This trailer for Star Ocean: The Last Hope International, the new PS3 version of the once Xbox 360-exclusive RPG, starts off by introducing a bunch of characters. It's like the trailer is showing off that all these anime stereotypes and more can be yours if you just play the game. And then there's some fighting.
If you like the Japanese voice work you hear in this trailer (that is, if you don't mind not being able to understand it), remember that the International release will feature both English and Japanese voice tracks, in addition to several subtitle languages. It'll be out February 9, just before the spring 2010 release of an actually new tri-Ace RPG.
I still can't help but feel that this game would have sold more if it was released on the ps3 first. Of course it would have sold more if it was multiplatform from the very beginning.
From everything I've seen and heard about the game, both on the internet and from people I know who played it...you should probably keep it in the plastic.
Honestly, this game wasn't really all that special. The story is your standard JRPG fare and the English voice acting isn't that great (horrible). I played the game almost to the end but it got push aside for other games. I got to the end area but I seriously doubt I'll finish it.
Just watching the trailer makes me feel like I've already played the game before . . . in countless OTHER JRPGs that feature similar characters with similar voices and similar personalities about a rag-tag band of heroes that aim to save the world from some pretty-boy with a God complex.
Anyone else think any RPG would be 100 times better if they replaced the main character with Nathan Drake?
I think it would be better with virtually anyone voicing it. I don't know why, whether it's because of lack of funds, or a lack of knowledge over what makes good english voice acting...but the japanese have the hardest time getting english voice acting to work well. It's always either straight up bad, or so cheesy it's hilariously bad.
Nah, I don't mean the voice acting. I mean the design of the characters themselves. There is absolutely NOTHING original or interesting about these characters: they're cast from molds that are so standard in Japanese entertainment you can't avoid running into them in just about any game. And not just the design . . . even in Japanese, the way these characters sound, the way they act, what they say, their style of clothing . . . ALL of it is typical. They haven't broken from the mold on a single aspect of any of these characters.
It's like the Japanese have crippled themselves: they've become so dependent and expectant of these stereotypes they're afraid to try something new. When was the last time you were honestly stimulated by a character in a JPRG?
I'd imagine that a lot of Japanese developers feel the same way about Western characters. They're all rough and rugged toughguys. For an example of how Japanese developers see the Western hero, see Quantum Theory or Neir.
Individually these designs are mostly quite nice (certainly I'd rather look at these characters than most Western ones, at least they're all pretty). I don't like the space-elves though, which must mean they're done badly because I always love elves. :)
But I agree it's a bit of a mess because they've gone for the 'stick everything in, then everyone will have a character they really like' approach. (For me, that's the girl with glasses. Mmmm.) Really good character design, imo, comes from consistency across the cast.
Like for instance, I don't know if there was a game (probably, and I'm sure it sucked) but the Rozen Maiden anime/manga series had great character designs, all of them with a gothloli theme. Other comics and games might have a gothloli character, but then they also have a plain loli one, girl- and boy-next door, sexy girl, boy genius, etc... each individual character might look nice but as a total experience it doesn't have consistency to the art. I think that's what happened here.
I'm currently playing Little King's Story; okay, not a standard JRPG, but it does have a pretty distinctive style - and they've managed to combine that with still including a variety of usual stereotypes [and the odd less-usual one] for all the different princesses. Oh, and nothing to do with chara design, but its boss-fight cutscenes are great - some of the most imaginative I've ever seen. (The TV one? Genius.)
There's always the possibility - but I highly doubt it. Mostly because the version already released sold horribly in Japan and very average elsewhere. Any attempt to re-port it would be a waste of their time.
The fact that I'll be getting this was an accident. I actually held off buying this because I already had enough games to play. By the time I had the time - they announced the I-Version. XD
Finally another game that can keep me off Demon Souls, Woohoo!!! This will be my February game, and March.........well I guess you guys should know what will come out that month. I actually can't even decide which I want first, FFXII or GoW3....
wow the trailer make the game look better than it is. also the fact that you don't know they are being very corny in their dialougue helps. I wonder if the japanese version of the little girl still does the 'kay ending every dialougue. for the i can only recommend the combat system. the story line is horribly chiche. the characters are cardboard cutouts of many different fetish stereotypes. if you wish to keep your sanity go with the childhood sweetheart, the fanservice, and the robot or the "badass" guy with the scyth. everyone else is annoying.
I would highly recommend PS3 people to grab tales of vesperia as it was well done.
JRPG's are feeling stuck in the past, especially when it comes to story, VO, character design, etc. Games like Lost Odyssey and Demon's Souls proved that you can have an emotional and/or engaging experience without all of the cliche anime look and feel. The Last Hope feel victim to this, as did Eternal Sonata, Tales of Vesperia, and many, upon many, games before these.
I, once, was looking forward to play this. I love JRPG and love the sci-fi space setting. Then I saw the first trailer and boom, I was let done.
Character design is horrible. Eveyone looks like a platic doll. There is even a little girl in an oversize dress? Is that suppose to be great? Also, people complain about the english voice acting, but did you guys stop to listen to the japanese one? Most of these characters (who looks like 12 years old mind you) have way too deep voices for their size and appearances.
Am I the only one that thinks this is a real dick move? If Japanese devs are going to start releasing "enhanced" versions of a game for one system while thumbing their nose at the others, I'm going to stop giving them my money.
I'm really sick of playing the part of some fluffed hair femi-emo-boi that has to save the world from some egotistical homo with his razer and bloody wrist. It's bad enough that we have to live with generic JRPGs, but now you're denying half your fanbase a full game because you want to be a bunch of xenophobic cocks? Screw you.
If you've played any JRPG, you've played this. Trust me, I played through all 55 hours of it.
The combat is fun at first, but the story never picks up and the characters never grow. There is a point in the story where it pretends to be going somewhere...but nope.
I have this aready for 360 (although im only on that izard-thing spae ship {so pretty much starting out) however... from those compressed graphic... the fight scenes s44777emm high resolution than the horribly bland un tetures- real-time-fight scenes... ill be trading in my 360 version for the ps3 version perhaps just for trophies...
