Blue Dragon - Play & Help Thread

[RandomLee]

The game is out now so I thought it might be nice to start and play and help thread for it.

So, how are those who have it finding it so far? It's been a game I know a lot of RPG fans have been looking forward to so does it live up to expectations? It seems to have gained mixed reviews from the gaming sites.

I got early last week although I've been too busy with Skate demo and BioShock to even open it! Should hopefully get the chance to try it out this week though, and being a J-RPG fan I'm looking forward to it.

Lee

 

[Mr-Bananas]

I am lovin this game, its superb.

I really cant understand why it had received such mixed reviews, I don't know what more anyone would want from a RPG.

Graphics are gorgeous, gameplay is real old school stuff without the bad bits like random battles.

All the menus are really well thought out, its just so easy to play.

I am about 5 hours in, and I cant stop playing it.

One of the best games on the 360 !!!.

 

[RandomLee]

Graphics are gorgeous, gameplay is real old school stuff without the bad bits like random battles.

That's good to know. One of the things that put me off playing Enchanted Arms was the fact you couldn't travel for more than 15-20 seconds without another random battle! It got old very quickly, especially considering the battles themselves were quite boring.

 

[Mr-Bananas]

I totally agree. Enchanted Arms was great, but the random battle's got on my nerves sooooooooooooo much that I gave up and sold the game.

Blue Dragon is just in a different league, its really hard to fault.

 

[Kahled]

If you managed to persevere with Enchanted Arms it was a very rewarding game, I know not everyones cup of sake (*groan*) but it definately stands as one of my favourite 360 games to date.

Blue Dragon though feels a very different game with its obviously wider target audience appeal.

Only played for about an hour so far but impressed with what I have seen so far, though also a little surprised at some of the content. The graphics would indicate that the game attempts to be suitable for a younger audience but the 12+ rating it has would not necessarily agree, I wondered about that until I was soon coming across various references in one word to the lack of parentage of a character. Poo snakes and a Fat Rat that drops a poo which you can search (with a squelch, squelch) for items is certainly a little erm juvenile. Not sure I like that aspect as definately past the 'heh heh he said poo' stage.

There is a slight annoyance in that it is not exactly clear through the first few desert sequences where you are meant to be going to reach the next section.

However those annoyances are pretty minor and more than made up by the feel of the game engine and in particular its graphics. Graphically this game is excellent, the combination of HD graphics and the cartoon images really make the visuals stand out. It's very odd that coming from a game like Bioshock with its gritty and realistic world graphics to a game like this and be actually more impressed with the graphical nature of Blue Dragon... odd that.

Th encounter system works very well with the choice of fighting where you want to fight rather than a purely random encounter system. When fighting the combat system is very familiar and comfortable, although I do miss the ability to switch the sequencing in flight ala FF's. The story is very thin so far which is something I hope does become more solid, that was one of my biggest disapointments in FFXII and actually meant it became the first FF I had that I could not be bothered to see through to the end.

Looking forward to seeing where it goes now.

Amusing side note: Contrary to the what the blu-ray camp spout about the limits of DVD and so on there is something quite comforting about opening that box and seeing the three disks. It was kind of something that I always remember thinking for FF's on the old PS1... FFVII on three disks... FFVIII on four disks ("wow, it must be huge"). With so many games falling in sub-15 hour play time these days (and Heavenly Sword at 6-7 hours is dreadful) there is definately a reassuring feel to the three disks and the scope of the game that implies... it's purely a subjective rather than technical view but it's there.

 

[Mr-Bananas]

Thats a great point about the 3 disk thing.

My first thought when I read about it coming on 3 diisks was, wow, this must be a bloody big game"

The only pain with this is that I have to get up once every 15 hours to swap disks

 

[RandomLee]

If you managed to persevere with Enchanted Arms it was a very rewarding game, I know not everyones cup of sake (*groan*) but it definately stands as one of my favourite 360 games to date.

Blue Dragon though feels a very different game with its obviously wider target audience appeal.

