 particularly colored orbs. There are no "characters" that you play with in III. This reminds me of one of my favorite games of all time, Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies. Instead of meeting party members as you go throughout the story, in the beginning of the game, you can create party members of your own assigned a certain class. This can be done at Patty's building. Whom is also a character in Dragon Quest IX. You cannot change the class of the hero, but you can for your three party members and you can gain new classes once certain conditions are met. Which is also a lot like Dragon Quest IX. I also really enjoyed exploring new areas and covering the unexplored gray spots on the world map in game. I kinda miss the feeling in JRPGs when a new location is coming on the horizon and you rush towards it. I really did have a lot of fun with this game. In Dragon Quest III, I thought it was a nice touch to add the male or female protagonist a lot like Pokèmon. I played as the male and named him after myself. There's also a cool little personality test at the beginning of the game which was really interesting.

For a Game Boy Color game, or well, NES game back when it came out, Dragon Quest III is a fantastic JRPG that is surprisingly grand in scale. There's a lot you can do in the game. You can explore two different worlds, get new classes for your characters, collect mini & monster medals. There's a ton of different types of enemies and locations in the game. It's a very big game for it's time. Just like Final Fantasy III on Famicom, Dragon Quest IV, and The Legend of Zelda 1 & 2. All really grand scale games for their time. Dragon Quest III is a very sad game, at least to me. It's actually the first in the Loto trilogy. I believe it follows as - Dragon Quest III, Dragon Quest II, Dragon Quest I.

I have never even beaten Dragon Quest II or I and I plan to play them in reverse on Game Boy Color because I played III first.

Dragon Quest III: Seeds of Salvation! A fantastic JRPG, especially portably on Game Boy Color. It's not my favorite Dragon Quest game, but I really did enjoy my time with it and recommend it to anyone who loves classic JRPGs because this is truly a classic. I suggest you play it on Game Boy Color, iOS/Android, or a SNES emulator. The most accessible way to play it is buying it on the iOS or Google Play Store.

And finally, I'll end this with saying that my party was the Male Hero, Female Mage, Female Priest, and Male Martial Artist. Their names were Matt, Jess, Tori, and Yuri, respectively.

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Undisputed Verdict: 8.5/10

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!! ~Gothorita

Picture is somewhat unrelated, but cute Dragon Quest girls are always welcome!! <3 ^o^

Legend of Mana

Legend of Mana.... *Nostalgic Song plays*

I believe I was at Level 50 when I finished it. It's about like, 30-40 hours long.

Legend of Mana is an action RPG for PSOne developed and released by Squaresoft. Being part of the Mana series it is expected to be a somewhat fast and fluid action RPG. But Legend of Mana was different. The battles were more stiff and took some precision with hits. Especially the command moves.

One thing I liked about Legend of Mana actually was the combat. It wasn't very deep but it was fun. The battles usually took place with the main character and a group of enemies. In battle you can use up to 4 command moves, a skill that is assigned to one button, and physical attacks. It's actually very well put together in my opinion. By using a skill, you can gain more command moves. You can also combo a bit with physical attacks and command moves or skills. I thought it was very fun. 

The world of Legend of Mana is very vibrant, diverse, and contains many different adorable little creatures and characters. The game progresses on quests and once you clear quests you get new artifacts to place on the world map and go to new areas and advance the story.

The music in Legend of Mana is fucking amazing. Very Yoko Shimomura. My favorite songs from the game are Nostalgic Song, Legend of Mana, Story of Mana, World of Mana, and The Wind Sings For The Journey. 

The graphics or well, the artstyle is beautiful. It's one of the best looking PSOne games. I think Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles got a lot of inspiration from the Mana series. You can even pick from a male or female protagonist and choose your weapon of choice. I chose a female and used Claws as my weapon.

Before I get to my favorite part about the game, let me just say that I did not like how some quests were difficult and left me clueless as to what to do. I also did not like that the majority of quests you do not get a reward from.

Now, my favorite part of Legend of Mana was the story. It was very VERY philosophical, mystical, in some cases strange. I also really liked the characters/party members that joined you throughout the game. But I suppose what I really liked abut the story was because I really felt like I was the protagonist and the story taught a lot of lessons as well. It even got very philosophical by the end. I couldn't let go of the controller. I really loved it because this philosophy is actually something I believe in and live by today.

If you're interested in playing Legend of Mana you can purchase it as a PSOne Classic on the PlayStation Store which is playable on PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, & PlayStation 3.

Legend of Mana was a fantastic action RPG on PSOne and my first ever experience with the Mana series. I look forward to playing the other games on the series and experiencing them!

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Undisputed Verdict: 8/10

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!! ~Gothorita

Final Fantasy III (DS)

Final Fantasy III! This was the DS version I played and I think I beat it in 34 hours or something at Level 58-60. I really can't remember.

Alright kats, this will probably be my shortest review ever.

This is my least favorite Final Fantasy game, right off the bat and one of my least favorite games of all time. NOW WAIT BEFORE YOU PISS AND SHIT IN THE COMMENTS! I'm specifically talking about this specific version of this game. Final Fantasy III on Famicom is a fucking phenomenal and absolutely fantastic game. But why did I dislike this version in particular? Well, let me tell you why.

