Of all the retro dungeon crawlers, it had to be this one?

[JiggiUp]

I can't shake hands with a game that uses crowdsourced art assets (or at least, a million different artists). It looks like peac0ck vomit, or alternatively, someone's Deviantart frontpage. Overall it just exudes the idea that it's an RPG Maker game that all the members of some forum collaborated on. Some of the character designs, like Clunea, are just laughable. I'd rather browse someone's anime tumblr with the SNES Wizardry emulated in a window than play it.

I feel the Elminage dungeon crawler series would be far more deserving of XSeed's treatment. The games have fantastic, cohesive fantasy artwork reminiscent of Katsuya Terada. They're widely regarded by Japanese fans as the ultimate culmination of Wizardry-inspired design, with insane options for party development; sprawling, detailed dungeons that don't feel like lab rat mazes, and battles that can number up to 6 vs. 6. They go far more in-depth than Etrian Odyssey or The Dark Spire ever dared to. The entire series is available on PSP (with a fourth game on the way), and would be well suited to digital downloads.

Can't help but think this was a poor move on XSeed's part. Even 7th Dragon 2020 would have been a much better selection.

[Terro]

Do you ever have anything nice to say? :(

[JiggiUp]

Yes, but it would be uninteresting, redundant, and ultimately pointless.

[Terro]

Actually I find saying mostly negative things to be pretty redundant too...

[JiggiUp]

I'm bringing up points no one else has here yet. Hence, not redundant.

[Gintoki]

Do you like exaggerating that much? Meh, whatever floats your boat.

[Minneyar]

Do you have any opinions about the game itself, or have you not looked at anything beyond the character designs?

[JiggiUp]

I've played Wizardry clones before, they're all more or less the same. It comes down to how well they pull off the same things.

[Wyrdwad]

This is not the same.

Trust me, from a gameplay perspective, this is not a Wizardry clone. It's a first-person dungeon crawler, sure... but the things it does with the genre are quite unique.

You definitely shouldn't judge this book by its cover. You'll be missing out if you do.

...Also, I see a lot of people saying, "I don't get why you went after X game, when Y game is much better!"... but what a lot of people don't realize is that we most likely DID go after Y game. And X game. And a million Z games. We play and evaluate a LOT of titles, and when we like one, we pursue it. But 9 times out of 10, it winds up being out of our price range, or promised to someone else, or unavailable due to some other set of complications. It's not simply a matter of selecting a game, translating it, then releasing it. It's never that simple.

All I can really say, though, is that whenever we release a game, it's always a game we've played, enjoyed and can firmly stand behind. And Unchained Blades is no exception. Personally, I'd rank it as one of the best first-person dungeon crawlers I've ever played.

-Tom

[wrath]

Quite frankly I detested wizardry myself but am quite happily looking foward to this game as after waching gameplay features of it, it seems quite up my ally...Not to mention ive desperately wanted it since word of it first came about simply because of the artwork.
I also cant understand when people ask "Why choose this game over..." there are alot of games I personally find redundant that others love so why shouldnt those games get a chance to sell for better or worse? I hope this game does well simply because ive wanted it so badly but unfortunantly I tend to see that question alot on forums "Why choose this over that? That is sooooooooooo much better" sure mabey it is but its not the game we are to be getting so i'll just be thankfull for getting the games I can get and hope others in its vien follow.

[Tiamat]

As long as your level ups don't make your stats go DOWN half the time like Wizardry LOLS....

[Kovaelin]

OP makes this game sound like it was made by a bunch of amateurs. I believe OP just wanted to flaunt their knowledge about games that they hope nobody else has played.

[Ryos]

...Also, I see a lot of people saying, "I don't get why you went after X game, when Y game is much better!"... but what a lot of people don't realize is that we most likely DID go after Y game. And X game. And a million Z games. We play and evaluate a LOT of titles, and when we like one, we pursue it. But 9 times out of 10, it winds up being out of our price range, or promised to someone else, or unavailable due to some other set of complications. It's not simply a matter of selecting a game, translating it, then releasing it. It's never that simple.

