Best PS3 games.

[Yora]

With Final Fantasy XIII and "Trico" in the making and the recent price cut, I thought it might be a good idea to get a used PS3 at some point early next year.
I was browing for prices on ebay this morning to see how much longer I would wait until average selling prices would drop to a level to my liking. I didn't expect that my maximum bid would be even close to the final price, but turns out I got "lucky" and are now the owner of an almost new PS3. :smallbiggrin:

I can't really have it just sit here for the next months until the games I anticipate are released. So, what REALLY god PS3 games can you reccomend me? :smallbiggrin:

(I love stuff like Okami, Shadow of the Colossus, Final Fantasy X, God of War, or Primal. Played Halo 3 and Gears of War on 360, which were quite fun, but nothing I'd play more than just one or two times.)
There's a lot of good shooters I've allways wanted to try out (Dead Space, Bad Company, Modern Warfare, Resistance), but I'm afraid I don't know much about any other types of games. Any highly recommended adventure/rpg games?

[Celesyne]

I am told, and it irks me that I dont own a PS3 to find out on my own, that if you enjoyed Metal Gear Solid at all, then MGS 4 is a must own must play... though don't take my word for it, as I would kill someone just play it right now.

[Yora]

I've seen vids and it really makes me want to try it.

I borrowed MGS2 from friends when I got my first PS2 and absolutely hated it, when the first half hour was only 4 massive blocks of talking interrupted by 5 second long sequences of walking. I gave up when even switching through all dialog screens without reading did not get me close to anything resembling gameplay. Totaly hated it. :smallbiggrin:
But now that I played many other games, I have quite different expectations about such games, so I might enjoy them greatly. But I guess then it would be a good idea to start with an earlier game, and not with the last one first. ^^

[valadil]

Valkyria Chronicles is the best game I've played in many, many years. When I finished the campaign I started a second play through immediately. Before I got this game I was wondering if I should have gone 360. Haven't had a doubt since I played it.

Anyway, check out videos on youtube or download the demo.

[Terraoblivion]

I have to concur with Valadil, Valkyria Chronicles is one of the best games out there for any platform. If you have even the slightest fondness for tactics then the art, music and writing of that game should be enough for it to be one of the best games you can get.

[The Rose Dragon]

Folklore, most definitely, is a great, great game.

Also, Little Big Planet and Mirror's Edge.

I second MGS 4.

[Joran]

I've heard good things about Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. The sequel is coming out soon as well. God of War 3 is also coming out next year, so budget accordingly.

I liked Bioshock on the XBox 360 and it should be a similar experience on the PS3. Arkham Asylum was reviewed very well and the demo was fun.

Ditto the recommendations for Valkyria Chronicles even though VC2 is PSP only :smallfurious:

[blackspeeker]

Disgaia 3 is hilarious and really fun.

[Kris Strife]

Another Vote for Disgaea 3 (NIS: Bringing you games with nigh unlimited playtime) and Batman.

[JabberwockySupafly]

Two words:

Demon's Souls.


The game hasn't technically been released outside of Asia, but the Asian version happens to be in fully translated (albiet not 100% perfect) English with English voice acting. It is a fantastic Action RPG that has kept me very very occupied since I got it back in April. If English isn't your first language or not your strong suit, it will be getting released later this year world wide.

I also second every recommendation on here so far and would like to add in a few others:

Katamari Forever has just recently been released and if you've never played a Katamari game, well.. GOGOGOGOGOGOGO...NOW! They're incredibly quirky and enjoyable games with some stellar soundtracks.

If you don't mind a good scare than I suggest getting Silent Hill: Homecoming & Siren: Blood Curse. Both do a good job of giving one the heebie-jeebies.

Resident Evil 5 is good fun, even if it doesn't really feel like a Resident Evil game.

Fallout 3 is the must-have timesink for all RPG fans, but wait to get it for about a month. Europe & Australia will be getting the Game of the Year edition, which comes will all the extra goodies you'd normally have to download, in Mid-October.

