[QUOTE="Sagacious_Tien"][QUOTE="TheCrazed420"][QUOTE="P90stein"]

My friends told me this was a good game and i really just need a second opinion on this game.

Is it worth buying or not?

AtomicTangerine

Isn't the 3 pages of opinions here enough to make a decision?

Yeah, a lot of the bad reviews were from technical problems that aren't on the retail discs. Seriously, this game would have done way better if the review copies weren't all messed up.

There are still issues, though. I'm wondering if I can even beat the game...I can't get through the final level without the game freezing up. :( This only started on the fourth disc, but it's unbelievably annoying and I'm not sure if there's anything I can do about it. I LOATHE the Xbox 360 and its software sometimes.

[QUOTE="fathoms_basic"]

I love it, and if it didn't have so many technical difficulties, I'd love it even more. I'm at about 53 hours and not far from the end of the game, and I have this sinking feeling it's going to be the last true turn-based RPG...the entire industry seems to be stuck in a real-time rut.

I still believe Lost Odyssey boasts some of the best writing I've ever seen in video games, although I'm limiting this to the short stories we find in the dreams. It almost seems as if a different person was writing the script, because that's nowhere near as good. There's a distinct political agenda with some of the later dreams, though - slanted heavily to the left - and I didn't appreciate that, but they're still very well done. The story is good, the pacing is a little iffy but still solid, and I'm a big fan of the gameplay. Really, these are just the types of RPGs I love.

But I wouldn't go so far as to say it's the best RPG in the last 6 years. That's discounting most all PS2 RPGs (with the exception of FFX, which came out at the end of 2001), and I really don't think LO is better than FFXII, DQVIII, Suikoden III and V, Shadow Hearts: Covenant, SMT:N, etc. I think LO is certainly in par with those games, but not any better, especially when compared to FFXII. I haven't seen much in the way of real-time RPG combat that has advanced significantly in the past 6 years, though, and I'm sad to see the trend that believes it's the only way to go with this genre.

Bottom line- I think gamers have less patience than ever, and the more we're attacked by media that is focused on faster and faster-moving imagery, and the more we're assaulted by games that cater to the twitch-gamer crowd, the more we need the real-time combat. The attention spans of people seem to be dropping at an alarming rate, and I've known people who can't even sit through 10 seconds of loading time without freaking out. Lost Odyssey requires some patience in the combat (and dear God, there's READING!), which is why it may not appeal to as many people these days. But we don't really need to sacrifice this style, do we?

AtomicTangerine

I'm not totally sure about the sales of the game, but I'm pretty sure I heard it was doing all right. If they are making money off of it, there will be more games like it. Turn-based RPGs aren't for sure on the path to being the next adventure or top-down shooter, and we even see some of those. On that note, buy Ikaruga on Xbox Live, because that game is dope!

I would, but I really suck at those games. :oops:

Anyway, I have heard there'd be a sequel to LO, but I'm just saying...the turn-based format seems to be on the way out, and that's just plain depressing. It's my favorite. :(

I love it, and if it didn't have so many technical difficulties, I'd love it even more. I'm at about 53 hours and not far from the end of the game, and I have this sinking feeling it's going to be the last true turn-based RPG...the entire industry seems to be stuck in a real-time rut.

I still believe Lost Odyssey boasts some of the best writing I've ever seen in video games, although I'm limiting this to the short stories we find in the dreams. It almost seems as if a different person was writing the script, because that's nowhere near as good. There's a distinct political agenda with some of the later dreams, though - slanted heavily to the left - and I didn't appreciate that, but they're still very well done. The story is good, the pacing is a little iffy but still solid, and I'm a big fan of the gameplay. Really, these are just the types of RPGs I love.

But I wouldn't go so far as to say it's the best RPG in the last 6 years. That's discounting most all PS2 RPGs (with the exception of FFX, which came out at the end of 2001), and I really don't think LO is better than FFXII, DQVIII, Suikoden III and V, Shadow Hearts: Covenant, SMT:N, etc. I think LO is certainly in par with those games, but not any better, especially when compared to FFXII. I haven't seen much in the way of real-time RPG combat that has advanced significantly in the past 6 years, though, and I'm sad to see the trend that believes it's the only way to go with this genre.

Bottom line- I think gamers have less patience than ever, and the more we're attacked by media that is focused on faster and faster-moving imagery, and the more we're assaulted by games that cater to the twitch-gamer crowd, the more we need the real-time combat. The attention spans of people seem to be dropping at an alarming rate, and I've known people who can't even sit through 10 seconds of loading time without freaking out. Lost Odyssey requires some patience in the combat (and dear God, there's READING!), which is why it may not appeal to as many people these days. But we don't really need to sacrifice this style, do we?

I'm right at the end of Lost Odyssey; right around the 48-hour mark, still doing some side-quests and stuff, but I want to finish soon. I've got Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds sitting there unwrapped and I've always loved that series, so I can't wait to get started. Of course, I also plan on playing Prologue and GTAIV this month, too, so there's plenty of gaming coming up for me. :)

I really like Lost Odyssey, and I get this sinking feeling when I play it that it may be the very last time we see a traditional style RPG. My only real problem with the game is the technical glitches, even though I didn't really experience them until the fourth disc. It loves to freeze when heading into battle, and it's annoying as all hell...but I'll still finish it, of course.