I do not like the feel of the gameplay. The music is fine. (Sounds horrible on DS, though.) And characters and story are good, but the fucking gameplay is so boring. I don't even like walking around on the field. I don't know why, I start getting so bored and fall asleep. Maybe because it feels so slow compared to Famicom and it probably feels a lot better on iOS/Android & PSP. But the DS version is just boring. It's so slow and sluggish even in battles. Also this is nitpicky, but I would have like to have been able to use the Onion Knight class but it's so complicated to get. ._.

There are a few things I like about the DS version, though. The new ending is better and some of the jobs have better moves, opening is nice. It has a great song for it. That's really it.... I guess that's all I have to say.

My party was the Ninja, Dark Knight, Devout, and Sage. Don't suffer through the sluggish agony of this version of Final Fantasy III, if you guys wanna play the 3D version of Final Fantasy III get it on iOS/Android or PSP from the PlayStation Store. The PSP version is also playable on PlayStation Vita.

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Undisputed Verdict: 4/10

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!! ~Gothorita

Final Fantasy II

Final Fantasy II! Finished in 39 hours. This is my 4th time playing through Final Fantasy II. I played it 3 times on PSP and now for the first time on PSOne. Never beat it on GBA or NES, but I'd like to someday.

Final Fantasy II did not have the same director as Final Fantasy I and it came out in the "sequel-itis" era back on the NES with games like Zelda II, Mario 2, Castlevania 2, Dragon Warrior II, and so on. These games were different than their predecessors. This doesn't mean they were bad, but they had significant changes in content.

Final Fantasy II was the first Final Fantasy to tell a very well made narrative with dialogue, plot, and characters. The graphics of the NES were fairly good for it's time, on GBA/PSOne it was a step up to more visual improvement, but the PSP's visuals just knock it out of the park. Those super clean and sexy HD-style sprites and graphics. I REALLY wish Final Fantasy III was redone this way since Final Fantasy IV was. It'd be so beautiful.

It was also a very expansive game as well. You could walk out on the world map to far and just get pummeled by monsters. In order to be able to actually defeat some monsters, you had to battle yourself and gain experience and levels. However unlike Final Fantasy I, gaining experience and getting stronger was an entirely different beast. To have your weapons and magic get stronger, you had to literally use them until you win a battle and it says "Sword level has increased!" The same goes with HP and MP. You have to lose them to gain them. It seems weird, but works perfectly fine. A cool thing about Final Fantasy II is that you can have your characters be anything you want. Anyone can use any type of magic or weapon. They can even dual wield. But, say for example you use physical attacks a lot, your strength stat will go up, but your intelligence stat will go down and vice versa. Which is why you should watch how you raise your characters.

On the PSOne & NES version (I'm not sure about GBA) leveling up magic can be annoying unless if it's Cure which you use frequently. This is because you have to use a spell 50 times in order to level it up and there are 16 levels. This also goes for weapon levels, but you don't notice because you usually end up always pushing attack for every character. The EXP gain can differ on the enemies you're fighting, though. That said, you can use the EXP trick which is what I used in the PSOne version to level up my spells to higher levels. But, the PSP version really refines the leveling system. It uses gauges that fill up quicker. Like you only have to use a spell or weapon 5 times or so to get it to level 2 and it just gets slower to fill the gauge. This process is a lot easier and quicker, too. The item function in the PSOne version of Final Fantasy II was not so great. (Not sure about NES & GBA) You couldn't use items in battle, but you had to equip them and go to the Equip command in battle to use them. However, I never really took advantage of this because you could only equip two items. I thought it was stupid since I couldn't use all of items unlike in the PSP version. I actually didn't notice items worked like that until I needed to use a Phoenix Down on battle. I took a second and was like, "Holy shit! There's no item command!" It drove me nuts. Especially when I needed to use an Ether but I wasn't sure because they cost so much damn money. Another interesting thing about Final Fantasy II was it's Key Term system where you had to talk to specific characters to gain new terms and advance in the story. Really nice concept. Final Fantasy II was really an ambitious game back on the NES.

Now, let me get into what I think the nitpicky things or whatever. Personally, I think it should be easier to get Gil because it really takes a while unless if you went through a dungeon or something. Upon beating the game there should be a Hard Mode option. I think they should get rid of the Flee command (because it never fucking works in Final Fantasy II...) and replace it with "Skills". These "Skills" would relate directly to weapon mastery. Like if you get to Level 6 with the Bow & Arrow, you get Straightarrow and other abilities as your weapon levels up. I got this idea from Dissidia Final Fantasy. Straightarrow is one of Firion's Square moves. And for mastering each weapon you get a "Mystic Arte/Limit Break"-esque ability with it. I got this idea from one of my favorite games which is Grandia on PSOne. These two are very similar. One thing I loved about Grandia was that the characters would gain new abilities for leveling up their specific weapons and their abilities would get stronger just by using them like Final Fantasy II.

I know this is so nitpicky, but I wish I could set who I want as the party leader or at least set the formation. In RPGs, I love to walk around as my favorite characters. While I love the protagonist Firion, I would have liked more of an opportunity to control one of the other party members as well. And finally, I think at the end of the game you should be able to choose your party out of the characters you could play with. I'll elaborate more when I get to the story.

Final Fantasy II has a fantastic soundtrack. Especially the PSOne/PSP soundtrack with songs like: Battle Theme, Rebel Army, Ancient Castle, Main Theme, Prelude, Castle Pandemonium, Battle 2, and lots of others. I honestly believe that this game has the best Prelude in the series. It's so elegant with the PSP version's logo...

