[QUOTE="Phantom_Leo"]
I am, however, knee deep in Baroque (it seems everytime I go near my systems, I have to play this game)
Skylock00
I'm going to play some Okami today, but out of curiosity, regarding Baroque...
When it comes to me and RPGs, the main thing I look for is an enjoyable level of depth in the character customization/development side of things. What can you say about this aspect of Baroque, if you don't mind?
How is Baroque, anyway? I had already written it off but Gamespot's review makes it sound intrigueing.I'll buy the Wii edition of Okami just to have it back in my collection (I cleared out all of my PS2 stuff) but I think I'll put it off since I'm already buying World Ends With You and Mario Kart this month. I still haven't decided on Rondo. There's just too many DS games to buy, and I still have Front Mission waiting to be played.
Archon_basic
I am totally intriued by Baroque and have been discussing it with a few people on these boards. Here is a reprint of one of my replies. It gives basic information on Baroque and Rogue games. I'll try to answer your question after that Skylock.
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I love the Rogue games because they are all about randomization. You never quite know how each play session is going to turn out. In Baroque, you can pick up an unidentified sword and it can be Junk or it can be a very powerful Glass Sword, for example...
You have to make the best of what you have... You can almost look at it like Survival Role Playing! To add to this, almost all of these games have a Hunger or Stamina meter which is always counting down... You need to keep your Stamina up to keep your HP from Depleting, or your Hunger down or you Starve... Again, almost like Survival RPG...!
Some of the Rogue games are Turn based, where as you make a move, your enemies make their moves too... Things move in Real Time, but when you stop, they do too... It's hard to describe! Baroque is more Real Time than the typical Rogue like game, but not as free moving as an action title... Your enemies move and attack regardless if you do or not, but don't expect Devil May Cry here!
This is such a hardcore game that even the instruction booklet is vague! You kind of have to figure things out as you go along! Whether this was a conscious decision by the designers or not, I am not sure... But, you are playing a character who has amnesia and has survived after some cataclysmic event has ruined his world... You had some part in it, but don't recall how... It feels like you are more a part of the world because as you figure out HOW to play the game the character is discovering more about himself and his role... It works very well in my book!
The story doesn't hold your hand either. You actually have a menu where you can go back and review conversations you had with characters so you can piece things together. There is also something I am discovering where you piece other demented characters lives and memories back together too, but I have only scarecly touched upon that at the point of the game I am in...
I'll write more later, but the fact that you don't like level grinding makes me think you might not enjoy this game... It's is certainly a genre unto itself and I wholeheartedly recommend any true gamer try this styIe of game at least once, but you really have to understand what you are getting yourself into!
Rent it at least! You may be pleasantly surprised!
(More later!)
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I don't know what type of customization it is you are looking for Skylock, but this game has a bit of it.
You get things called Parasites and Brands that you can add to yourself and/or your weapons/equipment. You may get a parasite that you can fuse to yourself or your jacket that slows down vitality drain by 50% for example.
If you have a favorite sword that moves quick and adds 3 points to your Defense, you might find a brand that adds a lighting element to it as well.
There are things called Baroque Ideas in the game that seem to be physical representations (glowing orbs) of the remains of the conciousness of the people who have been corrupted... You can add these to a Crystal Sword... That sword changes to resemble what the Baroques look like in color and textures, but I haven't seen what use this is to the character yet... I am getting the impression that this weapon is key somehow, but you get very few hints at a time and the discovery process is slow and methodical (in a good way)...
Apparently, you can fuse Parasites to Parasites too, to stack effects, but I haven't tried that yet...
You also get bonuses here and there for equipping certain weapon/wing/jacket sets... A Stubborn Jacket and Stubborn wings double your Defense, for example...
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Yes, the graphics are grainy and the animation is stiff, but the game is hardly broken. IF you know what type of game you are getting yourself into, you are not going to care about those things anyway!
The story is intelligent. There are TONS of fetch quests for the various twisted citizens of the outerworld.
I LIKE the Coffin Guy, Goddammit! (In game joke...) He's a sarcastic bastard, along the lines of Bruce Campbell; I find him really amusing!
Anyone remember how Star Ocean had voice clips you could unlock in an option menu and you had to play through the game several times and get differing story arcs and endings to collect them all? Yep, Baroques got that too, but I think it is done more for you to piece the story together yourself. Like I said, it is slow and methodical, but I like that! Games that hold my hand every step of the way bore the crud out of me!
I hope this addresses some of your questions, guys. If you have more, ask!
Or, like I said before, give it a rent and put a few hours into it... If you look past the superficial complaints about the game, you'll find something unique, thought provoking and addicting underneath!
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