Grazza

Figured it was time to post a bit of an update on this. Dragon Quest XI is without doubt the best game I have played for 15 years. As much as I enjoyed VIII, I have felt out of sync with the way the games industry has gone since then. I didn't dare believe anyone would again make a game with as much charm and humour, or as big and long but still well designed. Other games are good at telling you a story, but Dragon Quest has a unique way of making you feel you are going through an adventure. Even though it's all scripted, it feels like you are making it happen. There are just enough sidequests that I don't feel overwhelmed, but do have a real choice of what I do each time I load it up. The overworld is large, but divided into manageable sections so you always keep a sense of where you are. There's one way it's probably even better than VIII, and that is the plotting. There are so many twists and turns, it's insane. But whereas I would play other games cautiously, Dragon Quest has a way of making you trust the storytellers. I happily go wherever the game takes me, knowing that it's not going to drop me in too much trouble.

They'd be very misguided then, as they haven't released the coin-op many times. They made it available for Wii but, to my knowledge, have not done so since.

You got something as obscure as that, and I can't even get Golden Axe.

Having not been much into games recently, I didn't know if I'd be able to get back into this... but I was wrong! It is absolutely brilliant and I'm re-hooked already. The level grinding, exploration and skill tree development... it is just a sheer joy to play. I keep wanting to play this and VIII through an 8K VR headset, for some reason. The Puff-Puff shenanigans have become a bit dodgy! I knew it was going to be, but had to give it a try!

That's some good advice from Ike - play VIII and if you enjoy it, go on to XI. I'm afraid to say VII is not up there with the others at all and is the one game in the series I wouldn't play again. IV, V and VI are all quite enjoyable. Personally, I'd wait for them to appear on Switch, which I suspect they will.

I'm really excited by VR, but I see it as a "screen" technology rather than a "game" technology (which I realise is ignorant of all the control innovations). I just think it will take off when people are happy to use it as a screen for various things as much as they are happy to use an HDTV. Like @S.C.G I do prefer to keep everything wired, and it does bother me that a lot of VR will be done via streaming, but those things are two of my wider technological grumbles. If I had my way it'd still be the 1990s and I'd be going to buy VR experiences on disc from Virgin Megastores. But the reality is it just couldn't be done well then. Like I always say, I believe VR needs even bigger leaps than it's had. I've only tried the 1080p PSVR, but I'd be really interested to know how much more realistic 8k could take it, with a wider field-of-view as well. VR is not for me yet, but I'm really pleased there are companies making progress with it.

In my opinion, games are losing the neatness and rigidity that once made them satisfying. I don't even like the fluid overworld in the Link's Awakening remake, as part of the charm of the original was knowing where you were on the "grid". Similarly, even Wind Waker, whilst being a very immersive 3D game, still had a neat sea chart that let you know which parts of the 7x7 grid you had explored. We don't need unnecessary restrictions, but we do need rules. By becoming so open world and sandbox, games are losing the pleasure of playing within set parameters. One thing Breath of the Wild absolutely needed was item gating. Zelda's popularity has been built on that gameplay, and without them it was formless. Whilst exploration has always been integral to Zelda, BotW seemed as though there was no consideration as to how much exploration was on offer at any one time. That said, I accept Metroid needn't be exactly the same. BotW could have been a lot better if permanent upgrades were scattered around - once you've got the Fire Tunic (for example), your standard clothes should have just been upgraded, rather than having to craft and equip several different outfits. Similar with bow, gauntlet and sword upgrades (if the game had all those). Metroid could do this with the Varia Suit, Ice Beam and Super Missiles as usual, and it would be better than BotW for it. It's undeniably a fair question though - how could Metroid be improved over Metroid Prime? What did the developers want to do that they couldn't possibly achieve on GameCube? I hope there are such avenues, and that they're done well. A slightly bigger game would be fine, with carefully designed thrills planned throughout as usual, but I don't believe it has much to learn from Link's last outing.