Only played for about an hour so far but impressed with what I have seen so far, though also a little surprised at some of the content. The graphics would indicate that the game attempts to be suitable for a younger audience but the 12+ rating it has would not necessarily agree, I wondered about that until I was soon coming across various references in one word to the lack of parentage of a character. Poo snakes and a Fat Rat that drops a poo which you can search (with a squelch, squelch) for items is certainly a little erm juvenile. Not sure I like that aspect as definately past the 'heh heh he said poo' stage.

There is a slight annoyance in that it is not exactly clear through the first few desert sequences where you are meant to be going to reach the next section.

However those annoyances are pretty minor and more than made up by the feel of the game engine and in particular its graphics. Graphically this game is excellent, the combination of HD graphics and the cartoon images really make the visuals stand out. It's very odd that coming from a game like Bioshock with its gritty and realistic world graphics to a game like this and be actually more impressed with the graphical nature of Blue Dragon... odd that.

Th encounter system works very well with the choice of fighting where you want to fight rather than a purely random encounter system. When fighting the combat system is very familiar and comfortable, although I do miss the ability to switch the sequencing in flight ala FF's. The story is very thin so far which is something I hope does become more solid, that was one of my biggest disapointments in FFXII and actually meant it became the first FF I had that I could not be bothered to see through to the end.

Looking forward to seeing where it goes now.

Amusing side note: Contrary to the what the blu-ray camp spout about the limits of DVD and so on there is something quite comforting about opening that box and seeing the three disks. It was kind of something that I always remember thinking for FF's on the old PS1... FFVII on three disks... FFVIII on four disks ("wow, it must be huge"). With so many games falling in sub-15 hour play time these days (and Heavenly Sword at 6-7 hours is dreadful) there is definately a reassuring feel to the three disks and the scope of the game that implies... it's purely a subjective rather than technical view but it's there.

Cheers for that mate, really good little overview. I'm totally looking forward to getting stuck into this now

Must admit I did have a chuckle at the Poo creature things when I was looking at the achievements.

Little amuses children

 

[DeanTheDon]

So, how far are people now? I've been playing for about 7 hours and I've just finished that 'Dark Forest'...

 

[fizzgog]

im a couple of hours into disc 2. heading north from Jibral
disc 1 took me 22 hours to complete
enjoying it so far
pete

 

[tapzilla2k]

I love this game, though i'm stuck in the dessert bit after the ship thing crashes (those giant rats would give my mum nightmares). I'm always a bit slow with these kind of games, but i enjoy them.

 

[chrislad]

I'm on Disc 3, just at the Snow Village. Enjoying it so far. Story isn't amazing, and I'm finding it a bit easy, but it's nice to have an RPG to play.

As was said, Enchanted Arms was good once you got into it, and it's a shame that's the only other RPG that we currently have.

 

[Moogle]

I'm on Disc 3, just at the Snow Village. Enjoying it so far. Story isn't amazing, and I'm finding it a bit easy, but it's nice to have an RPG to play.

As was said, Enchanted Arms was good once you got into it, and it's a shame that's the only other RPG that we currently have.

Look out for Eternal Sonata later this month. It's supposed to be a lot better then Blue Dragon story and gameplay wise. There is a demo of it on the US market place. Then there is Lost Oddysee later on in the year.

 

[ProphetRNG]

Just picked this up at Tesco, Ill have a go later tonight and see if i can get into it.

 

[LemonGrab]

Im in the dead forest bout 10 hours in quite a good game but storyline is a bit thin and it does get repetitive. I rekon there is 250 plus hours game time to fully complete the game and the achievements which is refreshing as most games these days can be completed in a under 5 hours - Bioshock any one

 

[chrislad]

I disagree. I'm about 22 hours in, and at the end of the game, and I'm only level 42. The lvl 99 achievement is just going to be hours upon hours of grinding, which is no fun. Achievements should be challenging, but that's just challenging your tolerance for boredom, not your skill at the game.