If you're fan of comic books, Batman: Arkham Asylum & Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 are both fun games for vastly different reasons.

The Darkness is one of my all time favourite shooters, based on a great comic book series which I didn't know existed until after I played the game. Awesome story with some neat features rarely-if-ever seen in other First Person Shooters.

And, no matter your age you really can't go wrong with the Lego series: Lego Batman, Lego Star Wars, Lego Indiana Jones. They're just so much bloody fun.

Soulcalibur IV, if you're a fan of fighting games, is quite possibly the best of the series.

Those are all I can personally recommend and I hope they help :)

[Yora]

I've heard about Valkyria, but thought the few screens I've seen are... "odd". (Final Fantasy in WW1 in France?)

But I have become fond of a couple of games with, let's say, unusual background settings. I think you have to just get used to historical european imagery used in totaly unrelated context. :smallbiggrin:
I've managed to accept sword fighters with addidas shoes and black mages fighting against slime blobs and pink mechas by throwing soccer balls at them and summoning huge gay pride birds with a friggin laser! Final Fantasy in WW1 France? No problem. :smallbiggrin:

Thanks for the advice. With the impressive ratings the game got, I'll definately give it a try.

And I completely forgot about Gof of War 3. I discarded it years ago when PS3 prices were almost twice as high as today. :smallbiggrin:

I've played Soul Calibur 4 on 360 at my brothers, and it looked nice. Might give it a try when my friends are back in town for the semester.

[Xenogears]

Soulcalibur IV, if you're a fan of fighting games, is quite possibly the best of the series.

No. Just no. 4 was not even close to best. 2 was a ton bettter. 3 was better. The PSP one is better even and that is basically Soul Calibur 4 with some changes. Still a good game but.....

I would recommend Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 based on how much I loved X-Men legends one and two and the first Marvel Ultimate Alliance.

[Terraoblivion]

Valkyria Chronicles isn't Final Fantasy in WWI France. The primary weapons are rifles and submachine guns, with tanks, generally very elaborate and frequently oversized tanks, grenades and flamethrowers making up the rest. While there is some magic the people of the setting tend to find it rather frightening and frequently display skepticism towards it and it doesn't feature prominently in the gameplay. You never get to use it for example.

[Yora]

I always thought I really hate Yugioh and Naruto. But much much more, I hate Marvel and DC! :smallbiggrin:

Not to criticise anyone who gets entertainment from it, but I think these are the two single most franchises that entertain me the least.

I never actually expected Valkyria to be anything like that. Since I started to play PS2, I've learned that visual style doesn't accurately represent a games style and themes. Even if parts of the imagery appears familiar.

I've seen things that looked stranger, but turned out to be very well thought of. :smallsmile:

[warty goblin]

If you like shooters, get Far Cry 2. The size of the world is, to me, a great turn on, as is the pacing of the action- short, frenetic bursts of violence punctuating pauses filled by simply wandering the world. Tension is maintained because violence could ensue at any time, so you need to keep an ear tuned for engines, and an eye on the horizon. The missions are a bit samey, but I found the narrative (not the plot) quite interesting, and the gameworld is one of the more memorable places I've virtually set foot.

Also, you can set things on fire. Or blow them up with a reall rather excellent semi-automatic grenade launcher.

[Narudude360]

For the FPS lover, Killzone 2 is a must. It has awesome audio, looks stunning blown up on an HD Plasma LCD tv, and is way too much fun.

For free-roam lovers, you have inFamous. It's simple, pick good or bad. You can climb almost anywhere, zip along rooftops, control lightning, grind electricity lines, etc. Oh, and lightning GRENADES!!1!

And littleBIGPlanet. Create, customize, modify, edit, whatever you use to describe something is yours for the taking. Just don't get cocky. Aw hell, get cocky, it's what makes it fun. Download a few hundred levels. I made Super Mario Bros. completely out of LBG's software. Game of teh Year Ed. is out now, so why not?

[ocato]

I greatly enjoyed inFamous for many reasons. Think GTA if you were playing a Storm Sorcerer.