Now this actually looks great! I'm a massive fan of beat-'em-ups, and we've enjoyed a renaissance of them lately, but this one looks to scratch the itch more than most.

I've never considered myself a skilled gamer, but for some reason I've always had a high tolerance of the Ghouls 'n' Ghosts games - at least the 16-bit ones. I found it was just about manageable to score enough points to get extra continues. As for the whole "doing the game twice" thing though, I never had the time for that until the invention of save states.

They were fishnet stockings too. I finished the demo last night so can explain it exactly. You get to a point where there's a door/checkpoint you can't go through. It did indeed take me 10 hours, although you can still grind or craft afterwards. One thing you can't do is go back to the earlier towns, so completionists might want to play it at a slower pace. But yes, what a demo! You can only do a demo like this when you're hugely confident in the product. I'm pretty sure anyone who likes RPGs and is prepared to play a long game will want to buy it - in fact, it feels so much like you've really started the game. I guess Dragon Quest was the one truly top-class series that needed more recognition in the West, so a long demo was a good move.

I didn't want to be an ass, but it's South-West - Devon, Somerset, Bristol etc, like Alice in The Vicar of Dibley. Oh yes! It is outstanding! Without exaggeration, this is the game many of us have been waiting 15 years for - an HD Dragon Quest in the same style as VIII. From the moment I heard the opening music and saw the classic DQ font, I felt reconnected with something. It's very much like what I was imaging all those years ago - large 3D towns where you can go up on the roofs and look out of windows at the "real" environment, but also reassuringly old-fashioned in many regards, such as the save system. In terms of story, it still has what so many other tales lack - charm. Dragon Quest is not so sanitised that nothing bad can ever happen, but it's mostly done with humour and likeable characters. In fact, if anything they've made a lot of progress in terms of plot. So much happened, I actually felt swept along, as though I wasn't setting the pace. Although this could induce a fear of missing something, I decided to just go with the flow. From the battle system to the skill trees and the way you also gain abilities as you level up, this is my idea of how RPGs should be. If I have any slight doubts, it's that it's clearly a huge game, and I prefer designers to keep a tight rein on overworlds. That said, it does at least feel designed. From what I can tell there are clear barriers and item gates, so you do at least know which areas you're meant to get used to first. With such big fields and towns, I do have a concern I'll miss a lot of hidden items, but 2D mode may possibly help with making this a bit clearer. Undoubtedly, the graphics are also a bit soft, but that's what you get when a game is designed for a more powerful system. If I had a PS4 and a TV I liked playing on, I'd have played it already, but we're fortunate to get it on Switch. The demo is very generous and does an amazing job of making me want to buy the game (as if I wasn't going to... ), but yes, I'm impressed. To know there is a new Dragon Quest adventure ahead is a very special feeling.

I feel like you must have been particularly good at it, because this is my third Fire Emblem game and it did take me about 60 hours. It's just too tempting not to grind! Even so, with a lot of grinding, I still only found it easy/medium. I completed it with Black Eagles, then jumped straight back in with Blue Lions! In fact, I was going to share some thoughts, but I just don't know what I think of the game. My overall feeling is that, although it's an excellent piece of software, the whole experience is just a bit too "much". There are so many twists and turns to the (rather dark) story, I ended up not really knowing who was right or wrong. Although Fire Emblem has always been fantasy, I feel they must have been overly influenced by Game Of Thrones this time around, just in terms of the rival factions etc. There is so much plot - probably too much - and loads of pointless fighting between those who should be allies. The exploration and teaching is another thing I don't know what to think about, as it is another layer of complication, but undoubtedly makes the experience richer. Even now, I still feel a genuine bond with Dorothea, Bernadetta, Petra... it actually feels weird tutoring a rival class. It's one thing for a game to have a gripping story, but I don't think I've ever felt so involved before. On balance, I probably prefer the old class system, with less choice (get to level 20, then choose between two classes to advance to). I was disappointed there wasn't a male Sage class - in fact, the men seemed to have less choice in general - they can't be Falco Knights, yet women can be Falco Knights and Wyvern Lords. Is there actually a class the women can't be? Brawler/Grappler, I think, but that's probably because Nintendo didn't want to make the equivalent outfits. Overall, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a really stunning experience, the storyline of which might even be remembered along the lines of, say, Final Fantasy VII. I don't know if I'll fondly look back on it as one of my favourites, but I was certainly impressed.

