@Jasurim Just read a review from a different site. It's highly improbable that there will be a second take on a game as niche as this. I liked Siliconera's write-up on GFP; it was a lot more informative about the game.
@Warlord_Irochi I don't think one save slot is a common feature of RPGs on portable consoles.
This is simply the way the Etrian Odyssey series was from the very first game, and the idea behind it was probably to help fuel its difficulty. Of course, now that the series is trying so hard to also appeal to casual jRPG players, sticking to one save slot looks pretty archaic.
>[...] voice acting, and it delivers a range of vocal performances from good to great
Based on the demo, I'd describe the range as from "obnoxiously grating" (e.g. Arthur, Valerie) to "tolerable".
Two things not mentioned in the review: When you've mapped out enough of a floor, the option to warp straight to the staircase by tapping on an icon becomes available. Also, for people allergic to drawing maps, there's an auto-map option that automatically draws the walls for you if you wish to use it.
True, true. The Vita definitely isn't as powerful as the PS3 (e.g. Dragon's Crown is essentially the same game on both systems, but there's far more slowdown on the Vita), so it's more fair to say the Vita is like a Playstation 2.5.
In all honesty $250 wasn't a bad launch price for what appeared to be a portable Playstation 3. The Vita's UI was terrible at launch, but was much more palatable after the firmware update that supported using buttons for navigation. Its current library is decent enough--if there's a genre you like, it's probably represented (though not necessarily a lot). In the 18 months I've had my Vita, I've purchased eleven games, which is enough to keep it from being dusty (of the eleven, I've played over 100 hours on three of them).
But the Vita's future looks murky. In Japan, the developers finally seem to be willing to move away from the PSP and jump aboard the Vita, so the crowd that eats up jRPGs and visual novels will be well served. Here in the west, I don't get the sense that there's as much developer or publisher support. And Sony itself seems content with letting the Vita primarily be a PS4 accessory (Remember Sony's E3 conference this year? Besides praising us Vita owners for buying a lot of games, how many upcoming non-port exclusives did they announce for the system?).
So I don't know. I don't regret purchasing mine, but I think it's difficult to recommend the Vita, especially for people who will hold off from buying a PS4 for a few years.
The real question is not "Would I be able to find enjoyment in playing an experimental but heavily flawed game such as this?" (which some people would reply with "Yes!"), but rather, "Is Time and Eternity worth $50?" Considering the slate of superior jRPGs on the horizon--Rune Factory 4, Tales of Xillia, Dragon's Crown, Atelier Meruru+, Ys: Memories of Celceta, etc., or the recently released SMT IV; I think not.
For people still interested in Time and Eternity--by all means, rent the game or pick it up if it hits the bargain bin, but paying full price for it is dubious.
It's funny that the Fire Emblem: Awakening mini-artbook was shown the video, since that item was a pre-order bonus and not part of a Limited/Collector's edition.
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