[littlebottom]

i can reccomend most of whats already been said in this thread.

but MGS4 is ONLY if you have time on your hands, i mean serious time, what with cutscenes lasting over 2 hours and such.

i have had alot of fun with the orange box too, but most people prefere to get that on the pc.

[/unuseful post]

[Yora]

For the FPS lover, Killzone 2 is a must. It has awesome audio, looks stunning blown up on an HD Plasma LCD tv, and is way too much fun.

For free-roam lovers, you have inFamous. It's simple, pick good or bad. You can climb almost anywhere, zip along rooftops, control lightning, grind electricity lines, etc. Oh, and lightning GRENADES!!1!
Mybe I read the wrong gaming blogs. :smallbiggrin:
I've heared these games are supposedly totaly overrated, might have to check out some other reviews.

[Fredthefighter]

For the FPS lover, Killzone 2 is a must. It has awesome audio, looks stunning blown up on an HD Plasma LCD tv, and is way too much fun.

For free-roam lovers, you have inFamous. It's simple, pick good or bad. You can climb almost anywhere, zip along rooftops, control lightning, grind electricity lines, etc. Oh, and lightning GRENADES!!1!

And littleBIGPlanet. Create, customize, modify, edit, whatever you use to describe something is yours for the taking. Just don't get cocky. Aw hell, get cocky, it's what makes it fun. Download a few hundred levels. I made Super Mario Bros. completely out of LBG's software. Game of teh Year Ed. is out now, so why not?

And if you like inFamous, then you'll probably like Prototype as well. They are pretty much the same game, except one guy has lightning powers and the other guy can shift his limbs into a variety of blades, bludgeons, tentacles and claws.

[Lord of Rapture]

I have to disagree with everyone about Valkyria Chronicles. The gameplay is top notch, sure, but the story and the atmosphere and characters are... revolting. Trite. Cliche. Sickeningly sweet and childish.

Seriously, as a game, Valkyria Chronicles is good, but as a whole package... mediocre, at best.

[Yora]

So what are your favorites?

[Fredthefighter]

So what are your favorites?

Well, I only have two PS3 games (Street Fighter IV and Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood), but, from the games I've seen, I'd have to say:

Street Fighter IV
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
Prototype/inFamous
LittleBigPlanet

[Kasanip]

Definitely Valkyria Chronicles. :smallbiggrin: one of my favorite games~

[Arutema]

I've seen vids and it really makes me want to try it.

I borrowed MGS2 from friends when I got my first PS2 and absolutely hated it, when the first half hour was only 4 massive blocks of talking interrupted by 5 second long sequences of walking. I gave up when even switching through all dialog screens without reading did not get me close to anything resembling gameplay. Totaly hated it. :smallbiggrin:
But now that I played many other games, I have quite different expectations about such games, so I might enjoy them greatly. But I guess then it would be a good idea to start with an earlier game, and not with the last one first. ^^

I'd actually not recommend MGS4 in your case. It has even worse pacing issues than MGS2, and it assumes you have played the previous 3 games, with the result that the plot becomes incomprehensible if you have not.

What games would I recommend?

Disgaea 3 (strategy RPG)
Assassin's Creed (stealth action)
Rock Band (rhythm, duh)
Killzone 2 and Bioshock (FPS)
Warhawk (multiplayer 3PS)
BlazBlue (2D fighting)

If you enjoyed God of War, definitely rent or borrow Heavenly Sword. It's a good game in God of War's style, but very short.

Good download games:
Crash Commando (side-scrolling multiplayer action)
Super Stardust HD (asteroids, on crack)
Shatter (Breakout, on.. something)
Flower and Linger in Shadows (beautiful, artistic things that defy most conventions of "games." Your mileage may vary.)

[BooNL]

I bought a PS3 from a friend of mine in February for cheap, including about 6 games. If it wasn't for that I would never even have thought of buying a PS.