Just to go with the titles in this thread, a series like Elminage and 7th Dragon would command a much higher price for the title than an unknown IP like this one. I know I'd love playing Elminage just because of the sheer amount of customization but realistically speaking, a popular dungeon crawler series on the PSP would command a hefty licensing fee because of unrealistic expectations by the licensing party (though you can't blame someone for thinking that just because it sells great in Japan, it'd sell great over here too so you won't entertain anything short of what the company feels it's worth).

[Shizuka]

This is not the same.

Trust me, from a gameplay perspective, this is not a Wizardry clone. It's a first-person dungeon crawler, sure... but the things it does with the genre are quite unique.

You definitely shouldn't judge this book by its cover. You'll be missing out if you do.

I'm inclined to buy it when it comes, but I'd like to know: what are the things it does to the genre that are quite unique?

[Gintoki]

I hope it does well enough to interest some publisher in bringing over Beyond the Labyrinth too.

[Shizuka]

I hope it does well enough to interest some publisher in bringing over Beyond the Labyrinth too.

Isn't that completely different? It's dungeon-crawler, but completely different no less.

[Gintoki]

Isn't that completely different? It's dungeon-crawler, but completely different no less.

Its still a dungeon crawler though. If people like this dungeon crawler, then chances are higher they'll like to have more to play. Squenix should make this summer a trifecta and add Beyond the Labyrinth alongside Theatrhythm and Kingdom Hearts.

But its Tri-Ace game, and I'm not sure whats going on with their relationship since Sega was the one to publish Resonance of Fate over here.

[Shizuka]

Shouldn't you be asking Konami directly? I can't think of another company doing a Konami game when the same passed on localizing their game.

[Gintoki]

Ah, yeah, I forgot Konami was a "co-developer"....Boo!

Edit: Wait, so this just means it could come out tomorrow, cause Konami never announces anything! Hahahahaha!

[Shizuka]

Co-developer and publisher... At least they announced LKS for Europe, and the PS Vita doesn't have a region-lock.

[Wyrdwad]

I'm inclined to buy it when it comes, but I'd like to know: what are the things it does to the genre that are quite unique?

The whole multi-directional combat thing is pretty unique IMHO, and the general speed of battle is almost unheard of in first-person dungeon crawlers (which usually seem to revel in being SLOW AS ALL HELL). (:

I can't really call the sphere grid-like ability system or the Persona-like demon negotiation unique, I suppose... but the combination of those two WITH intensely fast multi-directional combat is something I've honestly never seen before in any dungeon crawler.

-Tom

[Shizuka]

Will XSEED be able to post videos of actual gameplay soon? That one trailer was nice, but I'd like to see how the game plays (in english).

[Wyrdwad]

Will XSEED be able to post videos of actual gameplay soon? That one trailer was nice, but I'd like to see how the game plays (in english).

We're still getting some kinks worked out with the English version. It's not quite dressed and ready for its debut just yet. But once it is, it shall debut most gloriously, I assure you!

-Tom

[Shizuka]

I'm looking forward to those gameplay videos!

[MPHavoc]

Considering that the developers behind Lunar and Grandia made this game, I'm more than willing to see what it has to offer.

[cj_iwakura]

I'd have preferred Elminage myself(I LOVE Elminage's art design), but I'll still give this a shot.

[Lordshade]

I'm a little worried about how the Japanese reviews for this game have been fairly mediocre, but I will probably try it.

[Wyrdwad]

Any Japanese reviewer who gave this game a mediocre review needs to learn what good is. (:

-Tom

[Shizuka]

Any Japanese reviewer who gave this game a mediocre review needs to learn what good is. (:

-Tom

Never thought I'd read you write that Tom, quality (and taste) are highly debatable, there's no definite good or bad. Also, just saw that you didn't release a single GAMEPLAY video, that's lacking.

[Wyrdwad]

Well, to be fair, I believe that anyone who gives ANY game a bad review needs to learn what good is, because I'm of the opinion that every game has its audience. The best reviews are the ones that assume a game is good, then proceed to identify what kinds of gamers would be most likely to enjoy it.

It is my firm belief that anyone who gave Unchained Blades a low rating likely went into the game believing it to be something it's not, and rated the game down because it failed to live up to those expectations. Which is why I've been striving so hard to correct people when they make misleading statements about it (such as "it's just another Wizardry clone"). As long as any gamer goes into it fully aware of what he/she is getting into, I'd be shocked if he/she didn't love it.