I love Final Fantasy II, but there's one thing I have yet to talk about and I feel it's the most important and that is the story.

Final Fantasy II tells a surprisingly great tale of rebels trying to fight against a warring empire. The thing about Final Fantasy II that really surprised me was it's story and the fact that people actually died in it. Some of the deaths actually made me cry. I always wanted to be able to make the party I want out of the party members that are left at the end of the game like in Final Fantasy IV, VI, or VII. The party members that die end up in the afterlife and after you beat the game, you get to play a mode call Soul of Rebirth which is literally a whole game kind of. You get to play with 4 characters who died in the main story. The story of Soul of Rebirth actually ties in directly to the main story in a very serendipitous way. I've never beaten Soul of Rebirth, but I've watched the ending on YouTube and... it's really something else. I loved it. Soul of Rebirth came out on the GBA remake and was carried onto the PSP remake as well. Another reason this game reminds me of Grandia so much is because just like in Grandia, you stay with the main cast, while the other party members come and go until you finally get the last party member.

But... I'm not done yet. The PSP version actually expands more in the back story of the world more by introducing a multi-area dungeon known as the Arcane Sanctuary. By exploring it, you get to see mini cutscenes and get new Key Terms to access new areas. The later areas tell more about the world of Final Fantasy II featuring a character called Deumion who is actually a superboss! I've done the dungeon to completion but there are times when you reach the end of the dungeon and Deumion gives you a certain weapon. This weapon is the ultimate weapon for a specific character in the party. This makes the dungeon really accessible because even the first party member's ultimate weapon is there. You don't have to be afraid of fighting the superboss, though, because it's stats depend on yours so it's not overly difficult. You can even do this for the party members that eventually die. Give them their ultimate weapon and they'll have it in Soul of Rebirth. I thought that was really fucking awesome. The main villain, Emperor Mateus is a badass motherfucker in Dissidia Final Fantasy.

This time around playing Final Fantasy II, I had my party as 2 physical attackers, a Red Mage, and a White Mage.

My first experience with Final Fantasy II was on PSP. I don't even remember how old I was. I think I was 10. XD And I was so excited when I first got it. I thought it was really amazing but really hard too. I used to end up running out into the world map and dying instantly. I never really understood the game to the point where I ended up grinding for days. I had 2000 HP at the beginning of the game. Final Fantasy II was my first numbered Final Fantasy game. Crystal Chronicles on GameCube was my first Final Fantasy game, though. I have a lot of nostalgia for Final Fantasy II. I seriously just start to tear up listening to that amazing world map theme.

Final Fantasy II is a unique turn-based JRPG originally released for NES only in Japan. It was remade in English for the first time on PSOne as Final Fantasy Origins which came with Final Fantasy I and they both had unlockable artwork that you could obtain after beating the game. It was also released on GBA, MSX, Wonder Swan Color, PSP, and iOS/Android. The PSP has the most definitive version but the most accessible way to play Final Fantasy II is purchasing it from the PlayStation Store as Final Fantasy Origins which is a PSOne Classic playable on PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, & PlayStation Vita. Or you could purchase it on the iOS Store or Google Play Store which is a port of the PSP version.

My favorite version is the PSP version. Which is also known as Final Fantasy II Anniversary Edition. It's one of my favorite games of all time and it's the best version, but it's sadly not on PSN/Vita. I wish more people could enjoy it. Most people consider it the black sheep of the series and scoff at it, but Final Fantasy II really is a unique game in it's own right and I had a lot fun reliving it.

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Undisputed Verdict: 9.5/10

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!! ~Gothorita

Final Fantasy I

Final Fantasy I! I beat it in one day. Just kidding, I beat it in 24:00 as my play time said. I've played the original Final Fantasy 6 times. 3 times on GBA, 2 on PSP and now for the first time on PSOne.

Now I suppose I'll start off with the gameplay and graphics. Exactly the same as PSP, gameplay-wise. But the PSOne has that Final Fantasy VIII/Final Fantasy I NES style of magic with the charges/limited uses instead of MP like on GBA & PSP. Personally, I like the MP style better because charges can be annoyingly hard to not use. Especially in dungeons, on the world map, or at the beginning of the game. You get used to it though. I also liked the Memo File. I used it in Final Fantasy II as well. It basically is like quicksave, but you're still playing. It creates a "Memo" that is there until you turn the system off. It came in handy in dire situations like in Chaos Shrine. I'd make a Memo File in the middle of a dungeon just in case if I died and if I did then I wouldn't have to start back too far. It's really a cool concept. Just don't turn your console off while using it. XD

Now, let me talk about the stuff I don't like about in Final Fantasy I/the things I wish could be in a remake possibly before I get to the stuff I love.

Okay, this goes for really any old RPG, but I much prefer to take a turn and have it execute rather than choosing everyone's turn. Just because it feels more fluid and progressive. This is more nitpicky I guess, but there should be a choice to pick male or female for each class. The Warrior should be able to use Cover and gain the ability to use Guard when becoming a Knight as well as up to Level 5 White Magic. The Thief should be able to use Steal (and Sprint when he's the leader) and gain the ability for Throw and Dual Wield as a Ninja. The Monk should be able to use Kick and Mantra and gain the ability of Focus as a Master. I say this because I have always HATED the fact that the Monk/Master, Warrior/Knight, Thief/Ninja has a Magic command, but it just sits there because they can't do anything with it! That always irritated me.