Anyway, some games I've enjoyed so far:
GTA4: this game is awesome if you can stomach the first 4 hours of holding hands and dating your cousin. After that, it gets a lot better. Best sandbox game I've played in a long time.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: an amazing shooter and I think it still has more multiplayer action than the latest CoD. I must admit I've never played the story mode, the multiplayer is just that awesome.
Rainbow Six: Vegas 2. I've played this game on the PC first and only got it because it was on sale. I've been playing the story split-screen with my brother every once in a while. Pretty good shooter, it can get fairly frustrating though. Not the best game around, but entertaining.
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. This game just blew my mind. The most beatiful game I've ever seen, the cut scenes in particular are amazing. Mechanics-wise you're looking at a Tomb Raider/Gears of War hybrid. Story-wise, it's Indiana Jones or The Mummy in game form. Its pretty fast paced as well.

[MrPig]

I'm really enjoying Resistance: Fall of Man right now, but by god is that game long. Really long. Really, really, really long.

[Yora]

I noticed something interesting.

The new PS3 modell does not support PS1 and PS2 games. Says they are not compatible and quits.
But not only did all other models of the PS3 support it, the new modell even still has the Virtual Memory Card function in it's software! :smallbiggrin:
It hink they left the hardware and the software unchanged and only added a tiny piece of code that makes the console abort the programm start when a PS1 or PS2 disk is put in.

These *****! :smallbiggrin:

And here's real joke: The reason is claimed to be "because nobody wants to play PS2 games on the PS3 anymore." You know, PS2 sales are still pretty strong. I think it's not so much because nobody wants to play PS2 games anymore, but because they want to reduce the availability of used PS2s.
Yeah, they said this feature will never return to the PS3. Ever! Of course they would say that. If they said it comes back per 15 kb update at a later point, people will wait to buy a PS3 until that later point, and not buy a PS2 at all.

Still very, very weak. That's just embarrasing.

I got Resistance this day for 20€ at gamestop. And yes, quite fun. But it's not really that overwhelming so far. Nice shoter, but a shoter like any other.

[Terraoblivion]

European PS3s have never had hardware support for PS1 and PS2 games, instead it had a list of PS2 games it emulated. They have just removed this software support, most likely.

[Yora]

But it still has a virtual memory card feature. This shows that it could do something, if it were allowed to.

[Zevox]

You know, PS2 sales are still pretty strong.
That's an understatement. I recall reading over the summer that in one month this year (June or July, I think) the PS2 actually outsold the PS3 in the US. Which just goes to show the huge gap in popularity between the two - from the most popular sixth-gen console to the least popular seventh-gen one.

Zevox

[littlebottom]

I noticed something interesting.

The new PS3 modell does not support PS1 and PS2 games. Says they are not compatible and quits.
But not only did all other models of the PS3 support it, the new modell even still has the Virtual Memory Card function in it's software! :smallbiggrin:
It hink they left the hardware and the software unchanged and only added a tiny piece of code that makes the console abort the programm start when a PS1 or PS2 disk is put in.

These *****! :smallbiggrin:

And here's real joke: The reason is claimed to be "because nobody wants to play PS2 games on the PS3 anymore." You know, PS2 sales are still pretty strong. I think it's not so much because nobody wants to play PS2 games anymore, but because they want to reduce the availability of used PS2s.
Yeah, they said this feature will never return to the PS3. Ever! Of course they would say that. If they said it comes back per 15 kb update at a later point, people will wait to buy a PS3 until that later point, and not buy a PS2 at all.

Still very, very weak. That's just embarrasing.

I got Resistance this day for 20€ at gamestop. And yes, quite fun. But it's not really that overwhelming so far. Nice shoter, but a shoter like any other.

actually, my PS3 runs any game i put in it, ps1, 2 or 3, even though mine is obviously british, thing is, i got it on day of release, so im assuming that they just used the same model to begin with? because ive got some pretty obscure games that it runs, also it has always had the memory card feature... so no idea.

[BooNL]

I'm really enjoying Resistance: Fall of Man right now, but by god is that game long. Really long. Really, really, really long.