My most anticipated games are Streets of Rage 4 and Shantae and the Seven Sirens. Hope there'll be a video of that one.

Yeah, it's a bit odd. For one thing, I don't think any of the horse-mounted Master classes are actually better than a Paladin, which if I recall correctly always used to be an equal choice between that and Great Knight. Although I always thought Paladin was better, they were officially the same tier. Now that Ferdinand is A-rank for Lance and Riding, I'm having him concentrate on Faith just in case I want him to be a Holy Knight eventually. Also, is there no male Sage class? From the classes that are visible at the moment, it seems Bishop (an Advanced class) is best for him, but again, if I feel compelled to give him a Master class I'll probably think about Holy Knight. That said, he hasn't mastered all the magic classes yet - I'm still working on Dark Mage, so I'm half expecting a new Master class to be unlocked sometime. In past games, I always thought Bishop was the best magic class, but here I might feel compelled to give everyone a Master class. Personally, I prefer to have less choice. If I recall correctly (thinking particularly of Sacred Stones), there were some characters where you got a choice of Warrior or Hero, for example. And if someone's a flyer, I'd rather just choose between Wyvern and Pegasus. I like a bit of choice, but think it's satisfying to have a bit more guidance.

Now I really want to reach Chapter 16!

If you have access to a 3DS, I think Fire Emblem Awakening is a much better entry point. That teaches you about battles and character relationships. Three Houses adds an awful lot on, such as teaching, exploring and time management. It's not that Three Houses is too hard to begin with, just that there's hours and hours of thinking and reading before you've had all that much gameplay.

They're all to thank blame.

Well, that certainly does explain Manuela!

I've been playing this since yesterday, after deciding to buy it despite not knowing a great deal about it. The good news is that it has that perfect visual style they've been going with in recent years, a pleasing tone and interesting characters. Plus, it's Fire Emblem, so the battles are at least inherently good. The troubling side of this game is that there is just so much to do, and much of it given to you very early on. It's hard to know whether to spend your spare time exploring, battling or attending seminars. Once you've chosen, your activity points deplete and you can't shake the sense you've made the wrong decision. It's as though Nintendo has completely abandoned any attempt to ease players in gently. It's a fine game in many ways, but those who were sceptical of the changes were right to be wary.

I have now finished Chapter 2, which I did greatly enjoy. It was very wise to centre the episode around the cockney bodybuilders and a loveable Golem - two DQ fan favourites for sure. Admittedly, I still think some of the story could have been trimmed and shortened, but I very much liked the ancient temple, with all its puzzles and battles, because it emphasised the "game" part of Dragon Quest Builders. I felt I was back playing Ocarina of Time. A very welcome addition was the affectionate tribute to the late, great Kenneth Williams, with many references to Julian & Sandy from Round The Horne. I'm not sure I'd have believed anyone if they'd told me me that a 2019 Square-Enix game would feature a Goodybag speaking Polari! Although I still prefer the first game, I can see how more creative people prefer this one. The building aspect has been ramped up immensely, and you can get sidetracked for hours building your base and experimenting with rooms. I still say there is just too much to the game, with each chapter taking me a week to complete, and extensive sections inbetween. However, I very much admire the giant structures the designers created - they are quite something to behold. I get the feeling this is so much more like Minecraft than the original. Personally, I have most enjoyed the parts that are more like Dragon Quest - the dungeons, the bars - and so I am looking forward to DQ XI even more now.