Anyway, there should also be more Nunchuks for the Monk/Master instead of having to resort to Haste/Saber/Temper and Barehanded.  The Red Mage should be able to learn spells up to level 8 but just have higher MP than the White or Black Mage. The Red Wizard should be able to use Dualcast thus making use of that high amount of MP. The White Mage should be a lot more proficient/powerful with their exclusive weapon, the Hammer. I think that could be a really cool and unique weapon. The White Wizard should be able to exclusively learn Aeroja and Drain as useful attack spells. The Black Mage should be able to learn Osmose and the Black Wizard should be able to learn more extremely powerful spells like Freeze, Burst, Break, and Meteor. I will also say that those two classes should be renamed Devout and Magus as well as Sage for Red Mage's class up. Honestly, I feel like this is kinda hinting at why I love Final Fantasy III so much. XD I didn't like how you couldn't save anywhere like on the PSP version. There doesn't need to be a "Flee" command. There should just be buttons in the command menu that show "L1 + R1 = Flee/Escape" or whatever. To end this, there should be no "levels" for magic. You should just be able to buy it at a specific level. (I.e White Mage can only buy Cura at Level 10 and up.)

Final Fantasy I has a timeless soundtrack. Absolutely fantastic. Many great themes like Lute, Prelude, Dungeon, Battle Theme, Sunken Shrine, Chaos Shrine, Mt. Gulg, Airship Theme, World Map, Boss Theme, Ruined Castle, Town Theme, Shop, Boat, Matoya's Cave, Flying Fortress, so many other good songs. Oh, and don't forget the PSP version has the absolutely kick-ass versions of Final Fantasy III, IV, & V Battle 2, Battle on the Big Bridge from Final Fantasy V, and The Decisive Battle from Final Fantasy VI. I love Final Fantasy I's soundtrack. The GBA soundtrack especially is also really good with those GBA sound effects. Especially Chaos Shrine, Battle Theme, and Sunken Shrine.

Oh, and btw, I liked the Super Saiyan look for the Master class on PSP, but the design for the Master was bitchin' on GBA and PSOne with dat awesome bun on his hair and the cool robe, dammit.

In the PSP and GBA version, I thought it was really cool that there were dungeons and secret bosses representing Final Fantasy III, IV, V, and VI. However, I never really understood why Final Fantasy IV Battle 2 plays even though you're fighting the Four Fiends....

Okay, I explained a lot of what I like in Final Fantasy I and what I wish for but not I'm gonna talk about what I fucking LOVE about the original Final Fantasy.

Final Fantasy I is an incredibly nostalgic game for me. I first played it on the GBA when I was like, 11 years old. It wasn't my first Final Fantasy game, but it really touched me. What with the beautiful GBA prelude coming up as soon as you turn on the game, to the game's simplistic and fun gameplay. I always loved going to new towns. The first thing I'd do is, "Oooooh! Where the magic shop? I wanna see all the new spells!" And I loved that feeling of discovering the spells and choosing the ones that I want for my mages. The world of Final Fantasy I is also surprisingly big. I always loved getting to new dungeons. Especially the offset ones like Waterfall Cave. I like the idea of "classing up". I always thought it was such a cool moment once you get those awesome new clothes for your characters and they walk around looking fucking badass.

When I was a kid, and I still do now, I thought the simple story of the game was so cool because I always liked to imagine what the warriors of light were like before they came to Cornelia.

Well, Final Fantasy I. It was a joy to play through it again. My team was the White Wizard, Knight, Master, and Red Wizard. Named Tori, Ashley, Eden, and Angus, respectively.

Luckily since the game retains your memory and has several unlockables if you beat the game a second time, I'll be playing the game again on Vita with a new party in New Game Plus on Easy Mode. Final Fantasy I is always fun to play because it is simply a classic and very well made JRPG. Especially for it's time back on NES. Final Fantasy I is one of my favorite Final Fantasy games, in my Top 5 favorites for the series and it's one of my favorite games of all time. It's hard to choose a specific version because the GBA has the nostalgia, while PSP has the added content/difficulty and amazing visuals & music. But I'd have to go with GBA because it how I first enjoyed this phenomenal game. Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls.

You can play Final Fantasy I on many different platforms because it's been rereleased many times since the original came out on NES. Accesibly, it can be purchased as Final Fantasy Origins which comes with Final Fantasy II on the PlayStation Store as a PSOne Classic playable on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, & PlayStation Vita. You can also buy it on the iOS Store which is the PSP version (I'm not sure about the Google Play Store) and the NES version is available on the Wii Shop Channel/Wii U eShop.

Final Fantasy I is a revolutionary and classic JRPG inspired by Dragon Warrior and other role-playing games of the time. It is a legacy of Squaresoft which was it's developer. The company was about to go bankrupt and they made one final game that was a fantasy RPG for the NES. Thus being called "Final Fantasy". The gane did so thst it went on to create an entire franchise and revived the company. The result was one of the most recognizable and influential franchises of all time: Final Fantasy

==

Undisputed Verdict: 8/10

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!! ~Gothorita

Wild ARMs

*tumbleweeds pass* ....Wild ARMs. Finished in 30 hours around Level 42. (I think...)

Wild ARMs is turn-based JRPG developed by Media.Vision and published by Sony.