Don't like it one bit. Its a pretty bland game and not a terribly good shooter. I played Resistance 2 at a friend's house and that was slightly better, but mostly because of the hot-seat MP action, which was pretty fun.

[Hunter Noventa]

But it still has a virtual memory card feature. This shows that it could do something, if it were allowed to.

That's because you still can download and run PS1 games over PSN i believe. That or laziness.

I'll also vote for Valkyria Chronislves. It's like playing an anime, it's so beautiful.

Disgaea 3 and lego Star Wars are also amazing.

[Myatar_Panwar]

I don't own a PS3, though the PS3 version of this game is actually got more than the 360 version so...

BAT. MAN.

[warty goblin]

Mybe I read the wrong gaming blogs. :smallbiggrin:
I've heared these games are supposedly totaly overrated, might have to check out some other reviews.

The impression I got, based entirely on reading other people's thoughts but not actually playing either of the games in question, was that inFamous was aggressively competant, but not a deeply exciting experience. There was parkour, but Assassin's Creed did that and Mirror's Edge probably did it better, and morality system of laughable pithiness which has also been done before. On the other hand you get to shoot guys with lightening, which although not original is still always a good time.

Killzone 2 was, according to my sources, essentially a Call of Duty clone that brought exactly nothing new to the table, with a good graphics engine capable of rendering nearly 300 shades of grey. Take everything cliche about WWII shooters, then combine with everything boring about space marine shooters, and the requisite red dot sight assault rifles that we're supposed to get excited about, even though they've been featured in approximately every FPS in the last three years. The multiplayer is notable for having a truly punishing unlock system- to the point where you actually needed to get unlocks to carry more than like, two clips of ammo for your weapon. I've not tried it, so I could be wrong, but this strikes me as a bad idea.

Both clearly suffer from having retarded names though.

[Joran]

I noticed something interesting.

The new PS3 modell does not support PS1 and PS2 games. Says they are not compatible and quits.
But not only did all other models of the PS3 support it, the new modell even still has the Virtual Memory Card function in it's software! :smallbiggrin:
It hink they left the hardware and the software unchanged and only added a tiny piece of code that makes the console abort the programm start when a PS1 or PS2 disk is put in.


Not quite true. At launch, the PS3 had complete backwards compatibility by physically placing the PS2 hardware into the system. While this was great, it also added to the price of an already expensive console that was selling at a loss.

So, Sony did a hardware revision in which they took out one component of hardware out of the necessary two, but did an intermediary software emulation, which did a pretty good job of being able to play PS2 games.

Finally, they said to heck with it, nobody is buying our console for the backwards compatibility anyway, and eliminated that last piece of hardware for cost savings, so their software emulation no longer worked.

Theoretically, I'm sure they could attempt to do a full software emulation, but it's not going to be cost effective for them to do so.

[Arutema]

I noticed something interesting.

The new PS3 modell does not support PS1 and PS2 games. Says they are not compatible and quits.

It should support all PS1 games. If a game doesn't run, look it up on Sony's support site.



But not only did all other models of the PS3 support it, the new modell even still has the Virtual Memory Card function in it's software! :smallbiggrin:

You still need it for PS1 games. And it can be used to store PS2 saves so you don't have to buy quite so many memory cards. Just the $15 adapter.

[Shas aia Toriia]

I would reccomend Warhawk and Star Wars: Force Unleashed.
Both seem to fit in with what you want.

[Wreckingrocc]

Alright, Assassin's Creed is a little easy/repetitive, but very fun while it lasts. Good game to borrow from a friend (You can't rent PS3 games, can you?).