 

[wormvortex]

If its anything like FF getting to level99 is impossible unless you constantly grind for hours upon hours and seeing as you wont need to be 99 to finish the game it would just be pretty sad doing it for the sake of an achievement

 

[KlaatuNinja]

If you managed to persevere with Enchanted Arms it was a very rewarding game, I know not everyones cup of sake (*groan*) but it definately stands as one of my favourite 360 games to date.

Thanks for the info. I finished Enchanted Arms and loved it (yes the random battles can get annoying, but I really enjoyed the turn based strategy element)

Might get Blue Dragon from Tesco's at lunch......

EDIT

Just bought it. I'll give it a go when I get home from work

 

[Kahled]

Thanks for the info. I finished Enchanted Arms and loved it (yes the random battles can get annoying, but I really enjoyed the turn based strategy element)

Might get Blue Dragon from Tesco's at lunch......

EDIT

Just bought it. I'll give it a go when I get home from work

Well hope you enjoy it!

Got quite a bit further now and still enjoying it, although the story is not exactly firming up in any way.

Need to try again tonight as managed to get back to the village but this vagrant type character wiped my entire party out in one hit Had beaten down three series of skeleton summons then he pulled this tempest attack that was game over. Might try some wind rings equipped this time and see if that helps.

 

[NewBeetle]

Just played the 1st hour or so and its a really refreshing change from the usual 360 games. Some of the nicest graphics I have seen on the 360 so far. Looking forward to getting in a bit deeper if I can drag the joypad out of my girlfriends hands (tho its actually her game)

 

[gowdewiz]

damn this game is frustrating me....

why's it got to be on 3 discs??!!


see, i'm a cheap skate and get all my games on rental where possible, which normally works out great cos you can complete it, send it back, and get straight into something else...

however, i finished disc 1 on monday, sent it back on tuesday, and have been waiting ever since for disc 2 to turn up.... its been driving me mad!

Long time since i got proper hooked on a game like this. I bought bioshock on release day cos i was so hyped about it, but since blue dragon turned up BS has not even had a look in. Not often i have the cash to buy a game, and normally i'm real careful about what games i get, but i gotta admit i spent it on the wrong game this time round...


good news is, disc 2 should drop through the letter box tomorrow morning (unless the postie's lost it), so i'll be locking myself away for the rest of the weekend!

 

[Dazza Cole]

Got about 4 hours into this last night, up to the point where you find the drilling machine. But am getting my kicked by the "lazy bear" in this area - I can last for a few rounds but he just wipes out my characters with one attack at a time.

My characters are at about level 8 - Am I tackling this monster too quickly, or have I just made a mess of levelling up?!!

 

[Anodyne]

Got about 4 hours into this last night, up to the point where you find the drilling machine. But am getting my kicked by the "lazy bear" in this area - I can last for a few rounds but he just wipes out my characters with one attack at a time.

My characters are at about level 8 - Am I tackling this monster too quickly, or have I just made a mess of levelling up?!!

You don't have to fight him yet, you come back to the area a bit later when your levels are higher.

 

[Dazza Cole]

Thanks - time to move on with the story then

 

[KlaatuNinja]

Got about 4 hours into this last night, up to the point where you find the drilling machine. But am getting my kicked by the "lazy bear" in this area - I can last for a few rounds but he just wipes out my characters with one attack at a time.

My characters are at about level 8 - Am I tackling this monster too quickly, or have I just made a mess of levelling up?!!

I kicked his bottom...but i've been exploring every area and doing a bit of grinding.

This game is just so polished. And I love the little tunes that play.

If you like JRPG's you will love this.

 

[gowdewiz]

Lazy bear whooped me a few times when i first came across him so i went and carried on with the story. By the time i got back to him i managed to kill him without taking a single hit myself (due to some insane agility and power from being about rank 45).

To be honest, the first few hours there were some tough battles, but for about the last 15-20 i've beaten everything first go, and most of the usual stuff i can beat in 1 or 2 hits. A little dissapointing that the combat isnt more challenging, but i'm loving the game all the same so no real complaint.

What i have noticed though, is there's a ton of items and spells and stuff that i've not even used yet (now on disc 3), cos most things can be easily beaten with the standard attacks... I might have to play around with some of the other stuff and see what works best...