This is a game, that caught me off guard. I bought it and barely played it. Until one day around a year later, I just turned it on and started playing it.

Wild ARMs was an extraordinarily beautiful game that really, really surprised me. It's just a turn-based RPG, but... if you play through it, it's so much more and it's such a beautiful game.

Wild ARMs tells the tale of Rudy Roughknight and his two companions Jack Van Burace and Cecillia. They're chosen to save the dying world they live in called Filgaia from the Metal Demons.

The thing about Wild ARMs is that, these are the only characters you can use and it's brilliant. It's nice and isolated. You get to see how all the characters grow as people and develop in the world.

The gameplay is typical turn-based RPG in the vain of Final Fantasy/Dragon Warrior I, II, and III. Each character has their own abilities. Rudy has his ARM which is like a big gun that he uses. Jack uses a sword and a Fast Draw technique, and Cecillia uses a Rod and Magic abilities.

They also all have "Force" abilities which is kind of like a Limit Break/Mystic Arte thing. But they're four levels to it and it works on a gauge. The gauge goes up as the player does actions in battle. There are 4 levels of the gauge and each ability is different for each level. But for level 2, each character is able to summon spirits that act like the summons in Final Fantasy.

I really enjoyed the story. It's a LITTLE BIT slow in the beginning, but it really starts to ramp up as the story progresses because the characters start to develop. The one thing I didn't like about the game was the puzzles. They were an instant walkthrough for me because they're so obtuse, but I use walkthroughs for every puzzle in every game. That's just me, I don't really like puzzles. (Hence, why I can't play Zelda... But that's a discussion for another time.)

The music in Wild ARMs was really different. It has a Wild West feel, which I thought was unique. But personally, I think one of the greatest segments of the game, was the opening scene with the opening music. It's so beautiful and very special. After I finished the game, I almost cried while watching it.

Overall, Wild ARMs was truly a special game and I can't recommend it enough to RPG fans. It's quite an experience. I loved every second of it. My favorite character was Jack. I feel like his story was the best and I related to him the most.

The most accessible way to play Wild ARMs is on the PlayStation Store. It is a PSOne Classic that is playable on PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, & PlayStation Vita.

There are 6 more Wild ARMs games for me to play and I look forward to them and hope it's a fantastic and classic series.

==

Undisputed Verdict: 9/10

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!! ~Gothorita

Rayman 2: The Great Escape

Rayman 2: The Great Escape is a 3D Platformer developed and published by Ubisoft.

Now this is one of those games I owned as a kid and never played past the first level. I even had my digital PSOne copy since 2011. I just never played it cause I thought it was a 20 hour game.

Back in the day, I played the Dreamcast demo of Rayman 2 and it looked so amazing. I still want to play that. It looks like a GameCube game.

However, I beat this on PS3 as a PSOne classic because I recently downloaded it and I didn't want it to be left "unbeaten" from my download list.

Rayman 2 was a simple game. I thought it was 20 hours, but it only has 18 levels. It wasn't hard or anything, the only hard part was finding all the lums/health things on each stage which I didn't do. I played through the game getting what I could and continuing on.

It was a fairly easy game, except for some segments. I liked the cutscenes and the voice acting was okay. I finished it in 7 hours. The main thing I liked about the game was the stages were so large. It made the game feel longer. I'm happy to have finally beaten this game. I know now it's not 20 hours. XD

It's only 6-8 hours. Anyway, I enjoyed it. It wasn't phenomenal or anything, but I really did enjoy my time with it.

Anyway, there's a ton of ways to play Rayman 2. N64, PC, Dreamcast, PSOne, PS2, DS, 3DS, and I feel like I'm missing something there. An easy way to get it is as a PSOne Classic on the PlayStation Store. It's playable on PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, & PlayStation Vita. You can also buy it as Rayman 2 Revolution. Which is a PS2 Classic on the PS3's PlayStation Store.

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Undisputed Verdict: 7/10

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!! ~Gothorita

The Crash Bandicoot Trilogy

This time I will be reviewing Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot 3: WARPED. I have finished the trilogy and here I will decided which one is my favorite out of the three. The actual "reviews" on the games will be short, while the defining of my favorite will be longer.

Crash Bandicoot is a 2.5D Action Platformer. I don't even know what to call it. The entirety of the Crash series is known as being really fun and addictive, but hard as balls and yes they are. Especially the original Crash Bandicoot.

I finished Crash Bandicoot 1, quicker than the rest. I think it's shorter, as it only has 32 levels. I found this to be hard in the beginning but a little easy in the end. Which was not that great. But I liked the game overall. The first boss is a motherfucker...

Crash Bandicoot 2, seemed pretty difficult. All of the bosses were fairly challenging. It was an okay game. Really only the first world was easy, while the rest was hard.

Crash Bandicoot 3, was a mixture in difficulty. The different types of boards ranged from easy to hard. I liked that it was longer that most Crash games and gave you the opportunity to play with Crash and Coco as well as different types of stages.

Now, here's my verdict on the trilogy as I would rank them:

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back > Crash Bandicoot > Crash Bandicoot 3: WARPED

Now, let me explain.

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back was the most difficult. I put it down the most. I didn't really like the boss fights because they were cheap and difficult. Not to say that I didn't like this game, it's just my least favorite of the trilogy. My favorite part was the levels. Some of them were really fun and engaging. But I got tired of this game because it didn't seem to do that much different.