I got PT and IF at the same time, too, but got totally different impressions. Prototype is not at all like Infamous, being much, much more like Assassin's Creed on Steroids. It's pretty run-around mindlessly killing things, but the difficulty and pacing is excellent, and combat is very fun. The controls could use some work, though, and the plot has some major pacing/wrap-up issues. Infamous is much more streamlined, feeling more like Uncharted. It's a 3rd-person shooter at heart, with some Sucker Punch givens, such as the Sly-Cooper free-roaming the city feel. Gameplay is more solidified, but less over-the-top than Prototype. Definitely less frustrating, though.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is probably the best shooter I've ever played (though recently I got TF2 and love it a lot), though with the coming release of Modern Warfare 2, you might want to wait (though if Infinity Ward botches the vehicles and maps and it turns into another World at War, everyone will probably flock back to CoD4/MW1.

Little Big Planet is fun, but, in my experience, much to hard to build levels in, and much too hard to find good levels in. It's a great platformer, though, and the level creators are fun to mess around in.

Final Fantasy 12 felt kind of lacking to me, as it was kind of repetitive and the bosses were all ridiculous in more ways than one... I found it really hard towards the end, though that might've been because I was poor on account of not liking grinding. The leveling system was lacking, too.
- If you can get it, FFX is very good pacing wise, the leveling system is great, and although the story can be kind of obnoxious, combat is excellent.
- FFVIII is slightly more repetitive and much older (PS1), but it's my favorite FF game overall due to great storyline/pacing and the open-ended feel in setting up your characters.

Guitar Hero > Rockband, if you're into that stuff. Difficulty goes higher, low-end difficulty is about the same. Songs are better, too :D

Ratchet and Clank: Among my favorite series', very excellent gameplay. Definitely start with 1 and work your way up. They're all pretty cheap these days, too.

To wrap it all up:
Assassin's Creed: 7.5/10 while it lasts, though kinda short and one-time. Great borrowing game.
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune: 8/10 - Excellent gameplay, very nice graphics and story; unique feel.
Infamous: 8.5/10 - Very good pacing/gameplay, very fun.
Prototype: 8/10; as with Assassin's Creed, kinda short and one-time, and repetitive, but a blast for the first 10-20 hours.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: 10/10. Amazing game. Buy it if MW2 isn't good, or if you can get it for cheap before then.
LittleBig Planet: 8/10. Fun, but limited in player level design.
FFXII: 6/10. Long, pretty good storyline, fun, but repetitive, and not too great as far as FF goes.
FFX (PS2): 8.5/10. Excellent FF game, great pacing, great combat, alright story, pretty good FF game.
FFVIII (PS): 9/10. My favorite FF game, though graphics are dated, excellent plotline, fun customization, many sidequests, fun game.
Ratchet and Clank 1-3 (PS2): 10/10. Very, very fun, inexpensive, will keep you hooked for a while among the three of them. Funny, too, and very unique gameplay.
Ratchet: Deadlocked (PS2): 8/10. Pretty generic as far as shooters go, with an annihilate-everything style, and not much is new from the other R&C games.
Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction: 8.5/10. Fun gameplay, still the Ratchet and Clank that is loved, great graphics, but a higher price tag than the others.
Guitar Hero: Judge for yourself. If you're into it, go for it. If not, don't.

I have an everlasting list of PS2 games, but don't want a post longer than it already is (and it's quite long to begin with...). Quickly, Sly Cooper, the first three Spyro games (PS) (though they're kinda easy and appeal to a younger audience), and the Crash Bandicoot games (namely 2; 3 and 4 were good, too) come to mind.

[Tackyhillbillu]

I'm repeating others, but Disgaea 3!

God damn it, I love NIS. Hell, some of the best games for PS3 are Disgaea, and Disgaea 2.

[Vic_Sage]

Can't go wrong with Disgea 3
Street Fighter IV & BlazBlue are worth a pickup all so
Infamous is the ****, Prototype aint that good though

[Yora]

I played Dead Space these last days, and I'd say it's great fun.

But not really so much a great game. "Walk to the end of the level, press a switch, come back. Do this 12 times." And the Puzzles are very easy. But still fun somehow. :smallbiggrin:
Though I don't agree, that it's really scary. I get scared from Thief or Resident Evil 4, or System Shock 2. But undead space mutants jumping at me through a wall screaming or laughing crewman shoting themselves in the head. Don't know. It's surprising, but not frightening or shocking. Or maybe my mind just switches of sense of fear and lets me play the game in a constant state of shock. :smallbiggrin:

Fun game, but I don't think I want to play it a second time.