[QUOTE="fathoms_basic"][QUOTE="SophinaK"][QUOTE="fathoms_basic"]

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that many women don't wish to make their hobby public. I found that to be a common theme in all those e-mails I read, and I was a bit surprised...until I jumped online and actually listened to some of the crap that comes through the headset. I usually just ignore it, but when you LISTEN, it can get pretty nasty...

gamingqueen

I read through your articles (before :P) and I think what you concluded does have merit. I don't play online, and that's just one of the reasons why. I might never play online. But I think the female-secret-gamer is still very much a minority. As a pretty outspoken girl gamer myself, I don't think there'd be any reason for other women to hide their games from me, and I still find it hard to make girl friends who have the same interests as I do. In fact, I often get a goggly-eyed stare from both men and women, a look that says "prepare to be alone forever, because video games are about the most unfeminine hobby possible."

No, the "most unfeminine hobby possible" would have to be a gearhead (car enthusiast) or something. ;)

I certainly wouldn't worry about it. The number of female gamers is rising every day, as is the average age of the gamer (both male and female). I really don't think it'll be too much longer before we can start leaving certain stereotypes behind...provided the men can find a way to grow up and the women aren't afraid of making themselves known. Heh.

I'm with Sophina in this, I've never played online gaming and will try to get on it only to play with a group of cool people here so I haven't had my share of Whoaaa you're a female gamer ZOMG yet and by the time I play online I don't think I will xD everyone will be over it already! Anyways, I think the reason those females tend to keep their hobby as a secret is because, I hope no one get offended by this; gaming is associated with being lazy, geek and a loser which is totally wrong. I think those who write tv shows scripts and view people who play videogames as geeks and losers and anti-socials should to talk to a real gamer before writing about one!

So what kind of cars do you fancy Fathoms? Germans or Italians? 8) and being a car enthusiast has nothing to do with gender... if you have money you gotta know about cars!

I agree with you, and you girls hopefully won't have to wait much longer before you can join us guys online. At that time, we promise the offending adolescents will have grown up. ;)

And there's a difference between being a car mechanic and a car enthusiast. I know girls who love cars, but wouldn't have the first clue about changing their own oil. As for me, I love the car I just bought: 2007 Nissan 350Z Touring edition. It's a beast of a machine, and if it was socially acceptable to propose to a vehicle, I'd do it. 8)

[QUOTE="fathoms_basic"]

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that many women don't wish to make their hobby public. I found that to be a common theme in all those e-mails I read, and I was a bit surprised...until I jumped online and actually listened to some of the crap that comes through the headset. I usually just ignore it, but when you LISTEN, it can get pretty nasty...

SophinaK

I read through your articles (before :P) and I think what you concluded does have merit. I don't play online, and that's just one of the reasons why. I might never play online. But I think the female-secret-gamer is still very much a minority. As a pretty outspoken girl gamer myself, I don't think there'd be any reason for other women to hide their games from me, and I still find it hard to make girl friends who have the same interests as I do. In fact, I often get a goggly-eyed stare from both men and women, a look that says "prepare to be alone forever, because video games are about the most unfeminine hobby possible."

No, the "most unfeminine hobby possible" would have to be a gearhead (car enthusiast) or something. ;)

I certainly wouldn't worry about it. The number of female gamers is rising every day, as is the average age of the gamer (both male and female). I really don't think it'll be too much longer before we can start leaving certain stereotypes behind...provided the men can find a way to grow up and the women aren't afraid of making themselves known. Heh.

[QUOTE="gamingqueen"][QUOTE="fathoms_basic"]

You know, I asked myself this very question late last year. So I wrote up an editorial for it-

http://www.psxextreme.com/feature/237.html

It was mostly tongue-in-cheek, but I was assaulted with a ton of e-mails soon after the piece went live. This prompted me to follow it up with another editorial, "Girl Gamers Speak Up:"

http://www.psxextreme.com/feature/239.html

I think the response was interesting.

SophinaK

I think Not allowing women to work in the videogames industry for a long time resulted in the lack of female gamers. The more I read about this, the more I'm conviced that it's a cultural thing because there are countries which still prefer to hire men and pay them more, and still fire women who get pregnant or don't give them a paid maternity break... so it's only a matter of time that more females get into the games industry and play videogames!

"don't want everyone to know they've got all the next-gen consoles and a bunch of games at home."

Exactly... just as how they marketted videogames as soemthing for geeks and nerds, they marketted videogames for males too.

I like to compare it to women in sports. Even as recently as when I was a kid it was kind of odd to see a girl on the Little League team. She was supposed to be in girl scouts, or if she had to play sports there was a special girls' team that she could be on. In the entire time my dad was the coach, he always referred to it as "the boys' team" even though there was a girl named Danielle who was his first baseman for a couple of years. I think things are getting progressively more and more equal in terms of sports, even in the back side of nowhere where I live. There are lots of little girls playing on the peewee basketball and soccer teams right alongside the boys now, where only like fifteen years ago there were hardly any.

I think gaming is going through the same kind of coming-of-age process, where those of us who are gamers need to make it clear that we're not some kind of weird aberration, and then more women will be comfortable enough to learn.

That's my take on it anyway.

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that many women don't wish to make their hobby public. I found that to be a common theme in all those e-mails I read, and I was a bit surprised...until I jumped online and actually listened to some of the crap that comes through the headset. I usually just ignore it, but when you LISTEN, it can get pretty nasty...

Thing is, because it really is rare to encounter a female when playing online, and because many of the players are insecure adolescents and even 20-somethings (let's face up to facts), the girls are typically assaulted with inane - and often offensive - comments. Many women told me they either mute their headsets or simply hide the fact they're female when playing online, and I think that's just sad. I mean, I know why they do it (not their fault), but it does say a lot about the current state of gaming.

But I did like seeing such a wide variety of messages from girl gamers, ranging from ages 13 to 43, and I thought that was encouraging. I just had to do the follow-up editorial; those women would've lynched me had I not. LOL