Crash Bandicoot was a good game. It wasn't great. But it was solid and worthy of a first entry. My only pet peeve with it was that you could only save if you got three of a certain item on a board. And if you got a game over, you'd have to start a few stages before. This was annoying because, like all Crash games, it can be irritating difficult because Crash dies in one hit. XD Overall, I liked the game and I would recommend it to those who like 2D Platformers.

Crash Bandicoot 3: WARPED, is my favorite game in the trilogy and in the Crash series. It's also one of my favorite games of all time. It's very well made and polished. I love that you can play as Crash and Coco in many different ways. Most of the stages have a lot of secrets and different pathways you can take which I really liked. The game was difficult, but not so difficult that it made me cuss at the screen like Crash 1 & 2. It was a good difficulty and had plenty of stages. This was the only game where I actually wanted to go back and get all of the collectibles. I'm not sure if I got them or not, though.

I think there's one thing that "corrupts" my list a little. It's that I played the games in reverse. I played Crash 3, 2, then 1. Which I think really effected my opinion on the trilogy. I suggest to those who haven't played a game in the Crash trilogy, they should play the games in order, because I would assume that they get better as the games go on.

Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, & Crash Bandicoot 3: WARPED can all be purchased on the PlayStation Store as PSOne Classics. They're all playable on PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, & PlayStation Vita.

In the end, as I said earlier, Crash Bandicoot 3: WARPED is my favorite of the trilogy.  That said, it is a great trilogy that is a real classic and I think everyone should at least try it out because they are very influential and special games for their time.

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Undisputed Verdict:

Crash Bandicoot - 7/10

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back - 6.5/10

Crash Bandicoot 3: WARPED - 9/10

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!! ~Gothorita

Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen

Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen! Post-game finished in 48 hours and 55 minutes. The main game was finished in 38 hours and 10 minutes.

Alright, let's get into it.

Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen is a classic turn-based JRPG for Nintendo DS developed by Enix. It is a remake of Dragon Quest IV for PSOne which is a remake of Dragon Warrior IV on NES.

Dragon Quest IV tells a story of a hero/heroine destined to save the world from the antagonist, who is known as Psaro the Manslayer. Along the way, the hero/heroine meets all kinds of people. Some of the party members, some of them temporary party members, and others are major or minor characters.

With Dragon Quest IV, you basically have a traditional turn-based JRPG. Tride and true to Dragon Quest. You pick your commands and play them out. Simple. I, like many classic RPG fans, really like this system because there's no riffraff and it's easy. However with newer RPGs, I prefer that you pick the person with the highest agility's command first and they do it upon selecting it like newer turn based RPGs. But I have no problem with the Final Fantasy I through III/Dragon Quest style.

I really enjoyed these songs from the game:

Dragon Quest IV Battle Theme (DS)
Dragon Quest IV Battle Theme (NES)
Dragon Quest IV Boss Theme (DS)
Gypsy's Dance (DS)
Homeland (DS)
Homeland (NES)
Torneko Taloon (DS)

The thing about Dragon Quest IV is that it's story doesn't really revolve around the characters. After I beat the game, I started to realize that the story is kinda told in the music and what happens during the journey. Like, the song "Homeland" which is the hero/heroine's world map theme. Kinda gives you this melancholic feeling like that the hero/heroine is feeling sad and lost from everything that happened in his/her hometown but still needs to press on. Or "Gypsy's Dance", Meena and Maya's battle theme, sort of shows their dancer and fortune-teller personalities in a way that can't really be explained in words. And the song "Torneko Taloon" gives you that feeling of this wandering jolly merchant that's just trying to find money, who stumbles upon caves and fights monsters every now and then. Hard to explain, but it's a really good song. I suggest listening to the version from Torneko's dungeon crawler game on PSOne called Torneko's Last Hope. But anyway, I found some of the themes in the music to be very interesting in Dragon Quest IV.

One thing about the story that made me think was that in Dragon Quest IV, the antagonist, Psaro, is trying to find the Secret of Evolution to evolve into the ultimate being and destroy the world. Psaro's "evolved" form can reproduce/generate it's body parts when they're gone and create new ones as well as enhance it's own body structure and judging from it's design, I think it has wings. It also has a two mouths and four eyes as well as two noses. This made me think that Psaro in that form is able to do everything that is needed to maintain survival. He has evolved to the ultimate state.

The superboss (if you will... I thought it was stupidly easy, but super strong) had a similar appearance. His name is Aamon. After you defeat Aamon, he says that it must be an illusion because he believed that the Secret of Evolution was not supposed to fail.

That made me start to wonder that... What if living organisms are even meant to evolve to a point where they are nothing more than perfection? Maybe because accessing it could essentially destroy your spirit thus breaking you as a person unable to maintain such a form. And maybe if they are, they are ultimately imperfect because such a form of evolution, the "Final" evolution, was not meant to exist. That whole thing really made me think... Just damn...

In the end, I really really loved the entirety of Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen. It's one of the best RPGs I've played in a long time and one of the best games I've played this year. I had to use a walkthrough for the first 4 chapters. And I got some help for the Zenithian Sword quest. but other than that, I played this game completely on my own, which I'm very proud of! ^o^

After I beat the game, I did the bonus dungeon, the Fungeon, on my own and I used a walkthrough to learn how to get Psaro's equipment, finish Hoffman's Town, do the Pirates' Treasure sidequest, and get all mini medals (which I got all of them without the help of a walkthrough except for the ones from Hoffman's Town and the one in the Pirates' Treasure cave).