[BooNL]

I get scared from Thief or Resident Evil 4, or System Shock 2.

That's because if you screw up in Thief, you're as good as dead. That game was a thrill ride for me as well.

I bought Valkeria Chronicles today and while I was a bit skeptic at first (c'mon, a JRPG set in a quasi-Europe with quasi-european countries fighting a quasi-WW2) the game is really fun.
The combat is pretty balanced, though I'm still getting a bit used to the CP. In usual turn based combat (like HoMM for example) you're able to move every unit once each round instead of being able to use the same units multiple times.

They could have expanded on the RPG side a bit. I don't like the way the leveling system works, but I can see why they went for it.

[valadil]

(You can't rent PS3 games, can you?)


Of course you can. Why couldn't you? I guess you'd need a rental place nearby that stocked PS3 games. Failing that, Gamefly has a pretty decent selection. I used them for about 6 months.



The combat is pretty balanced, though I'm still getting a bit used to the CP. In usual turn based combat (like HoMM for example) you're able to move every unit once each round instead of being able to use the same units multiple times.

They could have expanded on the RPG side a bit. I don't like the way the leveling system works, but I can see why they went for it.

Coming from other RPGs, I agree that VC's leveling seems overly simplistic. What's awesome about it though is that you don't have characters who lag behind. If you usually bring one sniper along but suddenly you need two, you'll have two good snipers. I just started a game of FF: Tactics (because I was craving a tactical game after finishing VC). My popular characters are level 3. My crappy ones are level 1. This is already a big gap. If my standard roster doesn't work out in a fight, I'll probably have to go back and grind to get them to a serviceable state.

You will get to specialize your characters a little more once you start building tech. Each line of weapons eventually splits. RoF vs damage output isn't that interesting, but varying ranges and accuracies can lead to very different uses for similar units.

Finally a word of warning. Don't play too many skirmishes. Whenever I look for strategies online, people suggest grinding through the skirmishes until you're max level and then playing through the main game. There's no need to do this. You'll ruin your game experience. The game is pretty well balanced without skirmishes. If a fight is too difficult, play a skirmish, level your shocktroopers, and suddenly the fight becomes playable. VC effectively lets you set your own difficulty as you play.

[BooNL]

Coming from other RPGs, I agree that VC's leveling seems overly simplistic. What's awesome about it though is that you don't have characters who lag behind. If you usually bring one sniper along but suddenly you need two, you'll have two good snipers. I just started a game of FF: Tactics (because I was craving a tactical game after finishing VC). My popular characters are level 3. My crappy ones are level 1. This is already a big gap. If my standard roster doesn't work out in a fight, I'll probably have to go back and grind to get them to a serviceable state.

You will get to specialize your characters a little more once you start building tech. Each line of weapons eventually splits. RoF vs damage output isn't that interesting, but varying ranges and accuracies can lead to very different uses for similar units.


Well that's true. It's a shame though that they went through all that trouble to make every character unique, only to have everyone end up as strong as every other. It kinda feels like the whole XP thing isn't needed at all, they could all gain abilities at the same rate instead.
Though you're right that it's nice to not have to grind.



Finally a word of warning. Don't play too many skirmishes. Whenever I look for strategies online, people suggest grinding through the skirmishes until you're max level and then playing through the main game. There's no need to do this. You'll ruin your game experience. The game is pretty well balanced without skirmishes. If a fight is too difficult, play a skirmish, level your shocktroopers, and suddenly the fight becomes playable. VC effectively lets you set your own difficulty as you play.

True. I'm up at mission... 4 I think? The second mission after you join the militia and I played one skirmish so far. I'll probably end up playing every skirmish, just to see what they offer though I won't go powerleveling.

It's nice though that they included it, the freedom is offers is pretty good.