As for the lack of gameplay videos, bear in mind that those are usually (though not always) provided by third-party gaming websites, not us. And so far, no gaming website has stepped forward to grab game footage on our behalf, sadly. :( We'd provide some ourselves (we still may, I'm not sure!), but we've been insanely busy here with the other four titles coming in the next few months...

-Tom

[rpgfan]

Well so far i've been enjoying it, but I like these type of games. Its making me want more games like this.

[Shizuka]

Well, to be fair, I believe that anyone who gives ANY game a bad review needs to learn what good is, because I'm of the opinion that every game has its audience. The best reviews are the ones that assume a game is good, then proceed to identify what kinds of gamers would be most likely to enjoy it.

That's still extreme. There may be games that are downright broken, and that won't reach any audience. Reviewers will eventually develop their own audience, and that audience will most likely share a similar taste as the reviewer. I don't expect IGN to hand out 9+ scores for JRPGs, and when they give absurd scores, it's still within the rights of the reviewer, if even the score being low, the article was well-written.

[Wyrdwad]

Well, I can only speak to my own tastes/opinions. Personally, I've always hated scored reviews -- I believe the perfect review of anything (not just games) will consist entirely of text, and will reserve judgment upon the game/book/movie/product, instead simply outlining what it sets out to do, how it attempts to do it and what sort of individual would be most likely to benefit from it.

Even largely broken games like the infamous "Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing" or "Hoshi wo Miru Hito" have die-hard fans, after all -- and the intentionally terrible "Desert Bus" is a veritable classic at this point. Hell, even the most infamous game of them all, "E.T." on the Atari 2600, has its share of stalwart defenders! I firmly believe that there is NO GAME in existence that won't appeal to SOMEONE -- even if only in an ironic way.

I once came up with an idea for a game review site called "gamedater.com," which would be laid out more like a dating site than a traditional review site (thus the name). The gimmick is that you'd create a profile for yourself, then "match" yourself with the perfect game for you based on information in your profile and carefully-outlined information for each game on the site. One day, perhaps this site will become a reality, as I think it would be far more useful than traditional review sites... but for now, I choose simply to be a curmudgeon who constantly complains about reviews I disagree with. ;)

-Tom

[Peytral]

Well, to be fair, I believe that anyone who gives ANY game a bad review needs to learn what good is, because I'm of the opinion that every game has its audience. The best reviews are the ones that assume a game is good, then proceed to identify what kinds of gamers would be most likely to enjoy it.

Thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis.

I've come to the conclusion that what we need aren't unbiased reviews in the gaming industry--we need biased reviews. Opinions from people who regularly dabble in whatever genre the game is or are a part of whatever audience the game is aimed towards. When I read a review for a, say, JRPG, I don't want to see the reviewer constantly nitpicking about "flaws" that can be attributed to most games in the genre. I don't want some random guy's opinions about a game--I want opinions from somebody who is more likely to share my personal opinion about a game.

... that's my take on it, at least.

[Chaosblade]

There goes Tom, unwittingly stealing my ideas.

Though I didn't really consider the "dating" concept, I guess it is similar. What I was thinking might be a bit different since it would be heavily user driven. As in, YOU can rate various aspects of a game (may or may not be public) purely to gauge elements that do and don't suit you, and recommendations will be based on your ratings, others ratings, combined with things in your profile and the preset information about the game.

But it's been yeeaars since I thought about that. Like, high school.

Edit: That, along with being community driven, allowing you to meet with like minded gamers to talk with.

[321jassman]

Hm, all up to your own personal opinion eh? :)

[tilinelson2]

Well, XSeed don't have to worry anymore about me buying this game because it has already been done :p

But, just for the record, you know what got me into Legend of Heroes games? Bad reviews from most of the sources. Gagharv Trilogy was panned by the critics for being "generic bland rpg", but in the end, despite the poor localization, their stories are among the best I've ever seen in RPGs (I don't enjoy too much FFVi-soap-opera-dramas for example). Trails was just the next step (and thankfully a very competent localization by XSeed instead of the "put in Google Translator" Namco Bandai localization of Gagharv games).