That is about it for this review! Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen. A FANTASTIC JRPG. One of the best. PLAY IT if you love turn-based JRPGs. I cannot recommend this game enough. It's fucking amazing! The most accessible way to buy this game is on the iOS Store or Google Play Store. The NES & DS versions are fairly high in price and the PSOne version is only in Japanese. It would be nice if Square released the NES version on 3DS's eShop, the DS version on Wii U's eShop, or translated the PSOne version and put it on the PlayStation Store as a PSOne Classic. But that's a topic for another day.

And with that, I leave you with my party's stats. Of you crazy kats don't know, I love to grind. So don't be surprised. XD

BTW, just to give you an estimate of how much I leveled up, I defeated 392 Liquid Metal Slimes and in total, I've gotten 3,939,600 EXP from them. XD

Heidi (Female Hero)

Level: 78
HP: 678
MP: 368
Equipment:
Liquid Metal Sword
Liquid Metal Armor
Zenithian Shield
Zenithian Helm
Ruby of Protection

Alena

Level: 82
HP: 621
MP: 0
Equipment:
Gringham Whip
Angel Leotard
Golden Tiara
Elevating Shoes

Maya

Level: 74
HP: 593
MP: 666 (Oh my goodness. XD)
Equipment:
Falcon Knife Earrings
Angel Leotard
Liquid Metal Shield
Goddess Ring

Psaro

Level: 61
HP: 613
MP: 461
Equipment:
Pandemonic Sword
Pandemonic Armour
Pandemonic Shield
Pandemonic Helm
Meteorite Bracer

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Undisputed Verdict: 9.5/10

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!! ~Gothorita

Suikoden

Suikoden! Finished in 20 hours around Level 50.

Suikoden is a great turn-based PSOne JRPG developed and published by Konami. I don't know why, but I thought it would've been a little average, however, I really enjoyed it and once I got to the 5 hour mark, I couldn't stop playing it. The soundtrack was alright. I liked the victory fanfare which happens to be my ringtone on my phone.

The story and characters were pretty interesting. My party was The Hero, Ronnie, Valeria, Sylvina, Milia, and Camille. I loved those characters. Milia reminded me a lot of Milla Maxwell from Tales of Xillia.

Suikoden had an interesting mystical story. It was a tale of political intrigue and mysticism and romance. I liked it because as the main character, recruiting the 108 Stars of Destiny, it felt like I was watching as peoples lives changed because of the war that was going on. It really made me think about just war in general and what it can do to people.

Now, I don't have much to comment on the gameplay, but I will say that I enjoyed the fact that i could have 6 party members in a battle. I've always wanted that in a new RPG because there often a lot of characters I like and the party member limit is usually 3 or 4. But with 6, I can add just two or three more people that I like and I'm satisfied.

I like the idea of the one-on-one and war battles. If they had more quirks and mechanics in them, I think they could both be really cool and engaging.

Anyway, it's obvious, I don't have much to say about Suikoden, but I suggest to play it. I don't know how to put the experience in words. The greatness of the game is really in experiencing it yourself.

If you're interested in buying it, the most accessible way to do so is on the PlayStation Store available as a PSOne Classic so you can play it on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, & PlayStation Vita.

I feel like this is a "middle of the road" review, but I really enjoyed Suikoden and it's one of the best PSOne RPGs I've ever played. I can't recommend it enough.

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Undisputed Verdict: 8.5/10

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2

"Who do you think...created the demon virus?" Jenna Angel, Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2! Finished in 36 hours around Level 88-90. This review will be shorter than my usual because it this is a continuation of a much longer game.

Right off the bat, with the original Digital Devil Saga, this is one of my favorite games of all time.

This is the tale of the digital devils. The Digital Devil Saga. The first game told a story about a tribe at war with other tribes and whoever was the first to defeat all of them would be allowed to ascend a tower to Nirvana, The Promised Land. The tribe known as the Embryon made it to this point only to be greeted by mysterious demons that speak of things unknown. Upon conquering the tower to Nirvana, the tower perished and the world around it.  The Embryon tribe found themselves in a desert wasteland, vastly different from their home. This was the real world.

I really enjoyed the music in the game. Not as much as the first one, but I loved these songs:

Battle For Survival
Divine Identity
ALIVE
Hunting Betrayal

Digital Devil Saga, told a very interesting story about reincarnation. The final boss, I thought was really fucking epic. My favorite characters were Seraph and Argilla. I felt as though I really identified with many of the things Argilla said and who she was as a character.

The main character, Seraph, made me think a lot about the world because I'm under the impression she's a hermaphrodite. It made me wonder if a hermaphrodite is perfection. One of the bosses in the final dungeon says, "It is not of God's intention for man and woman to be one. It is due to this that I shall split you asunder!" I love Seraph's character because first, she looks fucking badass, and secondly, I think the simple design is sort of showing you what enlightenment is. Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2 really made me think and I'm still thinking about it.

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2 can be bought at a good price on Amazon for PlayStation 2 as well as on the PlayStation 3's PlayStation Store as a PS2 Classic.

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga was one of my favorite games for PS2 and one of my favorite JRPGs of all time. Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 is not as good as it unless if you look at the games as one entity. Or should I say Divine Identity...? Hehehehe... XD *inb4 I get mauled by you krazy kats*

Digital Devil Saga is one of the best JRPG stories you can experience. That's how I view it now. The Digital Devil Saga.