Oh, I see. (Reads up on the film...) it actually sounds terrible!

Actually, not all the time. I tried to play Ghosts 'n' Goblins in Dixons and it wouldn't load!

Hearing there's going to be another Thor film by Taika Waititi made my day. I adore Ragnarok.

These moments are one of the things that honestly made me wonder if there was something wrong with my game. It's bizarre to force the player to linger on a screen of text for so long. After Chapter 1, I got back to the hub world and have been playing about there ever since. One thing I will say is that the game is at least spectacular - but like so many games these days, bigger does not mean better. It's all very well asking you to forge enormous landscapes, but at the end of the day you're really just doing what the game tells you to. I would much rather have a neat square for my base - perhaps bigger than in DQB1, but still fixed. The original game separated everything into four chapters + the free build mode. I really enjoyed replaying each chapter, meeting the challenges, because as I say it did feel like a game. By comparison, this feels like a slow-paced story mixed in with a heavy simulation/building aspect. There's so much to do, it unfortunately, as you say, feels like a slog.

I've been playing Dragon Quest Builders 2 since Friday, but didn't want to post any impressions until I'd completed the first chapter. I have to say, I'm a little bit disappointed. The first thing I noticed is that it doesn't run as well as the first game, with the loading times so long I actually wondered if there had been a mistake upon installation. It takes approx. 70 seconds for the game to boot, and then a further 25 seconds to load the file. Movement is also sluggish at times - from reading others' assessments, the frame rate is thought to drop below 30fps. Personally, I would happily lose some of the graphical flourishes to get it running at a stable 60fps. Thirdly, the camera can now be switched between 1st-person and an automatic 3rd-person, which I feel doesn't work as well as the three-choice close/medium/far camera of the original game. Quite a few gameplay changes have been made, some for the better, some for the worse. Weapons no longer break, which in my opinion is a major improvement to a moderate problem. The Hunger Meter is still there, however. Whereas I can understand stamina is part of the gameplay in some genres (roguelikes spring to mind), here I feel it's an unnecessary distraction. More often than not I completely forget about food until I'm 0% full, at which point I get a few items out of the bag and eat them, which is rather hard to see the point of. One thing that bothers me is that this sequel is not so good for those who like neatness and order. In the first game, your base was marked out by a blue square, and the first thing I'd do was build a defensive wall around the perimeter. Here, though, you are not set clear boundaries at all, so you can get confused as to which land counts as your base. Enemies still only attack from one particular direction (so far), but as far as I'm aware none of the building blocks available are strong enough to withstand attacks. In the original game, only arranged battles could destroy the strongest walls, but here it can happen when you're just trying to build. In fact, this game often has a way of disturbing you when you're trying to get on with something else. Gone are the buffs from buildings rooms, so there is less incentive to tinker about with bigger bedrooms, hotels etc. I though the defensive buffs were one of the best things about the first game, and hoped they'd be expanded upon here - not just HP and strength, but also elemental and magic resistance, for example - but no. This has been replaced by more focus on the NPCs as individuals - there are more of them and they do more too. If you want to give them a better item, you literally have to find them and hand it over. At one point they ask you to build a bathroom, but as far as I can see it doesn't have any gameplay benefit. As I watched them use all these facilities it struck me that this is slightly more of a sim and slightly less of a game than before. That's not to say it's all bad. After five days, I suddenly got into it and am now hooked. The seeking-and-building gameplay is still there and still addictive. As the chapter drew to a close, the game asked me to build something so huge and audacious, I was at first annoyed, but soon after began to admire the ambition and wondered where it would lead. Then I realised the NPCs build it for you and it's not used in the boss battle anyway. And this is Dragon Quest Builders 2 so far - an elaborate story to play through, but you might not feel as though you're having a great effect on it. I'd say the original is better by miles, and anyone interested in the series should be confident in checking that out rather than relying on the sequel being an all-encompassing improvement upon it.