On the other hand, Valkyria Chronicles series received excellent reviews and it is really excellent (how I wish Sega would let XSeed localize VC3...).

Unfortunately, all the "review business" became more of a business than something useful because all the AAA titles receive absurdly high-reviews (like FFXIII-2 which received the mythical 40 on Famitsu and was loathed by fans), while all the other games receive ratings and care according to the reviewer's mood on the day.

[321jassman]

Yeah, I hardly trust reviews from just about any sites these days and just leave how good a game is up to my own opinion.

And that's why I love XSEED, they make competent translations and do a game justice just like TitS and Ys. :)

[commodorewheeler]

As someone who used to review games, I personally always tried to avoid scoring a game lower on matters of subjective preference, such as JRPG cliches, linearity in an RPG, a theme that didn't appeal to me, etc. and tried to only ding games on more universal issues such as poorly executed gameplay mechanics, unresponsive controls, and the like.

I agree with Tom that every game has its audience, but I do feel that if a game plays poorly, a reviewer should be able to say so as long as he or she is able to back up why he or she feels that way.

[Peytral]

As someone who used to review games, I personally always tried to avoid scoring a game lower on matters of subjective preference, such as JRPG cliches, linearity in an RPG, a theme that didn't appeal to me, etc. and tried to only ding games on more universal issues such as poorly executed gameplay mechanics, unresponsive controls, and the like.

I agree with Tom that every game has its audience, but I do feel that if a game plays poorly, a reviewer should be able to say so as long as he or she is able to back up why he or she feels that way.

... WHOA. What a coincidence. I read your Dawn of Ys review yesterday. 'Twas nice, and I found myself agreeing with you during the entirety of it. ^_^

[Wyrdwad]

I agree with Tom that every game has its audience, but I do feel that if a game plays poorly, a reviewer should be able to say so as long as he or she is able to back up why he or she feels that way.

I agree with this as well. Can't identify the audience for a game without digging deep into how it plays, after all. (:

-Tom

[commodorewheeler]

... WHOA. What a coincidence. I read your Dawn of Ys review yesterday. 'Twas nice, and I found myself agreeing with you during the entirety of it. ^_^

Thanks for the kind words, I appreciate it! Hard to believe that that it's been almost 14 years since I wrote that review.

Looking back at it, I would probably say some things in it differently if I were writing it today, but I still stand by my opinion on just about everything in that review. Dawn of Ys was a truly great game, especially for its time.

[Savin877]

As someone who used to review games, I personally always tried to avoid scoring a game lower on matters of subjective preference, such as JRPG cliches, linearity in an RPG, a theme that didn't appeal to me, etc. and tried to only ding games on more universal issues such as poorly executed gameplay mechanics, unresponsive controls, and the like.

I agree with Tom that every game has its audience, but I do feel that if a game plays poorly, a reviewer should be able to say so as long as he or she is able to back up why he or she feels that way.

Which is why I haven't read a review from any major gaming website in.......10+ years now or so for the exact reasons you stated. They play a game from a specific genre (lets take JRPG for example) and then proceed to bash it and give it a low score just because it has the typical tropes you find in other JRPGs. You seriously have to wonder how these guys are honestly getting paid to do this.

This may be stretching it just a tad but hell, go to GameFaqs if you actually want to read a "decent" review on your game of choice. Barring all the troll/joke reviews the actual serious ones usually hit home with what you are wanting to see regardless of the score they give it.

[commodorewheeler]

Which is why I haven't read a review from any major gaming website in.......10+ years now or so for the exact reasons you stated. They play a game from a specific genre (lets take JRPG for example) and then proceed to bash it and give it a low score just because it has the typical tropes you find in other JRPGs. You seriously have to wonder how these guys are honestly getting paid to do this.

This may be stretching it just a tad but hell, go to GameFaqs if you actually want to read a "decent" review on your game of choice. Barring all the troll/joke reviews the actual serious ones usually hit home with what you are wanting to see regardless of the score they give it.

Some of the reviews on Amazon are actually pretty good, too. A lot of crap there, but some decent info there in some of those reviews for sure.