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Undisputed Verdict: 10/10

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!! ~Gothorita

GRANDIA

GRANDIA! Finished in 52 hours at Level 36. I played this on PlayStation 3 as a PSOne Classic.

Let me just start by saying this is one of the best games I've played in a long time. It was an emotional rollercoaster for me. I was crying during a few scenes and there were a lot of scenes where I was upset, happy, or excited. And that.... Is what I love in games. Games that can literally effect me emotionally. Because then it becomes a more personal experience. I loved every aspect of Grandia. The story, the world, the lore/mythos was awesome, the characters, the gameplay, and the soundtrack. This is just a great PSOne JRPG.

Grandia is a JRPG developed by Game Arts abd published by Ubisoft. It tells the tale of a boy called Justin. Justin dreams of being an adventurer and through the course of one adventure to go check out a ruin, it was revealed to him by a woman known as Liete, that a stone that he holds as a memento from his father is actually a Spirit Stone. Liete also speaks of an ancient civilization called Angelou. This sets Justin off on the adventure he's always been waiting for to look for the ancient civilization and find out if it really existed. 

That's a not very detailed summary of the beginning of the game, but Grandia tells a coming of age story of innocence, love, adventure, and one major thing I liked about the themes of Grandia is that I feel its main theme is that we all have a role to play in this world.

I won't spoil any of the character arcs in the story, but I will say that I really loved the characters of Sue, Guido, Milda, and Liete.

Grandia is a turn-based JRPG that has a very unique battle system that I don't even know how to explain. But in Grandia, in order to get stronger & new magic/abilities, you have to level up your current ones by using them. Each character can use two or three weapons that they can level up. Grandia reminds me a lot of one of my favorite games of all time and that is Final Fantasy II. Specifically the PSP version. In Final Fantasy II, in order to get your Cure magic to Curaja-like status, you have to use it a lot and it gets stronger & levels up, same with weapons. If you attack, then that specific weapon you're using will gain EXP and ultimately level up through continuous use. Also like Final Fantasy II, Justin and a few other party members can learn whatever magic you want them to learn simply by buying it for said party member. That also allows for different experiences each time you play through Grandia or Final Fantasy II. 

Now, the music in Grandia, kinda gives me a bit of a Motoi Sakuraba feeling, but ultimately has its own style. I really like the DISC 1 battle theme, the DISC 2 battle theme, the DISC 2 victory fanfare, and the title screen theme. I got kind of a Fire Emblem vibe from the title screen theme. (For those of you who don't know, Motoi Sakuraba is the composer for the Tales series and Star Ocean series.) I really liked the voice acting as well, especially for Sue. I'd say she's my favorite character.

And finally, I will end this with saying that Grandia was such a great experience... I loved playing it. It's such a beautiful game with a lot of heart. The most accessible way to play is purchasing it on the PlayStation Store as a PSOne classic to play on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, or PlayStation Vita. I can't recommend this game enough to those who love JRPGs.

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Undisputed Verdict: 8/10

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!! ~Gothorita

Atelier Shallie ~Alchemists of the Dusk Sea~

Atelier Shallie ~Alchemists of the Dusk Sea~! Finished in 42 hours at Level 76! 

Atelier Shallie ~Alchemists of the Dusk Sea~ was developed and released by GUST and KOEI TECMO.  The game features two protagonists similar to Jude & Milla from Tales of Xillia. Shallistera & Shallotte are the two protagonists.  I played Shallotte's story which was a lot of fun. This is the newest game I've played in years. 

Atelier Shallie was my most hyped game of 2015 next to Tales of Zestiria and let me say that it delivered well and was worth the hype! I loved this game from beginning to end! One of the best PS3 games I've ever played.

The story was quite interesting and had some very thought provoking themes such as humanity's ability to make the same mistakes and following your dreams. Shallotte's story really touched me and I'm still thinking about it. The characters had a good development and I really cared for them.

The gameplay was VERY fun and interesting. This is a conditional turn based RPG that allows you to use 6 party members in battle. 3 in the front and 3 in the non-active rear. They can be switched out at anytime. But what I love about the battle system is that more cool features are added as the game progresses and the entire party works together in unison to do coordinated attacks. It's a really fun and intuitive battle system that I'd love to see implemented into more games with more party members. This is by far my favorite battle system. Ever. I really enjoyed it. It would be better if it were active time like Final Fantasy. I'd love to see 6 party members in a battle at once that work in unison in an RPG. That would be awesome. But, I'm rambling now. Moving on...

I really enjoyed the voice acting, art style, and music. After you beat the game, there's an Extra mode on the title screen that allows you to view quotes from the developers and what they think of the game which was really cool to read.

I don't know when I'll play Shallistera's story, probably in 2016, but for now. I'm done with Atelier Shallie. It was an absolutely amazing game. Atelier Shallie is the last game in the Dusk trilogy. (Ayesha, Escha & Logy, and Shallie)

I highly recommend this game to people who wish to get into the Atelier series. It's very quick and easy to learn. 

If you'd like to buy it, it's available physically and digitally on PS3. If you're interested, please buy it as it is a really great game and you also help these companies make money. I suggest to buy it from the PlayStation Store, videogamesplus.ca, or Amazon.

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Undisputed Verdict: 9.5/10

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time! ~Gothorita